Chapter 111: Tyrannical Power Ghost God Art (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 111: Tyrannical Power Ghost God Art (1)
Namgung Myeong, going about his day as usual, received an unexpected guest.
"Who… might you be?"
"I am your great-granduncle."
"Ah…!"
Namgung Myeong’s eyes widened.
He had heard the name before. Namgung Hyeok. The man had abruptly abandoned the clan and his family before Myeong was even born.
He had to be hundreds of years old by now, yet his appearance bore no traces of time. Myeong surmised that he must have reached the Transcendent Realm, allowing him to defy the aging process.
Regardless, Namgung Myeong bowed his head with a bright smile, simply because the man was his elder.
"I have heard stories of you! Have you returned for good?"
"Not quite."
Namgung Hyeok shook his head.
"I am merely stopping by. I have yet to reach my intended destination, so I must depart again soon."
"Ah, I see…"
"By the way, Young Lord, I have heard something I find utterly impossible to believe."
The topic of the Emperor Sword Form escaped Namgung Hyeok’s lips.
It was a matter Namgung Myeong was already aware of. When his father had taught the Emperor Sword Form to his older sister and future brother-in-law, Myeong had been informed.
It was also something Namgung Myeong himself had agreed to.
"About that, I also—"
"This is unacceptable, Young Lord."
"My fa—"
"Is this not an act that disregards the legitimacy of the Namgung Clan? I must speak with the Family Head and see that this is corrected."
Namgung Myeong shifted his gaze uncomfortably. Since the man was a great elder of the clan, it was difficult to argue.
Hyeok looked ready to storm off to find the Family Head at any moment. At this rate, Myeong figured it might be better to just go along with him.
"I do not believe it is my place to make a hasty judgment."
"If the Young Lord expresses his opinion to the Family Head, even he will not be able to ignore it."
"Then why don't we go and discuss it with my father first?"
"A fine idea."
Namgung Hyeok nodded as if he had been waiting for that suggestion. Namgung Myeong followed behind as the elder led the way.
* * *
It was the usual pleasant training session with the Fist King, filled with laughter and exertion.
Thump—!
Seo-jun, having just hurled a boulder three times the size of a man, let out a refreshing laugh.
‘This sucks.’
Martial arts training was usually enjoyable, but this kind of mindless physical labor was incredibly tedious.
It didn't suit his aptitude, and lifting heavy weights without a single thought was just plain boring.
"Whew…"
The only reason he continued was that his regenerative abilities made the training efficiency quite decent, and he was fueled by a burning desire to finally beat Namgung Su-ah in arm wrestling.
Pae Jin-gwang, who had been staring intently at Seo-jun, finally spoke.
"Hey, brat."
"What?"
"Do you have any interest in learning my martial arts?"
Seo-jun raised an eyebrow at the sudden offer.
"Your martial arts, old man? What are they?"
"It doesn't really have a name. Though people in the Murim seem to call it the Tyrannical Power Ghost God Art."
The Tyrannical Power Ghost God Art was a martial art and training method created by Pae Jin-gwang himself.
It was also the reason why Pae Jin-gwang’s realm remained at the Second-rate level. The goals of the Tyrannical Power Ghost God Art were diametrically opposed to the realms recognized by the Murim.
Most martial artists used internal qi as their foundation and learned external arts as a supplement, but for the Tyrannical Power Ghost God Art, it was exactly the opposite.
External arts were the core, and internal qi was only necessary insofar as the body could contain it.
This was why the Fist King was considered a Second-rate martial artist in terms of rank, even though his actual power was close to the Transcendent Realm.
"Is it okay for you to just teach that to me?"
"Why wouldn't it be? I'm the one who created it, and I'm the one choosing to teach it."
"Hmm…"
Seo-jun’s eyes darted around.
He saw Chun-bong and Namgung Su-ah nodding vigorously.
Receiving personal instruction from the Fist King? You’d have to be an idiot to refuse.
And Seo-jun was a man who was always ready to play the idiot.
"My only master is Chun-bong…!"
"No, you moron!"
Chun-bong flew in and delivered a dropkick. Struck squarely, Seo-jun tumbled across the ground.
"Urgh…!"
"I have no intention of being your master, so just say yes already!"
"But…!"
"But what?!"
Pae Jin-gwang chuckled as he watched Seo-jun getting gleefully pummeled.
"Don't worry, I have no intention of acting as your master either."
"Then seriously, why?"
As Seo-jun lay on the ground looking up at him, Pae Jin-gwang bared his teeth in a grin.
"Because you show promise, that's why. Didn't Namgung Jin-cheon teach you the Emperor Sword Form? Compared to that, this is nothing special."
"Uh… then should I teach you the Primordial Unity Divine Art too, old man?"
"Your martial art?"
Pae Jin-gwang tilted his head. After thinking for a moment, he shook his head.
"Forget it. Why do you think I created the Tyrannical Power Ghost God Art in the first place?"
"Is there a reason for creating martial arts? You just make them because you can."
"Hmph, what a load of crap. Not everyone in the world is like you. If they were, the world would be overflowing with Super Peak and Transcendent Realm masters."
"Aha."
Seo-jun nodded. What an annoying brat, Pae Jin-gwang thought.
"I have no talent for internal qi. If I had tried to balance the Tyrannical Power Ghost God Art with standard internal cultivation, I never would have reached this level in the first place."
"The Primordial Unity Divine Art isn't that hard, though."
Seo-jun attempted to flex, only to be smacked by Chun-bong. He quickly came clean.
"…Actually, it is hard. I created it, but for someone learning it from scratch, it might be harder than the Emperor Sword Form."
"Is it really that difficult?"
Chun-bong, who knew the entire oral chant for the Primordial Unity Divine Art, nodded.
"I guarantee it, no one but him can learn the Primordial Unity Divine Art."
There were two conditions for initiating the Primordial Unity Divine Art.
First, one must succeed in creating Primordial Qi.
Second, one must be able to convert that Primordial Qi into all types of internal energy.
Chun-bong had been stuck at the very first step.
Primordial Qi sounded like a single type of energy, but in reality, it was an energy that contained every type of qi in the world.
It sounded confusing when explained, but once you actually tried to learn it, that feeling only intensified.
One began to wonder how such a thing as Primordial Qi could even exist, and whether creating it was even possible.
"Even if you released the manual to the Central Plains, people would probably just treat it as a cheap, nonsensical novel."
"Ho, now I'm actually getting curious."
"Want me to tell you?"
Seo-jun went ahead and recited the oral chant aloud.
Namgung Su-ah hesitated, but Seo-jun encouraged her to try, as he was curious to see if it truly was impossible for anyone else to learn.
One hour later.
Everyone had cleanly given up.
"What is this? This isn't even a martial art to begin with. Isn't this just a list of things only you can do, turned into a chant?"
"No, I'm telling you, it really works if you follow it!"
"That's what I'm saying! It's a martial art that's only possible if you assume those things can be done!"
"That's not it. It really works."
"Haha, this kid is really starting to get on my nerves."
A vein popped on Pae Jin-gwang’s temple as he spoke up.
"Shall we make a bet?"
"What kind of bet?"
"Whether Namgung Jin-cheon can understand this martial art or not."
"Psh, my father-in-law will obviously understand it."
"Even so, this is your secret technique. Is it really okay to share it?"
"My father-in-law taught me the Emperor Sword Form, didn't he?"
"That's true. That man is a bit crazy himself."
Seo-jun immediately stood up and scurried over to Namgung Su-ah.
"Noona, did you hear that? This guy is badmouthing my father-in-law!"
"You—you petty little brat!"
At any rate, the group halted their training and headed toward the Family Head’s hall.
* * *
"Hmm… the Senior is right… It is difficult to even call this a martial art… Even I wouldn't dare try to learn this…"
"What."
Seo-jun was shocked. Chun-bong, on the other hand, looked relieved.
"Phew, so it wasn't a problem with my talent after all."
"Of course not. Our Chun-bu-i is a genius."
"You shut up."
"Okay."
Namgung Jin-cheon smiled faintly as he watched Seo-jun’s group chatting amiably.
"By the way, son-in-law…"
"Yes?"
"I have already given my warning… but you should still be careful…"
"A warning? What do you mean…?"
As Seo-jun looked puzzled, Namgung Jin-cheon explained.
He spoke of the existence of his great-uncle, Namgung Hyeok, and the fact that there might be others who were dissatisfied with the Emperor Sword Form being taught to an outsider.
Namgung Chang-hwi had done his best to prevent rumors from spreading, but word had leaked out and was circulating like a quiet whisper.
"Aha, is my brother-in-law okay with it?"
"You mean Myeong…?"
"Yes. Honestly, isn't he the one who should be the most upset?"
Namgung Myeong, the Young Lord of the Namgung Clan. Otherwise known as the Namgung Capybara.
In reality, as the next Family Head, the increase in people who knew the Emperor Sword Form was not something he should welcome.
The Emperor Sword Form was a symbol that proved one’s status as the head of the Namgung Clan.
"That is correct."
Seo-jun turned his head at the sudden voice.
Namgung Jin-cheon’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
"Great-uncle…"
"Family Head, this has worked out perfectly, has it not?"
Namgung Hyeok gestured. Behind him, Namgung Myeong appeared, scratching his head awkwardly.
"Young Lord, speak. Is it right to teach the Emperor Sword Form to an outsider?"
"I believe…"
"My thoughts are as follows. Since Namgung Su-ah is of the direct line, it is enough to ensure she cannot marry out of the clan. However, her fiancé is nothing more than an outsider. His dantian must be destroyed, and his wrists and tongue severed so that he can never leak the Emperor Sword Form to the outside world."
At those words, Namgung Myeong’s head snapped up. No matter how he looked at it, that was crossing the line.
"That cannot be—"
"Young Lord. Have I not told you repeatedly? The Emperor Sword Form is not a mere martial art. It is a token that symbolizes the history and authority of the Namgung Clan. Do you truly believe it is right to hand it over to an outsider like this?"
"……"
Namgung Myeong’s expression crumpled slightly. His dark eyes fixed on Namgung Hyeok.
Soon, his lips, which had been pressed tight as if suppressing something, parted.
"…Great-granduncle."
"I am listening."
"We are the Namgung Clan, not some Namgung Sect or Namgung School."
For once, a rare, sharp edge appeared in Namgung Myeong’s gaze.
Though he was usually gentle, he was still a direct descendant of the Namgung Clan. He was a martial artist who carried the blood of kings.
As he exerted his will, the surrounding qi reacted faintly.
It was the power of the Emperor Sword Form. Despite his realm being only at the Peak, he had summoned a tiny fragment of the Transcendent Realm’s majesty.
As the space itself seemed to gain weight and press down on Namgung Hyeok, the elder’s brow furrowed.
"Since when did Namgung prioritize martial arts over family?"
"From long ago, that—"
"What is a Great Clan? It is a family. The family exists first, then the martial arts. It is not the martial arts first, then the family."
Until now, the Emperor Sword Form had been passed down only to the Family Head and his successor as an unwritten rule, but it was not some absolute law.
If Namgung Jin-cheon, who had reached the highest heights among all the clan's historical heads, wished to change it, there was no reason he couldn't.
Especially if his successor, Namgung Myeong, agreed.
"Did you say the Emperor Sword Form symbolizes Namgung? You are wrong. What symbolizes Namgung is the surname Namgung itself."
Namgung Myeong looked at Namgung Hyeok with clear eyes. There was an insurmountable gap in skill between them, yet Namgung Hyeok found himself unable to cut him off and continue his own argument.
"Even if the Emperor Sword Form were released to the streets for every commoner to learn, do you think that would leave even a single scratch on the name of Namgung?"
"……"
"Namgung is Namgung. The sword of Namgung does not break, and its light does not fade even without some divine art. Who would dare to be arrogant before the name of Namgung?"
It was an arrogant statement. Yet, it was a statement no one could deny.
The name Namgung was what made it possible.
Namgung Hyeok fell silent at the Young Lord’s display.
Watching this, Seo-jun thought to himself:
‘Well, he’s not wrong, but still.’
Teaching a martial art like the Emperor Sword Form to an outsider was bound to cause problems. Especially if it was the clan’s symbolic divine art.
To put it in perspective, it was like an Emperor handing over the imperial seal to his daughter’s husband and telling him to give it a try.
To prevent internal strife (even if it was strife that Namgung Jin-cheon could settle with a single wave of his hand), Seo-jun needed to prove he was worthy.
Of course, even then, people would still talk, but it would be better than before.
It wasn't difficult to put in a little effort to repay the trust shown to him and lighten the burden on Namgung Jin-cheon and Namgung Myeong.
As it happened, Seo-jun had already accomplished quite a few things that could be considered achievements.
"Oh boy, this is awkward. I wasn't going to say anything because it sounds like bragging."
Seo-jun grinned and began to list his accomplishments.
He had created two divine arts that could significantly strengthen the clan's actual power, achieved decent merits in battle, and established a foundation for mass-producing the Giant Spirit Pills that the Namgung Clan had spent ten years working on. Plus, though it was still unfinished, he had created a martial art that could easily pierce the Life-Death Barrier.
‘Wait. Now that I think about it, I really did do everything for them.’
He had summarized it simply, but usually, wouldn't achieving just one of these things make someone a hero within the clan?
As Seo-jun tilted his chin up and rattled off his achievements, a heavy silence fell over the Family Head’s hall.
The silence was broken by Namgung Hyeok’s roar.
"…Are you trying to mock me by hiding behind the name of Namgung?!"
"What?"
"If you're going to lie, at least make it believable so I can consider trusting you. I have no reason to listen to your nonsense any longer!"
"No, it's all true…"
He felt so wronged.