Chapter 226: Sword Destruction (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 226: Sword Destruction (2)
The Namgung Clan maintained rigorous standards for the martial artists they recruited.
They scrutinized not only a candidate's character but also their past actions until not a single shred of doubt remained. Even then, unless one possessed exceptional talent, they couldn't even hope to cross the threshold of the Namgung Clan.
Despite such strictness, the Namgung Clan was always crowded.
Martial artists from all over the Central Plains, harboring dreams of joining the Namgung lineage, flocked to the city of Hefei in such numbers that they filled the streets.
This time was no different. A total of thirty-one new martial artists had been selected through that grueling process.
"You are now members of the Namgung family, and companions who will walk the same path as us."
Standing before them, Namgung Myeong inwardly suppressed a bitter smile at the sight of their fervent gazes.
Can I truly lead them well?
He felt he was far too lacking to stand in this position. He had achieved nothing of note, and his cultivation was merely at the Peak Realm.
Yet, the surrounding elders were watching him with gratified expressions.
Their gazes were a heavy burden. It felt as though they expected him to naturally live up to the legacy of his father, Namgung Jin-cheon.
If only my brother were here instead...
Namgung Myeong finished his speech without letting his complicated thoughts show.
"Take pride in belonging to the Namgung Clan. We are the sky of the Central Plains."
"Loyalty!"
The martial artists' response thundered through the estate.
Namgung Myeong watched them with a complex look in his eyes. Just then, the sound of clapping drifted from behind him.
Brother?
Before he knew it, Seo-jun was standing among the elders.
Myeong hadn't wanted to trouble him, knowing how busy he had been lately...
"Grand Master."
Namgung Myeong offered a respectful greeting. Seo-jun, momentarily caught off guard, returned the gesture.
"You have worked hard, Family Head."
Seo-jun performed a fist and palm salute as he looked at Namgung Myeong.
I must not give anyone the impression that my standing is higher than Myeong's.
Therefore, in public settings, he had to show respect to Namgung Myeong as the Family Head. It was only natural.
Though it seemed unlikely, there was always the chance some lunatic might think, Isn't the Grand Master in the Transcendent Realm more impressive than the Family Head in the Peak Realm?
If such a person appeared within the Namgung Clan, Seo-jun would have no choice but to personally fix their mindset.
It was better if such a disaster never occurred in the first place.
"Would you like to say a few words?"
At Namgung Myeong's suggestion, the surrounding elders also turned their expectant gazes toward him.
Within the Namgung Clan, Seo-jun’s status was practically that of an idol.
Seo-jun hadn't intended to decline anyway; he had come with the intention of instilling some discipline in the recruits.
Showing them something should provide some motivation.
As he stepped forward, he felt the weight of their focused attention.
He wasn't particularly nervous. He spoke with a calm, steady voice.
"I am Lee Seo-jun, the Grand Master of Namgung."
As Seo-jun’s gaze swept over the martial artists, they flinched, their bodies trembling.
In the current Murim, only the deaf and the foolish were ignorant of the name Lee Seo-jun, the Evil-Annihilating Heavenly Lord.
With the protagonist of those fearsome rumors standing right before them, the martial artists couldn't help but tense up.
The new family of Namgung...
A strange sense of sentimentality washed over him. Seo-jun examined the thirty-one martial artists, all stiff with tension, one by one.
As expected of those chosen through such a rigorous process, their eyes shone with a sharp, brilliant light.
Seo-jun realized what he needed to show them.
For the time being, I will be the shadow that protects Namgung.
Until the day Namgung Myeong was ready, he would fill the void left by Namgung Jin-cheon.
He didn't bother with a long speech. Instead, he reached out and pointed toward the heavens.
"From this moment on, you are Namgung."
At his gesture, the sky fell to the earth. The entire area was instantly dyed a brilliant azure.
It wasn't merely the visualization of his energy. Seo-jun’s Domain blanketed the surroundings, turning the very ground into the sky.
"Gasp...!?"
"Th-this is...!"
The panicked martial artists scrambled. Their feet no longer touched the ground. This wasn't an illusion; he had projected the true sky into this space.
After flailing for a moment, the martial artists realized they weren't falling. An unknown force was holding them steady.
"This is... Namgung..."
Once their fear subsided, awe took its place. The martial artists' gazes turned toward Seo-jun. They saw a great warrior who walked a path far beyond their reach.
"Take pride."
The man who had dyed the world in the colors of the sky looked at them. Lightning surged through the clear heavens, dancing playfully upon the Grand Master's hand.
It was threatening, yet warm. The lightning did not harm the martial artists.
It simply drifted around them, flowing leisurely as if to protect them.
Rumble—!
Then, in an instant, the lightning erupted, washing their vision out in pure white.
"Hah...!"
When they squeezed their eyes shut and opened them again, they were back in the Namgung estate.
The thirty-one martial artists, now slumped on the ground, stared at the Grand Master in a daze.
"Namgung does not abandon its family."
The Grand Master’s gaze was gentle as he looked at them. The martial artists' hearts began to beat wildly.
Their faces flushed with excitement as they scrambled to their feet, waiting for the Grand Master’s next words.
He nodded with a satisfied expression.
"Welcome. Never forget that you are now members of Namgung."
The martial artists poured out their surging emotions.
"Loyalty...!"
The voices of the new Namgung members shook the heavens.
* * *
Seo-jun offered another respectful bow to Namgung Myeong before leaving the area.
Unless someone was truly insane, it seemed highly unlikely that anyone would look down on Namgung Myeong now.
"Never forget that you are now members of Namgung."
Chun-bong spoke with mock solemnity, puffing out her chest. And then— pfft!
"Ehehe...! You were so cool, Lee Seo-jun!"
She burst into laughter and playfully slapped Seo-jun’s arm. Seo-jun nodded.
"Mm. I think so too."
"What?"
Chun-bong faltered at the unexpected response.
"Namgung does not abandon its family..."
Meanwhile, Namgung Su-ah, who had been murmuring blankly, tightly hugged Seo-jun’s arm. Her eyes were misty, as if she were picturing someone.
"Thank you."
Seo-jun wasn't entirely sure what she was thanking him for, but he read the mood and nodded.
"Yeah."
"Honestly..."
Namgung Su-ah looked up at Seo-jun, her eyes squinting slightly as if he were too bright to look at. After a moment's hesitation, she lightly kissed his cheek.
"I love you."
Her beaming smile was beautiful. Seo-jun stiffened at the sight of her radiant expression, which he hadn't seen in quite a while.
...She's pretty.
He always felt that way, but today it felt especially true.
Their eyes met, and their lips drew closer.
"I-I thought you were cool too! Really!"
Because a horrified Chun-bong started jumping up and down in a panic, their lips didn't actually touch in the end.
"Shall we head back for now?"
Namgung Su-ah let out a soft giggle.
And so, time passed.
* * *
For several days, Seo-jun shared a room with Namgung Su-ah.
Nothing happened. They just slept peacefully.
Occasionally, Namgung Su-ah would send him a strangely heated gaze, but nothing major occurred.
Chun-bong was there sometimes, too.
Perhaps she felt lonely sleeping by herself, as she would occasionally slip into Namgung Su-ah’s room to sleep with them.
"If you're going to do this, shouldn't the three of us just share a room?"
When Seo-jun asked, Namgung Su-ah shook her head.
"Just in case. I'd like to spend at least our first night together with just the two of us."
"...What?"
When he glanced at Chun-bong, her jaw was hanging open.
Chun-bong hurried over to whisper in Seo-jun’s ear.
"Wh-what? What did you two do?!"
"We didn't do anything...?"
"N-no... is she really okay now?"
"She's definitely better than before."
That night, perhaps because Chun-bong had something on her mind, she didn't come to Namgung Su-ah’s room.
Seo-jun sat on the edge of the bed, watching the peacefully sleeping Namgung Su-ah.
Su-ah Divine Art...
While the framework was already established, it wasn't yet complete.
Furthermore, since Namgung Su-ah had started using an additional sword, her martial arts needed to be improved accordingly.
Still, it's definitely better than before.
Over the past few days, Seo-jun had spent much more time with Namgung Su-ah than ever before, learning new things about her.
She was clumsier in unexpected ways than he thought, and she talked in her sleep quite a bit.
He already knew she was a good cook, but her skills were even more impressive than he had realized. And when they were alone, her voice and actions carried a subtle, sweet charm.
As he learned more about her piece by piece, the Su-ah Divine Art drew closer to completion.
And along with it, his affection for Namgung Su-ah deepened.
She was the woman he would spend his life with. The more he knew her, the more he couldn't help but love her. The tender reflection of himself in her affectionate eyes sometimes felt unfamiliar.
So, I have to protect her.
His father-in-law had often said it. Don't be late. Don't regret it after you've lost everything.
Seo-jun’s Insight traced back through his memories, leading his mind to a distant place.
Geom-hyeon, the former Sect Leader of the Sword Sect.
The martial arts he had performed were etched into Seo-jun’s mind, one by one.
The flow of his techniques, the resulting flow of Qi, his minute habits, and his tendencies.
He deconstructed the Form, Qi, and Intent of the martial arts into their smallest units, reading the context through the connected threads.
A single moment is enough.
Geom-hyeon was undoubtedly a martial artist who had reached a formidable level. He would certainly have countermeasures against being countered himself.
Above all, he was a martial artist of the Sword Sect. It was obvious that Seo-jun wouldn't be able to completely neutralize him using his specialty—countering through Qi.
But that's enough.
A microscopic opening. That split second would be more than enough time to take his head.
A thousand blades. A single sword. The Domain infused into every blade. His swordsmanship.
He reconstructed Geom-hyeon's origin by tracing it in reverse, and based on that, he began to devise a new martial art.
A martial art that holds a perfect elemental advantage?
No, he wanted something more fundamental.
A faint light flickered in Seo-jun’s half-closed eyes. His gaze darted busily through the air, searching for something to fulfill his wish.
Then, in an instant, a smile played on Seo-jun’s lips.
Done.
This was enough. He felt certain he could take the man's head within the allotted time.
The golden light in Seo-jun’s eyes gradually faded, as if seeping back inside him.
"Mmm..."
It was then that he heard Namgung Su-ah groan. Startled, Seo-jun quickly checked on her.
"Su-ah?"
Her forehead and neck were damp with cold sweat. Her body trembled as she moaned in pain.
Is she having a nightmare?
Seo-jun grabbed her shoulders and shook her gently.
"Su-ah. Are you okay?"
"Ah...!"
Namgung Su-ah gasped, her eyes flying open. Her pupils trembled as they darted around frantically. Only when her gaze landed on Seo-jun’s face did she let out a long, shaky breath.
"Haa..."
Panting, Namgung Su-ah sat up and wordlessly threw herself into Seo-jun’s arms.
Seo-jun patted her back. Her entire body was damp with sweat.
"I'm sorry. I was so focused..."
He hadn't even realized she was suffering through a nightmare.
Namgung Su-ah shook her head without a word. Then, she pulled back slightly to meet Seo-jun’s eyes and quietly pressed her lips to his.
After a gentle kiss, their lips parted.
Her half-lidded blue eyes gazed steadily into Seo-jun’s.
In the dark room, her faintly visible lips trembled.
"...You know. I've become a little lonely."
Her voice was frail and clinging.