Chapter 236: The Namgung Lineage (南宮一脈)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 236: The Namgung Lineage (南宮一脈)
"By the way, for the Fist King to reach the Transcendent Realm... no, that’s not quite right. Regardless, to have reached a realm equivalent to it is truly remarkable."
At the Emperor’s words, Pae Jin-gwang let out a hollow laugh.
"Remarkable, my foot. I’m far too late."
"No, you are not late at all."
The Emperor wagged his index finger back and forth. It was a particularly irritating gesture.
"Are you not a pioneer who has carved out an entirely new realm? There are countless people who spend their entire lives unable to take even a single step forward. Having opened a new horizon, you deserve nothing but praise."
Pae Jin-gwang, who had been lost in thought at those words, turned his gaze toward Seo-jun.
"What?"
Seo-jun cocked an eyebrow. He possessed a unique talent for irritating others with the simplest of gestures.
Pae Jin-gwang squeezed his eyes shut.
"Forget it."
That brat is just an anomaly. Opened a new horizon? Just how many horizons had that kid already torn wide open?
For some reason, the Emperor’s praise rang hollow in his ears.
"Impudent little bastard."
"What?"
Suddenly finding himself the target of an insult, Seo-jun felt nothing but wronged.
* * *
The Emperor didn't bring up anything else, acting as if he truly only intended to foster camaraderie among those in the Transcendent Realm.
He observed Seo-jun and Pae Jin-gwang with a peculiar look in his eyes, but that was all.
Seo-jun, who held a natural prejudice against the Imperial Family, watched closely to see if he would do anything suspicious, but found nothing of note.
Was he just testing the waters?
The Evil-Annihilating Heavenly Lord wasn't on particularly good terms with the Imperial Family. Meanwhile, the Namgung Clan had just undergone a generational shift.
It was clear that the Evil-Annihilating Heavenly Lord—who was both the Grand Master and the fiancé of the Namgung Clan’s direct descendant—would wield significant influence over the clan’s future path.
Given the weight of the situation, it wasn't strange for the Emperor himself to appear and assess the political landscape.
He saw that old man Pae Jin-gwang reached the Transcendent Realm, so he won't try anything foolish.
Though the great pillar known as Namgung Jin-cheon had vanished, Namgung was still going strong.
Even if the Emperor had come with ill intentions, he would know to keep his head down—unless it was merely a decorative ornament on his shoulders.
No, even if he harbored some other scheme, Seo-jun didn't want to worry about it right now.
"...It’s starting."
Standing in his place, Seo-jun looked at the people gathered at the estate. His expression, which had softened over the past few days, hardened once more.
It was inevitable.
Several days had already passed since the gathering of the Transcendent Realm masters.
With so many people crowding the Namgung estate, minor incidents and accidents had been a constant occurrence.
Because the mourners were careful with their behavior, none of these escalated into major issues, but a strange tension hung over the entire clan regardless.
In that precarious balance, a few days passed in a flash. Finally, the day of Namgung Jin-cheon’s funeral procession arrived.
Today, Namgung Jin-cheon’s coffin would be laid to rest in his tomb.
"……"
Seo-jun stared at the coffin where Namgung Jin-cheon rested, his eyes sunken. He had been told it was a specially treated coffin.
Though it looked luxurious on the outside, Seo-jun couldn't hide the bitterness welling in his heart.
No matter how expensive or fine the wood, it seemed far too cramped to hold a sovereign who had once held the heavens beneath his feet.
"Open the path to the heavens!"
The funeral procession consisted entirely of martial artists from the Namgung Clan.
Led by Namgung Myeong, the various martial units—the Vast Heaven Unit, the Bi-yeon Unit, the Clear Wind Unit, and the Green Forest Unit—along with most of the internal groups within the clan, gathered to form a long, winding procession.
The procession moved through the streets of Hefei in a heavy, somber atmosphere.
On both sides of the road, martial artists from other sects silently paid their respects, while the citizens of Hefei bowed their heads in polite reverence.
There was no wailing. The people of Namgung did not consider this to be Namgung Jin-cheon’s final journey.
It was a procession to bless their Family Head as he opened his eyes in a new place.
The funeral procession, advancing in a solemn atmosphere, finally came to a halt before a certain grave.
On that tombstone, three characters were inscribed, looking as if they had been carved by a sword.
'Yeon So-hee (燕小喜)'
Seo-jun couldn't take his eyes off that tombstone. From the sword marks that formed the name, he could feel a heart-wrenching pain.
He knew instantly who had carved it. It was a name carved by his father-in-law himself.
Namgung Jin-cheon’s grave was prepared beside hers, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
The graves of a husband and wife, side by side. While he watched the scene with a complicated heart, the ceremony proceeded.
The bloodline of Namgung, their families, and everyone Namgung had accepted as family offered their bows.
Seo-jun also bowed, watching the subsequent proceedings blankly.
It felt as if time were moving faster for everyone but himself. By the time he snapped out of his daze, most of the ceremony was over.
Namgung Jin-cheon’s tomb was sealed, and a tombstone was erected. It was a blank stone with nothing carved on it.
Namgung Myeong, who would succeed Namgung Jin-cheon, stood before the tombstone.
Shring—
Namgung Myeong drew his sword and closed his eyes.
Soon, his eyes opened and fixed upon the empty stone. Slowly, yet precisely, his sword swung, carving characters deep into the rock.
'Namgung Jin-cheon (南宮津天)'
It was a clean script, much like Namgung Myeong’s own character.
Seo-jun watched the scene. Two graves, and two tombstones.
As if the heavens were also mourning them, a drizzling rain began to fall.
"……"
Seo-jun tilted his head back. The rainy sky was overcast and gray. He didn't quite like it.
Rather than being cloudy...
The wish of a martial artist in harmony with the world reached the heavens.
As if swept away by a giant hand, the clouds that darkened the sky were pushed aside, and the sun, hanging loftily above, cast down a brilliant, clear light.
The drizzling rain that was still falling sparkled as it caught the descending sunlight.
Only then did Seo-jun relax his hardened expression and look at the graves of the couple lying side by side.
I wonder if you’ve met Mother-in-law yet.
If she was anywhere within reach, there was no way his father-in-law wouldn't find her. Perhaps they had already reunited and were sharing long-overdue stories.
After closing his eyes for a moment to convey his parting thoughts in silence, Seo-jun opened them.
The funeral that began in gloomy weather ended beneath a clear, blue sky.
Amidst the pouring sunlight, Seo-jun began to walk. Chun-bong and Namgung Su-ah followed him quietly.
Seo-jun smiled faintly, feeling the comforting weight of those standing by his side.
I hope you find your flowers blooming there.
His white mourning clothes fluttered in the wind.
* * *
Immediately following the funeral, Namgung Myeong’s inauguration ceremony began.
The ceremony was not flashy. In a solemn atmosphere, the members of the Namgung Clan stood in perfect rows and columns to witness the ascension of their new Family Head.
Namgung Myeong proceeded through the ceremony with a firm expression. The elders of the Namgung Clan standing behind him looked on with warm gazes, as if looking at their own son.
Seo-jun also stood among the elders, watching Namgung Myeong.
There were no special procedures for the inauguration. The position of Family Head of the Namgung Clan was not one appointed by someone else.
Normally, the previous Family Head would have formally passed the position to his successor, but that was not the case this time.
Since the position leading the family could not be left vacant, the new Family Head declared his intent immediately following the funeral.
"...Namgung is not a sect. It is a family that carries the name of Namgung. We are a family bound by the name Namgung rather than blood, and we must always engrave that fact into our hearts."
His low voice, infused with internal energy, echoed outward.
Seo-jun watched Namgung Myeong’s back before turning his gaze. He locked eyes with Namgung Hyeok, who seemed to be having similar thoughts.
He said something similar back then.
Back when his father-in-law was teaching him the Emperor Sword Form, Namgung Myeong had said something similar to Namgung Hyeok—who had insisted that Seo-jun should have his dantian destroyed and his tongue and wrists severed.
"Do not forget. We are not a bond formed by martial arts. We are a family that carries the lineage of Namgung. Because there is a family, there is a clan; thus, we call ourselves the Namgung Clan."
What symbolized Namgung was the surname itself. Even if they used different surnames, those who shared the same will under the same roof were all Namgung.
"The sword of Namgung does not break. For we are the heavens of the Central Plains. No one shall act with arrogance before the name of Namgung."
Seo-jun looked at Namgung Myeong’s back with a newfound respect. The sensitive senses of the Transcendent Realm told him that the man was trembling.
Nevertheless, Namgung Myeong stood tall in his position.
They say the position makes the man.
That back, which had grown significantly broader since he first saw it, was gratifying to look at. For a fleeting moment, he thought he saw a glimpse of his father-in-law in Namgung Myeong.
Seo-jun looked at the elders standing behind Namgung Myeong.
Namgung Yeon, Jin Ga-wi, Namgung Yeong-bo, Namgung Baek, Namgung Hyeok, Namgung Hyeon-cheol, and for some reason, even Pae Jin-gwang.
There were a few unfamiliar faces, but most were people he knew well.
A strange feeling washed over him. It had been less than three years since he fell into the Murim. In that short time, he had gained so many family members.
"Grand Master Lee Seo-jun, step forward."
At Namgung Myeong’s call, Seo-jun moved his feet. Standing beside Namgung Myeong, he looked out at the countless eyes watching him.
"As of today, I appoint Elder Lee Seo-jun to the position of Grand Master."
He listened silently to the words that followed, meeting their countless gazes.
The martial artists of Namgung.
The people of the Vast Heaven Unit, the Heavenly Wind Unit, the Bi-yeon Unit, the Green Forest Unit, the Heavenly Medicine Hall, and the Golden Pearl Hall.
Faces he had only passed by now and then were all looking at him.
Still, there were more unfamiliar faces than familiar ones. He didn't know every single one of their names.
Yet, they were still his family.
Seo-jun suddenly looked up at the clear sky. Then he looked at his family standing beneath it.
The sky seemed to take on a mysterious blue hue, reflecting the sheer momentum radiating from the people gathered in one place.
"Ah..."
Seo-jun saw the single stem they all shared. The martial arts practiced by the Namgung warriors resonated deeply with him.
The Azure Lightning Heart Method and the Thirteen Lightning Sword Forms.
The martial arts Seo-jun had created had already become the very foundation of Namgung.
As time passed, someone would reach the Super Peak Realm through the Life and Death Breakthrough Art, and others would master Astral Qi through the Heavenly Thunder Demon-Extinguishing Art.
Still others would strengthen their bodies by consuming the Heaven-Man Divine Elixirs created through the Heaven-Man Divine Elixir Art.
...Are these my traces?
Already, such deep traces of himself remained within the Namgung Clan. From now on, the marks he left upon them would only grow deeper.
His heart fluttered strangely.
The martial lineage I have built.
Seo-jun saw a vision of stems extending from each and every one of them, clustering together to form a massive tree.
The tree, grown to the very edge of the heavens, cast a vast, sheltering shadow over them all.
"...So this is what it was."
A deep smile played on Seo-jun’s lips.
"Pay your respects to the Grand Master!"
At the voice spreading with internal energy, every martial artist of Namgung looked at Seo-jun. Those filling his vision were all Namgung.
Those countless Namgung warriors simultaneously pressed their right fists to their chests. Thump! Along with that massive, unified sound, a voice even louder erupted.
"Loyalty!"
The salute directed at the Grand Master of Namgung shook the heavens. Seeing the burning heat contained in their eyes... Seo-jun let out a small laugh.
"Haha..."
His heart was racing. It wasn't in vain. He had done well. Though he might be lacking compared to his father-in-law, he was standing here proudly.
Seo-jun straightened his back and took the fiery passion of all his family members into his heart.
The Namgung Lineage Transforms into a Towering Tree...
Enlightenment struck his mind like a bolt of lightning, and his flashing insight sublimated the giant tree before his eyes into a martial art.
A blue light shimmered in the eyes of the Grand Master of Namgung, Lee Seo-jun. His lips, curled in a faint smile, parted slightly.
The name of the martial art shall be...
The Namgung Lineage (南宮一脈).
He thought that name would be absolutely perfect.
* * *
In the deepest depths of the Underworld.
Namgung Jin-cheon opened his eyes.
[Sinner Namgung Jin-cheon, listen well...!]