Chapter 70: Namgung Clan (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 70: Namgung Clan (2)
Namgung Su-ah strolled toward the main gate of the Namgung Clan with the ease of someone returning to her own home. Which, considering it was her home, was only natural.
Following behind her, Seo-jun eyed the sentries guarding the gate.
Two men. According to his Qi sensing, both were martial artists at the Peak Realm.
While a cultivation realm didn't always perfectly reflect actual combat power, the two were bound to be proportional to some extent.
To have Peak Realm martial artists standing guard as mere gatekeepers… Even if sentries were considered the "face" of a clan, this was hardly a common sight.
"It’s been a while."
Namgung Su-ah bowed her head slightly, cradling her longsword. The eyes of the two stationary guards widened in shock.
"Young Lady!"
"You’ve returned!"
Color flooded back into the guards' faces as they hurriedly threw open the massive main gates.
"The Family Head was looking for you a few days ago," one said.
"My father?"
"Yes."
"And?"
"He is... the same as always."
Namgung Su-ah offered a bitter smile at the guard’s words.
"I see."
"Are the two behind you guests?"
"That’s right. And this man is my lover."
"L-Lover…!"
The guards gasped, their eyes snapping to Seo-jun.
The emotion in their stares was quite peculiar. It felt like the glare of an older brother whose precious younger sister had just been stolen away—yet at the same time, it was incredibly favorable.
As Seo-jun scratched his head awkwardly, Chun-bong, standing beside him, gave his side a sharp pinch.
"…What? Lover?"
"Ah."
Had he forgotten to tell her?
Seo-jun quickly sent a message via Voice Transmission.
[Su-ah asked me to pretend to be her lover. She said it’s because of her age.]
"Hmm…"
As he passed through the gate alongside Chun-bong—who was now shooting him murderous glares—the guards bowed their heads deeply.
"Welcome to the Namgung Clan. If you require anything, please feel free to approach anyone and state your business."
Their eyes were shining—or perhaps glaring—with an intensity that felt incredibly burdensome.
"Yes, thank you."
Seo-jun nodded and quickly tucked himself behind Namgung Su-ah.
"Su-ah, I think I’m going to get indigestion."
"Pardon?"
"It’s just… a bit overwhelming."
"We’re about to go see my father now… Will you be alright?"
"What…?"
He had expected this. But still… even if it was just an act, he had to face her father? His stomach began to churn in earnest.
"Ch-Chun-bong…"
He reached for Chun-bong’s squishy cheeks, seeking a familiar remedy to calm his nerves, but—
Slap!
The moment he reached out, his hand was heartlessly swatted away.
"Hmph. Figure it out yourself."
"How can you do this to me!"
"What are you talking about? Why don't you just drop dead?"
"…That’s cold."
"What?"
"I said you're being too harsh…"
Glancing at Seo-jun’s pitiful expression, Chun-bong let out a snort.
"Whatever. Do what you want."
With that, she turned her head away and marched ahead.
Feeling a piercing loneliness, as if he had just been isolated from the rest of the world, Seo-jun almost screamed… but he caught himself after noticing the surrounding eyes.
"Sigh."
What is this? Why do I feel so strange?
Trudging after Namgung Su-ah, they soon arrived at the Family Head’s hall.
The moments one wished to avoid always seemed to arrive with terrifying speed.
As Seo-jun stood there blankly, Namgung Su-ah approached and took his hand firmly.
"Young Master Lee, if you really hate this, you don't have to do it."
"No, well… it’s fine."
"Hehe, then shall we go in?"
"Okay…"
Right, it wasn't a big deal. He was Lee Seo-jun, a polite, well-mannered machine. Wasn't he from the Eastern Land of Courtesy? A father-in-law? He’d just walk right in. And how good could the man be at fighting, anyway?
"Father, I’m back."
Following Namgung Su-ah inside with a confident stride, Seo-jun bowed a perfect ninety degrees at the waist.
"Greetings. I am Lee Seo-jun."
"Hmm…"
He felt a heavy gaze land upon him.
Seo-jun slowly straightened his back and looked at the owner of that gaze.
It was a man who looked surprisingly young. His eyes were vacant, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking, and simply looking at him made Seo-jun’s heart tremble.
Naturally, it wasn't because he was smitten.
It was the sharp aura surrounding the man. The Family Head clearly wasn't doing anything, yet Seo-jun felt as if a blade had been shoved into his mouth and was pricking the roof of it.
Seo-jun steadied his breathing and gently soothed the surrounding Qi.
The ambient energy loosened like a gentle breeze, stroking Seo-jun’s skin, and only then could he breathe properly.
He realized then that his Qi sensing was unnecessarily sensitive, causing him to peer too deeply into his opponent.
So this is… the Family Head of the Namgung Clan.
He could see it now. The surrounding Qi stood on edge, upholding the man’s will.
Every time the man’s eyes moved, it felt as though thousands of swords were sharpening their blades to follow his gaze.
Only then did he see the man clearly.
He was cradling a single sword in his arms.
Because the man’s very momentum was so much like a sword, Seo-jun hadn't noticed the physical weapon at first. But once he did, the sharpness of that blade tickled the back of his neck once more.
"Su-ah… Who are these people…?"
Even his slow, drawling speech felt like a king interrogating the sins of his subjects.
As Seo-jun stood there tensely, Namgung Su-ah spoke.
"This is Young Master Lee and Geum Mae."
They had already settled this before arriving at the Namgung Clan. They would reveal to the Family Head that Chun-bong was a survivor of the Divine Sword Geum Family.
Their reasoning was simple: if they couldn't even trust the Family Head of the Namgung Clan, they might as well just restart their lives in the Demonic Cult.
While Chun-bong observed the Family Head with a tense face, Namgung Su-ah continued.
"Young Master Lee is my lover."
"Lover…?"
"Yes. Your prospective son-in-law."
"Son-in-law…"
Wuuuung—
The sword cradled in the Family Head's arms let out a low hum.
The Family Head closed his eyes and leaned his ear toward the blade, eventually nodding.
"You think so too…? I agree…"
What is he doing? Seo-jun was a bit bewildered, but since Namgung Su-ah acted as if nothing was wrong, he stayed perfectly still.
With a faint smile, the Family Head looked directly at Seo-jun.
Seo-jun’s back straightened involuntarily. Forcing himself to control his hand—which desperately wanted to reach for his sword out of pure nervousness—Seo-jun met his gaze.
"Son-in-law… Welcome… Consider this your home and stay comfortably…"
"…Thank you."
What? Just like that? I feel like I’ve been played…
Seo-jun’s eyes darted around. Namgung Su-ah briefly squeezed Seo-jun’s hand before letting go, then introduced Chun-bong.
"This is Geum Mae. She is like a younger sister to Young Master Lee."
"Mm."
"And she is also a survivor of the Divine Sword Geum Family."
"The Divine Sword Geum Family…?"
The Family Head’s eyes widened. It was the most intense reaction he had shown all day.
He stared at Chun-bong, and then, with that sharp aura of his, he effortlessly pierced through her Stealth Qi Art.
In this room, only Seo-jun noticed it. He could have intervened, but he chose not to. It was something they had already decided to reveal anyway.
Probing someone like that could be considered rude, but who would dare question the sins of a martial artist in the Transcendent Realm? They were the ones who questioned sins, not the ones who were judged.
"I see… Heaven has truly helped us…"
The Family Head rose from his seat. He walked over to Chun-bong, offered a fist and palm salute, and bowed his head slightly.
"Welcome… As a member of the Geum Family, and a disciple of Senior Sword God, you are a close friend of the Namgung… I apologize for arriving too late to prevent the tragedy that occurred… The Namgung Clan will do its utmost to assist you in whatever you desire…"
"O-Oh, no, there’s no need to go that far…"
"That is not true… The debt in my heart is as heavy as Mount Tai… and the grace I received from Senior Sword God is boundless and beyond measure…"
Wuuuung—
Listening to the sword’s hum, the Family Head nodded.
"My wife is right…"
The Family Head then looked at Seo-jun.
"And what is my son-in-law’s connection to the Geum Family…?"
Seo-jun looked at Chun-bong. She nodded, but then, as if changing her mind, she spoke up herself.
"He is the true successor of the Divine Sword Geum Family. I have taught him everything I know, and the will of the Geum Family also rests with my brother."
"Is that so…"
This time, the Family Head moved his Qi to peer into Seo-jun’s internal energy.
Seo-jun didn't bother blocking it; he simply opened a path.
The Family Head’s eyes flashed with interest at that compliance, but after examining the energy, he tilted his head in confusion.
"An energy I have never seen before… Turbid yet pure… narrow yet expansive…"
He then studied Seo-jun’s face and nodded with a peculiar expression.
"To have reached such achievements at such a young age… I am curious about my son-in-law’s sword…"
"Pardon?"
Wuuuung—
Listening to the sword’s hum, the Family Head nodded again.
"Indeed, you think so as well…"
The Family Head walked past the group toward the door.
"Son-in-law, follow me… I have much I wish to discuss with you…"
Watching the Family Head's retreating back, Seo-jun’s eyes darted around in panic.
"Su-ah…?"
"Well, for now, could you just do as my father says?"
"Yes, well…"
The group quietly followed behind the Family Head.
*
The place where the Family Head finally stopped was a massive martial arts arena. Not a single other person was in sight.
According to Namgung Su-ah’s quiet explanation, this was the Family Head’s private arena.
"Son-in-law…"
"Yes."
"How much do you know about the Yellow Cloud Divine Sword…?"
The Family Head walked slowly to stand opposite Seo-jun. Seo-jun pondered how to answer, then simply spoke his mind.
"It is the greatest sword technique in the Central Plains."
"Indeed… The Yellow Cloud Divine Sword is certainly the greatest sword technique in the Central Plains…"
Surprisingly, the Family Head nodded in casual agreement. One would normally expect the Family Head of the Namgung Clan to hold his own family’s techniques in the highest regard.
"But that is exactly why it is a problem…"
"What… do you mean by that?"
"The profoundness of the technique is so high that unless one is a true genius, it is impossible to achieve anything with it…"
The Family Head stared blankly up at the sky.
"Even I have not been able to digest even half of the enlightenment I received from Senior Sword God… For an ordinary man like me, mastering the Yellow Cloud Divine Sword is nothing but a dream…"
Chun-bong’s eyes widened, and she flinched forward. She clearly wanted to say something, but knowing it was rude to interrupt a conversation with Seo-jun, she hesitated.
"Speak freely…"
At the Family Head’s prompt, noticing her reaction, Chun-bong spoke up.
"Are you… practicing the Yellow Cloud Divine Sword, Family Head?"
"Only a part of it. Just two forms. However, I cannot even perform those properly yet."
"Ah…"
Chun-bong let out a quiet sigh.
Watching her, the Family Head drew his sword.
There was no sound. The blade was simply in his hand before anyone even realized he had moved.
It was a woman’s sword, adorned with restrained yet elegant decorations. It was undoubtedly the blade left behind by Namgung Su-ah’s mother, and in the Family Head’s hand, it possessed a refined, deadly sharpness.
Wuuuung—
The Family Head, who had been staring blankly as the sword hummed, nodded.
"I see… I haven't even introduced myself… Thank you, wife…"
He then let the sword in his right hand hang loosely by his side and raised his left hand in a sword-finger gesture—index and middle fingers extended and pressed together—in front of his chest.
It was different from Namgung Su-ah’s, but it was unmistakably the opening stance of the Firmament Boundless Sword Technique.
To a utterly bewildered Seo-jun, the Family Head formally introduced himself.
"I am Namgung Jin-cheon, the Family Head of the Namgung Clan… Show me your sword with all your might, son-in-law… I, too, shall do my best…"
"Pardon?"
No, why?
Don't do this.
Somebody save me.