Chapter 72: Namgung Clan (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 72: Namgung Clan (4)
Night fell. After tucking Chun-bong in, Seo-jun wandered the courtyard.
The guest quarters provided by the Namgung Clan were as magnificent as their reputation suggested. It wasn't just a single building, but a sprawling, lavish estate.
The courtyard featured meticulously tended flora and a tranquil pond. Seo-jun stood there blankly, listening to the gentle sound of water while gazing at the moon's reflection shimmering on the surface.
What was that…?
It was bothering him more than he cared to admit.
That expression on Namgung Su-ah’s face. Some might call it being nosy, but he couldn't easily ignore that look on the face of someone he’d grown so fond of.
“Hmm…”
Frowning, he pursed his lips and scuffed his feet against the dirt. Suddenly, Seo-jun kicked off the ground and leaped onto the roof.
There, not too far away, he spotted someone in a similar state of mind.
Gliding through the air as if flying, Seo-jun landed lightly on the tiles and asked, “What are you doing?”
“Ah, Young Hero Lee.”
It was Namgung Su-ah.
She had been staring blankly at the night sky, but she turned to look at Seo-jun with a faint smile.
“And what brings you out so late at night, Young Hero?”
“Um… just because. I couldn’t sleep.”
Seo-jun sat down beside her, his eyes darting around before he let out a grin.
“By the way, Sister, it didn’t seem like the Family Head was particularly bothered by you not getting married.”
“Pardon?”
“So why did you make us put on an act? You know, the whole lovers thing.”
“Ah…”
Namgung Su-ah laughed awkwardly and smoothed her long hair.
“This is embarrassing…”
Instead of pressing her, Seo-jun sat quietly and waited for her to continue.
“Actually… well, it’s nothing much. I’m not staying at the Namgung estate permanently, so I thought it would be strange if I just kept following you around.”
“What’s strange about it? If you want to travel together, you just do it.”
“Hehe, is that so? I thought it was strange. I just… wanted to travel with you a little longer. Yes. I think that was it.”
As the night air grew chilly, Namgung Su-ah blew out a puff of white breath—hoo—and buried her face between her drawn-up knees.
“It looked fun. Traveling with you and Geum Mae, just talking and hanging out.”
“Really?”
“Yes… truly.”
Namgung Su-ah fell silent for a while.
Rather than forcing conversation, Seo-jun sat by her side and looked up at the sky.
A myriad of stars dotted the expanse. The moon was less than half-full, yet it shone brightly.
Sensing her lingering melancholy, Seo-jun hesitated before giving her back a small, encouraging pat.
“I don’t know exactly what’s wrong, but… cheer up. Why are you so down?”
“I don’t know. I just feel like a fool.”
“Hmm…”
Seo-jun scratched his head.
“It’s hard for me to respond when you say that. Should I tell you about all the foolish things I’ve done?”
“Would you?”
She actually wants to hear them? Though slightly taken aback, Seo-jun racked his brain.
It had been nearly two years since he fell into the Murim. He felt like he’d done enough stupid things to last a lifetime, but it wasn't easy to pick one on the spot.
Going back to the very beginning, Seo-jun began to recount his blunders one by one.
The time he first arrived in the Murim and heard a woman’s scream. His mental state had been so unstable that he couldn't tell if it was a dream or reality, so he charged at a guy with a sword and got his stomach slashed open.
The time he stripped Chun-bong to check her gender because, even though she was just a kid, she was so obviously a girl pretending to be a boy. The time he charged at another swordsman with nothing but a tree branch, claiming it was for revenge.
“…No, wait. There are too many. If I told you everything today, we’d be here past dawn.”
“Hehe, how foolish.”
“What…!”
Namgung Su-ah lifted her head and giggled.
“I wasn’t talking about you, Young Hero. I meant I’m a fool for acting like this over something so trivial when you’ve been through such serious things.”
“So, what is it?”
“Are you curious?”
“Of course. And they say shared pain is halved. Honestly, it sounds like a lie… but you never know, right?”
Leaning her cheek against her knee, Namgung Su-ah stared intently at Seo-jun before letting out a soft chuckle.
“You’ll think I’m really stupid once you hear it.”
“More than me?”
“Yes.”
“Uh… then that’s a serious problem.”
As Seo-jun scratched his head, Namgung Su-ah giggled again.
She was laughing a lot today. That was a good thing. What could be bad about laughing?
Watching him, Namgung Su-ah hesitated before slowly parting her lips.
She hadn't had a single drop of alcohol, yet she spoke impulsively, as if intoxicated by the moonlight.
“You saw them, didn’t you? My father and my brother.”
“They were… unique. Both of them.”
“Mmm… I suppose so.”
Namgung Su-ah pouted her lips, then pressed them together firmly.
“Did I ever tell you how my mother passed away?”
“No.”
“It was a chronic illness. She was always frail. Her martial arts level was only around the Second-rate stage.”
Sighing, Namgung Su-ah gazed into Seo-jun’s eyes.
“My father tried everything, but… there was nothing he could do. Her strength had been severely depleted after giving birth to Myeong-i and me.”
“I see…”
“Eventually, Mother passed away… and Father turned to his sword. Myeong-i grew up to be bright, as you saw.”
“Yeah.”
“But you know, seeing that made me feel so strange. I couldn't do anything, yet everyone else seemed to overcome it so well on their own.”
Could one really say Namgung Jin-cheon had overcome it?
The way he talked to his sword every chance he got didn't exactly scream "well-adjusted" to Seo-jun.
“Actually, I felt a lot of responsibility for Mother’s death. I felt that if she hadn't given birth to me and Myeong-i, her condition wouldn't have worsened that much.”
When her eyes met Seo-jun’s, she smiled slightly, the corners of her eyes crinkling.
Her blue eyes, visible through her narrowed lids, were beautiful.
A brief silence hung between them as they held eye contact.
Then, Namgung Su-ah spoke again.
“To be honest, that’s why I resented Myeong-i. I thought, if it weren't for you, Mother might have lived.”
She averted her gaze slightly.
“I felt the same toward Father. I thought the position of the Great Namgung Clan’s Family Head was ultimately a trivial one, if he couldn't even save the woman he loved.”
“And now?”
“I just feel like a fool. Why did I only have such ugly thoughts? Now, I’m even afraid to look them in the eye. It’s just… like that. It’s hard to put into words.”
Seo-jun stared at her, his lips twitching. He wanted to say something cool and profound, but nothing came to mind.
In the end, Seo-jun scratched his head vigorously and gently took one of her hands, which were resting demurely on her knees.
“That’s just because you’re too kind, Sister. Honestly, who hasn't had thoughts like that at least once in their life?”
“Do you think so?”
“Of course. Humans naturally live by blaming others.”
“Hmph…”
Namgung Su-ah let out a soft hum and buried her face between her knees again before suddenly springing to her feet.
Seo-jun didn't think a few words would solve everything. He just hoped she felt a little better.
As Seo-jun looked up at her from his seat, she chuckled and took his hand to pull him up.
“Young Hero Lee, come to think of it, you said it back then, didn't you? That I like being hit.”
“Uh… yeah.”
It was a sudden change of subject, but Seo-jun was secretly glad. He was starting to run out of things to say.
“I’ll prove to you that’s not the case.”
But this wasn't what he had expected.
Namgung Su-ah took his hand and pressed it against her lower abdomen. Against her smooth belly, right where it curved slightly to protect her most precious area.
“W-wait a second… I feel like this is moving a bit too fast…”
“Shh.”
Leaning in close, Namgung Su-ah whispered in his ear.
“Can you feel it?”
“Feel what…?”
“My heartbeat.”
“No, why are you checking that through your stomach…?”
If he had to answer whether he felt it or not, he did. Thump, thump. Her heart was racing.
If a martial artist who had reached the Super Peak Realm couldn't sense that much, they had reached their level in vain.
“There.”
Namgung Su-ah then pressed his hand firmly against her abdomen. Hard enough for it to sink into her soft flesh slightly.
“Haa…”
A hot sigh escaped her lips right next to his ear, making Seo-jun flinch.
“How is it…?”
“W-what is…?”
“I’m not getting excited because I’m being hit, right…?”
What on earth am I supposed to do with this?
Feeling lightheaded, Seo-jun quickly pulled his hand away and stepped back.
“Y-you pervert…!”
When he shouted, Namgung Su-ah giggled.
“How cute.”
“W-what…!”
Seo-jun snapped to his senses. This was a serious matter. A man’s pride was on the line.
As Seo-jun strode toward her, Namgung Su-ah looked up at him with a smiling face.
“What is it?”
“Whew…”
Seo-jun raised his hand. While Namgung Su-ah tilted her head at the gesture in confusion, his hand moved swiftly and struck its target.
Smack!
“Kyaa…!?”
Namgung Su-ah collapsed onto the roof tiles, clutching her plump backside.
“Y-Young Hero…?”
“See! I hit you! And you liked it!”
“N-no, this is…”
Namgung Su-ah tried to stand up but slumped back down again.
“Huh…?”
As Seo-jun stared at her blankly, she gave an awkward smile.
“My legs… they’ve gone weak…?”
It truly was an eventful night.
*
Last night, Seo-jun had no choice but to carry the demurely clinging Namgung Su-ah back to her room.
Even for someone like Seo-jun, abandoning her on the roof and running away would have been too trashy a move.
The walk to her room, and the moment he laid her down on her bed… the strange atmosphere of it all left his heart feeling restless.
Because of that, Seo-jun sat around blankly all day, causing Chun-bong to scowl deeply.
“Did you eat something wrong?”
“Seems like it…”
“What is wrong with you, seriously?”
Sighing, Chun-bong pouted and crossed her arms.
“You said you had something to teach me. Are you just going to keep sitting there like that?”
“Ah, right.”
Snapping out of it, Seo-jun jumped to his feet.
He couldn't afford to be distracted with something so important ahead of him.
After kneading Chun-bong’s cheeks a few times to calm his mind, Seo-jun made a grand declaration.
“Azure Cloud Divine Art Mk.2!”
It was the beginning of Operation Chun-bong Meridian Healing.
Wait a minute.
But if her severed meridians were really cured, would she grow taller? That would be a bit disappointing.
The thought of Chun-bong growing up and becoming an adult made him feel dizzy.
“The heavens are cruel!”
Why must children become adults!
“…You’re full of shit, seriously.”
Chun-bong let out a long sigh.