Chapter 160
Chapter 160
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 160
Chapter Title: S3. Martial World Journey - 8
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"You're not Daoist Cheonghwi anymore—you're Brother Cheonghwi now!"
"...Y-Yeah, that's how it is."
"I'm thrilled we'll be living under the same roof! A guest is someone who leaves when the path diverges, but family? Even if our bodies are far apart, our hearts stay connected. Isn't that wonderful? Looking forward to it, Brother Cheonghwi!"
"...".
Envers Redburn, now Nangong Cheonghwi, twisted his body every which way whenever he heard "hyungnim." Nangong Myeong, worried he might be ill, asked with concern.
"Why do you keep squirming like that, Brother Cheonghwi?"
Nangong Seung-ah, standing beside him, smirked. She saw it as a chance to get revenge for the grudge from her zero-confession first kiss.
"Can't you tell? He's not used to being called 'hyungnim.' Guess we'll have to call him that a lot until he gets accustomed... Right, big brother Cheonghwi?"
"Oppa is fine."
"You trying to die or something?!"
They bickered playfully for a moment like golden carp splashing in a pond. Then, Nangong Cheonghwi pondered a deeply philosophical question.
What exactly does it mean to be family...?
It was undoubtedly something he'd longed for. But having lived without knowing its meaning for so long, he was lost on what it truly entailed.
He reflected on his memories. Family-like behavior...
He'd shared even a single bean with Brother Roderus. So, was sharing one's own possessions the true way of family?
"...Cheonghwi Dao—er, oppa. Why do you keep putting beans on my plate?"
"To share them..."
"I hate beans, so give them to Myeong. No, Myeong, take them!"
"Sis, Bro—picky eating is bad! To balance the five elements' energies, we must consume everything without skipping. That's how our muscles and bones grow strong, and our inner energy accumulates properly. Plus, beans grow from the earth, absorbing vital essence to the fullest—"
With Nangong Myeong's explanation as background music, Nangong Cheonghwi and Nangong Seung-ah turned it into a contest of who could dump more beans onto the other's plate.
Cheonghwi flicked beans away using the Heavenly Demon's martial arts, but he thought this wasn't quite right. Sharing with Roderus had felt tender, but now, with plenty to go around, it stirred no emotion.
He pulled another memory from his bundle.
His mother had cared for young Envers with utmost devotion. When hunger made him cry, she'd nurse him; when he fell and wailed, she'd soothe him.
So, was watching over someone like a child by the water's edge the true way of family?
"...What are you doing?"
"Just in case you get cut by the sword."
"I'm heading to train. Are you seriously worried I'll cut myself practicing the swordsmanship I've honed for over a decade?"
"Yes."
Shuwaaak!!
Nangong Seung-ah unleashed a merciless killing strike. Cheonghwi dodged with evasion steps, deciding this wasn't it either. Excessive care might even offend the one being protected.
Another... family-like act.
Duke Redburn had taught assassination techniques, shown the birth of "siblings" from the front row, and discarded him like a son if his skills fell short.
"...".
Even so, he knew this wasn't "family-like."
Cheonghwi humbly admitted his ignorance about family. And what one doesn't know, one learns from others. So he straightforwardly sought guidance.
Nangong Seung-ah looked utterly bewildered.
"...So that's why you've been acting off all this time?"
"I gave it my best shot."
"You know how when you're tense practicing martial arts, your body stiffens up and your movements get rigid and sloppy? That's exactly you right now, Cheonghwi Dao—oppa."
To his question of what family was and how to act like one, the adopted daughter Nangong Seung-ah replied:
"Family's not some big deal. We're not even blood-related."
"...?"
"Don't get hung up on the 'family' label. There are hundreds of ways to accept family, like how Nangong So focuses on honor and power. Not saying it's right... but you need to find your own way."
In other words, stop doing weird stuff. She snapped that at him and left. It was sound advice.
Alone in the Nangong family's garden, Nangong Cheonghwi sat cross-legged in meditation.
Roderus had taught him a flawed mana circulation method, ruining Envers's mana circuits. He'd seen it as betrayal, a deep scar on his heart.
But looking back, Roderus had simpler, faster options.
If he'd envied Envers's talent and wanted him gone, he could've just killed him. A rapier thrust while sleeping would've ended it silently.
So... maybe he'd done it deliberately to drive him out of the Redburn family.
To protect him that way.
Now it made sense. If he and Nangong Myeong were in the same spot with no other ideas, Cheonghwi might've chosen similarly.
"That means Brother Roderus saw me as a total kid back then... Kinda disappointing, hyungnim."
He'd thought himself mature then. Or had he?
Cheonghwi revisited memories with Roderus. During spars, Roderus sometimes struck viciously, injuring Envers enough to sit out competitions.
He'd chalked it up to bad moods, but maybe it was subtle care.
On tense days, Roderus always inflicted injuries. And on those days, bastard sons' brutal contests often ended in deaths.
He'd kept him far from danger.
"...Clues were there all along. I just didn't see them."
Nangong Cheonghwi brushed dust from his rear and stood. He walked a bit.
In the end, like martial arts, the meaning you pour into "family" is yours to decide.
For Nangong Cheonghwi, family meant deeply understanding each other's hearts.
Misunderstandings had hurt too much; now, he hoped to face it properly. He sincerely wished for that.
When he met Brother Roderus again, he'd open up and talk it out. Return to being close brothers.
And not just him—Selvia, Luna. He wanted to draw closer to those he's grateful for. Too much of life spent fleeing, blind to them.
He had to convey his thanks.
Sorting his thoughts, Cheonghwi pulled a letter from his bosom.
Nangong So's note: Come to the nearby forest at deep night. Or he couldn't guarantee his "family's" safety.
"Hm..."
Leaning against a rock, Nangong Cheonghwi securely tied his sword to his waist. A sturdy blade gifted by the family head, welcoming him to Nangong.
He would end this.
He followed the path. Retraced his steps backward. He passed the Nangong estate's main gate, exchanging nods with the guards now sharing his surname. He'd told them he had brief business outside. He crossed the bustling main street. Once exotic sights now felt familiar. Roof-leaping delivery boys were everyday now. In an alley, two martial artists brawled crudely after picking a fight. Drunken, their flushed faces like boiled octopuses. Passing by, Cheonghwi stepped between them, casually dispersing their strength to make them collapse.
"Hngh...!"
"A m-master!"
The fight stopped at the expert's intervention. Cheonghwi told them to resume once sober and continued on. Following the road past the city gate, dense greenery filled his view. Sunset faded; sky turned crimson, then pitch black. Night falls fast in forests, he thought...
"...". Maybe not just the forest. Skin prickled. His soul quivered. A sinister aura spread from afar, stretching thin to the heavens, oppressively heavy despite its faintness. Like a veil over the world. He hesitated to approach. Inner fear welled. Peering at it, the shape was all too familiar. Heavenly Demon. This was the Heavenly Demon's aura. The sensation of facing it: immense, like gazing up at an impossibly tall wall. The mad wizard bound by fate—had he foreseen this? He could turn back now. The helplessness against the Heavenly Demon lingered vividly. Even with all he'd learned, Envers would be crushed. But. Nangong Cheonghwi stood here for his family.
"...Can't run. Better to headbutt the wall."
If Selvia feared not challenge, Luna enjoyed it—he'd bear it on his back. He walked. Guided by the aura, between trees, he spotted Nangong So gazing skyward. In his grasp, an ominous book. To Cheonghwi... it looked inverted. Not So holding the book, but the book holding So. Its presence overwhelmingly vast. A vague hunch, but he sensed that book was the root of this evil. Nangong So spoke listlessly, disheveled—hair wild, clothes unkempt, no trace of his refined公子 air.
"You've come, Cheonghwi."
"Nangong So. Decided to drop all respect entirely?"
"No need to be polite to a dead man."
"Not a matter of reason—more like you won't have time to mourn."
Sring. Nangong So drew his sword. The well-honed blade gleamed coldly. Thick killing intent.
"You ruined all my plans. If not for you, I'd have taken Myeong's blood long ago... and claimed the Heavenly Demon's power!"
"Watch your words. I didn't ruin your plans—I saved you. So you won't regret it later."
"Regret? My only regret is not killing you sooner. Shouldn't have left it to a fake Daoist—should've beheaded you right there!"
"Then try it. Not too late now, right?"
Nangong Cheonghwi drew his sword too. Suuuuu. Nangong So assumed the perfect form of Skybow Unfettered Swordsmanship. Flawless as marble sculpture. But his hurried, closed heart made it rigid. Nangong Cheonghwi, new to the art, was full of gaps and clumsiness. But knowing its intent, he remained relaxed. In the silence. A bird fluttered up, and blades clashed.
"Haaat—!!"
Nangong So stepped forward, thrusting pinpoint. Momentum like a shot arrow. Pure inner energy in perfect form yielded power matching his mastery. Cheonghwi met it to gauge. Chaeng—!! Cheonghwi's sword bounced wide. So's free inner energy control outpowered Cheonghwi's unstable flow. No winning head-on. So's blade spread like a heron's tail feathers. Thrust seamlessly to slash at Cheonghwi's chest. Ground Roll Evasion. Cheonghwi rolled without hesitation, dodging the blade.
"Pathetic!"
"Can't be bound by appearances. Heavenly Demon this, that—Heavenly Demon would've used Ground Roll dozens of times."
If it raised win odds, even silly moves, Heavenly Demon would've done them. So's sword sliced earth like a diving falcon. Cheonghwi used Explosive Shatter on the ground to roll away, then from low stance slashed at So's ankle like an ox's. So leaped back. In the evasion gap, Cheonghwi spoke.
"One thing I don't get."
"...Got breath to yap, scum?!"
Kang—!! Steel met steel again. Bloodlust flickered in So's eyes, shaking. His swordplay grew violent; azure sword aura mixed with dark crimson. So's Skybow Unfettered Swordsmanship pressured from all sides, but Cheonghwi countered like threading the sky. Amid dense sword auras limiting paths, he flowed free. Narrowing shoulders to twist and swing, or stepping to target So's instep. Mixing arts kept So from ending it.
"Why try to kill Myeong?"
"The Demonic Subjugation Divine Art demands family blood!"
"And with that power, what then?"
"Make Nangong greater! So no one dares scorn the house!"
Kang, kang—! Cheonghwi softly twisted his wrist, using joint elasticity for a whip-like slash. Like a chain sickle. The surprise force infiltrated; So's advancing blade paused. Cheonghwi targeted the palm. Explosive Shatter. Kuung—! Cheonghwi's speeding fist struck So's chest, shoving him back.
"Kuhk...!"
"You're the one scorning the house. How can killing family members protect it?"
"You wouldn't understand! Only I can make Nangong great. Only I can lead it! I must uphold that faith!"
"Who told you to be a great family head?"
"That's...!!"
Myeong. Myeong's habitual words: Brother So will surely be a fine family head. So's movements froze. Confused, he stared at the wicked book still in his left hand. Trying to let go, it stuck like glue. The bloodlust in his eyes faded. Hunted breathing calmed; other emotions entered his gaze. In turmoil, Nangong So murmured.
"...Myeong's a genius. Talent I could never match. Someday, he'd reach heights I couldn't dream of."
Jealousy brewed, fear he'd lose headship to Myeong. And a desire to remain the 'admirable brother' as long as possible.
"...So I trained Sky-Cleaving Sword to grow stronger, but Father never showed the ancestors' secret chamber. Had to find another way."
So he picked up the book. Full of vile secrets raising power via human sacrifice. So took commoners' blood. Initial guilt faded over time. One, two—victims mounted. He fell to the demonic path.
"...I know. Killing innocents made me worse than street thugs. But..."
A vulture willing to harm for gain had purpose. But as blood qi invaded his marrow, even that vanished. The petty man desperate to cling to eldest son's prestige was devoured by the mere means to power. Nangong So eyed Cheonghwi darkly.
"...No remorse. Even if time reversed, I'd kill for easy power. That's me."
"...".
"No regrets for those acts, but being bewitched by this damned book... forgetting family hurts."
So pressed the blade to his nape. Plans shattered; better death than puppetry. As he gripped to suicide— "...Krk, ugh."
Woodrack, crackle. Eerie red aura from Demonic Subjugation Divine Art spread, climbing So's arm to engulf him. Veins bulged; bones creaked unnaturally. Something was happening. Couldn't let it. So rolled his eyes back, shouting.
"...Kill me!"
"—Hup!"
To end before the grimoire consumed him, Cheonghwi closed with Explosive Shatter, swinging full force. Whiiik—!! Accelerated blade reached So's nape, about to bite— So's body moved incomprehensibly, vanishing from sight. Cheonghwi blinked in shock, then lightning-struck realization tensed his body protectively. Unfathomable technique. That was the Heavenly Demon's movement. Thud. A fist touched Cheonghwi's chest. Then, thwung—!!
"Kuh...!!"
Struck by exquisite Force Projection, Cheonghwi flew three zhang. Anchoring with Thousand Jin Drop, he gripped his longsword two-handed, eyes front. Before him, Nangong So shimmered like heat haze. Cheonghwi saw the Heavenly Demon beyond So's rolled-back eyes. The entity had crossed space-time to possess him.