Chapter 37
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: You Truly Are the Sword of Completion (1)
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A sharp, herbal scent tickled his nose.
Namgung Yong-yong pushed his heavy body upright and looked around.
Steam was billowing from a medicinal brazier, and his younger sister was dozing off in front of it.
He reached out to wake Mi-mi, who was nodding precariously.
A throbbing pain shot through his wrist.
‘Right, my hand was cut.’
The day before, at the Five Great Clans' assembly, Namgung Yong-yong had faced an unjust man.
A man who had displayed swordsmanship so incredible it seemed like an illusion.
‘Jin Je-yong of the Sinnae Sword School, was it?’
Namgung Yong-yong thought of Jin Je-yong as he fiddled with the bandage wrapped around his wrist.
It must have been changed several times, as no blood was seeping through.
"My wrist was definitely severed..."
Though it ached a little, his hand was perfectly attached.
He had no trouble bending and straightening his fingers, and there was no sense of anything being out of place.
He wondered what kind of physician had worked such magic. If the wound healed properly, it seemed he would have no trouble wielding a sword again.
"Mmm... Brother?"
Perhaps sensing his movement, Namgung Mi-mi called out to Namgung Yong-yong in a sleepy voice.
She looked at Namgung Yong-yong with half-lidded eyes.
Then, she broke into a wide grin.
"Hehe, you're awake, Brother?"
"Yes. Did you sleep well?"
Unlike the demonic fury he had shown Jin Je-yong the day before, Namgung Yong-yong wore a gentle smile.
In truth, if Jin Je-yong hadn't claimed to be the Sword of Completion, Namgung Yong-yong would have had no reason to be so angry.
"But what are you doing here?"
"I came with Grandfather."
The grandfather Mi-mi spoke of could only be the Azure Sky Sword King, Namgung Cheok.
Namgung Yong-yong thought of Jin Je-yong and asked Mi-mi.
"I see. Then Grandfather must have met that insolent man as well."
If so, he wouldn't have gotten away easily.
No matter how strong Jin Je-yong was, the man standing before him was Namgung Cheok—hailed as a king and a star of the sword.
Having so brazenly impersonated the Sword of Completion only to face one of the true Twenty-Two Masters Under Heaven, he surely wouldn't have left unscathed.
"That man? You mean Young Master Jin?"
"Young... Master Jin?"
A deep furrow formed between Namgung Yong-yong's brows.
Mi-mi's attitude was strange. The sister he knew was, to put it mildly, ill-mannered.
As the treasured jewel of the Namgung Clan, she had grown up showered with Namgung Cheok's affection.
Perhaps because of that, she often displayed an arrogant and audacious demeanor.
"You know how Grandfather sometimes leaves without a word about once a year, right, Brother?"
"Yes, I heard he goes to train. Whenever he returns, his sword has become even more formidable."
After passing the position of clan head to his son, Namgung Jun, Namgung Cheok had dedicated himself to further honing his swordsmanship.
Sometimes he would sequester himself in the clan's closed-door training hall, while other times he would vanish for a while before returning.
Upon his return, he always went to great lengths to gather the clan members and impart his new enlightenments.
"It's no accident that our great Namgung Clan is renowned for the sword. Thanks to Grandfather, we've produced masters unrivaled anywhere in the martial world."
Thanks to Namgung Cheok's teachings, Namgung Yong-yong himself had attained a level of swordsmanship comparable to the rising stars of the Wudang or Huashan Sects.
Looking at Namgung Yong-yong, Namgung Mi-mi grinned.
"Well, actually, he said he was visiting Sichuan."
"Sichuan? You mean the Tang Clan?"
"No. What was it called? Sillye-hyeon? No! Sinnae Village! He said he had a friend there."
"Hmm... I'm not familiar with my grandfather's friendships, but I suppose that's possible."
"And he said the person who cut your wrist yesterday is that friend's disciple."
Through his sister's words, Namgung Yong-yong understood why Jin Je-yong's skills were so exceptional.
Namgung Cheok had a hidden disciple. For someone with such swordsmanship, any explanation other than being Namgung Cheok's disciple was inconceivable.
Since he wasn't a member of the Namgung Clan, he would be considered a lay disciple, in the tradition of the Nine Great Sects.
‘Was his talent so great that he was sent there for special training?’
Jin Je-yong looked to be five or six years younger than Namgung Yong-yong. To display such overwhelming skill at a young age, it was entirely believable that he was Namgung Cheok's disciple.
And if that were the case, it wouldn't be wrong to call him a future Sword of Completion.
‘So, this was all a needless misunderstanding because Grandfather never mentioned it.’
Namgung Yong-yong slapped his forehead with his palm. In the end, it was a fight within the family.
But ultimately, the problem arose because Namgung Cheok had secretly raised a disciple.
"Brother, Brother, listen to this! Grandfather was trying to set me up with that country bumpkin, can you believe it?"
Namgung Yong-yong could now perfectly understand Namgung Cheok's intentions.
He realized Namgung Cheok had taken a talented individual he met in Sichuan as his disciple and intended to bring him into the Namgung Clan as a son-in-law through Mi-mi.
‘Then the future Sword of Completion won't be me. It's a shame, but if the title remains in our clan for my generation, should I consider it a blessing?’
Namgung Yong-yong smiled bitterly.
"Yes, that's not a bad idea."
"Brother!"
Namgung Mi-mi cried out sharply. But since the sword of Namgung Cheok, the Azure Sky Sword King, had been passed to Jin Je-yong, they could not let him go to another family.
It was a waste of Namgung Mi-mi's background and looks, but considering her personality, he felt a little sorry for his future brother-in-law.
‘Haha! It seems Mi-mi will be getting married soon.’
Of course, this thought was Namgung Yong-yong's great misunderstanding.
* * *
"So, how far have you mastered the Three Talents Sword Art, Sword of Completion?"
Namgung Cheok had borrowed a private training ground from the Jegal Clan and summoned me.
Looking around, I saw my senior sister and her husband, the people of the Namgung Clan, and Nam Gyeong and Jeok-sam.
It seemed Tang Jin-seong had gone to hold the Five Great Clans' assembly, which had been interrupted because of our group.
"Not yet, Elder Azure Sky Sword King."
On the day I split the sky with my sword, my master told me that the true Three Talents Sword Art could even cleave time and space.
But I hadn't even found a clue to that realm, so it felt completely out of reach.
"Hoho. Yes, of course. Sang-ho told me some strange things, so I thought you might actually be able to split the sky."
Namgung Cheok said with a look of relief.
I didn't know what my master had told him, but that level of skill wasn't as difficult as he thought.
"Oh, I've mastered it to that point."
"Yes, yes, what? You've mastered it...?"
Namgung Cheok's eyes went wide.
Then, with a look of disbelief, he opened his mouth.
"Y-You can cut the sky? How? What? You don't just mean cutting a piece of cloud, do you? No, even cutting a cloud in the sky is a remarkable feat. That alone is splendid. Right?"
Namgung Cheok spewed out the words breathlessly, as if he couldn't believe it.
‘Was the last time I saw the elder last year?’
Even back then, I could split a mountain. I think I gained enlightenment and learned to split the sky around that time.
I just couldn't remember if it was before or after Namgung Cheok's visit.
"Of course, the sky. Would you like to see?"
"Yes! ...No, let's see it later."
An excited Namgung Cheok answered without thinking, then looked at the clan members gathered around and shook his head.
He was probably trying to protect our school's secret arts, but neither I nor anyone from the Sinnae Sword School particularly cared if my sword art was leaked.
‘After all, among our school's disciples, Gyeong is the only one who learned the sword.’
This was all because our master's teachings were too profound.
As long as one didn't doubt the master's sword and put in enough effort, they could at least reach Nam Gyeong's level.
But my senior sister gave up the sword to learn grappling arts, and the others also set their swords aside. My senior brother Je Yung-geon and Jeok-sam even gave up martial arts entirely.
"I don't mind who watches."
"No... We are not okay with it."
Namgung Cheok politely declined. He was probably being considerate of our school.
After the incident at yesterday's assembly, my relationship with the Namgung Clan had become a bit awkward.
Namgung Cheok had stepped in to resolve the situation, but the clan head, Namgung Jun, and the clan's warriors still wore sour expressions.
"Because the swords of the Namgung Clan might break."
Namgung Cheok spoke in a bitter voice, but I couldn't understand what he meant.
What did me splitting the sky have to do with the swords of the Namgung Clan's people breaking?
"Later, let's see it later when we have time. More importantly."
Namgung Cheok's gaze now turned to Nam Gyeong, who was standing hesitantly behind me.
"That boy seems even sharper than before. What did you do to him?"
"Ah, he was being mistreated at the Righteous Alliance, so I brought him with me. To be precise, Jeok-sam took him under his wing and kept him company."
Nam Gyeong's introverted personality remained, but the hesitation in drawing his sword was gone.
Namgung Cheok must have read that change in Nam Gyeong.
"No, that's not it. When I last saw him, that boy could only thrust."
It seemed he had seen Nam Gyeong when he had just started learning the sword.
After that, Nam Gyeong had struggled for three more years, but Namgung Cheok, who usually spent his time meeting with my master or sparring with me, seemed unaware of how much Nam Gyeong had grown.
"Gyeong still only knows how to thrust."
"Didn't you teach him the Three Talents Sword Art?"
"I only properly taught him the first form."
At my words, Namgung Cheok gave a strange smile.
"You only taught him the first form... Interesting. Jun!"
"Yes, Father. Did you call?"
"Bring me some skilled children... no, bring me someone who knows how to use a sword."
"Not the children, you say?"
Namgung Jun asked.
Although he had brought many young warriors of the Namgung Clan to this assembly, it was also a clan head's event, so he had brought an escort force as well.
Namgung Cheok glanced over the clan warriors standing behind him and sighed.
"Never mind. You go."
"What?"
Namgung Jun looked around before pointing a finger at himself.
Namgung Cheok nodded.
"It seems you're the only one who can face that boy."
"Young Master... Je-yong is barely past the age of twenty. Father, I am forty-five this year."
Namgung Jun said, sounding dumbfounded.
Namgung Cheok shook his head and pointed his finger at Nam Gyeong.
"It would be too much for you to face Je-yong. See that boy over there?"
Seeing Nam Gyeong, a furrow deepened on Namgung Jun's brow.
On the surface, Nam Gyeong was a naive young man. No, it wasn't just his appearance; he was usually naive.
"Gyeong! Elder Namgung is calling you."
"Yes! Instructor."
Seeing him run over, Namgung Jun's face crumpled even more.
It was probably because of his clumsy footwork.
"Gyeong, it's been a while."
"Yes, Elder."
"I'd like to see your sword. How about you have a match with this fellow?"
"Huh? With someone from the Namgung Clan?! Me?"
"Yes, you should be a worthy opponent for him."
When Namgung Cheok said that, Namgung Jun's face flushed red.
He seemed to be underestimating Nam Gyeong, but the outcome was quite predictable.
"To face Gyeong, shouldn't you be the one to step up, Elder?"
"Hmph! I have my dignity."
Namgung Cheok snorted. His face, like his son's, was flushed red.
"That's right. There is no need for Father to step forward."
Namgung Jun drew his sword and walked to the center of the training ground.
Nam Gyeong glanced at me, and I gestured for him to go to Namgung Jun.
"Gyeong, show them what the Sinnae Sword School is all about."
"B-But, Master, that man is the Namgung Clan's..."
"The Clan Head, yes. But are you not a disciple of the Sinnae Sword School, my disciple?"
I had taught him only a single move, the thrust, but with that alone, he had gained the skill to pierce the heavens.
As if understanding my heart, Nam Gyeong quietly nodded.
And when he raised his head again, his eyes were shining with a new light.
"This... Jun is going to get hurt badly."
Namgung Cheok, who had reached the same conclusion as me, let out a small groan.
"Well, he is the disciple I taught."
I said, puffing out my chest.
Namgung Cheok let out a grunt.