Chapter 8
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: A New Beginning
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The Namgung Family had been established in Anhui province for generations.
A century ago, during the Demonic Cult's great upheaval, countless families were wiped out, but the Namgung name was no lightweight.
Over the span of several decades, the Namgung Family rebuilt itself and now claimed one of the five sovereign seats in the murim world.
The family head, known as the Sky-Piercing Sword King, bore the name Jak. His son, too, enjoyed resounding fame across the jianghu as the Heavenly Dragon of the Sky-Piercing Sword.
The Heavenly Dragon's name was Hu, and at that moment, he was engaged in a serious discussion with the family head, Namgung Jak.
"Now that Great Grandfather's three-year mourning period has ended, I believe it's time for me to depart, Father."
The young man speaking possessed a face as beautiful as a woman's, yet his broad shoulders marked him as an unparalleled prodigy among men.
"What draws you to Heavenly Mountain of all places?"
The family head, Namgung Jak, who was listening, had a handsome, masculine face paired with a deep, resonant voice.
"My master and junior brothers are there. I must return."
Ha...
Namgung Jak was displeased with his son Namgung Hu's stubbornness.
The Namgung Family's martial arts rivaled the best in the world, so if word got out that he had an external master and juniors, it would invite ridicule.
Yet he couldn't simply dismiss his son's words. This exceptional son of his wasn't just stubborn—he was profoundly resolute.
He had guessed that the master must be extraordinary and asked to see a demonstration of the martial arts, but his son absolutely refused to show them.
He claimed it was because he lacked his master's permission.
Three and a half years ago, when his son had returned, much had changed about him.
His thinking had deepened even further, and he had become far more cautious in both speech and action.
He desperately wanted to keep this brilliant son at home, but the boy wouldn't have it.
Even politely turning away the matchmakers who came and went was exhausting.
"You must return within a year."
"I'd like to, but it might be difficult. Still, Father, you needn't worry."
"Very well. Then go see Hye before you leave."
Ha ha...
"That's a bit..."
Namgung Hu, who never flinched at anything, was noticeably flustered at the mention of Hye.
Watching his reaction, Namgung Jak burst into laughter.
Keh keh keh...
"Even you find that one troublesome, eh?"
"She's inherited my stubbornness, after all."
Keh keh keh keh...
A young woman arrived to see Namgung Hu. Her face was beautiful, but her eyes in particular held an extraordinary glint.
"Brother."
Eh heh heh heh...
"You've come."
Namgung Hu, who had been packing, forced a smile as he greeted the woman.
"You're leaving again, aren't you?"
"Who... Who told you such nonsense? Me, leaving? Where would I go?"
The woman narrowed her eyes shrewdly.
"Then what's that you're hiding behind your back?"
"Ah, this? Someone asked me to pack it for their trip..."
"Who? And why are you packing it for them?"
Ah... It was all over.
Hye had clearly figured everything out and come to confront him.
"Did Father tip you off?"
"Yes."
Whew...
Namgung Hu let out a sigh and slumped into a chair.
Namgung Hye sat across from him.
"I'm coming with you."
He had known this was coming.
That's why he'd kept it secret, but Father had broken his promise and spilled it immediately.
"There's something I haven't told Father."
"Tell me."
"The reason for this trip is to bring back a husband for you."
Namgung Hye's eyes widened in shock at the utterly unexpected words.
"My... My husband is someone I'll choose myself. So please, Brother, don't say such things."
Ha ha ha ha...
"You'll like him once you see him. I have two junior brothers, both geniuses unlike any in the world. And their handsome, manly faces— you'll fall for them at first sight."
"I don't choose men by their faces, Brother."
Namgung Hu quickly added more.
"Their hearts are as pure as silk; they never harm others, and their profound learning makes their speech unlike that of ordinary folk."
Namgung Hye found herself subtly intrigued by the junior brothers her brother described.
If her discerning brother praised them so highly, they must truly be remarkable.
Still, the idea of a woman traveling far to see men wounded her pride.
"I have business at Mount Wudang, so I should head there."
"Do as you wish."
With ready permission, Namgung Hu sent Namgung Hye off and hurriedly finished packing.
'I need to leave before she changes her mind. Junior brothers, wait for me—I'm coming.'
'Wait, what the hell is he doing?'
Gwang-u sat on the bed, staring incredulously at his senior brother, who was blankly holding the iron orb.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
He waved his hand in front of his senior brother's face, but the dazed eyes remained unchanged.
"He's clearly asleep..."
Normally, he'd leap up with his longsword and cause a ruckus, but today was different.
"This... At last, my eyes behold it."
Overcome with emotion, the Great Heavenly Demon faltered in his speech as he snatched the iron orb from my hand.
But his hand passed right through it, slicing empty air.
The Great Heavenly Demon was startled, but I was even more shocked.
Nothing like this had ever happened before.
Yet he soon seemed to realize something and nodded.
"I've been repelled by that thing all along. That's why I couldn't grasp it. So that's how it is."
"What in the world is this?"
Tsk tsk...
"It's the record of the one martial art that can kill me."
"This?"
My master had called it the final martial art of the One Immortal Sect, but I'd never imagined it could kill the Great Heavenly Demon.
"How many characters are inscribed?"
"I counted them earlier today: one hundred eight in total."
Tsk tsk...
"Recite every character."
"Why should I?"
I couldn't teach the Great Heavenly Demon a martial art that could kill him.
"You fool. Do you think you can tell which character is the start and which is the end just by looking?"
He had a point.
The inscriptions on the iron orb had no discernible beginning or end.
I began rolling it, reading the faint characters.
"Qian , Li , Dao , Ni , He ..."
As soon as I finished reciting the one hundred eight characters, the Great Heavenly Demon urged me on.
"Recite it again."
Without protest, I read the iron orb's inscriptions once more.
"He , Tian , Kan , Kun ..."
With each character, the Great Heavenly Demon's face twisted further.
When I finished, he exploded in fury.
"Why hasn't the order changed from the first time?!"
"You said I can't tell the start from the end, so no matter how I read it, it's the same, isn't it?"
"You... sly bastard! Recite it again!"
"No."
His rage boiling over, the Great Heavenly Demon drew his sword.
I flung the iron orb aside and drew mine as if I'd been waiting.
I cleared the firewood and pulled out the longsword and shortsword.
Gwang-u, who had been watching in confusion, cried out in shock.
"Bro! What's that? Why do you have something like that?"
"Just picked it up somewhere."
"Picked up something like that? It looks insanely expensive."
It was the Great Heavenly Demon's longsword and shortsword, so of course it was priceless.
Especially the sun and pine tree pattern on the scabbard—it was too eye-catching.
I wrapped the scabbard in cloth and tucked the shortsword into my bosom.
All that remained was to erase our dwelling.
Roar...
Gwang-u and I stood together, watching until the thatched hut was completely reduced to ashes.
We had lived here for quite some time.
As the hut burned away, a strange mix of relief and wistfulness washed over me.
"Let's go."
My steps descending the mountain were light, but Gwang-u kept looking back.
"Bro, where are we headed?"
"We'll wander wherever our feet take us and settle in a good village we find."
"Have you thought about how we'll make a living?"
"Chop wood, gather herbs, hunt—should be enough to get by."
Gwang-u nodded, but with lingering reluctance, he brought up master's final words.
"But what if the Great Heavenly Demon revives, like master said?"
"He absolutely won't."
"Why are you so sure?"
"Because I went into the place where the Great Heavenly Demon and Divine Calculator supposedly died."
Gwang-u didn't buy it.
"Come on... That's your reasoning?"
"It's true. Inside, there were only two shriveled-up mummies."
"Alright, bro. I'll believe you."
His words said one thing, but his eyes said otherwise.
I didn't care whether Gwang-u believed me or not.
With us leaving Heavenly Mountain anyway, what did a couple of mummies in a cave matter?
Namgung Hu, ascending Heavenly Mountain after so long, carried a pack with roasted lamb and liquor on his back.
The thought of sharing drinks with his master and junior brothers already brought a smile to his lips.
Escaping the stifling family for his jianghu journey had led him to the greatest bonds of his life.
He had witnessed martial arts surpassing even his family's—with his own eyes—and come to know the master who taught them and the junior brothers who learned them.
His young junior brothers were such prodigies that even seeing them firsthand was hard to believe.
It had been joyful.
Every day with his junior brothers had been pure happiness.
Even Go Un-san's prickliness was something he could laugh off amid the delight.
The reason he could smile through it all was the subtle affection he felt from his junior brothers.
"If Hye met Un-san, it would be quite the spectacle..."
Both were fiercely proud and stubborn.
If those two met, something worth watching was bound to happen.
As the One Immortal Sect's dwelling—long dreamed of—drew near, Namgung Hu's steps quickened.
"Junior brothers! I'm here!"
Namgung Hu called out to them before the dwelling even came into view.
But contrary to his expectations, no reply came.
A sudden ominous feeling gripped him, and he hurriedly dashed up the mountain path.
Soon, what met his eyes were charred ruins and gray ashes.
Namgung Hu stood frozen in place, as if lost in a daze.
"Master... has passed away."
His master was not one to ever leave this place.
He hadn't even considered that unknown assailants might have attacked and killed his master and junior brothers.
His junior brothers were the sort who could chew up any attackers.
That left only one possibility: his master's death.
Yet there were no graves near the house site.
'They cremated him.'
Spotting burn marks in the center of the wide yard, Namgung Hu became certain of his master's passing.
After master's death, the junior brothers must have burned the dwelling and left.
Namgung Hu unpacked, laying out meat and liquor at the dwelling site.
Once, twice.
After bowing to the departed, he poured drinks using the ritual food as an appetizer.
"It would have been nice if the junior brothers were here."
Ascending Heavenly Mountain had filled him with joy, but now atop it, bitterness slid down his throat alongside the liquor.
"Well, they've probably settled in a nearby village. Master, I'll find the junior brothers and bring them back here."
Gripping the liquor bottle, Namgung Hu poured the rest onto the house site.
"Master, have plenty."