Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: I Want to Buy It
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The Soul-Tearing Essence Absorption Art.
An art that tears a person's soul to shreds, killing them. An art so vile it could hardly be called a martial art. Thus, it could certainly be classified as a dark art.
But Namgung Urin decided not to think that way. If even he thought so, it would feel like a denial of the Primordial Chaos Art itself.
There was one reason the Shadows so welcomed the Soul-Tearing Essence Absorption Art.
In the process of tearing and killing the soul, the very source of a person, remnants of the soul leak out. To the Shadows, these remnants were like elixirs that martial artists would risk their lives to obtain.
In short, it meant the Shadows could become stronger through the Soul-Tearing Essence Absorption Art. However, it couldn't be used indiscriminately. There were some restrictions.
It was a dark art that could only be used on those with internal energy similar to or weaker than the Shadows. That said, it was ineffective if the target was too weak.
Namgung Urin was reluctant to use this Soul-Tearing Essence Absorption Art.
The pain inflicted upon the victim of this art was immense. Although he had never experienced it himself, the descriptions in the Primordial Chaos Art gave him an idea of the agony it would entail.
If one were to name the most painful torture in the martial world, it would be the Bone-Shattering and Tendon-Twisting technique. While that was a physical torment, the Soul-Tearing Essence Absorption Art was a spiritual one.
“Begin at once.”
Namgung Urin's command was given. The Shadows had no reason to refuse his order, nor could they.
To do so would mean their annihilation.
Three swaying shadows and one timidly stepping shadow approached the vice-leader.
“A-a dark art. A Namgung using a dark art! D-don't come here! Go. Get away!”
The vice-leader frantically swung his sword at the dark figures approaching him, but his blade met nothing but air.
“Ughhhh.”
Among the Shadows, the First Shadow was the first to pass through the vice-leader's torso. As it emerged, the vice-leader's soul seemed to be dragged out with it. If the vice-leader's internal energy had been stronger than expected, the First Shadow would have failed to tear the soul and been trapped inside, perishing.
Fortunately, that did not happen.
“Aaaaargh!”
The vice-leader let out a scream so loud it seemed his mouth would tear, consumed by an indescribable agony.
“Ehehehehe.”
A ghastly sound escaped the First Shadow's invisible mouth. It seemed its first time using the Soul-Tearing Essence Absorption Art had been quite taxing.
“Focus.”
The First Shadow instructed the others. The other Shadows nodded in understanding. Immediately after, the Second Shadow passed through the vice-leader's body, followed by the Third and Fourth Shadows.
Each time a Shadow passed through his body, the vice-leader's deafening screams echoed, casting a solemn pall over the Black Snake Sect's compound.
Before long, the vice-leader's eyeballs burst and his neck snapped. Every member of the Hyeoncheon Sect who had come to the Black Snake Sect had lost their lives.
Everyone stood stunned, as if they had just witnessed hell itself. The expressions on the faces of the five Azure Sky Sword Brigade members, who were seeing the Shadows for the first time, were particularly indescribable.
*...Our Young Lord...*
*...Th-that's...*
*...A martial art?*
Namgung Hyeon-u approached Namgung Urin, followed by the other four members of the Azure Sky Sword Brigade.
Namgung Urin, his expression still impassive, opened his mouth.
“What is it?”
Still bewildered, Namgung Hyeon-u slowly parted his lips.
“...I-I...”
“I what?”
Namgung Urin had a good idea of what was coming.
Anyone who had witnessed what just happened would think and conclude the same. Still, he didn't care. They were Namgungs, after all, and his future subordinates.
They were men bound by a duty that demanded their silence above all else.
“I-I want to buy it.”
“I don't care... What?”
But the words that came from Namgung Hyeon-u's mouth were far beyond anything Namgung Urin had anticipated.
“I said I want to buy it. That martial art you just used, Young Lord. I want to buy it. How much is it?”
It was clearly not a Namgung martial art, so searching the family archives would be fruitless. He had to get it from the Young Lord, the one who had just demonstrated it.
Moreover, he figured he could get it cheaper since they were both Namgungs.
“Me too. I want that martial art, too.”
“Me too.”
“I don't even need my monthly stipend anymore.”
They didn't know exactly what those dark things were, but they felt they could become incredibly strong with that martial art. When a chance to become stronger presented itself, what was money?
Strength brought wealth with it, after all.
“Me too. It's a pity they're faceless, but I still want it.”
“What... These people...”
*Have they all gone mad?*
Namgung Urin, who had always been the one pointed at and called a madman, never imagined he would be the one thinking this.
Dumbfounded, Namgung Urin was at a loss for words.
“Young Lord?”
“...No. And even if I taught you, you couldn't learn it.”
“That's cheap.”
“But we're all Namgungs.”
“That's too harsh.”
“We're supposed to live and die together.”
“Even I'm a little disappointed.”
“...”
*I thought I was the only crazy one in the Namgung family...*
*These guys don't seem to be in their right minds either. Should I be glad to have met kindred spirits?*
*Or... should I be worried about the future of the Namgung family?* Namgung Urin hesitated.
*...Could it be?*
*Not all the members of the Azure Sky Sword Brigade are like this, are they?*
*No, surely not...*
***
*Grrr.*
The Shadows were prostrated on the floor where the grotesque corpses of the Hyeoncheon Sect members had vanished as if by magic, cleaned away without a trace.
“You should have told me sooner. Tsk.”
Unlike the Primordial Chaos Art, the Shadows could only see and hear the world when Namgung Urin summoned them.
They had informed Namgung Urin, who was wondering how to dispose of the bodies, that the God-Annihilating Arts could also be used as a palm or finger technique.
This was possible because of the Primordial Chaos Art, and because it was Namgung Urin, he was able to decipher and use it on the spot.
*Well, how could we tell you if we couldn't see it?*
When Namgung Urin had practiced the God-Annihilating Arts in the secluded training chamber, the Shadows hadn't been there, so there was no way for them to know.
*Exactly. You should have at least asked us to tell you.*
*Our Lord has such a strange personality.*
*...*
“I can hear everything, you bastards.”
*Ah!*
*We forgot.*
No matter what the Shadows thought to themselves, Namgung Urin could hear it all.
“Another hour added.”
*Grrr.*
In any case, thanks to the Shadows—no, thanks to the God-Annihilating Arts—he had been able to clean up the bodies perfectly.
They had vanished along with the dust, as if they had never existed in the martial world.
Now, no matter how desperately the Hyeoncheon Sect searched for the bodies to find out what happened, they would find nothing.
The reason Namgung Urin had destroyed the Black Snake Sect's pavilion and walls during his earlier mad fit was all part of a plan. The Hyeoncheon Sect would surely come to the Black Snake Sect to investigate today's events.
So, he had intended to put on a show.
Of course, that wasn't to say he had deliberately pretended to be mad.
In any case, the scene suggested that some incident surrounding Uncle Yeongchun had occurred here at the Black Snake Sect, that he had been abducted by some unknown individual or group, and that both the Hyeoncheon Sect warriors and the Black Snake Sect had all been killed.
The ridiculous idea that the insignificant Black Snake Sect had killed the Hyeoncheon Sect's warriors and spirited Yeongchun away wasn't even worth considering.
They would be able to find out nothing more. There were no witnesses other than the beggars.
The Hyeoncheon Sect would be wary of the Baekri Family and wouldn't be able to investigate too deeply. If they dug any further, word might reach the Baekri Family's ears.
And as a result of this, the Black Snake Sect had to vacate this compound today and move elsewhere.
“Young Lord.”
Namgung Hyeon-u called out to Namgung Urin, licking his lips.
“What?”
“Is there really no way?”
After witnessing the unbelievable God-Annihilating Arts, his desire for the martial art Namgung Urin had learned grew even more fervent.
Namgung Jun was no different.
“That's right. I want to learn it so badly.”
And Namgung Seol was no exception. She widened her eyes, putting on her cutest yet most pitiful expression, and clasped her hands together.
“Please.”
“I already said no. You can't learn it.”
“Why not? The Young Lord learned it, so why can't we?”
“Yeah, you can't.”
“Hmph.”
“How can you be so stubborn?”
“Exactly. Just say you want to be the only one who gets stronger.”
Weren't these the same people who, despite getting beaten so badly on their first meeting with Young Lord Namgung Urin, had sought him out with the sole desire to become stronger?
“...These guys, really.”
*These crazy bastards. It's a mystery how people like them came out of the Namgung family.*
“It's only possible because it's me.”
“Are you really going to be like this? Then at least tell us the reason why we can't.”
It was with this kind of persistence that Namgung Hyeon-u had taken first place in the tournament.
“You're being annoying. Fine, ask that beggar over there.”
After the situation within the Black Snake Sect had concluded, Geolgae had come over.
“...He knows about it too?”
*He wouldn't be completely unaware.*
*He must have witnessed what happened the other day and reported it to his sect leader. And Namgung Urin suspected that Sect Leader Jang Gae didn't just know about the Primordial Chaos Art.*
*He must have tried to learn the Primordial Chaos Art himself. And of course, he would have failed.*
*But you never know.*
*He might have given his cherished disciple a chance to learn it as well.*
The gazes of the five Azure Sky Sword Brigade members turned to the beggar, Geolgae.
“Hmm.”
“Is it true? Do you also know about the martial art our Young Lord learned, Sir Geolgae?”
“Have you... perhaps learned it?”
“Ahem. This martial art is a top secret within the Beggars' Sect, known only to my master and me.”
“Just tell us this. The Young Lord says we can't learn it. Is that really true? It's a lie, isn't it? The Young Lord just wants to be the only one to...”
“It's true.”
“...What? It's really true? Does that make any sense? Are you saying it's a martial art only our Young Lord can learn?”
“That's impossible.”
“Actually... I tried to learn it myself. So did our Sect Leader.”
“Then...”
“I heard that countless martial artists have attempted it. But they all failed.”
“But how did our Young Lord...?”
“That's because he's a mad...”
Geolgae glanced at Namgung Urin.
Namgung Urin wasn't looking their way; he was walking toward the slumped-shouldered members of the Black Snake Sect. Still, Geolgae couldn't bring himself to utter the word 'maniac' that was on the tip of his tongue.
“Talent, I suppose.”
“Ah!”
“So our Young Lord is just that amazing.”
Only then were the members of the Azure Sky Sword Brigade able to accept it.
Meanwhile, Namgung Urin stood before the utterly dejected members of the Black Snake Sect.
“Don't worry. I'm not going to kill you.”
“I-is that true?”
“Yes.”
“But...”
*It's hard to believe.*
*How could they possibly believe it?*
Who was responsible for Hefei ending up like this? Wasn't it the Black Snake Sect themselves?
*And yet, he was sparing them?*
Even if they put themselves in his shoes, it was an incomprehensible and unbelievable act.
Namgung Urin could tell just by the expressions on the Black Snake Sect's faces.
“Whether you believe me or not is your problem. Just hurry up and prepare to leave this place.”
“...Understood.”
Just then, Yeongchun, who had been watching from the side, pounded his chest in frustration and interjected.