Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: You'll Die Soon
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“Wow. They're just letting them go like that.”
In a forest far from the Black Serpent Sect's headquarters.
Atop the largest tree in a grove of towering giants, So Hwi, the Anhui branch chief of the Lower Five Gates, dangled, her jaw agape.
“Hahaha. Indeed. It’s so absurd and anticlimactic, isn't it?”
“Why would they just let them go? Do you know the reason?”
The vice branch chief, Chanjo, shook his head.
“Where would the Namgung go? They're all the same. And honestly, it's not like the Hyeoncheon Sect pointed a sword at the Namgung Family, right? So they probably just gave them a warning and let them go.”
“Crazy bastards. After all that happened, they're doing it again? Wow, hail the glorious Namgung. Just hail them. What are they going to do if they end up in that mess again? Haa, there's just no answer.”
“This is strange, Master.”
“Why me?”
“Why are you worried about the Namgung, Master?”
So Hwi, the Master of Myeongwol Tower, was startled.
“Huh? Oh. You're right. Why am I worried about the Namgung? Strange. Chanjo. Do I look crazy to you?”
“That... doesn't seem to be it... Perhaps...”
“Perhaps, what?”
“Have you already fallen for that Jade-Faced Righteous Hero fellow?”
“Me? I've fallen for a man? I'd sooner suck a man dry than fall for one.”
“Yes, Master.”
“You're the one who's crazy.”
“Right? I must have been momentarily insane. Anyway, they truly are an incredible bunch.”
“I know. How did they raise such people in such a short time?”
She was talking about the members of the Azure Sky Sword Brigade, who displayed an incredible aura for their age.
“That's not something you can achieve just by raising them, is it?”
“True. It's not.”
The older and more traditional a sect, the better it is at nurturing talent. However, that doesn't mean a sect with a long tradition can turn every talent into a master.
It's only possible when supported by sufficient talent and followed by grueling effort.
“In the end, it just means the Namgung have good seed.”
“Good seed?”
“That's right. If you ever want to have a child, Master, you must choose a man from the Namgung. This is definitive proof that the Namgung seed is superior. Look. All those crazy bastards are overflowing with the aura of masters. And they're still wet behind the ears.”
Listening to Chanjo's words, the Master of Myeongwol Tower's expression turned peculiar as she fell into her own imagination.
“You think so? That one would make for the best seed, wouldn't he?”
“Of course! With his seed, you'd probably pop out the greatest in the world in no time.”
“Hehehe. The seed of Namgung... Ah, fuck!”
“What's wrong?”
“Then I'd have to give birth and raise the child.”
“Eh. You just have to give a little push and pop the baby out, and as for raising it, you have plenty of subordinates for that.”
“Really? I heard some women die in childbirth.”
“That's just for ordinary people.”
“Ah.”
Just then, Namgung Yul and the people from the Namgung Family began to move.
“Huh? That's not the direction of the Namgung Family estate. Master, what will you do? Shall we follow, or return directly to Myeongwol Tower?”
“The father of my child is on the move. Shouldn't we follow?”
So Hwi's mood brightened considerably.
She would suck the handsome Namgung Urin's innate energy, obtain the world's finest seed, and pop out a child.
Kill two birds with one stone.
Wasn't it killing two birds with one stone?
“I see. Let's go.”
Namgung Yul, Namgung Urin, and their party all headed for the Yeongun Sect.
* * *
As the Namgung Family's party was nearing the Yeongun Sect, Geolgae came running in a hurry.
After paying his respects politely to Namgung Yul, the Family Head, Geolgae spoke urgently.
“Family Head. Urgent news.”
“What is it?”
“The leader of the Yeongun Sect, realizing you were coming, fled just a moment ago.”
“...Alone?”
“He fled with two guards and the young master.”
“Then, what about the Yeongun Sect members?”
“They know nothing.”
Namgung Yul's brow furrowed.
“What a piece of trash.”
Namgung Urin, who had been listening from the side, spoke up.
“Uncle, I will go.”
After a moment of careful consideration, Namgung Yul said.
“Not alone. Go with those kids over there.”
He was referring to Namgung Hyeon-u, Namgung Jun, Namgung Seol, Namgung Chi-hyeok, and Namgung U.
“I will depart immediately.”
“Do so.”
Namgung Urin said to the beggar.
“Beggar. Lead the way.”
“Right.”
With Geolgae in the lead, Namgung Urin and the five members of the Azure Sky Sword Brigade split off to pursue the Yeongun Sect leader.
They chased for a long while, but to no avail.
Geolgae said.
“It seems they're heading into the mountains.”
If they used the main roads instead of the mountains, they would be spotted by the beggars, and word of the Yeongun Sect leader's movements would reach Geolgae's ears.
Geolgae was truly frustrated.
Namgung Urin said.
“Unless he's an idiot, of course he'd move through the mountains. So?”
“...Well. We can track them. But. It will take a lot of time.”
“We'll never catch them, then.”
“...”
“Aish. This is getting on my nerves. Wait here for a moment.”
Leaving only those words, Namgung Urin vanished in a flash.
“What's with your Young Lord now?”
The members of the Azure Sky Sword Brigade shrugged as if to say, 'how should we know?'
Namgung Urin had known since yesterday in Hefei that someone was following them. Recently, there had been people tailing him, but since he was alone, he could easily shake them off. Now, however, the situation was not so simple.
But now, anxious that they might lose the Yeongun Sect leader, he was annoyed by someone constantly tailing them.
In fact, it was safe to say they had already lost him. That's why he made his move.
So Hwi, the Anhui branch chief of the Lower Five Gates, and Vice Chief Chanjo, who had been following Namgung Urin all this time, were surprised by his sudden disappearance.
“Ah!”
“Damn!”
“We lost him. Ah, damn it.”
“He's incredibly fast. But where could he have gone?”
“We lost him, how the hell should I know, you bastard.”
Just then.
“Here you are.”
“Oh my!”
So Hwi wore a startled expression. Chanjo was naturally surprised as well.
“Damn it!”
“Why are you following me?”
Annoyance was evident in Namgung Urin's tone. Chanjo snapped back.
“Who the hell do you think you are, talking to us like that!”
“Do you want to die here?”
Chanjo had flared up without thinking, but he hadn't forgotten that the man before him was his superior in skill.
“...No, what I mean is. We're still older than you...”
“So why is an old man like you tailing me? Go on, speak.”
“Well...”
With a completely different expression than when she was with Chanjo, So Hwi spoke.
“Oh my, our Young Lord is even more handsome up close.”
Namgung Urin's gaze shifted to So Hwi.
“The same goes for you...”
Namgung Urin's words trailed off.
‘That's...’
The energy transmitted through his Primordial Chaos was strange. It was as if the energies of several people were combined in one body.
The reason Namgung Urin could see So Hwi's strange energy was because he had mastered the Primordial Chaos Art.
“Could you lend me your wrist for a moment?”
“Oh my. Surely you know that a martial artist cannot offer their wrist so carelessly?”
“If you don't want to, then don't.”
“Oh my. Such resolve. How wonderful! For someone so dashing, my wrist is nothing. Here.”
So Hwi boldly extended her wrist toward Namgung Urin.
Normally, unless it was a physician or a very close friend, she would never offer her wrist. But strangely, looking into Namgung Urin's eyes, she felt an urge to do as he asked.
It was the desire to lose herself in his deep, clear eyes.
Namgung Urin placed his hand on So Hwi's wrist and infused his Primordial Chaos into her body. But So Hwi couldn't feel anything.
This was because Primordial Chaos could only be perceived by one who could see it.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Namgung Urin's hand moved away from So Hwi's wrist.
Namgung Urin looked at So Hwi.
So Hwi was captivated by his eyes.
Namgung Urin's lips parted.
“You. You've practiced the Maiden's Secret Arts.”
Namgung Urin had read countless books on martial arts. Among them was the Maiden's Secret Arts.
“...”
So Hwi and Chanjo were utterly shocked. The Young Lord of the Namgung Family had discovered a truth that should never be known. Chanjo was so stunned that his hand went to his sword.
“Draw that sword and you die.”
‘Damn it!’
So Hwi was momentarily stunned, but as befitting the branch chief of the Lower Five Gates, she quickly regained her composure.
“How did our handsome Young Lord find out?”
Namgung Urin's hand had touched her wrist, but she had felt nothing inside her body. It didn't seem like he had taken her pulse like a physician either.
“That's not what's important.”
“It's important to me.”
It was a very important matter. If it became known that she practiced the Maiden's Secret Arts, what would happen?
If necessary, she would have to fight to the death with Chanjo to kill Namgung Urin right here.
“If you listen to what I have to say, something like that won't seem so important.”
“Hohoho. Our Young Lord is making me very curious. Then please, tell me, Young Lord?”
“You, if you continue like this, you'll be dead within five years.”
“...”
What kind of bullshit was this?
To say that she, So Hwi, perfectly healthy, would die in five years?
It was truly out-of-the-blue, utter nonsense.
“Hohohoho. I don't know why our Young Lord is being like this. It seems our Young Lord isn't so sane himself, is he?”
“If you don't want to believe me, don't. And from now on, don't even think about tailing me. Got it? I'm leaving.”
So Hwi felt very, extremely, and quite uneasy about letting Namgung Urin go just like that. His words seemed like a joke—no, the situation wasn't a joke at all, but...
In any case, wasn't he saying she was going to die soon?
Especially since he knew she practiced the Maiden's Secret Arts, she couldn't just let him go so easily.
“Young Lord, wait a moment!”
“Why?”
“Hohoho. Our Young Lord is quite shameless too. What do you mean, 'why'? Did you plan to leave after half-killing a person with your words?”
“You don't believe me.”
“What if I do? No, can you make me believe you?”
“What if I can?”
“Really?”
“You keep making me repeat myself.”
“Oh my! Our Young Lord's personality shifts back and forth without a single change in his expression. How fascinating. You have many strange talents, don't you?”
“Yeah. I have a lot of talents.”
“...Ho, ho. Wow. You're so strange it's flustering. In any case, fine. Then prove it. Why I should believe that I'll really die in five years.”
“Then I'll start by explaining why you're going to die.”
Namgung Urin slowly began his explanation.
Martial arts that use absorption techniques like the Maiden's Secret Arts have one thing in common. No practitioner ever reaches the absolute realm; they either die a violent death or are hunted down as a public enemy of the martial world.
The first reason is that even with the most basic breathing technique, the Three Talents Heart Method, impurities are filtered out when internal energy is accumulated in the dantian through respiration. However, absorption techniques like the Maiden's Secret Arts or the Essence Absorption Grand Method absorb the internal energy of others with completely different properties, yet have no filtering process.
In the end, the unfiltered impurities enter the blood vessels and circulate along the meridians. These impurities affect the Baihui acupoint, causing the practitioner to go insane or fall into qi deviation.
The Maiden's Secret Arts, which absorbs innate energy, has an even greater adverse effect on its practitioner. This is because innate energy has more unique characteristics than internal energy.
“Understand?”
So Hwi nodded her head. Despite learning the reason for her impending death, So Hwi was not greatly agitated. Instead, it was Chanjo beside her who became worked up.
“Damn it! Does this make any sense?! Hey! If this is a lie...”
“Be quiet.”
So Hwi stopped Chanjo, who was about to lash out in agitation.
“Keung.”
So Hwi continued speaking to Namgung Urin.
“But how did the Young Lord know all this? I'd like to learn, too.”
For there were various unorthodox arts within the Primordial Chaos Art.
Furthermore, it described other such arts, including their strengths and weaknesses, and when and how they should be practiced.
Things that were not recorded in ordinary martial arts manuals.
“These are things only I can know.”
“Oh my. How monopolistic of you. But you explained it well, so how will you show me? No. If you know so much, you must also know a way for me to live, right?”
She wasn't swayed by the word 'death', but So Hwi was still human, and she preferred this life over the next.