Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Let Me Hit You Just Once!
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“…Bro…”
Geolgae, his eyes wide as lanterns, leaped up and clamped a hand over Namgung Urin's mouth.
What if he called him 'brother' and then, in that foul mood, decided to kill him?
“My lady. I hate being called 'brother.' I truly do! So, my lady, please don't let Urin call me brother. I'm begging you!”
It was his way of saying, 'Unless you intend to have me killed, please don't let those words leave Urin's lips.'
“Isn't our Urin acting this way because you're being so resistant, Branch Master? Don't stop him. Urin, what are you doing? Hurry up and call him brother.”
It was no big deal.
“Brother. Brother Geolgae.”
As the words left Namgung Urin's mouth, Geolgae's eyes looked as if he had just received a death sentence.
“...!”
“Yes, well done. Branch Master, what are you doing? Urin is calling you brother, isn't he? Hurry and call him 'younger brother.'”
*Haa.*
The mother and son have really set their sights on taking down a single beggar...
The dark bruises on Geolgae's face seemed to deepen as he reluctantly opened his mouth.
“...Thank you... younger brother.”
*Damn it.*
Whether she knew Geolgae's true feelings or not.
Lady Yeonhwa, pleased with herself for having accomplished something great, left the merchant guild leader's office with Namgung Urin.
“That... mother and son duo...”
Just then, Lady Yeonhwa's voice was heard again from outside.
“What are you doing? Let's go get something delicious to eat!”
“...Yeees!”
*As if the food would go down easy.*
The soul of Anhui's Branch Master Geolgae was already crossing the Yellow Springs.
* * *
The next day, Namgung Urin set off for Hefei in Anhui Province with Lady Yeonhwa, his uncle Namgung Yul, Jang Gae, and Geolgae.
There was no longer any reason to stay at the Hoyeon Merchant Guild.
The date and location for the duel had been set.
And this duel was no longer about Seo I-ryeong's marriage. It had become a matter of whether the Baekri Family's name would stand tall in Anhui, or if Namgung would reclaim its former glory.
Anhui Province was in an uproar.
Wherever people gathered, the talk was all about the duel between the Namgung and Baekri families.
While most in Anhui hoped the Namgung Family would defeat the Baekri Family, that was merely a wish. For those betting on the outcome of the duel, ninety percent favored the Baekri Family.
Only those hoping for a lucky break and a huge payout bet on the Namgung Family.
Even for the Namgung Family, the age difference between the duelists was simply too great.
After all, no one can defy the passage of time.
The date was set for the last day of the year, and the location was a wide, open field near Fengyang County, a midpoint between the Baekri Family, the Hoyeon Merchant Guild, and the Namgung Family.
Less than a month remained.
Namgung Yul returned to the family estate and selected five members from the 300-strong Azure Sky Sword Brigade to participate in the duel.
After consuming the elixir that granted 25 years of internal energy, the members of the Azure Sky Sword Brigade had changed significantly. Gaps had begun to appear in the martial prowess of those who were once similar in strength.
There were those who had simply grown stronger as their internal energy increased, and those who had achieved even greater progress by learning to wield that increased energy freely.
And there were others who had grown beyond that through real combat experience with the Yeongun Faction. Namgung Yul believed they had all changed a great deal overall.
Thus, five brigade members were selected.
Namgung Hyeon-u, Namgung Jun, Namgung Seol, Namgung Chi-hyeok, and Namgung U.
The same ones who had been with Namgung Urin and the Black Serpent Sect were chosen again. The skills of these five felt a cut above the other Azure Sky Sword Brigade members.
However.
“*Tsk.*”
Namgung Yul, the Namgung Family Head, clicked his tongue sharply.
“Why are they all like that?”
Standing beside him, Jang Gae, the leader of the Beggars' Sect, spoke up in disbelief.
These kids were leagues above the Namgung of old. How could all 300 of them be so strong?
And those five, in particular, were unbelievably skilled for the younger generation.
“I mean... are you not satisfied with them?”
“Of course not.”
“Then?”
“It's because those brats who hang around Urin seem to be taking after him.”
“Haha. You're spoiled by your riches. Imagine if another sect had five like them. You should be carrying those kids on your back.”
“Sect Leader, you saw them too, didn't you? Those crazy... *Aigoo*.”
Namgung Yul was shaking his head at the sight of the five chosen brigade members beating down their comrades as if they meant to kill them.
“Hahaha. That's because you don't know their situation.”
“Situation? Ah. Do you think only those brats are burning with a desire for revenge? Everyone here is in the same boat.”
“Haha. For a Family Head, you're quite clueless. *Tsk.*”
The position of Family Head didn't allow him to pay attention to each and every brigade member.
However.
If he had paid just a little attention, he would have found out how they were faring.
But the Namgung Family Head had an excuse for his lack of attention.
That damn nephew of his was always causing trouble, leaving him no time to focus on anything else.
Isn't the duel with the Baekri Family a perfect example? The losing side would suffer a massive blow; it was a huge affair.
In short, his dear nephew had caused a monumental incident.
How could the Namgung Family Head possibly have the mental capacity to look after other matters?
It was a truly unfortunate reality.
“I've been so preoccupied lately. But what kind of situation are those kids in?”
“I heard it from my disciple.”
he began, and relayed the story he had heard from Geolgae to the Namgung Family Head exactly as it was.
“What? Is that true?”
“So I've been told.”
That under the pretext of training, Urin was beating those kids like dogs.
Jang Gae continued.
“It feels strange for me to say this, but if those kids looked pitiful even to a beggar's eyes, doesn't that say it all?”
“Good heavens.”
He was so dumbfounded he was at a loss for words.
“It's become ingrained in them. In a way, it's not entirely a bad thing. It means they always carry the fighting spirit a martial artist should have. Isn't that why those kids are so strong?”
“If they get any stronger, they'll end up killing someone. Haha. By the way... that Urin fellow asked me to send the selected kids to him... Does that mean... again...”
“Wouldn't you think so? The future of Namgung rests on this duel. That Urin fellow cares for Namgung. This is a very good thing for him, for you, and for Namgung.”
Seeing the emotionless child now caring for and cherishing Namgung.
“Haha. I don't know what to do.”
“Let's just watch. Have faith that they'll do well.”
* * *
The five selected members of the Azure Sky Sword Brigade stood before Namgung Urin. A wooden sword lay in front of each of them.
Namgung Urin spoke.
“From today until the day of the duel, you will face me one-on-one every day. Anyone who manages to block my sword even once is excluded from this training.”
There had been no one-on-one duels until now.
And this time, Namgung Urin also picked up a wooden sword. The five brigade members picked up their wooden swords as well.
“One-on-one?”
“Bring it on.”
“You only die once, not twice.”
“Let's do this.”
“Yeah!”
All five of them rolled up their sleeves.
It was absurd, but for a moment, a chill ran down Namgung Urin's spine.
“...What do you all think you're doing?”
“You said it yourself, didn't you?”
“You said it was a one-on-one duel.”
“Was that not it?”
“What's wrong?”
“This is strange.”
It was strange.
Their attitude towards the duel.
Weren't they looking at him as if he were their mortal enemy?
And their spirit?
Didn't it scream, 'I'll throw my body on the line to kill that bastard'?
“...Alright. If that's what you say. Hyeon-u, you're first.”
His gait, now ingrained with the ways of the unorthodox path, came naturally.
Namgung Hyeon-u, gripping his wooden sword, said.
“Come at me.”
“...Me?”
“Yes. You were the one who suggested this duel, Young Lord. So, you should be the one to attack. Am I wrong?”
“...It seems you've all lost your minds from not getting hit for a while. Understood.”
It seemed that was the case.
While Namgung Urin was at the Hoyeon Merchant Guild, the bodies of the Azure Sky Sword Brigade members must have forgotten the taste of his hand.
And so the duel... no, the harsh beating began once more. The brigade members' excessive zeal earned them more blows. Perhaps that was why Namgung Urin's wooden sword struck with even more force.
But contrary to what one might expect, no screams were heard.
“*Keuk.*”
“*Heuk.*”
Only small groans of pain escaped them. The Azure Sky Sword Brigade members were already accustomed to pain.
One day.
Another day.
All the other brigade members were astounded. They wondered if the five would actually die at this rate.
The Namgung Family Head and the leader of the Beggars' Sect also stayed to watch.
Why was it so desperate?
And day after day, without fail.
Had they built up some kind of grudge against each other?
Otherwise, there seemed to be no reason for them to act like this.
Namgung Urin was desperate, as were the five members of the Azure Sky Sword Brigade.
Every moment from Namgung Urin was filled with his affection for the five and his fervent wish for them to grow even a single step further.
The five brigade members desperately hoped to block Namgung Urin's wooden sword just once.
As if Namgung Urin's wooden sword was their very own life.
As the days passed like that, the fateful day was now only five days away.
And then, a welcome sound was heard.
*Thwack!*
“Uwaaaaaah!”
It wasn't a scream of pain.
Finally.
Finally!
It was a cheer of joy after successfully blocking Namgung Urin's demonic wooden sword.
Starting with Namgung Hyeon-u, then Namgung Jun, Namgung Seol, Namgung Chi-hyeok, and Namgung U.
As if it were a lie,
as if they had coordinated it,
on the same day, all five of them had managed to block Namgung Urin's ghost-like wooden sword.
“Woahhh!”
The 295 other members of the Azure Sky Sword Brigade rejoiced as if it were their own victory, hugging each other.
They hadn't expected it.
They thought it would end in failure.
But in the end, they had done it.
The faces of Namgung Yul, the Namgung Family Head, and Jang Gae, the leader of the Beggars' Sect, were full of smiles.
Yes, if you're going to be crazy, that's the way to do it.
Go on, be crazy.
Be crazy and raise Namgung to the highest peak in Anhui Province once more.
Namgung will become yours.
Anhui, too, will become Namgung's.
Furthermore, this entire world of martial arts will be filled with the pride and passion of Namgung and all its people.
It was a truly moving moment.
In this moving moment, Namgung Urin opened his mouth.
“Good work.”
Truly.
It had been arduous for Namgung Urin himself. He wanted to spare no praise for himself.
“Rest well for a day, and then we'll all depart together.”
But in this moving moment, Namgung Hyeon-u's eyes glinted as he spoke.
“Young Lord.”
“...What?”
“It's not over yet.”
“...What isn't?”
Namgung Jun also stepped forward.
“This training.”
They all stepped forward, each adding a word.
“We want to hit you too.”
“We just want to hit the Young Lord once.”
“That's why this training isn't over yet.”
Namgung Hyeon-u spoke again.
“This time, we're going in all at once. Guys. You ready?”
All five of them curled their lips into a grin and nodded vigorously.
And then...
The five of them charged at Namgung Urin simultaneously.
“Damn it!”
“Let us hit you once!”
“Hey, getting hit once won't kill you!”
“Can't you just take the hit!”
“Please!”
The five members of the Azure Sky Sword Brigade swung their wooden swords at Namgung Urin as if possessed by demons.
In that instant, a spark ignited in the eyes of the other 295 brigade members.
“Let's go too!”
At someone's cry, the 295 members charged toward Namgung Urin.
Even though Namgung Urin was not the Baekri Family, nor the Murong Family, nor even the Demonic Cult.
*Thud.*
Watching from a distance with a smile, Namgung Yul, the Namgung Family Head, lost his composure and collapsed to the ground.
“Damn it all.”
Being crazy like that is a problem.
“Hahaha.”
Jang Gae, the leader of the Beggars' Sect, could only laugh in disbelief, thinking that the Namgung Family had truly gone mad.