Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Someone Please Stop Our Crazy Lord
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“This is the Abyss of Primordial Chaos. In other words, your mind, my Lord.”
“You all summoned me here?”
“Yes, we did.”
“Why didn’t I know you could do something like this?”
“Ordinarily, only we Shadows are supposed to know.”
“I see. Is there anything else I don’t know?”
“…”
None of the Shadows spoke. It was a simple question that required only a ‘yes’ or a ‘no.’
Their exercising the right to remain silent meant there was indeed something else Namgung Urin didn’t know.
“In any case, you did well to call me here.”
In many ways.
He had escaped a dangerous moment.
He had met his father and had a heartfelt reunion.
He had learned things he didn’t know and gained something new.
All thanks to the Shadows.
“…”
The Shadows were once again at a loss for words.
Their lord wasn't one for praise, so his sudden compliment was strange. They worried that something had gone wrong with his head.
The Second Shadow tilted his head and slowly opened his mouth.
“Um… my Lord…?”
“What is it?”
“Your demeanor has become very strange. And…”
The Second Shadow looked around, observing the Primordial Chaos.
“And what?”
“It seems the Primordial Chaos has changed as well?”
The once cold and indifferent Primordial Chaos had become bright and lively.
The nature of the Primordial Chaos shouldn’t change so suddenly…
Which meant that, ultimately, the fundamental nature of their lord had changed…
“Is that so? Well, something like that happened.”
The Shadows twitched. The situation felt like wearing ill-fitting clothes. Namgung Urin’s suddenly gentle tone and actions were just too awkward.
In short, the Shadows were having trouble adapting to the abruptly changed Namgung Urin.
“My Lord… you seem to have become… no, a lot gentler?”
“What do you think? Is it strange?”
He used to be stern, indifferent, and at times, frightening. To be honest, they hated their lord’s shitty personality.
“It’s strange… but I like it.”
It was awkward, but his gentleness was nice. It also felt like they were being acknowledged.
“That aside, since you summoned me, you must know the way out, right? Where do I go? Is that round thing over there the door? Should I go through there?”
“…”
…The Shadows were once again rendered speechless.
They exchanged glances with each other.
*You tell him.*
Then, Namgung Urin spoke again.
“Why? Why are you all quiet?”
The Second Shadow let out a long sigh and said.
“Well… about that…”
“You’re not about to say you don’t know, that there’s no exit, or that there’s no way out, are you?”
Right, that couldn’t be possible.
Why would the Shadows summon him, Namgung Urin, to a place with no escape?
It might be difficult or complicated, but that was all.
And yet, the Shadows’ atmosphere was strange. Wasn't it leaning toward the very thing he dreaded?
“…Th-that’s right. We don’t know the way out either.”
The gentle Namgung Urin vanished without a trace, replaced by the most scowling face they had ever seen as he bellowed.
“You brought me here without even knowing how to get out?!”
“Well… the situation was…”
The situation was what?
Were you afraid I might kill my uncle?
Afraid I’d go on a rampage and become a madman or just drop dead?
The possibility wasn’t zero, but still.
Even so!
“Hey! Wow! This won’t do. All of you, heads on the ground!”
The Shadows grumbled as they pressed their heads to the floor.
Before, even with his shitty personality, he never yelled like this.
His personality hadn’t just become gentler.
It had become more *variedly* shitty.
Dammit.
***
As soon as he arrived at the family estate, Baekri U, the Baekri Family Head, summoned the Young Lord, Baekri Jang-won, to his office.
He had to know why his son, the Young Lord of the Baekri Family, had knelt. There was no need to ask why he had lost the duel; he had seen with his own two eyes how overwhelmingly strong the young Namgung Lord was.
Furthermore, Baekri U had seen that his son was stronger than he had anticipated, so there was no reason to scold him for that. If anyone was at fault, it was Baekri U himself for making a rash judgment based on faulty information.
Baekri U suppressed his anger and spoke.
“Why did you do it?”
“I cannot speak on that matter.”
Baekri U’s brow furrowed.
“You’ve brought utter disgrace to our family. What did you say? Are you even aware that you are the Young Lord? And despite that, you show no remorse?”
Young Lord Baekri Jang-won looked him straight in the eye and said.
“Have you forgotten?”
“…Forgotten what?”
“The condition for my learning the internal arts of the Illusionary Shadow Sect.”
Baekri U only knew that there was a condition; he had no idea what it was.
Because one of the conditions was that no one but Baekri Jang-won could ever know.
“What does that condition have to do with you kneeling before the Namgung Family’s Young Lord?”
“You know I cannot tell you.”
What kind of absurd condition could have made him kneel before that Namgung brat?
Baekri U was going mad with frustration.
Anger surged within him, but he gritted his teeth and endured it.
“Fine. I will ask the Master of the Illusionary Shadow Sect myself.”
“It will be of no use. I will take my leave now.”
Baekri Jang-won rose from his seat.
His heart boiling, Baekri U spoke again.
“You… should have died in that spot.”
A bitter smile appeared on Baekri Jang-won’s face. A father telling his own son that he should have died?
No matter how cold the martial world was.
Still.
Still, Baekri Jang-won was Baekri U’s son.
“I see. Is that what you wanted, Father? I am truly sorry for not knowing. But I told you clearly long ago. I said I have no desire for the position of Young Lord. That such responsibility doesn't suit me. That you would regret it.”
Indeed.
Baekri U, the Baekri Family Head, was regretting it immensely right now. But his second son was far too lacking to be made the Young Lord. And he had believed that his first son, despite his words, would do well once he was in the position.
And he had, until now.
But in the end, this incident had occurred. He had done something a Young Lord of the Baekri Family must never do.
*Crash.*
Unable to contain his rising anger, Baekri U slammed his hand on the table. Though made from the sturdiest wood available, the table shattered into pieces.
“So! Are you saying you did the right thing?!”
Baekri Jang-won’s voice grew louder in turn.
“I am not saying I did the right thing!”
“Then!”
“I! I… just… didn’t want to die. I wanted to live! Is it wrong to want to live?!”
“It is wrong! You should have died rather than kneel in that spot! If you are the Young Lord of the Baekri Family! Because you are the Young Lord of the Baekri Family, you should have died! Am I wrong?!”
“Yes! You are wrong. Completely wrong! Only if I live does the Baekri Family exist. And only then can you be my father! What’s the use of any of it if I’m dead! That’s why I wanted to live! What would you have done, Father! You would have done the same as me. Am I wrong?! Tell me!”
“What! You insolent whelp!”
Baekri U knew it too. Choosing death in that situation was not an easy thing to do.
He had only said it because he wanted to impress upon his son that he should always be prepared for such a choice, but the situation had escalated like this.
It seemed the fire ignited in Baekri Jang-won would not be easily extinguished.
“If! If I had truly died there, would the situation have been any different?! It wouldn’t have. People’s malicious fingers would have kept pointing at us. You saw it today, didn’t you?! Not a single person was cheering for us. My death alone would not have improved the situation. Did you not know?! Did you not know that the moment you fell for the Martial Alliance Leader’s trick five years ago, our Baekri Family would end up in this state! Well?!”
How could the leader of a great clan not know?
But he had never dreamed it would come to this. He believed it would soon be forgotten. Isn’t that how the world, the martial world, worked?
Good things last long, and bad things are quickly forgotten.
And he had never dreamed the Namgung Family would rise again so quickly.
Baekri U, the Baekri Family Head, bit his lip.
And Baekri Jang-won’s mouth showed no sign of cooling down.
“I was ashamed! It wasn’t like this five years ago! I don’t want to live in shame. Am I not ashamed for kneeling?! Not at all! I, and you too, Father, are not the greatest in the world! We are not even the greatest in Anhui. So what is there to be ashamed of? In the past, the entire martial world knelt before the Namgung Family. In a way, this is a natural outcome! Yes! It would be nice to live acknowledged by the world like the Namgung Family! But. That’s not us, is it? You too must accept it now, Father. That our Baekri Family can never beat the Namgung, not even in a million years! I, for one, would rather! Latch onto the Namgung and live under them! At least then we wouldn’t be cursed at!”
*Bang.*
With those final words, Baekri Jang-won stormed out.
“Dammit…”
Baekri U gritted his teeth.
At the terrible thing he had done five years ago.
***
Four hours had passed since the Shadows had put their heads to the ground.
His personality had truly become actively shitty.
Before, he would get angry in a calm manner, but now he kept grumbling while pacing back and forth restlessly.
It was doubtful a person could change that much.
They say people who change like that die young.
Then again.
It was unlikely that someone who practiced the Primordial Chaos Art would die young. Unless he lived until he was old and smearing crap on the walls.
Namgung Urin, who had been pacing around creating a disturbance, spoke again.
“Everyone, get up.”
The Shadows rose, sulking.
“That. Isn’t that the door?”
He pointed at the large circle inscribed with the words ‘Primordial Chaos.’
“It is.”
“Then can’t we just open it and leave?”
“Well…”
If it were that simple, would the Shadows have been pressing their heads to the ground?
“Ah, jeez. Spit it out already!”
Wow.
His temper has really taken a turn for the worse.
“…That door only opens when you summon us, my Lord.”
The collapsed Namgung Urin was in no state to summon the Shadows.
“Dammit.”
Namgung Urin glared sharply at the Shadows. They deliberately avoided his gaze.
“Try opening it.”
“…Excuse me?”
“I said, try opening it. What, you don’t want to?”
This wasn’t a matter of wanting to or not, was it?
Our lord has really… become strange.
“It’s not something that opens just because we want it to…”
“Have you tried? Have you even tried opening it?”
“…Of course not.”
They weren’t crazy like someone he knew. Why would they try something they knew was impossible?
“So try it now. Hurry up!”
Under Namgung Urin’s shouting, the Shadows shook their heads and reluctantly approached the door. Then, they began to exert their useless strength.
All while thinking, *what if it actually opens?*
*Heave.*
*Ugh.*
*Ah, damn it.*
“See? It won’t even budge.”
“Ah, jeez. Everyone, move.”
The Shadows stepped back.
“No. Get behind me.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Just do as I say.”
“…It’s not what I think it is, right?”
If it was, then he was well and truly insane.
“I said get back!”
There was no way for the Shadows to stop Namgung Urin.
And they desperately wanted to scream out to someone.
‘Someone, please stop our crazy lord!’
That’s what they wanted to say.