Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: You and I, Having a Drink
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“That bastard’s crawling out again.”
It was Zhuge Siyeon, secretly watching Namgung Urin’s training.
Early in the morning.
And in the afternoon.
Namgung Urin was constantly sticking to Han Seo-hui, the leader of the Iron Blood Sect. If she followed her temper, she would run over right now, grab Han Seo-hui by the collar, and…
‘Who the hell do you think you are! Who are you to be sticking your spoon in my business!’
She wanted to scream it out loud.
But she couldn’t, fearing it would only make Urin dislike her more.
“You rotten bastard.”
To think of how much Zhuge Siyeon had suffered for Namgung Urin.
She thought that if she became strong, stronger than Urin, she could live with him.
But Namgung Urin had become so powerful that she couldn’t even attempt it. What kind of person was he to grow so strong, as if the sky were no limit?
It didn’t make sense for a human.
His face didn’t even look human.
She thought he was her very own young master, sent down from the heavens. She thought their personalities were a perfect match.
And.
“How did you….”
She had no way of knowing how he had transformed into a man who treated women so well.
“I hate you so much. I really do!”
To vent her feelings of gloom and indignation, Zhuge Siyeon drew her sword in the training ground Namgung Urin had just left.
She felt that swinging her sword might calm her heart, even just a little.
Just then, five members of the Azure Sky Sword Brigade—no, the five who now bore the title of the Five Swords of Namgung—appeared in the training ground.
Thanks to their duel with the Baekri Family, Namgung Hyeon-u, Namgung Seol, Namgung Jun, Namgung Chi-hyeok, and Namgung U had become incredibly famous in Hefei. They were hailed as the figures who would bring glory to the Namgung Family, to Hefei, and eventually, to all of Anhui.
Of course, their fame was nothing compared to Namgung Urin’s.
However…
The title attached to Namgung Urin was the Mad Dragon of Namgung… which was a bit… awkward to hear.
There were titles like Divine Dragon, or even just Dragon, but he had to be saddled with Mad Dragon…
A title you couldn't even say out loud was useless. Who would call Namgung Urin the Mad Dragon?
Those who knew nothing about him might call him that fearlessly.
But they’d get the living daylights beaten out of them for it.
In any case.
The Five Swords of Namgung came out to the training ground to practice and came face-to-face with Zhuge Siyeon.
Namgung Hyeon-u spoke.
“Has Lady Zhuge also come out to train?”
“Yes. You all as well?”
“Yes.”
“Perfect.”
“…Excuse me? What is….”
With the training ground already crowded, he wondered what could be perfect about this.
“Let’s have a sparring match.”
Zhuge Siyeon felt the urge to take out her frustration on the Five Swords of Namgung. She was no match for Namgung Urin, and he would never agree to a duel anyway.
“We can be a bit rough….”
“That’s just what I was hoping for.”
Then, suddenly.
A truly unexpected visitor arrived.
As the gazes of the Five Swords of Namgung shifted to one side, Zhuge Siyeon’s curious eyes followed.
‘There’s no reason for that man to be here.’
He shouldn’t have come.
But he did.
Not that his two perfectly good legs couldn’t take him anywhere…
‘Does he want to die?’
An individual who couldn’t have come here of his own volition unless he was prepared to die had appeared.
‘But how did they know we were here?’
The Five Swords of Namgung tilted their heads in confusion.
The unexpected visitor stood up straight and opened his mouth.
“Is the Young Lord of Namgung here?”
Just as the Five Swords of Namgung were about to step forward, Zhuge Siyeon blocked them.
“Why are you here? You looking to die?”
“Can I not decide where I go with my own two feet? And who might you be?”
“Me? I’m Zhuge Siyeon. Why?”
“Zhuge? Why is someone from the Zhuge Family here?”
“You’re here, aren’t you?”
“Indeed. That’s true.”
The unexpected visitor was the Young Lord of the Baekri Family, Baekri Jang-won.
“But really, why did you come? Did you come to die?”
“Surely not.”
“Looks like you don’t know that ‘surely not’ is what gets people killed.”
Suddenly, Baekri Jang-won stared intently at Zhuge Siyeon.
“You’re quite a beauty.”
“…A beauty?”
Zhuge Siyeon was slightly flustered by Baekri Jang-won’s out-of-the-blue comment.
“Yes, a beauty. A woman like you must be among the most beautiful in the martial world. Am I wrong?”
“…You bastard. You’ve got a good eye.”
“And a fine personality, too.”
‘…My personality… is fine?’
Zhuge Siyeon had never heard such a thing in her life. She’d been called a crazy bitch, sure.
“Whoa, this bastard. You’re dissing me in a roundabout way.”
“I have no such hobbies. Now, where is the Young Lord of Namgung? I heard I would find him if I came here.”
It had cost quite a bit of money to find that out.
Hyeon-u of the Five Swords of Namgung stepped forward and answered.
“He has gone out. But why have you truly come all this way?”
Weren’t they on terms where they would only meet if they were crossing swords?
“Why else would I come? I have something important to discuss.”
“I don’t believe we are on terms to be exchanging words.”
“The martial world is a chaotic place. Nothing that happens should be considered strange.”
“That’s not wrong, but….”
The Young Lord of the Baekri Family seemed more chaotic than anything else.
Zhuge Siyeon stepped forward again and spoke.
“How about a duel with me?”
Baekri Jang-won pointed at himself.
“With me?”
“Yeah. With you.”
“Nothing in this world is free.”
“Free?”
“Sparring with an inferior is not a pleasant affair.”
“Inferior? Me?!”
Zhuge Siyeon had never lost to anyone her age.
“That’s how it looks. Oh, of course, I’m not saying you’re weak.”
Zhuge Siyeon found it hilarious that a man who was no match for Namgung Urin was acting so smug.
“Men, I swear.”
Every single one of them acted all high and mighty before getting beaten down by her.
Zhuge Siyeon continued.
“Fine. Let’s make a bet.”
“Excellent. If I win, you and I will have a drink together tonight, just the two of us.”
“…”
***
If I fail to distinguish that old man’s true form, is this test over?
Is the purpose of his visit to test me, or is it, as Baekri Jang-won said, to acknowledge me as the Master of Primordial Chaos?
Must I pass this test to become the master of that mysterious old man?
I never even said I wanted to be their master.
The very fact that the old man was sizing me up as he pleased was irritating, but what could I do?
This damn curiosity of mine had no intention of leaving me alone.
And.
He called for me, so we should be facing each other, but the old man in the bamboo hat just kept walking. How long would this continue?
Despite my questions, I kept walking.
Leaving behind the countless gazes, the brilliant lights, and the seductive scent of women who seemed to be welcoming me with wagging tails.
But, did the old man I was tailing not know I was following him?
That couldn’t be.
The one who had summoned me was that very old man in the hat.
So, I thought he should at least turn around once, but the old man seemed to have no intention of doing so.
Should I shout ‘Hey, old man!’ at his back?
Or maybe call him ‘You bastard!’?
Like a madman, I entertained these pointless thoughts, simply following the old man’s footsteps.
What if this old man was a supreme master, one I couldn’t even dream of challenging?
What if this was a trap set by such a formidable master, with the intent to kill me?
Going so far as to use Baekri Jang-won.
What if the title Master of Primordial Chaos was also a fabrication?
What if this was all an act to kill me, the one who had learned the Primordial Chaos Art?
If so, what then?
Should I turn back?
Fight back and die a glorious… no, I can’t die. I have a mountain of things to do and so much to protect. Indeed, a man with much to protect learns to fear death.
I never thought I would have such thoughts.
But, while my head thought of those I cherish and screamed at me to fear death, my body and heart seemed to have no such intention.
I have changed, and I am changing, but I have not changed.
Because that’s who I am.
How long did I follow the man?
So many thoughts had been scrambling through my mind that I lost all track of time.
Yes, time was not the important issue for me right now. I was dying of curiosity to know who that old man was and how he had learned the Primordial Chaos Art.
Of course, I knew from So Hwi that the old man was the leader of the Illusionary Shadow Sect. Or perhaps, he wasn't. I couldn't be certain.
And then.
The man finally stopped walking.
His steps had seemed as if they would never cease.
At some point, the two of us had been walking alone. He must have known I was following him. So I had thought he might be guiding me somewhere. With that thought, my steps no longer felt like my own; I felt as if I had become the old man’s shadow.
A silent shadow, following without a word.
Like my Shadows.
So I stopped too.
Since the shadow's master had stopped, the shadow had to stop as well. There was no need for thought.
Looking around, I saw we were in a forest filled with trees on all sides. The forest, consumed by the aura of myself and the white-haired old man in the hat, had retreated into darkness, not even daring to breathe.
The man had finally unleashed his aura. I let out a cheer while simultaneously feeling as if one of my feet had sunk into a swamp of worry.
He had definitely learned the Primordial Chaos Art. But it was different from mine. The energy of my Primordial Chaos Art and the man’s Primordial Chaos energy were quite different.
The same, yet different.
It wasn't that his felt like a derivative, but more that my Primordial Chaos energy felt superior to his.
Of course, the density of his Primordial Chaos was also lower than mine.
The white-haired old man turned his body and stared at me.
He looked at me with an expression that said he hadn't expected to meet me like this.
He was the one who had summoned me here, so why was he making such a face?
And, a sense of misplaced anticipation seemed to linger in the old man's expression.
I also stared back at the old man without a word.
Was he suggesting we have a staring contest where the first to speak loses? Neither the old man nor I had said anything yet.
I couldn't even tell if we were breathing.
Should I say it’s nice to meet him?
What should I say, and how should I start?
It seemed the damn old man wanted to converse with his body, not his mouth. As the old man’s hands moved, the Primordial Chaos began to stir. Was he planning to overturn this entire forest?
Or was he trying to show me the power of the Primordial Chaos he possessed?
Or perhaps, he wanted to confirm my Primordial Chaos.
In an instant.
The surroundings trembled.
The fallen leaves, which had been lying silently on the ground, began to churn. It seemed excessive for a test. The churning leaves soared toward the dark sky. The churning leaves were rushing menacingly toward me. It didn’t seem like they were coming to kill me.
Because it was Primordial Chaos, I could understand Primordial Chaos better. I knew with what intention that man was attacking me.
If this was that man’s way of greeting, then shouldn't I return a greeting befitting it?
I, too, summoned my Primordial Chaos.
My Primordial Chaos can be rough, gentle, fierce, tyrannical, tender, and, unfortunately, even a damn pain in the ass.
Right now, my Primordial Chaos was gentle, yet scolding.
‘We are not in a relationship bound by a grudge that requires us to kill each other, so was it really necessary to use force instead of a friendly greeting?’
That was the kind of reprimand my Primordial Chaos carried.
The leaves swarmed toward me like a hive of bees. They were sharp, but held no killing intent. So I placated the leaves very gently.
Telling them not to, that there was no need, that it wasn't right for leaves to fly around so sharply.
I had shattered Baekri Jang-won’s Primordial Chaos. That was why his Primordial Chaos had been scared and fled. At that time, I didn't know I was the Master of Primordial Chaos, nor did I have any awareness of being its master.
But now, it was different.
I had heard about the Master of Primordial Chaos from Baekri Jang-won, and through So Hwi, I learned that the leader of the Illusionary Shadow Sect, who used the Primordial Chaos Art, wanted to know about me, which lent credibility to Baekri Jang-won’s words.
So, I wanted to display the dignity of a Master of Primordial Chaos.