Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Those Who Go to Hell Smiling
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The meeting of the Anhui Martial Arts Alliance had come to an end.
The result of the tournament was an overwhelming victory for the Namgung Family. Just as Namgung Urin had planned, he never even stepped onto the tournament stage.
And he wasn't the only one.
Even though most clans sent out martial artists in their late thirties.
Namgung Hyeon-u, Namgung Seol, and Namgung Jun didn't even get to see the stage up close. It was that dominant of a victory. Namgung Chi-hyeok and Namgung U only managed to set foot on the stage once the final round began.
Everyone had expected the Iron Blood Sect to take second place, but defying all predictions, the Baekri Family claimed it. This was thanks to the incredible performance of Baekri Jang-won, the Young Lord of the Baekri Family.
He had single-handedly defeated four warriors from the Iron Blood Sect in the semifinals. In the finals, Baekri Jang-won alone faced three members of the Azure Sky Sword Brigade. He barely managed to defeat Namgung U, but having exhausted his internal energy, Baekri Jang-won could not overcome Namgung Chi-hyeok.
Normally, Namgung U wouldn't have needed to go up either, but he got his chance because Namgung Urin had strictly ordered that no one should face more than two opponents, wanting to give more members of the Azure Sky Sword Brigade an opportunity.
Thus, the Anhui Martial Arts Alliance meeting became, just as Namgung Urin had intended, an event from which much was gained.
Meanwhile.
On the night the banquet at the Namgung estate ended, Wolhyang began her surveillance from a distance.
“The outer courtyard should be easy to get through.”
The ones living in the Namgung Family's outer courtyard were the former Anhui Branch Chief of the Martial Alliance, Jeong Cheol, his party, and a few guards.
This was because most of the guards were concentrated in the inner courtyard.
“The inner courtyard doesn't seem particularly difficult either.”
Although the guards were concentrated there, security seemed lacking. Just as her information suggested, a shortage of personnel appeared to be the cause.
“And… according to my intel, that over there is the Young Lord's pavilion… but what's this?”
There wasn't a single guard protecting the Young Lord's pavilion.
“I'm sure that building was confirmed to be the Young Lord's pavilion. Was the information wrong?”
As Wolhyang tilted her head in confusion, someone emerged from the Young Lord's pavilion and began training in the practice yard.
“Hmm…”
She was too far away to make out the face clearly. It was difficult, but the figure was tall and handsome, his face seemingly radiant.
It was impossible for a person's face to literally shine, but Namgung Urin's face did. Or so it seemed.
“It's that bastard.”
And.
“It's a real shame about that face.”
A shame to kill.
But what could she do?
Her comrades' lives were on the line; this was no time to be admiring some man's face.
And so, Wolhyang watched the Namgung Young Lord's training intently.
She watched…
“Damn it.”
...until dawn.
“Crazy bastard.”
Who trains through the entire night like that!
And what's more, even after dawn broke and the sun had risen high in the sky, wasn't he still at it?
“Does that bastard not even eat?”
He needed to move around for her to figure out his patterns. Since he showed no sign of leaving the training ground, there was nothing to figure out.
And!
“…I think the intel was wrong…”
Wolhyang herself couldn't believe it, but after observing the Namgung Young Lord's training…
“…that man… he's not just at the peak of his prime…”
Insane!
She wondered if it was possible at his age, but wasn't she seeing the impossible with her own eyes right now?
“That bastard isn't human.”
The way he wielded his sword exuded an incredible depth and an indefinable greatness. A depth and greatness Wolhyang could never hope to match.
Namgung Urin was training in the Annihilation Sword.
Wolhyang's woman's intuition told her that this was the source of the ominous feeling she'd had since arriving in Hefei.
“…What should I do…”
Thinking of her comrades held captive by the Black Moon Sect made her anxious, but when she tried to proceed quickly, she found her target was too strong.
He was an opponent whose defeat couldn't be guaranteed even with the most thorough preparations.
The Young Lord of the Namgung Family.
Wolhyang ended up staying up for two more nights.
“Fuck. Even if I don't kill him, he's going to die from training. Crazy bastard.”
Namgung Urin's training didn't stop. So, Wolhyang decided to leave the Namgung estate and head to an inn to get some rest first.
Her mind wouldn't work if her body was exhausted, after all.
Long after Wolhyang left, Namgung Urin's training, which had continued for days, finally ended.
Namgung Urin washed his sweat-drenched body clean and then headed for the Family Head's office, where his uncle was staying.
Namgung Urin entered the Family Head's office where Namgung Yul was.
“Why are you here?”
No matter how admirable his nephew was, the constant trouble he caused made Namgung Yul dread his sudden appearances.
“Is that any way to speak to your nephew?”
“You brat, this is good enough for an uncle to his nephew. What, should I start using formal speech with you?”
“I can feel your heart in this moment, Uncle.”
“…What's that supposed to mean?”
Making a man nervous.
“That your dissatisfaction with your nephew grows with each passing day.”
“I suppose so. Instead of accumulating internal energy, I'm just accumulating complaints. It's all thanks to you.”
“What will you do if you grow distant from this nephew of yours?”
“Oh, please.”
“You're serious.”
“You rascal! That's enough joking around. Just tell me why you came here as soon as your training was over.”
“So now you're even spying on me.”
“As the Family Head, it's only natural to be interested in what happens within the family. What are you doing? Hurry up and tell me why you're here.”
Namgung Urin hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“Uncle, by any chance…”
“Stop testing the waters and get to the point.”
Namgung Urin pouted. Teasing his uncle used to be so much fun, but now he saw through his tricks right away.
“Yes. Are there people in our Namgung Family that I don't know about?”
“What do you mean?”
“The Martial Alliance has shadow-like warriors called the Shadow Brigade, and quite a few clans have their own secret forces, don't they? I'm just asking, just in case.”
“Why? Are you planning to create such a force?”
“No.”
“Then why?”
“Can't you just answer my question?”
“…There are none. There never have been. But are you really not going to tell me the real reason?”
“Yes.”
“Damn you.”
* * *
The next night, Namgung Urin left the Namgung estate.
A smile formed on Wolhyang's lips. She had been watching from a mountain ridge behind the Namgung estate since early morning.
“The bastard. He's finally moving.”
Wolhyang hurriedly began to tail Namgung Urin.
The direction Namgung Urin was heading was toward the Black Snake Sect. However, Namgung Urin passed the Black Snake Sect. He continued to walk without a set destination.
As if he had just come out for a stroll.
Namgung Urin browsed through the marketplace, chatting with the merchants. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd had such free time.
The last time things were this peaceful and free was before the War of Orthodox and Demonic Factions.
Namgung Urin wandered through every nook and cranny.
Wolhyang visited the places Namgung Urin had been. And she asked a merchant.
“Excuse me, does that young man come here often?”
The merchant gave Wolhyang a strange look.
“Do you not know who he is?”
“I do.”
“Then why call him 'that man'? Are you perhaps from out of town?”
“Yes. This is my first time in Anhui.”
The merchant nodded and continued.
“He used to come often when he was a child. After that terrible incident… today is the first time. Tsk. No matter how much people call him the Mad Dragon, I believe he is a truly upright man, worthy of the Namgung name. He endured such hardship at a young age. And if you look at Anhui now, you'll understand what an incredible person he is. At his age, mind you. If the Family Head were still alive… Tsk. It's truly a pity.”
The merchant seemed genuinely regretful, as if it were his own loss.
Listening to the story, Wolhyang found herself feeling regretful as well.
“I see.”
Because she had to kill that very Namgung Urin.
Wolhyang made sure to visit every place Namgung Urin passed through. The merchants were all friendly, their faces never losing their smiles. Just having spoken with the Young Lord of the Namgung Family seemed to make the merchants happy enough to close up shop for the day.
The merchants knew.
They knew that the one who brought this peace to Anhui was none other than the Namgung Family's Young Lord, Namgung Urin. Of course, such peace had existed before the War of Orthodox and Demonic Factions. But it was different.
Back then, only Hefei was peaceful.
As she talked with the merchants, Wolhyang realized her resolve was wavering.
She couldn't let it waver, but it was becoming difficult to steady her heart. She truly didn't want to commit any more meaningless killings…
She also had a thought.
She and her comrades were assassins.
Assassins who killed people for a price.
In the eyes of ordinary people, assassins were people who deserved to die. Wolhyang herself didn't think much differently.
That didn't mean she wanted to curse herself. She had opened her eyes to find herself in the Black Moon Sect, and she had built a life there. She grew close to her comrades, and they became precious to her.
That's why she did her best as an assassin. To prevent her comrades' deaths, and to live herself. No matter how much guilt Wolhyang felt for the meaningless killings, this life was better than the next.
Furthermore, though her comrades were assassins who killed for money, in their daily lives, they were no different from ordinary commoners.
No, if anything, their attachment to life was stronger. They were all orphans. People who had endured difficult and harsh childhoods. People who had always lived with loneliness.
Perhaps that was why their attachment to their comrades was stronger. There were occasional selfish ones, but not many. The majority of them were far removed from the lust for power or wealth that everyone else craved.
They were people who cherished each day and were grateful for it.
People think assassins are cold and cruel even in the face of death, but that's all prejudice. If you actually got to know them, you would realize that wasn't true.
Of course, when they were on a mission, a cold and cruel nature emerged naturally. That was the only way to survive.
How else could there be so many assassins who, even at forty, hadn't lost their childlike innocence?
They might not admit it, but they were more human than the martial artists who killed for their own desires.
At least they lived with guilt.
Because they lived acknowledging that being an assassin was wrong.
Because they were people who could go to hell smiling.
But…
If she killed the Young Lord of the Namgung Family, a man who brought smiles and happiness to so many people, what would become of her…?
It was a given that Wolhyang would fall to hell when she died. But what great sin would she commit by killing someone who made not one, not dozens, but hundreds, thousands, no, tens of thousands of people smile and be happy?
No.
The question of whether she could even continue to live properly with such immense guilt stabbed at her mind and heart.
“Hoo.”
Wolhyang's sigh felt as if it could shake the entirety of Anhui.
It was then.
Namgung Urin had vanished from Wolhyang's sight. Wolhyang had countless thoughts, but the conclusion was one.
For the sake of her comrades, she had to kill Namgung Urin.
Without fail.
She had to seek her own happiness and the happiness of those close to her over the happiness of countless others.
Because that was human instinct.
Wolhyang moved quickly to chase after Namgung Urin.