Chapter 14
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Proving Himself
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14.
Haha.
Amidst the blatant hostility in his young gaze, its clarity and transparency made me laugh despite myself. How that innocent and simple smile delighted me.
Whats so amusing, Great Young Lord?
Among the many who seemed eager to tear me apart, the young mans glare was particularly fierce.
He looked at me as if I were his mortal enemy, showing no intention of looking away. Had it not been for the Sword Family Tournament, he seemed ready to draw his blade and cause a scene.
You seem to hold some grudge against me.
At my thoughtless words, the young mans eyebrows twisted downward.
How can you even say that!
The Gang-u Martial Hall, was it?
What could I have possibly done at a martial hall? Especially as a fourteen-year-old.
Its because of my amnesia.
Ha! They say its a cruel world where the perpetrator forgets and only the victim remembers. That saying seems to have been made for you, Great Young Lord.
I sighed, looking at the young man grinding his teeth. Then, a voice from my time of repentance flashed through my mind. It was my uncles.
He asked his father for a few capable warriors, then went straight to a martial hall in Anhui and made them fight for their sign, I believe. There must be quite a few who still haven't recovered their former prestige.
Did I, by any chance, bring warriors with me on a visit?
You have a truly convenient memory.
So that was it. But this actually cleared things up.
It seems the martial halls prestige isnt what it used to be.
Once my thoughts were in order, the words came easily. The frowning young man snorted and tapped his scabbard.
And whose fault is that?
You should speak correctly.
I looked the young man straight in the eye and spoke softly. As my discomfort faded, my mind grew clearer, and that clarity transformed into presence.
The young man flinched involuntarily. The flustered person from moments ago was gone, replaced by someone exuding a sharply honed aura.
Speak correctly? Because of you, Great Young Lord, our martial hall
Was that contest unfair?
That is.
Or did I forcibly take down your sign?
No. But!
Look, I have nothing to say about storming in unannounced and acting on a whim. I should apologize for that. However, you certainly had grounds to refuse. The fact that you accepted the duel implies you had a certain degree of greed. The conclusion is that you competed fairly and tasted the bitterness of defeat. Am I wrong?
It was a statement that could be seen as either sound logic or mere sophistry. However, I felt no need to spend more time repenting for something I hadn't personally done.
In other words, youre taking your frustration out on the wrong person because you lost due to your own incompetence.
To awaken my consciousness as Namgung Ban, the Great Young Lord of the Namgung Family, this was the starting point.
If the deeds committed until now were those of the scoundrel Namgung Ban, the way I would resolve them from now on would be the way of Namgung Byeok in my past life and Namgung Ban in this one.
The young man from the Gang-u Martial Halls face turned venomous as his lips trembled. Seeing he had much to say, I spoke first.
One thing.
As he seethed, veins popping on his temples, his anger palpable on my skin, I threw him a suitable carrot.
If you defeat me here, I will apologize publicly.
!
Seeing his unconcealed expression, I shook my head. He seemed completely incapable of controlling his emotions.
If youre lying
I swear on the honor of the Namgung Family.
You will regret this. No. Its too late for regrets now.
I shrugged at the young man, who already looked as if he had won.
Then I looked at Namgung Ho. As if he had been waiting, Namgung Ho began to speak.
Avoid any risk of injury. Should a concerning situation arise, I will personally intervene to stop the match. Now let the first duel begin!
With his resounding shout, Kang U-mun of the Gang-u Martial Hall kicked off the ground.
It was utterly preposterous.
Ever since the Great Young Lord had brought the elite warriors of the Namgung Family to humiliate the Gang-u Martial Hall, how hard had he worked, grinding his teeth in determination?
He had never forgotten the shame of that day for even a moment. The sneering smile of the Great Young Lord, drunk on his petty victory as he mocked their martial hall.
Occasionally, he had heard rumors that the Great Young Lord was changing, that he was becoming aware of his duties.
So what? That was the last thing Kang U-mun wanted.
Kang U-mun had prayed to the heavens, asking that the Great Young Lord never change.
If he changed and suddenly approached him with an apology, what could he possibly say?
It was too late to argue about right and wrong or demand compensation.
Even so, as the second son of the Gang-u Martial Hall, he simply couldn't let it go.
While he was biding his time, day after day, news came that the Great Young Lord would participate in the Sword Family Tournament. Kang U-mun found it so unbelievable that he had to check again and again.
Was the Great Young Lord really participating?
Was there some kind of trick involved this time?
Kang U-mun had gone so far as to grab people in the marketplace to ask, and even went to the Namgung Familys gate to question the guards. He spent his meager salary confirming the information over and over.
Once the news of his participation was confirmed to be true, Kang U-mun trained and trained his martial arts with a dedication that words like "enduring hardship for revenge" could not fully describe.
He vowed to get an apology, no matter what.
He had worried that the Great Young Lord might have shed his scoundrel ways and become a new person, but now he realized the truth.
This man hadn't changed.
An apology? Far from it. His arrogant demeanor was an unbearable insult to Kang U-mun.
It was a relief. He had no idea how grateful he was that he hadn't changed.
Kang U-mun was determined to teach a lesson to the Great Young Lord, who stood there with that same haughty, indifferent expression.
As Namgung Ho finished speaking, the tip of Kang U-muns sword began to tremble slightly.
I have striven and striven.
The result.
Vmmm.
The swords cry ringing from its tip was proof of his efforts.
He felt he would only be satisfied after crushing the arrogant Great Young Lords face in this very spot and shaming him before everyone.
As the sword cried out once, he heard short gasps of admiration from the audience.
Kang U-mun was only seventeen. Murmurs and exclamations arose from the crowd, saying that the Gang-u Martial Hall had produced an outstanding talent.
At the same time, he could hear the clicking of tongues, as if they all expected the Great Young Lord of the Namgung Family to be sent sprawling in an instant.
There is no mercy in my sword. An errant blade knows no forgiveness, so be careful, Great Young Lord.
Though its not like a wretch like you could block it anyway.
Savoring the moment, Kang U-mun aimed a sharply honed strike at the Great Young Lords shoulder.
It had been less than two years since he had last seen his face. No matter how talented he might be, no matter how much effort he had put in, Kang U-mun himself had held a sword since he was seven.
That was why he could clearly picture the Great Young Lord collapsing, his shoulder slashed.
Clang!
The moment the ear-splitting sound of metal rang out, Kang U-mun realized something was wrong, and his eyes widened.
Your fundamentals are solid, but your movements are too wide.
A sword had appeared in the Great Young Lords hand, its blade gleaming with a cold blue light.
At the same time.
Vwooom.
The sword in the Great Young Lords hand also announced its presence.
From his crying sword flowed a song deeper and richer than Kang U-muns own.
Kang U-muns sword strikes were venomous and sharper than expected. When I commented that his movements were too wide, he didn't take it emotionally but instead absorbed the feedback.
Not bad. He must have learned on his own, or if he had a master, that master couldn't have been very skilled.
A talented student with an incompetent master was a terrible combination.
Considering him a promising talent, I parried the flurry of sword strikes one by one. His attacks were mixed with appropriate variations and even some feints, earning a brief moment of admiration from me.
My mindset for this fight was different from my bout with Black Tiger. For the insights I possessed to naturally meld with my body, they needed to be internalized through countless real battles against a variety of opponents.
With that in mind, I clashed swords with the young man before me with great enthusiasm.
As I blocked and dodged every single one of his strikes, the composure he had maintained began to crack, and his body tensed up. His attacks, which had been aimed at my shoulder, thigh, and chest, soon shifted to vital points like my throat, solar plexus, wrist, and groin.
Faced with an opponent who had switched to a desperate, all-or-nothing mindset, I lowered my stance.
Tatadang!
As I simultaneously grounded myself and put force into my strikes, Kang U-mun, surprised by the unexpected power, struggled to regain his balance as he was repeatedly pushed back.
Ten Forms of the Iron Sword.
A heavy sword, made nimble.
A solid sword, made sturdier.
Emphasizing subtlety, yet short and concise.
The relentlessly storming Ten Forms of the Iron Sword was reborn through the insights of Namgung Byeok from my past life.
Kang U-mun wore a bewildered expression.
How How is this possible? This isnt the Ten Forms of the Iron Sword
You must have studied it diligently.
He must have dismissed it as a mere basic sword form.
With such a soft mindset, how could he ever fathom the depth of a sword refined over decades?
With a short cry, the ninth form of the Ten Forms of the Iron Sword unfolded from my fingertips.
Ten Forms of the Iron Sword.
Hegemon's Sword: Speed.
How long did you say he has been holding a sword?
A voice reached An Baek, who was gulping down alcohol atop a large, old tree.
Half a year.
An Baeks curt reply was delivered while his gaze remained fixed on the Great Young Lord.
A swords cry in half a year. Thats truly an unbelievable achievement.
Half a year, my foot.
In truth, half of that year was spent losing weight, and half of the remaining time was dedicated to cultivating his internal energy.
Ultimately, he had only been seriously training with the sword for a mere three months.
Even An Baek found the swords cry emanating from the Great Young Lords blade to be utterly absurd.
Talent this, talent that.
It wasn't as if his eyes had gone bad with age.
His gaze shifted to Namgung Mubaek. Looking at Namgung Mubaeks impassive expression, he thought how cruel fate was, then lifted his head without realizing it.
The boisterous air had grown quiet. All eyes were focused on one spot. There stood the nephew he had constantly berated and scolded.
The boy was proving himself, for all to see.
Pointed at by some.
Endlessly criticized by others.
He was leaving behind the countless mistakes of his past and proving who he was.
Not Namgung Ban, the scoundrel Great Young Lord.
But Namgung Ban, the Great Young Lord of the Azure Sky Namgung Family.
This is who I am.
In the end, his nephew
was proving himself, just as he had promised.
Triumphantly.
Are you watching?
An Baek unknowingly lifted his head. He saw an endlessly blue sky. The smiling face of a woman who gave warmth like a spring day appeared in his mind.
Rest easy. Your son hes growing up so well.
As if in reply to his quiet words, the woman smiled faintly at An Baek.