Chapter 19
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Removing the Mold
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Chapter 19.
But time was not on his side. The Iron-Blood Unit members swiftly came up, secured Namgung Gal, and disappeared. Just below, the Second Young Lord, Namgung Hyeok, and the Fourth Young Lord, Namgung Gyeon, were still waiting for their matches.
He could delay no longer.
Namgung Hyeok, the Second Young Lord of the Namgung Family, and Baek Cheonghak of the Baek San Martial Academy.
Namgung Ho had a duty to see this Sword Branch Assembly through from beginning to end without incident. That was his calling.
Please come up to the stage.
He had to act before the spectators and others grew suspicious. At the same time, Namgung Hos gaze was fixed on Namgung Hyeok, who was calmly ascending the stage.
If the Great Young Lord and the Third Young Lord were unable to use their internal energy
wouldn't the Second Young Lord be in the same predicament?
Watching the unfolding situation with deepening eyes, Namgung Ho waited until both fighters were on stage before speaking again.
I hope you will focus on testing and confirming each other's skills without malicious intent. Should an unforeseen accident occur, I, Namgung Ho, as the one responsible for this Sword Branch Assembly, will not stand idly by.
With that, Namgung Ho stepped back, watching the boy and the young man, and let the assembly proceed.
Clang
As Namgung Hyeok began to exchange blows, Namgung Ho watched him closely, ready to leap forward at a moment's notice, worried he might be caught off guard like Namgung Gal.
However.
Clang!
Cl-cl-clang!
Namgung Hyeoks sword tip remained steady, parrying every strike Baek Cheonghak unleashed. He did so with exquisite timing and precise force, countering the raw strength of a young man who appeared to be five or six years his senior.
This was proof that Namgung Hyeok was drawing upon his internal energy and wielding it with fluid grace.
Why.
In a situation where the Great Young Lord and the Third Young Lord couldn't use their internal energy, how was the Second Young Lord, Namgung Hyeok, perfectly fine?
Despite Namgung Hyeok's outstanding skill, Namgung Ho's attention was focused on surveying his surroundings and assessing the situation.
An unsettling situation like this meant there was a culprit, and he had to consider what that culprit stood to gain.
And the greatest prize to be gained was
the position of the Young Family Head.
Namgung Hos eyes narrowed.
It was still too early to draw any conclusions or be certain of anything.
Clang
The Heavenly Wind Sword Art that Namgung Hyeok unleashed
...was unbelievably heavy and stirred the air, far beyond what one would expect from a fledgling child. Although he was merely at the third star of proficiency, the pressure exerted by a boy with the talent to master the Namgung Family's supreme sword arts was so menacing it felt as if it could stop the young man's breath at any moment.
Baek Cheonghak gritted his teeth.
In Anhui, he heard the name Namgung day in and day out.
Every time he heard that name, he would seethe with rage.
What was so special about the Namgung?
They were people, just like him. With enough effort, one could stand shoulder to shoulder with them, and even surpass them.
Why in the world were they revered so highly?
Baek Cheonghak firmly believed in the saying that a dragon could rise from a humble stream.
But.
Crack.
The tip of the sword Baek Cheonghak held was trembling minutely as it was pushed back by a boy several years younger, with a body that had yet to mature. It was an utterly unbelievable situation.
He had heard the Great Young Lord of the Namgung Family had just turned fifteen, which meant the boy before him wasn't even that old.
No matter how much internal energy a child like that had accumulated or how much he had trained in swordsmanship, how skilled could he possibly be?
Baek Cheonghak believed in the passage of time. That was why he couldn't believe the scene before him. No, he refused to believe it.
To a mere brat like this.
He was furious. So furious that curses kept bubbling up, threatening to spill from his lips. Facing the enraged Baek Cheonghak, Namgung Hyeok spoke for the first time.
The quality is different. What training you've done, what effort you've madeit doesn't matter.
You?
Baek Cheonghak's eyes blazed with fury, and he felt the veins bulge on the hand gripping his sword. A wave of humiliation washed over him.
However.
At the same time, the density of our time is different.
The cynical boy didn't stop talking.
It means we don't entrust ourselves to the pathetic flow of time you people believe in.
It was a cold rebuke, his words as sharp and chilling as thorns. But Baek Cheonghak couldn't say a word.
Remember, and remember well, that the root of what makes a Namgung a Namgung stems from there. And never show such behavior before the name Namgung again.
Crack!
Suddenly, Namgung Hyeok's sword surged with power and struck the flat of Baek Cheonghak's blade. The intense vibration that spread through it was as heavy as a tiger's paw swiping down, forcing him to spit out a mouthful of blood.
At the same time, feeling his insides churn, Baek Cheonghak stumbled back a few steps and collapsed on the spot.
Grind.
The moment he tried to lift his head to look at Namgung Hyeok, he met a gaze so cold that he had to turn away.
As Baek Cheonghak sat there, defeated in body and spirit, a single, indifferent declaration spread through the arena as if to make it official.
Baek Cheonghak of the Baek San Martial Academy is defeated!
Watching the desolate back of the loser and the confident composure of the victor, Namgung Ho let out a brief sigh of admiration before quickly collecting himself, his eyes narrowing. He steeled himself for the next match.
There were still several matches left, and he figured the culprit wouldn't just disappear. As time went on, the list of suspects would narrow.
Next, Namgung Gyeon, the Fourth Young Lord of the Namgung Family! And Jo Ik of the Tae San Martial Academy! Please come up and prepare.
Acting rashly would only make things worse.
Still, the most likely suspect at the moment was none other than the Second Young Lord...
Namgung Ho had planned to just observe the situation.
Clang!
But when he saw Namgung Gyeon also channeling all of his internal energy into the tip of his sword, Namgung Ho's thoughts became a tangled mess.
The First Young Lord and the Third Young Lord can't use their internal energy.
The Second Young Lord and the Fourth Young Lord can use it freely.
What in the world was going on?
Namgung Ho watched Namgung Gyeon intently.
Namgung Gyeon didn't display the profound swordsmanship of Namgung Hyeok, nor the innate talent for internal energy of Namgung Gal, but he was still pressuring his opponent in a manner befitting the Namgung name.
Had it not been for the incredible displays of skill from the other Namgung sons, Namgung Gyeon would have likely drawn quite a lot of attention.
During the long and fierce exchange, Namgung Ho prepared for what might happen next.
Just then.
I... I yield!
The young man who had been locked in a fierce battle with Namgung Gyeon squeezed his eyes shut as the tip of a sword touched his throat and declared his surrender.
At the same time, Namgung Ho announced the winner.
Namgung Gyeon, the Fourth Young Lord of the Namgung Family, is victorious!
Perhaps because it was a hard-won victory, Namgung Gyeon forgot all his fatigue and ran around like a child. Seeing his complete lack of respect for the defeated, Namgung Ho spoke quietly.
The next matches are the semifinals, so I believe everyone deserves a short break. While the Sword Branch Assembly is underway, the markets of Anhui will also be welcoming you with the finest chefs and shopkeepers. I hope you all have a pleasant time. We will reconvene in exactly one hour.
It was time to make a judgment and sort out the situation.
So even Namgung Hyeok can use his internal energy.
That adds one more suspect to the list of those who would stoop to poisoning a teacup. Does this mean I can't just assume it was Namgung Gyeon?
As I was thinking this, I watched Namgung Hyeok perform his Heavenly Wind Sword Art. And I heard everything he said.
The quality is different. What training you've done, what effort you've madeit doesn't matter.
The density of our time is different.
Remember, and remember well, that the root of what makes a Namgung a Namgung stems from there. And never show such behavior before the name Namgung again.
Having experienced the Namgung Family firsthand, I knew every word he said was true.
However.
Where does he get off belittling someone else's hard work like that?
How utterly absurd he looked.
For a boy of merely fourteen, his words were wildly arrogant and conceited.
That young man, Baek Cheonghak.
Whatever effort he had put in, there was no need to belittle it just to uphold the Namgung name. If he was lacking, he could have been guided.
I simply shattered Kang Umun's arrogance.
I instilled in Dong Hwi the mindset a swordsman must have.
But Baek Cheonghak would likely find it hard to ever pick up a sword again. I couldn't help but click my tongue at Namgung Hyeok, who had utterly broken him, both in body and spirit.
Namgung Hyeok was surely the one who most resembled the cold-blooded Namgung Mubaek.
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
So what are you going to do? You can't even use your internal energy.
My uncle came in, using the break as an excuse to nag me again. He seemed determined to cut me down, reminding me that I would pay the price for consuming the Gentleman's Mountain.
So impatient.
If he really wanted to stop me, he could have used force.
Are you taking your anger out on me now because I beat up your disciple?
Seeing my uncle clamp his mouth shut, I let out a dry laugh.
I just took a shot in the dark, and it hit the mark.
Anyway.
Isn't this for the best? The people here don't have eyes for nothing. Everyone is watching and figuring things out. You can see them all bustling about, starting with Elder Namgung Ho.
You sly bastard. That troublesome favor you asked of me is done.
Good. Then I suppose it's time to go eliminate the final variable.
Are you confident?
We have to remove the mold from this rotten family, one piece at a time. You agreed to this as well, Uncle.
But the eyes of others...
I looked from my uncle to the invited guests in the standsmembers of the Nine Sects One Union and the Five Great Families. They were all watching the Sword Branch Assembly with calm, yet not entirely favorable, gazes.
Quite the opposite. Are we a family that's merely flashy on the outside, or are we a family that can properly deal with the poison within? No family or sect is without its storms. The only difference is whether you close your eyes to them or not.
Without facing those storms head-on and overcoming them
...it would be impossible to pull out the roots that are sickening the family.
Even if it seems like I'm tarnishing the family's name for now.
My gaze followed to Namgung Byeok, that bright-eyed child. And then to the beautifully-featured Lady Baek, who was holding him.
Don't worry, Byeok.
Don't worry, Mother.
I will take all the filth upon myself.