Chapter 25
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: The Victor's Wish
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Day in and day out, he lived like a complete scoundrel, tarnishing the Namgung name with all sorts of filth.
Now, he had caused an incident that made everyone who lived with pride in the Namgung surname a target of scorn.
A foolish bastard.
A fool who revealed the family's shame with his own hands, shooting himself in the foot.
That was Namgung Ban in Namgung Hyeok's eyes, and his brother, whom he couldn't bring himself to acknowledge, was utterly idiotic.
He'd heard the man was struggling, held back by the mere basic Great Expansion Art, and that because of his pathetic body, he did nothing but run every single day.
And what about his swordsmanship?
It was just the Ten Forms of the Iron Sword and the Thirteen Thunders of the Flashing Sword.
It was laughable that he was dedicating his life to sword arts that only low-level warriors would learn just to barely protect themselves.
He was just that kind of person.
So utterly unqualified.
Namgung Hyeok couldn't believe, and refused to accept, that such an insignificant person was ranked above him.
And now, that person was crossing swords with him.
He thought he could end it in an instant. The elders who supported him, and even his mother who held sway over the Namgung family, had all said he could win easily if he just performed as he had learned.
Although it wasn't something they had arranged, wasn't he just an ordinary warrior who couldn't even use his internal energy properly?
By anyone's measure, his odds of winning were far superior.
It should have been so.
It absolutely should have been.
Thwack! Thwack!
He struggled to keep his knees from buckling, forcing himself to correct his stance.
The Ten Forms of the Iron Sword he knew didn't include sudden kicks. But it didn't matter.
If he just endured a few kicks, his Heavenly Wind Sword Art would shatter the Iron Sword Art.
However.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
No matter how many times they clashed, his opponent was immovable.
How, when he can't even use his internal energy properly?
These are exquisite sword strikes that something like the Ten Forms of the Iron Sword shouldn't be able to block.
His opponent would either anticipate the flurry of Heavenly Wind strikes with a sharp eye, preemptively take a position, and ruin the flow of the form...
...or he would launch strikes aimed at openings, leaving Hyeok feeling flustered and disoriented.
...Just how?
It was an incomprehensible question
It was almost as if he glimpsed the same composure his master showed when teaching him the sword.
But that was absurd. How could a boy, only a year older, be compared to a master who had reached a distant, profound state?
Shaking his head, Namgung Hyeok gritted his teeth and raised his sword.
The man who had been consistently defensive now switched his sword style to the Thirteen Thunders of the Flashing Sword as easily as flipping his palm. Even when using the same sword art, one couldn't change the flow so easily, yet this scoundrel before him did it with such comfort.
And then.
A groan escaped his lips unknowingly. He calmed his seething dantian with bloodshot eyes. The tip of his sword, which had been relentlessly surging forward, came to a halt.
Kuh.
Following his gaze, he looked around the sparring grounds and realized his surroundings had grown dark.
Hah, hah.
The path of an emperor... I won't tell you not to take it.
The scoundrel's mouth opened.
If it's the path you desire, then you should walk it. But if that path is tainted by the will of others instead of your own, it is meaningless. That is not the way of an emperor, but of a tyrant. You would merely become a puppet defined by foolishness.
The will of others, not his own.
A tyrant, not an emperor.
Is he talking to me right now?
Just as he was thinking of a retort.
Because I, too, look forward to the Namgung you will show.
With those words, he saw his opponent prepare his final move.
Having spoken at some length, I let out a breath. I could probably manage only one or two more moves.
Let's end this. Those waiting must be tired.
What more can you do with a body like that?
Just as Namgung Hyeok said, my entire body was trembling like a leaf. But I didn't bother hiding it. Moreover, feeling the meager energy in my meridians, I knew this was all I had left. I gave a faint smile to Namgung Hyeok before me.
Let your big brother teach you something. As you walk the path of an emperor, you will face countless absurd situations. Whenever that happens, remember how I look right now.
My neat appearance was long gone. The hero's bandanna I had tied around my forehead was nowhere to be seen, and my clothes were disheveled, torn, and slashed all over. A complete mess.
My hair was a disheveled mess.
My final move is one of the advanced forms of the Heavenly Wind Sword Art. In your current state, you won't be able to block it.
Are you worried about me right now?
What! That's ridiculous...!
Seeing Namgung Hyeok's indignant reaction, I finally managed a smile. It was probably the same kind of awkward, indescribable smile my maternal uncle sometimes gave me.
A proud smile, perhaps. Yes, that was the kind of smile it was.
Show me everything you have. And keep my words in mind as you move forward. I will consider that the path of an emperor.
May the emperor's path that Namgung presents lead to that of a wise ruler, not a tyrant.
I raised the tip of my sword.
Thirteen Thunders of the Flashing Sword.
Third Form, Centipede Thunder.
They say a dragon lies hidden at the end of a lightning strike, but I am still not strong enough to summon one.
In ancient times, people often mistook a centipede for a dragon, so I shall wield lightning in its stead.
Flashes of light appeared and vanished simultaneously. Like the segments of an arthropod, they linked together, and the light burst forth in a chain reaction. At the same time, my remaining internal energy completely dried up, but it didn't matter.
As the cluster of light erupted, I advanced toward Namgung Hyeok, who was shielding his eyes.
Namgung Hyeok, looking somewhat uncomfortable, also raised his sword, gathering an auspicious blue aura at its tip before clashing with the incoming flash of lightning-sword light.
CRASH!
...Did I lose?
Staring at the ceiling, the boy bit his lower lip and squeezed his eyes shut. It felt like facing an unwanted reality.
You worked hard.
...
Thanks to the divine prowess the young lord displayed, you are being highly praised throughout Anhui. They say the future of Namgung, and of Anhui, is brighter than ever.
What good is that? I lost to that scoundrel... after all.
The person lying on the bed, which was filled with the scent of medicine, was none other than the Second Young Lord of the Namgung Family, Namgung Hyeok.
What was the cause of my defeat?
...
Tell me, Hanya.
The man called Hanya seemed to hesitate several times, as if he had to say something unspeakable, before finally speaking softly beside Namgung Hyeok.
When you executed your final technique, your center of balance was off. It seems the shin injury you sustained early in the match caused the problem.
It was still throbbing now.
He seems to have studied it quite a bit. It looks like he reinterpreted the Ten Forms of the Iron Sword as we know it.
Reinterpreted.
It was more than a mere reinterpretation. He was a man who wielded the Ten Forms of the Iron Sword as if it were an extension of his own body.
But if you were to fight again, the Second Young Lord would surely win...
He was a man who couldn't even use his internal energy properly.
That is...
If his dantian had been intact, I would have been defeated helplessly.
No, it's too soon to conclude that...
And here I was, babbling about what it means to be an emperor, what it means to be a Namgung.
Watching the fourteen-year-old Namgung Hyeok, Hanya felt for the first time that the boy's worries were growing ever deeper.
While serving him, Hanya had noticed Namgung Hyeok's problem: his overly proud shoulders and the stiff-necked arrogance built upon the Namgung name. The constant expectations from those around him had only worsened these symptoms day by day.
It hurts. This thing called defeat.
The word 'defeat' would remain like a brand, tormenting Namgung Hyeok for a long time.
However.
But why are you smiling? What's so amusing about my defeat, Hanya?
Because you will grow even more from now on, Second Young Lord.
How can you be so sure?
Aren't you, Young Lord, also wearing a look of relief?
Hanya was beaming as he looked at the Second Young Lord, clearly delighted about something.
If one could chew on the word 'defeat' and use it as a driving force to move forward, it could be expressed with another word.
Growth.
He had finally learned how to move forward.
Lost in thought, the Second Young Lord, Namgung Hyeok, finally spoke up after a long while, as if remembering something.
By the way, what about that man?
You mean the Great Young Lord...
Yeah.
...Well, about that.
Hanya's cheerful expression quickly hardened as he shook his head.
Why? Did he cause trouble again?
Well.
Don't be so frustrating, just tell me. As the winner, he could have asked for his past actions to be forgiven or even to be appointed as the Young Family Head. What did he say that's making you act like this?
If only that were the case, I wouldn't be this troubled.
Hanya's distress left Namgung Hyeok looking perplexed.
The winner of the Sword Branch Assembly is none other than the Namgung Family's Great Young Lord, the First Young Lord, Namgung Ban!
After the members of the Iron Sword Unit urgently carried away the fallen Second Young Lord, Namgung Hyeok, a single phrase to clear the arena was met with thunderous applause from all around.
Bright lanterns rose everywhere, and fires were lit along the streets and in every tavern. It was as if the city had become a sleepless metropolis, celebrating the victor with all its might.
The Great Young Lord, who had been panting for breath while leaning on his scabbard like a cane on the bluestone floor, straightened his back. Though it was time to enjoy the festival, none of the spectators who had watched the Sword Branch Assembly moved from their spots.
Because the true end of the Sword Branch Assembly was only just beginning.
...Indeed.
What do you think will happen? No matter what, he must be prepared to be punished for the things he brought up earlier, right?
Nonsense. If that were the case, would the Great Young Lord have started all this? He must have done it knowing the consequences.
Then what? Will he ignore everything and ask to be made the Young Family Head?
He came here to go through this process. What would be the point if he didn't say that?
The people, watching the Great Young Lord standing alone in the Sword Branch Assembly with great interest, were extremely curious about what he would say and what he would ask for.
Furthermore.
The Family Head is coming!
Seeing Namgung Mubaek make his way onto the sparring stage of the Sword Branch Assembly, they grew curious about how he would react.
Step, step.
As Namgung Mubaek and Namgung Ban walked toward each other and stood face-to-face, the crowd couldn't help but gasp in admiration.
They looked so much alike, and the sight of them facing each other was like a beautiful painting.
...Family Head. Here is this year's winner of the Sword Branch Assembly.
I know.
Namgung Mubaek nodded. Then, with a look that said 'say whatever you want,' he gazed at his son, the Great Young Lord.
Speak.
For a father speaking to his son, his voice was stiff and emotionless. Just as the Tenth Elder, Namgung Ho, who was listening nearby, grew restless...
I will share in the punishment, and take it in their stead.
Namgung Ho had to struggle to keep himself from fainting.
What in the world is this now?
The winner's wish was to take punishment in someone's place?
Everyone who had been eagerly awaiting the Great Young Lord's words now stood with their mouths agape, wearing the same dumbfounded expression as Namgung Ho.