Chapter 32
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Ambush
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Clop, clop, clop.
The clatter of hooves kicked up clouds of dust as it echoed across the land.
I mounted the horse the stable hands had prepared for me and rode out of the family estate.
Quite the talent you have. Even the stable hands are bringing you horses personally.
Don't I deserve at least this much?
Well, well. Forgetting where you came from, are we? Have you forgotten how you used to treat the stable hands?
Unbeknownst to you, Uncle, we've already become friends.
Just as I said, I was slowly shedding my reputation as the Namgung family's utter scoundrel.
Becoming, so to speak, just a regular scoundrel.
The stable hands no longer tensed up when I approached; sometimes, they even offered a smile.
That was enough for me.
When did you learn to ride a horse?
Why is he suddenly asking about my riding skills?
In my past life, as a Commander of a Thousand, I spent all day on horseback.
I've always been a good rider
I started to answer his question without thinking but quickly stopped myself.
Right, I fell off a horse and got amnesia.
Seeing me fall silent, my uncle clicked his tongue.
Well. After such an embarrassment, it would be unthinkable not to learn how to ride. Tsk!
It was a relief. Who would believe that a fall from a horse had turned Namgung Byeok of a past life into Namgung Ban of the present?
Is there nothing else you need to bring?
Nothing.
Even so, what's with just a single sword?
Don't dismiss it as 'just a single sword.' Right now, it's my everything.
Leaving my grumbling uncle to wonder why I cherished the iron sword at my waist so much, I glanced back.
I could feel Namgung Yeoul's gaze on me from somewhere.
I struck my head on the ground. Red blood trickled down my forehead.
But it didn't matter.
That is excessive, Great Young Lord.
It comes from the heart. Please do not stop me.
Even so, it is excessive.
It is a show of respect for my master. How can you call it excessive? It is not nearly enough.
Hah. Goodness.
Namgung Yeoul clicked his tongue, but he didn't seem displeased, as he helped me to my feet with a gentle smile.
I still have something to give you.
I'll be overwhelmed. Please, take care of yourself first, Master.
The joy of watching over a disciple I've gained in my old age is greater than any pleasure I've known in my entire life. I cannot bear not to give this to you.
I saw the warm gaze of my master, Namgung Yeoul, as he spoke.
For some reason, I didn't feel the itch. I was receiving his wholehearted affection.
I am humbled.
At times like this, it's hard to see you as a fifteen-year-old boy, Great Young Lord. Your control over your emotions seems a decade deeper than your peers.
I flinched.
Of course, that can't be true. In fact, I feel sorry. Is it not because the Namgung family neglected you that you've become so mature?
It's not too late. I now have someone who acknowledges me.
Do not draw the line with only those beside you. You must understand why the Namgung family is the Namgung family.
My master looked at me. I, too, met his gaze.
Throughout all ages, East and West, it is the way of nature that an old tree, though it may rot, can always be returned to, and even when it seems to serve no further purpose, it can regenerate. The Namgung family, too, has faced corruption and stood at the brink of annihilation, but
My master gently patted my shoulder.
In the present day, it enjoys a certain degree of prosperity.
What good is a brilliant facade when the inside is rotting away?
You must cut it out.
At the words of my master, Namgung Yeoul, I lifted my head.
With this sword.
I saw my master holding out a sword to me. It was not a treasure sword that would make one's eyes widen, nor was it opulent enough to incite greed. It was just an ordinary sword.
However.
It was worn from Namgung Yeoul's own hand.
An iron sword bearing the long-worn traces of its owner.
The finest master smith the Namgung family has ever produced forged this sword, quenching it thousands of times when hundreds would have sufficed, and striking it tens of thousands of times when thousands would have been enough. I've treated it quite roughly, yet it hasn't broken and has kept its shape, so it seems his words were not false. From now on, this sword will serve you, Great Young Lord.
Master, I cannot accept this.
Seeing you has given me hope. I, who once believed there was an answer to everything, have learned while teaching you. I have learned that there is no single right answer.
I listened intently to his next words.
We may be enjoying unprecedented prosperity now, but the day will come when you must cut things away with this sword. The heart of the Namgung family is the sword. Do not forget my words; carve them into your heart.
After speaking, my master gestured for me to hurry, saying my departure was delayed. I couldn't bring myself to ask him.
Why he was treating me as if this was the last time we would meet.
Feeling sad to leave now that it's time?
It's pointless. I'm just walking the path I must. What is there to be sad about?
As this wasn't the first time I'd left the nest of the Namgung family, it felt neither unfamiliar nor regretful.
It was just that.
The path I had once traveled felt a little different this time.
Unlike the past, when I had run away, fleeing the family like an escapee.
I really thought I was going to die. You truly are the Sword Saint! To think the day would come in my life when I would receive sword instruction from the Sword Saint
What are you talking about? It was only a month of training. Did you explain things well to the Gangwu Martial School?
Yes!
Your son is walking a path to his death, and you sent him off without even trying to stop him.
Pardon?
The lively chatter filled the space beside me. The fact that I was no longer alone and the bright energy around me wrapped me in a warm embrace.
A smile unknowingly formed on my lips.
It would be difficult.
And it would be incredibly arduous.
Perhaps even more so than the moments I struggled through in my past life.
I might even come closer to death.
Back then, I had thrown myself away, but now, I had things to protect.
Despite it all, I felt a warmth spreading in a corner of my heart. I thought that perhaps this was the feeling of a person living like a person.
Yes.
I must push through.
I knew better than anyone that living alone was a lonely and meaningless existence.
I shouldn't live like that anymore.
I must live with others.
Isn't that right, brother?
It's so sluggish. Not interesting at all.
My apologies.
Lacking ability isn't a sin. Not knowing you lack it, however, is.
I'm not trying to blame you, Second Elder. I'm just disappointed.
The woman, speaking with alluring lips, met Second Elder Namgung Bon's gaze. Faced with her obvious disappointment, Namgung Bon couldn't help but swallow a groan.
It seems you have no trustworthy people under you. It upsets me that there's no power befitting the Namgung name. So much so that the title of Second Elder feels a bit exaggerated.
The Second Elder's face flushed red. He couldn't help but react to the insulting words, but he expressed his anger only by clenching his fists tightly.
Namgung Bon was a representative elder of the Namgung family. And at the lofty position of Second Elder, no less.
With the First Elder, Namgung Yeoul, practically in seclusion, wasn't he now the one with the highest standing?
I have high hopes. For the day the Second Elder surpasses the First Elder and becomes the Great Elder. I'm quite curious to see how smooth your path will be.
Great Elder.
An unprecedented position in the Namgung family.
If that position were to become his
If he were to be the first to hold that title
It would become a lasting part of the family's history.
I have already taken measures so that Lady Dang will not be disappointed. With the one whose position is most precarious in this current situation.
Namgung Bon was hesitant to name anyone, but
How many kites with cut strings are there? It must be that one person.
At her words, Second Elder Namgung Bon's eyebrow twitched. He was quite shocked internally but didn't let it show. As he was rendered speechless by her terrifyingly sharp insight, the Poison Flower, Dang Miyeon, simply shook her head.
Don't be so surprised. There are only a handful of people whose positions are threatened. Lady Pyeon and the Fourth Young Lord are already like abandoned duck eggs on the Yangtze River.
That may be true, but
Hohoho, no one has as much justification as that person. And if there were others, they'd be too foolish to matter, so you need only worry about avoiding the stray sparks.
Dang Miyeon bent over, cackling. A shiver ran down Second Elder Namgung Bon's spine at her seductive laugh.
But a kite with a cut string will struggle desperately to attach itself to a new one. It certainly won't reach out to those who cut its string in the first place.
Lady Dang, the Poison Flower Dang Miyeon, gave a satisfied smile and then looked at Namgung Bon.
Her gaze was as rich and beautiful as the petals of a red rose.
It will try to attach itself to the strongest string, at the very least. A string it hopes will never break.
Her captivating presence was enough to draw one in, clouding the mind.
Without even realizing that it's setting itself on fire, becoming a kite that can never fly again. Huhu.
One could get so lost in her beauty that they wouldn't notice being pricked by her thorns until they were covered in wounds.
Clang! Ch-ch-clang!
Dammit.
Donghui scanned the figures before him, his trembling hand pressing down hard. The attackers, who had struck just as dusk fell, were all wearing masks.
It was clear they were desperate to hide their identities.
Who are you! How dare you!
At first, he'd thought the attack was preposterous. Their group had maids and a nanny, but the presence of an absolute master should have been enough to offset everything.
But.
Kra-ka-kang!
The swordsmanship of the three masked figures surrounding the Iron-Blood Sword Saint, An Baek, was extraordinary. They moved like interlocking gears, none of them facing An Baek's sword head-on.
Their intention was obvious: simply to pin An Baek down and restrict his movements.
A look of distress filled Donghui's eyes. At this rate, he and Black Tiger would have to step in themselves.
This wasn't some random riffraff trying to rob a rich young master; they clearly knew they were targeting the Great Young Lord of the Namgung family.
Just as he thought, the masked men advancing toward the Great Young Lord were like a black tide. They cut off Donghui and Black Tiger's range of movement and blocked the group's escape route.
Klaaang!
Sparks flew. Their tactics were obvious, yet he couldn't deal with them. That meant their skills were of a high caliber.
Every one of them had to be a first-rate master, or even higher.
Gritting his teeth, Donghui glared at the sword strikes flying toward him. Each one aimed for a vital point.
If he looked away for even a moment, he felt an arm would be lopped off.
Beside the hard-pressed members of the Gangwu School, Black Tiger was darting about, throwing punches in every direction.
As he exhaled, three masked figures bypassed Donghui and Black Tiger, heading for one place.
G-Great Young Lord!
Donghui whipped his head around.
Realizing that the Great Young Lord was their sole target, Donghui feared for his safety. He pushed back the masked man he was fighting and turned.
If he resists too much, it's fine to disable an arm or a leg. But be as quick as possible.
Understood!
After that brief exchange, the three men charged at the Great Young Lord.
That son of a bitch.
Who in the world would do this!
I'll find the mastermind behind this attack and chew them to the bone! I'll honor the Great Young Lord's spirit and soul.
Just as he thought this and squeezed his eyes shut
Flash!
A brilliant flash of light erupted from the tip of the Great Young Lord's sword.