Chapter 33
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Lone Soul Sword
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A blinding flash obscured my vision. As I faced the killing intent before me, I recalled the ones Id left behind.
Big brother! Big brother! Where are you going!
Byeok, your big brother has to go on a rather long journey.
Whyyy? Why do you have to go?
I have to go so I can stay with you longer, Byeok.
At the difficult words, Namgung Byeoks face crumpled.
Mmm
Namgung Byeok fumbled at my face with his wriggling fingers.
I just need you and Mom!
Haha.
Is that so.
Im glad. That you have someone to rely on.
I only hope your memories of the name Namgung are good ones.
I hope the name of Namgung that I will build is filled with warmth and happiness for you.
Oh, right! Big brother! Let's go see Mom! Mom!
You mean Mother.
Yeah! Mom! Our mom is the prettiest in the whole world!
Its only natural for the word Mom to come from the lips of an innocent child.
But seeing him, I saw an overlap with myself from my past life.
If I left now, I wouldnt be able to return for at least five years. I had already made a request to Namgung Yeoul, the First Elder and now my master. To watch over Mother and Byeok.
Even though Namgung Yeoul told me not to worry and to just go, a part of me was still anxious.
Lady Baek, my mother, had been ill for some time. I was always worried about her well-being, as her illness had come on suddenly. So, whenever I had a spare moment, I would linger around Lady Baek and ask the maids attending her.
If Mother was in any pain.
If she had lost her appetite.
If her complexion was pale.
And I told them to be sure to let me know if there was any sudden change in her health.
I had to repeat my earnest requests several times before I could force my reluctant feet to move.
You like Mom, don't you, big brother! Hehe! So you have to see her before you go!
I thought Id hidden it well, but I guess it wasn't hidden at all. Not if Byeok could see through me.
Whether he knew my feelings or not.
Byeok reached out his tiny hand, took mine, and waddled forward. I let him lead me. Before long, we arrived, and I saw a woman standing beneath a large, beautiful tree.
The woman, who suited the refreshing and pure atmosphere of the great tree, was none other than my mother, Lady Baek.
Hehe! Mom! Big brother is here!
Youve come. I apologize, I should have gone to you.
I understand its because there are many watchful eyes.
An awkward distance.
In that ambiguous space, I felt a surge of emotion.
Because her gaze, as she looked at Namgung Byeok, was filled with nothing but love and warmth.
Yes. This was what I wanted to see.
I wanted to see a mother with a clear, beautiful voice and a warm, gentle aura, rather than the sickly woman who was always coughing.
Thank you for freeing this hopelessly neglectful mother from her worries. Great Young Lord, I dont know how to express my gratitude.
She was likely thanking me for stopping Lady Pyeons attempt on Namgung Byeok. I simply nodded, indicating it was something that had to be done.
I heard you are going on a long journey.
It turned out that way, against my will.
It is not much, but I made something to help you maintain your strength.
It was a restorative meal from my mother. The kind of heartfelt meal she would drag her ailing body to make whenever I threw myself into battle on the front lines.
I dont know if it will suit your taste
It will. It absolutely will!
Lady Baeks eyes widened at my answer, which came out before she could even finish. Seeing her reaction, my face turned red.
I was too hasty.
Pfft!
Hehehehe!
Mother laughed, and Byeok laughed along with her.
Yes.
The laughter these two shared.
I decided to protect this.
Erasing the memory of the past, I unleashed a continuous, brilliant flash of light. Toward the men in black masks.
Ungang.
Sir! They departed a quarter-hour ago. The party numbered ten in total: the Great Young Lord, the Iron-Blood Sword Saint, the two young men who fought the Great Young Lord at the Sword Family Assembly, the Black Tiger who must pay for his crimes, and besides them, three or four maids and a nanny.
The maids and the nanny?
Yes. It seems they are the maids who discussed the incident with Lady Pyeon It appears hes taking them along because he fears they might be harmed by the Fourth Young Lord if left here.
Is that so
Namgung Mubaek rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought.
When I look at the Great Young Lord, Im reminded of the Family Head in his youth. Confident, full of spirit, and taking good care of his people. Seeing that in the Great Young Lord, on one hand, I feel a sense of fear.
Because I hope that the Great Young Lord, at least, does not follow in the footsteps of the Family Head. I hope he becomes a shining azure sky, like an evergreen pine, not the Namgung the Family Head is currently building.
The words and stories the First Elder, Namgung Yeoul, had told him before brushed past his heart.
He seems to be a deep thinker. The Great Young Lord.
Is that so. Even in your eyes.
Yes. So, though I may be overstepping wouldnt it be alright to open your heart a little? The past incident was born of a misunderstanding, was it not? Before the rift between you deepens
Enough. We will speak no more of it.
The man named Ungang bowed his head and prostrated himself low.
What of the First Elder?
He appeared to have exhausted a great deal of his energy. It seems he exerted himself to grant the Great Young Lord much enlightenment.
He is the First Elder of the Namgung. It is unthinkable that he would collapse, unable to overcome a mere illness. Find a way, search high and low, to improve the First Elders condition.
Sir! I will ensure he receives care to restore his body and health.
Good.
Also, I will prepare for any unforeseen incidents that may befall the Great Young Lord.
Unforeseen incidents?
Yes.
Lets watch and see.
I will send Pyo-yeong and Pyo-il.
Watch them well, so they do not tarnish the Namgung name.
As Namgung Mubaek said this and turned his gaze to the window, Ungang could only let out a small sigh inwardly.
How can he be so dishonest with his own heart?
Its not about tarnishing the name.
Hes worried about his safety.
Namgung Mubaek, the swordsman who holds the world in his grasp and the master of the Azure Sky Namgung Family.
At times like this, he seemed no different from an ordinary father, unable to grasp his own feelings. No, he was no different at all.
Pyo-yeong and Pyo-il.
Along with Ungang, they were two of the five shadows who followed Namgung Mubaek with absolute loyalty.
They were the two who had been present when Lady Pyeon was imprisoned in the Black Cell. Even within the Namgung family, their existence was completely shrouded in mystery.
It was the first time such men had been ordered to watch over another person.
And yet.
Yeong. Right now
Yes. What youre seeing is real.
The two men, similar in face, build, and voice, watched the same scene and were momentarily speechless.
A blinding flash exploded in all directions. At the same time, the coppery scent of blood mixed with the brilliant light. With a chilling, slicing sound, someone who had been advancing on the Great Young Lord collapsed.
There was a hole in his heart.
He was careless.
Even so, theres a disconnect from what we knew of him.
The Lone Soul Sword?
Was there still someone in the Namgung who could wield the Lone Soul Sword?
I heard he was taught by the First Elder.
The Lone Soul Sword Art, also called the Sword of the Dead, a sword meant to soothe the lonely spirits of the departed.
In other words, a sword steeped in killing intent, one that must cut down another to honor those lonely souls.
It was known to be a lost art within the Namgung family, yet that sword had been resurrected. And what was even more striking than that,
His sword tip is so clean, its hard to believe hes only fifteen. Its as if
Pyo-il nodded in agreement with Pyo-yeongs words.
Hes like someone who has crossed the threshold of death countless times. Look there. Those are the eyes of one who has overcome death many times.
The Great Young Lords eyes held a darkness like that of an abyss.
The same eyes that had been so clear just moments ago when he was chatting with his companions.
It seems we wont have to intervene.
On the contrary, if we reveal our presence,
Pyo-ils gaze fell upon the Iron-Blood Sword Saint, An Baek.
The Sword Saint will detect us. Erase your presence.
Right. Lets watch a little longer.
The two mens gazes remained fixed solely on the Great Young Lord as they erased their presence.
I could not die. I had things to protect and a path to walk.
Heavenly Thunder Energy surged from my dantian. Feeling the blatant hostility in the gazes before me, my fingertips moved on their own.
Among the sword arts I had learned, I drew upon one that most resembled the memories of my past life.
Lone Soul Sword Art.
First Form of the Lone Soul: Solar Eclipse.
The tip of the sword, erupting from the end of the brilliant flash, was like the talons of a hawk hunting its prey.
It pierced through the chest of the man standing before me like an arrow.
The man collapsed, seemingly dead on the spot, and the men on either side of him froze for an instant at the incomprehensible result.
I did not miss that brief moment. My sword was already moving.
Lone Soul Sword Art.
Second Form of the Lone Soul: Second Eclipse.
The energy of the Lone Soul obscures the sun and moon to honor the spirits. For that reason, it follows neither form nor stance.
The two men, faced with a crescent moon of energy that swept toward their waists, hastily raised their swords to block. As I slashed horizontally in a wide arc, the impact of their vertical blocks sent them flying backward, creating distance between us.
As the two were thrown back, I closed the distance and unleashed my sword upon the man on the left. The tip of my sword cut through the air in pursuit, then moved with an eerie grace.
Lone Soul Sword Art.
Third Form of the Lone Soul: Third Eclipse.
My sword, now a true killing blade, chased after the masked man as he hastily retreated. As I pursued the masked mans retreating footwork like a snakes tongue, he abandoned his steps and desperately raised his sword.
In that instant, instead of clashing, my blade slithered along his.
Simultaneously, the tip of my sword sliced across the back of the masked mans hand and wrist.
Slice! Slice!
Kuaaaargh!
I had precisely severed the veins in his wrist. A fountain of blood erupted, and the man dropped his sword.
How!
Despair filled the mans eyes. The look of someone who had never once suspected he could die.
To that pitiful gaze,
Die.
I swung my sword without hesitation.
The eyes of the masked man, his head now separated from his body, were filled with nothing but fear. I turned to face the other masked man, who was staring at me.
I took a step toward the faltering masked man. His martial skill was likely higher than mine. But in this moment, it was a battle of momentum.
Once I had seized the momentum and established dominance with my spirit,
a gap had formed that could not be closed by martial skill alone.
On the battlefield, momentum overwhelms skill. Because one whose will is broken cannot even display a quarter of their true ability.
I had never once shown leniency or mercy to an enemy who was rendered incapable of fighting. How many had I seen on the battlefield, struck down by a stray blade while indulging in a moment of arrogant leisure?
To protect my people.
Those who make my people their enemy,
and those who look upon me as an enemy.
I will grant them all death.
That was the way of the Killing Demon I had been in my past life.