Chapter 9
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: What Do You See?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Great Young Lord was sent flying, tumbling across the ground. He rolled gracelessly several times before his back slammed into a massive tree.
Cough! Cough! Just how much power did you put into
Spitting out a bloody wad of phlegm, the Great Young Lord pointed at Black Tiger in disbelief, then his eyes slowly rolled back as he collapsed sideways.
Phuhahahaha! I knew it! You damn scoundrel!
Ignoring Namgung Gyeons triumphant shouts, Black Tiger wore a surprised expression, shocked by the force he had unwittingly unleashed.
Leaving the boisterous Namgung Gyeon behind, Black Tiger stared at his own fist.
I felt threatened?
That shouldn't have been possible.
But he couldn't deny it.
It was a counterattack born from his accumulated combat experience and instincts as a martial artist. He recalled the two moves the Great Young Lord had used just before the counter.
In a flash, the Great Young Lords left foot had shot out and stomped down on Black Tigers right instep, which was bearing his weight. It was a move he had never seen or heard of.
In most duels and spars between martial artists, such chaotic brawling tactics were rarely seen. Furthermore, wasn't throwing sand to obscure one's vision a dirty trick worthy of back-alley thugs?
He should have been furious, yet Black Tiger felt no anger.
Instead.
To think the orthodox swordsmanship of the Namgung family could be used in such a versatile way.
It was astonishing. Moreover, as someone who prided himself on having lived the life of a seasoned martial artist who had seen it all, Black Tiger couldn't help but suck in a breath at the bizarre techniques the Great Young Lord displayed.
And then there was the final move.
The moment he felt the Great Young Lord's wooden swordwhich followed the foot stompdriving into his side, he had drawn up his internal energy. It seemed to gain momentum rapidly, then stuck to his side with a deceptively simple, viscous tenacity. Despite his reflexive attempt to block, the wooden sword had struck his side.
Black Tiger rubbed his side, then shifted his gaze to the unconscious Great Young Lord.
He had boldly declared he would land a clean hit within ten moves.
Namgung Ban. The Great Young Lord.
And he had actually done it.
He found himself muttering the name, Great Young Lord Namgung Ban, over and over. The name, now etched into his mind, would not be easily forgotten.
It hurt like hell.
My insides felt shaken, and a throbbing, dark bruise was blooming on my chest.
I had clearly won, but he had been utterly shameless. The moment I felt my sword strike his side on the tenth move and was about to shout my victory, he sent me flying with a punch full of internal energy.
I decided I would give him a piece of my mind the next time we met.
As I was thinking this and rubbing my chest, I couldn't help but sigh at the figure looking down at me with that same pathetic gaze.
Don't you have anything better to do? What's the point of coming to my chambers day after day?
Looking after you is my job.
What's the use in looking after a grown man? Have I skipped my training? Have I been running around causing trouble?
There's a contradiction in everything you just said. You claim to be a grown man, yet you're just a fourteen-year-old brat. It's absurd for the one who ran off mid-sprint to yell about not skipping training, and if you haven't been causing trouble, then how do you explain that bruise on your chest?
He's so eloquent when he's not drinking.
I vowed to never drink.
You had to have a clear mind to be a good talker, I figured.
Anyway.
It was all true, so I had no retort.
He asked me to give you this.
A nameplate flew toward me. I snatched it and glanced at what was written.
Black ()
Anyone could tell it meant Black Tiger.
He said you'd know what it means.
For someone who threw such a cheap shot, he's surprisingly good at keeping his promises. I felt a bit more secure, having gained a useful connection.
I was smiling in satisfaction when I felt a piercing gaze on me and looked up.
What do you think you're doing?
What do you mean?
The Fourth Young Lord's side filed a complaint. They said you suddenly rushed at him and started throwing punches.
Ah.
He tattled already.
And after I even let him get a hit in at the end.
He was so ecstatic, making such a scene, and in the end, he goes and snitches.
From now on, you're Namgung Gyeon the Dog.
That son of a bitch.
I can't deny the facts, but he was in the wrong, too.
Wrong how?
He tried to pass on a tampered martial art.
What proof do you have for saying that?
The proof doesn't matter. What matters is that I saw it.
The thought crossed my mind that the twisted fate of Namgung Byeok in my past life had begun with the Fourth Young Lord Namgung Gyeon's interference.
It was truly absurd. If I hadn't stopped it, the Namgung Byeok of this life would have undoubtedly learned the twisted Great Expansion Art.
The realization made anger flare up inside me like a wildfire, but I didn't let it show. Because of me, Namgung Byeok would no longer have to accept such a fate.
I alone am enough to learn it.
And I alone am enough to overcome it.
But my uncle, who knew nothing of this, simply wore a look of bewilderment.
If you can't back that up, then all you did was act like a scoundrel.
That's why, Uncle.
Speak.
That guardian thing. Do it.
At my words, my uncle, An Baek, got a strange look in his eyes.
My offer to back you, to become your guardiandid it sound that ridiculous to you?
Why are you taking it the wrong way again?
My uncle snorted. His pride must have been quite wounded.
Perhaps my blatant rejection to his face had left a deep internal scar.
Or maybe he just didn't like how I changed my attitude on a whim.
Seeing that normally easygoing man take such a resentful stance made me feel a little sorry.
Well, even so.
You don't want to? Then don't.
I wasn't the one who would be missing out. My uncle was the kind of person who could read my mind in an instant.
I never withdrew the offer. But that doesn't mean it can't be taken off the table at any time.
But he sure could hold a grudge.
He was a petty man, full of a pride he'd even brandish at his own nephew. Is he really the Sword Saint? Maybe Nanny was mistaken.
Is it so hard to yield to your nephew?
It is when the nephew is this disobedient.
Hmph.
I had nothing to say to that.
Why the change of heart?
I shrugged at my uncle's casually tossed question.
I found something I must protect, but when I tried, I realized I needed power. I thought being strong myself would be enough, but that wasn't the case. Just as one cannot face a tidal wave head-on, I felt like a weak existence myself.
Does the Namgung family feel like a tidal wave?
It is a rather overwhelming household.
In any case, it's a relief you've changed your mind.
Well, that may be so, but.
I lifted my chin and looked at my uncle.
His sharp eyes were the same, but his long hair, shaggy beard, the ever-present wine bottle dangling from his left hand, and his messy clothes made him look like an unremarkable man, casting doubt on whether he was truly worthy of the title 'Sword Saint'.
If not for the Ten Forms of the Iron Sword and the Thirteen Flashes of Lightning he had shown me before, I wouldn't have been swayed by Nanny's stories or even bothered with him.
But you know.
Hm?
I'm curious.
About what?
I gave my uncle a genuinely skeptical look, my eyes scanning him from head to toe.
Whether the Namgung family will even bat an eye when you truly stand behind me. I wonder if this will just bring me more shame. I'm already a scoundrel, and now I'll have another one backing me.
At those words, my uncle's cheek twitched.
Then.
Phuhahahahahaha!
My uncle threw his head back and roared with laughter. The sound echoed so loudly that I instinctively covered my ears.
A brat like you dares to judge me?
I'm entrusting my very life to you, Uncle. Shouldn't I at least make that much of a judgment? If you'd prefer, call it being cautious.
My uncle met my gaze without flinching, the corners of his mouth curling up as he spoke softly.
It all depends on your resolve.
What did he mean by that?
The children of the Namgung family are born into competition. Simply for being a Namgung. Their names are constantly brought up to judge who is better and who is not.
Some are treated as scoundrels and kick away the good fortune that rolls their way.
I wondered what he was talking about, but it was about me. And then.
And some, due to their insignificant backgrounds, are completely ignored.
I knew at once who he meant. It was the Fifth Young Lord, Namgung Byeok.
They measure and weigh who to choose to secure their own bright futures, and in doing so, those who don't know what is truly needed blind themselves. Though it is their vision that is clouded by ambition and greed.
He must be talking about the other young lords. Referring to the elders and maternal family factions manipulating things from behind.
For some reason, the Family Head stands by, and the family pretends not to see it. No, perhaps it has become a tradition because it has always been this way.
A gentle breeze stirred where my uncle, the Iron-Blood Sword Saint An Baek, stood. Then, it gradually began to whip up sand like a whirlwind.
It must be set right. That is why I ask you.
For the first time, I felt a sense of tension.
It was an aura like the one I'd seen from the Asura Corps Commander, Hwang Cheonho, who had led me in my past life, when he commanded on the battlefield.
Such a powerful and fierce presence emanated quietly from the body of that drunkard.
What do you see?
How far do you see?
!
Just as the storm-like presence began to subside.
Everything will change depending on your answer.
!
I felt an imposing air, as if dozens of warriors were arrayed in formation behind An Baek.
Under the illusion that they were standing in a thick fog, their eyes gleaming brightly, I couldn't help but let out an involuntary gasp.
The four-character title, Iron-Blood Sword Saint.
And the two-character name, An Baek, were branded upon my heart.