Chapter 27: Instructional Sparring (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 27: Instructional Sparring (4)
Entering Namgung Jun’s room, Lee Se-ha held her breath. The sun had set long ago, blanketing the world in darkness, yet there was no light in his room.
Of course, for a supreme expert, such darkness was no obstacle. Lee Se-ha quietly scanned the interior.
Namgung Jun was lying on his bed, fast asleep.
Between the instructional duel with Man Ye-won and Man Hun earlier that day and his subsequent evening training, it was only natural that he would be exhausted.
Normally, she would have thought nothing of it, but today, she found herself strangely concerned. Even if it meant being seen as a nagging master, she felt a strong urge to check on her disciple’s condition herself.
‘Should I come back later?’
Just as Lee Se-ha was about to turn and leave, she froze. Namgung Jun’s breathing was uneven.
Sensing her disciple’s faint, ragged breaths, she found herself sitting on the edge of his bed before she even realized it.
As moonlight streamed through the window, it pierced the darkness and clearly illuminated Namgung Jun’s face.
Was he having a nightmare?
Though his expression was placid at a glance, a faint furrow was etched between his brows.
Seeing this, Lee Se-ha’s eyelids lowered slightly, the shadows cast by her thick lashes shrouding her gaze.
She remembered that Namgung Jun had suffered from nightmares even before they arrived at the Azure Heaven Association.
‘Just like back then.’
She hadn't been able to ask him about it then. The question itself might have reopened a wound.
Could she ask him now?
After a moment of hesitation, Lee Se-ha shook her head.
It was still best to wait for him to speak of it himself.
Yet, she couldn’t help but wonder.
What was tormenting her disciple so deeply?
Lee Se-ha fidgeted with her fingers for a moment before gently taking Namgung Jun’s hand.
His hand was exceptionally cold. Because of that, she found herself unable to let go.
She wanted to let him know, even in this small way, that he wasn’t alone.
That his master was right here, watching over him.
And that he could cast away the coldness in his heart.
Holding her disciple’s hand, Lee Se-ha let out a faint smile.
“My disciple. You’ve worked so hard.”
Even though she was only holding his hand lightly, she could feel the small scars and calluses. His hands hadn’t been soft when they first met, but they hadn’t been like this either.
It was the hand of a proper swordsman—one he could show anywhere with pride.
Lee Se-ha shifted, leaning closer to Namgung Jun.
“It’s all right, Jun. Your master is right here.”
She didn’t wake him. She simply comforted him in a gentle voice.
She fell into deep thought, her gaze drifting between the moonlight filtering through the window slats and Namgung Jun’s face.
How much time passed like that?
“Mmh…”
Namgung Jun slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he felt was a soft warmth spreading up from his hand.
He took in the sight of fine hair fluttering in the scattered starlight, like jet-black silk infused with a subtle radiance.
Namgung Jun recognized her instantly just from the flow of her hair.
“Master?”
“You’re awake?”
“How long have you been here?”
“About an hour, I think?”
Namgung Jun slowly sat up, a hint of embarrassment on his face.
“I must have been sleeping deeply. Normally, I would have noticed immediately…”
Lee Se-ha gave a wry smile.
“You did. You worked far too hard today.”
Namgung Jun didn’t reply, only staring quietly at his master.
He had immediately noticed that her reaction was different from usual.
After locking eyes with her disciple for a long moment, Lee Se-ha playfully shook the hand she was holding.
“Next time, I’m going straight to the Head of the Elders’ Council and giving him a piece of my mind. How dare he overwork my precious disciple like this?”
Lee Se-ha tried to change the subject, but Namgung Jun lightly tugged at her sleeve.
After gazing at the night sky for a moment, he looked back into her eyes as if he had sorted out his thoughts.
His eyes, calmly meeting hers, were as serene and deep as a lake in spring.
“Disciple?”
Staring intently at Lee Se-ha, Namgung Jun slowly spoke.
“Death is inseparable from the Jianghu, isn’t it?”
It was an incredibly sudden question. Yet, Lee Se-ha’s answer was simple.
“It is.”
Sensing that her disciple was about to share what was in his heart, the gentle smile in her eyes faded, replaced by a quiet stillness.
“I can accept my own death, but I can’t say the same for the deaths of others. Especially if I had a hand in it.”
As Namgung Jun spoke, he recalled the disciples from his past life.
They had taken up their swords for chivalry.
They had not fled, seeking to prove themselves.
They had marched forward to the very end, never stopping.
Thus, he should have taken pride in them rather than grieving. Yet, he could not.
Not as the Namcheon Palace Master, but simply as their master—no matter the reason, it was undeniable that he had sent his disciples to their deaths.
The decision he made back then had been holding him back ever since.
“The deaths of others…” Lee Se-ha murmured, turning his words over in her mind.
Only after a long silence did she speak.
“Disciple. When my family was exterminated, so many of our retainers sacrificed themselves just to save me.”
Her grip on Namgung Jun’s hand tightened unconsciously.
Perhaps stirred by emotion, the warmth of her hand grew even hotter.
With a slightly darkened expression, Lee Se-ha continued, “The last one to guard my back was my uncle. Do you know what he told me?”
“I do not.”
“‘Saving you was my choice. So from now on, live your life according to your own choices.’”
Remembering that moment, Lee Se-ha’s eyes cast downward once more.
Though a long time had passed, the memory remained vivid.
Drenched in blood, her uncle had been smiling brightly, just as he always did.
He hadn't asked her to rebuild the family or seek revenge.
He only wished for his niece’s life to go on.
From that smile, Lee Se-ha had found the courage to make her own choices.
She wanted to pass on that small courage to her disciple.
“If you truly brought harm to them and caused their deaths, then of course you must feel responsible. But if that wasn't the case, then you must respect their choices.”
Lee Se-ha patted Namgung Jun’s hand. It was a gesture uniquely hers, blending playfulness with sincerity.
“Those who live by the sword in the Jianghu cannot hold onto everything. You must learn to let go and learn not to be bound. Sharp and clean, just like our blades.”
A dry smile slowly spread across Namgung Jun’s lips.
What his master said was something he already knew.
Even though he had spent a vast amount of time in the Jianghu in his past life before being hailed as the Sword Emperor, doing so was far from easy.
Perhaps it was because both Nam Young-shin of his past and Namgung Jun of his present were filled with too much greed and lingering regret.
It was then that Lee Se-ha looked straight at him and continued.
“What I just said was advice from a martial artist and the Heavenly Sword Hall Master. Now, I will give you advice as your master, Lee Se-ha.”
Her next words were different from what he had expected.
“I believe that compassion of yours is also important, Jun. Because of it, you can become someone who sees not only the grand things but also the small, overlooked details.”
“Is that so?”
Lee Se-ha squeezed his hand tighter.
“Keep agonizing. Let yourself be bound by it. It might manifest as a heart demon one day, but if you overcome it, you will gain the courage to choose anything.”
“The courage to choose…”
“I believe in my disciple. You won’t succumb to a heart demon.”
Namgung Jun pondered her words.
Then, he let out a faint chuckle.
Who on earth would advise their disciple to embrace the suffering that could lead to a heart demon? To anyone else, it would have sounded absurd.
Yet, his master’s final piece of advice brought him a strange sense of comfort.
Even though it was painful and sorrowful, perhaps he simply didn’t want to let go of his disciples from his past life—not yet, even if he knew he would have to someday.
To face it head-on without running away.
This was likely another trial, another part of his destiny as Namgung Jun, who lived this life while remembering his past.
“Whew.”
Exhaling a soft sigh, Namgung Jun flashed a bright, refreshed smile.
“As expected, I still have a long way to go to catch up to you, Master.”
If he included his past life, Namgung Jun’s experience in the Jianghu and his sheer age would far exceed Lee Se-ha’s.
Yet, there were clearly things he gained and learned from her, just like now.
Not just in martial arts, but in life itself, Lee Se-ha was more than worthy of being his master.
She possessed the power to gently untangle the agonizing worries her disciple had been suffering through alone.
“Really? I didn’t know you could say such things, Jun.”
“Yes. It’s true that I still have much to learn from you, Master.”
As Namgung Jun smiled, Lee Se-ha, who had been wearing a gentle expression, burst into an even brighter laugh.
Her sparkling black eyes and beautifully curved red lips were like a flower blooming in full splendor.
“Of course! You still have plenty to learn from me!”
Seeing that Namgung Jun had cheered up, Lee Se-ha felt a sense of relief wash over her as well.
“By the way, did you check what spirit elixir you received from the Head of the Elders’ Council?”
“I haven’t checked yet.”
Namgung Jun got up from the bed and picked up the wooden box. Despite its thickness, a warmth seeped through into his palm.
Even without opening it, he could tell this was no ordinary spirit elixir.
Seeing the curiosity in Lee Se-ha’s eyes, Namgung Jun wore a faint smile.
“Would you like to look at it together?”
“I’d love to! Honestly, I was really curious about what he gave you.”
Standing shoulder to shoulder, the master and disciple slowly opened the wooden box.
The moment they did, a peculiar scent stimulated their senses—a fishy, watery aroma mixed with the smell of something roasted crisp.
When they opened the box completely, they saw a bright red internal core dotted with black spots of various sizes.
Recognizing the spirit elixir at a single glance, Lee Se-ha tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“The Head of the Elders’ Council gave you an incredible spirit elixir.”
“Do you know what it is?”
Lee Se-ha replied, her eyes glued to the elixir.
“Yes! This is the internal core of a Solar Fire Carp.”
“A Solar Fire Carp?”
This time, even Namgung Jun couldn’t help but widen his eyes in surprise.
The Solar Fire Carp.
When a carp born with Scorching Yang Qi lives for over a hundred years, it becomes a spiritual beast known as the Solar Fire Carp.
Because it was such a rare spiritual beast, obtaining its internal core was by no means easy.
‘This is an incredibly precious spirit elixir that can command any price.’
Its rarity aside, simply judging by the energy contained within the internal core, it would easily rank among the top ten in the world.
“I never expected him to just hand over a spirit elixir of this caliber,” Lee Se-ha murmured, looking back and forth between the internal core and Namgung Jun, clearly astonished.
“Jun, what are you going to do with it?”
“I didn’t expect to receive such a precious item either. My mastery of the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Formula is still too low to consume it right now.”
“I agree. Of course, it would be fine if I helped you, but…”
After pondering for a moment, Lee Se-ha shook her head.
Even with her assistance, it would undoubtedly take a significant amount of time to refine the core’s energy and safely store it in his dantian.
The Solar Fire Internal Core was a spirit elixir that harbored an incredibly massive amount of energy.
“Since we have to set out on a mission tomorrow, we should postpone consuming it.”
“A new mission.”
“Yes. It’s our very first mission together, isn’t it?”
Namgung Jun nodded with a confident expression.
“I look forward to it. Master, what is the mission?”
Upon hearing the details, Namgung Jun left the main headquarters the very next day.