Chapter 340
Chapter 340
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 340
Chapter Title: One Day When Guest Hyun-gong Was Absorbed in Coaxing Immortal Nun Hwaryeon for Lessons
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Namgung Myeong jolted awake from his dream, startled.
"···Huff, huff!"
He was so shaken that he had to press his hand to his chest and gasp for breath for quite a while.
The bedding was soaked with sweat. His clothes felt like they'd been dunked in water.
He sat up in bed, but a thick dizziness still lingered. The world seemed to spin around his head.
Namgung Myeong immediately checked Hong Geolgae's complexion. Hong Geolgae was sleeping soundly, oblivious to the world, his breathing steady and even. It didn't seem like Dang Mujin had snuck in to administer poison.
'Another sleep paralysis episode?'
His limbs ached with stiffness, and his waist and shoulders throbbed as if they'd been beaten.
'Even as a kid, I rarely had sleep paralysis...'
But what frustrated Namgung Myeong the most wasn't the paralysis itself—it was that he could barely remember the dream's content.
All he recalled was something striding toward him.
And the episodes were getting worse. At first, it was just restless sleep, but now his whole body was drenched in sweat.
Namgung Myeong recalled a story his uncle Namgung Jinya had told him as a child.
Sleep paralysis often happens when your bedding is uncomfortable or something's weighing on your mind—no need to be scared.
Namgung Myeong pondered deeply.
'My bedding hasn't suddenly gotten uncomfortable. I'm not just staying at the Dang estate for a day or two. So it must be something nagging at my mind or making me anxious.'
Namgung Myeong examined the anxieties and guilt buried in his heart one by one.
If only he were someone who could stand tall without a shred of hesitation—but in reality, it was the opposite. Namgung Myeong was a man riddled with regrets.
Jeong Okryeong, who must be waiting desperately for his return.
His uncle Namgung Jinya, leading the Namgung family while resenting him and his father.
The big and small thefts he'd committed up to now.
And countless other incidents.
Namgung Myeong had caused more trouble than anyone could accumulate in a lifetime of effort.
But Namgung Myeong soon shook his head.
'No. Sleep paralysis doesn't come from that.'
Namgung Myeong had slowly piled up his karma over a long time.
Just as a weak person can carry a heavy load with consistent exercise, Namgung Myeong had built mental resilience by steadily accumulating karma.
Bearing that much was no great hardship for him. Proof was that just a few days ago, his sleep had been perfectly peaceful.
'Then why is this happening all of a sudden?'
He couldn't figure it out.
From the day his sleep started growing restless until now, Namgung Myeong hadn't committed any particular misdeeds.
'···Am I overlooking something?'
Probably. But Namgung Myeong decided not to dwell on it deeply. If it were something he'd think of after a moment's reflection, he wouldn't have forgotten it in the first place.
Namgung Myeong gently shoved the deeply sleeping Hong Geolgae aside and claimed his dry spot, closing his eyes.
*
As always, evening crept in, and dusk slowly settled over the Dang estate just like any other house in Chengdu.
The patients who had visited the Dang estate had all returned before dinner, and the physicians were wolfing down their meals, eager to dive into martial arts training.
But Namgung Myeong poked at his food with his chopsticks, feeling as if a stone weighed on his chest.
Hong Geolgae, eating with him, asked,
"Why the long face?"
"Who knows. My appetite's been off these past few days."
Of course, neither Dang Mujin nor Hong Geolgae fussed over Namgung Myeong with concern.
Hong Geolgae and Dang Mujin clicked their tongues in unison.
"Your belly's full, alright."
"Lying around doing nothing, getting three square meals—must be spoiled rotten."
Namgung Myeong paid little mind to their reactions, of course.
"For the past few days, my sleep's been restless—like something's about to happen."
"You're bored because your body's fine. Start brewing some herbal tonic tomorrow. You know how, right?"
As Dang Mujin nagged and Hong Geolgae prepared to lecture on the nobility of labor, a low sound came from the Dang estate's main gate.
Thud, thud, thud.
The Dang estate didn't station guards at the gate like other houses. They worried it might make neighborhood patients uneasy.
Lowering the threshold for a clinic was the creed of Dang Jesun and Dang Mujin.
So after evening fell and the gate closed, one had to knock or shout to summon someone to enter the estate. Everyone except Namgung Myeong, who enjoyed moonlit escapades.
A Demonic Cult warrior passing near the gate approached it.
"Who's there?"
It was a perfunctory question. The warrior opened the gate before a reply came. How many in the world could threaten the Dang estate?
But the moment the Demonic Cult warrior's hand touched the latch, Namgung Myeong's heart began pounding wildly. The anxiety he'd felt lately reached its peak.
When the gate finally opened, Namgung Myeong realized what he'd overlooked.
Standing there was none other than Namgung Jincheon.
"···!"
Namgung Myeong's judgment wasn't as swift as Hyun-gong's. No one in the world was. But his reaction was just as quick.
Unlike Hyun-gong, who weighed every factor, Namgung Myeong acted on minimal assessment.
'Does Father know I slipped out of the Namgung family?'
'Probably not. I left much later than him.'
'What happens if Father finds me? Will he collapse worrying about the family?'
'···No way. I'd be the one dragged back to Namgung.'
With his brief judgment complete, Namgung Myeong's form melted into the darkness. Dang Mujin, sitting across the table, panicked.
"Hey, where are you going?"
A low voice came from the shadows.
"My most trusted friend. I leave the rest to you."
"What the—···!"
But before Dang Mujin could finish, Namgung Myeong's presence vanished completely.
Swallowing his resentment toward Namgung Myeong, Dang Mujin stared at the main gate.
Fortunately or unfortunately, Namgung Jincheon didn't seem to have spotted him.
'What the hell is this situation...'
To make matters worse, the atmosphere around Namgung Jincheon was far from ordinary.
Several Demonic Cult experts encircled him—not threateningly, but ready to clash the instant he made a move. It was obvious.
Yet Namgung Jincheon showed no tension, merely gazing at the Demonic Cult warriors with keen interest.
With no choice, Dang Mujin set down his chopsticks and approached Namgung Jincheon.
Spotting Dang Mujin, a faint smile curved Namgung Jincheon's lips.
He said to Dang Mujin,
"We met at my family home recently, and now at yours. What a coincidence."
Dang Mujin offered appropriate courtesy with a smile and replied,
"I should have greeted you at the gate, but I had no idea you'd visit."
"It's my sudden arrival that caused this. Don't take it to heart."
It was an unusually warm response, uncharacteristic of Namgung Jincheon. Even accounting for meeting at the Dang estate rather than Namgung, the vibe was markedly different from before.
Dang Mujin asked,
"May I inquire what brings you to the Dang estate?"
Truth be told, Dang Mujin found Namgung Jincheon somewhat awkward. Part of it was his immense skill, but more so because he was Namgung Myeong's father. Few could act chummy with a friend's dad.
Namgung Jincheon replied without concern.
"I'm not here with ill intent. I was wandering the world seeking someone to discuss swordsmanship with, and when I reached the Emei Sect the day before yesterday, Sect Leader Hyangbaek Satae suggested the Dang estate over staying there."
In short, Emei Sect Leader Hyangbaek Satae had passed Namgung Jincheon off to the Dang estate. Dang Mujin let out an involuntary small sigh.
Namgung Jincheon slowly surveyed his surroundings.
The Demonic Cult experts around him, Dang Mujin, and Hong Geolgae eating with him—all intriguing opponents to Namgung Jincheon.
"I see right away why Hyangbaek Satae sent me here."
Yet confidence still filled Namgung Jincheon's expression. Both Dang Mujin and Hong Geolgae were a notch below him.
Dang Mujin flicked his eyes toward Jang Il-nam.
'Could Elder Jang handle Namgung Jincheon decently?'
But Jang Il-nam had no intention of fighting Namgung Jincheon willingly.
Jang Il-nam hastily piled some side dishes on his rice bowl, grabbed just the bowl and chopsticks, and ducked into the treatment room. He'd rather watch the children's antics for a pleasant evening than get caught by Namgung Jincheon and risk a blade fight.
Fortunately for Jang Il-nam, Namgung Jincheon didn't notice him.
Namgung Jincheon's gaze shifted between Dang Mujin and Hong Geolgae before stopping in front of Dang Mujin.
"Dang estate heir."
"Yes."
"Come to think of it, I owe you a debt."
"···What debt do you mean?"
"I promised a spar but failed to keep it due to unforeseen business."
Dang Mujin pondered what he meant, then recalled a distant memory.
When Dang Mujin had visited the Namgung family with the Ghost Physician, Namgung Jincheon had promised three favors in exchange for covering Namgung Myeong's crimes.
The first was entry to the Cheonmugo to learn the Guiding Skill; the second, a poison pouch from Chilbo Temple. The last was a guidance spar.
But Namgung Jincheon had abruptly left for business, letting the spar fizzle out.
Dang Mujin waved it off.
"Please forget it. I haven't dwelled on such an old matter, and I'm not yet skilled enough to cross swords with you. Instead—"
As Dang Mujin tried to sell out Hong Geolgae, Namgung Jincheon cut him off.
"No. Truth is, I want to spar with you."
"···."
It was startlingly direct and honest. Dang Mujin was at a loss for words.
He did need a suitable sparring partner, but not Namgung Jincheon right now.
The excessive attention from onlookers was burdensome, and he felt his achievements hadn't caught up yet.
"Then how about tomorrow or the day after? It's dark now..."
Namgung Jincheon's brow furrowed slightly. He wanted to spar immediately.
Then a low voice interrupted Dang Mujin.
"No."
This time, it wasn't Namgung Jincheon.
A massive black figure emerged from beside the annex. It was the Three-Eyed Monk.
The Three-Eyed Monk cracked his neck and approached Namgung Jincheon.
"You look itching for a fight right now. Care to cross blades with me?"
"Of course!"
Namgung Jincheon's face lit up brightly as he replied.
He'd clashed with the Three-Eyed Monk once before without a clear result, and it had been nagging at him.
The two didn't move elsewhere. With the encircling Demonic Cult warriors stepping back twenty paces, space opened up.
Namgung Jincheon naturally drew his sword. A sharp true sword, of course. Whether true or wooden, danger was the same, so experts used true swords in spars unless special circumstances applied.
"I'll attack first."
Namgung Jincheon immediately swept his sword horizontally.
It was a familiar sword art even to Dang Mujin's eyes. The Namgung family's Flying Swallow Sword.
The Flying Swallow Sword boasted the swiftest, nimblest trajectory among Namgung sword arts.
Probe with light strikes, read the foe, secure space, then end with a heavy blow—that was the Namgung family's basic tactic.
Namgung warriors always opened with Flying Swallow Sword for that reason.
Yet Namgung Jincheon's mastery elevated it beyond mere probing. An average foe could lose their head or have their heart pierced without surprise.
The Three-Eyed Monk reached his right hand toward the true sword in Namgung Jincheon's grip.
Like a swallow flapping its wings, the Flying Swallow Sword's path curved smoothly, evading the grasp and shifting from the chest to the collarbone.
Watching, Dang Mujin thought,
'Tough trajectory to block.'
The Three-Eyed Monk's left hand blocked the collarbone next. But Namgung Jincheon twisted the path as if anticipating, targeting the right trapezius. Precisely the trapezius muscle.
Damage there would cripple one arm—victory assured.
But the instant Namgung Jincheon's sword touched the Three-Eyed Monk's trapezius, something unexpected happened.
The blade clearly tore the flesh.
But that was it. The tip barely sank in; it went no further.
The Three-Eyed Monk grinned.
"Hey. Been slacking these past years, have you? Your sword's rusty."
His left hand seized Namgung Jincheon's wrist.
"···!"
Namgung Jincheon tried to pull back urgently, but without slashing his own wrist, escape was impossible.
The Three-Eyed Monk yanked Namgung Jincheon with his left arm while swinging his massive right fist at his face.
The black fist met Namgung Jincheon's face.
Thud.
With a dull sound, Namgung Jincheon crumpled.
The Three-Eyed Monk turned away and said to the Demonic Cult warriors,
"Clear a spot inside somewhere and let him finish eating."
"Yes."
The Demonic Cult warriors dragged Namgung Jincheon off somewhere. Dang Mujin watched in fresh admiration.
At the same time, Namgung Myeong, beyond the wall, realized something.
He couldn't return to the Dang estate for the next few days.