The Namgung Clan (3)
A scorching heat rose from my dantian.At the same time, my senses sharpened, and I became aware of things I had never felt before scattered all around me.I took a slow, deep breath. Gradually, something in the surroundings—natural inner energy—began to be drawn into my body.Some of it slipped beyond my control and escaped again, while the rest gathered at my heart. The energy that collected there circulated once through my body before accumulating in my dantian, fueling the heat there.Little by little, yet steadily, I could feel my internal energy building. My body was already in peak condition; if I continued accumulating it like this, I would reach the Peak Realm within a year.With that thought in mind, I sat for a long time practicing my heart method. Then the door suddenly opened, and my mother entered.“Sowoon, are you in here?”“...Yes. What brings you here?”I stored away the inner energy I had been gathering and stood up to answer.The moment I lifted my head, my face stiffened slightly. The emotion clearly etched on my mother’s expression was unmistakable discomfort.What is it? Does she need me to use force for something? Or did someone wreck part of the house?If it was the former, I would gladly roll up my sleeves and help. If it was the latter, I would also roll up my sleeves and beat the guilty party like a drum for fun.So. Which is it?I finished my mental preparations in an instant, but my mother’s reply was rather unexpected.“Well… there are two warriors outside looking for you…”Warriors are looking for me.I thought for a moment, but nothing came to mind. In this life, I had no memory of forming any significant grudges, and there were no martial organizations or powers in this area that would have any reason to contact me.I strapped the real sword that had been leaning against the wall to my waist. I didn’t draw it from its sheath, but I made sure I could unsheathe it at any moment if needed.Slowly, yet without any hesitation, I stepped out of the room.“I heard someone was looking for me.”As soon as I spoke, two men appeared from outside the house.Blue martial uniforms with golden collars and sleeves. A golden embroidered character for “Heaven” on their chests. It was a uniform I knew all too well.The Namgung Clan… and not just any members, but those of the Changgung Sword Squad, the elite force known as the clan’s finest both inside and outside the family.Still, I pretended not to recognize them. Right now, I was nothing more than a countryside boy who had picked up a sword a few times. No more, no less.Acting like I knew them would only invite unnecessary misunderstandings.“Where have the two of you come from?”“...Are you Jin Sowoon?”They used polite speech.Strictly speaking, I was the weaker one here. I was younger, and my background was lower. Yet they were clearly addressing me with respect.Were they unusually courteous people? If so, I would be genuinely impressed. To speak politely to a child more than twice their junior—truly remarkable....But it was probably because of the order they had received.“Yes, that’s me.”As soon as I confirmed it, the two men exchanged glances as if they had been waiting for exactly that. Then they slightly bowed their heads and offered a fist-and-palm salute.“We are Kang Uk and Ji Seung-kwon of the Namgung Clan’s Changcheon Sword Squad. We have come on the orders of the Clan Leader.”Direct orders from the Clan Leader. That carried significant weight. The current leader might fall slightly short in martial prowess compared to previous leaders, but he was still a Namgung. Among the many figures of the murim, he was one of the few giants who could easily be counted among the top ten.“The Namgung Clan is looking for me?”“Yes. This is an invitation sent by the Clan Leader.”An invitation?The man who had introduced himself as Kang Uk took out what appeared to be an invitation from his robe. After glancing at the two men in front of me, I casually unfolded it.
On the day winter draws to a close, a birthday celebration will be held for the eldest daughter of our main house. We hope you will honor us with your presence and grace the occasion with your attendance. If you have companions, they are also welcome to join you.
“...A birthday celebration?”It was already strange that people from the Namgung Clan had come all the way here, but the reason being something like a birthday party was even more unexpected.While I was still struggling to follow the flow of events, one possibility suddenly occurred to me.If the person in a position to cause upheaval within the Namgung Clan—and who also knew about my background—had returned just like I had?As far as I knew, there was only one such person in the world.“...Could you tell me who sent this invitation?”“I do not know.”They had said it came from the Namgung Clan Leader. But it didn’t seem like they truly believed he had written it after seeing me.There was no way the Clan Leader would bother checking on a kid from a remote village like this. Still, whether that man really didn’t know or was only pretending not to wasn’t important.What mattered was the fact that she had returned as well.Good. Let’s go...Inside the rattling carriage. Since the two men were sitting up front with the driver, I thought I might catch a little sleep. But then I noticed my mother’s legs trembling beside me—something she rarely did.“Mother. Are you alright?”“I’m just a little nervous.”Ah.I had been so excited by the rare chance to see the world and the unexpected supreme opportunity that I had completely forgotten.My mother had never once stepped beyond the mountains surrounding our village.Moreover, the name Namgung Clan was famous enough to have reached even Namhyangchon. It was only natural that she would feel tense when people from such a place suddenly showed up and invited her to a celebration.“...Don’t worry. I know them well.”I didn’t actually know them that well, but I said it anyway.“...You had a friend like that?”Mother?My side suddenly ached. Even my mother was doubting my social connections. It felt like I had taken a heavy blow.What hurt most was that it was true, so I couldn’t say a word in my defense.I rubbed my aching chest to calm myself and forced a smile as I answered.“Yes. I do.”Even so, she still didn’t seem fully reassured and continued to show faint signs of anxiety. Since I never wanted my mother to feel uneasy, I added with a thumbs-up.“They’re a good friend. At least among the people I know, they’re one of the very best.”It was the honest truth. She was kind enough that Mother would recognize it the moment she saw her. I wished she could meet her in person.“She’s not the type to harm anyone. At most, she might tease a little.”She might swing a sword lightly, but that was still just play to me, so I let it slide.After praising Namgung Seha and the Namgung Clan nonstop for over half an hour until my mouth went dry, I finally managed to ease some of my mother’s tension and anxiety...“Wow.”It was vast.It might be a rather lacking description, but anyone who had seen this sight even once would readily admit that “vast” was more than enough.A large gate with a perfectly straight plaque reading Namgung Clan (). Walls stretching out endlessly to both sides with that gate at the center.The Namgung Clan’s main house, which I had regrettably never visited in my previous life due to a lack of connection, now stood before me. It was so grand and imposing that even its mere exterior was enough to feel slightly overwhelming.“This is the main residence of the Namgung Clan.”Kang Uk and Ji Seung-kwon spoke briefly. After we got off the carriage, they raised their hands to signal the gatekeepers. The gatekeepers then slowly opened the massive front gate.“Oh my…”My mother’s short gasp reached my ears. It was understandable.The wide courtyard that greeted us the moment we entered, the numerous grand halls covered in blue tiles. Both outside and inside, it was clearly larger than those of the Moyong Clan or the Sichuan Tang Clan.Seeing a place like this from the front was a sight even martial artists rarely got to witness.“Please come inside. We will guide you to the guest quarters.”“Thank you.”Following Kang Uk’s lead, we walked in slowly. After passing through the second gate, I heard someone calling my name from afar.“You’ve come a long way. Jin Sowoon.”A small girl who barely reached my chest. She had black hair and black eyes, and neither her face nor her height matched what I remembered, but I recognized her instantly.That girl was the woman I had been looking for.“Is your tongue alright now?”She asked with a mischievous smile, lightly tapping her lips with a slender finger.What should I call her now?I could no longer call her the Blue Sky Sword Empress. That name did not yet exist in this world.After a brief moment of thought, I spoke.“Blue Sky… No. Namgung Seha.”She looked slightly surprised to be called by name. But she quickly composed herself and smiled the same way as before.“I’m fine, but you still seem a bit off.”Seeing her keep smiling even after looking at my face. Not my tongue—my mind.“...It’s been a long time.”Namgung Seha extended her hand. Was this for a handshake? I didn’t think she would pull a Tang Clan-style prank by putting poison on her hand.“Yeah. It has.”I agreed with the words “long time” and reached out as well. We clasped hands firmly, and I spoke once more.“It’s been damn long.”Right after our reunion, Namgung Seha suddenly leaned in close. Why is she doing this all of a sudden? When I stepped back slightly, she took another step forward and whispered in my ear.“Ah. And I’m sorry for breaking your illusion.”Illusion? What is she talking about?“Huh?”I asked back, not understanding what she meant. She touched the sword at my waist with a slightly displeased expression and tossed out casually,“The sword you’re wearing right now wasn’t given to you by your mother. It was from me.”
