Chapter 251
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 251
Chapter Title: Ill Omen!
From Hunan Province, home to Seonyu Valley, all the way to Anhui Province and the Namgung Clan—it was a long road.
They had to pass through Jiangxi and Hubei Provinces.
As such, they hurried along without pause.
In every village they passed, they swapped their mounts at the horse markets, selecting only the finest steeds, and pressed on relentlessly.
Finally, they arrived in Hefei, Anhui Province.
Namgung Hwi gazed at the Namgung Clan's walls with eyes full of mixed emotions.
He had been here not long ago.
But things were different now.
This time, he was with his son and daughter.
And he had a reliable ally at his side.
The day when he could stand tall within those walls was not far off.
Even if he planned to leave again once that happened.
For now, the group secured a private annex at a nearby inn to rest and recover from the journey.
Deep into the night.
Ha Mu-baek quietly slipped out of his room.
[Come with me for a moment.]
Ha Mu-baek sent a transmission to someone.
After waiting briefly, Namgung Ji-yu emerged, her face veiled with silk gauze.
"What is it?"
Namgung Ji-yu asked cautiously.
"We need to discuss our next moves."
With that, he extended his hand toward her.
Namgung Ji-yu tilted her head, staring at the proffered hand.
Her expression made it clear she saw no connection between the discussion and his gesture.
"With Namgung Hwa-u."
At Ha Mu-baek's words, Namgung Ji-yu's face filled with shock.
It was the dead of night.
Which meant the Namgung Clan's defenses were at their peak.
Yet he intended to seek out Namgung Hwa-u now?
Without any prior arrangement?
How?
Questions swirled across her face.
And not just going alone—he wanted to bring her along too.
"Take hold."
Ha Mu-baek said curtly.
Namgung Ji-yu hesitated before grasping his hand.
Contrary to her worries, Ha Mu-baek's perceptive senses had already blanketed the entire Namgung Clan.
He kicked off lightly from the ground.
No trace was left on the earth, and his movement produced no sound.
The same went for Namgung Ji-yu.
Ha Mu-baek's internal energy enveloped her completely, erasing her presence flawlessly.
Thus, they soared lightly through the air, vaulting over the Namgung Clan's outer wall.
No one sensed Ha Mu-baek's movement.
Not even that Namgung Ji-yu was with him.
Ha Mu-baek crossed the outer courtyard as if it were his own home, heading straight into the inner one.
Namgung Ji-yu widened her eyes in disbelief.
Not only had he perfectly masked her presence, but there was no hesitation in his movements whatsoever.
As if he knew exactly where Namgung Hwa-u was.
"As expected, he doesn't even trust his own youngest brother."
After scanning the presences around the small annex where Namgung Hwa-u resided, Ha Mu-baek murmured softly.
Namgung Ji-yu started in surprise.
It was because of Ha Mu-baek muttering like that right in the midst of the watchers.
Yet all was silent.
No reaction whatsoever.
He had blocked the sound with his energy barrier.
Namgung Ji-yu kept being astonished by Ha Mu-baek, who performed all these feats as casually as breathing.
She knew he was a monster.
But he always exceeded even her wildest imaginations.
Ha Mu-baek quietly surveyed the surroundings.
Getting this far had been easy, but no fewer than five people were focusing their attention here, watching intently.
Alone, it would have been no issue, but now Namgung Ji-yu was with him.
So he needed a brief opening.
And he was waiting for it now.
How much time passed?
After a short while, a breeze stirred, scattering leaves in the air.
In that instant, Ha Mu-baek moved.
Through the gaps in the fluttering leaves, Ha Mu-baek and Namgung Ji-yu's forms slipped in perfectly, flowing onward seamlessly.
Thus infiltrating the annex.
The watchers sensed nothing.
Even Namgung Hwa-u, deep in slumber, was oblivious to Ha Mu-baek's visit.
"Wake up."
A low whisper.
At that faint sound, Namgung Hwa-u jolted awake, grabbing the sword canister by his side as he rose.
Confirming Ha Mu-baek and Namgung Ji-yu in the darkness, his eyes trembled fiercely.
"H-how...?"
Not just breaching the Namgung Clan's defenses, but his own quarters were under watch.
To fool even them completely...
"That's not important. What we discuss from here on is."
Ha Mu-baek glanced at Namgung Ji-yu as he spoke.
She nodded and stepped forward.
Within Ha Mu-baek's energy barrier, the two began discussing their future plans.
Namgung Hwa-jin was a direct-line warrior.
The most distant among the direct lines, his own son relegated to collateral status.
Yet due to his exceptional skill, he had become the top of the Shadow Guards.
Particularly adept at stealth and surveillance among them.
For days now, he had been monitoring Namgung Hwa-u on Namgung Hwa-hyeon's orders.
Today, too, he watched Namgung Hwa-u's residence unchangingly.
'Hm?'
In that moment.
His expression shifted.
Something had changed at Namgung Hwa-u's quarters.
Wrinkles formed at the corners of Namgung Hwa-jin's eyes.
No visible changes.
But there was definitely a change.
'No presence.'
Until moments ago, he had faintly sensed Namgung Hwa-u's presence.
Now, it had vanished clean away.
'What's he scheming?'
Namgung Hwa-u, who had been so quiet until now, showing movement.
Namgung Hwa-jin signaled his subordinates.
They edged closer to Namgung Hwa-u's quarters.
Still, no presence.
How much time passed?
As they kept watch, Namgung Hwa-u's presence returned.
Identical to before.
Namgung Hwa-jin furrowed his brow.
[Keep watching.]
Issuing the order to his men, Namgung Hwa-jin moved quietly.
A minor change, but one he had to report to Namgung Hwa-hyeon.
He had been told to report even the slightest anomaly.
Namgung Hwa-hyeon, drifting into sleep, opened his eyes at his guard's report.
And received Namgung Hwa-jin in his study.
"What is it?"
"There was a change at Namgung Hwa-u's quarters."
Namgung Hwa-hyeon's eyes gleamed.
"A change?"
"Yes. For about this long, his presence vanished completely."
"Hmm..."
Namgung Hwa-hyeon fell into thought.
"No one came or went?"
"No one."
Namgung Hwa-jin replied with conviction.
How could there be?
He had watched without rest, pouring all his effort into surveillance.
That's how he had noticed the presence disappear.
Namgung Hwa-hyeon tapped the armrest of his chair.
No visitors, and for just that brief span, the presence gone.
What could be done in that time?
He pondered, but nothing came to mind.
Knowing Namgung Hwa-jin's abilities, if he was so certain, then no one had entered or left.
"Sigh... Why does that brat stir up my nerves the moment he returns home? Keep watching him."
"Understood."
At Namgung Hwa-hyeon's command, Namgung Hwa-jin quietly withdrew.
Namgung Hwa-hyeon headed back to his bedroom as well.
After he left the study.
Crack.
A small fissure appeared on the chair armrest he had tapped.
The elegantly carved cloud pattern split with a sharp crack.
"So, what's the plan?"
A pleasant morning.
At the breakfast gathering, Gongson Muoe asked Ha Mu-baek.
His face showed certainty that Ha Mu-baek had visited the Namgung Clan last night.
"Ji-yu and Ji-hu will return to the clan today, escorting the Valley Lord as an honored guest."
Gongson Muoe nodded.
"That should give them ample justification to return suddenly from the Dragon Training Pavilion."
The Valley Lord of Seonyu Valley, no less.
If he was visiting the Namgung Clan with Namgung Ji-hu and Namgung Ji-yu in tow, the Dragon Training Pavilion wouldn't matter.
"And they'll get to meet the clan head right away."
"Namgung Hwa-u will be there too, along with the clan elders."
It was only natural.
Seonyu Valley, one of the Eight New Schools.
Moreover, nearly every sect in the martial world owed them for their medical expertise.
Such protocol was par for the course.
"That's when Namgung Hwa-u will make his move."
Ha Mu-baek stated calmly.
"Hmm..."
Gongson Muoe stroked his chin.
"The outer courtyard guards on gate duty don't know Father's face. Nor do the servants, of course. So there won't be any interference until they meet the clan head in the inner courtyard."
They might even mistake Namgung Hwi for a Seonyu Valley warrior.
"Someone might recognize your face, though?"
Ha Mu-baek smiled faintly at Gongson Muoe's question.
"I'll move separately."
"Makes sense. If it's you."
Gongson Muoe agreed readily.
"Still, I'm worried we're placing too heavy a burden on the Valley Lord."
At Ha Mu-baek's words, the Namgung siblings subtly eyed Gongson Muoe.
He was right.
To Gongson Muoe, this was the affair of another sect entirely.
The Namgung Clan, at that.
Opposing their clan head.
For Seonyu Valley as a sect, not just Gongson Muoe personally, it was burdensome.
Gongson Muoe smiled warmly.
"Our valley and I have already received great aid from you. If you're helping these two, it's something I can fully support."
"Even so..."
"Besides, if you're taking the lead like this, failure isn't an option, is it?"
Ha Mu-baek nodded at the question.
"Yes. It won't come to that. Even if it deviates from plan, I'll make it succeed somehow."
Gongson Muoe nodded in response.
"Somehow make it succeed."
He knew full well how terrifying those words were.
He still couldn't forget Ha Mu-baek's feat that day.
Neutralizing the Ten Thousand Alliance's strongest and worst fire weapon.
"Then it's already a success. What burden is there?"
Unshakable faith in Ha Mu-baek.
"Thank you."
Ha Mu-baek bowed his head.
The Namgung siblings and Namgung Hwi bowed to Gongson Muoe and Ha Mu-baek.
Filled with gratitude.
Chudong watched, swallowing dryly.
'Crazy bastards...'
The divination still showed "tongue."
How could they speak so lightly of the Namgung Clan?
Even for Seonyu Valley, their objective strength paled against the Namgung Clan.
A martial sect, yes, but one focused on medicine and pharmacology.
Yet marching boldly into the heart of the Namgung Clan with such a small group.
The divination called Ha Mu-baek a noble ally.
But nobility didn't deflect swords.
Chudong cautiously drew another lot for Ha Mu-baek.
'Collapse?'
To collapse? Or to cause collapse?
Puzzled and fretting, a thought flashed through Chudong's mind.
Why hadn't he thought of this sooner?
Chudong drew a lot for Namgung Hwa-hyeon.
He had drawn countless for him twenty years ago, so he could still do it now.
How had he overlooked it?
The result.
'Ill omen!'
An unbelievable divination.
Ill omen for Namgung Hwa-hyeon today.
Meaning calamity would befall him.
The only calamity-worthy event today was...
Their visit.
"Heh..."
A gasp escaped Chudong unwittingly.
Eyes turned to him, but he ignored them and drew again.
This time for Namgung Hwi.
Fate.
"Fate" emerged for Namgung Hwi.
Ill omen for Namgung Hwa-hyeon, fate for Namgung Hwi.
The divination's meaning was clear.
Whatever happened, their endeavor today would succeed.
Then the "collapse" from Ha Mu-baek...
'Heh... That man will bring down the Namgung Clan? A single person?'
His own divination, yet utterly unbelievable.
Ma Jingi watched Chudong with a smirk, like a tiger eyeing a puppy.
"Then shall we get moving?"
Breakfast had ended before he knew it.
Tea was finished too.
It seemed the perfect time to visit the Namgung Clan.
Ha Mu-baek rose, and the group followed suit.