False Sparring (3)
Thwack!
“Ow!”
I took a wooden sword to the forearm.
Clatter!
I deliberately dropped my wooden sword and raised both arms high.
“I lost. I concede.”
“N-Namgung Du-chi wins.”
The grand elder, flustered by the absurd scene, even stuttered his judgment.
Thwack!
“Ow!”
This time, my wooden sword flew far away.
I raised both arms over my head again.
“I lost!”
The opponent's wooden sword, poised to strike down on my head, froze mid-air.
His face, which should have been beaming with victory, instead twisted in unease.
I, the loser, looked relieved instead.
“Namgung Bu wins.”
The grand elder pronounced it cleanly this time, without panic.
The same ridiculous scene repeated three more times.
Thwack!
“Tch, Namgung Hu wins.”
“Tch tch, Namgung-whatsisname wins.”
“Tch tch tch! Namgung-whatsisname wins!!”
The Namgung clan's youngest young master's first official event ended in five straight losses.
Tuts of disapproval filled the training grounds.
“Lost again?”
“He lost again?”
Namgung Je-cheon shouted blankly at the air.
“He lost that too?”
“Haha!”
“You find that funny?”
'What, you gonna cry?'
And he'd been speaking casually to me like this for a while now.
Technically, he was older, but my position outranked his.
Whatever... I was in a good mood, so I'd let it slide.
Today had gone perfectly according to plan.
Now, if word spread that the Namgung clan's youngest young master had no interest in learning martial arts, my escape plan from the clan would take shape.
Might as well head to the upper realm while I'm at it.
I wondered how my painting and the courtesans I'd left with Tianxia Jeonjang were doing.
My darlings.
Master's coming to see you soon!
“The Namgung clan has so many promising talents—our future is truly bright. As the youngest young master, this is a joyous day like no other. Isn't it?”
I asked a question I knew wouldn't get an answer.
I didn't even bother picking up my fallen wooden sword and stepped down from the sparring platform.
I started walking right out of the training grounds.
That was when it happened.
“This is no fun.”
'!'
...A reply came.
From someone whose words couldn't be ignored.
“Isn't it, Grand Elder?”
The grand elder, clearly unprepared for this, stammered in panic.
“Y-Yes, it is.”
“Isn't it, elders?”
The elders hurriedly chimed in.
“Y-Yes!”
“Of course!”
“N-No fun at all.”
Their voices trembled too.
“Isn't it, youngest?”
And finally, that voice reached me.
Whoosh!
Sinui's eyes widened.
'As expected of that Namgung bastard!'
That thousand-year-old viper, more twisted than anyone, wouldn't let things end like this.
I had no idea what he was planning, but something entertaining was definitely coming.
'Damn it.'
The old man who'd stayed quiet until now had lifted the lid off perfectly cooked rice.
The rice was perfectly fluffy, gleaming white, ready to be steamed a bit more and served.
But now ashes were sprinkling down on it.
“Haha! You're right, Father.”
I was just one step from leaving the training grounds.
But I couldn't take that step.
Namgung Hancheol glanced around and spoke.
“These days' kids have such low martial prowess—there's no spectacle to enjoy.”
Groans rippled here and there.
Because “these days' kids” included everyone present.
“How can we call ourselves the world's greatest clan like this?”
'Well...'
To me, that was more than enough to claim the title of world's greatest clan.
Of course, saying it out loud might mean bidding the world farewell that instant.
And no one here had the guts for that.
“Exactly! Clan head! Ending it like this is unacceptable!”
...Except one.
'That lunatic again!'
“Right. The deputy strategist knows his stuff. Back in my day, year-end evaluations weren't like this.”
Then Namgung Ilro suddenly cut in.
“Heh heh, how can you compare then and now? Unlike back then, these are peaceful times.”
The lunatic happily picked up the thread.
“Oh~! Even Master thinks so! Exactly! This damned peace is ruining the Namgung clan.”
No, no, no, no!!!
Why was Namgung Ilro the deputy backing him up like that!
Wasn't that bending the elbow too far inward?
Pampering your disciple just made him turn out like this!
Academic ties, regional ties, blood ties—they were all banned by national law, for crying out loud.
“Heh heh. Since the deputy strategist sees it that way too, the Namgung clan's future is bright indeed.”
“In that spirit, I have a proposal for the clan head and strategist!”
Suddenly, a chill ran down my back.
Someone, please shut this lunatic up!
“The deputy strategist's proposal piques my interest. What say you, clan head?”
“Let's hear it.”
'Damn it!'
The lunatic had just grown the world's sturdiest pair of wings.
Like giving a mad tiger phoenix wings.
“I request a direct lineage sparring match right here and now.”
At that moment.
“Oh ho, what a disaster.”
“Amitabha.”
“Amitabha.”
Gasp of horror echoed around.
Direct lineage sparring? Had the lunatic finally lost it?
Well, he always was a bit off.
Namgung Hancheol grinned faintly—what others saw as expressionless.
“What do you say, Third? Care to spar with the youngest?”
“Father, are you serious?”
Namgung So had watched my matches all along.
My basics seemed solid enough, but that was it, he'd judged.
I seemed utterly disinterested in martial arts, which might actually be for the best.
Spar with me?
It sounded like he was telling him to kill me right here.
“If you're not keen, you don't have to. Second, will you do it?”
At that instant.
“No way!”
“Up on the platform now!”
Namgung So leaped onto the sparring platform.
“I'll do it. No need to bother Second Brother.”
“So be it, youngest.”
“Uh...”
Just one more step, and I was out.
“Can't I just skip it?”
I tried playing dumb.
“The skill gap between Namgung So and me is too huge anyway—the fight wouldn't even happen...”
“I see! I hadn't considered that. Third.”
“Yes, Father.”
“No internal energy.”
“Yes, Father.”
“How about that? Fair now?”
Whoa... Why was this guy doing this?
I'd whittled it down this much—he had to get the hint.
With my brother stepping up, I had no grounds to refuse further.
'Direct lineage sparring, huh...'
I'd heard there used to be such things in the past.
Back then, during the war with the Demonic Cult.
Even direct lineage could die anytime.
So they'd spar among themselves to establish hierarchy, ensuring smooth succession without hassle if one fell.
That was direct lineage sparring—a custom born of necessity.
Of course, in these peaceful times, it was just barbaric.
Unlike friendly spars to gauge skill, this meant lethal strikes flying without mercy.
Block one, throw another.
Dead in war or spar—same difference.
If you're dying anyway, win the spar and absorb the fallen's authority into your own.
“If you don't want to, forfeit. But...”
Father looked at me indifferently and continued.
“Per direct lineage sparring rules, leave with one arm—and all your Namgung direct lineage authority.”
The chance to achieve my goal had come sooner than expected.
Though living as a one-armed man forever was a hard pass.
“Sounds fun. Direct lineage sparring—let's do it. Haha!”
Tears welled up, blurring my vision.
Sinui glanced at the lunatic beside him.
'Did this guy predict this would happen?'
So he'd anticipated everything and immediately suggested this absurd direct lineage sparring!
“You madman.”
Sinui couldn't hold back his curiosity.
“Yes?”
“Did you predict the year-end evaluation would escalate to direct lineage sparring?”
Namgung Je-cheon looked at him like he'd said something nonsense.
“I'm no prophet—how would I know?”
“Didn't you suggest it?”
It felt too scripted.
“Oh, that. That was just...”
“Just what?”
“As the clan head said, ending it like this is no fun. Besides, Sinui, you missed the most crucial point.”
And the madman's eyes gleamed.
'Bingo.'
Even if he was a bit crazy, his reputation for handling affairs brilliantly was well-known.
'He's Master's disciple, after all. In a place where only Master and that Namgung guy could see it, this one spotted what everyone else missed.'
“What is it?”
“Heh heh.”
That laugh made Sinui want to smack him.
If not for the situation, he'd have headbutted him already.
'Patience! Yi Han! Almost there.'
“The youngest young master must pass the year-end evaluation with flying colors today.”
“Why?”
Sinui still didn't get it.
“Sinui, still don't see it? What I said earlier.”
'What? Earlier? When!'
He racked his brain.
The madman had said a lot today.
Nothing crucial stood out.
“It's killer, especially the dishes the maids put heart into—two could eat it and one die without knowing, it's that good.”
“...That's your reason?”
“Yes.”
“How does that relate to the youngest doing direct lineage sparring?”
Direct lineage sparring was far more dangerous than regular matches, by Sinui's knowledge.
The madman lowered his voice.
“I know the youngest young master threw those matches on purpose.”
'That's it!'
What everyone missed, visible only to Namgung Hancheol and Namgung Ilro!
Namgung Je-cheon whispered even softer.
“Because...”
Gulp.
Sinui swallowed unconsciously.
Finally, he'd understand what those two inhuman monsters intended!
“...the youngest young master hates seafood. I asked the maids before coming today—what's the main ingredient? They said it's a seafood feast.”
Sinui whispered back.
“...So he lost on purpose because of that?”
Namgung Je-cheon replied with utter conviction.
“Yes!”
And it dawned on him.
Why they called the madman mad.
'Heh heh. Almost fell for the madman's nonsense.'
But Sinui missed one key fact.
The world calls madmen mad, but when eras shift and old ideologies mix into something new, reevaluation happens sometimes.
Madmen become great men.
Not saying that for Namgung Je-cheon, but such people exist occasionally.
And a few months back.
Namgung Je-cheon had passed “summoning pills” to the maids and head maid.
They were indeed summoning pills.
But!
What he gave Namgung Daeso was no summoning pill.
'It was a Great Transformation Pill.'
And in the past, Namgung Je-cheon had asked his master Namgung Ilro:
—Master, this book says some people eat Great Transformation Pills with no change. I can't understand it. The author must be mad.
—Heh heh, foolish disciple.
—Yes, Master.
—I wrote it.
—...
—That book over there too...?
—I wrote all of these.
—...
—Ahem! It's reasonable to doubt. I've only seen one such person till now.
—Someone unchanged by a Great Transformation Pill.
—Who?
—The head of the Namgung clan.
Namgung Je-cheon's eyes sparkled as he stared at Namgung Daeso.
'Show me. What you're hiding!'