Chapter 137
Chapter 137
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 137
Chapter Title: The Blackened Crow
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Thud.
Something dropped right in front of his eyes.
Namgung Cheon-hu, his face pale and haggard, stared blankly at the small wooden box.
Then, an irritated voice poured down from above his head.
"Tch. You still haven't recovered?"
It was the voice of his father, the clan head, Namgung Il-geom.
The injuries Namgung Cheon-hu had sustained at the Sword King Tournament were the kind that would take at least a year of rest and recuperation to heal.
In fact, without the Namgung Clan's secret divine art, he might have lost everything as a martial artist.
Yet even so, there was no trace of worry in his father... the clan head's voice.
'Does he not feel it, or does it not exist?'
With that thought, Namgung Cheon-hu picked up the wooden box.
Click. It opened with a snap, revealing a single pill inside that gave off a mysterious fragrance.
"...An elixir. You said there were none to spare for a worthless son like me."
As befitting a great martial clan, the Namgung Clan possessed secret elixirs.
If he had been able to take one right after returning from the Sword King Tournament, he would have shaken off all his injuries long ago.
"It seems something has come up that requires the Young Clan Leader position."
Namgung Il-geom did not reply. It was the truth.
Instead, he issued a command.
"Recover your body as quickly as possible and head to Gangseo."
Gangseo. That damn Gangseo again.
Namgung Cheon-hu immediately realized what Namgung Il-geom wanted him to do.
"So the Baek Clan Manor has grown enough to catch the clan head's eye."
After losing all his subordinates at the Sword King Tournament and being placed under house arrest, Namgung Cheon-hu was still unaware of the events in Namcheong, Gangseo.
"The Baek Clan Manor... those bastards have gotten arrogant. They don't know their place."
He waited silently, and Namgung Il-geom continued.
"They've declared themselves the Heaven-Covering Baek Clan and proclaimed they will walk the path of the Heaven-Covering."
Heaven-Covering. To become a shield that covers the heavens and protect all the powerless in the world.
"Ha! What arrogance! What foolishness!"
Namgung Cheon-hu inwardly agreed with his father.
Unyielding righteousness? To pursue true righteousness without missing even the smallest detail?
'Yang-hui, was it? There's no way that kid would do something so stupid.'
A sturdy old tree that faces a storm unbroken ends up snapping, its roots torn out.
But what of the reed?
Even tossed by the waves, it bends this way and that, yet keeps its roots intact.
If one truly pursues righteousness, they should be like the reed.
Bending and compromising at times, but never losing their roots.
"If they choose the path of the old tree, they should be like Shaolin. Absolute martial prowess! A force that rivals the world's best!"
Moreover, the Baek Clan Manor wasn't even an old tree.
It was admirable that a sprout had emerged from the fruit of a fallen tree, but it was still just a sapling.
One strong gust of wind, and it would topple over.
"So you go be the wind, Cheon-hu."
"It seems the sapling has gotten some rich fertilizer."
Namgung Il-geom did not deny it.
Both he and Namgung Cheon-hu knew that merely proclaiming unyielding righteousness was something to laugh off over drinks once.
"Yes. The Jeon-gal Clan has sided with the Baek Clan Manor."
"The Jeon-gal? They must be busy enough with matters in Hobuk."
"And yet they helped anyway. That means their ties run deep."
As expected, the Namgung clan head wouldn't concern himself with the Baek Clan alone.
The long history of the martial world proved what happens to powerless righteousness.
Namgung Il-geom was targeting the enemy behind the Baek Clan that had proclaimed Heaven-Covering righteousness.
"You still see them as puppets."
"Is there any other possibility?"
The first time the Baek Clan Manor appeared on the Namgung Clan's intelligence network was through the Tang Clan.
More precisely, they were seen as puppets the Tang Clan had pushed forward to expand beyond Sichuan.
It was only logical; no one would give away part of their ancestral estate as a branch otherwise.
"You were wrong. The Tang Clan wasn't the mastermind. It was all a scheme woven by that guy's House of the Crouching Dragon."
Baek Clan. Tang Clan. And Jeon-gal Clan.
Predicting the ringleader among them was no challenge.
Whether by faction size, reputation, or depth of scheme.
It had to be the Jeon-gal Clan's handiwork.
"So you step up, Cheon-hu. Go smear ink over their painting."
Only then did Namgung Cheon-hu understand why Namgung Il-geom had given him the elixir he had withheld and issued the command.
Smear ink. Anyone who touches the black ink would stain their own hands black.
'...Haha.'
In other words, Namgung Il-geom's order was this:
I need someone to dirty their hands with ink, so you do it.
"Isn't this a good opportunity? Why not give Cheon-yeong a chance to earn some merit too?"
Namgung Il-geom immediately furrowed his brow.
"He's not even twenty yet. Merit? For that child, simply training in martial arts is merit enough for the main family."
...True enough.
His younger brother Namgung Cheon-yeong's talent could advance the main family's martial arts.
Simply training was indeed earning merit.
"Cheon-hu."
Suddenly, Namgung Il-geom's voice softened.
"Since the Sword King Tournament, your position isn't what it used to be. The elders are all condemning you. Won't you regain what you had by earning merit?"
It was true. There would be armed forces going with him to Gangseo, a chance to replace the subordinates lost at the tournament.
But.
'Clan head. No matter how you dress it up, you can't dirty your hands with Cheon-yeong, can you?'
He laughed. Silently, inwardly weeping.
If only he had talent.
If only he had genius that shone brilliantly, drawing admiration and envy just by existing.
'If I don't have it, I'll take it. By any means necessary.'
A wind stirred in his heart. It was also darkness.
He parted the rippling black curtain and read his true heart.
-Dirty your hands? So what.
-Even if your whole body is dyed black, isn't it enough if you can have it all!
His inner voice was right.
He would have everything he desired.
"I have a condition, clan head."
"A condition? I'm giving you an opportunity, and you speak of conditions?"
"You didn't raise this Young Clan Leader to be a fool."
Overly insolent words for a Young Clan Leader to his clan head, or a son to his father.
Yet Namgung Il-geom laughed heartily.
"You're right, Cheon-hu. I'm pleased. State your condition."
"I will follow the clan head's command. In return, provide as many armed forces as I need, support with intelligence, and let me select the personnel myself."
"Very well. That was my intention anyway."
In Namgung Il-geom's view, his second son Namgung Cheon-yeong needed more time before ascending to Young Clan Leader.
If the position remained vacant in the meantime, other vultures might overstep.
Thus, it was better for Namgung Cheon-hu to carry out this order well and hold the position longer.
The future Namgung clan head would be Namgung Cheon-yeong anyway.
It was inevitable fate.
"Then go. Take care, and move out as soon as you recover."
"Understood."
Namgung Cheon-hu stared at the door Namgung Il-geom had closed for a moment.
Then, without hesitation, he swallowed the elixir.
'The symbol of the Heaven-Covering Baek Clan is a white hawk, they say.'
Then I shall become a crow.
Even if my feathers are dyed black, I will devour the white hawk and soar into the skies once more.
With black wings, I will become the lord of the blue heavens.
-Yes, exactly that.
Listening to the voice again, Namgung Cheon-hu sank deep into his inner self.
For five hours.
As long as it took for the sunken sun to rise again in the blue heavens.
Having fully restored his depleted vital energy, Namgung Cheon-hu stepped out to the training grounds.
To tune his rusty body.
"...Cheon-yeong."
"Ah! Brother!"
There was already someone at the training grounds.
His younger brother, Namgung Cheon-yeong.
"Brother! Ah, you look better!"
A heaven-sent genius, but still young.
Namgung Cheon-yeong was merely at the first-rate realm.
Yet he saw through the condition of his peak expert body.
'Cheon-yeong.'
Unaware of his inner thoughts, Namgung Cheon-yeong simply beamed with joy.
"Did Father finally give you the elixir? I'm so relieved, brother!"
A monster that would unwittingly take everything from him.
Yet, because he was young, still a brother he admired and followed.
'Every time you do this... I can't bear it.'
"The clan head has issued a command. I'll be heading to Gangseo soon."
"What's happening in Gangseo?"
"As you know, An-hwi where the main family resides borders Gangseo. A potential threat has emerged in Gangseo."
"Hm? Black Dao or unorthodox sects?"
"No. For now, it's from the orthodox factions."
"Then it's not a threat, but competition, right? Competition lifts each other up—it's a good thing!"
True. Idealistic words, detached from reality.
"Yes, you're right. I'll try to make it a relationship where we can compete."
"Yes! Ah, brother! Could you watch my swordsmanship for the first time in a while?"
'Cheon-yeong. You want to give this brother another taste of despair, huh.'
Hiding his feelings, he nodded.
Namgung Cheon-yeong soon began his sword dance.
Shing! Shing! Shing!
Namgung Cheon-yeong's sword sliced through the air.
The air was emptiness, nothing there, yet his brother's sword clearly cut something.
And he could see it.
Just swinging a metal rod, yet the heavens.
'Not even at super peak realm yet, and already the heavens reflect in his sword.'
A genius that inspired only awe.
The future world's best would surely be his brother.
An inevitable fate that would not change.
As long as he didn't perish before ascending the great seat.
'That's why the clan head cherishes Cheon-yeong so.'
But, Cheon-yeong.
This brother cannot yield.
'Not even to a younger brother who trusts and follows him.'
The next day.
Namgung Cheon-hu departed for Gangseo with the armed forces he had personally selected.
Having laid the groundwork to create a beautiful masterpiece even with black ink.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After things in Namcheong had settled somewhat, Yang-hui returned to the main family in Muju.
By his side, as if it were natural, was Ado, along with an unexpected uninvited guest filling the space.
"Seol-ha. Master will think you're walking the Path of Full Sounds in Namcheong. Is it right for you to follow me?"
"Ehehe. Senior Brother, think about it."
"About what?"
"What is the Path of Full Sounds? It's the path to fill with sounds, to hear ten thousand sounds. You can't fill ten thousand sounds in one place."
Yang-hui didn't fall for Jeon-gal Seol-ha's glib tongue.
"So what's the real reason?"
"We've been there three months already. It's boring without you, Senior Brother."
"You just don't want to pretend to be an evil musician."
Jeon-gal Seol-ha, pierced to the core, put on a cute act and grinned broadly.
"Ehehehe."
'Well, yeah. She trained in martial arts for years in the mountains, so pretending to be evil out here must make her antsy.'
Especially since she had inherited the arts of the absolute peak expert, the Heaven-Shaking Sound Witch.
She probably wanted to tour the world, punish injustice with measured strength, and play the heroine.
Young martial artists' hearts were all the same.
"But why follow me? I'll be staying at the main house for a while. It'll be even more boring."
Jeon-gal Seol-ha shook her head as if that was absurd.
"Senior Brother wouldn't do that."
"I will. For real."
"Even if you want to, those around you won't let you. You always bring storms wherever you go, Senior Brother."
"......"
Hard to deny. Especially with a big storm brewing soon.
That was when it happened.
"Young Master!"
A servant burst through the door, shouting.
"Th-the Namgung Clan has sent guests!"
"See? I knew it," said Jeon-gal Seol-ha with a sly grin.
He hurried outside toward the main gate.
On the wide grounds of the Baek Clan Manor, Namgung Clan warriors walked the blue stone path from the gate to the main hall.
Leading them was... a familiar face.
"Baek Yang-hui. Long time no see."
Yang-hui stopped in front of him and instinctively raised the corner of his mouth.
"You look radiant. Didn't expect you to recover so soon."
Namgung Cheon-hu also raised the corner of his mouth, just like Yang-hui.
"Ah, thanks to you."
A sharp, heavy atmosphere began to envelop the surroundings.