The Beggar Young Master of the Namgung Clan

"Haaah..."

With a long sigh, Namgung Ji was heading towards the Middle Heaven Training Ground.

To be precise, he wasn't going there on business, but was on his way to meet Namgung Il, who was at the Middle Heaven Training Ground.

"No matter what, make that brat accept the spar!"

"H-how?"

"You should think about that! Do I have to do that for you too?"

A day had already passed since he had that conversation with Namgung Hae.

He was on his way to persuade Namgung Il somehow, but... could he really persuade that brat?

He was a brat who had nonchalantly refused Namgung Hae's words yesterday, so it was as clear as day that he wouldn't even listen to his words.

'It would be a relief if he just ignored me.'

He might grab him by the collar and try to hit him again.

There was no one to stop him now...

Suddenly feeling his own situation was so pathetic, another deep sigh escaped Namgung Ji's lips.

'By the way, when did he move to the Middle Heaven Training Ground?'

Namgung Ji had learned that fact for the first time this time.

He had thought that with his skills, he would be languishing in the Lesser Heaven Training Ground forever, but being in the Middle Heaven Training Ground meant that he had raised his Azure Sky Sword Style to at least the 6th level, didn't it?

When he learned that fact, Namgung Ji couldn't help but be surprised again.

'Well, it doesn't make sense for him to be in the Lesser Heaven Training Ground after what he did to me.'

Still, it didn't make sense.

Namgung Il currently had the skills to be in the Middle Heaven Training Ground, and he had already proudly graduated from the Middle Heaven Training Ground, hadn't he?

Just that alone should show a clear gap in their skills... So why had he lost to that brat?

'Yes, I must have been too careless back then.'

He thought that Namgung Il still had the skills to be in the Lesser Heaven Training Ground, so he had fought too moderately.

Otherwise, there would be no reason for him to lose to that brat.

Of course, at that time, Namgung Ji had fought with all his might, but as time passed, he was recalling memories that were favorable to him.

'I don't need my second brother's help! If I fight properly from the beginning again, I can win with my own skills.'

Thinking that way, an unknown confidence began to grow in Namgung Ji.

His steps became confident as well.

Namgung Ji kicked open the door of the Middle Heaven Training Ground with the momentum to challenge Namgung Il to a fight right away.

However.

"...Uh."

As soon as he opened the door, Namgung Ji was able to realize the reality again.

Because as soon as he saw Namgung Il, the confidence that had been full just a moment ago disappeared like smoke.

Watching Namgung Il's sword strikes cutting through the air, Namgung Ji swallowed his saliva without realizing it.

'...Didn't he say he came to the Middle Heaven Training Ground yesterday?'

But the Great Expansion Sword Style that Namgung Il was performing now was by no means at that level.

Of course, he had only seen one sword form, not the whole thing... but from that one sword form alone, Namgung Ji could feel a sufficient threat from that sword strike.

"..."

Let's leave this matter to my second brother.

It was by no means because he was afraid, but because his body had not yet fully recovered.

While Namgung Ji was thinking that to himself, Namgung Il had already stopped his movements and was looking this way.

"What is it?"

A voice filled with considerable displeasure.

When Namgung Il glared at him as if asking why he had come, Namgung Ji was startled and ran forward.

"Ah, greetings, older brother."

Because he had been grabbed by the collar for not greeting him last time, Namgung Ji immediately bowed his head.

He had also used the proper honorifics, so Namgung Il wouldn't just hit him out of the blue.

Namgung Il silently looked down at Namgung Ji, who was bowing his head to him.

'He came, as expected.'

Namgung Il had expected that either Namgung Hae or Namgung Ji would come to see him again today.

The reason, of course, would be the spar he had mentioned yesterday.

Seeing how much they wanted to have a spar with him on that day, Namgung Il could think of one possibility.

"What is it, why are you here?"

"Haha, do I need a reason to come and see you, older brother?"

"Cut the crap. I still have no intention of sparring, so get lost quickly."

When Namgung Il said that, Namgung Ji's eyebrows twitched slightly.

But the smile remained on his lips.

In order to make Namgung Il accept the spar, he had no choice but to endure and smile like this, even if he was in a bad mood.

"Come on..., why don't you think about it positively?"

"Positive, my ass. What can I gain from that spar?"

"If you show a great spar at that event, won't your reputation improve?"

"That's funny. When you're inwardly hoping that I get beaten by my second brother."

Flinch—

That was close.

But Namgung Ji barely managed to keep a smile on his lips and continued to speak.

"My second brother will also go easy in that spar."

"..."

"People from outside will also flock to the event that day, so it's just for the purpose of showing off the dignity of the Namgung Clan..."

"Did your mother tell you to do it?"

This time, even Namgung Ji couldn't hide the agitation on his face.

Does this brat use some kind of mind-reading technique?

He had been saying things that pierced through his inner thoughts from a while ago, so Namgung Ji was even beginning to have such suspicions.

'Correct.'

Looking at Namgung Ji's expression, Namgung Il could be sure of that fact.

To disgrace him in a spar in front of many people.

Namgung Il had thought from early on that Suseonghwa, whom he had seen at the clan head's residence back then, would naturally do so.

"Now there's even less reason for me to accept that spar."

"Kuh..."

"What are you going to do now?"

Namgung Il asked with a calm face.

As if telling him to try and tempt him somehow.

From Namgung Il's perspective, it didn't matter if he didn't spar, so the upper hand in this negotiation was on Namgung Il's side.

"..."

Namgung Ji seemed to be deep in thought about something.

Now that his intentions had been revealed, Namgung Il would never accept a spar with just any words.

In the end, Namgung Ji decided to pull out his last resort.

"...Then let's do this."

"..."

"If you win that spar, I will give you something that will tempt you, older brother."

"Don't beat around the bush, speak straight."

"...I will give you a thousand-year-old wild ginseng."

It's a big catch.

When the name 'thousand-year-old wild ginseng' came out of Namgung Ji's mouth, Namgung Il was cheering inwardly.

'This brat, he's got big guts. How dare he bet a thousand-year-old wild ginseng?'

A thousand-year-old wild ginseng was what was commonly called a spiritual medicine in the martial world.

Of course, it couldn't be compared to Shaolin's Great Recovery Pill or Wudang's Purple Cloud Pill, but it was undoubtedly a spiritual medicine of great value.

Martial artists were always searching for spiritual medicines with fire in their eyes.

It was quite a common occurrence for a storm of blood to blow through the martial world just from the news that a spiritual medicine was hidden in a certain area.

"How can I believe that? A thousand-year-old wild ginseng isn't some weed growing on the street. How are you going to give it to me?"

Namgung Il was asking, but he didn't think Namgung Ji was bluffing.

Because Namgung Ji had the ability to obtain it.

No, to be precise, Namgung Ji's mother, Suseonghwa's family, had that much ability.

"When I said I would start learning the Ascending Sword Style in earnest, my mother told me a while ago that she would get me a thousand-year-old wild ginseng."

"..."

"You should know well what kind of family my maternal grandfather's family is, older brother."

Oh, I know very well.

That's why I refused the spar yesterday and have been waiting for you until now.

'I was also surprised when I first heard that this brat's maternal grandfather's family was the World Escort Agency.'

A place that makes a living by safely escorting goods to their destination for a certain fee, that is an escort agency.

Among them, the World Escort Agency was a place that boasted a nationwide scale, so much so that even Namgung Il had heard of it since the past.

Since the scale is large, wouldn't goods and money from all over the world gather at the World Escort Agency?

It was clear that a thousand-year-old wild ginseng was a spiritual medicine that couldn't be easily obtained even with money, but with the power of the World Escort Agency, it would be possible to obtain it without much difficulty.

"..."

Suseonghwa was the only daughter of the owner of such a World Escort Agency.

Namgung Cheong's marriage to Suseonghwa was probably also quite influenced by the World Escort Agency.

Well, he couldn't be sure about that part yet... but anyway, his half-brothers, including the Namgung Ji in front of him, were born with the golden spoons of the Namgung Clan and the World Escort Agency in both hands.

'I'm suddenly annoyed.'

Of course, he also had the huge family of the Namgung Clan.

Compared to when he lived as a beggar in the past, it was a level where he should be truly grateful.

But as they say, humans always live by comparing, so when he learned that Suseonghwa's family was the World Escort Agency, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relative deprivation.

'So I have to thoroughly rip them off!'

Even during his beggar days, he used to rip off those who had more.

Although his appearance had become that of a handsome young master of the Namgung Clan, how could his inner self change?

With his thorough beggar mentality, Namgung Il planned to rip off as much as he could from Namgung Ji and Namgung Hae.

"Yes, I can trust the World Escort Agency."

"Then are you accepting the spar?"

Namgung Ji asked with a brightened face.

However.

Hearing Namgung Il's next answer, the smile disappeared from Namgung Ji's lips again.

"I haven't said I'll accept it yet."

"Pardon? Is a thousand-year-old wild ginseng not enough?"

"That's not the problem."

"Then what on earth is..."

"How can I trust you?"

A concise and to-the-point question.

Namgung Ji couldn't really answer that.

"What if I win the spar and you just swallow the thousand-year-old wild ginseng? What becomes of me then?"

"No... Do you not trust me that much?"

"Uh, of course."

Actually, he thought so too.

But he couldn't let Namgung Il, who was almost hooked, go for something like this.

Namgung Ji appealed to Namgung Il as if he had been wronged.

"Then what should I do for you to believe my words?"

"It's simple."

"...?"

"Get it notarized."

"Notarized...?"

"If the government office becomes a witness, then I can believe it for sure."

"..."

Namgung Ji was dumbfounded at those words.

To think that the words 'government office' and 'notarization' would come up here.

Namgung Ji knew what they were, but they were still unfamiliar names to him.

'What the hell... let's do it!'

As long as Namgung Hae doesn't lose the spar, the thousand-year-old wild ginseng won't go to that brat anyway.

And would Namgung Hae lose to Namgung Il?

He might have lost to Namgung Il because he was careless, but Namgung Hae's skills were far superior to his own.

"Alright!"

"..."

"Notarization... I'll get it done! So will you accept now?"

Grin—

At that moment, the corners of Namgung Il's mouth lifted slightly.

"Yes."

It seems his mother didn't teach him not to carelessly put his seal on things.

But that's okay.

He would take this opportunity to teach Namgung Ji for sure how dangerous that action is.

A thousand-year-old wild ginseng was a very cheap price for that lesson.

"Then shall we go and get the seal stamped?"

Namgung Il said with a very bright smile.

(End of Chapter)