The Fastest Sword Under Heaven

Chapter 168 - I picked it up on the way

“As you know, our ancestor was very skilled in the Standard Script (a style of calligraphy).”

“I am well aware.”

“People called our ancestor one of the Four Great Masters of Standard Script, along with Zhao Mengfu, Ouyang Xun, and Yan Zhenqing”

“I know that as well.”

“But does this even make sense? Whether you look at it from the front, the side, or while doing a handstand, our ancestor’s calligraphy is far more splendid!”

“………….”

The master of the Hall of Judging Fakes, Lord Pan, gave up on replying any further.

‘This is driving me crazy.’

It felt like blood was coming out of his ears.

He had tried his best to humor the son of the prestigious Namgung Family Clan, but the man who had requested the appraisal did not rest his mouth for a moment.

No.

Weren't sons of prestigious families supposed to value face and dignity?

But watching the actions of this ugly bastard in front of him, it felt like he was looking at the son of a clown family rather than a prestigious one.

“We must change the public’s evaluation right now. How can they be grouped together with some rootless people and called the Four Greats? The Four Greats.”

“It is almost done, so please be quiet for a moment.”

When Lord Pan glared, the man smacked his lips and took a step back.

Unbelievably, he had an expression as if he still had much more to say.

-Squeak.

Just then, the door opened and Jung-gon entered.

“Young Master. A new client requests to see you.”

“Me? Why?”

The man was bewildered, yet he inwardly rubbed his lips together.

He hadn’t been able to finish what he wanted to say because Lord Pan had gotten angry.

Growl growl.

The man seemed to be preparing to lunge at new prey.

However, at Jung-gon’s next words, he had to widen his eyes.

“The new client also claims to have brought an original work of Master Namgung Dong.”

“!”

His already ugly face contorted fiercely.

Jung-gon suddenly felt a wave of nausea but managed to endure it with great patience.

“That is quite a coincidence. Let’s see his face.”

At his words, Lord Pan glanced at the man.

He had noticed that his tone had changed significantly from before.

‘Surely they won’t fight here.’

The Hall of Judging Fakes was a place of high standing, well-known in Xi'an.

The master of this place, Lord Pan, had been a government official, and had spent his entire life in the business of authenticating and appraising the value of genuine articles.

Although he had retired due to age, his work had, absurdly, increased.

It was because people flocked from all over the vast Central Plains to get his appraisal.

It was only possible because he was someone who had never made a single incorrect appraisal during his time in office.

Lord Pan went ahead and opened the Hall of Judging Fakes (剬僞堂) to start a business.

The appraisal fee was quite expensive, but as long as the item was confirmed to be genuine, that fee was nothing, so there was always a high demand.

“Master. Is it alright to let the client in?”

“Please do.”

Although the ugly man’s momentum was unusual, Lord Pan nodded his head.

He also hadn’t expected to be appraising the works of Namgung Dong consecutively.

It was an experience that would never happen again in his lifetime, let alone in a year, so Lord Pan also felt a subtle curiosity.

“Hmm?”

However, the moment the clients entered the room, Lord Pan’s gaze was on the jade faces of the man and woman, not the item.

‘I think even the world’s works of art would not be as delicate as them.’

Lord Pan unconsciously swept his chest.

A habit that came out when he saw beautiful treasures while working in office had naturally emerged upon seeing the two.

It seemed impossible to create such faces even if one deliberately sculpted them.

It was a sorry thought, but perhaps because he had been looking at the ugly man’s face next to him for a while, they felt even more dazzling.

“I am the master of this place, Pan Jihui. And you are……?”

“I am Biyoung. This is Jeong-i.”

As if thinking the person’s introduction was insufficient, Jung-gon added from the side.

“These two are warriors of the Diancang Sect.”

See.

I told you they knew.

Biyoung sent such a look to Jeong-i.

“Diancang Sect?”

Lord Pan, who had been staring blankly at the jade faces of the good man and good woman, finally examined the emblem on their chests.

The emblem of an eagle’s wings made of red thread.

He too had heard the rumors about the Diancang Sect circulating in the world.

“The protagonists who are shaking the Murim have come here. Please sit here.”

It was just as Lord Pan was about to guide them to an empty chair.

“Where did you get that?”

The man, who had somehow managed to keep his mouth shut, asked Biyoung bluntly.

His gaze was fixed on the silk Biyoung was holding in his hand.

Instead of answering, Biyoung let out a sound of admiration.

“Wow…… it’s truly tremendous!”

“…………?”

The man had no way of knowing that it was an admiration (?) for his own face.

“Kekeke. The blood doesn’t lie, they say.”

It wasn’t just martial arts that were diluted over time.

Namgung Chun, whose facial features were all over the place even at the age of sixty.

Putting aside that he was a respected person, he had thought countless times, ‘how can someone look like that?’

But now that he looked at it, that was nothing.

The man, who seemed to be around the same age as Eung Gajin, was full of youth, and the individuality of his face had also reached its peak.

“I asked where you got that.”

It seemed he was uncomfortable because he wasn't answering and just grinning.

The man drew up his internal energy from within.

Jjirit.

‘Oh my?’

The man’s internal energy pressed down on Biyoung’s entire body.

Should he say he was indeed the son of a prestigious family?

This kind of internal energy operation was something the next-generation disciples of the Diancang Sect couldn’t even dream of.

But.

To Biyoung, who had opened his Governor and Conception Vessels, it just looked like cute mischief.

“I picked it up on the way.”

Jiriririt.

“Keuk……!”

The man, who had been glaring with scary eyes, suddenly took a couple of steps back and let out a groan.

The people in the middle looked at the man, wondering what was going on.

‘What’s wrong with him?’

It was a contest of internal energy that only Biyoung and the man could know.

The man, who had boldly tried to crush Biyoung, couldn’t even get his investment back and had to break out in a cold sweat.

The man’s eyes, contorted with pain, turned to Biyoung.

‘What kind of guy is that?’

The eldest grandson of the Namgung Family Clan, Namgung Chu, could not understand the current situation.

He had never lost in terms of internal energy among his peers.

As the eldest grandson of a prestigious family, he had taken an innumerable number of elixirs, and the Namgung family’s unique internal energy technique was as profound as that of any orthodox sect.

But to be pushed back in internal energy by a man who looked at least five years younger than him?

Unlike Namgung Chu, who was sweating profusely, Biyoung was smiling brightly as he was at the beginning.

“You are a descendant of Elder Namgung Chun, who passed away in the Heavenly Demon War, right?”

“That’s right…… but how do you know that?”

Because you resemble him.

Hideously ugly.

However, he could not bring out the memories of the World’s Fastest Sword here.

“I heard the sounds of praise for Master Namgung Dong’s work all the way from the hallway. Besides, you said you came from Anhui Province. With this much, it’s not hard to guess.”

Do people at that age usually memorize the locations of the main houses of the Five Great Families?

But Namgung Chu soon threw away his doubts.

The internal energy that guy held was on a level far from ordinary.

Namgung Chu meekly nodded his head.

“That’s right. I am Namgung Chu, a descendant of Master Namgung Dong.”

“‘Chu’? It’s presumptuous of me, but could it be……”

At Biyoung’s subtle question, Namgung Chu shouted as if having a fit.

“No! How could it be? No matter how my face is, what parent in the world would give their child the character Chu(ugly)!?”

That was something like Namgung Chu’s reverse scale.

People would associate his appearance with his name and tease him, asking if the ‘Chu’ in Namgung Chu was the ‘Chu’ from ‘chunam’ (ugly man).

As Namgung Chu said, that was a ridiculous speculation.

The Namgung Family Clan has been given the names ‘Chun, Ha, Chu, Dong’ (Spring-Summer-Autumn-Winter) according to the four seasons for generations.

Meaning, Namgung Chun, who fought alongside Biyoung in the Heavenly Demon War, was this man’s grandfather.

“Why are you suddenly having a fit? I was just going to ask if you were Elder Namgung Chun’s grandson.”

“Ah…… was that it?”

Like hell it was.

He deliberately teased him because he expected this kind of reaction.

At Namgung Chu’s innocent reaction, Biyoung smiled inwardly.

‘He’s similar to his grandfather.’

There were occasionally unorthodox faction members who pointed out Namgung Chun’s face.

Whenever that happened, Namgung Chun would stick his judge’s brush into all of the human body’s vital points.

Even at his age, he did not just let go of being called ugly.

At that age, one would expect him to laugh it off.

He remembered bursting out laughing several times on the battlefield at that pure reaction.

“But…… how do you know my grandfather? Seeing your age, it seems you’ve never met him.”

“Do I have to meet him to know? The tales of Elder Namgung Chun’s heroic deeds in the Heavenly Demon War have spread throughout the Central Plains.”

“Hmm…… hahat. Well, that’s true.”

His face had been subtly hurt because he had lost the internal energy fight, but Namgung Chu’s expression softened a little when he praised his grandfather.

“I’m sorry for picking a fight for no reason on our first meeting. I’ve been through some quite terrible things recently. I seem to be older, so from now on, call me Brother Chu.”

“Terrible things?”

“How about it. Want to hear about it?”

Namgung Chu’s eyes sparkled as he came and sat next to Biyoung.

Biyoung unwittingly swallowed his saliva.

Because Namgung Chun, whom he respected, was also someone who talked a hell of a lot once he opened his mouth.

It was the master of the Hall of Judging Fakes, Lord Pan, who saved Biyoung from his predicament.

“The appraisal is finished.”

Namgung Chu shot up from his seat and asked.

“Is it genuine?”

“It is genuine.”

“Hoo……”

However, Namgung Chu’s reaction was quite strange.

Wasn’t it a good thing to bring an ancestor’s item and have it confirmed as genuine?

But Namgung Chu let out a low sigh as if he was carrying a great worry.

“If you don’t mind, can I be next to you when you appraise Young Hero Biyoung’s item?”

“Yes. As long as you don't talk too much.”

At those words, a strange light appeared in Lord Pan’s eyes.

Let’s say he had been pestered by Namgung Chu throughout the appraisal.

How did this brat figure out that he was such a huge chatterbox?

“Keung…… that’s a bit difficult. I’ll try.”

“Alright. Please begin.”

Lord Pan began the second appraisal without any particular break.

To appraise the works of Namgung Dong consecutively in one day.

It was an experience that would never happen again in Lord Pan’s life.

The appraisal of the item Biyoung brought was finished sooner than expected.

“It is genuine.”

“Oh!”

Biyoung and Jeong-i looked at each other and high-fived.

With this, the storehouse of the Diancang Sect would become one level richer.

“But it finished earlier than expected. Brother Chu’s took a long time.”

At that, Namgung Chu’s eyes sparkled.

“There’s a reason for that. How about it, want to hear about it?”

“No.”

“Tsk.”

Namgung Chu smacked his lips as if he was disappointed.

“We’re a bit busy. Our party is also outside.”

“I see. But it’s alright.”

“Yes?”

“I have heard the rumors that the Diancang Sect is participating in the martial arts tournament. I also plan to participate in the martial arts tournament, so won’t we meet soon at Mount Song?”

“Oh……”

Well.

Although he was scolded a little by me, his internal energy was not at an ordinary level.

Besides, wasn't he the grandson of the great Namgung Chun?

The blood doesn't lie, so there was a high possibility that not only his internal energy but also his martial arts were quite good.

The three people who had finished the appraisal came out of the Hall of Judging Fakes and exchanged greetings.

“Actually, I don’t have that much time either. I have to take care of the terrible things I mentioned earlier……”

“Biyoung!”

Before Namgung Chu could finish his words, an urgent voice was heard.

The man who ran over with a great deal of worry in his large eyes was none other than Solbo.

“Senior Brother Solbo?”

“We’re in big trouble, Biyoung.”

“What’s going on?”

At Solbo’s next words, Biyoung’s eyes flashed like lightning.

“The Mount Heng Sect has picked a fight with us!”