Chapter 195
Chapter 195
Youngho, who had been beaten until dust rose from him, looked at Kang Chowon with a sullen expression.
Perhaps thinking she had gone a bit too far this time, Kang Chowon smiled awkwardly and said,
“In-ah, that’s your uncle, so go easy on him next time, alright?”
“Dti-rr!”
At Namgung In’s firm reply, Kang Chowon’s eyebrow twitched.
“If you hit someone weak, that makes you a bad child.”
“Uncle not weak!”
“Hm?”
“Even when I go like this! Like this! And hit him, he said it tickles a lot!”
Namgung In repeatedly swung his adorable Wooden Sword.
A Wooden Sword that small and light would not injure anyone, but just in case, Kang Chowon snatched it from Namgung In’s hand and said firmly,
“In-ah, we are the Orthodox Sect. If we use violence beyond what is necessary, that makes us no different from the Unorthodox Faction.”
“Aren’t you from the Unorthodox Faction?”
“Please be quiet.”
At Kang Chowon’s icy voice, Youngho’s neck shrank like a turtle.
Yoon Seojeong had spoken up once, only for it to backfire on her master, so she merely shook her head.
“Ahem!”
Youngho cleared his throat once before speaking.
“So, Namgung Seojong, you said you’re the son of the current Clan Head?”
“Yes. I’m the eldest, and the other two are twins.”
“I see.”
After that, Youngho said nothing further and quietly savored his tea.
Thanks to his years of experience, Youngho did not feel uncomfortable even if the conversation did not continue, but Namgung Seojong was different.
I made a mistake!!
He had never imagined that the being before him would be the Martial God. No—no one could have known in the first place.
How could someone randomly encounter the Martial God at an Inn they happened to visit? Moreover, it was tucked away in a secluded place that few people knew about.
At this point, it went beyond coincidence and into ill fate… hmm?
Just then, Namgung Seojong looked at Yoon Seojeong sitting quietly beside Youngho and thought,
…Is it fate?
Come to think of it, the Martial God’s evaluation of him did not seem that harsh.
Having gained some confidence, Namgung Seojong boldly spoke.
“Martial God, would it be possible for you to grant me some instruction?”
“Instruction?”
For an instant, Youngho’s face twisted, and the startled Namgung Seojong hurriedly changed his words.
“If that was disrespectful, then I apolog—”
“That’s not it.”
“Pardon?”
Youngho quietly observed Namgung Seojong, who looked back at him with clear eyes.
It was not even long enough to call prolonged observation—merely a fleeting instant.
Yet Youngho grasped everything about Namgung Seojong.
Which made him all the more curious.
“Are you not afraid of me?”
At Youngho’s question, Namgung Seojong exchanged glances with the brothers beside him.
Soon understanding the intention behind the question, Namgung Seojong laughed brightly.
“Hahaha!”
He was not the only one. Namgung Yuseul and Namgung Seongun also could not hold back their laughter.
Even Kang Chowon burst into laughter.
At the insane situation of people laughing in front of the Lord of the Unorthodox Alliance, Youngho was left speechless.
Yoon Seojeong also seemed equally bewildered and looked around with a stunned expression.
“S-sorry about that.”
Fortunately, Namgung Seojong quickly regained his composure.
If he had not, even if Youngho did not mind, Yoon Seojeong might have felt offended.
After clearing his throat several times, Namgung Seojong spoke.
“The reason I’m not afraid of you, Alliance Lord, is actually thanks to my aunt.”
“Chowon?”
“That’s right. My aunt has told us so many stories in the past…”
Youngho briefly glanced at Kang Chowon before looking back at Namgung Seojong.
“When did she become so well-behaved?”
“After she gave birth.”
“And before that?”
“……”
When Namgung Seojong chose silence, Youngho clicked his tongue as if he understood.
“Tsk tsk, she’s calmed down a lot, hasn’t she?”
“……”
Sometimes silence itself became affirmation.
“Chowon was incredibly skilled with the sword… I can still vividly remember the scene of her firing Sword Qi in enemy territory while stepping over corpses…”
At Youngho’s nostalgic voice, Kang Chowon rose from her seat.
Seeing that, Namgung Seojong hurriedly shouted to his brothers,
“Stop her!!”
At once, Namgung Yuseul and Namgung Seongun rushed toward Kang Chowon like lightning.
The two instantly grabbed onto the hems of her pants and cried out as if wailing.
“Aunt! Please restrain yourself!”
“The child is watching!!”
“Let go! Won’t you let go? Alliance Lord, how about we have a Sparring Match after so long?”
“The child is listening, yet you say anything you want. As a mother, you must always remain calm.”
Hearing Youngho say something sensible for once, Yoon Seojeong nodded.
“That’s right. However, Master.”
“What is it?”
“If you say it while hiding behind me, even correct words sound wrong…?”
Yoon Seojeong spoke with a doubtful expression toward Youngho, who was hiding behind her.
“You’re the Martial God, so how about walking around confidently?”
“I do not wish to use my martial arts over something this trivial.”
“……”
It was a statement hard to believe came from the Lord of the Unorthodox Alliance. Yoon Seojeong let out a deep sigh and shook her head as if he was hopeless.
“Sister, don’t worry about it.”
“I suppose not… the Alliance Lord has always been like that…”
Kang Chowon, looking somewhat enlightened, held Namgung In in her arms and spoke.
“Seojeong, it’s been quite a while since we last met, hasn’t it?”
“I believe it has been about nine years.”
At Yoon Seojeong’s answer, Kang Chowon nodded slightly.
“Then let’s at least get you some clothes.”
“Pardon?”
“What is that appearance! Even a beggar from the Beggars’ Sect wouldn’t dress like that!”
At Kang Chowon’s scolding, Youngho nodded vigorously in agreement.
“It’s not that bad though…?”
“Seojeong, there was a time when I had no interest in men.”
“That’s information I’d rather not know.”
“Please be quiet.”
Silencing Youngho with ease, Kang Chowon looked at Yoon Seojeong with pity.
“Still, I never dressed like you do. Your beauty is wasted. Come along.”
“Wait—Sister? Just a moment!”
Kang Chowon grabbed Yoon Seojeong by the back of the neck and headed off somewhere.
Where they were going was unknown, but it was certainly not somewhere Yoon Seojeong would welcome.
Youngho watched Kang Chowon’s back as she dashed off just as recklessly as ever despite being a mother now, and he chuckled.
“She’s still scattered, chaotic, only good with a sword, ignorant, and as rough as a man.”
Isn’t that an insult rather than reminiscing?
Namgung Seojong thought so, yet looking at Youngho’s expression, he was not entirely sure. It felt strangely ambiguous.
Youngho casually set the cushion back in place, sat down, and smiled.
“Let’s talk a bit ourselves.”
Sssss—
A chilly wind brushed past the four men sitting in the pavilion.
The cool breeze rustled like the whining of a child, tickling their ears.
Normally it would have felt pleasant.
But at this moment, Namgung Seojong did not find this wind pleasant at all.
Something was rising.
It felt as if thousands of ants were crawling over his body—an unpleasant sensation.
Was it reality? An illusion? Or perhaps a dream?
It was impossible to tell.
Namgung Seojong glanced at his brothers.
They too seemed uncomfortable, shifting their bodies repeatedly.
Then Youngho opened his mouth.
“Do you wish to see it?”
See what?
“My source. My power.”
I want to see it.
Their lips were stuck shut and would not open. Naturally, no voice could emerge.
They could only convey their thoughts through their eyes.
Youngho nodded slightly and said,
“If you see it, do not be surprised. And do not fall into despair.”
It sounded like a casual remark.
Just the sort of words masters often said.
But when they gazed into Youngho’s abyss, Namgung Seojong and his brothers thought—
Deep.
It was far too deep.
No matter how much they concentrated and observed, they could not perceive Youngho’s end.
Only an endless, dark bottomless pit welcomed them.
In that endlessly deep realm without an end, Namgung Seojong lost his thoughts.
Thinking disappeared.
Concepts disappeared.
It was similar to the State of No-Self, yet distinctly different.
Then, within that endless abyss, they saw eyes.
They were not ominous or grotesque.
They were very beautiful eyes.
And that was precisely why Namgung Seojong felt fear.
It was the fear of not knowing what those eyes truly were.
Then he remembered something his father once told him.
—If you gaze into the abyss, the abyss will also gaze back at you.
It was a proverb he had heard somewhere before.
But when it came from the mouth of the Clan Head of the Namgung Clan, it carried a different weight.
Only then did Namgung Seojong regain his senses.
“Cough!”
Youngho said to Namgung Seojong, who spat dark red blood from his mouth,
“Your Inner Demon came. Fortunately, you cast it off.”
As if he had expected this, Youngho continued calmly,
“There is no one left in this world who can comprehend me.”
Youngho did not ask what they had seen.
It was partly because he was not curious.
But more importantly, there was no way brats like them could truly grasp him.
“Namgung Cheon is my close friend.”
It was sudden.
Still, Namgung Seojong wiped the blood from his mouth with his sleeve and listened attentively.
“My friend is a remarkable man. If the former Murim Alliance Leader had not suddenly gone into hiding, he would have become the Clan Head of the Namgung Clan.”
At those words, the three brothers flinched.
Without even looking at them, Youngho watched a small bird building a nest in a tree and continued,
“But I believe the current Clan Head is no less capable than Namgung Cheon.”
“…!!”
The brothers’ eyes widened in shock.
Unaware of this, Youngho frowned as he noticed a snake stealthily approaching the bird’s nest.
“Namgung Cheon is truly outstanding. His Martial Talent is exceptional, and his mindset is unique—he has a strange charm that draws people in.”
Youngho stared quietly at a violet flower on the table and plucked off one of its petals.
“But the Clan Head of the Namgung Clan shows boldness in approaching others first and the magnanimity of someone who knows how to yield.”
Gulp.
Namgung Seojong’s Adam’s apple bobbed.
Though he appeared tense, a strange sense of anticipation flickered in his eyes.
“Of course, such a gentle attitude often invites underestimation. It makes him appear as if he only wishes to preserve the clan rather than pursue ambition. However…”
Youngho infused Internal Energy into the petal, turning it as sharp as a Throwing Knife.
“From the perspective of the Unorthodox Faction, he is the perfect leader. Being magnanimous does not mean yielding everything—he seizes every benefit that can be taken.”
Swish!
Youngho flicked the petal from his fingers.
It looked like a playful gesture, yet its power was anything but small.
Thwack!
The petal pierced the snake’s head and embedded itself in the tree.
Displaying a divine feat that would make even a master of Hidden Weapons gasp, Youngho smiled with satisfaction.
“Namgung Ye possesses innate political sense. It’s an incredible ability that even Namgung Cheon could never match. I guarantee it—if Namgung Ye desires not merely the stability of the Namgung Clan, but its development, then you three will have the greatest Clan Head in your clan’s history as your father.”
Youngho watched the bird continue building its nest, unaware of everything, before turning back to Namgung Seojong.
“What? Why are you crying?”
When Youngho looked again, Namgung Seojong—and the two brothers beside him—were all crying.
“…Thank you. For recognizing our father’s ability.”
“Our father! He’s always compared to our uncle…!”
Namgung Yuseul’s sorrowful voice made Namgung Seojong feel even more bitter.
“Our father is not inferior to our uncle at all! But he’s always—always compared to him…!”
Watching Namgung Yuseul cry his eyes out, Youngho could not hide his troubled expression.
I did want to comfort them since they always seemed so discouraged…
Looking at his friend’s nephews crying and wailing before him in a sea of tears, Youngho thought,
This is going to be really troublesome.
And so, for one Shijin, Youngho listened to Namgung Yuseul’s lamentations.