Chapter 46: The Young Lords of the Saber Family (1)

Among the group, there was one person—Seomun Yuwon—of whom Yong Hwarin had no notable memories.

That meant the man had failed to make a name for himself in the future and thus had never come to Yong Hwarin’s attention.

Pang Giyok, on the other hand, was a name Yong Hwarin had heard quite frequently.

Even if he wasn’t well-known now, in the history of the Pang Clan, there likely wasn’t anyone whose name was mentioned more than his.

There were two phrases that everyone thought of when it came to the Pang Clan of Hebei.

When it came to Sabers, the Pang Clan was an unavoidable name. Their technique, the Five Tiger Severing Saber, was a Saber art that stood in a class of its own.

The best Sabers in the martial world, the finest Saber technique.

The Pang Clan was always accompanied by those two titles. In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the Hebei Pang Clan had survived solely on the strength of those two accolades.

In Yong Hwarin’s previous life, the Five Tiger Severing Saber was already widely known across the central plains. But now, the technique hadn’t even been formally named yet.

Pang Giyok’s fame came from the fact that he had perfected that technique and reigned supreme as a Saber master of his era.

‘If Jaegal Yohye knew that, she would never try to push Pang Giyok aside. In the future, the Pang Clan will rise to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Namgung Clan, who gained prominence through the sword, as one of the Twelve Great Clans of the Martial World.’

Before accepting the dinner invitation, Yong Hwarin summoned Nan Myeonggwak to discuss how to awaken the spirit within him through sorcery.

“First, we need to figure out how such a powerful soul ended up in your body, Young Master Yong. I couldn’t examine you thoroughly before due to the circumstances, but we have time now. A careful investigation should uncover it.”

Yong Hwarin didn’t bring up his past life. He only spoke about the last encounter with the old man.

“So, you’re saying you lost your memory after meeting the old man?”

“That’s right.”

“In that case, there is something to investigate. First, stand on your hands. Once you’re in a handstand, I’ll inject my energy through the Yongcheon points on your soles. With that technique, I can determine how the old man’s soul entered your body.”

“Why a handstand?”

It was the first time he had ever heard of such a method.

“If I inject the spell’s energy directly through the Crown Point, the soul will immediately sense it and try to defend itself. But if the energy enters slowly from the toes, it’ll mistake it for internal energy and won’t resist. That’s when I can figure it out.”

The logic made sense, so Yong Hwarin stood on his hands against the wall. Nan Myeonggwak placed his hands on Yong Hwarin’s feet and began chanting an incomprehensible incantation of sorcery.

About two hours passed.

Yong Hwarin began to feel a damp sensation on the soles of his feet.

Other than that, there was nothing else he could feel.

When he looked upside-down at Nan Myeonggwak, sweat was pouring from his face like rain.

Eventually, his hands lost strength, and he collapsed to the ground.

“This is unbelievable…”

His upper body was drenched in sweat as if he had been running for a long time.

“What’s wrong?”

Yong Hwarin asked out of concern.

“I’ve discovered how the soul came to possess your body. It was through a technique called the Soul-Separating Spirit Art of the Mosan Sect. Do you know of them?”

“I do. Although they no longer exist, I’ve heard they were a sorcery sect much older than even the Demonic Cult.”

“You’re well informed. The Mosan Sect committed numerous atrocities through sorcery, so the martial world united to destroy them. But to think that their techniques still remain… That old man you met might have been one of their descendants. Also, the Soul-Separating Spirit Art is a technique even the Demonic Cult hasn’t encountered in its entirety.”

Nan Myeonggwak’s shock was evident.

The man who hadn’t flinched even in the face of death was now trembling at the mention of the Soul-Separating Spirit Art.

“Is it a technique you can’t perform?”

Nan Myeonggwak stood up from the floor and sat in a chair.

“I can. The art of transferring souls between bodies is generally similar across all sorcery sects. The structure of the spells is fundamentally the same. But the Soul-Separating Spirit Art is fundamentally different from all other soul-related sorcery. If that technique was used to place the soul in your body…”

Nan Myeonggwak trailed off and stared intently at Yong Hwarin.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“If the Soul-Separating Spirit Art was used to place a soul in your body, then that soul should already be in control of you. But in reality, the soul is merely hiding in your Upper Dantian while you remain completely in control. I can’t make sense of it.”

Yong Hwarin nodded inwardly.

He believed the reason lay deeply connected to how he had come to the past.

If, as One Who Connects All Lives said, it was such a powerful spell, then he should already be under the old man’s control. The fact that he wasn’t meant that something had gone wrong midway, preventing the spell from fully completing—and that was likely what sent him into the past.

“Anyway, can you speak with the soul in my body?”

“Although the Soul-Separating Spirit Art is extraordinary, it still falls within the scope of soul sorcery. The problem is, I can’t be sure if my spells will be sufficient. If something goes wrong, you might die.”

Yong Hwarin tried to boost his confidence.

“In the martial world, I doubt there’s anyone who surpasses you in soul sorcery. If you can’t do it, no one can. That means I have no other choice. I will trust and entrust my life to you. Even if I die because the spell fails, I won’t blame you.”

Despite his own anxiety, Yong Hwarin’s unwavering trust ignited something in Nan Myeonggwak’s heart.

No one had ever trusted him like this before. He hadn’t known how powerful it felt to be trusted.

‘Ah… I think I finally understand what it means for a man to risk his life for someone who believes in him.’

At first, Nan Myeonggwak had viewed Yong Hwarin as nothing more than a test subject. That was why he had gone along with his requests so easily.

But slowly, he found himself drawn to the young man named Yong Hwarin.

“Is there anything you need to prepare for the spell?”

Yong Hwarin asked the sorcerer, who was still lost in thought.

“It will take me a few hours to prepare. In the meantime, cleanse your body and do some light breathing exercises. It’s best to ensure you’re in optimal condition.”

“Understood. I’ll go and get ready as well.”

As Yong Hwarin sprang to his feet, Nan Myeonggwak let out a sigh and caught him by the sleeve.

“Hoo… Young Master Yong. I understand your urgency. But it might be good to give yourself a moment to look around. You seem rather hasty to me. I’m no martial artist, but I know enough to recognize that trying to control your energy in such a state can be dangerous. I have some internal energy myself from my spell training, so I know what I’m talking about. You must find calm. When performing soul-related sorcery, unstable emotions can endanger the subject.”

Hearing that, Yong Hwarin realized how psychologically driven and pressured he had become.

It was a side effect of trying to grow stronger too quickly.

‘Right… even a thousand careful plans can contain a single mistake. If I rush forward blindly, I might miss the bigger picture. I need to slow down a bit and look around.’

Yong Hwarin smiled and said, “Thanks to you, Teacher Nan Myeonggwak, I’ve come to a great realization. Thank you.”

Nan Myeonggwak looked at him and thought he was a rare kind of young man—not like most people his age, able to acknowledge his faults so quickly.

On his way back to his quarters, Yong Hwarin ran into Jaegal Yohye.

She had been waiting right outside his residence, so avoiding her was impossible.

The moment he saw her, Yong Hwarin remembered the promise he had made with Jaegal Yohye.

‘Of all times, it had to be when I’m busiest.’

“Let’s go. I think I need to take you myself to fool his eyes.”

“I’ll go after I meet with Lady Shangguan Mijong first.”

“You mean Sister Mijong? Perfect, she’s gathered with the others right now.”

Yong Hwarin sighed inwardly at his unavoidable situation.

“Fine. But after the meal, you’ll need to give me some time. I have something I must do.”

Jaegal Yohye nodded.

“I know. You’re trying to expel the ghost attached to your body, right?”

Jaegal Yohye didn’t seem to take the matter seriously.

She didn’t believe in ghosts, and even if she did, she probably thought of them as mere wandering spirits.

“If it’s a ghost, I can exorcise it too. Our main family possesses spells handed down from our ancestor, Zhuge Liang.”

Her eyes gleamed with excitement as she spoke, clearly imagining something wild.

Seeing that gleam, Yong Hwarin trembled slightly as he imagined himself being tortured.

“I appreciate the thought, but I’ll have to decline. How could I use the great Zhuge Liang’s sorcery to exorcise a mere wandering spirit? That would be an insult to the revered Sleeping Dragon, Master Zhuge Kongming.”

With a sincere expression, Yong Hwarin declined her offer and quickly urged her forward.

“Let’s go already.”

Jaegal Yohye hurried her steps to follow the hastening Yong Hwarin.

*

Within the Shangguan Clan’s guest hall was an extravagant dining room, reserved for special guests.

Tables and chairs made from purple sandalwood, along with exquisite and expensive-looking tableware, subtly flaunted the clan’s wealth.

‘Even my residence at the Sky Ocean Merchant Union wasn’t this lavish.’

As a space meant to impress outsiders, it was decorated a bit excessively.

When Yong Hwarin entered with Jaegal Yohye, all eyes turned toward them.

Roughly ten people were seated at the table.

Since Shangguan Joyoung was the host, he stood up and introduced Yong Hwarin.

“This is Young Master Yong Hwarin, who saved my sister Mijong. He’s also the Young Master of the Heavenly Central Sect of Henan.”

The way Shangguan Joyoung especially emphasized “Heavenly Central Sect” at the end was a subtle jab meant to downplay Yong Hwarin.

Sure enough, a reaction came immediately.

“Heavenly Central Sect? There’s a sect like that? I’ve never even heard of it.”

The comment came from the woman accompanying Seomun Yuwon.

“Ah, Young Master Yong. This is Lady Seomun Seoseol, younger sister to Seomun Yuwon. And for the record, she’s one of the most famous beauties in Shandong.”

To Yong Hwarin, she looked pretty, but still like a green and immature girl. His standards for beauty, shaped by his past life, leaned toward sultry and seductive women.

Her chest hadn’t fully developed yet, and her hips were still flat—just having a pretty face didn’t qualify someone as a true beauty in his book.

Even so, Yong Hwarin couldn’t exactly voice such an opinion.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Lady Seomun Seoseol.”

Seomun Seoseol looked at him with a surprised expression. Normally, people would shower her with ornate compliments and praise her beauty as part of their greetings.

But this felt different. Even with just a simple greeting, there was sincerity in his voice.

When a prestigious clan sent someone out in public, they usually chose individuals with either exceptional martial skills or outstanding beauty to uphold the clan’s dignity.

Seomun Seoseol was an exceptional woman who excelled in both. That’s why she spoke so freely even in front of Yong Hwarin.

However, there was one person who visibly frowned at the exchange—and that was Shangguan Mijong.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep