What kind of place was the Namgung Clan?

In the martial world, if someone bore the title of Sword King, Sword Emperor, or Sword Master, odds were eight out of ten they came from the Namgung Clan. That’s how deep their legacy with the sword ran.

They were wiped out centuries ago. Or so it was believed.

Only Namgung Ho was thought to still carry the name forward.

“How much of Namgung’s sword arts do you actually know?”

“…Only a few basic techniques.”

“What about the Clear Sky Sword-Heart Mantra and Clear Sky Sun-and-Moon Sword?”

“…I’ve learned the opening chants, a little… but nothing beyond that.”

What I had recited earlier was the first incantation of the Clear Sky Sword-Heart Mantra.

I looked at Wonyang.

She was clearly rattled.

“Thinking of running away?”

“…If I stay here, something terrible will happen.”

“Because the Central Blood Sect’s claws might reach even this far?”

“Yes.”

I laughed.

“…Why are you laughing?”

“It’s just so absurd.”

“…Sorry?”

I casually crossed one leg over the other.

“Wonyang.”

“…Yes.”

“I’m offering you a chance.”

“…A chance?”

“You’ve probably noticed—I don’t keep people close.”

“…”

“The branch members are talented, sure. But none have your potential. I need someone who can act as my sword—someone who will move at my side.”

“…But if you take me in, you’ll be making an enemy of the Central Blood Sect.”

“Is that supposed to scare me?”

“…What?”

“When you accept someone, you accept their burdens too. If death comes for me because of that person, then so be it. If I couldn’t carry that weight, I’d never have accepted them to begin with.”

I wasn’t joking.

“That’s how I live. If you choose to be mine, and the Central Blood Sect comes to kill you, then I’ll give everything I have to wipe them from existence. That’s what it means to take responsibility.”

“…My lord…”

“Make your decision.”

Wonyang thought long and hard. Then she shook her head.

“…I can’t watch you—or anyone else—get hurt because of me.”

“Even if I offered you the Clear Sky Sword-Heart Mantra?”

Her eyes trembled violently.

“If you’re a direct descendant and still couldn’t learn Namgung’s core techniques, it means Namgung Ho was deliberately holding you back. Your parents… were they killed by him?”

“…Yes…”

“So he didn’t lose your trail. He let you go.”

“…How do you know all this…”

“I know the kind of man Namgung Ho is. And the disguise—dressing as a man, changing your name. Should I call it a halfhearted disguise?”

“…?”

“Dropping only the Namgung and calling yourself Wonyang? That’s not exactly subtle.”

It had been a guess, but her reaction confirmed it.

Still, despite all this, her resolve hadn’t wavered.

“…If I stay, you’ll be in danger. So will the others.”

That surprised me.

I truly believed her yearning for the Clear Sky Sword-Heart Mantra was genuine. And yet, she was willing to set it aside—for others.

Every martial artist has their contradictions.

Call it duality, call it whatever you want. But someone like Wonyang… she probably falls on the “good person” side of that line.

And she proved it with what she said next.

“I’m not much of a martial artist… but I know the worth of the techniques you’ve given me. I know you won’t trust a mere promise not to spread them. So… take one of my limbs, if you must.”

“You’re asking me to let you go?”

Wonyang dropped to her knees.

“…I know it’s shameless. But I’m begging you.”

“So you want me to spare your energy core?”

“…”

“You planning to take revenge on Namgung Ho?”

“…Yes.”

I smirked.

“You’ve got talent, but your judgment could use work.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Wouldn’t it make more sense to stay with me, grow strong, and then take your revenge?”

Wonyang blinked, stunned.

“If you leave the branch, I can give you the incantation for the Sword-Heart Mantra. I might even throw in some elixirs. But once you’re gone… what kind of life do you think you’ll have?”

“…”

“No one will be around to guide you. So what then? Go back to disguises and living off scraps, wasting years in ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ hiding?”

“…I…”

She hung her head, and I uncrossed my legs.

I wasn’t a fool. I could see what was happening.

I walked up to her and knelt on one knee, facing her directly.

“Are you really that afraid of the Central Blood Sect?”

She flinched when she realized how close I was, instinctively trying to step back—but I reached out and grabbed her shoulder.

“I asked if you’re really that terrified of them.”

“…How could I not be…? They’re the Central Blood Sect. The collective embodiment of demons. The most powerful sect in the Central Plains.”

“That’s only true right now.”

“…”

“A descendant of Namgung, huh… not bad. Wonyang.”

“…Yes?”

“This is the first and final offer I’ll make. I won’t repeat it. If you turn me down, I’ll let you walk away—no guilt, no grudges. I won’t send anyone after you. I won’t track you down. I swear that on my name. Understand?”

Wonyang, now serious, gave a firm nod. I continued.

“Work under me for exactly twenty years. When I say dig, you dig. When I say run, you run. If I say kill, you kill. Total obedience. In return, within those twenty years, I’ll make sure you can kill Namgung Ho with your own hands.”

She swallowed hard, then asked:

“…You really think that’s possible?”

“You still don’t get it, do you? Do you have any idea how much I know?”

“…I…”

“Han Cheol’s techniques? I mean no offense, but even if they’re ranked as top-tier, they’re useless to me. The Sword-Heart Mantra is no different. Its true value, even among Martial God-level arts, is near the bottom.”

“…What?”

“The flow of the incantation is broken halfway. Let me be clear—there’s another chant that follows. The Clear Sky Sword-Heart Mantra you know is only half of what it’s supposed to be. Even incomplete, it’s still valuable to most… but to call it the secret technique of a clan that once led the Five Great Families? It’s disgracefully shallow.”

“…Is that really true?”

“If you’re unsure, ask Namgung Ho yourself someday. He knew it was incomplete, so he combined it with a demonic art from the Central Blood Sect to create an entirely new technique.”

“…How do you know all this so well…?”

“There are ways to know everything.”

A side note: the technique Namgung Ho crafted that way had severe side effects.

It granted explosive power in short bursts—but the backlash wrecked the meridians, requiring days of recovery at minimum.

“I’ve made my offer and said all I needed to. Now decide.”

Wonyang hesitated, then slowly rose to her feet and offered a respectful martial bow.

“I ask for your continued guidance and correction.”

Her eyes no longer wavered. Her body no longer trembled.

Her mind was made up.

“Good. But you’re still lacking.”

“…In what way?”

“You’re in the Radiant Heaven Realm, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Not bad for eighteen. But it’s not enough. Ascend to the Refined Qi Realm as quickly as you can.”

“I will, without fail.”

“When you reach the Five Pillars of Tempering, I’ll give you the completed Clear Sky Sword-Heart Mantra. Until then, train with the Heavenly Image Heart Technique.”

“Yes.”

I was about to wave her off—then paused.

Almost forgot something.

“No more disguising yourself as a man. From now on, you’ll have your own quarters. Understood?”

“…Yes!”

“Go on.”

Wonyang returned to her training, and I was alone again.

No—not alone.

Looking up at the sky, I said quietly,

“If you have something to say, come out and say it.”

Footsteps behind me.

Didn’t need to turn to know.

Commander Seong.

“I heard you weren’t the type to eavesdrop.”

“…I wasn’t. Seems I’ve picked up some new habits lately.”

Commander Seong approached in silence and stopped beside me.

“Are you truly going to make an enemy of the Central Blood Sect?”

I smirked.

“You’re asking the wrong person.”

“…Excuse me?”

“That question should be asked to the Central Blood Sect’s leader, not me.”

“…”

“There will be countless enemies along the path I walk. That’s the nature of the martial world. But whether someone becomes my enemy or not… that’s not up to me.”

“…Young Master…”

“One of my people wants revenge on Namgung Ho of the Central Blood Sect. What more reason do I need?”

Commander Seong gave a strange, unreadable expression, then let out a long sigh.

“…I honestly don’t know anymore. How long that confidence of yours will last…”

“Then I’ll have to live a long time.”

I glanced over with a smile.

“Any response from Yangnyeong?”

“…Not a single one.”

I sent four letters. And got nothing back.

That meant they’d made their choice.

No more hesitation, then.

The justification was on my side.

Yangnyeong was the debtor. I was the creditor.

They refused to pay.

That meant it was time to begin forced collection.

“Commander Seong.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“Summon Yang So of the Iron Mountain Sword Sect…”

I looked across the yard, where the branch members were sweating bullets, throwing themselves into formation drills.

“Tell them they have five more hours of training. After that, return to quarters and get some proper rest.”

“That all?”

“Also make sure they’re supplied with resources to speed recovery.”

“Understood. Speaking of that formation they’re training with—if I may… it looks extraordinary. If I compiled a report for the Everlasting Snow Palace…”

“Later.”

“…I see.”

“There’s still a lot to refine. Once I judge it complete, I’ll submit it. Until then, don’t rush.”

Commander Seong scratched his head and asked in a quiet voice,

“…Is it tonight?”

I didn’t answer.

I had clearly written one day in the letters I sent to Yangnyeong.

In most cases, “one day” meant until midnight.

That’s right. Midnight.

Without a word, I rose from my seat.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep