Namgung Sua headed confidently toward the front gate of the Namgung family estate, as if she were coming home, which, of course, she was.
Seo-jun, following her, could see the gatekeepers stationed at the entrance.
Two men. Judging by their energy, both were peak-level martial artists.
While martial prowess doesn’t always directly correlate to status, it’s rare for peak-level martial artists to be mere gatekeepers. Even if the gatekeeper is the face of the family, this was an unusual sight.
“It’s been a while,” Namgung Sua said, slightly bowing as she cradled a long sword in her arms. The eyes of the two gatekeepers widened in surprise.
“Young Lady!”
“You’ve returned!”
Their faces lit up, and they quickly opened the gate for her.
“The Lord has been asking for you in the past few days.”
“My father?”
“Yes.”
“And how is he?”
“As usual.”
Namgung Sua gave a bitter smile at the gatekeeper’s response.
“I see.”
“Who are these two accompanying you?” the gatekeeper asked, glancing at Seo-jun and Chunbong.
“They are my guests. And one of them is my intended,” Namgung Sua replied.
“Intended…!”
The gatekeepers stared at Seo-jun in shock, their expressions a mix of jealousy, like protective brothers losing their sister, and warmth.
As Seo-jun scratched his head, Chunbong gripped his side tightly.
“…What? Intended?” Chunbong asked.
“Ah.”
Seo-jun hadn’t mentioned that.
He quickly sent a mental message to Chunbong:
[Nuna asked me to pretend to be her lover. She said it was because of her age.]
“Hmph.”
Chunbong’s eyes narrowed, sending a sharp look his way as they passed through the gate.
“Welcome to the Namgung family estate. If you need anything, feel free to ask anyone.”
The gleam in the gatekeepers’ eyes was intense, almost overwhelming.
“Y-yes.”
Seo-jun hurriedly followed Namgung Sua.
“Nuna, I think I’m going to throw up.”
“Huh?”
“This is just… too much pressure…”
“We’re about to see my father now. Are you going to be okay?”
“What…?”
Seo-jun had been expecting this, but still… even though it was just an act, meeting his future father-in-law? His stomach churned.
“Chunbong…”
He reached out for Chunbong’s soft cheeks, seeking comfort, but—
Smack!
She slapped his hand away coldly.
“Hmph. Figure it out yourself.”
“How can you do this to me?”
“What are you even saying? Just die already.”
“…That’s too harsh.”
“What?”
“I said, that’s too harsh…”
Chunbong glanced at his face and snorted.
“I don’t care. Figure it out.”
With that, she turned her head and walked ahead, leaving him behind.
The sense of isolation weighed heavily on Seo-jun, who felt as if he were completely abandoned. He almost let out a desperate cry but decided against it after noticing the people around him.
“Ugh.”
What was this feeling? Why did he feel so strange?
Following Namgung Sua, they soon arrived at the main hall where the family head resided.
Moments you dread seem to approach faster than you expect.
Seo-jun stood there in a daze, and Namgung Sua came over and gently took his hand.
“Young Hero, you don’t have to do this if you really don’t want to.”
“No, it’s fine. Let’s just do it.”
“Okay, then. Are you ready?”
“Yes…”
Alright, how hard can this be? He was Lee Seo-jun, the polite and respectful machine! And he was from a country known for its emphasis on politeness. Father-in-law? He’d deal with it. What could possibly go wrong? Even if there was a fight, how strong could he be?
“Father, I’m here.”
Walking confidently behind Namgung Sua, Seo-jun bowed at a ninety-degree angle.
“Hello. I am Lee Seo-jun.”
“Hmm…”
He could feel the gaze.
Straightening up, Seo-jun glanced at the source of the gaze.
A young-looking man. His eyes were hollow, making it impossible to read his thoughts, but just staring at him sent a chill through Seo-jun’s chest.
It wasn’t attraction, of course.
It was the sharp, surrounding energy. The man hadn’t moved a muscle, yet Seo-jun felt as though a sword was pressing against the roof of his mouth.
Breathing evenly, Seo-jun gently caressed the energy around him.
The breeze-like aura brushed his skin, and only then was Seo-jun able to breathe properly.
And he realized that his sensitivity to energy had caused him to see far too deeply into the man.
‘This is… the head of the Namgung family.’
He could see it now. The aura surrounding the man, as if a thousand swords were supporting his very will.
Every time the man’s eyes moved, it was as though thousands of blades followed his gaze, sharpening their edges.
And only then did Seo-jun truly see him.
The man held a single sword in his arms.
The man’s presence was so overpowering that Seo-jun hadn’t noticed the sword until now, but upon realizing it, the sharpness of that blade grazed his neck once more.
“Sua… Who are these people…?”
Even his dragging tone carried the weight of a ruler condemning a subject.
As Seo-jun tensed, Namgung Sua spoke.
“This is Young Hero Seo-jun and Gold Plum.”
They had already agreed before arriving that Chunbong would reveal her identity as part of the Shin Sword Gold Family to the family head.
If even the head of the Namgung family couldn’t be trusted, it would be better to start a new life with the Demonic Cult.
As Chunbong, visibly tense, observed the family head, Namgung Sua continued.
“Young Hero Seo-jun is my intended.”
“Intended…?”
“Yes, my future husband.”
“Husband…”
Woong.
The sword in the family head’s arms let out a hum.
The family head closed his eyes and pressed his ear to the blade, then nodded.
“Do you think so too? I agree…”
What the hell was going on? Seo-jun felt a bit baffled, but since Namgung Sua seemed unfazed, he kept quiet.
With a soft smile, the family head looked directly at Seo-jun.
Seo-jun instinctively straightened his posture. The tension in the air made him want to reach for his sword, but he forced himself to keep still and met the family head’s gaze.
“Husband… Welcome… Consider this your home and stay as long as you like…”
“…Thank you.”
What just happened? That seemed way too easy. Did I just get tricked?
Seo-jun glanced around. Namgung Sua gave his hand a light squeeze before introducing Chunbong.
“And this is Gold Plum, someone like a little sister to Young Hero Seo-jun.”
“Hmm…”
“And she’s also a survivor of the Shin Sword Gold Family.”
“The Shin Sword Gold Family…?”
The family head’s eyes widened, the most animated reaction he’d shown yet.
He stared at Chunbong, then used his keen energy to pierce through her disguise technique.
Seo-jun was the only one who noticed. He could have intervened but chose not to. After all, they had planned to reveal her identity anyway.
It was an impolite thing to do, but who would dare criticize a martial artist of his level? They were the ones who judged others, not the ones being judged.
“I see… Heaven has shown mercy…”
The family head stood from his seat. He approached Chunbong and bowed slightly with his hands clasped in a martial salute.
“Welcome… As a member of the Gold Family, and even more so as a disciple of Sword Saint Senior, you are a dear friend of the Namgung family… I apologize for arriving too late to the scene of the tragedy… The Namgung family will do everything in its power to assist you in any way you wish…”
“Oh, no, there’s no need to go that far…”
“It’s not enough… My debt to Sword Saint Senior is as heavy as Mount Tai… and the gratitude I owe is immeasurable…”
Woong.
The family head, listening to his sword’s hum, nodded again.
“My wife agrees…”
The family head turned his gaze back to Seo-jun.
“Do you, by any chance, have any ties to the Gold Family…?”
Seo-jun glanced at Chunbong. She nodded, but then seemed to change her mind and spoke instead.
“He is the true heir of the Shin Sword Gold Family. I’ve taught him everything I know, and the will of the Gold Family also resides with him.”
“I see…”
The family head now moved his energy to inspect Seo-jun.
Seo-jun didn’t bother resisting and let him probe freely.
The family head’s eyes twinkled with surprise, and after examining Seo-jun’s energy, he tilted his head.
“This energy… I’ve never encountered anything like it… It’s murky yet pure, narrow yet expansive…”
He glanced at Seo-jun’s face once more before nodding with a curious expression.
“To have achieved such accomplishments at such a young age… I am curious about your sword skills…”
“Pardon?”
Woong.
The family head listened to his sword again and nodded.
“As expected, you feel the same…”
The family head walked past the group toward the door.
“Husband, come with me… There’s much I wish to discuss with you…”
Seo-jun’s eyes widened as he watched the family head walk away.
“Nuna…?”
“Yes, please follow my father’s lead for now.”
“Okay, I guess…”
The group quietly followed the family head.
The place where the family head stopped was a massive training ground. There was not a single person in sight.
Namgung Sua quietly explained that it was the family head’s private training ground.
“Husband…”
“Yes.”
“How much do you know about the Yellow Cloud Divine Sword…?”
The family head slowly walked to the opposite side of the training ground. Seo-jun hesitated, unsure of how to answer, then simply spoke his thoughts.
“It’s the best sword technique in the world.”
“That’s right… The Yellow Cloud Divine Sword is indeed the best sword technique in the world…”
The family head nodded calmly. One might expect the head of the Namgung family to hold their own family’s swordsmanship in higher regard.
“But that’s where the problem lies…”
“What do you mean by that?”
“The sword technique is too advanced. Unless one is a true genius, it’s impossible to fully master it…”
The family head gazed blankly at the sky.
“Even I have not been able to digest half of the insights passed down by Sword Saint Senior… For someone like me, mastering the Yellow Cloud Divine Sword is nothing but a dream…”
Chunbong, eyes wide, took a step forward. She seemed to want to say something, but she knew it would be rude to interrupt a conversation between Seo-jun and the family head, so she held back.
“Speak freely…” the family head said, noticing her hesitance.
At his words, Chunbong opened her mouth.
“Are you saying… that you’ve been practicing the Yellow Cloud Divine Sword, my Lord?”
“Only a portion. Just two forms. And even those I’ve yet to fully wield.”
“Oh…”
Chunbong let out a sigh. The family head, observing her reaction, unsheathed his sword.
There was no sound. One moment, the sword was sheathed, and the next, it was in his hand.
A sword with minimal ornamentation, a simple but elegant women’s sword. It was undoubtedly the sword left behind by Namgung Sua’s mother, and in the family head’s hand, it exuded a noble and sharp aura.
Woong.
The family head listened to the sword’s hum with a blank expression, then nodded.
“I see… I haven’t even introduced myself yet… Thank you, my dear wife…”
The family head relaxed his right hand, holding the sword loosely, and formed a sword seal with the fingers of his left hand, placing it before his chest.
It was the same technique used by Namgung Sua, the Heavenly Void Swordsmanship’s starting form.
Seeing Seo-jun’s confusion, the family head introduced himself.
“I am Namgung Jincheon, head of the Namgung family… Husband, show me your sword at full strength… I, too, will do my best…”
“Huh?”
Wait, why? Please, no. Save me!