“I cannot accept this.”
The voice of Wudang Sect’s Taiji Sword Venerable, Jang Taesu, rumbled through the space like a heavy boulder.
Along with his anger-laden voice, the waves of internal energy emanating from his body crushed the air.
It pressed down heavily, suppressing the entire conference hall for a moment, but the one other man gazing at the Sword Venerable did not waver in the slightest.
Sichuan Tang Clan’s Clan Leader Dang Jeokcheon raised his voice without flinching.
“This incident was an attack aimed at the Tang Clan of Sichuan. My own blood kin was caught up in this vortex as well. If not for the Hao Gate Leader’s tip-off, I cannot guarantee how things would have unfolded.”
Jang Taesu’s gaze flashed like sword light.
“And for that, how can you drag Yeongcheon into this affair!”
“Sword Venerable. Are you still protecting that worthless disciple of yours? It’s been ages since Yeongcheon was excommunicated. Isn’t it time you accepted that he’s no longer the boy you once knew? Moreover, Baek Sahyeon is in Yeongcheon’s group as well! This isn’t something to cover up just because he’s your disciple—you must face the fact that your disciple has targeted the Tang Clan of Sichuan!”
“Abbot! Make a decision at once. Declare Yeongcheon and his gang public enemies of murim! Of course, nothing would please me more than to exterminate them myself, but how they die is none of my concern. We’ll only get to see their corpses swiftly with your declaration!”
Dang Jeokcheon’s voice was laced with fury and humiliation.
Even he, called the Poison King, seemed unable to forgive himself for the near-miss of Baek Sahyeon’s spy infiltrating Dang Soran’s marriage talks.
It was the moment his true nature, hidden behind a benevolent expression, was revealed.
The moniker Poison King was not given lightly.
A man who could discard mercy when needed, becoming as cruel and ruthless as poison.
Even the one eye turned pure white was a remnant of his youth, when he had failed to suppress his fiery temperament and rampaged wildly.
Normally, Dang Jeokcheon would never speak in such a tone before the Sword Venerable and the Abbot.
But today was different.
He hid no emotions, and even the gathered murim folk lowered their heads slightly, holding their breath to avoid provoking the Poison King.
Namgung Yeon, seated in the conference hall, was no exception.
Though she hardened her expression to feign strength, it was hard to suppress her trembling heart.
This gathering was not yet a place for her to set foot in.
Breathing was difficult under the pressure from the two peak experts, the Taiji Sword Venerable and the Poison King.
Could Father have endured this?
Still lacking... as a son, her anguish deepened.
The Sword Venerable slammed the desk again, raising his voice.
“Yeongcheon has merely strayed for a time! I... I will swiftly find the boy and deal with that heart demon of his. He hasn’t committed sins warranting declaration as a public enemy of murim yet! Abbot, surely you know this too!”
“...”
At the Abbot’s silence, the Poison King continued.
“With Yeongcheon turning every place he passes into a blood path, how can you claim he’s sinless? Sword Venerable, I have always held you in deep respect, but it seems your affection for your disciple is clouding your judgment now.”
“There’s no concrete evidence that Yeongcheon committed all that slaughter!”
“The circumstantial evidence is ample. Since you seem blind to it, Sword Venerable, I’ll ask the others.”
He turned his head, looking in turn at the heads of the Five Great Families and the Nine Great Righteous Sects.
Not everyone was present, but enough were gathered to make a decision.
“Jegal Clan Leader. What say you?”
The Jegal Clan Leader nodded faintly from behind his fan.
He too acknowledged Yeongcheon as dangerous.
“Paeng Clan Leader.”
The North Hebei Paeng Clan Leader looked apologetically at the Sword Venerable.
“Moyong Clan Leader.”
He nodded as well.
“Namgung Cla— no, Young Lady.”
When it came Namgung Yeon’s turn, she clenched her fists tightly.
The Sword Venerable’s gaze was far from ordinary.
But her thoughts were...
“...I think he’s dangerous.”
She spat out the words as firmly and confidently as she could.
Satisfied with the answer, the Poison King questioned each of the Nine Great Righteous Sects leaders in the hall one by one.
Even Wudang Sect’s Sect Leader seemed to be placating the Sword Venerable.
“...Senior, this is...”
Unable to contain his rage, the Sword Venerable trembled, then clutched his forehead and sank into his chair.
No one provoked him further.
The Poison King soon awaited the Abbot’s decision.
Shaolin’s Abbot Beophae, who had been sitting with eyes closed, slowly opened them.
“...It’s too soon to make a choice.”
“Abbot...!!”
At those words, the Poison King grew even more indignant, while the Sword Venerable lifted his head as if seeing hope.
“Tang Clan Leader, I understand your anger. However, declaring a public enemy of murim means the entire murim world targets them. We cannot have the Alliance judge something the Sword Venerable has yet to accept first. What if that shakes our Alliance?”
“But...!!”
“However, if Yeongcheon commits something even you cannot tolerate, Sword Venerable.”
The Abbot’s eyes turned to the Sword Venerable. Namgung Yeon, watching, felt her breath catch at that sharp gaze.
“Then he truly will be a public enemy of murim. Isn’t that right? Taiji Sword Venerable.”
Jang Taesu averted his gaze from the Abbot’s benevolent eyes, as if feeling a faint shame.
And he answered.
“...If he commits something I cannot tolerate, then yes.”
The Abbot nodded once more.
“Tang Clan Leader. Let us watch a little longer. Who knows, Yeongcheon might return to the righteous path. For now, let’s take a break. Everyone must be hungry.”
.
.
.
In the Shaolin Temple grounds, under the shade of a pine swaying in the wind, Namgung Yeon gripped the hilt of her sword even tighter.
The memories of the conference hall wouldn’t leave her mind.
The sharp gazes exchanged between the Sword Venerable and Poison King, the Abbot and Clan Leaders, and Sect Leaders.
How cowed she had been by those gazes.
Yet Namgung Yeon bore the duty to become someone superior to the other Five Great Families’ leaders at minimum.
That was the mindset required of the Namgung Family heir.
Father might not have much time left.
Then she, the only child, would have to take his place... but with her current skills, she was far too lacking.
That anxiety flowed from her sword-gripping fingertips, as sweat, as sighs.
“Again.”
A cold voice came from the pine shade.
Namgung Yeon assumed her stance without complaint.
Sweat poured like rain, but the effort had to continue.
“...You have more stray thoughts than usual today.”
Mukryong whispered.
Namgung Yeon replied as if making an excuse.
“Looks like travel fatigue lingers.”
“That’s one reason they call you dullard. Once you grip the sword, you must cut away stray thoughts. If you can’t steady your mind in training, how will you in battle?”
“...”
Mukryong was a strict master.
Naturally, she wasn’t learning the Namgung Family sword arts from him, but he polished the experiences and fundamentals every murim warrior should possess.
Mukryong was a man who had learned martial arts through fateful encounters.
Not passed down from a sect, nor from a family manual, yet his movements held unusual proficiency.
He hadn’t learned unorthodox arts, but his movements were unorthodox.
Freer, relying on experience.
That was what Namgung Yeon needed.
Sometimes real combat experience. Sometimes pointers on things she didn’t know.
Only then could she comprehend the Namgung Family manuals handed down through generations.
She still had a long way to go.
Even flipping through countless martial arts texts, many parts eluded her.
Training with Mukryong was the process of breaking down those frustrating walls one by one.
In the end, all paths to enlightenment converge.
Even without learning Namgung Family techniques specifically, endless growth would bring realizations one by one, gradually unlocking the manuals.
Learning from Father would have been easiest.
But even Father was in no state to teach her. The elders... treated her as a dullard and busied themselves teaching direct descendants.
Amid invisible power struggles and politics, she was doing her own desperate best.
“Stance. I told you to grip the lower part of the hilt then too. Anyway. Your small hands are the problem.”
“...Yes.”
The more one knew Mukryong, the more dual-natured he seemed.
Was it because his life had been far from smooth?
He often looked askance at sect disciples raised delicately or family heirs.
Yet, surprisingly, he showed meticulous care to common folk weathered by harsh lives.
Namgung Yeon couldn’t distance herself from such a man.
At the same time, for being a delicately raised child, she received even harsher trials.
She had no memories of being raised delicately... no, if anything, it was grueling.
Namgung Yeon accepted it willingly.
“That’s enough for today. You worked hard nonetheless.”
At those words, Namgung Yeon pulled a silver ingot from her bosom and tossed it to Mukryong.
The lesson fee, paid once a month.
“The time has come.”
“Yes.”
Mukryong pocketed the silver and offered a word of reward or praise.
“Your tenacity never fails to impress.”
“A man needs at least that much grit.”
“I’m off to wash up. Want to join?”
Namgung Yeon no longer startled at such proposals.
Instead, wiping sweat, she told Mukryong.
“I’ll train a bit more, so go ahead and wash up.”
Mukryong chuckled.
“You always refuse my invitations to wash together. Is your dick that small?”
Namgung Yeon responded boldly.
“Haha, you’d be surprised how manly I am once you see.”
“Oh? That confident?”
“Very. My future wife will be thrilled.”
“...Hmm, then that Tang young lady must be disappointed—”
“—Enough with the vulgar talk about someone else’s woman. Go wash up. Anyway, I have no hobby of bathing with fellow men.”
“Neither do I.”
“Then isn’t it time you stopped suggesting it?”
“You dodge so stubbornly, I just wanted to check your dick size.”
“I have no interest in my master’s dick, so begone. Are you some pederast?”
“...Ahem. So prickly. In my village, men build brotherhood washing together. Being a young master, your thinking is rigid too. Tsk, I’ll go.”
With Mukryong gone, Namgung Yeon let out a deep sigh.
Couldn’t she have bantered more boldly?
She felt herself growing feeble somehow.
Like she hadn’t shed the femininity lingering inside.
“...”
Suddenly, her resolve faltered.
Why was she still like this, even here at Shaolin Temple?
...And then, she felt the medicinal herb root tucked in her bosom.
‘...Right.’
Namgung Yeon steeled herself.
Someone cheering her on existed, so she must press on.
It wasn’t direct aid to her personally; likely a gift from someone helped by the Namgung Family.
And that Namgung Family was now in peril. She alone could set it right.
So, no giving up. For herself, and for the one who sent this priceless herb.
Namgung Yeon sweated once more.
Suddenly, the frailty in her chest felt a bit lessened.
****
“Cough...”
A blade bloomed from his back.
Yeongcheon breathed raggedly too.
“No matter how many teeth are missing... haah, haah... a tiger is still a tiger.”
Namgung Cheon fell to his knees.
His eyes reflected the crumbling Namgung Family.
Just six people.
All the warriors left in the Namgung Family had been swept away by this group.
Many seemed to have fled during Namgung Cheon’s desperate resistance, but even he couldn’t be sure.
Too many deaths had unfolded.
Of course, they hadn’t anticipated this sudden ambush.
Servants had headed to Shaolin for the Murim Alliance conference.
Long peace had bred complacency, and his illness had dulled his past prowess.
...Yet even so, the Namgung Family shouldn’t have fallen like this.
The foremost of the Five Great Families, treading the path of kings.
It wasn’t a place to be toyed with by mere six warriors.
Yet the result spoke for itself.
Walls crumbled everywhere, inner and outer halls ablaze.
Screams of those watching the Namgung Family’s fall echoed throughout.
Was the Namgung Family weakened, or were they strong?
Perhaps both.
Guilt surged in Namgung Cheon at the thought that, as he fell, he couldn’t protect the Anhui Seong Cheonju villagers.
It overshadowed even the humiliation of his clan being toyed with by six.
“Yeongcheon... why do this...”
“Haah... haah, surely you and the Namgung Clan Leader aren’t close enough for him to call you Yeongcheon.”
Namgung Cheon looked up at Yeongcheon, shedding bloody tears.
“Leave the innocent commoners be. I don’t know why your rage targets us, but spare those ignorant of martial arts...”
Meanwhile, the others who had ravaged the Namgung Family gathered.
Including Yeongcheon, six in total.
“I won’t touch them. Not sure about my comrades though. Farewell, Namgung Clan Leader.”
He said with a smile.
“Starting with your death, I’ll make this world worth living in.”
Seeing Yeongcheon raise his sword, Namgung Cheon foresaw his end.
And only after it came did belated regret bloom.
His life held many sins, but chief among them was surely the one against his child.
Specifically, the life forced upon Namgung Yeon... was a grave sin.
...Yeon.
Namgung Cheon thought.
...My beautiful child. Live boldly and strong.