Emperor Namgung Mu of the Thousand Years - Chapter 67

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#067

 

“I won’t go.”

 

I refused outright.

 

“Huh? You won’t go?”

 

“I don’t even know who Guiryeongseuui is, and I’ll move when an official order comes through the Master.”

 

At my answer, Sword Master Hwirong Seo Ganghyeok tilted his head.

 

“Official orders aside, you don’t know that Guiryeongseuui? I thought someone of Boatman rank would know.”

 

“I wasn’t a well-bred successor who was educated in anticipation of being promoted to Boatman.”

 

“…Hmm. That’s true.”

 

“Besides, it hasn’t been long since I returned from the Sichuan Tang Family, and more than anything, I was only in the Annex before, so I’m ignorant of the affairs of the Martial Arts World.”

 

I swear to heaven,

 

when I heard the word Guiryeongseuui through Sword Master Hwirong’s mouth, managing my expression was the hardest thing.

 

I wanted to immediately rush at Seo Ganghyeok, grab him by the collar and scream.

 

Where is that bastard right now,

 

spill everything you know.

 

But I suppressed it with hellish patience.

 

‘The more intensely I want something, the more careful I must be.’

 

No matter how skilled one is at controlling their mind, the deeper the desire, the harder it is to control the subconscious.

 

Having something you desperately want is a double-edged sword by its very existence.

 

But when facing negotiations, the more you hide it, the more advantageous it is.

 

If you’re not confident in controlling it, it’s better to refuse altogether.

 

“Hmm… It’s troublesome if you refuse so outright.”

 

“…”

 

I pretend to be indifferent, but inside I’m burning up.

 

‘Don’t refuse. Ask again.’

 

It wasn’t a thoughtless refusal either.

 

Seo Ganghyeok seems to move without any thought, but he’s absolutely not that kind of person.

 

Though it seems like he came on his own initiative, there must have been some invisible system at work.

 

In such circumstances, would he just turn around after being refused once?

 

No.

 

I mustn’t be fooled by his usual simple and childish words and actions.

 

Look.

 

Isn’t he raising his head and looking at me now?

 

Isn’t he twitching the corners of his mouth?

 

He’ll deliberately erase that playful expression, put on a serious face this time, and make another proposal to me—

 

“Ugh.”

 

“…”

 

I blinked.

 

Seo Ganghyeok covered his mouth and bent over.

 

“Sorry… the alcohol I drank the day before yesterday, the hangover is lasting too long… This is strange. I have immunity to all poisons… This is really the first time, urgh…”

 

His face is pale white like a pregnant woman with morning sickness.

 

The typical sight of a heavy drinker who partied late into the night and is sprawled out suffering from a hangover the next morning.

 

Seeing that sight, I belatedly recall the karmic revenge that was originally in the Sichuan Tang Family.

 

‘The Golden Hair Seven Scatter that was put in place of the Ten Thousand Tribulations Return Pill… that’s it.’

 

Dang Eul-jin, the Poison Blood Demon, rumored to be both the greatest genius and the worst eccentric in the Tang Family’s history.

 

I had once switched the Ten Thousand Tribulations Return Pill he made to catch the strongest masters with Golden Hair Seven Scatter.

 

Unlike the Ten Thousand Tribulations Return Pill, Golden Hair Seven Scatter is a poison that’s meaningless when blocked by immunity to all poisons.

 

Because any poison gets immediately decomposed in front of immunity to all poisons.

 

The problem is that Golden Hair Seven Scatter leaves just one side effect during the decomposition process.

 

The faster it decomposes, the stronger hangover-like residue it leaves behind.

 

And unfortunately, Sword Master Hwirong Seo Ganghyeok, who had the strongest constitution among those with immunity to all poisons and showed the fastest decomposition speed, ate it.

 

Even though I had told him to be careful of poison and alcohol.

 

“Ah, I feel like I’m dying. Sorry. Boatman. First, a hangover cure… hangover cure…”

 

The self-proclaimed strongest of the Eight Evil Gods suffers from a hangover before my eyes.

 

As someone who knows his status better than anyone, I know this is an impossible situation.

 

Witnessing this rare experience, I thought two things.

 

First.

 

Does this person even know that the day before yesterday was originally supposed to be his death day?

 

And second.

 

This bastard…

 

“Urgh… If I drink alcohol from now on, I’m not human… Ah. My head.”

 

…really doesn’t fucking listen at all.

 

“Phew.”

 

I let out a deep sigh.

 

Right. Though unintended, this level of confusion did achieve my original purpose of hiding my true intentions.

 

With a resigned voice, I patted Seo Ganghyeok’s back and said.

 

“So how many days does it take to get there?”

 

***

 

“The place we’re going is called Mount Shaming, Zhejiang Province. It’ll take about a week on foot, but that’s no problem, right?”

 

I thought we’d go on horseback, but Seo Ganghyeok said he hated riding horses and chose to walk.

 

I guarantee this bastard avoided horses because the up and down motion would make him want to vomit.

 

So we walked side by side endlessly eastward, along the spring fields that stretched without end.

 

In the warm sunlight welcoming spring, I shaded my eyes and said.

 

“Come to think of it, Mount Shaming in Zhejiang. Isn’t that connected to Mount Wuyi Sect in Fujian Province, and Mount Xing Sect in Hunan through Jiangxi? But he fled there?”

 

“Rather than connected, since everyone pays attention to it, it should be seen as closer to an ownerless empty mountain. The mist is also thick, so if someone were to hide, there’s no place more perfect than there.”

 

Seo Ganghyeok was walking while constantly drinking rice gruel from a gourd bottle.

 

Perhaps feeling my sharp gaze, he shook the gourd bottle and said.

 

“Want a sip? Have you drunk alcohol too, Boatman?”

 

“…Drink plenty.”

 

After walking for a long day, when we stop on the way, we light a fire and camp out.

 

Seo Ganghyeok stopped walking even before sunset and looked surprised as he watched me quickly prepare a spot and light a fire.

 

“…Remarkable. Rather than a young master, you’re closer to a skilled tracker.”

 

I stacked the thick cut logs that Seo Ganghyeok brought in a triangular shape.

 

And I lit a fire in the gaps between the logs.

 

This way, we can last through the night without having to change the wood.

 

Below that, I dug the ground and buried a pile of pebbles.

 

When the dusky night came, I would take them out, bury them under our sleeping spot, and cover them with fallen leaves.

 

I separately took out three pebbles, wrapped them in thick cotton cloth, and offered them to Seo Ganghyeok.

 

“Here, take this.”

 

“….”

 

Seo Ganghyeok accepted the pebbles with a dazed expression.

 

“What are you doing? Put them in your chest. The stones are cooling down.”

 

“How do you know something like this?”

 

“After Mother passed away, when no one in the family pretended to see my existence, I wandered outside looking for anything to eat and learned this from the neighborhood beggars I befriended.”

 

Actually, it was also a method I learned from the local natives when I went on a mission to the Snow Mountain Sect without any supplies.

 

But I couldn’t say that, so I just made up this excuse.

 

Anyway, it was true that after Mother died, I became practically an abandoned child, cast out by the family.

 

Frankly speaking, even the child of a Namgung Family stable keeper would have been treated better than me.

 

I was literally treated like wind scattered in invisible air.

 

“As I thought, this won’t do.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“I’m talking about you, Boatman.”

 

Seo Ganghyeok put the pebbles in his chest, then spoke with a satisfied smile.

 

“Instead of temporarily belonging to one of the Five Great Halls to perform your duties as a young master, how about officially joining Hwirong Hall? The Sword Master will foam at the mouth, but I’ll protect you.”

 

“It’s fine.”

 

Seo Ganghyeok looked hurt at my immediate rejection.

 

“I haven’t even mentioned the conditions yet….”

 

“More than that, I’m curious about what you mentioned earlier.”

 

I changed the subject while tending to the campfire.

 

“Why are you trying to kill Guiryeongseuui? You said the reason for elimination was that he’s a cult member, but based on your brief explanation earlier, it seems premature to definitively label him as one. He could just be a physician who doesn’t care about factional allegiances.”

 

What I heard was simple.

 

Someone called Guiryeongseuui appeared in Zhejiang Province and treated the poor. The problem was that there were cult members among them, which was the crux of this issue.

 

Seo Ganghyeok said.

 

“What’s important is that the White Dao Alliance, who came to us with a request and commission, has definitively classified him as a cult member and claims to have evidence. Given their status and our external relations with them, the Namgung Family has no reason to refuse this and create unnecessary conflict—that was the conclusion reached at the Monthly Political Assembly.”

 

White Dao Alliance.

 

An organization created by those who once dominated the orthodox martial arts world, led by the Hainan Sect, Mount Heng Sect, Jinzhou Yan Family, and others.

 

‘…But in the end, they’re probably outdated relics who still have influence in the martial arts world.’

 

Remnants of the old martial arts era.

 

Among the four factions of Jeongsama Bloodline, great changes are happening in Jeongpa, which is the most central.

 

The Six Sects and One Faction led by six sects and the Beggar’s Union,

 

And the Five Great Families, including the emerging families replacing the declining Sichuan Tang Family, are rising fearsome.

 

In a way, the White Dao Alliance might be the remaining forces of the old era, pushed out by these new powers—the Six Sects and One Faction and the Five Great Families.

 

And groups forced to retreat like that rarely end quietly.

 

I chewed on the jerky Seo Ganghyeok handed me and asked.

 

“Is the White Dao Alliance that powerful? Enough for the Namgung Family to definitively label someone as a cult member and help with elimination without separate verification just because a request came in?”

 

“Rather than powerful, it would be troublesome to create conflict unnecessarily. They also have the reputation of being martial arts elders. And if he treated cult members, I think he is indeed a cult member.”

 

“What I mean is, honestly, Samyeong Mountain where this incident occurred is right near their jurisdiction, so if it’s that close, I don’t understand why they’d reach out to the Namgung Family instead of handling it themselves.”

 

“….”

 

Seo Ganghyeok crossed his arms and fell into thought at my question.

 

Then he slowly continued speaking.

 

“The more declining they are, the more sensitive they become to danger. There’s also the fact that they consider getting blood on their own hands to be beneath them. Well….”

 

As if lost in thought, Seo Ganghyeok’s eyes became cloudy.

 

“Now that I think about it, it is annoying….”

 

The atmosphere changed completely.

 

His voice lowered as he muttered.

 

“White Dao Alliance, my ass. What white dao. Country bumpkin swordsmen and quack medicine peddlers. And now that their power has changed, they’re money-laundering upstarts and the Geoggyeong Faction and Haesa Faction—boat people who’ve even broken the principle of non-interference between officials and martial artists and clung to the imperial court—calling themselves the White Dao Alliance.”

 

Seo Ganghyeok’s eyes were filled with nothing but freezing contempt.

 

“Boatman, I have a hobby—I quite enjoy watching variety shows or marketplace comedy performances.”

 

“Master?”

 

The golden light in Hwirong Hall Master’s eyes grew increasingly intense.

 

“Looking at the current state of the martial arts world, I often think it’s funnier than those paid performances. Our Kunlun, in places no one acknowledges, completely….”

 

Then, as if suddenly coming to his senses, he instantly returned to a relaxed expression.

 

“Ah, sorry. What am I even saying.”

 

Seo Ganghyeok scratched his dark hair and pulled up his slightly loosened collar again.

 

“Anyway, whatever, I don’t care. Haha. My story is already over anyway. In any case, the White Dao Alliance reported that Guiryeongseuui is a cult member and requested his elimination, and the Namgung Family accepted and agreed to help. If he treated cult members, then he must also be a cult member, and I kill cult members. That’s all there is to it.”

 

“….”

 

This person….

 

-….

 

With a crackling sound, the flames began to burn vigorously.

 

The long-awaited silence between the two was welcome, but my head was much more complicated than before.

 

I organized the remaining route in my mind.

 

From now on, we would walk for the remaining six days to meet up with the White Dao Alliance’s veteran masters.

 

Then we would thoroughly search Samyeong Mountain where Guiryeongseuui was said to be hiding, and execute him.

 

Whatever the circumstances, the White Dao Alliance seemed to have definitively labeled Guiryeongseuui as a cult member, and Seo Ganghyeok, who came as a swordsman representing the Namgung Family, would act according to that judgment.

 

‘The problem is that Guiryeongseuui must not die.’

 

…My head hurts.

 

Where should I start unraveling this?

 

Only Guiryeongseuui can best understand my current condition and solve the root cause.

 

I absolutely need Guiryeongseuui.

 

But the White Dao Alliance and Hwirong Hall Master, whom I must follow to find the missing man, have the purpose of finding and killing him, which is going to give me a headache.

 

Seeing me holding my head and groaning, Seo Ganghyeok misunderstood and patted my back.

 

“Hey, don’t worry too much. I’m here, aren’t I? Even if Guiryeongseuui is a powerful cult member, Boatman, would you really die?”

 

…I feel like I might die because you’re here.

 

I could somehow handle the White Dao Alliance old men.

 

“…Hmm.”

 

Seo Ganghyeok glanced at me sideways and smiled.

 

“Boatman, do you know why I’m taking you along this time?”

 

I frowned and spoke bluntly.

 

“Wasn’t it ordered from above?”

 

“That’s right. But if I had refused, those above certainly wouldn’t have assigned you while going against my wishes.”

 

“…Then?”

 

Seo Ganghyeok looked at me with cool eyes and said.

 

“Like the other hall masters probably would, I also wanted to observe you in various ways.”

 

“….”

 

“And since we’re on the topic. Actually, I’ve been noticing that your complexion has looked quite bad.”

 

Seo Ganghyeok grinned.

 

“You don’t have some ulterior motive, do you?”

 

A sinking feeling in my chest.

 

I moistened my parched lips.

 

“…Ulterior motive…you say?”

 

“Regarding this proposal request. So, for instance, for the treatment of your body….”

 

Hwirong Hall Master Seo Ganghyeok spoke in a cold voice.

 

“You didn’t accept this proposal to save Guiryeongseuui, whom we’ve determined to be a cult member and whom I’ve decided to kill, did you?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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