Emperor Namgung Mu of the Thousand Years - Chapter 7

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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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#007

Looking back on my past life,

there is no doubt that at each turning point where my fate spiraled toward ever greater misfortune, three particular ill-fated relationships were positioned.

However, the decisive death sentence for my life was not actually those three ill-fated relationships, but rather two prohibitions directly imposed by Namgung Cheonhyeok, the head of the Namgung Family.

-Never provide food containing meat or the five pungent roots, and reduce all meals by half.

-Under no circumstances should he ever be given a blade, a sword of Namgung.

The fact that the family head had imposed prohibitions was, regardless of their content, tantamount to a death sentence of exile from this family. What more could be said when the content was like this?

In the past, due to these prohibitions, I became a sword cripple, was despised, and my body, which couldn’t eat properly, stopped growing rapidly on top of my already small frame, ultimately leading to being cast out that winter and walking the path of an assassin.

‘How did this happen? Those prohibitions shouldn’t be applied yet…!’

My mind went completely blank.

Setting aside my position in the family, especially now I needed to catch up to at least half of my past abilities before the second ill-fated relationship that would soon arrive.

If nothing else, I absolutely had to prevent these prohibitions.

I clearly remembered that these prohibitions would only come after first earning father’s hatred at the Heir Apparent Selection Competition, the second ill-fated relationship following Namgung Cheon,

and then making a decisive mistake at the reconciliation event with the Jegal Family, the third ill-fated relationship.

But now, something had changed.

“Do you have any final words?”

I raised my head and looked forward.

Father.

My father.

Father, who was resting his chin as if everything was tedious, had dull gray eyes.

Though I was his child, in my previous life he was a father I feared—lofty as the heavens, stern and frightening—with whom I never exchanged a single word.

Supreme in heaven and earth, I alone am honored.

A legendary existence who, despite holding the position of family head, showed not an inch of weakness in martial prowess compared to any sect leader of the Nine Sects Alliance.

A family that had been torn apart and was helplessly walking the path of extinction, unable to maintain even the existence of the family itself, let alone the position among the Five Great Families—he organized all blood relatives with his own hands and elevated it to become one of the premier families under heaven in his generation. The supreme one who even acquired the magnificent title of Mad Dragon of Anhui, with the dragon designation, during his lifetime.

In the world, it was commonly accepted that if the Mad Dragon of Anhui judged something to be an obstacle, he would unhesitatingly behead and display even his own sons and daughters—that was father, Namgung Cheonhyeok.

And such a person, who had lived with that emptiness, keeping everything taut like a drawn bowstring, had for some reason let go of everything and withdrawn from the front lines several years ago.

‘…Then.’

I knelt and bowed my head.

“This son was urgently brought here without receiving any prior notice, so I don’t know. I have no complaints about receiving prohibitions and punishment, but may I ask what the reason is for receiving such prohibitions and punishment?”

“Though a half-brother, you severely injured a blood relative.”

The voice came from right beside me—the Sword Master.

The middle-aged man in red martial robes with a sword at his side spoke coldly toward me.

“Namgung Cheon continuously claimed he fell into the well, but the cause of his injuries is clearly martial arts strikes. Where do you think you’re going trying to deceive us with falling into a well?”

“So in the end, the Secret Banquet urgently convened after dissolving the Monthly Political Gathering was to discuss my punishment?”

“Ha, what nonsense. That was just one trivial matter among the countless problems piled up in the family. Are you overestimating yourself too much? However, it’s also true that thanks to you, a strong candidate has dropped out of the Heir Apparent Selection Competition with less than two months remaining, and it’s correct that we discussed this at the end of the meeting.”

The Sword Master’s gaze toward me was clearly not favorable.

Family head Namgung Cheonhyeok spoke.

“Do you admit to what you did?”

I don’t know what the Five Great Patriarchs discussed, but that bastard definitely argued most forcefully.

I raised my head and looked directly at the Sword Master.

Then I looked at Namgung Cheonhyeok in front. I opened my mouth in a low voice.

“This son admits to everything. I also have no excuses.”

“Ha, as expected!”

The Sword Master let out a scoff.

“However, I will ask.”

It was a careful but resolute voice.

“Since when have those who inherited the blood of the Namgung Family been the type to make a fuss as if they’d lost the world over a single small wound?”

Instantly, the air in the room froze cold.

I took a small breath.

And then, I firmly resolved within myself.

I won’t run away.

I won’t run away.

I…

From that day.

From when I was a mule, I had always done my best—.

“This is the Namgung Family, praised as the world’s greatest martial house. Even as countless families disappeared crossing the river of history, only Namgung’s sword remained unbroken. This was true even while walking the path of extinction, and afterward in the present era, when five pillars were established under the current family head’s system and we stood at the forefront of the Five Great Families under heaven. So I ask again.”

I raised my head.

“When those who inherited the blood of the Namgung Family, the world’s greatest martial house, are insulted and tormented, is it truly wise and right for warriors to retreat like scholars, discussing the future and weighing righteousness while promising next time?”

Even as I spoke, it was also words I was saying to myself.

“There is no next time. I know better than anyone that if you live promising next time, you’ll end up with nothing but endless next times…!”

I had always postponed things to next time in the past.

I had considered my current life merely a temporary shelter for moving toward a better future.

I thought it wasn’t my real life.

And when I reached the end, I realized there was no such thing as a practice life in my existence, and I died in vain.

“Namgung Cheon insulted me, Namgung Hwi, and I, Namgung Hwi, simply competed according to martial law in response.”

“Competed?”

“Yes.”

The Sword Master shouted in fury.

“Namgung Cheon is the family head’s direct bloodline and also the third child. If not for you, he would certainly have taken the last remaining fourth son position—”

“Don’t hide incompetence behind the excuse of Namgung blood!”

The Sword Master’s face turned bright red.

“What did you just… what did you say?”

“With that level of skill, whether he barely made it to the bottom of the heir rankings only to be crushed by me anyway—what would be the point?”

“You bastard, what did you just dare say to me!”

“Besides, if establishing an heir is truly meant to newly establish and assert Namgung’s prestige, there’s nothing to worry about!”

I raised my head.

“Because I also plan to participate in the Soga Clan Heir Selection Competition!”

“Family Head!!!”

The Sword Master shouted.

“What are you doing! Such an insolent bastard spouting such nonsense—even if he’s the family head’s blood relative, you can’t possibly intend to overlook—!!”

-Shh.

It was a sound like a streak of white lightning.

Everyone froze.

Even the Sword Master, who had been shouting in agitation, stopped.

And everyone’s gaze turned to.

“…”

The head of the Namgung Family, the Mad Dragon of Anhui, Namgung Cheonhyeok, who raised his finger to cover his mouth.

“As the Sword Master said, it’s nonsense and insolent.”

Namgung Cheonhyeok’s dead eyes indifferently looked me up and down.

“The prohibitions will be imposed.”

“…!”

The Sword Master expressed joy.

“However, before that.”

Namgung Cheonhyeok pointed to the side.

“I need to have a conversation with Namgung Hwi, so everyone else may withdraw now.”

“…!!”

Everyone flinched.

Just as the Sword Master was about to raise his head and shout something.

“The Family Head has ordered everyone except Young Master Namgung Hwi to exit.”

The Namgung Family Steward standing in the Confidential Discussion Hall stepped forward first and shouted.

“Please follow the Taecheong-won maids, including all five Masters, everyone must withdraw.”

“Young Master Namgung Hwi, please remain. A private audience with the Family Head will follow.”

Those words were the final nail.

Everyone’s shadows wavered.

“The Family Head wants a private audience…?”

“With someone who isn’t even in the succession rankings…?”

Everyone quietly stared at me from the darkness.

“The Family Head hasn’t granted a private audience to anyone recently, not even once…”

The lantern flames flickered.

But soon they began to quietly exit without any rash actions under the silent pressure of the approaching maids.

I looked at my hands.

I could feel the sweat clenched in my fists.

I tried to act nonchalant while memorizing the faces of those withdrawing one by one.

“….”

The middle-aged man in red martial robes with a sword at his side, the Sword Master, glared at me with murderous intent before leaving.

‘Could that bastard be related to the Masked Man?’

The one who burned me to death in my previous life and joined hands with the Cult Members to devour the Namgung Family.

Though I couldn’t be certain due to his masked face, the way he openly showed hostility like that was reason enough for suspicion.

“Ho ho. Ho ho ho-.”

“…?”

What briefly appeared behind the swaying bamboo screen was purple-black colored hair.

‘Who is that…?’

The black shadow kept chuckling and pointing back and forth between me and the Sword Master until just before leaving-.

“Master Hwirong…! Please leave quickly. At this rate, we’ll all be punished…!”

“Alright, alright, I got it. Don’t push. Oh my-.”

He was almost dragged out by a mountain-sized head maid who pushed him along.

The Confidential Discussion Hall, which had been briefly noisy, became quiet in an instant.

At the same time.

“You moved up the competition on your own initiative.”

Namgung Cheonhyeok’s monotone voice echoed.

“For something like that, all your techniques were truly brutal. I thought for a moment…”

Namgung Cheonhyeok’s gray eyes looked at me.

“That an assassin had entered the Namgung Family.”

“….”

“Where did you learn it? Those techniques, fist arts, leg arts… They’re familiar yet the way you execute them is somehow alien.”

I had thought about this.

“It’s the Great Dragon Staff Triple Strike.”

It’s a body technique that combines the most basic footwork and fist techniques of the Namgung Family.

Among the Namgung representative body technique series, it’s an insult to even compare it to advanced martial arts like the Nine Split Divine Fist or Heaven Thunder Three Palms – it’s the most basic of basics that even entry-level disciples can learn, the most characterless body technique.

At the same time, having no characteristics means it can become the foundation for everything.

“With that? No matter how low Namgung Cheon’s level may be, his physical frame is certainly one of the rare gifted ones even in our Namgung family. Judging by the remaining wounds, five consecutive strikes landed before even one breath could be disturbed – you did that with the Great Dragon Staff Triple Strike?”

“Yes.”

“As I know it, that technique ends with three consecutive strikes, it absolutely cannot produce such five consecutive strikes.”

A basic rule of assassins.

Leave no traces.

That was one of the Dark Emperor’s teachings during my lifetime.

A skilled assassin deploys killing techniques, and on top of that learns the basic body techniques of the Twelve Families beyond the Nine Sects Alliance and Five Great Families, knowing how to overlay them.

Knowing this, the current me wasn’t nervous at all.

Because.

There was no lie in my words about executing the Great Dragon Staff Triple Strike.

“I stopped at the third strike of the Great Dragon Staff Triple Strike, then applied it again from the beginning, connecting a total of five consecutive strikes.”

“…What?”

“In the Great Dragon Staff Triple Strike, up to the second strike centers on the right hand, while from the third strike the left hand becomes central and the center of gravity shifts from right to left. Therefore, I thought there would be no interruption in returning to the first form from the third strike, so I modified and applied it as consecutive strikes.”

“Inefficient.”

Namgung Cheonhyeok laughed briefly as if absurd.

“With the effort to research and master such a clumsy combination, wouldn’t it have been more efficient to learn and execute other advanced martial arts with proper five-strike sequences?”

“I had no way to learn advanced martial arts.”

“….”

Namgung Cheonhyeok fell silent.

After a brief silence, he continued speaking.

“…Why were your techniques so brutal? With that level of understanding and skill, you surely didn’t need to go that far… No.”

Namgung Cheonhyeok cut off his words.

“Isn’t that your natural disposition? That’s what I’m curious about.”

The deep eyes staring intently at me seemed to hold many stories.

“My nature is….”

I moistened my parched lips with my tongue.

“I think nature is merely like the color of pigment when painting.”

“The color of pigment?”

“Yes. Nature may strengthen or weaken one’s style, but it doesn’t determine what kind of painting to draw. In the end, people live as they paint and will live with those results, so I don’t think nature controls everything.”

“Then let me ask one more thing.”

Namgung Cheonhyeok blinked.

“If you want to paint something, but the canvas is already full of various paintings with no blank space, what would you do?”

“I think the most important thing is my will to decide what to paint, rather than the situation before my eyes. Whether it’s blank space or whatever, if necessary, I’ll paint over it and push through.”

“….”

Namgung Cheonhyeok said nothing.

He just continued the deep silence while looking at me bitterly.

When that silence began to feel awkward, Namgung Cheonhyeok spoke.

“…Then what do you think is the color of your natural pigment?”

“….”

I didn’t need to think deeply about that.

“It’s red-.”

“Shut up.”

My words were cut off sharply.

“How hideous it is to speak of. Your mother never showed such tendencies or eyes, so where on earth did you learn to show such hideous eyes?”

“….”

“Empty words are what lowly people do. Participate in the Soga Clan Heir Selection Competition in sixty days. There I’ll see whether you’re just someone who runs their mouth, or Namgung blood that wants to prove itself, and decide the severity of punishment accordingly. You there, Steward.”

“Yes, Family Head. Please command me.”

The steward rushed over with brush and paper.

“Announce the postponement of punishment to be given to the fourth son of the Namgung Family, Namgung Hwi. However, simultaneously order house arrest where he cannot take even one step outside the Separate Building of the Sword Master Sect where he currently resides.”

“Yes. I understand.”

“Furthermore, clearly notify that the radius of confinement extends to the White Goose Library next to the annex, so write it down.”

“Yes, the radius of house arrest extends to the White Goose Library next to the annex…”

The steward’s brush tip stopped.

“…What?”

***

After all the meetings ended, all the key figures who had gathered at Taecheong-won withdrew.

In the now quiet main courtyard of the Namgung Family, the Mad Dragon of Anhui, Namgung Cheonhyeok, was walking through the cold winter night courtyard.

And behind him, Vice Family Head Namgung Seong-tae quietly approached and bowed with cupped fists.

“Family Head, you called for me.”

“Vice Family Head. You are my younger brother, but you are also clearly first in the succession ranking.”

“…Family Head?”

Namgung Cheonhyeok touched his finger to the cold stream of water from the waterwheel beside the pond.

“What kind of picture do you want to paint?”

“That… picture, you mean?”

“Yes. A picture.”

Vice Family Head Namgung Seong-tae stammered.

“Uh… that, that is. So. Surely when you say picture, you mean my future, or are you speaking of the path of martial arts…. No, you must be speaking of the family’s path? If so, then of course I should value cooperative governance.”

“….”

Namgung Cheonhyeok let out a small sigh.

“If that picture, whatever it may be, already has paper that’s completely filled, if there are all sorts of obstructions, how would you wield your brush?”

“Must we… really use such paper? We could just find new paper or something like that…right? Especially since we’re the Namgung Family, aren’t we? Only those lowly ones lacking in wealth would bother using such paper.”

“…Do you think the participants joining the Ranking Competition challenging for fifth place in the succession ranking this time are the same as you?”

Namgung Seong-tae nodded his head confidently.

“They all acknowledge the Namgung Family’s wealth after all.”

“I see. You may go.”

With that, Namgung Seong-tae respectfully backed away and disappeared.

The garden gate closed.

Namgung Cheonhyeok caressed the small waterwheel that was turning endlessly and murmured.

“…Today especially, keeping your words is truly difficult. My dear wife.”

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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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