He Became the Genius Blacksmith of the Namgung Family - Chapter 8

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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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Chapter 8

Episode 8

The Namgung Family.

This massive martial family established in Anhui is enormous in scale, befitting its reputation as one of the Five Great Martial Families of the martial arts world.

The halls where direct descendants eat and sleep are each separated, and the quarters for warriors belonging to the Namgung Family are also divided separately.

Just combining the training halls and other places for storing libraries, treasures, and weapons would be enough to create an entire village and more.

Moreover, the halls themselves serve as cores of formation techniques, structured to activate immediately when unauthorized individuals intrude.

Thus, it’s like an impregnable fortress that doesn’t even allow external intrusion.

Deep in the center of this Namgung Family estate stands a single hall.

Unlike other places, it’s painted completely black, looking exactly like an entrance to the Bottomless Abyss.

That’s not an incorrect description.

The Namgung Surveillance Agency.

A place with an even terrifying name.

Its main duties are establishing and inspecting the internal discipline of the Namgung Family.

Those dragged there feel like they’re being led to a slaughterhouse, and those who come out after investigation emerge with their souls burned white.

And Namgung Cheon-gang has been summoned to such a place…

‘This is maddening.’

It’s enough to drive one crazy and make them jump around.

He was eating well at home and resting comfortably when this bolt from the blue struck.

Suddenly, two warriors from the Namgung Family burst in and grabbed both his arms. When he cried “Oh my, what are you doing!” they said “We’re the Namgung Inspection Team! Come quietly!” and he ended up being dragged here to the Namgung Surveillance Agency like a folding fan.

‘If I dramatically break through a window and run out shouting that I’m innocent like in movies, I’d be screwed, right?’

Though invisible, there must be dozens of warriors guarding various places.

The moment he shows any sign of fleeing, he’ll be subdued immediately.

No, there’s no need to even worry about that.

Since he doesn’t even know where this place is.

‘From the front, it just looked like a two-story building. I had no idea the real thing was underground.’

After going round and round, he’s trapped in a place surrounded by sealed rooms on all sides.

Good grief, how does one escape from here?

No, it wouldn’t matter even if it weren’t a sealed room.

With a desk in front, three family elders sit facing him in a row.

Each and every face is familiar to him.

‘One is Namgung Ok, the Deputy Leader of the Namgung Inspection Team. One is Namgung Baek, the Leader of Namgung Baekryeon Hall. And the remaining one is…’

His uncle, Namgung Ho, Deputy Leader of the Namgung Iron Sword Sect.

Those three people.

All at the early stage of transcendent mastery.

Namgung Cheon-gang, who’s barely at the edge of third-rate in martial arts.

For someone like him to break through three warriors at the early stage of transcendent mastery, escape the sealed room, and reach the surface?

‘If you wrote a novel like this, you’d get cursed at for feeding plausibility to the dogs.’

Just flinching would result in immediate suppression.

‘It’s like the three admirals of the One Piece Navy are sitting there.’

Ugh.

It gives me chills.

How did Luffy manage to charge in when seeing that?

“You know your own crimes!”

Just as he was briefly indulging in memories of old comics from his previous life.

At the tiger-like voice that erupted, Namgung Cheon-gang was startled and jumped.

Soon he calmed his surprised heart and looked at the one who shouted, and it was none other than his uncle.

“…”

“…”

The sealed room was already quiet.

Even an icy chill flows through.

“…Sorry. The atmosphere was like this, so I wanted to try it once.”

“…”

Namgung Ho couldn’t bear to look directly at his nephew’s eyes that were growing coldly salty.

“Really, I don’t know when Ho will mature.”

Namgung Ok, the Deputy Leader of the Namgung Inspection Team, shakes his head back and forth.

Then he looked at Namgung Cheon-gang and spoke kindly.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. I understand everything.”

“Thank you. You’re more composed than I thought.”

“If there’s guilt, there’s guilt, and if there isn’t, there isn’t.”

Namgung Cheon-gang’s bold words.

Namgung Ok shows a slightly surprised expression, then smiles broadly.

“That’s right, your words are correct. If there’s no guilt, there’s no need to be afraid. Besides, we didn’t call you to pressure you, but because there’s something to confirm, so you can be at ease.”

At those words, Namgung Cheon-gang breathed a sigh of relief.

The Inspection Bureau is a place that creates crimes even where none exist.

But since they said they called him not for pressure but for confirmation, a burden lifts from his heart.

However, he shouldn’t feel relieved.

Since he doesn’t know what the Inspection Bureau might ask him.

If he makes a mistake, non-existent crimes could become real crimes.

He thought carefully, but still can’t think of what it might be.

There’s no way they’d know he learned martial arts through enlightenment.

‘Huh, wait a minute?’

Suddenly, one incident flashes through his mind.

Precisely, today’s incident that occurred when he met the Blood Cult and the daughter of the Muyong Family.

No way, surely not.

Did they call him because of that incident?

How busy is the Inspection Bureau?

And, bad thoughts always tend to come true.

“Getting straight to the point. Muyong Sohwa, the daughter of the Muyong Family, spoke about the Namgung Family warrior who saved her today, and that turned out to be you, Namgung Cheon-gang. However, she said the martial art used was the Lightning Sword.”

“…”

“The Lightning Sword is a secret technique known only to direct descendants. We called you here to ask if you’re really the one who used it. Of course, we already heard the name Namgung Cheon-gang from the Muyong Family’s daughter, and there’s no one else with that name besides you. Did you really use the Lightning Sword?”

Damn it!

Muyong Sohwa!

This loose-lipped girl!

She repaid kindness with enmity and threw me into the pit of hell!

Does being pretty excuse everything!

* * *

Most branch members belonging to martial families are blood relatives.

So, there’s no law saying they can’t learn the martial arts of direct descendants.

However, this is only possible with permission from the direct line.

“But. When we looked into it, there were no martial arts learned after early withdrawal from Namgung Baekryeon Hall. Moreover, even if there were connections with direct descendants, the only business was as a craftsman of Cheongeumjeong. Yet you learned the Lightning Sword. Isn’t that quite strange?”

Namgung Ok’s gentle voice.

But the content is sharp as can be.

To summarize.

‘Branch member, how did you learn direct line martial arts? You stole and learned it, didn’t you?’

The sharp blade hidden in his words.

At that blade thrust before his throat, cold sweat trickles down Namgung Cheon-gang’s spine.

‘If I say one wrong word…’

He becomes a branch member who stole and learned martial arts without permission from the direct line.

It seems like limb severing keeps appearing before my eyes these days….

‘From what I can see, the head of Namgung Baekryeon Hall seems to have come to verify my early withdrawal and other matters and give his opinion.’

Uncle must have come to verify what the Muyong Family representative said, right?

To provide evidence about the martial arts I learned.

How could family members do such things to each other….

‘In martial families and sects of the Martial Arts World, leaking martial arts is a very serious crime.’

Well, even for family, there are limits to what can be covered up.

‘Of course, if it’s Uncle, he would defend me somehow and make my punishment lighter.’

But causing trouble for family over something like this feels wrong.

Moreover, if things go badly, the family’s prestige could fall.

Then Father’s position as head would be in danger too.

The laws of great martial families in the Martial Arts World are not lenient.

‘Therefore. I’ll solve this somehow! Think, Namgung Cheon-gang! How to escape this situation!’

For the survival of the family and the integrity of my own limbs!

My brain, spin round and round!

And an excuse that flashes brilliantly to mind!

‘Yes, this is it!’

Namgung Cheon-gang’s eyes flashed.

“It’s the Lightning Sword.”

“What?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I was so nervous that my tongue got twisted without realizing it….”

Ahem.

Ah, ah.

This should be fine now.

“I’m sorry for keeping you waiting. First, the martial art I displayed was not the Lightning Sword.”

“Huh? You’re saying it wasn’t the Lightning Sword?”

Namgung Ok asked while blinking, and Namgung Cheon-gang nodded and continued his answer.

“Yes. It wasn’t. As you said, I am an early dropout from Namgung Baekryeon Hall. Of course, thanks to my excellent father, uncle, and family members, I was able to learn the Namgung Twelve Swords taught at Namgung Baekryeon Hall to perfection. This is a definite fact.”

Namgung Cheon-gang’s uncle, Namgung Ho’s eyes widened.

Did I do that?

Yes, you did.

The exchange of glances between uncle and nephew.

Ah, I suppose I did?

Uncle’s gaze turned positive.

I’m grateful that Uncle is passionate and brave.

People like this have simplicity as a passive trait.

“Therefore, I boldly testify that the dagger I threw, containing the experience of the Namgung Twelve Swords which is the foundation and core of the Namgung Family learned at Namgung Baekryeon Hall, could have been mistaken for the Lightning Sword.”

The reason I mentioned learning the Namgung Twelve Swords to perfection through father, uncle, and family.

It was exactly for this moment.

The Namgung Twelve Swords corresponds to the basics among Namgung Family martial arts.

Since the martial arts learned by direct descendants don’t deviate from this framework, it wouldn’t be strange at all if Lightning Sword techniques contained elements of the Namgung Twelve Swords.

“Certainly, if thrown using techniques that apply thrusting, there are some similarities between Namgung Twelve Swords techniques and Lightning Sword techniques.”

Namgung Ho nodded and added credibility to Namgung Cheon-gang’s words.

‘Nice, Uncle!’

Seeing his uncle supporting his excuse, Namgung Cheon-gang mentally raised both hands high and brought them down.

Indeed, nothing beats family.

“However, even so, it seems insufficient to appear like the Lightning Sword.”

But it seems the world is not so lenient after all.

“According to what the Muyong Family’s daughter said, you shattered a sword held by a Hyeorin-gak assassin in a single strike. This is difficult to explain with just Namgung Twelve Swords techniques alone. It would only be possible if you could properly execute the Lightning Sword.”

Taking Namgung Ho’s words, Namgung Baekryeon Hall’s head Namgung Baek immediately countered.

“Hmm….”

Since Namgung Baek’s words made sense, Namgung Ho fell into contemplation.

Then he sent an apologetic look to Namgung Cheon-gang for being unable to help.

Namgung Cheon-gang replied with a look saying not to worry.

It’s okay, Uncle. I already anticipated all this.

The answer sheet I came up with by spinning my brain round and round to escape this situation includes the existence of the Baekryeon Hall head too.

Namgung Baekryeon Hall head Namgung Baek.

How could I not think of an answer considering that person?

‘That person, with his firm resolve and uncompromising face, was a teacher I owed a great debt to during my martial arts student days.’

The position of Baekryeon Hall head is, in a way, like a school principal.

A position sufficient to hire teachers and entrust them with the school’s classes.

However, even with the title of head, Namgung Baek participated in all sorts of classes and looked after novice martial arts students.

‘There were so many incidents.’

Memories with Principal Teacher Namgung Baek vaguely surfacing.

Truly excellent and wonderful—

‘What a stubborn principal!’

Isn’t it too much to assign a thousand horse steps and a thousand each of vertical, horizontal, and thrusting strikes for being one minute late?

The homework too!

How could a trainee write: “Huh? A hundred bandits and three Namgung Family warriors were fighting when one family warrior got injured. Describe the reason by predicting the martial arts and weapons the bandits used”!

‘Even math textbooks teach calculus before sending students to the college entrance exam, but this is like telling kids who just learned arithmetic to solve college entrance exam math!’

Where did you leave your flexibility!

‘Still, he has a good heart.’

Moreover, his eye for martial arts was accurate.

If he said it wasn’t so, one would first view it with suspicion.

He didn’t hold the position of Namgung Baekryeon Hall head for ten years for nothing.

In the end, the problem is how to break through the sharp martial arts insight of Namgung Baek, the traditional stubborn person of the Namgung Family who is nevertheless a good person.

A frontal assault?

That’s a suicide move.

‘His presence here is obviously to confirm that I’m an early dropout from Namgung Baekryeon Hall and verify the authenticity of the techniques I learned, while simultaneously proposing severe punishment in the name of tradition.’

That severe punishment would be, well, limb severing or limb severing.

Ugh.

Therefore, there’s only one answer I can give!

“Seeing that you have nothing to say, it seems the situation of having learned the Lightning Sword is correct. For a branch member to learn direct lineage martial arts without permission is a grave crime. After confirming the truth, limb sever—”

“It’s internal energy.”

Throwing something completely unexpected!

“Hmm?”

“What?”

“Huh?”

Namgung Cheon-gang’s resolute voice that cut off Namgung Baek’s words and popped out.

At this, tradition-respecting Namgung Baek’s brow furrowed in anger at having his words interrupted, but soon he pondered Namgung Cheon-gang’s words and expressed his doubt.

Not just Namgung Baek.

Namgung Ho and Namgung Ok also made the same expression as Namgung Baek at Namgung Cheon-gang’s resolute answer.

“I put all my internal energy into it and threw it with all my might.”

Seeing the three people’s expressions full of doubt, Namgung Cheon-gang answered once more with confidence.

“Uh… so….”

“Internal energy…?”

“All of it?”

“Yes. With all my strength!!”

“….”

“….”

Namgung Cheon-gang’s face brimming with confidence.

The three people couldn’t think of anything to say right away.

“Really, completely full!”

Namgung Cheon-gang was cheerfully shameless.

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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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