I Became the Namgung Clan’s Omnipotent Item-Powered Martial God - Chapter 24

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 24
Chapter 24 – Rumors
#1
It was deep into the night.
The hour when even the instructors rested if they weren’t needed.
Namgung Yeon stood in the night breeze, gazing at the city lights that glimmered in the distance.
Even at this hour, the glow of the bustling quarter showed no sign of dimming.
Looking upon those lights, he always became aware that this world was not reality.
A prison from which one could neither return nor escape.
Namgung Yeon’s hollow eyes were always fixed on something beyond the world itself.
“You called for me.”
How long had he been standing there in silence?
To him, time was merely one commodity among many that could be freely spent.
When the lights had dimmed and the world had begun to fade to ash-grey, Man Ho arrived.
The reason Namgung Yeon had summoned his guard was simple enough.
From now on, the man would become his messenger, running errands in his stead.
“Go to the Black Wind Lodge. There, have them investigate everything currently connected to the Namgung Clan.”
“Understood.”
“Whether they use legwork or money matters not. Just have them gather it safely.”
“Yes. Is there anything else you wish to command?”
Namgung Yeon deliberated for a moment.
What else might there be?
Soon enough, movements would begin within the Clan itself.
They were arrogant.
Moreover, their pride ran so deep that they dismissed even grave matters as trifling.
Such people would quickly forget any hint that an Infiltrator existed among them.
Why?
Because they believed the great Namgung Clan would never bow to such a creature.
What could one expect from such people?
“Pass word to Wol Yeong. Have him devise means to draw people together.”
“……As you command.”
“If he cannot find a method through his own deliberation, have him seek me out.”
Man Ho received all his orders and bowed his head.
There were times when he did not fully comprehend a command, yet his role was not to question but to convey.
There was no need to ask.
Nor should he.
“I shall depart at once.”
Namgung Yeon nodded, and Man Ho rose and made ready to leave.
Then Namgung Yeon’s hand suddenly extended toward him.
In it lay a small bundle, and the scent it gave off was rather pungent.
“Take this with you.”
“Yes.”
“I’ve placed Spirit Medicine and Medicinal Materials within. Use them without hesitation if the need arises.”
“…….”
Man Ho stared at the bundle Namgung Yeon offered for a time before wordlessly accepting it.
Where did all these things come from?
It seemed too much to call it mere secret technique……
‘No, there’s no need to dwell on it.’
He was nothing but a servant meant to follow.
Mere proximity to such a man would shower him with fortune.
Besides, hadn’t he already half-severed his ties anyway?

A memory surfaced briefly.
That humiliating moment flashed past him.
He was already cast aside, so what did it matter……
Man Ho steadied himself and disappeared into the darkness to carry out his tasks.
There were many who spread rumors about Lord Namgung Yeon.
And just as surely, ill words would reach him too, for standing at the man’s side.
One thing is always true: slander must be answered with results.
‘Those who despise us will keep coming, after all.’
Then I’ll simply crush them one by one.
The Namgung way.
#2
Beyond the Heir Designation Competition, the Namgung Clan had countless other matters to attend to.
They needed not only to secure dominance over Anhui Province but to extend their influence into Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Hubei as well.
In the midst of these busy affairs, word arrived of something quite extraordinary.
Namely, the involvement of Sichuan.
More precisely, Dang Ho Yeon, the former patriarch of the Tang Clan, had formally entered as a sponsor.
This would surely create a massive fissure in the Namgung Clan’s power structure.
“Patriarch, this is madness, surely.”
“Indeed. How can the Tang Clan meddle in the affairs of the Namgung…….”
“However much the Tang may be our maternal relatives, our matters should be settled among ourselves, I submit.”
The elders were united in their objections.
Naturally.
It was extraordinary, after all.
Even Patriarch Namgung Mu had not anticipated that Namgung Yeon could secure Dang Ho Yeon’s backing so quickly.
Still, there was something intriguing about how Namgung Yeon’s moves differed from those of the others.
The elders had a point.
The moment the Tang Clan of Sichuan interfered in Namgung affairs, the clan’s direction could be shaken.
But then again, a direction only becomes unstable when one’s own power is insufficient.
“Would the Namgung be shaken merely because Namgung Yeon brought in a few scraps of support for the Competition?”
……
“The former patriarch’s sponsorship is something Namgung Yeon obtained through his own effort; we have nothing to say against it.”
“However, by that logic, the elders too could acquire substantial backing.”
The elders themselves were men who held sway over the martial world.
At least here, in the Eastern Central Plains—people of standing unknown to no one.
They too possessed the means to marshal tremendous funds and secure sponsors.
The elders pressed their argument, believing it only just.
“Then, Patriarch, surely we elders must be permitted to bring forth sponsors as well.”
“Do so. But see that you do not violate the Code.”
“……I beg your pardon?”
Surprisingly, Namgung Mu simply nodded in agreement.
Raising the stakes?
All the better.
He had absolute confidence in the strength of his children.
The elders would have to think carefully.
When the stakes are raised, who stands to gain the most?
Of course, they each had their own designs.
Now that matters stood thus, Namgung Mu decided to act decisively.
Let them marshal all their resources and seize victory in the Competition.
In the end, they would learn who their true master was.
“Do as you wish. But know this—if anyone violates the Code, they would do well to prepare themselves.”
……
“And consider too: when the stakes are higher, who will bring the greatest ally to their side?”
The elders did nothing to hide their unease, yet they could not speak carelessly.
Upon reflection, no family stood above the Tang Clan of Sichuan.
Only a merchant guild might muster a sponsor of comparable standing.
The Namgung Clan and the Tang Clan of Sichuan.
Who could stand against the combined weight of these two families?
Matched purely by wealth alone, the difference would be insurmountable.
After surveying the room in silence, Namgung Mu spoke again.
“The Namgung pursue pure strength. Our Code is set thusly.”
“Indeed.”
“Sponsorship is well enough, and you may purchase Spirit Medicine and offer it freely—but cultivate martial warriors of genuine strength.”
……
“What use is any of it, after all, if those entering the Competition lack resolve, diligence, and talent?”
The elders fell silent at words so inescapably true.
We must not forget this.
The Namgung Clan’s true essence lay in strength.
By adhering to a single code, they had risen to this point.
The clan head, Namgung Mu, had grown adept at managing the elders.
It was routine work now.
Placating those who would claw for even a speck of power was the duty of a clan head.
“I trust the council of elders will not begrudge support to promising young talents.”
“We understand, clan head.”
“Since we have come this far, why not endeavor to make the next generation’s clan head the finest warrior under heaven?”
“Heh, though we differed for a moment, the path we travel leads to the same destination, does it not?”
The great elder, Namgung Hyun Jong, spoke thus.
His words carried weight that even the council could not dismiss.
What Namgung Hyun Jong said was: ‘Let us proceed with moderation and each tend to our own duties.’
The elders had no choice but to step back before his mediation.
“Then in this matter, let the council also consider mentors according to the code. I look forward to it.”
“Very well, shall we move to the next item?”
“Yes. The next matter is…….”
The meeting proceeded like water flowing downstream.
Yet all present were thinking only of how to exploit this sudden shift in power.
‘To think that one person could change things to this extent.’
The great elder, observing their expressions, let out a soft murmur of admiration.
Namgung Yeon…….
The Crouching Dragon was indeed a Crouching Dragon.
#3
The days of training continued.
If you asked Team 3 when their most despised hour was, surely it would be dawn.
The team leader, Namgung Yeon, woke without fail at the time he went to fetch water.
If they did not fill the prescribed amount, they had to repeat the mountain runs endlessly.
And doing so while carrying a metal lump on their backs—it was truly agony.
The two infiltrators of Team 3 arrived at the stream slowly.
The other team members looked ready to collapse from exhaustion.
“How much longer do we have to keep doing this?”
“How should I know. Working under this garbage of a team leader—what is this even about?”
“We came here to carry out orders, not to idly train like this.”
“Who could disagree.”
Yet they moved with surprising stability.
Their physical development was already largely complete.
A physique approaching that of an adult.
And for those who had honed their martial skills through such rigorous training, this level of task was hardly difficult.
Why had they not entered the team leader selection trials?
The reason was quite simple.
They still needed to appear weak.
They had to wait for the arrogant fools of the Namgung Clan to grow complacent.
“Even this pretense is killing me.”
“Heh heh…… I can barely contain my desire to see their blood.”
“Who couldn’t. Especially that team leader—we’ll make him beg for his life.”
Always standing with hands clasped behind his back, watching them.
Those empty eyes gave them chills from time to time, but he was nothing more than a young brat.
At their current level, they were confident they could capture him.
Now it was hard to suppress the bloodlust welling up within them.
And lately, having eaten so much good meat, they felt strength coursing through their bodies.
“Still, the Namgung Clan does have its merits. I can’t even remember the last time I could eat meat to my heart’s content like this.”
“Right. And that strange medicinal water wasn’t half bad either.”
“True. Do you think they realize? That they’re feeding their enemies right under their own roof.”
The two laughed heartily.
A great house called a pillar of the Orthodox Faction, yet they could not even inspect what lay beneath their own lamp.
How absurd it was.
“So you were here.”
“……Who is it!”
Then a voice rang out without warning.
A figure in instructor’s robes appeared silently.
The two of them immediately drew upon their inner energy.
Kill and Silence.
They had to catch and eliminate him however they could—there could be no loose ends.
Just as they heightened their vigilance to its peak, the instructor spoke.
It was news that had nothing to do with their fears—in fact, exactly what they’d hoped to hear.
“Team 3 and Team 7. That’s right, isn’t it.”
…….
“I am the fifth grand master of the Demon Blood Sect.”
The infiltrators had already taken root in the deepest places.
An infiltrator had been hiding even among the instructors.

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