I Became the Namgung Clan’s Omnipotent Item-Powered Martial God - Chapter 3

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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 3
Chapter 3 – Our Enemy
#1
Children are greedy.
Or rather, they are curious.
Those who were neither were not highly regarded within the Namgung Clan.
Why?
Because they were judged to lack desire and ambition.
Human beings, by nature, move only when they want something.
The belly grows empty, so we eat; the eyes grow heavy, so we sleep.
As children grow, they begin to pursue something greater than mere basic needs.
That is how the Namgung Clan taught them.
‘Yet this one wanted nothing at all.’
A child who remained locked away in his room.
A child no one paid attention to.
A child no one watched, no one guarded against.
That was Namgung Yeon.
“So this is truly your first request of me as clan head?”
“Yes.”
Do not worry.
From now on, I will be asking for many different things.
Namgung Yeon said this through his eyes alone, speaking silently.
His father, Namgung Mu, would surely understand his intent from that gaze alone.
He would realize as well how complicated the succession would become from this point forward.
It did not matter.
The victor in the succession struggle was already decided, in all but name.
“Three months remain. What could you possibly accomplish in that time, having learned no martial arts?”
“What standard should I aim for?”
What is your measure, Father?
Namgung Yeon asked calmly.
It mattered little what answer came from his father.
Through countless lives of experience, he had already grasped the full extent of Namgung Mu’s imagination.
After a moment of meeting his son’s eyes, Namgung Mu set forth a condition—one somewhat unreasonable.
Of course, with compensation befitting it.
“First-Class. If your martial arts reach First-Class level or higher within three months, I shall grant you whatever you desire.”
“First-Class… I understand.”
Namgung Mu, watching his son answer so evenly, felt an odd emotion stir within him.
First-Class martial artist.
The level an ordinary martial artist could reach through a lifetime of cultivation.
Though this held true only if one trained alone, without fortune or connection of any kind.
From renowned sects and prestigious clans, First-Class warriors were produced as if stamped from a mold.
Yet it was never an easy feat.
Such warriors typically reached First-Class only after their prime years, around twenty or beyond.
Even with harsh training, a decade or more was needed to attain such a realm.
‘As if you would even comprehend what First-Class means.’
So then—merely step beyond Third-Class.
That was the true measure in his father’s heart.
Of course, Namgung Mu, wearing the mask of clan head, showed nothing of this.
“Where must I prove this?”
“The Squad Leader Selection Tournament.”
The Squad Leader Selection Tournament.
The qualifying competition held when the Heir Selection Competition begins—a proving ground for claiming an advantageous position.
To become squad leader there would be valuable experience when leading warriors in the future.
The clan elders valued that aspect highly as well.
Namgung Yeon nodded.
Since that moment would mark the opening of the competition, there was no finer stage for it.
“Very well.”
“Is there anything else you desire?”
“There is one person I would ask you to give me.”
A person, he said….
A faint smile crossed Namgung Mu’s lips.
It seemed his son had already grasped what mattered.
Though the emotion had flickered only briefly, his mind was already drifting toward the thought: “I suppose I can support this.”
“What sort of person do you need? Shall I assign you an instructor?”
“No, sir. There’s Nam Ho Ho. I need someone to do the cleaning.”
“Nam Ho Ho……?”
The name was unfamiliar to him.
A clan head had no need to memorize every servant’s name.
But what struck him as odd was why his son would ask for an ordinary cleaner rather than a martial master.
There was no point asking.
Every choice was his own, and as a member of the Namgung Clan, he must bear responsibility for it.
Here, those who could not grow stronger would simply be cast aside.
“Very well.”
The clan head’s final approval had been given.
#2
“How did it seem to you?”
“Yeon has changed quite a bit.”
“Yeon has?”
Namgung Mu spent a few moments conversing with his wife, So Yeon, about their son.
Though the meeting had been brief, the impression it left was remarkably strong.
Namgung Mu offered his assessment concisely.
“I thought he was a boy with no ambition and no drive whatsoever.”
…….
At her husband’s words, So Yeon fell silent and called to mind her son as he had been.
True enough—he had wanted nothing.
Which was precisely why she had worried over him.
This was the first time Yeon had ever made a request of them.
And his gaze, too, had changed, he said…….
Namgung Mu spoke with a note of pride.
“But that wasn’t it at all. The boy was coiled inward, healing his wounds.”
“All that time, he was simply waiting? Without a single complaint?”
“That, precisely, is what I had hoped for.”
How much suffering must he have endured through all those months.
Did he painstakingly restore each of his meridians with the aid of medicinal herbs?
Or did he circulate his Qi while weeping and praying?
Either way, it mattered little.
What was important was that he had borne such hardship and overcome his weakness.
With that degree of resolve, he would acquit himself well in whatever position he held.
“If he grows strong only within the Namgung framework, then the method hardly matters.”
“So our Yeon suffered all this while…….”
“Do not worry yourself unduly. He does not seem to be an ordinary boy.”
Namgung Mu took the hand of So Yeon, whose eyes had grown red.
From a man’s perspective, his son was not the sort to crumble easily.
Moreover, any child of a martial family should be willing to face such trials with a smile and open heart, should he not?
“Let us observe him.”
“Please allow me to visit him once every seven days.”
“He is your son.”
So Yeon broke into a radiant smile at her husband’s words.
Though he presented himself as an unyielding clan head to the world, he was a warm man in her presence.
That was who Namgung Mu truly was.
“Then I should begin preparing his things for departure.”
So Yeon rolled up her sleeves.
She was of the direct line of the Great Namgung Clan.
She would not let their son leave diminished in any way.
So Yeon turned toward her son, her eyes bright with determination.
#3
“Pack this, and this as well…….”
“Mother.”
“This is for washing your face. And this—you sprinkle it before bed and it will give your body a pleasant fragrance…….”
“Mother?”
“What’s… huh?”
So Yeon watched her son even as she rattled on without drawing breath.
Namgung Yeon sighed and spoke.
“I can’t carry all of this.”
“Can’t you just send someone with it?”
“Besides, I’m only going just outside the city. It’s not even far enough to reach Wuhu.”
“Still, take everything you might need, won’t you?”
Namgung Yeon sighed again, then nodded.
Anhui Province.
Within it, he planned to move only inside Hefei.
It was a distance he could cover in a single day, either by horse or using the Lightness Skill.
So close he could touch his own nose, yet she prepared for it as though he were embarking on a grand expedition.
This must be what a mother’s heart feels like.
And so Namgung Yeon could not bring himself to refuse.
Perhaps, he thought, it was because he knew this would be the last time.
“Understood. But please, send these things with someone else. I’ll head out first and scout the area.”
“Then shouldn’t we assign an escort?”
“I’ll go on ahead to survey the land.”
Within Hefei, there was nothing beyond the reach of the Namgung Clan’s influence—what fool would dare to lay a hand on them?
Namgung Yeon had his eye on a particular place among the sprawling options.
A location he had always favored as a hideout during his countless returns.
‘Before, I settled things through violence. Will it be the same this time?’
Namgung Yeon gathered a simple bundle and his sword, then slipped quietly out of the clan compound.
Officially, his purpose was rest and recuperation in a quiet place.
As he traveled in his palanquin, he heard the whispers of clan members.
“Who is that?”
“They say it’s Young Master Yeon.”
“Ah, I see….”
Soon enough, the crowd lost interest.
Though he caught snatches of worried conversation.
“I hear he’s not well. The Clan Head must be concerned.”
“Well, who wouldn’t be? He’s his own son, after all. It’s hard not to feel for him.”
And some released sighs of relief.
It was obvious enough who they were.
“Still, it’s like one less rival to worry about, isn’t it?”
“True enough. With how formidable the direct line already is….”
“Lucky him. Traveling in comfort while others scramble.”
Remarks that would be unthinkable in an ordinary clan.
But this was the Namgung Clan, where only strength commanded respect.
Namgung Yeon took it all in stride.
‘They too, in the end, died serving the Martial World.’
How could he bear them ill will?
He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath.
For now, it was enough to focus solely on growing stronger.
Time passed, and Namgung Yeon reached his destination.
A single escort warrior stood at his side.
Knock-knock—he rapped on the worn door of the martial arts school, and a man emerged.
“Welcome. Who might you be?”
“I am Namgung Yeon.”
“Namgung…? Did you say Namgung!?”
“That’s right.”
Speaking matter-of-factly, Namgung Yeon stepped into the small school.
The school master gazed at him as though at a madman.
‘Always so peaceful here.’
Namgung Yeon walked slowly through the martial arts school, a faint smile crossing his face.
It had been a long time.
The southern edge of Hefei.
A martial arts school perched upon a low hill.
Though nameless, from its height one could see Chaohu Lake, Hefei’s pride and jewel.
One of the five largest lakes on the continent.
And there was a lake—one of the places where calamity would strike someday.
‘This Martial Arts School sits in an excellent position overlooking Chaohu Lake. And…….’
Namgung Yeon cut short his thoughts and turned to address the master.
“I’ll buy this school.”
“……What?”
“I said I’m buying the school.”
Namgung Yeon tossed a pouch of Gold Yuan Bao with a flourish.
A single Gold Yuan Bao was enough wealth for an ordinary person to live comfortably for a lifetime.
For most people, it was the kind of treasure they’d never even lay eyes on.
If that doesn’t quite convey the magnitude, perhaps it’s better put this way.
“It’s enough to feed an entire village. Surely that’s sufficient to hand over this whole school?”
“…….”
“What, is it not enough?”
The man had appeared out of nowhere and was throwing money around like a fool.
What in heaven’s name was he?
So he was from the Namgung Clan—had his sense of money been completely destroyed?
The master of the school, who’d been witnessing strange occurrences since morning, wore a bewildered expression.
He still couldn’t quite grasp what was happening.
“You need only leave with your own person. Ah, but that won’t be possible, will it?”
“What do you……?”
Namgung Yeon laughed quietly.
Whenever he seized this place, he had always done so by force.
Why was that?
The reason was simple.
‘This overlooked place—to think it would be the very cradle of ruin.’
Far in the future.
The Namgung Clan would have to abandon Anhui Province and flee.
Enemies would swarm from Jiangxi, from Zhejiang, from Jiangsu, and from Hubei.
‘I tried to solve it with money, but even that won’t be enough to stop them.’
They were enemies unknown, creatures intent on devouring the entire Martial World.
They were monsters that recognized no distinction between righteousness and wickedness.
All calamity began here, in this hidden Martial Arts School.
So he had always needed to seize this place by force.
Namgung Yeon’s ultimate enemy.
The tendrils of that enemy operated in the shadows of this school.
The true identity of the enemy that brought ruin was—
“The forces of Demonic darkness—there is much to pass along to them—”
“Shrieeeek!”
Whoooosh—!
Even as Namgung Yeon’s words left his lips, an attack came hurtling toward him.
Despite the ambush, he arched his back slightly and dodged clear.
“Young master!”
“Stay put.”
Namgung Yeon held back the guard rushing forward and grasped his sword hilt.
His body was still weak, but this much he could certainly manage.
Violence against these creatures had been repeated countless times, and now its limits would finally shatter.
‘So throwing money around was pointless after all.’
With a pointless thought, he took his stance.
It didn’t matter.
There would be plenty of places for money in the days to come.
“Screeeech—!”
“How noisy.”
Namgung Yeon’s blade burst from its scabbard.
The Namgung sword.
A blade that carried the will to devour all things, to place even nature itself beneath his feet.
Emperor Sword Form

“This time, it will not go as you wish.”
Kneel before the emperor of mankind.
Namgung Yeon’s blade moved.

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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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