I Became the Namgung Clan’s Omnipotent Item-Powered Martial God - Chapter 87

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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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Episode 87
87 – Eyes That See What Lies Within
#1
The harbor at Cheongyang.
The Eunwol Merchant Group and the three companions faced one another at the water’s edge, exchanging their farewells.
It was time now to part ways and pursue their separate paths.
They had secured a merchant vessel and laid the foundation for the merchant group’s operations.
Even if it was salvage from the remnants of the Pungyun Escort Service, there was no harm in repurposing it.
Wol Young had always possessed considerable acumen in such matters, after all.
Before Wol Young embarked in earnest on her enterprise, she offered her gratitude.
The Heukpung Faction would now transform entirely.
“Thanks to you, I was able to establish our foundation. I’m deeply grateful.”
“We’re far from finished. The Demons will keep coming, and they’ll infiltrate our ranks under false identities, trying to consume the Eunwol Merchant Group from within.”
……
“Now that we’ve revealed ourselves to the world, you need to stay sharp.”
Wol Young—or rather, she who would henceforth operate under the name Eunwol—nodded solemnly, steeling her resolve again and again.
She had felt the terror of the Demons keenly during this journey.
Without the sacrifices of the porters and Jaeng Jasoo’s meticulous work, they would never have protected the supplies the expedition required.
Namgung Yeon then instructed Manho to bring forth what he had prepared in advance.
“Manho.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Bring me what I prepared earlier.”
“Understood, sir.”
What Manho carried from the ship was an enormous trunk.
At the sight of it, Eunwol found her breath catching in her throat once more.
What on earth—why does he keep giving so freely?
She regarded Namgung Yeon with an inscrutable expression.
Thud!
Manho set the trunk down before the porters and Jaeng Jasoo.
Its weight was such that even a martial artist approaching the pinnacle of mastery would strain to lift it.
One of the porters who carefully tested its weight fell silent, lost in thought.
“What manner of weight is this…….”
“I can handle such matters myself now, sir.”
“I’m not doubting your abilities. Consider this…… merely a personal token of gratitude.”
“Personal……?”
Namgung Yeon gazed upon the porters and Jaeng Jasoo, weathered and grimy from the harsh winds of their journey.
In those days when war raged unchecked.
When the Demons established a new Demon Cult and consolidated their power, laying waste to Jungwon.
It was they—not the martial artists who knew nothing but how to wield weapons—who kept those warriors fed.
The butchers who wielded their craft, dividing meat into usable and unusable portions.
The merchants and porters like Jaeng Jasoo who sorted goods, carried them, and secured trade routes…….
The builders who erected temporary structures and provided shelter from rain and wind.
These were the people who kept warriors alive.
‘This is but a small investment for a distant future…….’
An investment made in recognition of their labor, one made with foresight.
An investment meant to kindle such joyful memories that they would willingly devote their lives to the cause.
Their value would prove far more precious than gold, and the wisdom gleaned from lives spent in toil would rival that of sages.
“I rely on your continued service. It was through your efforts that we saw this mission through to completion.”
……
“See that those who did not return are given honorable funeral rites, and grant their surviving families enough wealth that they need never work again.”
“Yes, sir. I understand.”
Had such a sum of currency flooded the market, the very economy would have collapsed long ago.
Namgung Yeon added one final word.
“And convey this to them: if they grow drunk on the sudden windfall before their eyes, they will soon find themselves beggars once more.”
“Yes, I will deliver the message precisely.”
“Then I look forward to our continued partnership, Merchant Group Leader.”
Namgung Yeon offered his fist salute first to Eunwol.
Eunwol regarded him for a moment, her eyes wavering slightly.
The benefactor who had saved the Heukpung Faction.
And…… the noble one who had given her a new life.
Now she had become a compassionate person who cared for those beneath her with dignity.
There was something frightening about those empty eyes and her unhesitating actions—but he had come to realize she was a truly good person.
She too bowed her head deeper and opened her mouth.
“I swear, I will never disappoint you.”
It was not just her own vow, but a promise shared by everyone in the Eunwol Merchant Group.
Should anyone act against Yeon’s wishes, she would deal with them by her own hand.
Wol Young’s eyes blazed with intensity.
A life devoted to someone.
And eyes that burned with the desire to make that someone shine.
#2
“The children have arrived in Cheongyang.”
“Thank goodness they made it safely.”
This was a shabby restaurant near the Namgung Family compound.
On the surface, no one ever entered—but reality was far different.
In a small bowl, a broth released a pungent smell.
And the lit incense candle gave off a subtle fragrance.
The man sitting with his feet propped on the table, Dang Yeon-ho, let out a soft laugh.
This was a safe house that Dang Yeon-ho had created to monitor the eastern reaches of Jungwon.
Countless people came here to grab a quick meal and report on the current situation to him.
He drew in one long breath.
“What did I call it again…? Anyway, I should ask my grandson for a few more. And find out where he got them.”
……
“He should be arriving soon. Hasn’t he shown up yet?”
Dang Yeon-ho asked while draining the broth.
The answer came quickly.
“He should arrive shortly.”
“Ah, perfect. Just as I expected.”
“Then I shall withdraw.”
Dang Yeon-ho waved his hand dismissively.
A crude yet heartfelt gesture of dismissal.
Just then, someone entered the shabby shop.
A couple in worn clothing.
Thud!
The moment they stepped inside, all the doors around them slammed shut.
In an instant, the shop was plunged into complete darkness.
A single beam of candlelight illuminated the surroundings.
“…Do we really have to do all this?”
“Haha, isn’t it amusing?”
“Ugh…. It looks so suspicious.”
The woman’s voice rang out flatly.
It was a beautiful voice, yet one that seemed to pout with complaint.
Who would dare speak to Dang Yeon-ho, the Demon King of Ten Thousand Poisons, in such a manner?
“What of your husband—does he think the same?”
“I find it rather charming, Father.”
“Really now.”
This was precisely because this woman was the only daughter of the Demon King of Ten Thousand Poisons.
The couple removed their deeply pulled cloaks and revealed their faces.
The two were none other than Namgung Mu, the Family Head of the Namgung Clan, and his wife, So Yeon.
“Did you receive the gift I sent?”
“…Yes. Thanks to it, we obtained justification for the Changcheon Inspection to move.”
“You’ve worked hard, Father. But…how did you know? We had difficulty finding it ourselves.”
At So Yeon’s question, Dang Yeon-ho’s expression grew grave as he answered.
In the darkness, the candlelight flickered, casting shadows across his already menacing face, making it seem even more grotesque.
“I didn’t catch that one myself.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Yeon provided the information. As if she knew such a thing was about to happen.”
……
Namgung Mu fell silent at his father-in-law’s words, lost in thought.
Yes, that was right.
Yeon had been particularly proactive in matters concerning Demons, and had achieved no small measure of success.
Was it not he who had captured Namgung Hyeon-geum, the one who had once abandoned the Namgung Clan in those distant days?
While lying bedridden…… had he designed or investigated all of this?
Or during those three months of preparation for the Junior Clan Leader Selection?
The truth could not be known.
Only he would know, and only he would move accordingly.
“Did he inform you of his next move, or provide any other information?”
“No. There was nothing like that. Regrettably.”
“I see.”
“But tell me — what is this man, really? Could it be that the Family Head is secretly supporting him?”
Dang Yeon-ho posed a different question.
Secretly supporting him?
What could this mean?
“The Golden Dragon Pavilion Master must be aware of all my expenditures. I have never received private support beyond that. Rather…… I believed it was my father-in-law who had been sponsoring me.”
“Hmm…… is that so?”
“Surely he hasn’t been up to anything improper?”
So Yeon asked with concern.
But the answers that came were far more significant than what she had worried over.
“That’s not likely. But…… in the course of handling matters, he seems to have swallowed up an entire merchant group whole. I’m not even sure when he became acquainted with wealthy men in the South.”
…….
“From what I’ve observed, he appears to be gathering people independently. Has he no interest in the Junior Clan Leader Selection?”
In that case, I could raise and train the men for him myself.
Dang Yeon-ho chuckled, speaking in jest.
Namgung Mu nodded at those words.
If what his father-in-law, Dang Yeon-ho, said were true……
‘His talents were more exceptional than I had thought.’
What constitutes the qualities of a lord?
Outstanding administrative skill?
Formidable martial power?
Or perhaps…… overwhelming financial resources?
Of course, they mattered.
All of them mattered, but they could all be replaced.
One could recruit talented administrators like Zhuge Liang, and that would suffice.
One could employ great generals like Lü Bu, and that would be enough.
Partner with merchant groups and expand enterprises, and wealth would flow in on its own.
But what could these exceptional people possibly trust and remain loyal to?
‘The true quality of a lord…… is the power to draw people in.’
Whatever else it might be, the power to inspire loyalty and fidelity in the hearts of those who follow.
A fundamental principle that even the Namgung Clan, which enshrined the Supremacy of the Strong as its absolute law, could never escape.
The discord that inevitably arose in a clan where people lived alongside people had long twisted the Namgung’s direction.
If things developed just as he envisioned, it seemed possible that a great upheaval might befall the history of the Namgung Clan itself.
Perhaps fate itself had twisted from the moment he broke free of the Acupoint Sealing.
The thought came to him that things would become all the more interesting.
“What are you thinking so hard about?”
“Nothing. I was simply struck by how intriguing it all is.”
“Hah, so my son-in-law thinks the same?”
“Yes. And Yeon’s actions are without flaw. They were my intent as well……”
Dang Yeon-ho’s eyebrows twitched.
Right. There was no way the Family Head could be unaware of such actions.
As the Thousand Poison Monarch gestured once more, the window opened and light poured in.
With a soft click, the locked doors swung open again, clearing the path before the husband and wife.
“Be cautious. There appear to be enemies in every direction, more than you might expect.”
“……Yes, I shall remember.”
“You must trust no one.”
Namgung Mu bowed without reply and vanished.
Yes.
His father-in-law was right.
In the Namgung Clan now, one must trust no one.
Not even…… one’s own son.
“My dear……”
“Do not worry. The Namgung will not crumble so easily.”
So Yeon gripped his hand tightly, her face clouded with concern.
Namgung Mu covered her hand with his own, thick and reassuring, to calm her fears.
Together, they made a vow.
They would extend their training hours further still.
And expand their watchful eyes—both within and without—even more vigilantly.
“How progresses your cultivation?”
“Smoothly. I should reclaim my former heights soon enough.”
“Your father-in-law will be pleased to hear it.”
The two of them walked through the streets of Haebi again, wrapped in a shabby straw mat cloak.
Dang Yeon-ho watched them disappear into the crowd, his gaze lingering.
He scratched his head and murmured to himself.
“A bloodstorm will sweep through the Namgung Clan, mark my words.”
All he could do was pray it would not fall upon those he held dear.
The Namgung Clan was certainly changing.
For better or worse.

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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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