I Became the Namgung Clan’s Omnipotent Item-Powered Martial God - Chapter 90

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Chapter 90
90 – Competition
#1
Bang Ya was at his wit’s end.
He wanted nothing more than to cuff this pebble-sized brat right then and there.
If not for Namgung Yeon’s gaze, he would have landed a few blows already.
He’d spent years building himself up as a craftsman, taking pride in his work—and now this little wretch dared…….
As Bang Ya locked eyes with the boy, whose stare was unflinching and direct, Namgung Yeon’s voice cut through.
It was an intriguing proposition for them both.
“Then Hanrim, prove it.”
“……Really!? Me!?”
“No, sir!”
Hanrim’s eyes lit up with triumph, while Bang Ya’s face betrayed his indignation.
Both reactions were perfectly natural.
Namgung Yeon continued.
“You’ll learn it’s not easy.”
“Ah…….”
“You’re sharp, that much is true. But don’t grow arrogant. There are many who know far more than you in fields where your knowledge fails.”
His blank, hollow gaze pressed down on Hanrim like a weight.
The emotionless words that fell from his lips crushed them both—Hanrim and Bang Ya alike.
Bang Ya cleared his throat first, breaking the tension, then turned to Hanrim with an offer.
“Fine. There’s much I haven’t seen myself. I’ll give you a month. You’ll need to finish the formation design based on the blueprint.”
“……All right.”
“But you must satisfy every one of the clients’ demands. That’s the bare minimum for anyone who takes payment for their work.”
Hanrim nodded heavily.
He understood well enough the weight of a commission.
When he’d worked at Hwanghakmnu, he’d learned how brutally difficult it was to earn someone else’s coin.
You had to deliver exactly what was asked.
No—more than what was asked, or the employer wouldn’t be satisfied enough to actually pay you.
Simply doing what you were told didn’t earn you a reputation as clever or capable.
Working just hard enough not to be fired was a kind of skill, but…….
“Then I’ll pay the fee myself. But if you can’t do it properly, you won’t see a single copper—you’ll be cleaning instead.”
……
Namgung Yeon had spoken to Hanrim coldly on purpose.
The reason was simple.
This too was something Hanrim had asked him for.

It was when he’d posed the question on a night of drinking.
Namgung Yeon still remembered that conversation.


A friend who had come to regret living too narrowly.
One of the few who knew that the man called Namgung Yeon could turn back time.
Hanrim had always been someone who complemented his life, and regretted it.
‘There’s no life left to regret anymore.’
If he failed now, there would be no chance to make amends.
So he had no choice but to try everything.
Years of standing by and doing nothing, even knowing someone would die.
Years of struggling desperately to prevent another’s death.
All of it—the experience, the regret, the obsession, the despair—he would pour it all out.
Namgung Yeon gazed at Hanrim steadily and spoke.
“You need to experience more.”
Just like Ho Ho, you are someone precious in the Martial Realm.
Someone very precious—someone who will help save both the Martial Realm and mankind.
“Then this is a sort of wager. If I bring back results worthy of your approval, you’ll take me as your successor.”
“That sounds like music to my ears.”
“……What about my opinion!?”
There was none.
#2
Hanrim received an enormous stack of documents from Bang Ya.
Not only that, he’d swept up the Design Blueprint and sundry other documents, intending to barricade himself in his private quarters.
Until Namgung Yeon stopped him.
“This is work time. Personal matters wait until all the dormitory duties are finished.”
“……Ugh, seriously?”
“What, you feel wronged? Then reveal your real name and leave.”
……
Hanrim ground his teeth, but soon huffed away in search of his assigned tasks.
Once he moved around enough, his head would clear.
The maintenance and cleaning work here was less physical labor than a contemplative walk.
‘Well then, we need to grow stronger ourselves.’
The first thing to do was test out this Closed Training Hall.
His Internal Energy now ranked well above average for his age.
But if asked whether it was overwhelmingly powerful……he could only shake his head.
A complete warrior required the perfection of three pillars: spirit, breath, and body.
What was most lacking in Namgung Yeon himself was, without doubt, his physique.
‘I should use what I’ve been saving.’
The Elixirs he hadn’t consumed while managing his duties.
And he intended to make use of this newly completed training facility.
He couldn’t yet consume high-grade Elixirs, so he’d have to build that foundation step by step.
And he needed to raise the cultivation level of those training in that hall.
While the Eun Wol Merchant Guild established itself and took root South of Namgung, we must dominate Namgung itself.
Those who served as the pillars needed to be the ones tempering themselves in the Three Teams.
“We’ll need to extend sparring time from now on.”
And.
Before the Sword Discussion Tournament begins, I’ll raise their cultivation by one level.
All of Namgung will be astounded.
Those fools who still mock the Three Teams will see clearly then.
That without more grueling, more righteous discipline, the future they desire will not come to pass.
When they realized that the efforts they’d invested thus far might not be enough to claim Namgung.
Then what reaction would they show?
‘Let them awaken, I pray.’
Namgung must grow stronger still.
So that no one would dare even dream of breaching its ramparts.
“Ho Ho.”
“Yes! Young Master!”
“For the next few days I’ll be inside the training hall. See that your training doesn’t falter while I’m gone.”
Ho Ho bowed at the command.
Namgung Yeon offered them one more incentive to kindle their passion further.
“When I emerge, I’ll assign those with the best progress to the Closed Training Hall.”
“……What will we do there, Young Master?”
“Grow stronger still. By consuming the Elixir I provide.”
……
Namgung Yeon watched Ho Ho’s eyes gleam with sudden fervor and smiled faintly.
With such passion, surely they wouldn’t hold back from training to a satisfying degree.
Namgung Yeon left Ho Ho with instructions to relay to the others and turned toward the hall.
‘This training hall was built for precisely this reason.’
Gongong Gyeokseok.
Jamui Jeseong Stone.