Ice Dragon of Namgung - Chapter 112

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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 112
Geumhwa Pavilion.
Namgung Geom sat in the private chamber on the top floor.
Across from Geumhwa Pavilion stood Hwayang Pavilion, and from the top floor where Namgung Geom now rested, he could see it all at a glance.
Namgung Geom had come here to observe Namgung Yun’s movements.
“We greet the Crown Prince.”
Geum Myunghwa, the proprietress of Geumhwa Pavilion, entered the private chamber.
Though Geum Myunghwa managed Geumhwa Pavilion, Gang Moyeon was its true master.
And Namgung Geom was Gang Moyeon’s only son.
Geum Myunghwa owed him the utmost courtesy.
“I told you there was no need to fuss over me.”
“Yet how could I not attend you, now that you’ve graced us with your presence?”
“I’ll rest quietly and take my leave. Say nothing of my visit to anyone.”
“Rest assured, my lord. All our staff here are tight-lipped. Will you not take some refreshment?”
“That won’t be necessary. You may go.”
“Then please, make yourself comfortable. Should you need anything at all, you need only call.”
At Namgung Geom’s second dismissal, Geum Myunghwa could only bow and withdraw from the chamber.
Namgung Geom opened the window of his room and gazed across at Hwayang Pavilion.
He looked up and noticed a full moon rising above the pavilion’s main hall.
His third uncle, he had heard, visited Hwayang Pavilion once every seven days.
And today marked seven days since the last visit.
Namgung Geom’s thoughts turned to his third uncle.
A candidate for Junior Patriarch, yet he drew far less attention than his older brothers.
His martial prowess and influence were utterly ordinary compared to theirs.
Few would even mention Namgung Yun as a contender for the Junior Patriarch position.
Nor did Namgung Yun seem particularly ambitious for the role.
If he were, he would have cultivated his power by now—yet no such effort appeared.
He simply fulfilled his duties as Cheonpung Branch Master.
His sole pleasure was visiting Hwayang Pavilion every seven days to indulge in the arts.
Namgung Geom did not believe Namgung Yun was a cult spy.
As a direct descendant of the Namgung Clan, he lacked for nothing in status.
There would be no reason for him to become an agent of the Cult.
Then Namgung Geom’s mind drifted to the Cheongyang Branch Master.
If Namgung Yun harbored ambitions for the Junior Patriarch seat, perhaps—
Perhaps he had allied with the Cult, believing his own abilities insufficient to claim the position.
Of course, this was mere speculation on Namgung Geom’s part.
He didn’t truly believe it.
It was only a passing thought born from wondering what possible motive Namgung Yun might have to become a cult agent.
First, he needed to confirm who Namgung Yun was meeting in Hwayang Pavilion.
Word had it that Namgung Yun kept Jayun Hyang, the pavilion’s foremost courtesan, as his favored companion.
If Namgung Yun met only with Jayun Hyang at Hwayang Pavilion, and if she were merely an ordinary courtesan, then suspicion could be set aside.
Namgung Geom waited for some time.
Several figures emerged from within Hwayang Pavilion.
Among them was a face Namgung Geom recognized.
‘The Finance Master?’
Finance Master Namgung Jimyung.
The son of Elder Namgung Muhyun and father of Namgung Cheonsan, Third Master of the Changyong Sword Corps.
Namgung Jimyung had little talent for the martial arts.
So he had boldly abandoned them in pursuit of financial studies.
His aptitude was recognized, and he became Finance Master, controlling the Namgung Clan’s purse strings.
Namgung Jimyung stood with several men who appeared to be merchants.
Likely he had been entertaining them on some business of the Finance Ministry.
After exchanging farewells with the merchants, Namgung Jimyung boarded his carriage and departed Hwayang Pavilion.
Namgung Geom thought nothing of Namgung Jimyung’s appearance.
Such entertainments were routine for a Finance Master.
Not long after, a familiar carriage entered through the main gate.
The man who stepped out was, as expected, his third uncle—Namgung Yun.
Namgung Yun moved into Hwayang Pavilion with practiced ease.
Namgung Geom unleashed his Body Technique, passing through the window of Geumhwa Pavilion.
Slipping soundlessly across the rooftops under cover of darkness, he crept toward the quarters of Jayun Hyang, which he had scouted beforehand.
Suppressing his presence and focusing on the sound, he caught the faint murmur of voices from within the chamber.
“You’ve arrived?”
“How have you been keeping yourself?”
It was Namgung Yun’s voice.
“I thought my neck would snap waiting for you, sir.”
“For someone with such complaints, your skin certainly glows with vitality.”
“That’s only because I take such care with my appearance every day, hoping to please you, sir.”
Jayun Hyang’s coquettish tone drew a laugh from Namgung Yun.
“Ha ha ha. Well then, let me hear you play the Guqin.”
“You seem to prefer Guqin playing more than I do, sir.”
Jayun Hyang spoke as if slightly disappointed.
“It’s precisely because it’s you playing the Guqin that I enjoy it so.”
Namgung Yun’s flattery was followed by Jayun Hyang’s laughter.
Soon the chatter in the room subsided, and the clear, deep tones of the Guqin began to resound.
Thrum! Zing!
Namgung Geom kept his senses razor-sharp, concentrating on the sounds from within.
The conversation between the two faded away, and only Jayun Hyang’s Guqin music lingered in his ears.
‘This is no ordinary performance.’
Namgung Geom was not well-versed in music.
Yet he could discern that Jayun Hyang’s playing was extraordinary.
Her performance bore none of the ornate flourishes or frivolous melodies of the mundane world.
It was pure and serene—like crystalline mountain water flowing, like wind passing through a bamboo grove—each note imbued with clarity and tranquility.
As Namgung Geom listened, the turbulence in his mind dissolved, leaving only calm.
It was music that truly touched the heart.
After the performance had continued at length, Namgung Yun offered his praise.
“Indeed, you are Jayun Hyang. Your melody carries the clarity of spring wind and bright moon—it purifies my very spirit.”
“Sir, is there something troubling you?”
At Jayun Hyang’s inquiry, Namgung Yun sighed before answering.
“There is a rat hiding within the clan that I cannot catch, and it weighs on my mind greatly. I know not when this wretch will scheme again and shake the foundations of our house, so I find no peace.”
Namgung Geom could infer that the rat lurking in the clan was a Cult Spy.
“Has something occurred within the Jeongcheon Assembly?”
“That wretch attempted to incite chaos by falsely claiming that Jang Joka was an heir of Heuk Cheonsal.”
Anger was evident in Namgung Yun’s voice.
“Heuk Cheonsal—the ancient demon lord of the North Sea who once ravaged the Martial World? How could the eldest son of the Namgung Clan possibly be his heir?”
Jayun Hyang asked, startled.
“Fortunately, the Patriarchs of the Five Great Clans examined Jang Joka’s Inner Power directly and confirmed he has not cultivated Heuk Cheonsal’s Demonic Arts. We are grateful for that.”
“Is there truly no way to capture this rat?”
Namgung Yun sighed and replied.
“Jang Joka and the Silver Dragon Tower are making efforts, but it seems we have had no success thus far.”
‘I never knew Uncle took such care of me.’
Namgung Geom could feel that beneath Namgung Yun’s guarded words lay genuine affection for him.
Yet here he was, suspecting his uncle and conducting this secret surveillance—his heart grew heavy with unease.
‘And yet he reveals the clan’s affairs far too readily.’
Namgung Geom was troubled by how easily Namgung Yun spoke of such sensitive clan matters to Jayun Hyang.
Perhaps it was only natural, given how close they were.
But there was no telling where Jayun Hyang might leak the information she heard from Namgung Yun.
‘In any case, Uncle seems trustworthy enough.’
While it was unwise for Namgung Yun to entrust such secrets to Jayun Hyang, it at least seemed certain he was no Cult Spy.
But Jayun Hyang troubled him.
What if she were using her closeness to Namgung Yun to extract the clan’s secrets?
It seemed an excessive suspicion, yet there was no harm in verifying.
Namgung Geom waited for Namgung Yun to depart.
To his surprise, Namgung Yun did not lie with Jayun Hyang.
He merely drank wine, listened to her Guqin playing, and exchanged conversation.
It appeared, as Jayun Hyang had said, that he visited her simply for the pleasure of her music.
After hearing five pieces from Jayun Hyang’s Guqin, Namgung Yun departed from her chambers.
Then he immediately boarded his carriage and returned to the Namgung Clan.
Once he had left, Namgung Geom observed Jayun Hyang’s subsequent movements.
Yet he found nothing particularly suspicious about her behavior.
She did not even meet with anyone worth doubting.
“Am I being too suspicious?”
Namgung Geom shook his head, trying to dismiss his doubts about Jayun Hyang.
It wasn’t right to judge based on a single day.
He thought it best to observe for at least a few more days.
In truth, there was no clear reason to suspect Jayun Hyang.
How to describe it.
It was merely intuition.
And sometimes such intuition proved surprisingly accurate.
But not this time.
Though Namgung Geom watched for several more days, he found nothing suspicious in Jayun Hyang’s behavior.
He ceased his surveillance of her.
He could not afford to remain fixated on her indefinitely.
* * *
Days earlier.
The secret chamber of Hwayang Pavilion.
A masked man sat alone in the room.
Then the door opened, and a woman entered.
She was none other than Jayun Hyang.
“I greet the Fourth Rank.”
“You’ve heard about Namgung Geom, then?”
“I heard that the Patriarchs of the Five Great Clans have publicly declared that his arts are not those of Heuk Cheonsal.”
The masked man called the Fourth Rank nodded.
“I never expected that bastard Namgung Geom to expose it himself.”
“This matter will have heightened vigilance against the Cult not only within the Namgung Clan but throughout the Jeongcheon Alliance.”
“Have there been any other communications from Heuk Un Saja?”
The Fourth Rank asked.
“It seems Heuk Un Saja will find it difficult to move for the time being.”
“True enough. He’s in quite the predicament himself.”
Heuk Un Saja had suffered repeated failures and lost Heuk Cheonsal, one of the most important figures within the Dark Cult.
The Third Rank was none other than Heuk Cheonsal.
The Cult ranked its members numerically according to importance.
Heuk Cheonsal held the Third Rank—a position at the very pinnacle of the Dark Cult’s hierarchy.
To have wielded such a man in an operation only to fail and lose him would not bode well for Heuk Un Saja’s survival.
“For now, it would be wise for him to keep his head down.”
“I was planning to do just that. The net closing in on me grows tighter by the day.”
“And there is word that Hwang Cheon Bangju has been released. Are you aware of this?”
“Hwang Cheon Bangju?”
The masked man asked in a tone of surprise.
He had clearly known nothing of it.
“You were unaware?”
Jayun Hyang asked as if taken aback.
“It seems the Silver Dragon Tower handled it as a closely guarded secret.”
“They appear to have released him in hopes that he would approach the Fourth Rank.”
At Jayun Hyang’s words, the Fourth Rank let out a soft laugh.
“So that’s the move they made after I let Hwang Cheon Bangju slip through my fingers.”
“There will certainly be watchers stationed near Hwang Cheon Bangju.”
To Jayun Hyang’s concern, the Fourth Rank spoke as though the matter were nothing to fear.
“No doubt. But it’s a wasted effort. Hwang Cheon Bangju has no way to contact me.”
Namgung Geom
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Baek Wol Geom
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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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