Ice Dragon of Namgung - Chapter 124

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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 124
Yuk Gyeongwon had no choice but to yield to Namgung Geom’s coercion and reveal where he’d imprisoned Yuk Jinwon.
“You’re not lying to me, are you?”
“I don’t gamble with my own life.”
“Once I’ve confirmed that the Master of Jeonseobang is unharmed, I’ll let you go.”
Namgung Geom spoke while still gripping Yuk Gyeongwon’s throat.
“Didn’t I tell you where my brother is?”
Yuk Gyeongwon protested.
“And that’s precisely why you’re still alive, isn’t it?”
Namgung Geom had never promised to release him—only that he wouldn’t kill him.
Fury blazed through Yuk Gyeongwon’s veins.
His rage climbed to the crown of his head.
But there was nothing he could do.
Preserving his life was the only victory he could claim now.
If he resisted Namgung Geom and died for it, he alone would suffer the loss.
Namgung Geom’s gaze shifted to Ak Seungdo.
“Ak Seungdo—it would be wise to withdraw your hand from Jeonseobang this very moment.”
Namgung Geom could dispatch Ak Seungdo and the martial artists of Sa Pae Ryun without difficulty.
But that was not the ideal course.
If he killed Ak Seungdo, Sa Pae Ryun would not sit idle.
There was a risk of open conflict erupting between the Namgung Clan and Sa Pae Ryun.
“Clashing with our organization would profit the Namgung Clan nothing, would it?”
“Which is precisely why I’m giving you the chance to leave with grace. But if you continue to covet Jeonseobang until the very end, then I’m afraid even I cannot help you.”
At Namgung Geom’s soft warning, Ak Seungdo let out a scoff.
“What? You’ll kill me?”
“Do you think I cannot?”
Namgung Geom’s eyes turned to ice as he spoke.
The moment Ak Seungdo met that gaze, his entire body erupted in chills.
Those with eyes like that harbored no hesitation.
If they meant to kill you, they would strike without mercy.
Ak Seungdo ground his teeth.
He was furious, but retreat was his only wise choice now.
Even if he and all the martial artists of Sa Pae Ryun here joined their strength, they could not overcome Namgung Geom.
In truth, the moment Namgung Geom arrived, the outcome was already decided.
Unless he was prepared to stake his life, retreat was the only option.
“I will not forget this day.”
Ak Seungdo did not simply withdraw—he left a parting remark to salvage his pride.
“Such a debt of mercy requires no repayment.”
Namgung Geom shrugged and replied.
Ak Seungdo glared at him, then called out to his men.
“Everyone, fall back!”
If he returned empty-handed like this, he would face rebuke from the League Master.
But that was far preferable to dying here.
Ak Seungdo and the martial artists of Sa Pae Ryun departed without hesitation.
Once they were gone, Yuk Gyeongwon’s face drained of all resistance.
He had become Master of Jeonseobang by leaning on Ak Seungdo and Sa Pae Ryun.
But now that they had departed, he wielded no power at all.
The forces within Jeonseobang that followed and supported him?
They were nothing compared to those of Yuk Jinwon and Yuk Muwon.
Even if they were present, they could not touch Namgung Geom in any way.
Yuk Gyeongwon surrendered completely.
If he could preserve his life, it would be fortune enough.
Namgung Geom and Yuk Muwon headed to the Separate Building where Yuk Jinwon was confined.
The guards at the Separate Building were martial artists loyal to Yuk Gyeongwon from Jeonseobang.
They panicked when they saw Yuk Gyeongwon being dragged along with his neck in Namgung Geom’s grip.
Uncertain what to do, they merely exchanged glances.
“Get out of the way, all of you!”
At Yuk Muwon’s cry, they hesitated and stepped aside.
Yuk Gyeongwon was in Namgung Geom’s grasp, and Yuk Muwon appeared unharmed.
Moreover, Ak Seungdo, who had been beside Yuk Gyeongwon, was nowhere to be seen.
They realized the situation had shifted and withdrew without protest.
Yuk Muwon went straight into the Separate Building.
Namgung Geom followed close behind.
Inside, a middle-aged man lay on a bed.
The resemblance was unmistakable—this was Yuk Muwon’s father.
“Father!”
Yuk Jinwon rushed toward Yuk Muwon.
“Ungh…”
Yuk Jinwon turned his head with a groan of pain.
“How did you…?”
Yuk Jinwon was startled to see Yuk Muwon.
He had assumed his son had been dragged here by Yuk Gyeongwon.
But when he saw Yuk Gyeongwon being hauled in by Namgung Geom with fingers locked around his throat, he grasped the situation quickly enough.
“What has happened?”
“That is precisely what I would ask you, Father.”
“That vicious wretch broke both my legs.”
Yuk Jinwon glared at Yuk Gyeongwon as he spoke.
Yuk Muwon’s gaze fell upon his uncle with murderous intensity.
“If you mean to kill me, then do it.”
Yuk Gyeongwon’s voice was hollow, resigned.
Namgung Geom struck Yuk Gyeongwon’s neck, and the man collapsed. He set him down in a corner.
“May I ask who you are, sir?”
Yuk Jinwon posed the question.
He could see at a glance that this man was no ordinary person.
“I am Namgung Geom of the Namgung Clan. It is my pleasure to meet the head of Jeonseobang.”
“Ha! To receive the Martial World’s qilin—the Young Dragon himself—what an honor.”
“You do me too much credit. Besides, I consider Master Yuk a friend, so please, speak freely.”
Something warm and fierce surged up from deep within Yuk Muwon’s chest at those words.
Jeonseobang occupied the lowest rung of the Martial World.
To its master Yuk Muwon, Namgung Geom was a figure untouchable by someone of his station.
Yet Namgung Geom called him friend, and emotion flooded through him.
In this moment, he felt he could do anything for Namgung Geom.
“Then it was you, Prince Namgung, who repelled the warriors of Sa Pae Ryun?”
“I did not so much repel them as persuade them to leave on good terms.”
“Persuade them to leave on good terms?”
Yuk Jinwon’s expression turned incredulous.
“They withdrew because they feared Prince Namgung.”
Yuk Muwon added to the explanation.
“But Reaper’s Spear of Sa Pae Ryun is a master of tremendous skill. Are you telling me such a master withdrew out of fear of Prince Namgung?”
Yuk Jinwon regarded Namgung Geom with fresh astonishment.
He knew that Namgung Geom had gained renown under the name Young Dragon.
He had heard the rumors that he had killed Heuk Cheonsal.
Yet like all Martial World gossip, he had doubted whether such tales held truth.
But if Reaper’s Spear himself withdrew in fear, then perhaps the rumors were not mere invention.
“Father, you understand now—the stories circulating about Prince Namgung in the Martial World are no exaggeration. If anything, they fall short of the truth.”
At his son’s words, Yuk Jinwon released a breathless laugh.
“Ha. If the rumors are true, just how extraordinary can Prince Namgung be?”
“In time, none in the Martial World will surpass Prince Namgung.”
At Yuk Muwon’s words, Namgung Geom gave a soft cough.
“Ahem. Do you wish to see me die of embarrassment, Master Yuk?”
“It is the truth—what is there to be embarrassed about?”
“If I listen to much more, I truly may perish. I shall step outside.”
Namgung Geom took the unconscious Yuk Gyeongwon and departed.
He was deliberately giving father and son privacy to speak freely.
And the next day.
Namgung Geom prepared to leave Jeonseobang.
Though Yuk Jinwon and Yuk Muwon hoped he would stay longer, there was not enough time to reach Hangzhou for his maternal grandfather’s seventieth birthday celebration.
With no way to predict what troubles might arise along the way, it was best to depart without delay.
After hearing his reasons, neither father nor son pressed him to stay.
“The debt for saving Jeonseobang shall never be forgotten.”
Yuk Muwon offered his thanks.
“I only helped in exchange for compensation, so there’s no need for such courtesy.”
Namgung Geom had assisted Jeonseobang in return for the right to use its services without charge and priority access to information about the Namgung Clan.
Yet even so, Yuk Muwon felt boundless gratitude toward Namgung Geom for his aid to Jeonseobang.
“I shall honor every promise made to you—rest assured of that.”
“And I’ve already asked the Jegal Clan to keep watch over Jeonseobang for the time being.”
The Sa Pae Ryun had withdrawn, but no one knew what would happen once Namgung Geom departed.
That was why Namgung Geom had sought the Jegal Clan’s aid.
The Jegal Clan conducted multiple enterprises throughout Wuhan and kept martial masters stationed there.
With them watching over Jeonseobang, the Sa Pae Ryun wouldn’t dare move against it so easily.
“I’m truly grateful that you’ve taken such care until the very end.”
“But one cannot rely forever on others’ protection—what matters is that Jeonseobang gains the strength to defend itself.”
“I’ll take your words to heart and grow stronger.”
Yuk Muwon spoke with firm resolve, and Namgung Geom nodded in approval.
“Then let us meet again if the opportunity arises next time.”
“Thank you deeply. Travel carefully to Hangzhou.”
Namgung Geom left Jeonseobang’s headquarters with Yuk Muwon’s escort.
Yuk Muwon watched until Namgung Geom vanished from sight, then turned back.
* * *
According to his schedule, Namgung Geom had no plans to stop at the Namgung Clan estate and would head directly to Hangzhou.
He debated whether to travel by land or by water.
He chose the land route.
The water route would have been more comfortable, but troublesome complications could arise along the way.
For instance, he might encounter pirates of the Chang Gang Water Path League.
Of course, with his martial skill, there was no reason to fear the pirates themselves.
But he had no desire to waste time in tedious skirmishes with them.
The land route, by contrast, would require him to deploy his Divine Technique, which could prove taxing.
Others might have chosen a boat simply to avoid exerting their Divine Technique.
But Namgung Geom regarded it as training, so he chose the land route without hesitation.
By cutting through Anhui Province to reach Hangzhou, he could even stay a night at the branch family estate along the way.
Having made his decision, Namgung Geom departed Wuhan at once.
Once he reached the sparsely populated outskirts, he immediately deployed his Divine Technique.
His form, wrapped in the Heavenly Wind Divine Technique, became a single gust of wind.
His mastery of the Heavenly Wind Divine Technique had already reached full bloom; with each step he touched the ground, he covered several hundred paces with ease.
His speed was so tremendous that the landscape blurred past him.
Maintaining such velocity was no trivial matter.
His body endured immense pressure, and the sheer speed made it difficult to change direction.
But Namgung Geom’s Heavenly Wind Divine Technique was different.
He altered his course freely even at such velocity.
If obstacles suddenly appeared before him, he dodged them with ease.
Namgung Geom reveled in his speed, running with exhilaration.
When moving with Yuk Muwon, he’d had to match the other’s pace and hadn’t been able to run at full strength.
As if to shake off the frustration from that time, Namgung Geom pushed his speed higher still.
It felt as though his heart might burst at any moment, but he did not stop.
After running like this in wild abandon for some time, Namgung Geom suddenly decreased his velocity.
It was not fatigue that made him slow—rather, a sudden explosion had resounded.
Boom!
Another blast erupted.
This was no ordinary explosion.
It was the sound of masters’ internal energies colliding.
Namgung Geom hesitated for a moment.
In the Martial World, the gravest risk is stumbling into another’s fight.
Yet his curiosity got the better of him, and he shot toward the source of the explosions.
“As long as I don’t get involved, it should be fine.”
Namgung Geom
Author |
Baek Wol-geom
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(주) Samyang C&C
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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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