Ice Dragon of Namgung - Chapter 125

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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 125
Along a ridge of the Dabie Mountain Range, where Hubei Province and Anhui Province met.
Bang!
With a violent collision, a young man was knocked backward, blood streaming from his chest.
“Ugh.”
The man staggered, clutching at his wound.
His appearance was in poor condition.
His body was covered in cuts, and his robes were soaked crimson with blood.
The young man was Im Dohyeon, the minor leader of the Nok Rim Alliance.
The youngest son of Im Gangcheon, the Nok Rim King, one of the five great chiefs.
It was he who had surpassed his formidable older brothers to claim the position of minor leader of the Nok Rim Alliance.
So how had the minor leader of the Nok Rim Alliance, who commanded a hundred thousand bandits, come to this?
“Minor Leader! There is nowhere left to run. Surrender now.”
A middle-aged man approached the wounded Im Dohyeon with a sneer.
Im Dohyeon stared at him with murderous intensity.
He knew this man well.
Maeng Ingeol, the fortress master of Red Tiger Fortress, belonging to the Nok Rim Alliance.
He was counted among the strongest masters within the alliance’s fortress hierarchy.
So why was this fortress master of the Nok Rim Alliance attacking Im Dohyeon, the minor leader of the Nok Rim Alliance?
Im Dohyeon wondered the same thing.
He had come to Red Tiger Fortress to inspect the hideouts scattered throughout the alliance.
But Maeng Ingeol had attacked him.
He had barely escaped with the sacrifice of the Small Tiger Guard who protected him, but not long after, he was caught by Maeng Ingeol and his bandits.
Subjected to a combined assault by Red Tiger Fortress’s bandits, Im Dohyeon had suffered injuries throughout his body and was losing strength.
He had endured somehow, but the moment Maeng Ingeol stepped forward, everything changed.
Im Dohyeon had reached the early Peak Realm, respectable for his age.
Indeed, he was not inferior to the young martial artists of the Nine Great Schools or the Five Great Clans.
But he could not compare to Maeng Ingeol.
And with injuries sustained from the combined assault of Red Tiger Fortress’s bandits, his strength was depleted.
Under Maeng Ingeol’s relentless onslaught, Im Dohyeon was on the verge of collapse.
“Maeng Ingeol! Do you truly believe you’ll emerge unscathed from this?”
Im Dohyeon spoke with an angry voice.
He was the minor leader of the Nok Rim Alliance.
If Maeng Ingeol killed him, the Nok Rim King, leader of the alliance, would not let the man live.
Im Dohyeon was trying to intimidate Maeng Ingeol by invoking the Nok Rim King’s name.
But it had no effect on Maeng Ingeol whatsoever.
“Do not worry, Minor Leader. It will not be I who killed you, but the Young Ice Dragon of the Namgung Clan.”
Maeng Ingeol shrugged and spoke.
“The Young Ice Dragon of the Namgung Clan? What do you mean by that?”
Im Dohyeon asked with a bewildered expression.
“I mean exactly that. The Young Ice Dragon of the Namgung Clan killed the minor leader of the Nok Rim Alliance. That is how the world will know it.”
At Maeng Ingeol’s answer, Im Dohyeon realized there was a conspiracy afoot in this affair.
“What scheme are you concocting?”
“There is no need for the Minor Leader to know such things. Simply die peacefully here.”
Maeng Ingeol signaled to his subordinates at his side.
As they were about to move, a strange voice came from behind.
“That doesn’t seem to be an option.”
“Who are you?”
Maeng Ingeol turned his head toward the source of the voice.
Standing there was a man who appeared to be in his early twenties.
He was none other than Namgung Geom.
In fact, he had arrived at this place some time ago.
And he had watched Im Dohyeon fighting Maeng Ingeol.
When he saw Im Dohyeon wounded and about to collapse, he hesitated for a moment.
Whether to save Im Dohyeon, or to simply pretend he knew nothing.
Part of him wanted to rescue Im Dohyeon, who was in danger.
But not knowing who Im Dohyeon was, he found it difficult to step forward.
However, after hearing the conversation between Im Dohyeon and Maeng Ingeol, he could no longer remain silent.
How could he stand by and watch while someone tried to pin the blame on him?
Above all, Maeng Ingeol’s true identity was suspicious.
Namgung Geom had never laid eyes on Maeng Ingeol until today.
There was no reason for enmity to exist between them.
Yet this stranger dared to pin a false charge upon him?
The first name that came to mind was the Crimson Sect.
If Maeng Ingeol were their spy, everything fell into place.
They meant to falsely accuse him of murdering the Young Master of the Nok Rim Alliance, driving a wedge between the Namgung Clan and the alliance.
There was no question of letting that stand.
More than anything, if Maeng Ingeol truly served the Crimson Sect, he could not be allowed to escape.
That was why Namgung Geom revealed himself at once.
Meanwhile, Maeng Ingeol caught sight of Namgung Geom—alone and scarcely more than a boy—and his guard slackened.
“And who are you, child, to thrust yourself into this affair without fear?”
“I had no intention of involving myself, but I cannot accept a false accusation of murdering the Young Master of the Nok Rim Alliance.”
At Namgung Geom’s reply, Maeng Ingeol’s mind reeled for an instant.
Then comprehension struck, and his eyes flew wide.
“You claim to be the Frozen Dragon of the Namgung Clan?”
Namgung Geom shrugged and pressed his question.
“Then enlighten me—why orchestrate such a scheme?”
Namgung Geom had already concluded that Maeng Ingeol was the Crimson Sect’s spy.
Still, it was preferable to hear the truth from his own lips.
But Maeng Ingeol had no intention of answering.
“Kill him at once!”
The command tore from Maeng Ingeol’s throat toward his men.
They surged forward toward Namgung Geom without hesitation.
Had they heard the rumors of Namgung Geom, they would never have dared approach so recklessly.
Dwelling in the mountains as they did, it seemed they had heard nothing of the Martial World’s legend.
Namgung Geom swept his blade in a wide arc toward the bandits of the Red Tiger Fortress.
The Icy Cold Sword Wind that erupted from his blade radiated outward, engulfing them.
The bandits of the Red Tiger Fortress started in alarm and threw up their guard, but the Icy Cold Sword Wind swept over them first.
Crack!
Those caught in the Icy Cold Sword Wind were frozen solid from head to toe, their bodies turning white as snow, before they were flung backward.
Maeng Ingeol’s eyes widened with shock at the sight.
He had heard tell of Namgung Geom’s martial prowess.
But knowing his youth, he had dismissed the rumors as fabrication.
Yet the single stroke Namgung Geom had just delivered proved the Martial World’s legend was real.
Im Dohyeon was equally taken aback.
Even knowing Namgung Geom’s identity, he had harbored no great expectations.
He, too, had believed the tales exaggerated.
But witnessing that single stroke changed his mind entirely.
Moments before, there had been no hope of survival.
Now possibility flickered into being.
The bandits of the Red Tiger Fortress, seeing that stroke, dared not press forward; they retreated.
They understood full well that their strength could not withstand Namgung Geom’s blade.
“Don’t fall back! Attack at once!”
Maeng Ingeol drove them forward with his command.
The bandits of the Red Tiger Fortress obeyed without delay, hurling themselves at Namgung Geom once more.
Though they knew they were no match for him, Maeng Ingeol’s orders were absolute.
In that moment, Maeng Ingeol himself hurled his body toward Im Dohyeon.
He knew as well as anyone that the Red Tiger Fortress bandits could not stand against Namgung Geom.
Yet he sent them forward regardless—to buy himself time to kill Im Dohyeon.
But Namgung Geom’s eyes never left Maeng Ingeol’s movements.
He drove off the ground with explosive force, launching himself skyward.
Leaping cleanly over the bandits who rushed toward him, Namgung Geom descended midway between Im Dohyeon and Maeng Ingeol, unleashing a torrent of Icy Cold Sword Wind.
Crack!
The Icy Cold Sword Wind froze the very air as it plummeted toward Maeng Ingeol.
……
Maeng Ingeol gasped in alarm and hastily swung his saber.
From his blade rose saber energy that resembled the claws of a tiger, raking across the Icy Cold Sword Wind.
Tiger Claw Breaking Wind Saber.
The Peak Realm blade technique that had made Maeng Ingeol the master of the Red Tiger Fortress.
By its name alone, one would expect it to shred the Icy Cold Sword Wind to ribbons, but the outcome proved otherwise.
Crack-crack!
Crash-boom!
His saber energy, which had been carving through the Icy Cold Sword Wind, froze solid and shattered in an instant.
The impact sent Maeng Ingeol tumbling backward with violent force.
Having repelled Maeng Ingeol, Namgung Geom turned to check on Im Dohyeon’s condition.
“Are you all right?”
“I won’t drop dead just yet, so don’t worry.”
Im Dohyeon shrugged and spoke.
“Then rest here for a moment.”
Namgung Geom turned and advanced toward Maeng Ingeol.
“Stop him!”
Maeng Ingeol called out urgently to the bandits of Red Tiger Fortress.
The moment his blade clashed with Namgung Geom’s sword, he understood.
No matter what he did, he could not win.
‘I must escape this place.’
Continuing to fight Namgung Geom would be suicide.
His best option was to survive first, then plan for later.
But Namgung Geom would never simply let him go.
So he threw his men forward.
To buy himself time to flee.
The bandits of Red Tiger Fortress attacked Namgung Geom without hesitation, even knowing Maeng Ingeol’s intent.
To them, his command was absolute.
Namgung Geom’s brow furrowed.
If he ignored the Red Tiger Fortress bandits and pursued Maeng Ingeol, he could catch him easily enough.
But if he chased Maeng Ingeol, Im Dohyeon would be left defenseless.
If the Red Tiger Fortress bandits tried to kill him, his current state made it difficult to defend.
If he went after Maeng Ingeol, Im Dohyeon would die.
In truth, Im Dohyeon was someone he’d only just met today.
He could have ignored his fate.
But he could not allow a person he had every ability to save to perish.
Namgung Geom decided to deal with the Red Tiger Fortress bandits first.
Yet he had no intention of letting Maeng Ingeol escape.
‘I’ll sweep them all away at once and catch that bastard.’
Namgung Geom extended his Ice Dragon Sword toward the Red Tiger Fortress bandits rushing at him.
Crack-crack!
From his blade, the Frozen Heaven opened, and the space above the bandits’ heads was swallowed by ice.
And the frozen sky consumed the bandits whole.
The bandits tried to evade the frozen sky descending upon them.
But the Frozen Heaven was, quite literally, a sky of ice.
No matter how they thrashed, they could not escape the frozen sky.
Crack-crack!
The bandits trapped in the frozen sky froze solid, expressions of shock etched on their faces.
More than a dozen Red Tiger Fortress bandits became ice statues in a single moment.
At that terrible power, Im Dohyeon could not close his mouth.
What manner of impossible martial art was this.
In fact, when he’d heard the rumors about Namgung Geom circulating through the Martial World, he’d laughed them off as absurd.
But he’d been wrong.
A single blade strike had shown him the truth.
The rumors of the Martial World were not exaggerated at all.
If anything, they fell short of reality.
Im Dohyeon made a silent vow.
No matter what happened, he would avoid battle with the Namgung Clan.
Against a monster like that, the Nok Rim Alliance would not survive.
Then Namgung Geom turned back to him.
The startled Im Dohyeon flinched.
At that reaction, Namgung Geom let out a soft laugh and spoke.
“Wait a moment. I’ll bring back the one who fled.”
Namgung Bing Long
Author |
Baek Wol Geom
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Samyang C&C Co., Ltd.
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Editorial Department
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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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