Ice Dragon of Namgung - Chapter 136

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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 136
Before leaving the Hangzhou Gold Merchant, Namgung Geom had assisted Gang Taecheon in consuming the Thousand-Year Ginseng.
If one simply ingested the Thousand-Year Ginseng, nearly half its essence would dissipate.
To fully absorb the ginseng’s vital force, a process of Qi Circulation was required.
But Gang Taecheon, having never studied martial arts, could not perform Qi Circulation.
Even if he could, without sufficient mastery of the technique, fully absorbing the essence would be difficult.
Of course, merely consuming the Thousand-Year Ginseng would cure chronic ailments and grant a long, healthy life.
But if one fully absorbed the ginseng’s essence, the meridians would open and vitality would overflow.
In the truest sense, one would experience rejuvenation.
If Gang Taecheon was to consume the Thousand-Year Ginseng anyway, was it not better to reap its maximum benefit?
While Gang Taecheon alone had no means, with Namgung Geom’s Inner Force Guidance, it was entirely possible.
At Namgung Geom’s level of mastery, Inner Force Guidance was no difficult feat.
As Gang Taecheon consumed the Thousand-Year Ginseng, Namgung Geom at once channeled his own vital force through the man’s meridian gates.
He then controlled the ginseng’s essence, unblocking the sealed points in Gang Taecheon’s body and guiding the force to accumulate in his Dantian.
As Gang Taecheon’s blocked meridians opened, impurities that had accumulated within his body drained away.
And the essence of the Thousand-Year Ginseng coiled within his Dantian.
As a result, Gang Taecheon obtained First Class Inner Power.
He could not wield that inner power directly, yet merely possessing it in his Dantian filled him with boundless vigor.
Gang Taecheon felt the vitality overflowing through his body and could scarcely contain his excitement.
Rejuvenation.
It truly felt as though he had returned to his youth.
Gang Taecheon had already accumulated vast wealth and wanted for nothing in the world.
If anything had eluded him, it was but one thing—his youth.
Yet now, having consumed the Thousand-Year Ginseng, he had reclaimed it.
He felt as though he possessed everything under heaven.
All of it was owed to Namgung Geom.
Gang Taecheon expressed his gratitude to Namgung Geom repeatedly.
Namgung Geom felt a quiet satisfaction at Gang Taecheon’s joy.
‘Perhaps Uncle Yonghyun resents this.’
Gang Yonghyun was the resident manager of the Hangzhou Gold Merchant.
Yet Gang Taecheon’s authority remained formidable.
In making important decisions for the Hangzhou Gold Merchant, Gang Yonghyun had no choice but to gauge Gang Taecheon’s will.
From Gang Yonghyun’s perspective, he might have wished to break free from Gang Taecheon’s influence and establish firm authority as the manager.
But with Gang Taecheon having achieved rejuvenation, such aspirations could only be postponed.
From Gang Yonghyun’s standpoint, the present circumstances might indeed be unwelcome.
Yet when Namgung Geom observed Gang Yonghyun’s expression, it did not seem so.
He was rejoicing in Gang Taecheon’s rejuvenation more than anyone else.
‘At least there will be no cause for familial conflict.’
Namgung Geom was certain that his maternal grandfather and uncles would not quarrel over power.
Having completed his business, Namgung Geom prepared to return to the Namgung Clan.
His maternal grandfather and uncles had wished for him to stay a few days longer, but he had much work awaiting him at the family seat.
The Changyong Sword Corps needed cultivation, and preparations for the Junior Patriarch Selection had to be made.
Above all, rooting out the spies within the clan was paramount.
“Still, I fear the Sect may target me on the journey home.”
Namgung Geom considered the possibility of an ambush by the Sect as he made his way back to the Namgung Clan.
Already, a man from the Sect of Absolute Enlightenment had revealed himself directly.
Given that, there was every possibility the Sect would move in earnest.
And if the Sect moved in full force, he himself would likely be their first target.
He had thwarted the Sect’s machinations time and again—they would surely seek to kill him before anyone else.
“It would be dangerous to travel with Mother.”
Should the Sect launch an attack, Gang Moyeon could be endangered because of him.
For her safety, it would be better to move separately.
Of course, Gang Moyeon moving separately was itself a source of worry.
The Sect might target her as well.
If the Sect took Gang Moyeon hostage to coerce him, he would have no choice but to forfeit his life.
So Namgung Geom decided to travel with a woman disguised as Gang Moyeon to draw the enemy’s gaze upon himself.
In the meantime, Gang Moyeon would conceal her identity and move in secrecy, thus securing her safety.
Namgung Geom conveyed this plan to Gang Moyeon, and she agreed without protest to follow his lead.
Though it saddened her not to return with Namgung Geom, she could not become a burden to him.
What concerned her most was his well-being.
“Don’t worry. If I sense danger, I’ll flee at once.”
Gang Moyeon still looked unconvinced.
“If I set my mind to escaping, even Grandfather won’t easily catch me. Please don’t worry.”
Namgung Geom reassured Gang Moyeon.
Then, after entrusting her protection to the escort corps from Paeryong Pavilion that had come with Gang Moyeon, he departed from the Hangzhou Gold Merchant.
* * *
Namgung Geom moved with Gang Moyeon and personnel disguised as Paeryong Pavilion’s escort corps.
The personnel disguised as Paeryong Pavilion’s escorts were actually guards from the Hangzhou Gold Merchant.
Namgung Geom explained the situation to Gang Taecheon and asked him to provide personnel to pose as Paeryong Pavilion escorts.
Gang Taecheon willingly supplied guards from the Hangzhou Gold Merchant.
The woman posing as Gang Moyeon was a female guard of the Hangzhou Gold Merchant, with a build similar to Gang Moyeon’s.
Namgung Geom had no intention of traveling with them the entire way.
He planned to move together only until they entered Anhui Province.
By that time, Gang Moyeon would have already departed by a different route, so it would be safe to send them back.
Meanwhile, Gang Moyeon and the Hangzhou Gold Merchant guards disguised as Paeryong Pavilion escorts were quite nervous.
Namgung Geom had warned them beforehand that there might be attacks along the way.
Yet they willingly took part in his plan.
First, the compensation was substantial.
The Hangzhou Gold Merchant had agreed to provide proper rewards in proportion to the risk.
But it wasn’t just about the reward.
Admiration for Namgung Geom’s martial prowess also played a role.
Though they remained outside the mainstream of the Martial World, serving only as merchant guards, they all harbored the desire to become masters.
To them, Namgung Geom—who had reached the True Martial Realm in his early twenties—was an object of admiration.
And for someone they admired so deeply, they wished to be of even the smallest help.
That was why they braved the danger and moved alongside Namgung Geom.
Namgung Geom felt profound gratitude toward them.
He hoped nothing would happen until they reached Anhui Province.
Only then would the guards who traveled with him remain safe.
On the other hand, he wanted to offer them what small assistance he could.
So whenever they rested, he freely shared counsel on martial arts with them.
Namgung Geom’s advice was nourishment to their practice.
While it wouldn’t make them masters, it could be the turning point that elevated them to the next level.
On the fourth day after leaving Hangzhou, Namgung Geom’s party passed through Tianmu Mountain and reached the boundary between Zhejiang Province and Anhui Province.
“This should be sufficient. I am grateful to you all.”
Namgung Geom thanked the guards disguised as Gang Moyeon and Paeryong Pavilion escorts, then sent them back.
They returned to Hangzhou with reluctance.
Alone now, Namgung Geom entered Anhui Province.
And he moved without haste, taking his time.
If he traveled too quickly, the Sect might lose track of him.
He wanted the Sect to pursue him.
Of course, he was not unaware of the danger.
But to grasp the Sect’s tail, he had to accept the risk.
That was why he deliberately moved slowly, allowing the Sect to detect him.
Having entered Anhui Province, Namgung Geom arrived at Huangshan that evening.
He considered seeking out Yi Gajang but decided against it.
He didn’t want Yi Gajang to be endangered because of him.
Settling into a nearby inn, Namgung Geom washed quickly and came down to the first floor to have dinner.
As he waited for his food to arrive, he overheard an interesting conversation at the neighboring table.
“You know that Mak Sam from Huanghu Village?”
A man seated to the left of the neighboring table brought up the subject first.
“Yeah, I know him. He wouldn’t shut up about catching a tiger last year. But what about him?”
The man on the right said this dismissively and asked why.
From the man’s words, Mak Sam appeared to be some sort of hunter.
“That friend Mak Sam told such an amusing story.”
“What story?”
“He said he went out hunting on Huangshan and came across an ice serpent, of all things.”
Namgung Geom’s eyes flashed at the man’s words.
“An ice serpent? Where does he get such nonsense? There’s no such thing as an ice serpent in this world.”
The man on the right spoke as though baffled.
“My thoughts exactly. He even claimed it was as thick as a man’s torso and over three spans long—which makes no sense. So I told him to be more reasonable with his bragging, but then he started insisting he’d definitely catch that creature no matter what.”
“If the thing is as thick as a man’s torso and longer than thirty feet, how on earth would you catch it? You’d be lucky just to avoid being eaten.”
“That’s why they say he’s looking for a martial master to take it down.”
The man on the right’s eyes widened at the words of the man on the left.
“A martial master? Then the ice serpent really does exist?”
If they were searching for a martial master, it couldn’t be a lie.
The martial world held human life cheap as flies.
If the ice serpent’s existence were false, the martial masters would not leave Mak Sam unscathed.
Mak Sam would know that as well.
But if he was searching for a martial master, it truly meant the ice serpent existed.
And there was a high chance that the ice serpent was a spirit beast that drove martial masters mad.
“I’ve never heard of an ice serpent among spirit beasts.”
“What would men like us know anyway?”
“That’s true enough.”
The man on the left admitted his ignorance at once.
“They say martial masters burn with desire at the mere mention of spirit beasts—I wonder if Mak Sam won’t pocket a fortune just by telling them about the ice serpent and letting them know its whereabouts.”
The man on the right smacked his lips with envy.
“Who knows. The martial masters could always strong-arm him, squeeze out the information about the ice serpent, and cast him aside.”
“The righteous-path martial masters might, but even they usually offer some compensation.”
“Well, if it’s the Namgung Clan we’re talking about, they might actually be decent.”
Namgung Geom felt inwardly satisfied by the men’s words.
At least the world’s reputation of the Namgung Clan was not poor.
But that wasn’t the important part.
The ice serpent the men were discussing.
If his thoughts were correct, it was very likely the Ice White Yin Soul Serpent.
The Ice White Yin Soul Serpent was a serpent with ice scales, a supremely yin spirit beast that possessed an yin soul.
Namgung Geom knew of the Ice White Yin Soul Serpent thanks to the original owner’s knowledge.
The spirit beast compendium that the original Namgung Geom had read contained records of the Ice White Yin Soul Serpent.
The Ice White Yin Soul Serpent was so rare that it was discovered once in a thousand years, if that.
What mattered was the fact that the Ice White Yin Soul Serpent was a supremely yin spirit beast.
The Ice White Yin Soul Serpent possessed yin energy, and its inner core was known to be the greatest treasure to martial artists who had cultivated the Bing-gong technique.
He had been searching for a supremely yin elixir to consume together with the Great Pill of Return.
And then, as if by cruel providence, an ice serpent presumed to be the Ice White Yin Soul Serpent had appeared.
It seemed as though heaven itself had arranged this for him.
But he didn’t know for certain yet.
The hunter Mak Sam could have lied, or seen things wrong.
First came verification.
Namgung Geom approached the men beside him.
“Pardon me. I wish to meet this man called Mak Sam you’ve just been discussing. Might you guide me?”
“Are you perhaps a martial master, sir?”
The man on the right asked with caution.
“I am. If you guide me to him, I will reward you handsomely.”
“What is your reason for meeting Mak Sam?”
The man on the right now pressed for his purpose.
“From what you two have said, he’s looking for a martial master to catch the ice serpent. There’s no need for him to look far when one stands before you.”
“But do you have the skill to catch an ice serpent?”
“That’s what worries me. You look barely into your early twenties.”
The two men doubted his abilities based on his apparent youth.
“Have you heard the name Xiaobing Long?”
“Of course we have. Isn’t he the eldest grandson of the Namgung Clan?”
“They say for one so young he boasts tremendous skill……”
The man on the right trailed off, then started in surprise and stared at Namgung Geom.
“Could it be that you are Xiaobing Long, sir?”
Namgung Geom smiled and nodded.
“I am indeed that Xiaobing Long.”
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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