Ice Dragon of Namgung - Chapter 33

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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 33
Namgung Geom sent a dispatch to the Seomun Clan, relaying the situation and proposing a joint assault on the Sahae Faction’s main stronghold.
The Seomun Clan accepted Namgung Geom’s proposal.
Together, the Namgung and Seomun clans attacked the Sahae Faction’s main base from the north and south of Sungmyeong Island respectively.
But the Sahae Faction’s main force had no intention of fighting them.
The Black Dragon Corps and White Dragon Corps were decimated by the Namgung Clan.
With only the Red Dragon Corps and Blue Dragon Corps remaining, holding back the combined strength of both clans proved impossible.
The Sahae Faction’s main base abandoned the fight and withdrew directly into the Outer Sea.
The Namgung and Seomun clans pursued them.
But on the open water, they could not match the Sahae Faction’s fleet speed.
Eventually, both clans gave up the chase and returned to Taechang.
Namgung Geom regretted failing to capture the assassins of the Black Kill Sect who had been at the Sahae Faction’s main base.
Yet pressing the pursuit too aggressively risked a counter-strike that could inflict serious losses.
Neither the Namgung nor Seomun clan could match the Sahae Faction in fleet capability or naval warfare.
Setting aside his disappointment, Namgung Geom went to meet with the leadership of the Seomun Clan.
A storm of emotions churned within him.
The Seomun Clan was his maternal family in his past life.
The faces of his late maternal grandfather and uncles rose unbidden to his mind.
Though he had seen them only once in childhood, he vividly remembered their affection as they doted on their one and only nephew and grandnephew.
Now the Seomun Clan’s leadership consisted of his uncles’ grandsons.
For Namgung Geom, meeting them was like encountering family he had not seen in an age.
With trembling heart, he crossed the threshold into the hall where the Seomun leadership awaited.
Inside were Seomun Chu, the patriarch of the Seomun Clan, Seomun Cheong, the vice-patriarch, and two of the Seomun Clan’s supreme masters.
The other two supreme masters had suffered grave injuries in the battle against the Sahae Faction and could not attend.
As Namgung Geom entered, he studied their faces carefully.
Seomun Chu, though in his sixties, carried a robust, well-built frame.
‘Late True Martial Realm?’
Namgung Geom’s expression shifted as he gauged the patriarch’s level.
Late True Martial Realm was hardly a trivial stage.
Yet for a patriarch of the Seomun Clan, it fell short.
‘So the Seomun Clan’s power truly has declined.’
In his past life, his maternal grandfather, then patriarch of the Seomun Clan, had been a master of the Absolute Realm.
His uncles, too, had surpassed Seomun Chu’s current level.
Now Namgung Geom felt, with fresh force, just how diminished the Seomun Clan had become.
Nor was Seomun Chu alone.
Seomun Cheong and the two supreme masters’ realms left much to be desired.
Seomun Cheong appeared to be in his forties, at the early stage of the True Martial Realm, while the two supreme masters stood at the late Peak Realm.
They were scarcely worthy of being called the Seomun Clan’s greatest masters.
It was no accident that the Sahae Faction had moved against the Seomun Clan.
Had there existed a master of the Absolute Realm in the Seomun ranks, the Sahae Faction would never have dared launch an attack.
“I am Namgung Geom of the Namgung Clan, paying my respects to the patriarch of the Seomun Clan.”
Namgung Geom bowed formally to Seomun Chu.
“I also offer my greetings to the vice-patriarch and the senior supreme masters.”
He then clasped his fist in salute to Seomun Cheong and the two supreme masters in turn.
As he did so, Seomun Chu’s eyes widened as he sensed Namgung Geom’s aura.
The patriarch had just recognized the young man’s formidable realm.
“The First Young Master of the Namgung Clan, you say?”
“Yes.”
“Remarkable—to have achieved such a level at so tender an age.”
Seomun Chu could not hide his astonishment.
“I still have much to learn.”
At Namgung Geom’s modest reply, Seomun Chu let out a brief, dry laugh.
“If you are lacking, then all the youths of the martial world should lay down their swords.”
“My rivals are not among their number.”
At these words, Seomun Chu nodded slowly.
“You have the bearing of one destined for greater heights.”
Coming from another, such words would have seemed excessive in their arrogance.
But not from Namgung Geom.
His level had already transcended that of his peers.
His strength was such that he could stand shoulder to shoulder with the masters of the martial world.
“I’m grateful for your kind regard.”
“No, I should be thanking you. Even without the main family’s request, the Namgung Clan stepped forward first to help, and I’m truly grateful for that.”
“The main family and the Seomun Clan are old allies. How could we turn a blind eye to the Seomun Clan’s troubles?”
At Namgung Geom’s reply, Seomun Chu’s expression brightened.
“True friends reveal themselves in times of hardship. The Seomun Clan will not forget the Namgung Clan’s assistance.”
“While the Namgung Clan’s help was invaluable, had it not been for your distinguished service, the Sahae Faction would not have withdrawn so readily.”
Seomun Cheong spoke in praise of Namgung Geom’s achievements.
“I did nothing of consequence.”
Namgung Geom shook his head.
“You say you did nothing, yet the strategy to lure and defeat the Black Dragon Corps and White Dragon Corps—didn’t it all come from your mind?”
Seomun Yeol, the eldest of the Seomun Clan’s four swordsmen, chimed in agreement with Seomun Cheong’s words.
“Emptying Jangga Harbor to lure the Black Dragon Corps was impressive enough, but using the Black Dragon Corps’ distress signal to draw in the White Dragon Corps—that was nothing short of brilliant.”
“And it wasn’t merely strategy. You personally subdued both the Black Dragon Commander and the White Dragon Commander, so it’s no exaggeration to say you accomplished everything.”
Seomun Pyeong, the second of the four Seomun swordsmen, added his voice as well.
“And that’s not all. You also took the second son of the Sahae Faction as a hostage. So long as he remains in our hands, the Sahae Faction won’t dare act recklessly again.”
Seomun Cheong spoke as if placing the final flourish on a masterpiece.
“All of this was possible only because the Seomun Clan believed in me and followed the plan.”
Namgung Geom turned the credit toward the Seomun Clan.
It was no mere courtesy—had the Seomun Clan not trusted his plan and maintained their full strength at Jangga Harbor, they would never have come this far.
One might think it wasn’t a difficult decision, but it was anything but simple.
From the Seomun Clan’s perspective, accepting a proposal from a man barely past his youth was no easy matter.
Yet they had trusted Namgung Geom and withdrawn their forces from Jangga Harbor.
A miscalculation could have cost them the harbor itself, cutting off passage between the inner and outer seas and leaving them isolated.
Despite this risk, the Seomun Clan made the bold decision to trust Namgung Geom.
“That’s because your plan was sound enough to merit confidence.”
Seomun Chu shook his head and spoke.
“Still, it was only because the Seomun Clan followed my plan that we could lure the Black Dragon Corps and draw in the White Dragon Corps as well.”
“What’s certain is that without you and the Namgung Clan, my family would have suffered far greater losses at the Sahae Faction’s hands.”
Seomun Chu nodded at Seomun Chu’s words.
“The debt of gratitude we owe you and the Namgung Clan is immense. We must repay it as it deserves.”
“Of course we shall. Is there anything you desire from my family?”
Seomun Chu asked Namgung Geom directly.
“As I said before, aiding an old ally like the Seomun Clan is only natural. There’s no need for separate repayment.”
Seomun Chu thought Namgung Geom was merely speaking out of courtesy.
“My family is not so brutish as to forget kindness. Since the Namgung Clan aided us, we have a duty to repay it.”
“For me, it would be enough if the Namgung Clan and the Seomun Clan continue to be steadfast allies as we are now.”
Namgung Geom spoke as if repayment were unnecessary.
But from Seomun Chu’s position, such a thing was impossible.
“My family will stand by and support the Namgung Clan as allies regardless of your words. So speak of something else.”
“There is nothing else I wish from the Seomun Clan.”
It was no idle words.
Namgung Geom desired no reward from the Seomun Clan, his mother’s family in his past life.
Seomun Chu came to understand that Namgung Geom spoke from the heart.
Yet he could not simply ignore a debt of gratitude.
“Then I, as family head, shall decide on a suitable repayment myself.”
Seomun Chu pondered what might be appropriate, then noticed the Ice Technique aura emanating from Namgung Geom’s body.
“If my eyes don’t deceive me, it seems you have mastered the Ice Technique. Is that correct?”
“It is.”
“Then a Spiritual Pill with an Extreme Yin Aura would be of use to you.”
Seomun Chu smiled as he spoke.
“That would indeed be helpful, but……”
“I shall give you the Ice Jade Pill that my family possesses.”
At the mention of the Ice Jade Pill, Namgung Geom’s eyes widened.
“Did you just say Ice Jade Pill?”
The Ice Jade Pill was a Spiritual Pill made from the Ice Essence, the purest crystallization of ice itself—a secret treasure of the Beihai Ice Palace.
“You look puzzled as to why my family possesses a secret Spiritual Pill of the Beihai Ice Palace.”
Seomun Chu read the question in Namgung Geom’s expression and spoke.
“Indeed.”
The Ice Jade Pill was so rare that even the Beihai Ice Palace could barely produce one per year.
As such, the Ice Jade Pill almost never leaked to the outside world.
But how did the Ice Jade Pill come to be in the Seomun Clan’s possession?
“It was far too long ago for the young master to know of it, but our main branch once formed a marriage alliance with the Beihai Ice Palace. The Ice Jade Pill was received as a betrothal gift at that time.”
“How could I possibly accept something the Seomun Clan received as a betrothal gift?”
Namgung Geom’s protest made Seomun Chu shake his head.
“The Ice Jade Pill is the greatest treasure for those who have mastered the Ice Technique, but for those who have not, it is merely a cold block of ice.”
The Seomun Clan had no use for Ice Essence.
So they had merely kept it in storage all these years.
“What good is it to keep such a thing? It would be far more valuable to give it to you.”
“Are you truly certain about this?”
“If you accept the Ice Jade Pill from us, I would be most pleased.”
Faced with such sincerity from Seomun Chu, Namgung Geom found he could no longer refuse.
“Then I shall gratefully accept it.”
For a martial artist trained in the Ice Technique, the Ice Jade Pill was the finest of Spiritual Pills.
Namgung Geom was no exception.
Should he consume the Ice Jade Pill, he could achieve a breakthrough in his realm.
‘How strange that my parents’ betrothal gift should come to me in this way. Fate works in peculiar ways indeed.’
As Namgung Geom realized that his parents’ betrothal gift had returned to him after more than a century, his heart swelled with deep emotion.
“However, since the Ice Jade Pill is kept at the main branch, you will need to visit there before returning home.”
“I shall make a stop at the Seomun Clan estate on my way back to the main branch.”
At Namgung Geom’s promise to visit, Seomun Chu broke into a satisfied smile.
“Then we shall prepare a proper reception for you and the warriors of the Namgung Clan at that time.”
“Though I am honored, this is not the time for such things.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Seomun Chu asked, looking puzzled.
“Though the Sahae Faction has withdrawn, we cannot know when they might attack again. More importantly, there is a strong possibility that the Sangpae Alliance was behind this assault by the Sahae Faction.”
At the mention of the Sangpae Alliance, Seomun Chu’s eyes widened in alarm.
“The Sangpae Alliance instigated the Sahae Faction’s attack?”
Namgung Geom explained the assault he had received from assassins of the Black Kill Sect aboard the White Dragon Corps flagship.
“And from the intelligence of the Sahae Faction’s second commander, I confirmed that high-ranking assassins of the Black Kill Sect took part in this invasion.”
Seomun Chu’s expression hardened as he spoke.
“The deaths of our two sword masters had seemed inexplicable, but if assassins of the Black Kill Sect were involved, it makes sense now.”
“If the Sangpae Alliance is truly involved, they will not abandon their designs on our clan.”
“Why would the Sangpae Alliance target our main branch?”
Seomun Yeol asked, his confusion evident.
“My conjecture is that they seek to seize control of our maritime shipping routes.”
Though it was merely speculation on Namgung Geom’s part, Seomun Yeol found the theory sound.
“And since they cannot move openly themselves, they are using the Sahae Faction as a front?”
“There must have been some sort of agreement between the Sangpae Alliance and the Sahae Faction.”
“Then what do you think our main branch should do?”
Seomun Chu asked for Namgung Geom’s counsel.
Namgung Geom answered as if he had been waiting for the question.
“The Seomun Clan’s strength alone will not be enough to withstand the Sahae Faction backed by the Sangpae Alliance.”
“So?”
“The best course of action would be for the Seomun Clan to secure the support of a force capable of standing against the Sangpae Alliance.”
“Is that force the Namgung Clan?”

Namgung Geom shook his head.
“It is the Jeongtcheon Alliance.”
Namgung Bing Ryong
Author |
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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