Ice Dragon of Namgung - Chapter 54

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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 54
The Training Grounds of the Seobang Swordsmen were thick with heat and tension.
The regular members of the Seobang Swordsmen who had entered the preliminary rounds approached their matches with solemn resolve.
But reality was merciless.
“Ugh!”
“Hack—!”
Throughout the Training Grounds, the regular members of the Seobang Swordsmen were sent sprawling.
The blades of the Changyong Sword Brigade were swift and precise.
The regular members of the Seobang Swordsmen were no match for them.
Namgung Yongsang, watching from the side, felt his expression harden.
He was the leader of the Seobang Swordsmen.
There was no pleasure in witnessing his men collapse without resistance.
“You said the outcome of the matches wasn’t important, but since they’re proving to be no competition at all, I’m not sure what we’re meant to demonstrate here.”
Namgung Yongsang smiled bitterly as he spoke.
“Look there.”
Namgung Geom gestured toward a combat platform in the corner of the Training Grounds.
There, a young member of slight build was facing off against a member of the Changyong Sword Brigade.
The young man’s name was Namgung Hak.
He was a low-ranking regular member who had attracted little attention even within the Seobang Swordsmen.
The Changyong Sword Brigade member facing him was Namgung Gwang, second only to the Four Immortals in skill.
Namgung Gwang’s blade cut through the air with sharp Sword Wind, driving Namgung Hak backward relentlessly.
Namgung Hak was pressed into constant retreat against Namgung Gwang’s assault.
To any observer, Namgung Hak was being overwhelmed completely.
By appearance alone, there was no reason to take notice of him.
Yet Namgung Geom saw something different: Namgung Hak was holding his ground even as he was driven back.
Namgung Hak’s martial skill was inferior to Namgung Gwang’s.
By technique alone, he should have been thrown to the ground long ago under Namgung Gwang’s blade.
And yet Namgung Hak was still standing.
“Watch that member’s movements.”
At Namgung Geom’s words, Namgung Yongsang turned his attention to Namgung Hak’s movements.
Each time Namgung Gwang’s blade pressed in, the young man twisted his body in the opposite direction, either deflecting the strike or draining its force.
“And observe his blade as well.”
Following Namgung Geom’s continued observation, Namgung Yongsang shifted his gaze to Namgung Hak’s sword.
Each time Namgung Hak’s blade met Namgung Gwang’s, he twisted it aside, letting the strike slide off to one side.
“The Four-Direction Release Heaven Root!”
Namgung Hak’s eyes widened in surprise as he looked at Namgung Geom.
“That member is instinctively deflecting his opponent’s attacks. To display a technique so difficult that even masters at the peak struggle to master it—remarkable indeed.”
Namgung Geom watched the match with keen interest.
Namgung Gwang, his pride wounded by Namgung Hak’s continued defense, pressed his assault with even greater ferocity.
His blade rushed toward Namgung Hak with devastating force.
Rather than meet the attack head-on, Namgung Hak contorted his body at an unnatural angle, letting the blade glide along his body as it passed.
‘Natural talent for using an opponent’s strength—that much is innate.’
As Namgung Geom marveled inwardly, Namgung Hak was driven back by a rebound from Namgung Gwang’s blade.
In that instant, Namgung Hak used the momentum of his retreat to thrust his sword toward Namgung Gwang’s wrist.
It was less a refined technique than a desperate gambit.
Namgung Gwang started in alarm and dodged Namgung Hak’s blade.
Rip!
Namgung Hak’s sword tore through Namgung Gwang’s sleeve.
Namgung Gwang looked at his torn sleeve in astonishment, then fixed Namgung Hak with wide eyes.
Namgung Hak, seeing the other’s expression, let out a thin laugh.
“Well. At least I’ve cut his sleeve—so I can say I have no regrets.”
Namgung Hak knew full well that his skill could not defeat Namgung Gwang.
Still, he had no wish to simply lose.
He wanted to show something, anything, before the match ended.
And now, having torn Namgung Gwang’s sleeve, that was enough.
“Award that member a Passing Token.”
Namgung Geom spoke as though there was nothing more to see.
In any case, the outcome of the matches was not the point.
What mattered was the talent Namgung Hak had displayed—the natural ability to deflect an opponent’s force.
Not long after, Namgung Hak fell beneath Namgung Gwang’s blade.
Namgung Hak had naturally assumed he would not be selected.
But something unexpected happened.
“Namgung Hak of the Seobang Swordsmen, Sixth Brigade. You pass.”
His name had been called among the successful candidates.
Namgung Hak stared at Namgung Yongsang with wide, astonished eyes.
His expression was one of pure disbelief at his own selection.
“Namgung Hak. You pass.”
Namgung Yongsang announced his acceptance a second time.
Tears streamed down Namgung Hak’s face as emotion overwhelmed him.
The other ordinary members around him looked on with envy.
And as Namgung Hak stepped down, several of the members came forward to offer their congratulations.
With Namgung Hak’s passing, the atmosphere in the Training Grounds grew even more heated.
The ordinary members of the Seobang Swordsmen realized they could pass even if they lost their matches, and they scrambled to display their talents in any way possible.
Yet none possessed the kind of talent that immediately caught the eye as Namgung Hak’s had.
Still, a few demonstrated potential worth cultivating.
Namgung Geom granted them passing tokens.
‘Hmm. Were my expectations too high?’
Namgung Geom had been hoping to find someone with exceptional talent like Namgung Hak.
But aside from Namgung Hak, he saw nothing of the sort.
Just as Namgung Geom’s interest was beginning to wane, a combatant who stepped onto the central stage drew his attention.
‘Interesting. He’s making clever use of his opponent’s blind spot.’
The one fighting on the central stage was Namgung San, an ordinary member of the Seobang Swordsmen.
His opponent was Namgung Bi of the Changyong Sword Brigade.
Namgung Bi ranked among the lower tiers even within the Changyong Sword Brigade.
Still, his martial skill surpassed that of Namgung San, an ordinary member of the Seobang Swordsmen.
In terms of pure martial ability, Namgung Bi held the advantage.
Yet the match itself unfolded differently.
Namgung Bi showed no superiority whatsoever against Namgung San.
Instead, he seemed to be driven back by Namgung San’s attacks.
“Can you discern that member’s movements?”
Namgung Geom asked Namgung Yongsang.
Namgung Yongsang studied Namgung San’s movements and soon nodded in recognition.
“He’s moving into his opponent’s blind spot.”
“Exactly. That member moves toward areas outside Namgung Bi’s field of vision, creating moments of vulnerability through precise timing.”
Before Namgung Geom could finish speaking, Namgung San shifted into Namgung Bi’s blind spot.
Namgung San vanished from Namgung Bi’s line of sight in an instant.
As Namgung Bi turned his head in confusion, Namgung San swiftly extended his blade.
The moment Namgung San’s sword lunged forward, Namgung Bi, having spotted his position, hastily raised his defense.
Clang!
Namgung San’s blade struck Namgung Bi’s guard and rebounded.
“However, because Namgung San’s strikes lack the speed and force of Namgung Bi’s, his defense holds firm.”
In speed and power, Namgung Bi exceeded Namgung San.
That was why, even defending moments after Namgung San attacked, he could still deflect the blade.
“It will be difficult for Namgung San to win from this position.”
Namgung Geom nodded at Namgung Yongsang’s words.
“Namgung Bi has surely caught on to Namgung San’s tactic of exploiting blind spots.”
Just as Namgung Geom said, Namgung Bi had recognized that Namgung San moved into his blind spots.
He could now anticipate Namgung San’s movements.
Then, using the recoil from being pushed back, Namgung San moved into Namgung Bi’s blind spot once more.
And he launched an attack in the same manner as before.
In that instant, Namgung Bi’s eyes flashed with clarity.
Namgung San would inevitably move into his blind spot.
Namgung Bi calculated the direction of Namgung San’s movement and his own blind spot, then thrust his blade to the left.
Namgung San, startled as he was about to attack, barely managed to block Namgung Bi’s sword.
Clang!
“Ugh.”
Namgung San gasped and was flung backward by the impact.
Now commanding the advantage, Namgung Bi pressed forward, unleashing a flurry of blade strikes.
Namgung San could not escape the onslaught and found himself retreating under relentless pressure.
In the end, he could not withstand Namgung Bi’s assault and fell.
“What shall we do with Namgung San?”
Namgung Yongsang asked whether he should pass.
“Pass him, naturally.”
The ability to exploit an opponent’s blind spot is not something one simply learns.
With a bit more refinement to his martial skills, he’ll show real promise.
“Namgung San. You pass.”
Namgung San, having received his passing token, bowed deeply to Namgung Geom and Namgung Yongsang with a face flushed with emotion.
The martial combats continued after Namgung San’s passing.
No more exceptional talents like Namgung Hak or Namgung San emerged from the remainder.
Still, there were serviceable ones among them.
As Namgung Geom watched the bouts unfold, he selected promising candidates one by one.
When the martial combats ended, forty-nine individuals had caught his eye.
Those chosen for the Changyong Sword Brigade made no attempt to hide their joy.
By contrast, those who failed to impress Namgung Geom swallowed their tears in disappointment.
Namgung Geom offered congratulations to those selected and comfort to those eliminated.
After the Changyong Sword Brigade selection trials concluded, Namgung Geom made preparations to depart the Seobang Swordsmen.
Before leaving the Seobang Swordsmen, Namgung Geom engaged in a martial combat with Namgung Yongsang, the master of the brigade.
The outcome was, of course, a victory for Namgung Geom.
Namgung Yongsang had already known that Namgung Geom’s martial prowess was remarkable.
But crossing blades directly showed him just how badly he had underestimated Namgung Geom.
His martial skills far exceeded what Namgung Yongsang had assumed.
It wasn’t merely that his martial arts were strong—he understood the deeper principles of combat itself.
It was hard to believe he was still in his early twenties.
As a martial artist, Namgung Yongsang found himself genuinely in awe of Namgung Geom.
In truth, he had been supporting Namgung Seong, the master of Changung, as the next potential family head.
His support for Namgung Seong stemmed from no other reason.
It was simply that Namgung Seong possessed the finest martial skills.
But having witnessed Namgung Geom’s prowess, his conviction wavered.
For now, it was true that Namgung Geom fell short of Namgung Seong.
But would that still be the case in a few years’ time?
It seemed to him that given only a few years, Namgung Geom would surpass Namgung Seong entirely.
If one considered the Namgung Clan’s future, wouldn’t it be better for Namgung Geom to become the potential family head rather than Namgung Seong?
The scales of Namgung Yongsang’s heart were tilting toward Namgung Geom.
“Once you depart, I wonder when we shall meet again.”
Namgung Yongsang spoke with a note of regret.
“I hope that when we meet next, you will have ascended to the True Martial Realm.”
Namgung Geom’s kind words brought a smile to Namgung Yongsang’s face.
“That is my fervent wish as well.”
“A master of your caliber will surely achieve it.”
These were not mere pleasantries.
Given Namgung Yongsang’s talent, it was entirely within his reach.
“Thank you.”
“Then I must take my leave. I shall visit the master of the Taeho Branch Family before departing at once.”
“Always travel with care.”
After exchanging farewells with Namgung Yongsang, Namgung Geom made his way to the Taeho Branch Family.
The Taeho Branch Family was about an hour’s journey from the main headquarters of the Seobang Swordsmen.
When Namgung Geom arrived at the Taeho Branch Family, Namgung U, the master of the branch, stood ready and waiting.
“Crown Prince! Do look after my wayward son.”
“Fear not. I shall ensure that you never regret sending him as deputy commander of the Changyong Sword Brigade.”
“Those words put my mind at ease. Travel safely, then.”
“And you, master of the branch, take good care of yourself. We shall meet again next time.”
After exchanging farewells with Namgung Pyo, Namgung Geom departed the Taeho Branch Family at once.
When arriving at the Taeho Branch Family, he had brought only the existing Changyong Sword Brigade.
But upon departure, Namgung U and the newly selected members of the Changyong Sword Brigade joined the ranks.
Seeing his forces more than doubled, Namgung Geom wore an expression of satisfaction.
“We all depart for the Nanfang Swordsmen.”
Namgung Bingryong
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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