Ice Dragon of Namgung - Chapter 68

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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 68
Within the Janggangsuromeng, only the Suryong Ship—the personal vessel of the Alliance Lord, Suryong Wang—could fly the Suryong flag.
If Suryong Wang had come himself, none of those here would survive.
Not that it would even take that.
Five warships approaching alone would spell their complete annihilation.
Though there was still distance between them, fleeing was not an option.
Troops meant to be divided among three vessels were now crammed onto a single ship.
Even an attempt to flee would struggle to build speed.
Push too hard, and the ship would capsize.
“Would it not be wise for you to escape at least, Lord Leader?”
Namgung Gwan spoke with a grave expression.
“That does seem prudent.”
Namgung Woo seconded from beside him.
At their words, Namgung Geom’s brow furrowed.
“You ask me, the eldest grandson of the Namgung Clan, to abandon my subordinates and flee alone to save my own life?”
“If we can preserve you, we are willing to lay down our lives gladly.”
Namgung Gwan’s voice carried the ring of conviction.
It was the look of a warrior—unwavering loyalty, not a trace of deception.
Facing such devotion, Namgung Geom felt something hot stirring deep in his chest.
“I have no place in my creed for abandoning subordinates to their doom while I alone survive. And rest assured—I have no intention of dying here.”
Namgung Geom spoke with resolute conviction.
These were subordinates willing to offer their lives for his sake.
He could not let them perish.
He would dedicate everything within his power to protect them.
“If Suryong Wang himself is aboard the Suryong Ship, even you, Lord Leader, would not escape alive.”
Namgung Gwan spoke as though urging reason.
“If Suryong Wang desires my death, then fleeing will prove futile regardless.”
Suryong Wang was among the Six Supremes, counted among those of Ouma rank.
Even the weakest of the Ouma lay far beyond Namgung Geom’s reach at present.
Should Suryong Wang decide to kill him, there would be no escaping his grasp.
On land, there might have been some chance.
But here, on the Jangggang—Suryong Wang’s absolute domain—escape held no advantage.
Better to fight with full strength from the outset than to tire himself fleeing, only to meet death unprepared.
“And I have doubts whether the Janggangsuromeng truly means to target us.”
“Then what reason would they have for bringing the Suryong Ship?”
Namgung Woo tilted his head in confusion.
“Precisely. Can it truly be common sense that the Suryong Ship mobilized merely to attack us? It defies logic.”
No matter how remarkable Namgung Geom’s martial prowess, it scarcely justified the Suryong Ship’s deployment.
For Suryong Wang himself to move made even less sense.
“More fundamentally, what justification does the Janggangsuromeng even possess to attack the Namgung Clan?”
“But if they heard rumors that you attacked Heuksuchai first, might they not have moved?”
Namgung Geom shook his head firmly against Namgung Woo’s objection.
“Unless the leadership of the Janggangsuromeng are fools, they would not draw their blades on mere rumor—not without the resolve to face our main family in open war.”
The Janggangsuromeng would not commit to battle over Heuksuchai alone.
“What’s more, the fact that Heuksuchai resorted to a Self-destructing Ship in their desperate assault proves it.”
Namgung Gwan grasped his meaning at once.
“If they had known the Alliance Lord himself was moving, they would never have attempted such an extreme measure.”
Namgung Geom nodded.
“By all appearances, Heuksuchai likely had no knowledge of the Alliance Lord’s movements.”
In other words, the purpose of the Suryong Ship’s sortie was not them.
It was conjecture, yet the more he examined the circumstances, the more certain he became.
If Namgung Geom’s reasoning was sound, there would be no danger.
“Then what could be the Janggangsuromeng’s purpose in mobilizing the Suryong Ship?”
Namgung Woo had considered it, but no answer came to mind.
“I do not know either. Yet it must be connected to Heuksuchai in some way.”
Namgung Geom could not discern the exact reason.
His best guess was that they had come to prevent Heuksuchai from acting recklessly.
“Then we should not attack the Suryong Ship?”
Namgung Gwan asked.
“If the Suryong Ship does not strike first, it would be wise to wait and observe.”
He still didn’t know the purpose of the Suryong Ship.
The Suryong Ship showed no intention of attacking, but if his side struck first carelessly, it could only backfire.
Besides, even if they initiated the assault, it wouldn’t change the outcome of the battle.
“Understood.”
Namgung Gwan followed Namgung Geom’s opinion without question.
While everyone watched tensely, the Janggangsuromeng’s fleet, led by the Suryong Ship, rapidly closed the distance.
Even as they entered the range of the large ballistae, they did not attack.
They genuinely seemed to have no intention of fighting.
Soon the Janggangsuromeng’s fleet narrowed the gap to within twenty zhang.
Then a man stepped forward onto the bow of the Suryong Ship.
And he called out loudly toward them.
“I am Gang Mujin, the Young Master of the Janggangsuromeng. I wish to speak with the Namgung Clan regarding the matter of Heuksuchai.”
The Young Dragon, Gang Mujin.
Eldest son of Suryong Wang, who was both the Master of the Janggangsuromeng and one of the Oumaas.
A master who, at thirty years of age, stood on the threshold of the Absolute Realm.
The Young Master of the Janggangsuromeng, destined to inherit the leadership from Suryong Wang.
The world spoke of him thus:
The most perfect inheritor of Suryong Wang’s blood—a dragon on the verge of ascending to the heavens.
It was he who had appeared here in Suryong Wang’s stead.
‘Fortunately, Suryong Wang himself did not come.’
Namgung Geom felt relief that Suryong Wang had not come in person.
Had he come, they would have been forced to obey his every whim completely.
One misstep, one offense to his temper, and they could lose their lives.
Even the Realm of Previous Life held no power against Suryong Wang.
If Suryong Wang wished someone dead, death could not be escaped.
To Namgung Geom now, Suryong Wang was an irresistible force.
Simply that he had not come allowed them to breathe.
Of course, Gang Mujin was no trivial opponent either.
Still, with the Realm of Previous Life and the power of the Bingyong Sword combined, there was a way through.
Yet he had no desire to fight Gang Mujin.
Gang Mujin had said he wanted conversation, not combat.
If the dialogue went well, there would be no need for battle.
Namgung Geom walked out onto the bow of the flagship.
“I am Namgung Geom, Master of the Changyong Swordsmen of the Namgung Clan. It is a pleasure to meet the renowned Young Master of the Janggangsuromeng.”
“I too am pleased to meet the eldest grandson of the Namgung Clan.”
After exchanging formal greetings, Namgung Geom asked,
“You said you wished to discuss the matter of Heuksuchai?”
“First, I wish to make clear that Heuksuchai’s attack on the Namgung Clan’s warriors was not the will of the Janggangsuromeng.”
“You mean the main leadership of the Janggangsuromeng bears no responsibility for Heuksuchai’s assault?”
“That is correct. The reason I came personally was to prevent Heuksuchai’s reckless actions. But it seems I arrived too late.”
Gang Mujin spoke with a wry smile.
He already knew through the circumstances around him that Heuksuchai had attacked the Namgung Clan’s fleet.
“Heuksuchai deployed even a self-destructing ship to attack our main clan’s vessels. As a result, we lost two ships and many of our warriors fell. Regardless of whether it was the Janggangsuromeng’s intention, responsibility must be taken for Heuksuchai’s actions.”
When Namgung Geom demanded accountability despite their disadvantageous position, a flicker of surprise crossed Gang Mujin’s eyes.
“How do you expect me to take responsibility?”
Gang Mujin asked as if to test him.
“There must be an official apology for Heuksuchai’s attack and compensation for the losses suffered by the main clan. And you must also give your assurance that such incidents will not recur.”
At Namgung Geom’s demands, Gang Mujin laughed as if it were absurd.
“You make such bold demands. What if I take offense and launch an attack?”
At Gang Mujin’s words, the faces of the Namgung Clan’s warriors turned pale at once.
If the Janggangsuromeng’s five ships began their assault in unison, the Namgung Clan’s warriors would not escape annihilation.
Yet Namgung Geom’s expression remained composed.
“I do not believe the Young Master of the Janggangsuromeng would wage all-out war against the Namgung Clan without justification, merely on a whim.”
At Namgung Geom’s calm demeanor, Gang Mujin’s eyes narrowed.
Soon a deep smile played across Gang Mujin’s lips.
“Ha ha ha! Truly, you are the eldest grandson of the Namgung Clan. Your nerve is admirable.”
Gang Mujin’s hearty laughter pierced through the sound of the Jangggang’s waves.
His laughter carried no malice, no intention to shed blood fighting the Namgung Clan.
From the start, the reason the Janggangsuromeng’s main leadership had moved was to prevent Heuksuchai’s unilateral attack and avoid an all-out war with the Namgung Clan.
There was no practical gain for the Janggangsuromeng in a direct confrontation with the Namgung Clan.
“Then you will grant this prince’s request?”
Gang Mujin nodded.
“Even if we say that Heuksuchai acted on its own authority, since it operates beneath the Janggangsuromeng, it is only proper that the Janggangsuromeng bears responsibility.”
At Gang Mujin’s forthright acceptance, relief washed across the faces of the Namgung Clan’s warriors.
But Gang Mujin’s words did not end there.
“However.”
Gang Mujin took another step forward toward the bow.
“The pride of the Jangggang is not so easily bent. If we granted the Namgung Clan’s demands unconditionally, the Murim would mock the Janggangsuromeng for cowering beneath the Namgung Clan’s shadow. So there is one condition.”
He could not simply accede to Namgung Geom’s request without cost.
Regardless of the reason, the Janggangsuromeng had lost Heuksuchai.
But if he accepted Namgung Geom’s demands without any condition, the Janggangsuromeng’s reputation would suffer.
“What condition is that?”
Namgung Geom asked.
“Let us engage in a Martial Combat. There’s no need for it to be long. If you can withstand the three seconds of my technique, I will accept your demands without hesitation.”
Gang Mujin’s proposal sent a stir through the Namgung Clan’s warriors.
Three seconds it may have been, but the opponent was Gang Mujin, the Young Dragon Master.
Three seconds from one who possessed authority and martial skill second only to Suryong Wang himself in the Jangggang was far from simple.
“Lord Geom, this is dangerous! The Young Dragon Master is a master on the verge of the Jeoldaekyung. Even three seconds offer no guarantee for your life.”
Namgung Gwan rushed forward in alarm to stop Namgung Geom.
Namgung Woo and the four senior masters of the Changyong Swordsmen shook their heads in disapproval.
“Do not worry.”
Namgung Geom smiled at them and stepped forward.
His eyes flashed with determination.
It was the finest solution—one that would uphold the pride of the Janggangsuromeng while securing the interests of the Namgung Clan.
Above all, to back down here would surely reduce the standing of Namgung Geom as the firstborn of the Namgung Clan to nothing.
“Very well. I shall withstand Young Master Gang’s three seconds.”
“As befits the firstborn of the Namgung Clan. I mention it merely for clarity—you understand that the Janggangsuromeng bears no responsibility for any misfortunes that occur during the Martial Combat, yes?”
It was a threat wrapped in civility—he could kill him if he wished.
But Namgung Geom had no intention of backing down.
“Of course. But since fighting on the deck could damage the ship, might we conduct our match on the surface of the Jangggang instead?”
“Do as you like.”
Gang Mujin spoke indifferently and drew his blade.
His eyes glowed with eager anticipation.
“Well then, let us see just how formidable the firstborn of the Namgung Clan truly is.”
Before his words had finished, Gang Mujin’s form shot upward into the air.
Author | Baek Wol-geom
Publisher | Samyang C&C Co., Ltd.
Editorial Director | Editorial Department
Published by | Samyang C&C Co., Ltd. – Dream Books
Address | 7th Floor, Gwangseong Building, 28 Bongeunsaro 114-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
UCI | G720:N+A063-20260511103
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Twitter (X) | @dreambookss
Submissions | [email protected]
The contents of this book may not be used in any form or by any means without the written permission of Samyang C&C Co., Ltd. – Dream Books.

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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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