Ice Dragon of Namgung - Chapter 72

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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 72
Hong Taek Lake.
It was a vast body of water that served as a junction connecting the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers via the Grand Canal, and also linked directly to the Huai River in Anhui Province.
On one side of Hong Taek Lake, a single boat floated in silence.
Inside the cabin, a middle-aged man in his late forties sat across from Heuk Un Saja.
His name was Heuk Cheonsal.
He was the leader of the Heuk Sal Mun.
“Forgive me for summoning you so abruptly.”
Heuk Un Saja bowed respectfully to the middle-aged man.
Heuk Cheonsal held a high rank even among the Dark Agents, and was not someone Heuk Un Saja could treat carelessly.
“Not at all. Heuk Un Saja wouldn’t have sought me out without good reason.”
Heuk Cheonsal waved his hand dismissively.
“I deployed three Dark Agents to eliminate Namgung Geom, the eldest grandson of the Namgung Clan, but all three attempts have failed.”
Heuk Un Saja explained the situation concisely.
“It seems this Namgung Geom is no ordinary swordsman.”
Heuk Cheonsal’s expression shifted to one of surprise.
He knew well that Heuk Un Saja was not a man to take matters lightly.
Perhaps the first attempt could be attributed to carelessness.
But the second and third attempts would have been thoroughly prepared.
That they had nonetheless failed was clear evidence of Namgung Geom’s extraordinary skill.
“It’s alarming, truly. I’ve heard he held his own without retreating even in a confrontation with Gang Mujin, the young dragon of the Chang Gang Water Path League.”
In the previous report, this encounter could not be confirmed, but the latest dispatch mentioned that Namgung Geom and Gang Mujin had clashed.
And he had confirmed the fact that Namgung Geom had not been at a disadvantage in that three-second engagement.
“This young dragon—isn’t he a master at the furthest reaches of the True Martial Realm?”
Heuk Cheonsal asked with an astonished face.
“Indeed. Namgung Geom and Gang Mujin engaged for three seconds, and it is said they were equally matched.”
“Even three seconds—if he fought to a draw with Gang Mujin, that speaks to extraordinary ability.”
Heuk Cheonsal now understood that it was no accident the Heuk Sal Three Swords had fallen to him.
“But did Gang Mujin not seek retaliation against Namgung Geom for killing Heuk Su Chae Ju, and instead settled matters with three seconds of combat?”
Heuk Cheonsal was curious about the deeper circumstances.
“I cannot say with certainty what transpired. But it seems some form of agreement was reached between them.”
“An agreement of what sort?”
“Perhaps something to the effect that they would not hold Heuk Su Chae’s attack against him, and both would refrain from further conflict.”
At Heuk Un Saja’s answer, Heuk Cheonsal’s brows furrowed.
“If that’s true, he may have already caught wind of the organization’s existence.”
“I share that concern. Which is why I believe it would be wise to eliminate Namgung Geom as soon as possible.”
“So you’re asking me to kill him?”
Heuk Cheonsal intuited the crux of Heuk Un Saja’s purpose and posed the question directly.
“If you were to kill him, we would remove a threat to the organization while simultaneously provoking conflict between the Namgung Clan and the Sa Pae Ryun.”
Heuk Cheonsal agreed that Namgung Geom represented a threat to the organization.
At such a young age, he had already reached the True Martial Realm.
It was impossible to predict what heights he might achieve in a few years’ time.
If Namgung Geom were to reach the Absolute Realm, he would become a constant impediment to the organization’s grand design.
Therefore, for the organization’s sake, the seedling had to be cut down now.
And through eliminating Namgung Geom as Heuk Un Saja suggested, they could ignite conflict between the Namgung Clan and the Sa Pae Ryun.
When Namgung Geom, the eldest grandson of the Namgung Clan, was dead, the arrows of wrath would be aimed at the Sa Pae Ryun.
Of course, the Sa Pae Ryun would claim the Heuk Sal Mun had acted independently, but if he simply stated he had received orders from the leader of the Sa Pae Ryun, that would be the end of it.
For the organization’s sake, Heuk Cheonsal was willing to kill Namgung Geom.
Still, there were terms to be secured.
“Before I do this, I would like one condition.”
“What would that be?”
“Once I kill Namgung Geom, allow me to enter the main body of the organization.”
Heuk Cheonsal was a Dark Agent.
The Dark Agents were spies secretly cultivated by the organization.
They carried out schemes for the organization while concealing their identities.
They lived with the constant fear that their true identity might be exposed at any moment.
Heuk Cheonsal no longer wished to live under such tension.
He desired to enter the main body of the organization and live openly as a member, with pride.
Within that desire lay an ambition to climb toward the upper echelons of the organization.
This was his chance to take that step into the main body of the organization.
If Heuk Cheonsal were to kill Namgung Geom and spark a collision between the Namgung Clan and Sa Pae Ryun, that alone would be sufficient merit to elevate him within the organization.
“If the Master of Heuk Sal Mun kills Namgung Geom and orchestrates a conflict between the Namgung Clan and Sa Pae Ryun, he will naturally merit promotion to the organization’s inner ranks.”
“Can I trust what you’re saying?”
Heuk Cheonsal asked once more, skepticism lingering in his eyes.
“Of course. You know well enough that the organization never neglects those who render service on its behalf.”
“Then I shall take the Black Lion’s word for it.”
For now, there was nothing to do but believe what Heuk Un Saja had said.
“Already I have failed three times. There can be no mistakes this time.”
“Have no concerns. Among all those I have resolved to kill, not a single one has lived to tell of it.”
Heuk Cheonsal spoke with absolute certainty.
It was no mere boasting.
The number of martial masters who had met their end by his hand exceeded several dozen.
Among them were masters of the Absolute Realm itself.
For Heuk Cheonsal, killing Namgung Geom was no difficult task.
Heuk Un Saja believed in Heuk Cheonsal’s prowess.
This time, he would surely succeed in taking Namgung Geom’s life.
* * *
Upon arriving at the Hwa Hyun Branch, Namgung Geom immediately opened the Selection Tournament for the Changyong Sword Corps.
Warriors from the Eastern Sword Corps entered the selection trials.
The Eastern Sword Corps harbored many talented martial artists.
Though not the most exceptional, they were the sort of talent that could be forged into elite members of the Changyong Sword Corps.
Namgung Geom, with uncanny insight, recognized their potential and inducted them into the Changyong Sword Corps.
As a result, sixty-five warriors were selected in the final round.
This was more than twenty recruits beyond what the previous two corps had yielded.
He had not deliberately sought larger numbers—rather, the Eastern Sword Corps simply had that abundance of talent.
Namgung Geom decided to send the recruits from all three corps ahead to the main house.
During their passage on the Chang Gang, more than ten of those inducted into the Changyong Sword Corps had been killed in the assault by the Black Water Bandits.
There was no telling what might transpire on the road to the Northern Sword Corps.
The newly selected recruits still lacked sufficient skill.
He judged it better to send them to the main house first rather than risk casualties accompanying him further.
Namgung Geom had intended to send back the established Changyong contingent as well.
But they flatly refused, insisting they would follow him to the end no matter what danger lay ahead.
Their logic was simple: with uncertainty ahead, they could not allow him to travel alone.
Namgung Geom argued that traveling alone would be far safer, but his words fell on deaf ears.
In the end, unable to break their resolve, Namgung Geom relented and brought them with him.
Namgung Geom departed from the Hwa Hyun Branch with his existing Changyong contingent, heading toward the Hoiham Branch.
The journey from Hwa Hyun Branch to Hoiham Branch would normally take four days.
If they pressed hard, it could be shortened to two.
Namgung Geom saw no reason to rush.
Under normal circumstances, he would have continued cultivating the Shin-bop during his travels.
But wary of possible ambush, he conserved his strength instead, maintaining a steady pace.
Had he arrived exhausted from cultivation and faced attack, he might not have the full strength to defend himself.
On the fourth day after leaving the Hwa Hyun Branch, Namgung Geom’s party reached Jang Bong County.
Once they crossed Jang Bong Mountain, they would enter Hoiham territory.
Namgung Geom’s party decided to rest for the night in Jang Bong County and arranged lodging.
Namgung Geom remained acutely aware that the organization might make another attempt on his life.
The organization had already deployed three assassins against him.
Though it was conjecture rather than certainty.
If his suspicion was correct and they were indeed the organization’s agents, then the organization had suffered tremendous losses.
To compensate, they would likely move heaven and earth to have him eliminated.
And if the organization acted again, it would employ a gambit certain of success—one that could not fail.
The first name that came to Namgung Geom’s mind was the Master of Heuk Sal Mun.
There was good reason: he was the only person Namgung Geom could confidently identify as an agent of the organization.
There was simply no one else it could be.
But considering the Master of Heuk Sal Mun, the possibility seemed quite plausible.
The Master of Heuk Sal Mun was skilled enough to kill masters of the Absolute Realm.
He was a true master capable of ensuring Namgung Geom’s death.
What if the Master of Heuk Sal Mun were to move against him?
What made the Master of Heuk Sal Mun so formidable was his Stealth Technique.
His Stealth Technique was so refined that even masters of the Absolute Realm would struggle to detect him.
But Namgung Geom could do it.
Given his realm, it was difficult to comprehend.
Not long ago, he hadn’t even pierced through the Stealth Technique of the Three Assassins of Heuk Sal.
So how could he now see through the Stealth Technique of the Master of Heuk Sal Mun?
It was thanks to a single technique he had acquired a few days prior.
The Bing Baek Cheon Mang.
One of the applications of the Bing Baek Divine Technique, it was a skill that spread cold qi like a net to detect body heat.
It resonated with the Bing Baek Ju Sa he had deployed before.
Ordinary martial artists sought hidden enemies through qi detection.
But advanced assassins erased not only their own qi but also their breathing and heartbeat.
Thus, unless the difference in realm was vast, it was difficult to notice an assassin’s Stealth Technique.
The Bing Baek Cheon Mang, by contrast, found hidden enemies through body heat, not qi.
No matter how perfectly one concealed themselves, a living human’s body temperature had to be higher than their surroundings.
The net of cold qi could detect heat that differed from the environment.
No matter how masterful the Stealth Technique, one could not escape the Bing Baek Cheon Mang.
After facing the Three Assassins of Heuk Sal, Namgung Geom had trained the Bing Baek Cheon Mang steadily.
Though it was a technique he had mastered in his past life, deploying it at his current realm was not easy.
More precisely, there were limitations to the range in which he could deploy the Bing Baek Cheon Mang.
At his current realm, he could barely exceed a range of ten zhang.
Enemies outside that ten zhang could not be detected.
For the Bing Baek Cheon Mang to have meaning, a range of at least a hundred zhang was necessary.
After much deliberation, Namgung Geom found a way to expand the range of the Bing Baek Cheon Mang.
He would borrow the power of the Bing Long Sword.
The Bing Long Sword amplified cold qi.
Then why couldn’t it amplify the Bing Baek Cheon Mang as well?
With this insight, Namgung Geom made steady attempts, and at the Hwa Hyun Branch, he succeeded in expanding the range of the Bing Baek Cheon Mang.
As a result, he could now sense a range of up to a hundred zhang.
In truth, even a hundred zhang was not truly sufficient.
To masters, a hundred zhang was a distance that could be crossed in an instant.
What was certain was that the Bing Baek Cheon Mang alone could not stop an ambush from the Master of Heuk Sal Mun.
Unless his Inner Power was infinite, maintaining the Bing Baek Cheon Mang continuously was impossible.
There would inevitably be gaps in coverage.
Moreover, if the Master of Heuk Sal Mun concealed himself beyond a hundred zhang, detection would be difficult.
Even if he did detect him, there was no guarantee he could defeat the Master of Heuk Sal Mun.
The exact realm of the Master of Heuk Sal Mun was unknown, but it was likely higher than Namgung Geom’s own.
Even if Namgung Geom could display power transcending his realm by drawing on his past life’s level and the Bing Long Sword’s power, he could not ignore the difference in realm.
Even in a direct confrontation, victory could not be assured.
This meant that proceeding without countermeasures was dangerous.
Namgung Geom was well aware of that.
So he had prepared countermeasures in advance.
“It should be time by now.”
Namgung Byung Ryong
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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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