Ice Dragon of Namgung - Chapter 74

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 74
The Master of Changyong-gak coming in person.
Heuk Cheonsal’s brow furrowed at this unexpected turn.
And with good reason—the Master of Changyong-gak served as the personal guard of the Namgung Clan’s patriarch.
Who would have predicted that he’d come himself to protect Namgung Geom, who wasn’t even the Junior Patriarch?
Then, unbidden, a doubt crept in.
“Could the Namgung Clan be staging a deception?”
“……?”
Heuk Saldae-ju’s expression showed confusion, and Heuk Cheonsal clicked his tongue before elaborating.
“I’m wondering if the Namgung Clan has tricked me by falsely displaying the Gold Token to make me withdraw.”
“You mean the Namgung Clan knew in advance that the Document Lord would make a move?”
Heuk Saldae-ju countered.
“I’m not certain they identified me specifically, but if they sent an escort, they must have anticipated that someone might target Namgung Geom.”
Heuk Saldae-ju could follow Heuk Cheonsal’s reasoning.
“So they deliberately revealed the Gold Token, made us mistake him for the Master of Changyong-gak, and forced us to withdraw?”
“Exactly.”
“With respect, I believe your thinking may be overextended.”
Heuk Saldae-ju found Heuk Cheonsal’s logic too convoluted.
“The Master of Changyong-gak personally guards the patriarch of the Namgung Clan. Would he truly abandon the patriarch and come to protect Namgung Geom, who isn’t even the Junior Patriarch?”
To Heuk Cheonsal’s counterargument, Heuk Saldae-ju replied at once.
“Namgung Geom is the Eldest Grandson of the Namgung Clan and a prodigy of martial arts who has achieved the True Martial Realm at a young age.”
This much Heuk Cheonsal himself acknowledged.
“Given that Namgung Geom represents the future of the Namgung Clan, it would hardly be strange for Namgung Pae to send the Master of Changyong-gak to protect him.”
Heuk Cheonsal nodded.
Hearing the words made sense of it.
Considering Namgung Geom’s realm and martial prowess, the Namgung Clan would be justified in defending him desperately.
“Furthermore, Namgung Pae once experienced the loss of Namgung Il, who was hailed as the Namgung Clan’s greatest genius. Namgung Geom is the sole son of that Namgung Il.”
Namgung Pae carried the deep wound of having lost his eldest son.
The only grandson left by that eldest son, the Eldest Grandson of the house—he would never allow such a tragedy to repeat itself.
Sending the Master of Changyong-gak to protect Namgung Geom was hardly an unreasonable course of action.
“If the one holding the Gold Token truly is the Master of Changyong-gak, this will not be easy.”
Heuk Cheonsal’s expression grew grave.
Breaking through the escort of Changyong-gak and launching an assassination would be no simple matter.
Still, with Heuk Cheonsal’s abilities, the chance of failure was nearly nonexistent.
But if the Master of Changyong-gak was truly present, the situation changed entirely.
Even Heuk Cheonsal could not guarantee success.
“Would it not be prudent to withdraw for now?”
Heuk Saldae-ju offered the suggestion cautiously.
In truth, he had opposed the assassination of Namgung Geom from the start.
Killing Namgung Geom brought no substantial gain to the Heuk Sal-mun.
Instead, it would only put the Heuk Sal-mun in danger through the Namgung Clan’s retaliation.
And if Namgung Geom died, the three Heuk Sal masters imprisoned by the Namgung Clan would likely be executed as well.
For the Heuk Sal-mun’s sake, finding a way to rescue the three Heuk Sal masters took priority over confronting the Namgung Clan.
But Heuk Cheonsal remained stubborn to the end.
That was why he had reluctantly accompanied him; even now, he believed withdrawal was the right call.
Heuk Cheonsal himself would never have risked such danger without the Heuk Unsa-ja’s orders.
But having received the Heuk Unsa-ja’s command, he had no choice but to complete the mission one way or another.
They could wait for another opportunity, but if they withdrew now, there was no knowing when such a chance would come again.
If Namgung Geom returned to the main residence from the Hoean Branch and never left again, the opportunity to kill him would vanish entirely.
More than anything, considering Namgung Geom’s talent, the longer they waited, the harder he would become to kill.
His realm and martial mastery would only grow stronger with time.
So now was the best opportunity they had to eliminate him.
“No. We proceed as planned.”
At Heuk Cheonsal’s resolute answer, Heuk Saldae-ju’s eyes betrayed incomprehension.
He could not fathom why Heuk Cheonsal was pushing so hard to kill Namgung Geom.
But in the Heuk Sal-mun, Heuk Cheonsal’s word was law.
Once he had decided, they could only obey.
“Then I shall prepare the Heuk Sal Gwi Mu Jin as planned.”
The Heuk Sal Gwi Mu Jin.
It was an Array Technique that conjured a ghostly fog to cloud the senses, amplifying the effect of Eunsin-sul many times over.
Within the Heuk Sal Gwi Mu Jin, even a First Class assassin could deploy the most refined Eunsin-sul.
The success rate of an ambush only increased accordingly.
The Heuk Saldae would unfold the Heuk Sal Gwi Mu Jin at the mountain pass where Namgung Geom’s party would travel, conceal themselves, and then strike the moment the group passed through.
If they could kill Namgung Geom with this ambush, there would be no better outcome.
But so long as the Changyong-gak Patriarch Namgung Gwon and the Changyong-gak’s escort remained at his side, the Heuk Saldae alone would not suffice.
Heuk Cheonsal nodded, having resolved to step forward personally.
* * *
Namgung Geom’s party entered Jangbong Mountain.
At Namgung Geom’s side was Changyong-gak Patriarch Namgung Gwon.
At a distance of one zhang, eight members of the Changyong-gak surrounded the two.
To attack Namgung Geom, one would first have to pierce through them, who held all eight directions.
Ordinarily, sixteen more Changyong-gak members would have been positioned beyond them.
But the mountain path was far too narrow for that.
Personnel could be deployed to the front and rear, but the flanks had no space.
If the Heuk Sal-mun launched an ambush, the flanks were the most likely target.
So personnel had to be stationed on both flanks without fail.
But where could they move when there was no room to maneuver?
“The flanks are exposed. A troubling situation, I must admit.”
Changyong-gak Patriarch Namgung Gwon’s brow furrowed.
“Still, we have at least one layer of protection, so please do not worry overmuch.”
“The Eldest Grandson seems unbothered by any of this.”
“Worry changes nothing. All we can do is give our best in the circumstances we are given.”
At Namgung Geom’s measured reply, Namgung Gwon let out a hollow laugh.
“Are you truly still of tender years?”
“Hah. People often say I seem like an old soul in a young man’s body.”
Namgung Geom’s quip drew another hollow laugh from Namgung Gwon before he turned to regard the escorts stationed at the front and rear.
“Should the enemy attack, you at the front and rear are to seal off the flanks immediately.”
“Understood.”
The front and rear escort squads answered with crisp precision.
“If I may be so bold, I would ask that you focus your protection on the Changyong Sword Unit rather than elsewhere.”
At Namgung Geom’s request, Namgung Gwon shook his head firmly.
“We came to protect the Eldest Grandson, not the Changyong Sword Unit.”
“The soldiers of the Changyong Sword Unit here are talent who will bear responsibility for the Namgung Clan’s future. Their protection is no small matter.”
“But—”
“Allow me to fight without the burden of protecting them. That is all I ask.”
Namgung Gwon nodded reluctantly at Namgung Geom’s words.
“The escort will do as the Eldest Grandson wishes.”
“Thank you.”
Meanwhile, the Changyong Sword Unit, hearing their exchange from behind, became newly aware of their own shortcomings.
They had wished to be a help to Namgung Geom.
Instead, they were a source of worry for him.
There was no other path forward.
They had to strengthen themselves beyond their current limits.
So that one day, anywhere, Namgung Geom could trust them and fight without reservation.
The members of the Changyong Sword Unit exchanged glances and renewed their resolve.
As Namgung Geom passed the entrance of Jangbong Mountain, he deployed the Bing Baek Cheonmang.
The freezing aura woven into the Changgung Binghwa Shingong rippled outward in all directions, forming a lattice of cold beyond the escorts.
The Bing Baek Cheonmang encompassed a radius of ten zhang.
Deploying the Bing Baek Cheonmang required not merely Inner Power, but considerable Mental Power as well.
Moreover, Namgung Geom had not manifested the Bing Baek Cheonmang purely through the power of his realm, but rather had achieved it through an unconventional method, borrowing the function of the Bing Ryong Geom.
Such consumption of Inner Power and Mental Power could only be greater as a result.
Namgung Geom could maintain the Bing Baek Cheonmang for only half a double-hour at a time.
After half a double-hour, he needed time to recover his Inner Power and Mental Power.
Namgung Geom’s party traveled for half a double-hour, then spent half a double-hour in cultivation and rest.
Their speed could not help but suffer accordingly.
But even at the cost of time, maintaining the Bing Baek Cheonmang was far more advantageous.
By sensing enemies in advance through the Bing Baek Cheonmang, danger could be reduced proportionally.
After traveling for half a double-hour, Namgung Geom entered cultivation without fail.
The Changyong-gak’s escorts enclosed him in two layers, guarding him with iron-clad protection.
Had they not been there, Namgung Geom could not have deployed his cultivation so freely.
After completing his Ungong, Namgung Geom moved again.
And not long after that.
Heat signatures appeared within his Bing Baek Cheonmang.
Not one, but dozens of them.
‘The Heuk Sal-mun?’
What struck him as strange was that until they registered on his Bing Baek Cheonmang, he had sensed nothing of their presence at all.
Even after confirming them with the Bing Baek Cheonmang and examining carefully, he felt no aura from them whatsoever.
Even the Heuk Cheonsal could not escape Namgung Geom’s Energy Perception.
Yet here were dozens of them, and he had felt no presence from any of them.
It was not only Namgung Geom either.
Namgung Gwon beside him clearly had no idea what was happening.
Namgung Geom studied the location where the heat signatures appeared with keen attention.
He sensed something foreign in the aura.
‘An Array Technique!’
Though Namgung Geom did not know the specifics, he guessed that some special Array Technique had been deployed.
That Array Technique must have been what enhanced the Heuk Sal-mun disciples’ concealment.
‘That was a close call.’
A vertiginous thought seized Namgung Geom for a moment.
If not for the Bing Baek Cheonmang, he would never have detected their hiding.
Had that been the case, he would have suffered catastrophic losses to their ambush.
But such a fate had not come to pass.
“There are dozens of men concealed ahead of us.”
Namgung Geom whispered to Namgung Gwon.
Namgung Gwon started in surprise and peered forward.
But he felt no aura at all.
As confusion crossed his face, he soon nodded as if something had occurred to him.
“They’ve used an Array Technique to strengthen their concealment.”
He too had perceived the Array Technique.
“Indeed.”
“What will you do?”
“We must break the Array Technique first.”
Just as Namgung Gwon was about to ask how, Namgung Geom launched himself forward.
He flew toward the space where the Array Technique was deployed and brought down the Bing Ryong Geom.
Crack!
A biting Sword Wind erupted from the Bing Ryong Geom.
The icy Sword Wind that rose like a whirlwind with terrible force crashed down upon the space where the Array Technique spread.
Crack!
The Cold Qi pouring from the frigid Sword Wind froze the entire space solid.
Shatter!
As the icy Sword Wind struck again, the frozen space shattered, and shards of ice scattered in all directions.
The ice fragments flew like hidden weapons at the Heuk Saldae members concealed within.
The Heuk Saldae members started in alarm and hastily raised their defenses.
Boom!
The ice shards could not penetrate their defenses and burst apart.
But Namgung Geom’s purpose was not to harm them—it was to break the Heuk Sal Gwi Mu Jin.
Namgung Geom’s strike had aimed precisely at the Array Technique’s nexus.
With its nexus destroyed, the Heuk Sal Gwi Mu Jin lost its power.
As the Array dissipated, the aura of the Heuk Saldae became visible.
The Heuk Saldae had intended to launch their ambush once Namgung Geom drew closer.
But when Namgung Geom struck first and shattered the Array Technique, they were thrown into confusion.
Yet they could not remain bewildered for long.
The Heuk Saldae immediately attacked Namgung Geom.
“Protect the Eldest Grandson!”
As Namgung Gwon descended to Namgung Geom’s side, eight guard members of the Changyong-gak took positions at eight points and raised their shields.
Their shields emanated a solid aura, forming a unified Energy Barrier.
Boom!
The Heuk Saldae’s attack was blocked by the Shield Energy of the shields and bounced back.
The Heuk Saldae members in the rear launched successive attacks, but the result was no different.
At that moment, a Heuk Saldae member descended from above Namgung Geom’s head and unleashed a killing strike.
It was a gap that the Changyong-gak guards had failed to cover.
But at Namgung Geom’s side stood Namgung Gwon.
“How dare you!”
Namgung Gwon swiftly raised his shield and spun it around him.
The aura that burst from his shield spread wide, erecting a barrier of Shield Energy around them both.
Crash!
The Heuk Saldae’s attack collided with the Shield Energy barrier.
In that instant, a powerful rebound erupted, sending the Heuk Saldae tumbling backward violently.
Namgung Geom felt certain that with Namgung Gwon defending him, no attack could breach their line.
“Please protect me for a moment longer.”
Having entrusted his defense to Namgung Gwon, he stretched the Bing Baek Cheonmang to its absolute limit.
‘I must find the leader of the Heuk Sal-mun!’
Namgung Bing-ryong
Author |
Baek Wol-geom
Publisher |
(주) Samyang C&C
Editor-in-Chief |
Editorial Department
Published by |
(주) Samyang C&C – Dream Books
Address |
7th Floor, Gwangseong Building, 28 Bongeunsa-ro 114-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
UCI |
G720:N+A063-20260511103
Blog |
blog.naver.com/dreambookss
Twitter (X) |
@dreambookss
Submissions |
[email protected]
No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without the written permission of (주) Samyang C&C – Dream Books.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————