Ice Dragon of Namgung - Chapter 84

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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 84
Namgung Pae stared at Namgung Geom as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“It wasn’t difficult?”
“No. I simply circulated my Inner Power according to the secrets of the Changgung Dae-yeon Divine Art, and it broke through without trouble.”
Namgung Pae felt utterly flabbergasted.
Even he had endured countless trials and errors to breach the Hundred Meridians Barrier.
Yet the boy claimed he simply followed the secrets and broke through?
How could such a creature exist?
“This is all thanks to your guidance, Father Head.”
“My guidance?”
“Had it not been for the Insight you granted me last time, I could not have breached the barrier so easily.”
Namgung Pae recalled transmitting the Three Great Sword Techniques to Namgung Geom, along with his own Heart Method.
He had imparted the Insight in advance for the future, having recognized the boy’s talent—yet now it had enabled him to break through the barrier. It was absurd.
This meant the young man had grasped the Insight he’d shared and made it his own.
‘Where does this one’s talent end?’
Namgung Pae found it impossible to gauge Namgung Geom’s capacity.
No—the boy’s realm could not be explained by talent alone.
There was clearly something Namgung Pae did not know.
He considered pressing the matter, but decided against it.
He had resolved long ago not to question Namgung Geom’s martial prowess, but to trust him instead.
That conviction had not changed.
Of course, should he ever sense an evil aura in the boy, or detect any suspicious behavior, matters would be different.
“You brought down the Heuksalmun Master alone?”
Namgung Pae shifted the conversation to what had transpired in Hoieum.
“I did face him alone, but without Lord Pae-ryong’s aid at the end, I would not have escaped unharmed.”
“Then you understand—rushing to face the Heuksalmun Master by yourself was a lapse in judgment befitting your station.”
Namgung Pae reproved Namgung Geom for taking such a reckless path alone.
“With respect, I do not see it that way.”
Namgung Pae’s brow narrowed.
“You believe you acted rightly?”
“The Young Clan Head I aspire to be must be capable of protecting the clan’s people in the face of any danger.”
Namgung Geom held his gaze unflinching, laying bare his conviction.
“If your recklessness costs you your life, the entire clan will be shaken.”
“If I abandoned the clan’s people for the sake of my own safety, how could anyone trust and follow me?”
“So you intend to keep throwing yourself into danger?”
Namgung Pae pressed him like a judge seeking confession.
“Should it be a matter of protecting our people, I will gladly accept any peril.”
Namgung Pae started to speak, but Namgung Geom continued first.
“Of course, I understand that no matter how noble the intention, it means nothing if I cannot protect myself. That is why I will grow stronger. I will become strong enough to defend myself against any danger, and in doing so, I will realize my ideals.”
Namgung Pae found himself nodding at Namgung Geom’s words.
What was there to say to someone who vowed to grow strong enough to protect himself in any crisis, and thereby shield the clan’s people?
And it was not as though Namgung Geom’s words ran ahead of his deeds.
In truth, the boy was growing stronger with each passing day.
Though Lord Pae-ryong had offered aid, he had brought down the Heuksalmun Master by his own hand.
He had survived the fight with the Heuksalmun Master intact.
How could Namgung Pae fault him for that?
“Then I will watch and see.”
“I will not disappoint you.”
“Still, with the Heuksalmun Master dead, uncovering the sect’s existence will not be easy.”
Namgung Pae naturally turned the conversation to another matter.
“I apologize. I should have captured the Heuksalmun Master alive by any means.”
“I do not blame you—do not misunderstand.”
“I regret it nonetheless. By the way, how does the investigation into my second uncle proceed?”
Namgung Pae informed him that Heuk Ilsal’s confession and a Document Seal issued in Namgung Byuk’s name had surfaced as evidence.
“Surely you do not believe that evidence, do you?”
“Do you trust your second uncle?”
To Namgung Pae’s counter-question, Namgung Geom answered without hesitation.
“At the very least, I know my second uncle is not the sort who would conspire with Heuksalmun to take my life.”
Namgung Pae nodded and spoke.
“I too do not believe Heuk Ilsal’s confession or the Document Seal presented as evidence. But proving it is a fabrication is another matter entirely.”
Evidence and a confession had emerged proving Namgung Byuk was the culprit.
Circumstantial evidence alone wouldn’t suffice.
They needed counterevidence that everyone could accept.
“Might I be permitted to meet with Heuk Ilsal?”
“Do you have some way to prove that Heuk Ilsal’s confession is false?”
“It’s likely that Heuk Ilsal gave a false confession under orders from the Heuksalmun Master.”
When Namgung Geom had interrogated Heuk Ilsal before, he hadn’t sensed that the man was a sect infiltrator.
If he wasn’t a sect infiltrator, then he must have confessed under the Heuksalmun Master’s command.
“But now that the Heuksalmun Master is dead, Heuk Ilsal won’t insist on maintaining his false confession.”
“On the other hand, he might stubbornly honor his master’s final command to the very end.”
“I doubt the Heuksalmun would prove so deeply loyal, if I’m honest.”
The loyalty of the Evil Sect couldn’t be trusted.
If the Heuksalmun Master were still alive, perhaps—but now that he was dead, there seemed no reason for Heuk Ilsal to remain faithful to a corpse.
“We’ll see what happens. I’ll speak to the Silver Dragon Pavilion Master beforehand.”
“Thank you.”
Namgung Geom expressed his gratitude and pressed on with his next question.
“If I may ask, what do you intend to do with the three Heuksalmun assassins?”
Originally, he’d planned to demand heavy compensation from the Heuksalmun and hand them over.
But now that the Heuksalmun Master was dead and the organization had effectively crumbled.
There was no one left to pay compensation to the three Heuksalmun assassins.
“We can’t let them live, so they’ll have to spend their remaining days in Thunder Prison doing penance. But why do you ask?”
“What if we brought them into the main clan as warriors?”
At Namgung Geom’s suggestion, Namgung Pae’s brow furrowed.
“You mean to take Evil Sect members into our main clan as warriors?”
“If they truly reform and seek enlightenment, there’s no harm in giving them a chance.”
Namgung Pae spoke as though the idea wasn’t worth a moment’s consideration.
“How could we trust such Evil Sect villains? The nature of the Evil Sect doesn’t change easily. They may grovel before us now to save their hides, but the Evil Sect is precisely the sort that can stab you in the back whenever it suits them.”
“We can apply sealing restrictions to prevent them from causing trouble.”
“Sealing restrictions?”
Namgung Pae’s brow creased again.
He recoiled at the very mention of such a thing.
“The Bing-gong technique I’ve learned includes the Sealing Restriction Method. With it, they would be incapable of harboring any treacherous thoughts.”
“But what is your reason for going to such lengths to take them in?”
Namgung Pae didn’t understand.
It was true that the three Heuksalmun assassins possessed formidable Concealment Arts.
He knew the clan would benefit from recruiting them.
But the Namgung Clan was already strong enough without them.
There was no real reason to go so far as to use sealing restrictions just to recruit three assassins.
“I wish to avoid walking into the sect’s intended trap.”
This reason was something Namgung Pae had never anticipated.
Namgung Pae decided to hear out Namgung Geom’s full reasoning.
“You already know what the sect’s intentions are?”
“I believe the sect’s true purpose is to ignite the Righteous-Evil Great War and weaken the Martial World’s overall strength.”
Namgung Pae’s assessment aligned with Namgung Geom’s.
Of course, the sect’s true identity had yet to be revealed.
There was only Namgung Geom’s word for it.
But Namgung Pae didn’t doubt him.
“So you’re saying that if the main clan kills the three Heuksalmun assassins or locks them away in Thunder Prison for life, we’d be falling right into the sect’s trap?”
“Precisely. And the three Heuksalmun assassins would certainly prove invaluable in our later confrontation with the sect.”
“Still, taking in the three Heuksalmun assassins must be handled carefully.”
If the Namgung Clan took in assassins from the Heuksalmun—of all organizations—it would be nearly impossible to escape the Martial World’s criticism.
Discontent could arise even within the clan itself over their recruitment.
For those who harbored grudges against the Heuksalmun, accepting them would be utterly intolerable.
“For now, we can keep their recruitment secret.”
Namgung Geom had never intended to use the three Heuksalmun assassins openly anyway.
They were purely a reserve force against the sect.
So there was no reason for them to be revealed anytime soon.
“But will the three Heuksalmun assassins willingly defect to the main clan?”
“If the Heuksalmun Master were still alive, I couldn’t say—but now that he’s dead, they too will seek their own path to survival.”
Namgung Pae nodded and fell silent in thought.
And then he spoke as if he had made his decision.
“Go ahead and try it your way. But if they cause trouble, you’ll bear that responsibility as well.”
Namgung Pae chose to trust Namgung Geom and entrust him with the task.
But trust always carried responsibility in its wake.
“Of course.”
Namgung Geom did not shy away from responsibility.
He was confident he could manage the Heuksalmun trio without issue.
“By the way, have you finished selecting personnel for the Changyong Sword Squad?”
Namgung Pae asked.
“I’ve selected individuals with genuine talent. With proper training, they will become a force no weaker than the Namgung Clan’s Three Great Sword Pavilions.”
“Good. I look forward to seeing how the Changyong Sword Squad develops.”
Namgung Pae found himself anticipating the Changyong Sword Squad that Namgung Geom would build.
“I will do my utmost not to disappoint you.”
After finishing his conversation with Namgung Pae, Namgung Geom left the Family Head’s Residence.
From there, he made his way to the Thunder Prison, where Heuk Ilsal was being held.
Waiting at the Thunder Prison was Namgung Byung, the Silver Dragon Pavilion Master.
“I’ve received word from the Family Head. Go on inside.”
Namgung Byung escorted Namgung Geom through the entrance.
Following a guide from the Silver Dragon Pavilion, Namgung Geom entered the stone chamber where Heuk Ilsal was confined.
Heuk Ilsal hung suspended by iron chains descending from the ceiling, both arms bound and restrained.
“It’s been a long time.”
At Namgung Geom’s greeting, Heuk Ilsal lifted his head, and his eyes flickered for a moment.
“I hear the Thunder Lord confessed that he’d hired you to assassinate me?”
“That’s correct.”
“That’s a different story from before.”
“Back then……”
Heuk Ilsal faltered, unable to find the right words.
Namgung Geom let out a quiet laugh and spoke.
“Back then, you hadn’t received orders from the Heuksalmun Master.”
At Namgung Geom’s words, Heuk Ilsal’s eyes flickered.
Namgung Geom did not miss it.
“So you’re saying you received orders after being brought here……”
Which meant someone had conveyed the Heuksalmun Master’s orders to him.
That someone was likely a figure within the Namgung Clan itself.
Namgung Geom’s expression hardened.
‘There’s an infiltrator from the sect inside the main house?’
Namgung Geom suspected that whoever had conveyed the Heuksalmun Master’s orders to Heuk Ilsal was likely a sect infiltrator.
If it were a Heuksalmun spy, there would be no reason to point to Namgung Byuk as the mastermind.
“I don’t understand how I could receive the Master’s orders while confined here.”
Heuk Ilsal spoke as if bewildered.
“We’ll find out soon enough through interrogation.”
Heuk Ilsal would know best how he received those orders and from whom.
“I truly know nothing about it.”
“But do you know that the Heuksalmun Master is dead?”
Namgung Geom informed Heuk Ilsal of the Heuksalmun Master’s death.
Heuk Ilsal’s eyes widened in shock.
“What? The Master is dead? What nonsense are you spouting?”
“I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s the truth. I killed the Heuksalmun Master myself.”
At Namgung Geom’s words, Heuk Ilsal let out a scoff.
“You want me to believe that? I’ll grant that your martial skill is impressive, but you’re no match for the Master.”
“And yet it’s absolutely true. The Heuksalmun Master’s body burst apart from the Blood Explosion Art.”
Heuk Ilsal’s eyes flickered.
The Heuksalmun Blood Explosion Art.
It was the Heuksalmun Master’s ultimate technique of mutual destruction, and in all the Martial World, only the Heuksalmun Master and Heuk Ilsal knew of it.
That Namgung Geom knew of the Heuksalmun Blood Explosion Art meant the Heuksalmun Master had unleashed it.
And if he had unleashed such a technique, the Heuksalmun Master was surely no longer among the living.
“If the Heuksalmun Master is dead, why would you need to follow his orders?”
At Namgung Geom’s words, Heuk Ilsal’s eyes flickered once more.
“Besides, your lie will be exposed soon enough. It would be better for you to reveal the truth before then.”
“But telling the truth won’t save my life anyway, will it?”
Heuk Ilsal believed the Namgung Clan would never let him live simply because he spoke the truth.
Even if they didn’t kill him, he would rot away in Thunder Prison for the rest of his life.
“You never know. Depending on how you conduct yourself, they might spare you.”
“Is there a way for me to survive?”
“If you reveal all the facts, a path to survival might open up.”
At Namgung Geom’s words, Heuk Ilsal let out a bitter laugh.
“You speak as if you’ll honor that promise, but the moment I reveal the truth, you’ll pretend ignorance—isn’t that it?”
“I’ll be honest with you. Even if you speak the truth, it will be difficult for you to leave Thunder Prison alive.”
Heuk Ilsal’s expression showed he had expected as much.
“Then what reason would I have to reveal the truth?”
“But if you promise to reform and swear allegiance to the Namgung Clan, I will open a path to your survival.”
Heuk Ilsal’s brow furrowed at Namgung Geom’s words.
“You’re asking me to defect to the Namgung Clan?”
“That seems better than dying or rotting away in Thunder Prison for life.”
At Namgung Geom’s words, Heuk Ilsal’s gaze wavered.
What he said was not wrong.
“But how could you trust someone like me, an evil sect member?”
Namgung Geom shrugged and spoke.
“Of course I couldn’t. That’s why I plan to place a Sealing Restriction on you.”
Namgung Byung-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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