My Father Is the Number One Under Heaven - Chapter 120

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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 120. The People of Nangung
“Baeklang Dae headed toward the Main Hall of the Nangung House a short while ago.”
Peng Sejin spoke to Peng Mugang, who had been resting quietly in his chamber.
“Hmm, is that so.”
“What could they be thinking, summoning them separately?”
Peng Sejin found himself puzzled by the move.
If they meant to express gratitude or praise their accomplishments, surely it would be better done before everyone, openly.
So why call them aside for a private conversation?
“Well, they must have something particular they wish to say.”
Peng Mugang smiled faintly, his expression enigmatic.
It was the sort of smile that carried a touch of bitterness and regret.
***
Before long, Yeo Un-hwi and Baeklang Dae arrived at the Main Hall, situated in the deepest sanctum of the Nangung House.
The atmosphere throughout their passage had been extraordinarily solemn.
The Nangung warriors who had shared drink with them in festive spirits only yesterday now stood guard along the path with faces far more grave and serious than before.
“Something… the mood here feels ominous.”
The members of Baeklang Dae felt their mouths go dry without meaning to.
Even after Yeo Un-hwi had offered reassurance, the moment they stepped inside, the weight of the atmosphere proved heavier than they had imagined, and Baeklang Dae found themselves tense once more.
The thought arose again that perhaps, just as Peng Do-hwan had said, they might be held accountable for wresting from the Nangung the very enemy they had thirsted for vengeance against for so long.
Creak.
The doors of the Main Hall swung open, and all of Baeklang Dae stepped inside.
The Main Hall of the Nangung House, where the Celestial Dragon soared across the heavens in carved relief.
It was already crowded with countless figures.
All of them possessed an air far from ordinary.
Every eye turned toward Baeklang Dae as they entered the Main Hall.
Baeklang Dae felt themselves overwhelmed by that collective gaze.
It was only natural. How could it be otherwise?
Then,
“Yeo Un-hwi, Commander of Baeklang Dae under the Hebei Peng Clan, extends his greetings. It is an honor to stand before the heroes of the Nangung.”
As Yeo Un-hwi stepped forward boldly, introduced himself, and offered his respects, the tension that had gripped all of Baeklang Dae seemed to dissolve in an instant.
That was right.
They had forgotten for a moment.
Who their Commander truly was.
With such a man at their side, what in this world was there to fear?
Ah.
A few of those observing the scene raised their eyebrows ever so slightly.
They had caught the swift transformation of Baeklang Dae in that brief span.
Meanwhile, Peng Do-hwan, who had likewise relaxed thanks to Yeo Un-hwi’s composed bearing, was marveling inwardly.
‘Extraordinary.’
Peng Do-hwan’s gaze swept across the assembled members of the Nangung House, scrutinizing each in turn with trembling intensity.
The Crown Prince of the Nangung House, Nangung Sang-hyeok the Celestial Dragon, and his siblings. Then all the elders of the Nangung House, each commander and vice-commander of the martial forces, and at last Jang Hye-rin, the Matriarch of the Nangung House.
Every figure of prominence representing the Nangung House had gathered here in this Main Hall.
For what purpose, he could not fathom.
Gulp.
Feeling his skin prickle under their unrelenting scrutiny, Peng Do-hwan swiftly turned his eyes toward Yeo Un-hwi standing before them—seeking instinctively the one source of stability in this heavy, taut atmosphere.
It was his instinct guiding him to find solid ground amid the oppressive silence.
And Yeo Un-hwi’s gaze was already fixed upon the stern-faced man seated at the place of honor at the far end of the hall.
Nangung Hwan, the Emperor’s Sword.
The master of the present Nangung House and a powerhouse whose name graced the roster of the Ten Great Masters.
Yet there were not a few in the wider world who believed that both he and Peng Mugang had long since transcended even that illustrious rank.
Above all, Nangung Hwan was a man recognized not merely for his prowess in Martial Arts, but also for his capabilities as a Clan Patriarch.
Decades past, the Nangung House had suffered a catastrophe of sorts when the Clan Patriarch of that era had fallen, plunging the House into grave tribulation.
Then Nangung Hwan, inheriting the position while still young, had defied the world’s misgivings and swiftly restored the Nangung House to stability.
That had been the moment his exceptional hand as Clan Patriarch first came to light.
And now, the Nangung House stood as one of the most eminent of the Five Great Clans, its name resounding across the entire Martial World.
The Nangung House.
Yeo Un-hwi, too, was well acquainted with the renown of Nangung Hwan and the Nangung House.
A lineage of the sword, upright and uncompromising.
Yet he also knew that such virtue was matched by their pride and their refusal to bend in negotiation.
‘Hmm. The Emperor’s Sword and the Nangung House.’
For this reason, Yeo Un-hwi found it difficult to gauge why the Nangung House’s Emperor’s Sword had summoned Baeklang Dae today.
Then,
“Welcome.”
Nangung Hwan opened his lips, which he had kept sealed.
Yet contrary to his welcoming words, his expression remained as stern and unyielding as before.
Rising from his seat, he walked forward slowly until he stood face to face with Baeklang Dae—or rather, with Yeo Un-hwi.
Yeo Un-hwi offered a small smile to the taciturn Nangung Hwan.
A smile, no less.
Among the youth of the current generation, Yeo Un-hwi would surely be the only one of the Nangung House who could stand before their Emperor’s Sword without tension.
Nangung Hwan’s gaze shifted from Yeo Un-hwi toward Baeklang Dae.
Then, after a moment, he spoke again.
Everyone tensed, wondering what Nangung Hwan might say.
But what issued from his lips was something none of them had anticipated.
“That child—Nangung Arin—was beloved by all.”
Nangung Arin.
The name of the youngest daughter of the Nangung House, who had lost her life to the Absolute Demon at a tender age.
With the beginning of his story, Nangung Hwan’s face was no longer stern.
Desolation, longing, rage, anguish, sorrow, and heartbreak—all mingled with guilt and the weight of love never fully given, churning beneath his skin.
It was the face of a parent who had lost a child to murderers.
“Not only the people of the Nangung House, but all who beheld that child’s smile cherished and loved her. And she knew how to return the love she received. She knew how to bring happiness to people. We believed that such days would last forever.”
But the parting came far too soon.
The Absolute Demon……
“After that day, Arin appeared in my dreams every night, weeping bitterly.”
For years, not a single night passed without him dreaming of Arin.
He longed to soothe her tears, even in dreams,
to protect her, even in dreams.
Yet whenever he reached out to comfort her, she would slip further away,
and when he cried out that he would surely avenge her tormentors, his beloved youngest daughter would weep all the more.
Every single day, Nangung Hwan’s heart was torn asunder.
He wept—day after day—where no one could see.
“…Sob.”
A small sob echoed through the Main Hall of the House.
It was Jang Hye-rin, the lady of the household.
She was not alone.
Nangung Sang-hyeok, Nangung Arin’s older brother, clenched his fists with reddened eyes, and an aged elder who had doted on the little girl like a granddaughter shed quiet tears from his weathered eyes.
“Then, one day.”
Nangung Hwan paused in his speech.
By now, his own eyes had reddened as well.
“…Arin ceased her weeping. And she smiled brightly at me. That was the last time. The last time she appeared in my dreams. And then she never came again.”
From that day onward, he could see his beloved youngest daughter no more.
Yet he felt no sorrow, no resentment.
His heart felt light.
He did not know why.
“Not long after, I came to understand the reason. The day Arin ceased her tears and smiled at me—that very day, the Absolute Demon’s head was severed by your hands.”
Nangung Hwan’s voice, though low, reached the ears of all present with clarity.
With eyes grown infinitely deeper, he looked upon Yeo Un-hwi and each member of Baeklang Dae, one by one.
“You cannot know—you cannot fathom how grateful my Nangung House and I are to you. For this reason, I have naturally prepared material rewards as well, but before that, I wished to convey my thanks directly. Truly… I am grateful.”
With that, Nangung Hwan bowed deeply toward Baeklang Dae.
In that instant, the eyes of every member of Baeklang Dae widened.
The Patriarch of the Nangung House—one of the Five Great Clans, famous for their fierce pride—bowing before them. It was unthinkable.
And at the same time,
“!”
Every member of the Nangung House who filled the Main Hall bowed alongside their Patriarch toward Baeklang Dae.
Nangung Hwan bowed not as the Patriarch of the Nangung House, but as a father.
The others bowed as the grandfather, the elder brother, the uncle, the cousin of the dead child.
All of them bowed as members of the family that the child had belonged to, offering their sincere gratitude to Baeklang Dae.
At this sight, something stirred in the hearts of Baeklang Dae—a swell of emotion they had not anticipated.
Faced with such an unforeseen situation, Baeklang Dae stood bewildered.
The truth was, it had been sheer chance.
Moreover, all of them had nearly perished at the hands of that Absolute Demon.
If there had been no one in that place, it truly would have come to pass.
In that moment, every eye among Baeklang Dae turned toward Yeo Un-hwi.
The face of Yeo Un-hwi, having received the gratitude of Nangung House, had grown profoundly solemn.
Like Baeklang Dae, his heart too was seized by that peculiar tightness.
Above all, Yeo Un-hwi could not have felt otherwise.
He knew it better than anyone in this world—the feeling of losing a beloved daughter.
Had he not, driven mad by vengeance for that very reason, walked the path of the Blood Demon for long years?
Thus Yeo Un-hwi could understand Nangung Hwan’s heart far too well.
“We were merely fortunate, that is all.”
Yeo Un-hwi spoke toward them.
“But if we could be of help in even this small measure, that is enough for us. We are grateful that you would say such things.”
Yeo Un-hwi then bowed respectfully before the people of Nangung House.
Following his lead, Baeklang Dae bowed as well.
It was a moment in which genuine feeling passed between them, without regard to rank or station.
***
“I still cannot believe it. That the Emperor’s Sword would bow before us.”
Not long after leaving the Main Hall and returning to their quarters, Peng Do-hwan of Baeklang Dae spoke with a dumbfounded expression.
“I realize my prejudice was quite substantial.”
Though he himself had harbored the same bias, he had thought the people of these celebrated houses—especially those who had lived with abundance and privilege—would not know how to offer genuine gratitude.
But he was wrong.
The Emperor’s Sword and Nangung House were different.
“Perhaps that is why Nangung House has earned its reputation throughout the entire Martial World.”
They were people who truly recognized what deserved recognition, and knew how to voice their gratitude for what deserved thanks.
It was precisely such people who proved strongest in hardship and adversity, and who united as one.
If anything, Baeklang Dae felt they had glimpsed the true nature of Nangung House’s power this day.
And yet—
“Does not the Peng Estate possess such qualities in equal measure?”
Yeo Un-hwi spoke with a knowing smile.
But Baeklang Dae, who should have nodded in agreement, tilted their heads in uncertainty instead.
“Us, sir? Well, our Clan Patriarch, he is… hmm.”
“He is certainly a good man, but…”
It was something… something different, one might say.
Baeklang Dae found themselves hesitant to wholly accept Yeo Un-hwi’s assertion.
“Ah, is that so? I had no idea you all thought thus. Then I suppose I must report this fact to your Patriarch…”
“What? No, wait—why would you do that! That is not what we meant to say. We meant to say he is good, but somewhat different from the Patriarch of Nangung House!”
At Yeo Un-hwi’s words, the members of Baeklang Dae started in alarm and waved their hands frantically.
But having once begun the jest, Yeo Un-hwi pressed his advantage, threatening to relay their words exactly as spoken to their Patriarch.
As they laughed together for some time,
“You are here, I see.”
Someone had come seeking Yeo Un-hwi.
“Do you have a moment to spare?”
A man with features both gentle and subtly sharp—
None other than Dang Mu-jun, the celebrated prodigy of Sacheon Dang House, known as the Lone Dragon.

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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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