Namgoong the Sword Ghost - Chapter 110

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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 110. The Sword Demon Spurns Sweetness
Clang! Clash-clash-clang!
Thud! Crunch! Screech-screech-crack!
“Gahhhhh!”
“Die!”
“P-please… spare me……!”
“Agh!”
Roars, shrieks, hateful cries, terror-stricken wails, and the final gasps of the dying—all of it blended together.
Every grotesque sound a human throat could produce filled the battlefield.
This was the Mongseong Plain.
The Dan Ri Sega’s sudden strike had sent the Geumsu Bandits scattering in panic.
“Blast it! What is the Cannibal Demon General doing!”
“You traitor Gwang Cheon! You’ve betrayed us!”
“The Demon General Cannibal Brigade is losing ground!”
They cursed the Cannibal Demon General, Jin Huk Cheon, for not showing himself on the battlefield.
Why had Gucheon Sung been so confident of victory?
Because of the existence of Jin Huk Cheon—one of the 108 Stars and a One Who Has Broken Through.
But the Cannibal Demon General did not appear, and to make matters worse, the Demon General Cannibal Brigade was being pushed back.
“Sword Palace Namgung!”
“Southern Heaven’s Radiance!”
The Sword Palace Faction, deploying the Sword Palace Unrestricted Sword Formation, swept across the field in a vast azure wave, seizing control of the region.
“Kill the demons!”
“Mop up the battlefield quickly!”
“We must link up with the First Ancestor!”
Their momentum was terrifying. Every sword was swung with desperate resolve.
Crunch! Boom-crack!
Namgung Ja Ryang, who had beheaded a demon at the vanguard, shouted.
“Ho Yeon is waiting for us! Move fast!”
“Hyahhhh! Die!”
“Gucheon Sung, you bastards! If anything happens to the Young Master, I will not let you live!”
“Destroy Demon Annihilation!”
Whoooosh!
Screech-screech-crack!
A massive cerulean flower bloomed on the battlefield, spinning like a mill of death, grinding the enemy soldiers to pulp.
“Damn! Damn!”
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Boom-crack!
In the center of the battlefield, Maeng Pyo, wielding the Twin Silver Hands, swung his silver-glowing hand axes in all directions, cursing wildly.
“How did you know!”
“The bandits are predictable.”
To Maeng Pyo’s cry, Dan Li Hwan, the patriarch of Dan Ri Sega, raised a long sword shrouded in white Nae Gong created by the Hao Ming Divine Art.
“Patriarch. There is no need to negotiate with the Green Forest Gang.”
“Understood. Let us finish this quickly and return to the clan.”
An elderly woman with white hair, standing beside him, spoke, and Dan Li Hwan nodded.
She was Dan Li So Nok, the First Elder of Dan Ri Sega—a Jeol Jeong Go Soo who had made a name for herself throughout Anhui.
“You damnable swine!”
Maeng Pyo grimaced, grinding his teeth as he cut off the retreat and faced the movements of the two masters, spewing curses without cease.
“Hahahaha! The Dan Ri Sega is cold-hearted indeed! You abandon your own people and choose victory in war!”
“Shut your mouth!”
“By now, your wife and children are being torn apart by the Cannibal Demon General, seeing the inside of his belly!”
“You bastard!”
Bang! Boom-crack!
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
Dan Li Hwan’s long sword flashed, and from behind, flying blades streamed in without end.
The combined assault of the Danri Fifteen Sword Technique and the Danri Flying Blade Technique—the pride of Dan Ri Sega.
Maeng Pyo resisted, swinging his twin axes, but he was outmatched.
Crunch!
Finally, Dan Li Hwan’s blade severed Maeng Pyo’s head, and immediately, clutching the trophy, Dan Li Hwan roared.
“Maeng Pyo is dead! The Geumsu Bandits have no hope! Surrender!”
His cry, laden with full Nae Gong, reached every corner of the battlefield.
“Wait! The bandits’ leader is down!”
“Damn it, scatter!”
“Don’t run! Execute them all!”
“Go to hell, you bastards!”
“Gaah!”
The Geumsu Bandits descended into pandemonium, scattering in every direction or turning on one another in desperation.
From that moment, the battlefield began to settle.
The battle that had begun at sunrise drew to a close as the sun sank toward the horizon.
“Move the wounded to Ok Su Clinic for treatment! All able-bodied men return to the Clan immediately!”
Dan Li Hwan, urgency burning through him, barked out orders.
Even departing now, they’d arrive by dawn.
‘Trust them. The Third Elder and Yi will hold the line somehow.’
“Hah, Clan Lord. Don’t worry yourself. This old man has finally found his place to die.”
As Dan Li Hwan recalled the grim resolve of Third Elder Dan Li Pae, he chewed his lip, when Namgung Ja Ryang and Namgung Mun Yeon approached.
“Clan Lord, give us mounts as well.”
“We must ride with all speed!”
Worry and urgency were written across both their faces.
They feared for Namgung Ho Yeon, who had raced ahead.
“Of course. I shall never forget this debt.”
In Dan Li Hwan’s words lay an unspoken assumption about Namgung Ho Yeon’s fate—one he dared not voice aloud.
‘…I didn’t strongly forbid him from going alone. How shameful. Dan Li Hwan.’
He berated himself.
No matter the urgency, he should have insisted he go with reinforcements.
But his fear for the families left behind at the Clan had stayed his tongue.
Though he bore the title of Peak Ultimate Mastery, Namgung Ho Yeon was still a Later Generation Disciple, barely past his youth—far too heavy a burden to place upon such shoulders.
‘Young Master Namgung Ho Yeon, forgive me. I shall etch this debt upon my heart.’
Just as Dan Li Hwan prepared to issue fresh orders, vowing recompense—
“Clan Lord! Urgent report!”
Whoosh! Tap-tap!
A Black Five Order agent in traveling garb descended rapidly before him.
He was the operative left behind at Ok Su Clinic as a messenger, and he clutched a sealed letter in his hand.
“What news!”
“Huff, huff… The Cannibal Demon General…”
“Don’t tell me—!”
Dan Li Hwan’s jaw clenched as dread coiled in his chest, when the Black Five Order agent spoke words that defied belief.
“He’s dead!”
“…What?!”
“What are you saying!”
“Jin Huk Cheon?!”
“Impossible!”
Dan Li Hwan, Dan Li So Nok, Namgung Ja Ryang, and Namgung Mun Yeon all widened their eyes in shock.
Jin Huk Cheon, the Cannibal Demon General, dead? Who could possibly have slain a One Who Has Broken Through?
‘Did it… succeed?’
Dan Li Hwan’s first thought was that Third Elder Dan Li Pae’s Mutual Destruction Strategy had worked.
As relief and sorrow mingled within him, the Black Five Order agent’s voice reached his ears.
“Yes, Jin Huk Cheon is dead! The Lunar Shadow Scarlet Rainbow lodged deep in his brow.”
“What? Lunar Shadow Scarlet Rainbow?”
Why would that appear here?
That weapon was surely…
Confusion flickered across Dan Li Hwan’s eyes when the Black Five Order agent delivered news that shattered all expectations.
“Gwang Long tore through the Demon General’s leash! Namgung Ho Yeon killed Jin Huk Cheon alone!”
“…!”
“…!”
“…!”
“…!”
* * *
“Uoooooh!”
“Heroes of this glorious turnaround!”
“Long live the Namgung Clan!”
“Long live the Cheongyang Clan!”
Cheongyang Prefecture was comprised of eight towns and three districts, and in Yung Cheong Town, the most prosperous of them all, cheers showed no sign of ceasing.
Thud, thud, thud.
It was because of a group walking down the main road.
They were all martial artists clad in blue robes.
The people watched them and offered their support like a roaring fire.
“Heh, it’s embarrassing every time.”
Namgung Sang A, one of those at the head of the procession, scratched her cheek as she spoke to the person beside her.
“Come on. Smile a little. We won a great victory. Anyone watching would think we suffered a crushing defeat.”
“Sang A, we’re in wartime now.”
“Who doesn’t know? Does being at war mean you have to stay rigid all the time? A commander should know how to show a little composure.”
Hmm…
Namgung Cheong Gang, thinking there was merit to her words, attempted a smile, but only his lips twitched awkwardly.
Yang Chang Hae, watching him, spoke with a full smile on his face.
“Ha, you’ve always been serious about everything. I’ve learned much from you.”
“Ah, it’s not really like that. You should see how clumsy he gets.”
“What? You, brother?”
Yang Chang Hae looked at Namgung Cheong Gang as if he couldn’t believe it.
The Imperial Sword Dragon, Namgung Cheong Gang.
His reputation was well-founded, and he had played the greatest role in the sudden surprise assault that was executed.
‘The way he controlled the area and took the heads of those dogs from the Geumcheon Sword Sect—truly the bearing of an emperor!’
Namgung Cheong Gang toyed with Hwang Ryeok, one of the renowned masters of the Geumcheon Sword Sect and wielder of the Divided Burden Dual Blades, as though playing with a child.
Though Hwang Ryeok was himself a master of Peak Ultimate Mastery, drawing blade silk from the twin blades in his hands, he went to his death easily before the Emperor’s Sword, as if willingly offering up his own throat.
Yet Namgung Cheong Gang showed no joy nor sense of achievement—his expression remained hollow as he moved on to his next opponent.
‘Clumsy? That fellow? Ah, she’s teasing me.’
Yang Chang Hae thought that Namgung Sang A, despite her sharp impression, had a playful side.
At Yang Chang Hae’s skeptical demeanor, Namgung Sang A let out a small laugh and turned to Namgung Cheong Gang.
“A smile brings good fortune. Who knows? Maybe today is the day we receive word from Ho Yeon?”
“Hmm, perhaps?”
Oh.
Yang Chang Hae was startled by the smile spreading across Namgung Cheong Gang’s lips.
The face that had remained cold as ice even after achieving victory now warmed like spring blossoms.
‘Ho Yeon… he must be talking about the Thunder God Dragon. It’s unbelievable that all three siblings are worthy of such titles.’
Yang Chang Hae shook his head as he watched the brother and sister chat together about their youngest.
The Imperial Sword Dragon, Namgung Cheong Gang.
The Swallow Dance Phoenix, Namgung Sang A.
The Thunder God Dragon, Namgung Ho Yeon.
All three were Later Generation Disciples who had made their names known at this Yongbong Conference, destined to lead the next generation forward.
‘The most unbelievable among them is Thunder God Dragon Namgung Ho Yeon. They say he recently killed Chu Um, the Cruel Blade Swordsman, after Breaking Through?’
Yang Chang Hae was certain that the information had been distorted somewhere.
No matter how recently one had Broken Through, the gap between one who had crossed that threshold and one who had not was as vast as the difference between heaven and earth.
Had Namgung Ho Yeon, who was five years younger than himself, really slain such a One Who Has Broken Through?
‘This is getting ridiculous. Next, they’ll say he defeated one of the 108 Stars.’
The Jianghu Nine-Part Exaggeration.
Nine-tenths of all rumors in the Jianghu were exaggeration.
Yang Chang Hae believed the rumors about Namgung Ho Yeon fell into that same category.
The group, having passed through the main road, arrived at the Cheongyang Clan residence.
“Father!”
The moment they stepped into the Cheongyang Clan residence, a woman with large eyes rushed out and embraced Namgung Cheong Gang.
“Ahem. What is the matter?”
“What do you mean, what is the matter? With you on the battlefield, how could I possibly be at ease?”
“There was no fighting today.”
“That’s not what matters.”
When Yang Sun Hee lifted her head, tears glistened in her large eyes as they trembled.
“Don’t, don’t cry.”
“Sob! I have no tears left.”
“Then, what have you been doing today?”
“I played the zither, praying for your safety. Would you like to hear it?”
“I would. I look forward to it.”
As the lovers engaged in their private conversation, Namgung Sang A and Yang Chang Hae exchanged awkward glances.
“Ha, the weather is quite fine today, isn’t it?”
“Is the mist thick?”
“I prefer overcast days.”
“What do you mean by—wait!”
Namgung Sang A, who had been gazing up at the sky, opened her eyes wide.
A beautiful hawk with golden beak and talons was gliding through the mist, breaking free of it.
“Jjikjjik! She’s brought mail!”
“Jjikjjik? Isn’t that a Gyrfalcon?”
“Come here, Jjikjjik!”
When Namgung Sang A drew a fragrant sachet from her robes, Jjikjjik glided gracefully and landed on her arm.
“Chirp!”
“I’ll give you food later. Just a moment.”
Namgung Sang A untied the bamboo tube fastened to Jjikjjik’s leg and drew out the letter inside.
The letter contained a brief message, and upon reading it, Namgung Sang A’s eyes went wide as saucers.
“What?!”
“Sang A? What is it?”
“This… what is this…”
“Let me see.”
Namgung Cheong Gang, sensing something amiss, took the letter from his sister’s hand.
Thunder God Light Dragon Slices Cannibal Demon General

Demon General Falls to Execution, Jianghu Finds Peace

Light Dragon Shakes with Might, Namgung’s Renown Spreads

“…!”
Upon reading the letter’s contents, Namgung Cheong Gang’s expression mirrored his sister’s shock.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Yang Chang Hae leaned over to catch a glimpse of the letter from beside them.
“Thunder God Light Dragon has slain the Cannibal Demon General. The demon general has been executed, and the Jianghu finds peace. Light Dragon displays his might, and Namgung’s name spreads far and wide?”
As Yang Chang Hae read the letter’s contents aloud, he blinked rapidly, then let out an astonished sound.
“What in the—?!”
* * *
“Heh…”
A scrawny boy stood drooling in front of a confectioner’s shop.
Now and then he sucked on his own fingers as though they were sweets—it was quite a sight.
“Kid. What are you doing loitering here?”
“Huh?”
The boy turned his head toward the voice.
A man stood there, one leg braced against the ground, wrapped in a dark windbreaker robe.
The boy gazed with curiosity at the man’s strange bearing—unable to tell whether he carried a chest or a pack on his back—and spoke.
“I… I want to eat sweets.”
“Then buy some and get out.”
“I don’t have any money.”
“Then just get out.”
“Okay…”
As the child’s head drooped in disappointment, the man scratched his head and asked.
“Why don’t you have money?”
“My family is poor.”
“Even too poor to buy sweets?”
“My mother will buy them if I ask, but…”
The boy twisted his fingers nervously.
Watching this, the man went into the confectioner’s shop and asked.
“How much is this?”
“Five coins.”
“Sure.”
The man bought a basket of Honey Sugar Pastries and handed them to the boy.
“Take these and go. Don’t eat them on the street.”
“But… I shouldn’t…”
“Why not?”
“My mother told me not to eat food from strangers.”
“Then wipe your drool first and talk.”
Slurp!
The boy wiped his mouth with his sleeve and looked up at the man.
The Dark Windbreaker Robe obscured most of his features, but the child thought he resembled his father, who had passed away last year.
“Thank you!”
“Now get out of here.”
“Uncle, won’t you have one too?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I hate sweets.”
“Yum yum. But they taste so good!”
The boy bit into a Honey Sugar Pastry with evident delight, puzzled by the man’s refusal.
The man, watching the child silently, murmured to himself.
“Everything tastes the same anyway. Sweet, bitter, salty—I can’t tell them apart anymore. Maybe it’s because I’ve drifted through life without purpose. Everything feels bland.”
“Pardon? What do you mean?”
“You’ll understand when you’re grown. Now get going. Or maybe I should go instead.”
Trudge, trudge, trudge.
The man stepped away from the boy.
Then he spotted a woman in the distance, her eyes darting urgently about.
“Myeong-ah! Where are you! Myeong-ah!”
……
The man watching her felt inside his robe.
A notably heavy coin pouch brushed his fingers.
Blood-stained money, gathered from the corpses of men he’d killed.
He’d felt uneasy carrying it, but this was perfect timing.
Trudge, trudge—thud!
“Yelp!”
“What?”
“I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry!”
The woman who’d collided with him bowed repeatedly in apology.
“Tsk. Can’t you look where you’re going?”
“I’m sorry! I’m looking for my child……”
“Your kid lost?”
“……Yes.”
“Then buy her some sweets.”
“Pardon?”
Toss!
The man threw the coin pouch to the woman.
She caught it reflexively, startled, and looked up.
“This—what is this? How……?”
He’d been right in front of her a moment before, yet the man had already vanished.
The woman stood dazed, as if possessed, until a child came rushing toward her.
“Mom! There you are!”
“Myeong-ah!”
“Yum yum. Here, Mom, you try one!”
“What is this? You didn’t steal it, did you?”
“No! Some uncle bought them for me.”
“What?”
The man, watching from a distance, turned and walked away.
* * *
Ho Yeon’s eyes opened.
Staring blankly at the ceiling for a moment, he murmured.
“Ah, I’d like to eat sweets.”

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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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