Namgoong the Sword Ghost - Chapter 128

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

Chapter 128. The Sword Demon Arrives at Broken Bridge
The southern shore of West Lake.
A majestic five-story pagoda stood tall and imposing.
This was the Leifeng Pagoda, famous among the Ten Sights of West Lake as the Evening Glow at Leifeng.
The Evening Glow at Leifeng was a name given because when dusk fell and the sunset descended westward, the pagoda’s shadow reflected upon West Lake appeared mystical and beautiful.
“Ah, how can this be…….”
“The tales speak true!”
“Chang Tae Merchant Association has turned traitor.”
“How could you do such a thing!”
But the group emerging from Leifeng Pagoda had no mind to appreciate the Evening Glow.
They were members of the Jiangnan Three Merchants Association, who had occupied the Leifeng Pagoda entirely for a full week.
The preliminary assembly had just concluded.
And the result was shocking.
“……I apologize, Merchant Leader Sang Gwan.”
A middle-aged man with silver-streaked hair, draped in a golden merchant’s robe, offered his apology while restraining his fury.
To this, Sang Gwan Hae shook his head and spoke.
“Not at all. How could this be your fault, Merchant Leader Geum? I too had not foreseen this turn.”
“To strike me in the back like this—I will not let this stand!”
The face of Geum Won Chang, the middle-aged leader of the Geumneung Merchant Association in his golden robe, burned redder than the sunset reflected in West Lake.
Until the Merchants Council Meeting began, the two had harbored optimistic expectations for the outcome.
The small merchants of Jiangsu Province would naturally follow the Namgyeong Merchant Association in supporting Gucheon Seong.
The merchants of Zhejiang Province were pledged to follow the Geumneung Merchant Association in backing the Baekga Maeng.
What remained were the merchants of Anhui Province, and with the Namgung Clan’s show of force, many Anhui merchants had turned their allegiance—so the situation appeared favorable.
“These shameless wretches. Merchants of Zhejiang dare break faith!”
As Geum Won Chang swept his angry gaze across the surroundings, the Zhejiang merchants emerging from the pagoda averted their eyes from him.
They were merchants who had broken their promise to Geum Won Chang and cast their Betrayal Vote with the Namgyeong Merchant Association.
“Integrity Leads to Heaven, yet Lost Trust Cannot Advance—and so you have lost the world this day.”
With integrity, one can gain the world.
Without it, one cannot advance a single step.
Integrity was the fundamental virtue of every merchant.
Those who discarded it like worn-out shoes were no longer merchants, but swindlers and cheats.
The Geumneung Merchant Association in particular held dear the principle of Do Not Kick Down the Bridge After Crossing.
Because the Geumneung Merchant Association had made considerable concessions to the Zhejiang merchants over time, this betrayal cut all the deeper.
“Hmph, to hear you speak, one would think the Geumneung Merchant Association ruled the world.”
“Hehe, how the defeated dog barks.”
“Ahahaha, worry not, friends. The brothers of Zhejiang will be well cared for by our Jiangsu merchants, mark my words!”
There were those who mocked Geum Won Chang’s angry words.
They were small merchants of Jiangsu Province who supported Gucheon Seong, their faces alight with the pleasure of victory.
‘……Strange. Why is that man so quiet?’
Sang Gwan Hae’s eyes fell upon a middle-aged man with bronzed skin standing among the crowd.
Though they had clearly triumphed, Chang Gwang Yeo, the leader of the Namgyeong Merchant Association and architect of this victory, did not appear pleased.
Rather, he kept glancing about nervously, his gaze uneasy and searching.
‘This self-assured man—whose attention does he seek now?’
He possessed wealth ranking among the top ten powers in the realm, and his martial prowess was formidable; his words always carried weight.
Yet during today’s Merchants Council Meeting, Chang Gwang Yeo seemed distracted, as though his mind dwelt elsewhere—and suspicion could not help but arise.
“For now, let us return. Five days remain until the full assembly.”
“Sigh, very well.”
Sang Gwan Hae soothed the agitated Geum Won Chang.
Geum Won Chang too was a seasoned merchant who had weathered countless trials.
He steadied his turbulent heart and began to contemplate how best to overcome this crisis.
Step, step, step.
They made their way northward along West Lake toward where the Geumneung Merchant Association was headquartered.
The roiling emotions calmed as they walked in the peaceful scenery of West Lake, yet no clear solution presented itself.
“Sigh, surrounded from all sides—now that things have come to this pass, even those Anhui merchants who wavered will surely waver further.”
“I agree. Truly, I know not what to do about this…….”
It was then, as Geum Won Chang and Sang Gwan Hae put their heads together in worry.
“Move with speed now! What, what? Are your feet showing? Has it eased for me? Shall I make it difficult for you?”
“Hm?”
When a familiar voice rang out from the direction of the dock, Sang Gwan Hae’s head turned.
“Ho, Ho Yeon?!”
“Eh? Is it finished?”
The man standing at the wharf was Namgung Ho Yeon, and beside him, figures who looked like boatmen were passing by carrying loads on their backs.
“Good grief, what a mess this is.”
“You said it.”
“I swear, so many of these iron skewers…….”
“Well, it’s the Deputy Chief’s request, so we do as we’re told.”
The carriers on the boatmen’s backs were loaded with long iron skewers.
They grumbled as they loaded the skewers onto the boat.
“Keep your complaints to my face. If I catch you muttering behind my back, I’ll have you thrown into West Lake.”
“Good grief!”
“Tch.”
“Sharp ears too.”
At Ho Yeon’s sharp rebuke, the boatmen quickened their pace.
“What—what in the world is this?”
Geum Won Chang asked, bewildered by the spectacle unfolding before his eyes.
Ho Yeon answered him.
“I’m going to catch some fish.”
“Fish?”
“Ho Yeon. This is hardly the time for leisure fishing. The conference just ended…….”
“We lost, didn’t we?”
“Well, yes. That is so.”
Ho Yeon cut off Sang Gwan Hae’s words and nodded, muttering to himself.
“It’s been identified.”
“Identified? By whom?”
“Raccoons.”
“So after fish, now it’s raccoons?”
“Little brother?”
Ho Yeon spoke to the two bewildered men.
“Don’t worry too much. I plan to finish hunting by tomorrow.”
“Lord Namgung?”
Tap!
Despite Geum Won Chang’s call, Ho Yeon rolled his feet onto the fishing boat laden with iron skewers.
Soon the boatmen began rowing, and the vessel dwindled to a speck, disappearing northward.
“My word, I can’t fathom what he’s thinking. Boating at a time like this, when we’re in mortal peril?”
Geum Won Chang shook his head in disbelief, whereupon Sang Gwan Hae smiled and spoke.
“Ah, now it will be settled.”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
“Since Ho Yeon promised to resolve it, it will soon be resolved.”
“That’s…….”
Geum Won Chang regarded Sang Gwan Hae with the expression of a man who’d heard every curious thing under the sun, but the latter merely chuckled.
“Well, just watch. Now that the Light Dragon has begun to move, the Dawn Light will soon break.”
Geum Won Chang murmured to himself at Sang Gwan Hae’s words.
‘Not the Mad Dragon?’
* * *
In the early Hour of Tiger, when the world lay in darkness.
Before the Broken Bridge, two figures appeared.
It was Ho Yeon and Shin So Wan.
“This way!”
Shin So Wan guided Ho Yeon.
A thick fog blanketed West Lake, and the whole world turned pale.
“What a shame. Normally you’d be able to see from here.”
Shin So Wan pointed toward the Broken Bridge as she spoke.
The Broken Bridge was called a bridge, yet it was actually part of an embankment.
In preparation for flooding, the Broken Bridge marked the beginning of an artificial dike that separated the northern waters of West Lake from the outer waterways.
It curved like a bow, and at its center sat a water gate used to regulate the water level.
Originally it was called the Broken Bridge using the character for “section,” but when snow fell in winter, the middle of the bridge appeared severed, and thus it came to be called the Broken Bridge using the character for “broken.”
Whoooosh!
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
Fragmented moonlight touched the fog and scattered, and within that mystical atmosphere, the two figures stepped onto the Broken Bridge.
‘It’s been a while.’
Ho Yeon gazed about distractedly, his thoughts wandering.
Most people thought of West Lake’s beauty first, but Ho Yeon’s mind drifted to the old man, Namgung Cheon Gang.
It had been winter then, West Lake blanketed entirely in snow.
The Sword Demon had been fleeing into Hangzhou to escape the Pursuit Squad that the Murim Alliance had organized.
He was running across the Broken Bridge toward Lone Mountain on the western shore of West Lake.
From a distance, an old man of striking height—easily six feet—with a blade-sharp presence approached.
The Sword Demon stopped in his tracks.
He knew there was no point in running.
The old man spoke.
“Where are you headed?”
“…To Lone Mountain.”
“That sounds lonely.”
“What?”
“Going to Lone Mountain—the mountain of solitude, as they say.”
“Sword Saint. Did you come here to trade jests with me?”
“Hardly.”
The Sword Saint of Eternal Heaven, Namgung Cheon Gang, smiled faintly and continued.
“Sword Demon Dan Wee Myeong. I’ve heard all manner of dark rumors about you. They call you the Butcher of Men, do they not?”
“And if they do?”
“I ask you to cease this killing spree.”
“Listen, Sword Saint, I am a flame. When insects fly into me and burn to death, what would you have me do about it?”
At the Sword Demon’s cold sneer, the Sword Saint, who had been watching him intently, spoke.
“It seems your flame is lukewarm enough to be satisfied merely burning insects?”
“What?”
“Fire has always symbolized destruction. Yet wherever a flame sweeps through, new shoots emerge from beneath the black ash.”
“…What are you trying to say? Will we fight or not?”
“Do you think you could best me?”
“That doesn’t matter. Live or die. One or the other. It’s always been that way.”
The Sword Demon removed his Wind-Breaking Robe.
From the Sword Chest, blades clattered as if begging to be drawn.
Watching the Sword Demon emanate fierce fighting spirit, the Sword Saint spoke.
“Sword Demon, you are like a rudderless boat drifting without purpose.”
“What?”
“Even a mere blade is born with the purpose of taking life, yet you lack even that.”
……
“This is your last chance. I beseech you—find a purpose in your life.”
The Sword Saint turned and vanished into the snowy landscape.
The Sword Demon stood frozen for a long moment, then drew the Wind-Breaking Robe over himself again, muttering.
“…That old fool is ridiculous.”
Ten years later, they met again.
In mutual destruction.
‘Old man. Now I understand, faintly. Why you spared me then.’
Ho Yeon, walking across the Broken Bridge, let out a soft laugh.
A sword needs a scabbard.
A boat needs a harbor.
And a person needs a purpose.
‘You know what? Now my purpose is to make the Namgung Clan the greatest house in all the land. Isn’t that a bitter twist of fate?’
It was while Ho Yeon lingered over these trifling memories.
That Shin So Wan, having reached the center of the Broken Bridge, stopped.
“What’s wrong?”
“Um…could you hold my hand? I can’t see anything from here on…”
“Of course.”
“Thank you so—”
Shin So Wan reached out with relief.
Splash.
A wet, severing sound.
Thud.
The sound of something falling.
“Huh?”
Shin So Wan stared blankly at her right arm, blood pouring forth.
Ho Yeon wiped the blood from the Cheonrae Sword with unhurried ease, then asked mildly.
“Why? I caught you, didn’t I?”
“Aaaaahhh!”
“Oh, don’t tell me you wanted to be seized rather than merely grasped? You don’t care for that?”
Thunk!
Ho Yeon pinned Shin So Wan’s fallen hand to the ground with the Cheonrae Sword, lifting it up.
Clutched in that small palm was a thin needle, its tip discolored to a dull, grimy black.
“I have no taste for addiction.”
“Grrrgh…… H-how…….”
As Shin So Wan ground out the question, Ho Yeon answered.
“Everything aligned too perfectly. A small child brought by Daoists I know happens to offer information worth my interest? An amateur Later Generation Disciple would have felt a rush of accomplishment chasing those clues.”
He’d delivered breadcrumbs—clues disguised as coincidence, neither too transparent nor too obscure.
The Daoists’ message looked like intricate cipher, yet anyone considering that this was Zhejiang Province would eventually crack it.
As for tracking down the Japanese—that was possible enough with legwork and persistence.
He’d simply drawn the net tighter, step by step. People don’t suspect facts they uncover themselves.
“J-just from that alone…….”
Shin So Wan lowered his stance.
In that instant, Ho Yeon’s hand shot forward, seizing the creature’s throat.
Crunch!
“Most of all, I smell it on you.”
“Gack!”
“The reek of a wild beast.”
Crack-sizzle!
White lightning flickered across the surface.
The razor-sharp current of Cheonrae Gi became a needle of electricity, shredding the heavenly silk that masked the truth.
“Uuuurgh!”
Crunch! Crack!
Shin So Wan’s face twisted grotesquely, and what emerged was a small child with features subtly different from those of Zhongyuan people.
“Damn it!”
To the small child whose eyes burned with resentment, Ho Yeon spoke in a flat voice.
“What did you do with the real Shin So Wan?”
“Hhgh, hehe! If you…… let me live……!”
“Never mind.”
Snap!
Ho Yeon broke the small child’s neck.
“One down.”
Thud!
The corpse of the small child fell to the Broken Bridge.
Whoooosh―!
From West Lake, hundreds of black shadows erupted all at once.

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