Namgoong the Sword Ghost - Chapter 136

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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 136. The Sword Demon’s Father Ascends the Wall
“What a beautiful scene this is.”
“It’s one of the Ten Attractions of West Lake.”
“Huagang Pavilion for Fish-Viewing—I understand the fish-viewing part, but what does Huagang mean?”
“The mountain streams flowing down from Huajia Mountain pass through here on their way to West Lake, so it’s called Huagang—the harbor of flowers.”
“Ah, I see.”
Un Am and Nan A were chatting softly across the table from each other.
On the table sat West Lake Vinegar Fish—carp steamed and glazed with a sweet and tangy sauce.
Nan A picked the tender flesh from the carp and placed it on Un Am’s plate.
“Please, eat some yourself. I feel terribly guilty being treated so well.”
“A host receives guests, and a host serves guests—it is the natural duty of someone from Zhejiang. Please don’t hold back.”
“Well, well.”
Un Am brought the flesh Nan A had selected to his mouth and chewed thoughtfully.
“It’s wonderfully tender. My brothers and I would be delighted to taste something like this.”
“Do they not have such dishes in Huayin County?”
“They do exist, but not at a price a Daoist could afford. Fish is scarce in those parts.”
“Then next time I visit Huayin County, I’ll treat you to some.”
“That won’t do. If Miss Nan A were to visit Huayin County, it would be my duty as a person of Shaanxi to provide the hospitality.”
“Is there a particular dish you’d recommend?”
“There’s a noodle shop I frequent often—the flavor is extraordinary.”
“Noodles?”
“It’s a street stall run by an old woman in her nineties, and slurping down her noodles while receiving her colorful curses—there’s simply nothing better.”
“Why must one endure curses?”
“She’s a woman who loves to curse. My brothers and I call her the Foul-Mouthed Grandmother.”
Ho Yeon, seated across from Un Am and Nan A, listened to their exchange and reflected.
‘It does seem as though what Jahasin said might be true after all.’
This place was a pavilion known as Mudan Garden.
It was a celebrated spot where officials and nobles loved to visit, offering both a view of Huagang Pavilion for Fish-Viewing and fine food and tea.
Nan A had reserved the entire place under the pretense of fostering camaraderie within the Nak Jeon Association, but the way things were unfolding suggested her true purpose lay elsewhere.
‘The way she chased those fools out, for instance.’
Ho Yeon’s gaze drifted toward the stone wall surrounding the fish pond.
Perched atop the wall sat Hye Il and Gwang Myeong side by side, their eyes fixed intently on the water below.
“Wait. Isn’t that it?”
“No, it’s just sunlight reflecting off the surface.”
“But Gwang Myeong, you promised that if I find it first, you’ll forget about the ten silver taels, right?”
“Of course! But I’m still going to win this one. Don’t underestimate the instincts of a boy from the countryside!”
The two were absorbed in the hunt for the golden carp Nan A had mentioned.
The pond raised red silk carp, and legend had it that finding the single golden carp among them would bring extraordinary fortune.
‘Anyone can see she just made that up to get rid of them.’
Ho Yeon regarded Nan A with exasperation.
This mad nun had tried to deceive him, so he was digging in his heels and staying at Mudan Garden to the bitter end.
—Boy, that’s precisely why people call you perceptive. In these situations, you ought to know when to make yourself scarce.
‘So you’re saying I should hunt for golden carp at my age?’
—Your age? You’re still a green sapling.
‘And perceptive, no less. How sharp am I, really? If I weren’t, I’d have become a wanted criminal in the Martial World and spent twenty years on the run.’
—So what sort of conversation would you have if you came to this place with a woman?
‘Hmm… perhaps I’d mention that watching the silk carp while eating silk carp flesh doesn’t exactly feel pleasant? How’s that? Quite philosophical, wouldn’t you say?’
—You’re insane.
—Puhaha! That’s amusing!
‘Hekmun likes that sort of thing anyway.’
—He’s just as mad as you are, so of course he does.
—What? I’m being too harsh?
‘Better than that noodle story. That was painfully dull.’
Ho Yeon yawned and muttered to himself.
That Nan A could listen so earnestly to Un Am’s tedious praise of noodles was remarkable indeed.
Perhaps it was genuine affection after all?
‘Time really isn’t passing quickly.’
Ho Yeon turned his gaze from the two of them toward the sky.
The sun was slowly setting.
At Lei Feng Pagoda, the evening bell service would soon begin.
‘Well, the result’s already decided.’
Ever since Chang Gwang, the mistress of the Nanjing merchant house, had been implicated in that substitution incident with the guild master.
Not only the traveling merchants and tributary merchants, but even the minor merchants had turned their backs on the Namgung Clan.
They feared that if they weren’t careful, they might be the next ones swapped out.
So they declared unconditional support for the Baekga Maeng.
‘Tomorrow I can head home. Should I pick up some gifts?’
That was when Namgung Ho Yeon drifted into such pleasant thoughts.
‘Hmm?’
Patter-patter-patter!
A middle-aged man came running toward the fishpond from a distance, and Namgung Ho Yeon caught sight of him.
‘Isn’t that the ferryman from Seon Moon?’
Recognizing him as the boatman he’d met at West Lake before, Namgung Ho Yeon rose to his feet.
“I’m going for a walk. I’ll be back soon.”
“Ah, then I should——”
“You stay here.”
Namgung Ho Yeon’s form vanished from the Mudan Garden like a ghost.
“What’s the matter?”
“Aiee!”
The ferryman from Seon Moon startled at Namgung Ho Yeon’s sudden appearance.
But since this was the man he’d been looking for, he quickly gathered his wits and spoke urgently.
“Young Master Namgung, the Chief must ask you to return to Hefei at once!”
“You’re telling me to leave?”
“No, that’s not it! The Namgung Clan is being targeted—we’ve detected movement against you!”
At the man’s words, Namgung Ho Yeon’s eyes narrowed.
“By whom?”
“By Salmak!”
“Ho? Is that so?”
“……?”
‘What—what is that reaction?’
The man had expected Namgung Ho Yeon to jump up in fury, but instead his response was calm, almost as if he’d been waiting for this.
“Ah, you already knew?”
“No.”
“Then……”
“If it were me, that’s exactly what I’d do.”
Namgung Ho Yeon chuckled and replied.
‘I’ve mobilized a large portion of the clan’s forces to pressure the Kangnam Three Merchant Association. To them, that gap must look irresistible.’
That’s why Namgung Ho Yeon had prepared a contingency.
Or rather, it wasn’t merely a contingency—it was a clear trap.
―The Lure Enemy Deep Strategy had come to fruition.
‘Whatever you want to call it. I just feel sorry for the assassins.’
Namgung Ho Yeon wore a meaningful smile.
* * *
The Nanfei River ran diagonally through Hefei from the southeast to the northwest.
It was also a waterway that flowed into Chao Lake.
Which meant that if you went upstream from Chao Lake through the Nanfei River, you could cut diagonally across Hefei.
A dark night.
Glub-glub!
Glub-glub!
Small bubbles rose from beneath the surface of the Nanfei River.
Splash!
Then a head wrapped in a black cloth broke the surface and surveyed the surroundings.
Click.
Confirming that no one was around, the man gave a hand signal.
Whoosh-whoosh!
At that, some fifty figures in black emerged swiftly from the Nanfei River.
They melted into the shadow of a massive stone bridge and readied themselves.
“There it is.”
As Bi Heo, known as the Red Night Ghost, sharpened his gaze, he could make out a striking blue-tiled roof in the distance.
“Check the mission. You Shadow Ghosts—each of you state your target.”
“Namgung Seo.”
“Namgung Ja Cheong.”
“Namgung Sang Bo.”
“Namgung Ho.”
“Peng So Hwa.”
The assassins of Yingmen rattled off their targets’ names with chilling precision.
All of them were key figures of the Namgung Clan.
“The black-robed killers will strike the outer compound and cause a disturbance. That’ll buy time for the shadow assassins to work.”
At Bi Heo’s words, the black-robed assassins of Hekmun exhaled tendrils of demonic qi into the air.
Nodding at the sight, Bi Heo turned to his direct subordinates and spoke.
“The red-robed killers will join me in eliminating Namgung So.”
Namgung So was the First Elder of the Namgung Clan and a master of the highest caliber—which was why Bi Heo, infamous as the Hong Ya Ghost, had been deployed personally.
‘I need half a quarter of an hour to draw out his barrier energy. That will be enough.’
It was clear that Namgung So’s cultivation far exceeded his own, yet Bi Heo felt confident.
This was not a duel.
This was an assassination. If they exploited the opening created by the red-robed killers, success was well within reach.
“Beginning the operation—”
“How curious.”
“—!”
Bi Heo spun around at the sudden voice, his movements sharp as a whip.
There stood a thick-shouldered man of middle years, his emotionless blue eyes surveying the assassins with cold calculation.
Bi Heo, who had memorized every key figure of the Namgung Clan, went rigid.
“An uninvited guest the clan lord himself knows nothing of.”
“The Righteous Heavenly Sword Master?!”
The man’s identity was Namgung Baek, the Righteous Heavenly Sword Master.
The clan lord himself.
‘Alone… is he really alone?’
The shock passed in an instant. Bi Heo’s mind raced, quickly assessing the situation.
There was no sign of reinforcements. He was truly alone. Then—
“Change of plans. Eliminate the Righteous Heavenly Sword Master, then withdraw from Hefei immediately.”
Had the Righteous Heavenly Sword Master been inside the clan compound, such an attempt would have been suicidal.
But here, outside those walls, the calculus was entirely different.
Killing him alone would yield far greater merit than eliminating several subordinates.
‘The Righteous Heavenly Sword Master ranks lowest among the One Hundred Eight Stars. He became a general on his family’s reputation, not true strength. He’s within reach!’
Excitement flickered in Bi Heo’s pupils.
Such an opportunity rarely presented itself.
“Attack!”
Burst—burst—burst!
At Bi Heo’s command, the black-robed assassins surged forward.
Black demonic qi poured from their bodies in thick, roiling streams.
“Qing Qu Sha Ma.”
Throng!
Namgung Baek’s brow furrowed at the sight. He unsheathed the Canggong Qigang Sword.
Whoosh!
Namgung Baek’s blade moved.
And the wind moved with it.
The wind-force that erupted was less sharp than it was massive.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The three black-robed killers in the vanguard couldn’t withstand the pressure and burst like overripe fruit.
Shatter—shatter—shatter!
The shadow assassins who had drawn near unleashed throwing knives in unison.
Thump!
Namgung Baek took a single step forward.
As he did, the weight of his stride—like heaven itself expanding—pressed down upon the world with the authority of an emperor, freezing time in its path.
Shatter! Shatter!
He swept his blade left and right, and the heavy, piercing wind-force shattered the throwing knives to dust.
More than that, he drove the assassins back using the subtlety of the pushing technique, gathering them together like dust motes in the wind.
Toward that clustered mass, Namgung Baek brought his blade down in a single, definitive stroke.
Sing—crack!
With an impassive expression, Namgung Baek produced a harvest of headless corpses.
Even as the black-robed and shadow assassins fell, the red-robed killers completed the Blood Circle Killing Formation, with Namgung Baek at its center.
Tap-tap-tap!
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
The scarlet killers began circling rapidly around Namgung Baek.
A wheel of blood rolled forward, its radius shrinking with each revolution.
“Utterly useless.”
Thoom!
Sword Qi surged from Namgung Baek’s blade, rising more than a foot into the air.
As he spun in concert with his footwork, a vortex of blood-tinged energy erupted around him.
Screech! Screech!
Crack!
The scarlet killers were cleaved in half at the waist, their bodies crushed beneath the pressure of the wind.
‘Perfect!’
But Bi Heo’s cry of triumph came too soon.
Namgung Baek’s movements had grown larger, more expansive, as he expended energy breaking through the Blood Circle Killing Formation.
Snap!
Bi Heo seized the opening, his feet blurring into the Ghost Shadow Quick Step.
Thoom!
Simultaneously, the Hong Ya Ghost Soul Art erupted at full power, and his blade wept droplets of crimson Qi like blood tears.
‘Ghost Hand Pluck Star!’
Fingers curved like a ghostly claw, the ruddy sword-light bending into the shape of a bow.
Tearing through the dragon-vortex wind, the Red Fiend’s fingers shot forward, aimed at Namgung Baek’s heart.
Snap!
A blow raining down from the upper left; Namgung Baek raised his left palm to meet it.
‘Too late! I’ve won——!’
In that instant, Bi Heo believed victory was his.
Shimmer!
Shimmer!
A green star bloomed across Namgung Baek’s palm.
Gossamer threads of jade light wove left and right, forming a constellation of stars.
Boom-crack!
“Gah!”
Bi Heo was hurled backward with the same velocity at which he’d attacked.
Thud-thud-thud!
Shattered sword fragments lodged themselves in his thighs, and the impact to his vital gate sent blood gushing in torrents.
Yet Bi Heo had no mind to register such trivial pain.
What he had just witnessed shook him to his core.
“That can’t be……. Surely not——”
“Barrier Energy. A net properly woven, just as Ho Yeon spoke of it.”
Click!
Thoom——!
Namgung Baek raised his blade, and as vertical and horizontal meridians aligned, a luminous Sword Qi took form.
It was as if a Divine Craftsman had tempered the blue heavens and honed them into a single perfect blade.
“Conquering Heaven…… Self——!”
Screech!
Namgung Baek’s figure vanished, and Bi Heo’s body was split cleanly in two from crown to groin.
Whoosh!
Namgung Baek flicked his wrist, shaking the blood from his blade, and surveyed his surroundings.
Fifty-some killers. A force not to be underestimated.
The man he had been in the past would have struggled against such an opponent, but now it felt as effortless as a midnight stroll.
Yet Namgung Baek knew better than to lower his guard now.
“You above. Show yourself, if you would.”
Namgung Baek lifted his gaze and spoke.
A shadow appeared atop the stone bridge.
At the same moment, an elderly voice rang out.
“Tell me—what is the view of this earthly realm, seen from atop a wall? It has a certain elegance to it, does it not?”

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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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