Namgoong the Sword Ghost - Chapter 158

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

Episode 158. The Sword Demon’s Reunion
“Haa! Ha!”
Jegal Ahyeon stretched as she finished her daily training, then began to walk.
In one hand, she carried a long, slender bundle wrapped carefully in fine silk.
“Sigh. Whether it’s Jeongju or Uichang, I’m always rushing about somewhere.”
Ahyeon muttered with a touch of complaint.
Yet her expression was brighter than it had been back at the Baekga Maeng military headquarters.
Unlike Jeongju, here in Uichang she could see every day the person whose purpose drove her forward.
“Heh, truth be told, opening the Baekmu Academy had a certain… private motivation behind it.”
Ahyeon’s footsteps toward Heukjuk-won, where Ho Yeon made his residence, were light as a feather.
Today was meant to be a joint Poetry Composition Class between the black bamboo and white bamboo divisions, but a major incident that morning had cancelled all classes.
So Ahyeon was making her way to his quarters—partly to see his face, and partly to help him with whatever had arisen.
‘The Nakjeon-dan is on track now. I never realized Ho Yeon’s reputation would carry this much weight.’
As she organized the Nakjeon-dan, Ahyeon once again marveled at the power of the Thunder God Dragon’s name.
Just as countless insects swarm to a fragrant flower, Ho Yeon’s reputation drew in talent of every color and stripe.
And the caliber of those who came was spectacular.
‘Lightning Blade Peng Gu Pae, Horned Dragon Beom Seok, Demon Subduer Nan A, and others besides. The finest talents of the age all rushed to join.’
In both quality and quantity, the Nakjeon-dan was supreme even at Baekmu Academy.
Most of the students from the spring-summer division supported the Thunder God Dragon, conducting Hundred Person Martial Contests nearly every night.
‘If we were to pick up the Nakjeon-dan wholesale and move it into the Jianghu, we could birth an entirely new major sect.’
Ahyeon nodded with satisfaction, a smile playing at her lips.
The truth was, Ahyeon deserved much of the credit for how much the Nakjeon-dan had expanded.
Ho Yeon had never taken much interest in the position of Student Council President, so it was her involvement at every step that had brought them to this present state.
Thanks to her efforts, the Nakjeon-dan—which had been merely a casual gathering—had risen to become the premier organization at Baekmu Academy.
“Heh, Ho Yeon. Heroes don’t create themselves; the age creates them.”
Ahyeon had not abandoned her dream of making him a true figure of the greatest heights.
When she finally arrived at Heukjuk-won and drew near to Ho Yeon’s quarters, she sensed something amiss.
“Hm? Where could he have gone?”
She felt no sign of presence nearby.
Normally, when she reached this point, a cute-looking attendant would come to greet her, but today that girl was nowhere to be seen either.
The door slid open.
As expected, no one was inside the quarters.
Ahyeon lit the lamp, took a seat, and untied the bundle she’d brought.
Crinkle, crinkle!
Inside the cloth lay a long bottle of liquor and two lovely cups.
“Mm, I’ve improved a bit, haven’t I?”
At the sight of the bottle, the memory of her first time drinking—how she’d gotten drunk the instant the liquor touched her lips—came flooding back.
Ahyeon’s cheeks flushed as she set out the drinks, muttering to herself.
“I’ve been training according to Grandfather Ma Seung’s advice, so it should be fine this time.”
When she’d asked Jegal Ma Seung, the military strategist, how one learned to drink well, he’d chuckled and offered this counsel.
“Heh, so you wish to drink well? Then drink while wagering.”
“But I’ve heard that contradicts the Dao of drink.”
“What I mean is, if you repeatedly drink while wagering in small bouts, your body will grow accustomed to it.”
“So you’re saying the more you drink, the better you become?”
“In a manner of speaking, yes. Heh, but tell me—why do you wish to drink well?”
“Oh, well, I simply thought… one never knows what occasions may arise, and it’s useful to be able to hold one’s liquor, isn’t it?”
“I see. Heheheh.”
She’d been evasive then, but her true aim was simple.
‘Ho Yeon seems to enjoy drink, so he’ll need someone to share it with him.’
Ahyeon nodded to herself as she thought this through.
Last time, he’d been drinking alone, muttering something about swords, when she could have been there with him.
Perhaps he truly did need someone to drink with—a proper drinking companion.
“Besides, they say that when people drink, their true thoughts come out. This time, I absolutely must not get drunk first.”
Clench!
Ahyeon balled her fists with determination.
If she got drunk first, she wouldn’t be able to hear what Ho Yeon truly had to say.
His heart was tender; he must be carrying many hidden sorrows alone.
So she wanted him to lean on her, even if it took the aid of drink to make it happen.
“This is support as his lieutenant. It’s not driven by any personal motive. Absolutely not!”
Though in truth, the thought of seeing Ho Yeon drunk was quite appealing to her.
There was much he wanted to ask her once the drink loosened his tongue.
But Jegal Ahyeon had resolved to listen to Namgung Ho Yeon’s story instead, setting aside her own questions for now.
“It’s getting late…….”
Jegal Ahyeon gazed out the window.
The rain fell in gentle, patterning drops—a pleasant night that added a poignant beauty to the moment.
* * *
Whoosh—!
Cold awareness crashed down like rain.
She’d been caught.
Caught in the fact that she was a traitor.
“How…… how did you……”
Cho Seon Hyang stared at the man’s back, her eyes trembling.
Namgung Ho Yeon glanced at her and spoke.
“You. This is your first time deceiving people, isn’t it?”
“…….”
“Clumsily done. It was you who wrote on that cloth about the Hao Mun disciples being kidnapped at the manor, wasn’t it?”
At Namgung Ho Yeon’s confident words, Cho Seon Hyang nodded, answering.
“Yes…… I did. But how did you know? I changed the handwriting……”
“Hm, what good is changing the hand if you don’t change the brush and ink?”
“You could tell just from that……?”
A Murin is more perceptive than you think. And among them, I’m particularly sharp at reading subtle signs.”
Twenty years of life as a fugitive sharpened instincts even in a sparrow.
Moreover, Namgung Ho Yeon’s senses—honed by his Uigi Yeondong—could catch even the smallest discord.
The moment he saw the characters written on the cloth, he knew they’d been written with his own Xu Hao brush, and he could discern that Cho Seon Hyang was the one who’d written them.
“If you’ve known since then…… why didn’t you arrest me? Why did you keep me close?”
“Keep friends near. Keep enemies nearer. Do you think bringing you to Uichang was coincidence?”
“…….”
“I kept you close to observe. To see what was going through your head.”
Cho Seon Hyang’s body shook.
He had known all along.
Known, yet let it be.
Because he was confident he could capture her whenever he wished.
But Cho Seon Hyang’s surprise didn’t end there.
“Given your background and the intelligence you had access to, there was only one answer. But to be certain, the moment I arrived in Jeongju I visited several restaurants.”
“You mean…… that restaurant tour back then……!”
“If Hao Mun was behind it, it would have been a good opportunity to make contact. But there were no signs of that. Though some of the servers did seem suspicious.”
“Good…… heavens……”
Cho Seon Hyang wondered if the man before her was truly the Master she knew.
The eyes that had always seemed indifferent now gleamed with a sword-sharp blue radiance, piercing and reading everything.
Namgung Ho Yeon laughed softly and continued.
“It took a month before you made contact. Patient, I’ll give you that.”
“I…… I received the summons only this morning. So……! I would never betray you……!”
“I know. I heard it all.”
“……What?”
“You saying you don’t want to leave the Namgung Clan.”
Namgung Ho Yeon smiled gently and went on.
“Then don’t leave. The walls of the main house are high and strong. They’re more than enough to hide one small one like you.”
“Ah……”
Tears welled up in Cho Seon Hyang’s eyes.
All the anguish she’d been carrying suddenly dissolved away.
“Breeze Foot.”
“Yes.”
Tap!
At Namgung Ho Yeon’s call, So Tae Rang descended from the darkness.
“Take her and withdraw.”
“Will you be all right?”
“Who are you talking to?”
“Ha, my mistake.”
Whoosh!
So Tae Rang lifted Cho Seon Hyang and shot forward like wind, but the black-clad figures in bamboo hats dared not make a reckless move.
Ho Yeon regarded the man at the head of their group and spoke.
“Listen, you from Hao Mun.”
…….
“I made payment in full, and she belongs to me. Since I’ve never lived without what I own, I’m rather possessive about it. I can’t laugh off something given and then taken back.”
…….
“Why don’t you say something? The fact that I’m giving you this chance to explain is because I owe your people a debt.”
At Ho Yeon’s words, the man at the head lowered his bamboo hat to the bridge of his nose and spoke.
“We didn’t fail to make contact at the establishment—we couldn’t. The shop has already left my hands.”
“I don’t care about that. Tell me what I want to hear.”
“Will you not release her? Going forward, I swear we will make no further contact with Cho Seon Hyang.”
“Go ahead. I’d just acknowledge that you’ve got guts.”
“I will come to see you later. Now is…… not the time.”
“Ha, what a funny bastard. It’s the strong who decide when. Not the weak.”
Step.
Whisper!
The moment Ho Yeon took a step forward, the men in black swiftly moved ahead to shield the man.
“Lord. We will stop him.”
“Please move to safety.”
“This won’t do. He’s a being beyond classification—one who has even slain Ascended Masters. Here, we must yield.”
“Yield, is it? How many strikes will you take?”
“Brother…… no, Master Ho Yeon. We are not your enemies.”
“Don’t talk like enemies then. Answer straight. The boy won’t even meet my eyes while an adult speaks—that’s bold.”
Step.
As Ho Yeon advanced another stride, the man’s chest began to heave and bulge.
“Ah, no!”
“What?”
“Meow!”
Tap!
From within the wind of the man’s robes, a beautiful creature leapt forth with fluid grace.
Stretching its body with an air of relief—fluff!—the beast was a cat with silver-tinged gray fur and eyes of crystalline blue.
“Meow?”
“Chirp!”
As the cat turned its head to regard Ho Yeon, a red rat perched atop its head twitched its whiskers in greeting.
“……You two!”
Ho Yeon’s eyes went wide as though he’d seen a ghost.
Patter-patter!
Patter-patter-patter!
Nearly thirty figures came rushing from behind, blocking off the path before them.
“Khahahaha, Lord! Your tail’s been caught!”
“These…… these bastards!”
“Lord! Flee! It’s Gong Ling Men!”
“Block them! Don’t let them through!”
Whoosh! Whistle!
At the man’s command, fifteen of the Gong Ling Men vaulted swiftly into the air, scaling the walls like flying squirrels and sealing off the escape route behind.
“That movement! Could it be…… you!”
“Khahahaha! The spirit of Uichang has fallen into our hands! And we’ve secured this mysterious Lord besides! The heavens truly smile upon us!”
“Lord! You must leave!”
“Come here, Weol Myeo!”
Chaos erupted.
In the tumult, they heard nothing.
Pop!
The sound of the Red Jade Tube’s lid opening, air rushing free.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
Nor did they see.
Ninety-nine dark needles of the Needle Rain scattering in all directions, mingling with the downpour.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
“Cough!”
“Agh!”
“Ugh!”
Thirty of the Gong Ling Men fell like scarecrows, the whole thing taking scarcely a moment.
“This… what is this…?”
“What in heaven’s…?”
“A… ghost?”
The arrogant Gong Ling Men disciples collapsed dead without understanding what had happened.
The black-clad figures in bamboo hats stared at Namgung Ho Yeon, terror etched into their faces.
The method was unclear, but there was no one else in this place capable of such a thing.
Yet Namgung Ho Yeon’s gaze remained fixed on the blue-eyed cat behind him, scratching its neck with a hind leg—scratch, scratch, scratch.
“I’m asking you once.”
A soft rustle.
Namgung Ho Yeon lifted his head, fixing his eyes on the man in the center.
A low growl.
His blue irises began to swirl like a raging tempest, unleashing a desolate martial presence into the air.
“Where did that rice cake come from?”
“…Hah. I suppose there’s no helping it.”
At Namgung Ho Yeon’s question, the man released a deep sigh and removed his bamboo hat.
A soft rustling sound.
Then the face of a young nobleman with strangely pale skin was revealed.
With a sharp nose bridge, deep-set eyes, and a narrow jaw, his features bore the exotic cast of the northern peoples—nothing of the Han.
Yet Namgung Ho Yeon’s gaze was fixed not on the man’s face, but on his eyes.
Though rain fell and the sky hung grey and overcast, a pair of blue eyes gleamed with the clarity of a cloudless sky.
“You… you…!”
“It has been a long time, brother.”
“Mo Yong Yul?!”

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