Namgoong the Sword Ghost - Chapter 168

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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 168. The Geom-gwi Encounters Baek Seol O
“Huff! Huff! Wheeze!”
A broad-faced middle-aged man atop Hyeongmun Mountain south of Uichang struggled to catch his breath.
He was Mo Son, the Gongyeong Sect leader who had fled upon hearing that Uichang would soon be submerged.
Thud!
“Ugh. Damn it all!”
Mo Son set down the rectangular wooden box he’d been carrying on his back and cursed while gazing toward Uichang.
“That bastard! It’s well past midnight — what in the hells is he doing?”
Mo Son’s anger was about to boil over.
All this time, he had devoted himself to seizing control of Uichang’s information network, which had become the new gathering point for the White Path’s Martial World.
If he could dominate Uichang’s intelligence, he could overturn the Yingzhou faction and pave his own path to becoming the Hao Mun leader.
“But what’s this? The Gongyeong Sect should withdraw from Uichang? Our role is finished?”
It felt only natural to be unhappy — the sect he had nurtured was being used as bait.
But what angered him even more was that Uichang was still standing intact.
“What is the Cheon Mun leader doing! He boasted he’d overturn the whole board!”
Grit!
Mo Son ground his teeth.
What if the operation had failed?
‘Then it’s the worst possible outcome! A furious royal court will hunt for the monster, and the arrow will turn on our Gongyeong Sect!’
Gulp.
He swallowed hard.
He had no desire to spend the rest of his life as a fugitive, hunted through Dongchang.
“Cho, I must see the Sect Leader. Our sect still has value!”
Fortunately, Mo Son had a fallback.
The Gongyeong Sect was the largest faction among the fractured Jeommun factions.
And as long as Jeommun’s Spirit Beast remained in his hands, he could always make a comeback.
“Yes, you’re my salvation!”
It was then that Mo Son gazed at the wooden box with sinister gleam in his eyes.
“Really? Whether that saves you or kills you remains to be seen.”
“Hehehehe! You cute little piggy. You shouldn’t have tried to deceive us. Right?”
“Huh?!”
Whoosh!
Mo Son jumped at the voices from behind and took a defensive stance.
“Y-you two are……!”
Mo Son could not hide his shock at the identity of the speakers.
It was Du Il and Du I — the Yin-Yang Twin Aberration, with their massive frame and two heads.
Du Il spoke with a cold smile.
“You never intended to keep your promise. You dared use us as mere tools?”
Du I followed with an eerie laugh.
“Ohoho! We looked quite amusing to you, didn’t we? If you thought you could use us siblings and walk away unscathed, that’s a grave mistake.”
“N-no, that’s not it! There seems to be some misunderstanding!”
Mo Son scrambled to make excuses.
“I’m in the same position as you! I knew nothing of this operation until the Cheon Mun leader explained it to me!”
“Ahahaha! I don’t care about that. We’ll collect payment for breach of contract!”
“P-payment for what exactly…….”
“Isn’t it obvious! A Spirit Beast!”
Point!
Du Il gestured toward the wooden box, and Mo Son’s face twisted.
‘These monstrous bastards……!’
Baek Seol O was his last line of defense.
He could never hand it over.
Then?
“Ah, I understand. I’ll give it to you.”
“Hmph! You read the situation quickly!”
Click!
As Mo Son lifted the wooden box, he began channeling the Baek Seol Ki at maximum intensity.
‘The Twin Aberrations want Baek Seol O because the Yin Aberration’s body is failing. Which means the Yin Aberration’s condition is not normal right now!’
A sinister chill flashed across Mo Son’s eyes.
“H-here it is.”
“Hehe! Much obliged.”
Mo Son deliberately handed the Wooden Box to Du I, and as a result, her hands were bound.
‘Now!’
Crack!
From Mo Son’s hand, hidden behind the Wooden Box, the Baek Seol Ki Gang erupted forth.
Mo Son, who had honed his mastery by tormenting Baek Seol O countless times a day, had become a supreme master without anyone noticing.
Tap-tap! Whoosh!
Mo Son’s strike came darting toward Du I’s ribs as he lunged forward in a rapid square pattern.
‘Han Bing Swae Hon Jang!’
Mo Son was certain his ambush had landed perfectly.
But then.
Clack!
“What?!”
Something abruptly seized his ankle, and losing his balance, Mo Son drove the Han Bing Swae Hon Jang directly into a tree beside Du I instead.
Crack! Shatter!
The tree burst apart and froze solid.
Du I’s voice reached Mo Son’s ears as he stood bewildered.
“Hehehehe! You’re all the same, every last one of you. Nothing’s changed since fifteen years ago.”
“You wretch!”
Thud-thud-thud!
Realizing his sneak attack had failed, Mo Son threw himself forward desperately.
But he could not reach Du I. Again, something snagged his ankle, sending him crashing to the ground in spectacular fashion.
Thud! Boom!
“Ugh! What’s been—! Huh?”
Mo Son examined his own ankle and went pale with shock.
An ice shackle had encircled his ankle and was connected to the ground itself.
“Haha, you see? Moisture exists in the air. To master the Ice Martial Art perfectly, you must learn to manipulate this vapor.”
“What—what kind of sorcery is this?!”
“Goodness? You’ve mastered the Ice Martial Art and never even tried something like this? Modern martial artists really are content to take the easiest path.”
“Hahhhhh!”
Crunch!
As Mo Son shattered the Bing Gyeol Swae and charged forward again, Du I, a cool smile playing at her lips, flicked her fingers.
Twang!
Shatter-shatter!
The vapor all around froze simultaneously, transforming into fine needles that poured down upon Mo Son like a downpour.
Pitter-patter-patter-patter!
“Gah—cough!”
Struck by the Han Sang Cheon Chim, Mo Son staggered in the air as if dancing, his body riddled with holes until he resembled a honeycomb.
“Tsk tsk, with such sluggish transitions between offense and defense, how dare you call yourself a martial artist? I can’t even tell if that’s a protective technique or just fumbling energy.”
“I…… water…….”
“Your power is merely that of someone below the first rank.”
Boom!
With Du I’s derision, Mo Son collapsed and died.
Du Il and Du I withdrew their attention from the dead Mo Son and gazed at the Wooden Box.
Crack-crackle!
As Du Il clenched his fist, the Wooden Box crumbled away, revealing a rectangular Red Iron Cage.
“Squeak…….”
Baek Seol O, sprawled within the cage, cried out weakly, startled by the sudden light.
Her two round black eyes were half-closed, and the white fur covering her entire body had lost its luster, appearing stiff and dull.
“Dear me, she’s in poor condition.”
“She’s been pushed far too hard. Her Spiritual Energy may well be damaged.”
“Still, a Spirit Beast is a Spirit Beast. Sister, hurry!”
“…….”
At Du Il’s urging, Du I stared intently at Baek Seol O.
‘A Spirit Beast carrying the Yin essence. If I extract and absorb her Inner Core, I could restore the broken Harmony of Yin and Yang to some degree. But…….’
“I was moved by the fact that, despite countless hardships, you never strayed from the righteous path. You are truly remarkable.”
Why was it?
Namgung Ho Yeon. Why did that boy’s words echo through her mind?
‘Is this the right thing to do? To cut open this small child’s belly so that I might live?’
In Du I’s hesitant eyes appeared Baek Seol O’s trembling, pink lips.
“Squeak…… help…….”
“……Are you hurting too?”
“Chirp…….”
“Where did you come from?”
“Chirp…….”
“You’ve come from far away, haven’t you? Do you have friends? Brothers or sisters?”
“Chirp, chirp…….”
“You must be terribly lonely.”
“Sister?”
Du Il watched his sister conversing with Baek Seol O, his expression perplexed.
Du I shook her head and spoke.
“That’s enough.”
“Du I!”
“I don’t want to prolong my life by killing an innocent child.”
“……Sister.”
“Brother, I’m sorry. The Harmony of Yin and Yang isn’t just my problem alone…….”
As Du I apologized, Du Il, who had been gazing at her intently, broke into a grin.
“Haha! Your choice is my choice, sister. Born on the same day and hour, we’ll die on the same day and hour—that’s all there is to it.”
“Brother…….”
“Hahahaha! My sister’s heart is so pure! I could boast about it anywhere!”
“Hehe, please stop. I’m embarrassed.”
Baek Seol O tilted his head, watching Du Il and Du I converse softly with each other.
“Chirp?”
“Well now. What a cute little thing you are.”
“We can’t take this child with us. Once the Society realizes our betrayal, they’ll send hunters after us.”
“Then what do we do?”
“We’ll have to entrust it to someone.”
“To whom? Do you know someone trustworthy?”
At Du Il’s question, Du I smiled brightly and spoke.
“If someone sees us not as monsters but as people, wouldn’t they see this child as a life as well?”
“Hmm?”
At her words, Du Il blinked.
Then a young man’s resolute voice flashed through his mind.
“I don’t go around treating people like monsters. I can’t stand those who do.”
“Ah, you mean him?”
“What do you think?”
“Kehehehe! Perfect! Let’s go deliver it at once!”
“Let’s go!”
Whoosh!
Du Il and Du I vanished from their spots.
* * *
Afternoon, with the sun high in the sky.
Ho Yeon returned to his quarters, yawning heavily through his fatigue.
“Ugh, seriously.”
Trudge, trudge, trudge.
Since returning to the Academy with the Abbot of the Temple of Fragrance, the Patriarch, and the Mother Superior at dawn, Ho Yeon had been besieged by people all through the night.
At first, he’d been explaining things to the instructors and administrators, including the Patriarch.
But later, even the Regional Commander, who’d heard news of the Samhyeop Dam explosion, came rushing over in a daze and demanded a full account.
‘What’s there to explain? I just say I rushed there, recovered the Jin Cheon Roe, and threw it into the Yangtze River.’
Ho Yeon had carefully omitted the Uigi Yeondong and given a doctored account of what happened at the Samhyeop Dam.
While tracking the Gongyeong Sect, he’d stumbled upon a conspiracy regarding the dam’s destruction.
He’d rushed there faster than anyone, recovered the Jin Cheon Roe, and splashed it into the Yangtze.
And wouldn’t you know it? The bandits happened to be right there at that very moment!
There was thunder and explosions, and the world became a cleaner place.
The end.
‘What more explanation could possibly be needed?’
As Ho Yeon grumbled, Cheon Rae Geom interjected with exasperation.
―Listen, how could anyone understand with an explanation like that?
‘What was wrong with my explanation?’
―When they asked how you arrived so quickly, you said it was possible because the Godly Technique of the Namgung Clan is unrivaled under heaven. What insane talk is that?
―Hahahaha! The look on their faces was priceless! Like they were staring at a madman!
‘No, I’m the greatest under heaven—what can they do about it? Are they ignoring Tianli Ho Jeong right now? Do they want to fight the Namgung Clan?’
―You keep talking like that, so what do they have left to say?
‘Then it’s settled. I’ve won.’
―Victory to Oniyaro!
―My goodness, these monks.
‘I’ve rendered service, so they should overlook the small things. Yeah.’
Ho Yeon muttered to himself.
In truth, the provincial magistrate would have liked nothing more than to haul Ho Yeon to the castle for a thorough interrogation, but he’d been thwarted in the attempt.
The abbess with golden eyes was watching him closely, and word of Ho Yeon’s exploits was spreading rapidly through Uichang.
‘That must be Yul’s doing.’
This entire affair was tangled in several sensitive threads; one misstep and he could face serious trouble.
Take the Jin Cheon Roe alone—it was a weapon the imperial court had forbidden for use anywhere in Zhongyuan.
Ho Yeon had crafted a narrative claiming he hadn’t deployed it intentionally.
‘If I can shape public opinion in my favor, even those in power won’t easily dare to act carelessly. I should give Yul a gift later.’
It was as Ho Yeon arrived at his quarters, turning over thoughts of damage control, that voices erupted.
“Oh! You’re awake!”
“Are you all right?”
“Seon Hyang! Quick, bring the sunflower seeds!”
“Here! Chomp away!”
Two young girls were making a ruckus in his quarters.
‘Myo Ha Young and Seon Hyang?’
Myo Ha Young was a treasure Ho Yeon had discovered in the Spring Harmony Faction.
She possessed a Spirit Eye ability called Spiritual Perception.
It was a dangerous gift—the capacity to secretly glimpse the spiritual energy of others.
Consequently, Ho Yeon had taken her with him and put her to constant use in ferreting out spies.
‘Looks like they’ve gotten close.’
With their ages so similar, Myo Ha Young and Cho Seon Hyang had crossed paths frequently, and somewhere along the way, they’d become friends.
“This is all well and good, but why are you making such a commotion in my room?”
Creak!
Ho Yeon pulled open the door, reproaching them.
Myo Ha Young and Cho Seon Hyang both turned their heads at once.
“Oh? Brother Ho Yeon!”
“Master!”
“You’re being too loud. I’m trying to sleep, so go play somewhere else. Hmm?”
Ho Yeon, waving his hand as if shooing away a bothersome insect, stopped mid-gesture.
Between Myo Ha Young and Cho Seon Hyang sat a red iron cage.
Inside it, a small white creature blinked its dark eyes and gazed up at him.
“What is this? Some kind of fluffy dumpling?”
“Squeak?”

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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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