Namgoong the Sword Ghost - Chapter 19

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

Episode 19. The Sword Ghost’s Masked Pledge
“Ho Yeon? What did you just say……?”
Peng Sohwa’s eyes widened in surprise, and Ho Yeon hurried to correct himself.
“I, I said fate. Ha, haha!”
“Hoho, that’s right? Some people actually dislike betrothal in the womb, but your mother thinks such a bond is quite rare these days.”
“Ahem, well said. And Ho Yeon, even if it’s a betrothal in the womb, it’s ultimately just a verbal promise, so don’t burden yourself too much with it.”
At Peng Sohwa and Namgung Baek’s words, Ho Yeon forced the corners of his mouth upward and nodded.
“Yes…….”
‘What kind of nonsense is this? Do I have a death wish?’
But beneath Ho Yeon’s lowered head, his brow was deeply furrowed.
Currently, Ho Yeon had deployed Will-based Spirit Manipulation, casting a net of psychic force around Geumran Hall.
And just moments ago, several people had entered that net—among them, a woman was releasing spiritual power with reckless abandon.
‘Did that spiritual shield barrier go belly-up? Whatever this spiritual ability is, she’s using it right out in the open?’
Had this been a battlefield, Ho Yeon would have charged out and gone straight for her throat.
Without knowing what spiritual ability that woman possessed, speed and decisiveness were the only answers.
What if it were a curse-type ability, after all?
‘……Wait. Could it be……?’
Just then, as Ho Yeon remained wary of whoever was releasing that spiritual power,
That person entered Geumran Hall and began walking toward them.
“She’s arrived, it seems.”
Along with Namgung Baek’s murmur, a servant announced the visitor from outside.
“Jegal Ahyeon has arrived.”
“Show her in.”
The door swung open with a creak.
A woman in a White Palace Dress stepped into view.
She stood roughly five feet eight inches tall—quite tall for a woman—but her small head gave her overall frame an elegant proportion.
Her skin gleamed in the lamplight as if kissed by water, and her high nose, dark brows, and lips stained deep crimson with cinnabar completed the picture perfectly.
“It’s an honor to meet you for the first time. I am Jegal Ahyeon.”
As she lowered her head, her three-layered hair cascaded down like silk threads.
“Namgung Baek.”
“Hoho, I’m Peng Sohwa.”
Namgung Baek and Peng Sohwa welcomed Jegal Ahyeon with warm smiles.
Then they glanced at Ho Yeon, signaling him to greet her as well.
‘Tsk, she’s no ordinary woman. My fate really is something else.’
Ho Yeon, who inwardly cursed his own persistent misfortune even after three hundred years, rose from his seat.
He offered a cupped-fist salute, and as he did, Ho Yeon concentrated his psychic force directly at the woman’s brow—specifically, her Yin Tang Acupoint.
A faint hum resonated.
“I am Ho Yeon of the Namgung Clan.”
“……!”
At that, Jegal Ahyeon’s eyes widened as she stared at Ho Yeon.
* * *
“Miss! You look absolutely stunning!”
Seo Seoninim marveled at Jegal Ahyeon’s appearance after her bath and grooming.
With a beauty rarely seen in the Central Plains already her own, and now adorned with such care, Jegal Ahyeon’s exotic elegance had doubled.
‘Like a wild horse running free across the steppes, captured and trained to perfection.’
Even after three years without any martial arts training, such a balanced physique.
Her bone structure and muscle alone were worthy of the highest praise.
‘And with such beauty. You’d be hard-pressed to find her equal even if you searched the entire Central Plains. This one has real value.’
Seo Seoninim appraised Jegal Ahyeon from head to toe as if judging a foal at a horse fair.
“…….”
That feeling hummed silently outward.
And through Empathic Heart Resonance, those sentiments flowed directly into Jegal Ahyeon.
She smiled wryly and asked Seo Seoninim,
“So? Do I look expensive?”
“……Pardon?”
“Looks like I’m not ready for slaughter yet. Hehe, thank goodness.”
With soft, meaningless sounds, Jegal Ahyeon drifted away.
At the sight of her receding figure, Seo Seoninim quickly hurried after her, asking with concern,
“Are you…… not suffering from a headache, are you?”
“I’m fine.”
“If you sense any danger, tell him you’re tired and leave quickly.”
“Hah, don’t worry. I’ve no intention of diminishing my own worth by revealing my flaws.”
Seo Seoninim faltered at Jegal Ahyeon’s words.
What she had just said aligned perfectly with her own unspoken thoughts.
‘This infuriating woman.’
Seo Seoninim’s brow furrowed for a moment, then she relaxed into a smile, shifting her perspective.
‘Well, at least she understands her position clearly. Worthy of being called “Blade Seal,” indeed. Heh heh.’
Whisper, whisper, whisper.
As Seo Seoninim fell away behind, Jegal Ahyeon let out a soft laugh.
‘Veiled green emotions—sharp and dark. That’s envy.’
Through Empathic Heart Resonance, the feelings and emotions of others often manifested as color.
Negative emotions took on dark hues, while positive ones blazed bright.
‘Seo. You’re a pitiful soul, truly. Rather than longing for the day you’re sold away, wouldn’t it serve you better to cherish yourself?’
Jegal Ahyeon swallowed her unspoken sympathy.
In the early days after awakening her Empathic Heart Resonance.
She had once carelessly voiced the feelings of others.
‘I thought confronting their emotions would help them.’
But what returned was violent rage and bitter malice.
People were creatures who did not wish to be truly known by others.
After that experience, she never again spoke of another’s feelings aloud.
‘Just a little longer, and I can endure it. Then I’ll go to the Moyong Clan and live quietly as a mouse.’
The episode that morning had arisen from stepping beyond familiar surroundings into strangeness.
A torrent of unfamiliar emotions had flooded in, threatening to split her skull wide open.
‘Contradictory, isn’t it? I hated the Jegal Clan so much, yet I’ve grown accustomed to their feelings.’
With a bitter smile, Jegal Ahyeon arrived at Geumran Hall.
A maidservant came out to greet her, and Seo Seoninim offered one final reminder.
“Miss, you remember, don’t you?”
“Yes. Not to break the betrothal yet.”
“Exactly. Since this is your first meeting, observe your intended carefully. Determine whether he’s a true dragon or a mud dragon.”
“I will.”
After parting with Seo Seoninim, Jegal Ahyeon followed the maidservant into Geumran Hall.
Whoosh!
‘……Hmm?’
She froze in astonishment.
A sensation she had never experienced since awakening Empathic Heart Resonance.
A blindingly brilliant wave of emotion burst forth from within Geumran Hall.
‘……Ah!’
If she were to paint that emotion in color.
Vermillion-gold.
The warm light of the sun, mingling crimson passion with golden affection.
‘Who, who is this? Such an emotion……!’
Someone was overwhelmed with profound joy.
They could scarcely believe the fortune that had befallen them, yet were steeling themselves never to let this happiness slip away.
Click, click, click!
“Ah……?”
As Jegal Ahyeon’s footsteps quickened, the flustered maidservant hurried after her, announcing her arrival.
“The young lady of the Jegal Clan has arrived.”
“Show her in.”
Creak!
The door swung open, and three figures seated around a round table came into view.
‘Ah….’
From all three emanated the same brilliant radiance.
Goodwill, favor, affection, excitement, and a touch of curiosity.
“It is an honor to meet you for the first time. I am Jegal Ahyeon.”
Jegal Ahyeon steadied her trembling heart and offered a composed bow.
“I’m Namgung Baek.”
“Oh, I’m Peng Sohwa.”
The head of the Namgung house and his wife welcomed her warmly.
There was not a single thread of darkness woven into their hearts.
Such people were rare.
And…….
‘Ah, ah, ah…….’
Jegal Ahyeon gazed at the light.
The light took the form of a man dressed in a blue martial robe.
Despite his blank expression, his finely carved features could not conceal the jade-like beauty of his face.
The man stood at the threshold between boyish youth and manhood, his forehead reaching barely to her nose—he was strikingly small.
‘Ah! So warm…… so…….’
But his appearance mattered little.
What mattered was his emotion.
A feeling as bright and warm as the sun flowed in through Empathic Heart Resonance, thawing her exhausted heart.
And then, at last, the man rose from his seat and extended a formal bow toward her.
“I am Ho Yeon of the Namgung Clan.”
“……!”
In that same moment, winter returned.
* * *
“Hehe, what are your hobbies?”
Peng Sohwa clung to Jegal Ahyeon and asked warmly.
Her eyes were full of curiosity about Jegal Ahyeon, who might one day become her daughter-in-law.
“Ah, I…… enjoy…… horseback riding.”
“My, horseback riding? You ride well?”
“Rather well, I…… suppose.”
“How wonderful! That’s so impressive! I’m not very good at riding myself—could you teach me sometime?”
“Of…… of course.”
Throughout the conversation, Jegal Ahyeon remained in a state of confusion.
Peng Sohwa assumed it was nervousness, but the truth was different.
‘Why, why? Why isn’t Empathic Heart Resonance working?’
The reason being:
The connection had cut off the moment she entered this room.
Or rather, to be precise—right after greeting her betrothed, Ho Yeon.
She felt nothing at all.
‘Why now, of all times! It never listened when I begged it to stop!’
Desperate, Jegal Ahyeon attempted to focus her will on the Yin Tang Acupoint, but the rigidly hardened Spiritual Power refused to budge.
Like a rabbit cowering in fear before a tiger, it only shrank deeper inward.
‘Ah…… that feeling……! I want to feel that warmth again…… so badly!’
Jegal Ahyeon regarded Ho Yeon with an urgent, yearning expression.
And as it happened, Ho Yeon was looking at her too.
‘Hmm, is it simply a case of Spiritual Power Loss of Control? She doesn’t seem malicious. What sort of ability would cause her to scatter her Spiritual Power so carelessly?’
Spiritual Power Loss of Control.
A state in which one could not govern one’s ability—in terms of Martial Arts, it could be likened to the stage of Entry into Demonic Cultivation.
‘I’ve seen a few people driven mad by Spiritual Power Loss of Control. Most of the time it’s an accident from awakening their ability in childhood without learning to control their Spiritual Power.’
Spiritual Power was, quite literally, the force of the spirit.
A strength that differed in trajectory from the inner force cultivated by Martial Arts—a force that was distinct and divergent.
‘If she loses control, she’ll become a demoness like the Joy Demoness of old.’
Thus Ho Yeon triggered Will-based Spirit Manipulation and forcibly sealed the Yin Tang Acupoint of Jegal Ahyeon.
‘Well, if she were an ability-user of the Joy Demoness’s caliber, it would be impossible. But this one looks like she’s only recently awakened her ability—can’t be more than a few years.’
And so Jegal Ahyeon and Ho Yeon regarded each other, each harboring different thoughts.
Seeing this, Namgung Baek and Peng Sohwa smiled contentedly and nodded in approval.
* * *
The meal passed—she couldn’t say how.
Duck roasted soft within and crackling without—Anhui-style Roasted Duck.
Shrimp collected from the confluence of Feng Le River, Hang Fu River, and Xiao Nan River, prepared as Three Rivers Shrimp Paste.
Dumplings made with thin egg batter instead of flour—Farmstead Egg Dumplings and such.
The dishes were not extravagant, but all were native delicacies renowned throughout Anhui Province.
From the warmth that suffused the table alone, one could discern the spirit of the Namgung household.
Yet Jegal Ahyeon could not fully savor the occasion.
The reason being…….
Tap, tap, tap.
Pace, pace, pace.
Jegal Ahyeon glanced sideways.
There was the blue-robed man whose footsteps matched her own.
Ho Yeon had come to Cheongun Pavilion to see her off.
He didn’t seem particularly inclined, but when Peng Sohwa fixed him with a steady gaze, he rose from his seat as if he had no choice.
‘…… Am I really that unimpressive? Surely not. That can’t be it.’
Jegal Ahyeon knew all too well the looks men gave her.
Whether older or younger, they all gazed upon her with the same hunger — the desire to possess, to conquer.
It was much like the feeling one got when admiring a fine breed of horse.
‘Is it because of my height? Some men seem uncomfortable with women taller than themselves.’
Authoritarian men unused to looking upward usually did.
‘But with beauty like mine, surely that’s not a flaw. Could it be because he’s still young?’
She’d heard Ho Yeon was sixteen — two years her junior.
‘He’s still growing. His slight stature now is hardly a concern…… Wait.’
Jegal Ahyeon, lost in thought, suddenly startled.
‘Am I…… worrying about someone else’s feelings?’
It felt as though she’d been transported back to herself three years ago.
The girl who’d watched others’ faces, desperate to please those around her, training martial arts with fierce determination.
‘Do I want to win the approval of Namgung’s heir? No…… that can’t be. My Empathic Heart Resonance just suddenly broke; I’m simply unsettled.’
Just as Jegal Ahyeon shook her head firmly,
Ho Yeon asked,
“Have you attended the Hundred Families Sword Tournament before?”
“…… It’s my first time as well.”
“Then we should hurry. Children’s games often escalate into matters of adult pride.”
“Is it Your wish to build a reputation through the Hundred Families Sword Tournament?”
In response to Jegal Ahyeon’s question, Ho Yeon glanced up at her briefly before answering.
“Well, you could say that. Once I bear the name Namgung, I cannot afford to be disgraced.”
“…….”
Jegal Ahyeon fell silent at his words.
It was precisely the opposite of her own desire to shed the name Jegal by any means.
“It does feel rather embarrassing to go where children show off their strength, but there’s nothing to be done. The weak must fall.”
“…… Your tongue is quite rough, isn’t it?”
“Why? Are you disappointed?”
“At Geumran Hall, you seemed quieter.”
“That was then. This is now.”
“Why?”
“Now it’s just the two of us.”
Ho Yeon stopped walking and continued, shrugging his shoulders.
“This is my true nature. Keep it in mind if you’re considering a betrothal with me.”
“A betrothal…… if I’m considering?”
At Ho Yeon’s words, fine lines appeared between Jegal Ahyeon’s delicate brows.
“Are you usually so irresponsible? What kind of thing is that to say?”
“Why what?”
“It’s as though you’d accept a betrothal with just anyone.”
“Well, that’s true, isn’t it?”
“What, what did you just say?!”
As Jegal Ahyeon cried out in exasperation, Ho Yeon chuckled softly and spoke.
“Though there is one thing I’d wish for.”
“…… What might that be?”
“Ordinariness.”
“……?”
Jegal Ahyeon’s brows twitched in confusion.
Ho Yeon, smiling broadly, gestured toward her forehead and continued.
“No matter how I look at it, you’re anything but ordinary. Excessively beautiful, in fact.”
“…… Pardon?”
“Then rest well.”
Tap, tap, tap.
Ho Yeon’s footsteps carried him away, fading into the moonlit distance.
Watching his retreating figure, Jegal Ahyeon touched her forehead absently and murmured,
“Just what…… was that……?”
For the first time.
She had met someone she could not understand.

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