Namgoong the Sword Ghost - Chapter 191

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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 191. The Sword Demon Arrives at Dochang
Suraratok.
An underground prison reeking of blood that existed beneath the Suradomunmun.
“Ugh…… heh…… huh…….”
A person of indeterminate gender, their entire body mangled, hung from chains wrapped around both wrists like a slab of meat suspended in a butcher’s shop.
The Ojipagol had crushed their bones, and the Bungeunchakgol had dislocated joints and twisted muscles—lingering aftereffects of both.
“Vicious, truly.”
Jongli San, lord of the Suradomunmun, murmured flatly, regarding the figure now more blood than human.
When he said vicious, he wasn’t referring to the severity of the torture itself.
It was the woman’s unflinching will—that she remained silent despite torment of this magnitude.
“The Wanderer of the Vast Cold Palace, Seong Su Yeon. As the sworn sister of Manyeol, her resolve is merciless beyond measure.”
“Ugh…….”
“This should suffice. Your martial arts are sealed, but your life remains. Should you simply reveal Manyeol’s whereabouts, your remaining years could be…… comfortable.”
“Hack…….”
…….
Seong Su Yeon answered Jongli San’s offer by spitting blood.
Jongli San’s brow twitched. He turned to the hunched old torturer and gave his command.
“Proceed.”
“Yes, understood.”
Mae No, the form-master of Suraratok, approached Seong Su Yeon with trembling hands.
Thwack! Thud! Thwack!
Despite the tremor in his body, Mae No’s hands were steady and precise as they struck the vital points along the meridians.
He struck the Immaek, the Dokmaek, the Water Triple Yin meridians, and the Foot Triple Yang meridians in sequence, finishing at last with the Baekhoe.
Crack! Crunch-crunch!
Then the flow of Gibyeol reversed violently, and Seong Su Yeon’s bloodshot eyes snapped wide open.
“Gaagh!”
The pain of blood vessels twisting, meridians rupturing, and valves tearing—a suffering beyond words.
“The Yeokbyeolphyemaek. To deploy it invites certain madness, so it’s reserved for the absolute last resort. Let her curse herself for it.”
Jongli San’s voice carried mockery.
He would have preferred extracting information cleanly, but her resolve proved unexpectedly firm. There was no helping it.
There were two reasons for employing the Yeokbyeolphyemaek.
The first was to drive away the subject’s rationality through extreme agony.
The second was to reverse the blood flow toward the Baekhoe, pushing them toward madness.
In this state, the Baekhoe opens, and for a fraction of a moment before complete insanity sets in, judgment and restraint crumble—a window into the Jabaekgakseong state.
“Now! Now is the moment!”
At Mae No’s urging, Jongli San turned to Seong Su Yeon.
“Where is Manyeol?”
“Why…… why……?”
“The Martial Emperor entrusted her to me.”
“Sister…… you……?”
“Yes.”
“Manyeol is…… Mu Ga Yak…… has her……?”
“Mu Ga Yak?”
“Ga Yak’s…… sword…… Wolwanggucheon…… guuulp!”
Seong Su Yeon trailed off, blood welling in her throat, and her eyes grew vacant—she had crossed into madness.
“Hee-hee! Ih-hee-hee!”
Snap!
Jongli San flicked his finger.
A small hole opened in Seong Su Yeon’s brow, and she breathed her last.
“Tsk, her speech was too slurred. What exactly did she say just then?”
“Ah, that was…… she said Manyeol is in Mu Ga Yak’s sword. The Wolwanggucheon.”
“You heard?”
“Yes? Ah—gack!”
Snap!
A crimson blood-flower bloomed on the startled Mae No’s forehead.
Thud!
“Huh-huh-huh, kyaaaa-hahahaha!”
Jongli San, his killing intent fully unleashed, burst into wild laughter.
He had finally obtained the information he’d so desperately craved.
“So it was with Mu Ga Yak all along! The Wolwanggucheon! Surely a treasure of the Yue royal house!”
He had discovered Manyeol’s whereabouts.
Better still, the secret resided not in a person’s mind but in an object—a far more manageable situation.
“Excellent. The woman is no longer necessary then. Hehehehe!”
Step, step, step.
Jongli San ascended from Suraratok to ground level, breaking into a broad smile.
‘Had the secret been locked away in that woman’s mind, matters would have grown complicated. This way is far simpler.’
Why had he proposed marriage to Mu Ga Yak, ignoring all the gossip that would follow?
To coax the woman into revealing Manyeol’s Dokmun Ganggi technique.
But if Manyeol’s secret slumbered within the Wolwanggucheon, then killing the woman and seizing the blade alone would suffice.
‘Woryeong Domunmun’s absorption and consolidation? Those second-rate women are worthless. The true heart of Gangseong Five Tyrants has always been Suradomunmun alone!’
Most believed that all five tyrants had to gather to achieve the rank of Heaven’s Blade, but the reality was entirely different.
Heaven’s Blade was a title belonging solely to Suradomunmun.
The remaining four tyrants were nothing but hunting dogs bred by Suradomunmun.
‘I should order Pa to wrest that woman’s blade from her. Since Pa departed with all three divisions of Naraksamdae at his command, the moment any resistance surfaces will be Woryeong Domunmun’s final day. Hehehehe!’
As Jongli San’s smile deepened at the thought of possessing Manyeol, the moment shattered.
Clatter-clatter-clatter!
“My, my lord!”
Jongli Tae, the chief administrator, rushed forward with his face drained of all color.
“What is it?”
“Huh! Gasp! We’ve, we’ve been struck!”
“What?”
“Hojeobdomunmun and Geumcheondomunmun’s main bases have been reduced to ruins!”
“……!”
At Jongli Tae’s report, Jongli San’s eyes widened.
“Hojeobdomunmun has been half-destroyed by the hand of the Tyrant King, Yang Mu Cheon!”
“Yang Mu Cheon has entered Gangseong?!”
“Y, yes, my lord.”
“How did we fail to detect this?!”
“My apologies.”
Jongli Tae bowed his head.
They had not known that Yang Mu Cheon had moved with stealth, aided by Hao Mun.
“Cursed man. So he came to repay that old debt from Hwangsan when he clashed with Hojeobdomunmun.”
Jongli San spoke with irritation, recalling Yang Mu Cheon.
That madman, so intent on death, showed deference to no one.
Engaging him would only mean loss; the wisest course was to avoid entanglement entirely—yet it seemed those foolish Hojeobdomunmun had stirred the hornet’s nest.
“And what of Geumcheondomunmun?”
“The Thunder God Dragon, Namgung Ho Yeon, attacked Geumcheondomunmun single-handedly, destroyed every hall, and burned them to the ground!”
“……What did you say?”
Jongli San found himself at a loss.
The Thunder God Dragon?
Surely one of the Later Generation Disciples now gaining reputation.
But Later Generation Disciples were merely that—Later Generation.
For Geumcheondomunmun, no mere local martial hall, to be destroyed single-handedly?
Even accounting for Geumcheondomunmun’s forces being split in two, the story seemed unbelievable.
And to demolish every hall and burn them? Neither the Orthodox nor the Unorthodox would go to such extremes.
Only a madman who takes pleasure in destruction would burn for the sake of burning, rather than plunder treasures.
“Wasn’t that man the leader of some faction or other—Nakjeondan? Why is he alone in Gangseong?”
“It appears…… to be a pincer strategy.”
“Pardon?”
“According to Woryeong Domunmun’s report, supply lines at Poyang Lake are being attacked daily. Namgung Ho Yeon’s assault on Geumcheondomunmun seems to be part of that operation.”
“……Hm.”
Jongli San had moved past disbelief into laughter.
Gangseong, where Suradomunmun stood as the supreme power, was being trampled by infants?
It was shameful beyond words.
“According to reports flying in from Anhui, upon hearing of the main base’s attack, Hojeobdomunmun’s warriors are withdrawing their forces.”
“…….”
“At this rate, Nakjeondan will expand its territory and press down toward Hujeo County, where Mount Je stands.”
“…….”
“Furthermore, the forces occupying Hongchon, who were originally Geumcheondomunmun’s soldiers, will surely waver. As you know, they are mostly hired by coin.”
Every report from Jongli Tae catalogued the shameful ruin of Heaven’s Blade’s reign.
But Jongli San’s expression only grew colder. There was no hint of alarm in his face.
“When hunting dogs are caught, the hunter need not panic. Jeok An Cheon was told to disregard Baekmu Academy as much as possible, but now that things have come to this, we cannot afford to underestimate them.”
“Shall we mobilize our faction’s forces, sir?”
“Yes. Send Hyeol Geuk, Hwa Jin, Myeol Gyeop, and the Slaughter Brigade to Anhui.”
“Understood, sir. And I… well…”
“What else?”
As Jongli Tae hesitated, Jongli San’s brow furrowed with irritation.
Jongli Tae swallowed hard before speaking.
“I, well… it may not be reliable intelligence, but there’s a rumor that Thunder Divine Dragon Namgung Ho Yeon is a Realm-Breaker…”
“Nonsense. A Later Generation Disciple who hasn’t even reached his twentieth year—what realm-breaking could he possibly achieve?”
“Y-yes, of course, sir.”
“Those ignorant fools must have mistaken impressive technique for something more. Well, even so, one could call him a hidden talent under heaven, I suppose… Hmm.”
Jongli San stroked his chin, then smiled wickedly.
“I see. If we break the horns of a dragon just as he’s rising to fame, we can recover from this disgrace.”
Jongli San’s eyes gleamed with malice.
The reason he attacked the Geumcheondomunmun in Eungdam was simple.
It was to link up with the Nakjeondan forces at Poyang Lake.
“Hehe. Form an encirclement centered on Payang, Gyeongdeok-jin, Muwon, and Pengtaek. He entered as he pleased, but to leave, he’ll need Suradomunmun’s permission.”
“Yes, understood, sir!”
* * *
Two days after word of the disturbances at Geumcheondomunmun and Hojeobdomunmun spread throughout Gangseong Province.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
A fisherman ran through the streets of Iniui Village in Dochang.
On his back were two objects that resembled long fishing rods wrapped in plain cloth.
Across his shoulder hung a carrying pole wrapped in cloth as well, from which hung two baskets.
Creak!
The fisherman pushed open a large warehouse door and stepped inside.
A middle-aged man with dark, weathered skin, holding a lantern in one hand, came to meet him.
“Welcome.”
“You are?”
“Yes, I am Po Seom, branch director of the Seonmun here in Dochang.”
Po Seom bowed respectfully.
The bamboo-hat man before him was none other than Namgung Ho Yeon, the Thunder Divine Dragon whose reputation now echoed across Gangseong Province.
“The Territory Lord instructed me to assist you with all my efforts.”
“Just help in ways that don’t interfere with my livelihood.”
Thump! Thump!
Ho Yeon set down the carrying pole, and the two baskets of fish fell to the ground.
―Oy! Using this body as a pole—what is the meaning of this, you fool!
―Hehe, you old foreign devil. Who told you to be so ridiculously long in the first place?
―Me?
At Heuk Ya’s aggrieved complaint from within the pole, Cheon Rae Geom, disguised as a fishing rod, answered with amusement.
Ho Yeon looked around the warehouse and asked.
“Is this a fish hold?”
“It’s a salt-drying station. Fish caught from Poyang Lake are salted and dried here.”
“Well, a boatman becomes a fisherman soon enough.”
“Iniui Village is one of the closest settlements to Poyang Lake. To the south are rice paddies, and to the west and north, fishing is the main livelihood.”
“Then you know the waterways well.”
“Haha, indeed.”
Po Seom nodded with confidence at Ho Yeon’s question.
“What about the others?”
“They are at a safe house.”
“A safe house?”
“Hehe, they are hidden in a place no one would expect. Rest assured.”
At Po Seom’s meaningful words, Ho Yeon shrugged and asked.
“Have you had any success?”
“More than a little. Since each person is a master of their craft, we have yet to suffer a single failure.”
“Ho?”
“Thirty in total, ten per squad. All of them are first-rate masters who draw their swordwork with ease.”
Po Seom spoke with evident admiration.
“Impressive for ones so young.”
“Heh, that’s how it should be. I raised you well.”
As Namgung Ho Yeon smiled with satisfaction, Po Seom’s eyes narrowed.
‘Of course, compared to him, there’s nothing particularly surprising about this…….’
Po Seom recalled the rumors that had been spreading quietly through Gangseong Province of late.
‘A Realm-Breaker? They say he drew out streams of azure geomgi? Even if only half the rumors are true, he’s a master beyond reason.’
Po Seom’s eyes gleamed with light.
If it were this man……
Could he save his clan from the crisis that threatened it?
Po Seom opened his mouth, concealing the tremor in his heart.
“Currently at Woryeong Domunmun, the Narakdojang Jongli faction is residing…….”
“Wait.”
“Yes?”
“Someone’s coming.”
“……!”
Po Seom’s eyes widened.
Had he been followed?
That shouldn’t be possible……
Thump, thump, thump.
Bang!
Moments later.
Three men burst through the door of Yeomgeonjang, their forms suddenly filling the doorway.
“Kek kek kek! Hey! What’re you two whispering about in here?”
“Yahahaha! You do know Iniui Village is our Paljeondan’s territory, right?”
“Heh heh, you don’t value your own lives, do you?”
The moment Po Seom saw their faces, he let out a breath of relief.
“Phew, just local rabble.”
“Really?”
“Rabble? Kek kek, looks like someone’s looking down on us!”
“Boss! Let’s use ‘that’!”
“Oh, you mean ‘that’?”
“Heh heh, once they see the boss’s ‘that,’ they’ll tuck their tails and run.”
The three men exchanged grins before the one in the middle drew a sword from his belt.
Shing!
“Hyaaaah!”
The man’s arm holding the blade began to tremble violently, his voice a sharp cry of exertion.
“Grraaaah!”
For a brief moment, the face of the man roaring flushed the deep crimson of a ripe jujube.
Fzzt, fzzt, fzzt!
From the blade, a faint golden geomgi flickered like fireflies for an instant, then vanished.
“Huff, huff! Did you see? Did you see that!”
“Yahahaha! Don’t be shocked now!”
“Our boss is a master of the Ilryu realm! That flicker you just saw—that’s geomgi, the mark of a true master!”
The boastful voices of the men echoed through Yeomgeonjang like thunder.
Namgung Ho Yeon, who stood watching with detached curiosity, murmured dully.
“Wow, geomgi. How terrifying. I might wet myself.”
“Kek kek kek! If you know what’s good for you, bow your head now!”
“Yahahaha! Crawl between our legs and you just might live!”
“You’re lucky—now go spread the word that Paljeondan has an Ilryu master!”
As Namgung Ho Yeon watched the three men laugh and cavort, he turned to Po Seom with a question.
“I’m not killing them, am I?”
“……I’d appreciate that.”

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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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