Namgoong the Sword Ghost - Chapter 208

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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 208. The Sword Demon Society’s Patriarch
“Ooooooh!”
“The heroes have returned!”
“Long live the Imperial Sword Dragon!”
“Long live the Graceful Martial Saint!”
“Long live the Thunderous Divine General!”
“Long live the Righteous Heavenly Swordmaster!”
“Ha-ha-ha! The Namgung Clan’s renown shakes heaven and earth, resonating across all four seas!”
As a procession clad in azure martial robes advanced through the streets,
a thunderous roar erupted, shaking all of Hapbi.
This eruption came shortly after news spread that Dao Tian had been driven from the lands south of Anhui.
The people of Hapbi, already fevered with admiration for the Namgung Clan, had organized an elaborate welcome ceremony.
Namgung Sword Qi Flash!
As the Namgung blade-energy gleams,
Boundless Cerulean Sky!
The azure heavens stretch infinitely wide,
Five Beasts’ Fangs Shattered!
The teeth of five wolves break and crumble,
Thunder’s Voice Covers All!
With the roar of thunder, its fame blankets the realm!
Some wandering poet had dedicated a song of praise to the Namgung Clan, and it had swept through the streets.
This ballad, christened the Namgung Sword Qi Shocking Heaven Song,
had spread so widely that even the children racing through alleys and the elders in back rooms hummed its melody.
Whoosh! Whooosh!
Young women from the neighborhood scattered flower petals from baskets brimming full, keeping time with the Namgung Clan’s procession.
Osmanthus blossoms, sea chrysanthemums, pink daphnes, and chrysanthemums—flowers that bloomed in the crisp early winter—fluttered across the streets in a riot of color.
Clang! Clash-clash-clang! Clang!
Shrill! Shriiiill!
Boom! Boom! Boom-thud! Boom!
A cheerful cacophony of instruments joined the celebration.
“Ha! The mood is right! Today all is free!”
“Pour it! Drink it! Let’s welcome the heroes!”
“Ehara-diya! Ninano-o!”
A festival had erupted in broad daylight.
“What in the world is this chaos?”
Ho Yeon muttered from the window, bewildered by the spectacle below.
At that, Namgung Baek laughed heartily and spoke.
“Ha-ha-ha! Those who share sorrow must also share joy! It seems the clan’s coffers will need emptying today!”
“An excellent thought. I shall ensure the returning troops can rest and enjoy themselves for at least today.”
As Namgung Cheong Gang assented, Ho Yeon grumbled.
“Hmph, if we keep winning battle after battle, do we feast after every victory? We’ll bankrupt the whole household.”
“Ha, we can worry about that later.”
“Heh, Ho Yeon, if you always push without rest, people break. Letting loose like this now and then is good for the soul.”
“Cheong Gang speaks wisely! How about it—will you share a cup of wine with your father?”
“I don’t drink alcohol, as you well know. Why do you ask?”
“Ah, you wooden stone of a boy. Then I’ll have to drink with our Ho Yeon instead.”
“You’re not seriously offering the child wine, are you? Have you lost your mind, Father?”
“Treat an Ascended Master like a child? Ho Yeon is my only worthy drinking partner. You just go find another wall to scale.”
“Are you serious right now? This won’t do. I’m telling Mother.”
“What?! No, that’s out of the question!”
“Sigh.”
Ho Yeon shook her head at the childish banter between her father and brother.
Then.
“Mm?!”
“……What is this?”
Namgung Baek’s head snapped up, and Ho Yeon’s brows twitched.
Kuuu-guuu-guuung—!
Dark clouds suddenly rolled across the clear sky.
A force crude and wild as a tidal wave—truly, a strength to lift mountains, an aura to cover the world.
Like clouds blanketing Mount Tai, an overwhelming and majestic presence coalesced and took form.
‘Five… tigers?’
Presently, five tigers—blue, red, yellow, white, and black—emerged from the far bank with the reek of wild beasts, their eyes fixed upon the dwellers of this near shore.
“Father, could this be…?”
“…Yes. Quite the welcome gesture.”
“What do you mean, sir?”
Namgung Ho Yeon’s question drew a curt nod from Namgung Baek, his expression hardening like stone, while Namgung Cheong Gang tilted his head in confusion.
‘This mad old fool. Projecting his aura precisely along the wall alone, announcing his presence like that?’
This was a Qi Technique far more difficult than radiating aura in all directions.
Surely the work of someone fit to stand beside the Sword Emperor himself.
And in that moment, Namgung Ho Yeon recognized whose aura it was.
‘So… this boastful old man is my grandfather….’
Clop-clop! Clop-clop!
Rattle! Rattle!
The procession that had cut through the city streets came to a halt before the Namgung Clan’s main gate.
But something was wrong.
The Namgung Clan estate, which should have been bustling more than anywhere else, lay silent as a tomb.
“Sigh… well, since I’m called, I suppose I must go.”
Creak!
Namgung Baek exhaled heavily and pushed open the carriage door.
Sure enough.
Lining both sides of the wide-open main gate stood the household retainers of the Namgung Clan.
And in their center towered an old man of overwhelming, almost staggering build—eight feet tall or perhaps more—his arms folded across his chest like an iron tower.
The old man wore a great saber at his back that weighed over a hundred catties, yet it seemed small against his colossal frame.
His wild white hair fell loose like the pale mane of a beast, and his thick beard was a rough, snowy white.
The old man fixed Namgung Baek with a lazy gaze like that of a sated predator and spoke.
“So you’ve come. Thief.”
“Ha, haha. It has been long since we last met. Father-in-law.”
“F-Father-in-law?”
“Don’t tell me this old man is…?!”
“Ah! It’s the Master!”
Only then did the onlookers grasp the old man’s true identity.
A warrior renowned throughout the Jianghu, easily ranking among the top eight.
One of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.
Peng Hwan, the Five Tiger Saber Emperor.
“Why have you come to meet me, sir? I should have gone to pay my respects.”
“Hmph. I did not come to see you.”
Peng Hwan let out a dismissive snort in response to Namgung Baek’s greeting.
It would have been a grave insult under ordinary circumstances, but the problem was that Peng Hwan was far from an ordinary man.
“I hear you’ve achieved the Seungbyeok. Even a worm can master one trick, I suppose.”
“Thank you for your kind words, sir.”
“And…”
Whoosh.
Peng Hwan’s eyes shifted toward Namgung Ho Yeon, who had just poked his head out from inside the carriage.
“Eek.”
“…Ho.”
As Namgung Ho Yeon hastily withdrew his head, a flicker of genuine interest played across Peng Hwan’s lips.
Then.
Bang! Tap!
The ornate carriage door swung open, and Peng So Hwa leaped out as gracefully as a deer.
“Why have we stopped? Hmm?”
She turned her head this way and that, until she spotted Peng Hwan—a man whose head was several times taller than most.
Her already round eyes grew wider still.
“Father!”
Pit-a-pat!
As Peng So Hwa bounded forward with a joyful cry, Peng Hwan’s stern expression softened noticeably.
Then something almost unbelievable occurred.
“Oh! My little daughter!”
Thud!
Peng Hwan dropped to one knee and swept Peng So Hwa into his embrace, rubbing his face against hers.
“Your father has missed you so very, very much!”
“Yikes! Your stubble is prickling me!”
“I’m, I’m sorry.”
“Hehe, I’ve been missing Father quite a lot myself.”
“Ha-ha! That’s right? Want to come to Hebei with Dad?”
“I don’t want to.”
“Ahhh! This is the regret that will haunt me for all my days—that I couldn’t stop the formal meeting that day! Oh heavens and earth, hear the lifelong wish of this Peng Hwan: send me back in time, I beseech you!”
Peng Hwan tilted his head back and lamented like a tiger bereft of his cub, crying pitifully.
Ho Yeon, watching this spectacle, let out a hollow laugh and muttered under his breath.
“Heh, that mad old fool. I’ll be steering clear of him for a while.”
“I agr—*ahem*.”
Namgung Cheong Gang almost said he agreed, but covered it with a cough instead.
* * *
Dangdangdang was packed with customers once again today.
In particular, the newly launched Hwang San Hou Wang had been receiving rave reviews and drawing crowds.
Securing a decent seat had become nearly impossible—though this hardly concerned Ho Yeon, who happened to be the establishment’s founder.
Slurp.
A maiden in a pale blue robe sat at a choice spot and lifted her teacup to her lips.
It was a sight as lovely as a painting, yet Ho Yeon’s delicate brow furrowed.
“Blegh! Bitter!”
Ho Yeon pushed the Hwang San Hou Wang away at arm’s length.
“Ugh, no matter how much tea I drink, I can’t seem to get used to it. What’s supposed to be so delicious about it anyway? Sang Cheon tricked me.”
Crunch, crunch.
Grumbling, Ho Yeon swiftly popped a Citrus Honey Ball into her mouth and began chewing.
A sweetness so intense it made her tongue tingle played across it, while a tart note kicked up a veritable fireworks display in her mouth.
“Ahh! Now that’s the stuff. That’s what real food tastes like.”
As Ho Yeon shuddered with delight at the Citrus Honey Ball after so long, Cheon Noe Geom sighed.
―Oh dear, youngster. I took all that trouble to teach you about artificial sweetening, yet your palate gets no benefit from it whatsoever.
―Hahaha! I like straightforward things, remember!
“In other words, you mean simple?”
―Oh! Sharp, aren’t you? Classic youngster. You certainly understand your own insults perfectly!
Heuk Ya spoke in a reckless tone, laughing, and Ho Yeon’s eyes narrowed as she replied flatly.
“You’re banned from ramen for the next month.”
―That, that can’t be! You’re trying to kill me!
―Listen here, you two. Stop spilling soup all over the blade every time you eat ramen. Don’t you have any shame?
―Ugh, you don’t understand my heart! Separated alone in a distant land for centuries! Do you know how much I long for Okinawa? And you complain about a single drop of ramen broth? It breaks my heart! Waaah…!
―Ahem, homesickness, then? That’s rather pitiful. My apologies. Don’t cry. I, the great Konin, shall atone for this.
Faced with Heuk Ya’s wailing, Cheon Noe Geom apologized hurriedly in an awkward tone.
But Ho Yeon merely scoffed.
“Homesickness, my foot. Does Heuk Ya look like the delicate type to you? You should at least pick your audience when you’re playing for sympathy.”
―Tch! The problem is you know me too well. That’s why I hate sharp-eyed little ones.
―What? So this barbarian tricked me!
―Ha! The foolish Konin fell for it!
―Y-you insolent…!
It was right in the middle of Ho Yeon’s bickering with the blades.
A middle-aged man in silk robes approached from afar, his face grave with resolve.
“Phew, it’s alright. I can do this. I’ve overcome every crisis that’s come my way so far. Yeon-ah, Dad’s got this!”
“What’s wrong with him?”
Ho Yeon tilted her head quizzically as she watched Pil Jong Dae steel himself with desperate determination.
Pil Jong Dae took up a plate and stood beside Ho Yeon, launching into his new product presentation.
“Ahem, young master. I swear I shall never become a penniless wretch. For this new item is certain to capture your heart!”
“Oh? Pil, it’s rare to see you brimming with confidence like this.”
“I’ve already analyzed your tastes perfectly! You love anything sweet and sour!”
“You know me well.”
“Especially that Black Pearl you had in the Douhua last time—you took to it immediately!”
“Oh, those chewy things glazed in black sugar? Yeah, they were delicious.”
As Ho Yeon nodded, Pil Jong Dae’s eyes gleamed and he set the plate on the table.
Clink.
“Behold my masterpiece! The Chewing Sugar Gum—sweet and gummy, designed for chewing!”
“Hmm?”
Ho Yeon gazed at the plate.
A tiny yellow pill sat there, no bigger than a thumbnail.
At the sight of an object that looked nothing like a first-rate elixir no matter how he examined it, Ho Yeon’s brows drew together.
“Pil, what’s this? If you’ve somehow procured a spirit elixir just to ask me to appraise it, I’m moving out today.”
“Uh-huh-huh, surely not, sir! This Pil Jong Dae has climbed to this station through skill alone, not flattery. Come now, do try it!”
“Hmm…….”
Regarding the pill with suspicion, Ho Yeon tossed it into his mouth as if to humor him.
And he chewed.
Smack, smack, smack.
“Huh?!”
Ho Yeon, who had been making a subtle face at the squid-like chewiness, suddenly widened his eyes.
As he chewed, a familiar sweet and tangy flavor burst forth, swirling through his mouth and causing his salivary glands to open and close.
With each chew, the sensation grew stronger, and Ho Yeon became certain.
“This, this is……!”
“Heh-heh, it resembles the taste of the Citrus Honey Ball that you favor most, does it not?”
Pil Jong Dae explained his chewing confection with supreme confidence.
“I’ve simmered tree sap—the resin of the rubber tree—into sugar. To that, I’ve ground dried citrus peel for added tartness and enhanced palatability.”
“Smack-smack-smack, tree sap?”
“It stretches well and is quite sticky, useful even as an adhesive. Through experimentation, I discovered that sweetening and flavoring were possible.”
“Ah? So when you chew it, it stretches?”
“Chewing stretch! A marvelous sound to the word! Henceforth I shall call this the Chewing Sugar Gum!”
“Hmm? Pil, the sweetness fades the longer you chew it.”
“I sweetened it as much as possible, but alas, the persistence of sweetness has its limits at a single measure. However, it remains unsticky and is perfectly suited for portability. Well? How is it?”
As Pil Jong Dae asked with nervous anticipation, Ho Yeon raised his thumb.
“Approved.”
“Ah! I knew you’d take a liking to it!”
As Pil Jong Dae clenched both fists in delight, Ho Yeon made his request.
“Smack-smack, make me about a hundred of these. I can chew one whenever I’m bored.”
“A, a hundred? Sir, the Chewing Sugar Gum is a limited edition confection requiring tremendous care…….”
“Smack-smack, really? That’s just like your life, then.”
“Sir?”
“Your life is a limited edition too. You only get one, after all. Isn’t that right? Smack-smack.”
Ho Yeon smiled, chewing the Chewing Sugar Gum.
At this impish display, Pil Jong Dae grudgingly nodded his head.
“It, it is possible…….”
“Good then. Have them sent to the Namgung Sega. Heh-heh-heh.”
His business concluded, Ho Yeon rose from his seat and departed.
“Ugh! Mind yourself on the way, sir!”
“Mm.”
As Ho Yeon left, Pil Jong Dae bowed respectfully, then heaved a sigh and muttered to himself.
“Sigh…… I’m definitely working nights for a while. What if our Yeon-ah forgets her father’s face in the meantime…….”
He’d done his job well, yet somehow his workload only increased rather than diminished.
Such was the mysterious principle of the world—it kept all things in circulation, granting no respite even for a single season.
With the expression of one who had achieved enlightenment, Pil Jong Dae moved to prepare the Chewing Sugar Gum.

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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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