Namgoong the Sword Ghost - Chapter 29

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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 29. Sword Ghost Playing Chopsticks
Whoosh!
As Dan Li Shan Yue activated the Orchid Lamp Divine Art, a gentle energy spiraled through all three meridians of his body.
The Orchid Lamp Qi—graceful as an orchid, soft as lamplight—was an energy specialized in executing delicate techniques through precise manipulation.
And the sword art Dan Li Shan Yue had mastered was a rare pinnacle Flying Sword Technique even within the martial world.
‘Heaven and Earth, Mystery and Yellow!’
Shing!
Dan Li Shan Yue began to demonstrate the Heaven-Severing Flying Sword Technique, infusing it with Orchid Lamp Qi.
The Flying Sword shot from his hand was only two inches long.
The Flying Sword streaked directly toward Ho Yeon’s brow.
‘Ink-Painting Blooming Flowers!’
As he deployed the first move, Dan Li Shan Yue deliberately let one Flying Sword fall—not a mistake, but a setup for the next strike.
Crack!
Kicking up the pommel of the falling sword, he sent it arcing upward out of the darkness like flowers blooming from ink.
‘Heh heh! This is the end!’
Because his opponent was younger, Dan Li Shan Yue had no intention of taking the third move lightly.
He sealed the upper level with the first move, the lower level with the second.
Now the third move would strike straight at the middle, ending this duel in an instant.
‘I must show an overwhelming difference in strength—that alone will save face!’
Shing!
As Dan Li Shan Yue drew the Moon-Shadow Crimson Red Sword, a subtle crimson blade appeared, like a shadow cast by a red moon.
‘Silkworm-Breaking Cocoon!’
Shing-shing-shing!
A barrage of consecutive thrusts erupted like silkworms piercing through their cocoons, accompanied by the crimson flash.
All three moves unfolded in a single breath, forcing Ho Yeon to defend against simultaneous attacks at upper, middle, and lower levels as if ambushed by three opponents.
“Needless flourishing.”
Ho Yeon’s brief assessment as he watched Dan Li Shan Yue’s seamlessly flowing Combined Strike.
Click!
In response, Ho Yeon lifted the Chopsticks upward at the upper level.
Those Young Martial Artists around him all reacted identically.
“What?! Madness!”
“Mount Tai Pressing the Crown?”
“Isn’t that the Three Talents Sword Technique?”
And indeed it was.
Ho Yeon’s stance was the Three Talents Sword Technique, known even to third-rate martial artists hawking wares in the streets.
Of the three talents—Heaven, Earth, and Man—Heaven was the thrust called Immortal Points the Way.
Earth was a horizontal slash called Sweep Across Thousand Armies.
And finally Man was a vertical slash called Mount Tai Pressing the Crown.
Ho Yeon had adopted precisely that final vertical slash of Mount Tai Pressing the Crown.
“Eek!”
“W-wasn’t he supposed to stop?”
“Fool!”
The Young Martial Artists thought Ho Yeon had made a catastrophic blunder, destroying himself.
But in the next moment, they could only widen their eyes in shock.
Whoooosh!
From the Chopsticks Ho Yeon raised, a brilliant blue heavenly qi erupted, unfurling a clear blue sky within Geom Un Jeong.
At the same time, Ho Yeon merged with the Chopsticks, becoming one with it.
“B-Body-Chopstick Unity?!”
“What in the world is this…?”
“This can’t be real…!”
Object-Self Integration meant, literally, becoming one with an object.
Therefore, Body-Sword Unity meant that a blade one had carried for a lifetime was no longer a mere tool, but an extension of one’s body.
Even Body-Sword Unity was difficult to believe, but Body-Chopstick Unity?
‘Has he done nothing but practice with chopsticks his entire life?’
‘Does such an oddity even exist?’
‘What enlightenment could he possibly have achieved?’
The Young Martial Artists stared in stunned silence at this unprecedented and extraordinary phenomenon.
Ho Yeon, now unified with the Chopsticks, moved slowly.
Dan Li Shan Yue, who had been rushing forward, now felt a pressure as if Mount Tai itself were pressing down upon his crown.
‘Ugh… uuugh…!’
A massive mountain peak loomed into view.
That the peak was nothing but Chopsticks would have been laughable, but Dan Li Shan Yue could not bring himself to laugh.
Whoosh!
The Chopsticks descended from above like a sword stroke.
It bore the weight of a Buddha’s finger—supreme and singular beneath heaven and earth.
Crack!
The Flying Swords that had come spiraling from above and below shattered like glass.
The Moon-Shadow Crimson Red tore free from Dan Li Shan Yue’s grip and went flying off into the distance.
“Ungh!”
With his hands emptied of weapons, Ho Yeon’s voice leaked into Dan Li Shan Yue’s ear.
“Three moves. That’s all it took? Now it’s my turn?”
“I—I’ve lost…!”
“You haven’t.”
Ho Yeon moved before Dan Li Shan Yue could even finish conceding defeat.
Snap! Crack!
The Chopsticks flashed out, aiming for the last of the candies—and struck the Arm Acupoint between Dan Li Shan Yue’s shoulder and forearm.
“Aaagh!”
With his Acupoint Suppressed, Dan Li Shan Yue convulsed as though struck by lightning, then collapsed in the shape of the character for “talent”.
Thud!
Sprawled on the floor, drooling and trembling, Dan Li Shan Yue presented a sight
that surely ranked among the Three Calamities—the worst fates that could befall a Young Martial Artist of a noble house.
……
……
……
Geom Un Jeong fell into silence.
Every Young Martial Artist’s gaze was riveted on Ho Yeon without exception.
Ho Yeon, having finished his turbulent debut, tilted his head and fixed his eyes on the man sitting in the seat of honor.
“Why’d you steal it? That’s mine.”
At Ho Yeon’s words, the man—Mo Yong Cheol—twisted his lips and spoke.
“……I didn’t steal it. It simply flew in this direction.”
Mo Yong Cheol held the Moon-Shadow Crimson Red, having just deflected the short blade that had come flying toward his brow.
‘The martial force channeled through that blade was no trivial matter. Could he be…?’
Mo Yong Cheol’s eyes narrowed, and his suspicions hardened into spoken words.
“Ah, so I’m a victim too, then? Ha, life plays these tricks on us all—one can easily be misunderstood.”
……
“I thought you were skulking about from the shadows—some true criminal. But it turns out you’re just an ordinary man?”
……
“Let us both be careful, then. Do not adjust your shoes in a melon patch, nor your hat beneath a plum tree.”
As Ho Yeon’s meaningful smile deepened and his sarcasm continued,
Mo Yong Cheol’s lip-twisting gave way to an outright tremor of his cheek.
A strange current was beginning to rise between the two men when
Snap!
“Ha ha! My thanks for your restraint, friend. It would have been shameful indeed had my own event met with disaster.”
A man of nearly seven feet, built with rigid lines, laughed heartily and offered a respectful salute.
“First son of the Mo Yong Clan, Mo Yong Hu. You’ve opened my eyes today, brother.”
As Mo Yong Hu stepped between the two, the tension dissipated,
and Ho Yeon, shifting his shoulders, returned the salute with easy grace.
“Ho Yeon, of the Nam Gung Clan. I’m at a loss for words—you honor my humble Chopstick work far too much.”
“Ha! Enlightenment of the Myriad Things One Source, you call it mere Chopstick work? Even the greatest sword masters in all the realm would not dare say such a thing.”
Mo Yong Hu’s eyes shone with genuine admiration, and Ho Yeon’s mouth twitched as he silently muttered to himself,
‘Why does he have to drag sword masters into this? He should just praise his own grandfather.’
Ho Yeon’s silence led Mo Yong Hu to assume he was merely embarrassed, so he laughed openly.
Turning next to the gathered Young Martial Artists, Mo Yong Hu spoke loudly.
“Ha! I see many of you are eager for competition, but I ask your patience. We must now explain the purpose of the Baekga Sword Tournament and proceed with the division of teams.”
As Mo Yong Hu spoke, the restless atmosphere in the hall began to settle.
Yet the Young Martial Artists could not tear their eyes from Ho Yeon, who had returned to his seat and was plucking Citrus Candies into his mouth with his Chopsticks.
Crunch!
Feeling the blood-shot stare of Mo Yong Cheol, Ho Yeon let out a soft laugh.
“Tsk. Mmph. If one could kill with a glare alone, there’d be no need for martial arts.”
“H-Ho Yeon, young master! What should we do? It’s all my fault, surely…”
Mo Yong Yul approached with his entire body trembling, and Ho Yeon responded to his words without concern.
“Even if it hadn’t been you, I couldn’t have gotten along with that viper anyway.”
Ho Yeon glanced sideways at the woman in white robes sitting beside Mo Yong Cheol.
Je Gal A Hyeon regarded him and Mo Yong Yul in turn with an enigmatic expression.
“B-but Second Brother is a man without mercy! He repays every grudge, no matter what!”
As Mo Yong Yul spoke with evident fear, Ho Yeon placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered.
Tap.
“It’s all right.”
“Huh!”
“I’m the same way.”
“……What? Oh!”
Mo Yong Yul, who had been about to protest, caught sight of Ho Yeon’s expression and froze in shock.
His impassive face had hardened like wax poured thin, and in his eyes burned a faint crimson light that flickered like a wick in a dying flame.
“No matter how much I’m fond of animals, there hasn’t been a living beast yet that bared its fangs at me and walked away.”
* * *
“The mission of this Baekga Sword Tournament is to locate and eliminate the Child-Abduction Gang, which operates in the shadows throughout Yao Ning Province.”
At Mo Yong Hu’s words, the Young Martial Artists gathered at Geom Un Jeong began to murmur amongst themselves.
“The Child-Abduction Gang?”
“Good heavens! There’s a gang of kidnappers taking children in this place?”
“Pah! The very worst of villains!”
Though the Baekga Sword Tournament was criticized for building reputation in preparation for the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly,
the righteous passion of these Young Martial Artists was genuine.
Having grown up with pride as martial artists since childhood, the Young Martial Artists were enraged to learn of such a vile and heinous criminal band as the Child-Abduction Gang.
“Indeed. Utterly wicked and shameless villains! Iron Law, Open Garden, Boundless Instant, North Marked, Gold Prefecture, Forever Valley, Great Refinement, East Han and more! In every county of Yao Ning Province, hundreds of children have vanished!”
“H-hundreds?”
“What kind of monsters…….”
“What is their true nature!”
Mo Yong Hu, too, became visibly outraged, his voice passionate and explosive.
The atmosphere at Geom Un Jeong grew heated.
‘……The Child-Abduction Gang? Could it be those Ya Moon bastards?’
Upon hearing Mo Yong Hu’s words, Ho Yeon’s brow furrowed.
An unpleasant memory had surfaced.
“Including our clan, the Eight Pillars of Yao Ning mobilize with full strength to capture them, but because they operate as a decentralized network, we often end up only cutting off their tails.”
“What are the government forces doing? How could they sit idle while hundreds of children disappeared?”
One Young Martial Artist cried out in anger, and Mo Yong Hu shook his head and replied.
“The Provincial Governor is helpless. At present, the government forces can do little more than contain the Eastern Barbarian threat.”
“Tch……!”
“Therefore, a large-scale military deployment is impossible, but His Excellency has sent an official directive to each county magistrate to cooperate fully with the Baekga Sword Tournament. Take note of this and make use of their support.”
The Young Martial Artists fell into contemplative silence at Mo Yong Hu’s words.
With the active support of the county magistrates, their operations would be far more flexible.
‘The government is involved in this?’
‘This is bigger than I thought.’
‘I was only expecting to deal with horse thieves and bandits…….’
After collecting their thoughts, the Young Martial Artists’ eyes brightened.
Even from description alone, this Baekga Sword Tournament was of a different scale than the last one.
Which meant the renown to be gained through the tournament would also be substantial.
“The detailed information our clan has gathered will be handed to each team leader, so take the time to review it carefully.”
“Who will be the team leaders?”
When one Young Martial Artist asked, Mo Yong Hu smiled and replied.
“I myself, Mo Yong Hu, will lead Team One. As for Team Two…….”
“It is I, Second Young Master Mo Yong Cheol. Though I am unworthy of the honor, I have taken up leadership of Team Two—let us work together to eliminate the Child-Abduction Gang.”
Cutting off Mo Yong Hu’s words, Mo Yong Cheol stepped forward and offered a martial salute.
Then the gaunt man who had spent the entire banquet moving between tables of drink spoke up.
“Haha, I am Mo Yong Hak, leader of Team Three. Those possessed of collaborative spirit and righteous intent are all welcome.”
“And finally.”
The gazes of Mo Yong Hu, Mo Yong Cheol, and Mo Yong Hak converged on one place.
“M-Mo Yong Yul, here. I have…… been appointed leader of Team Four.”
Mo Yong Yul rose unsteadily and introduced himself.
Every Young Martial Artist looking at him shared the same thought.
‘Team Four is the disposable team.’
‘So the Mo Yong Clan truly believes in tossing its young into the abyss to forge them strong.’
‘Tsk, tsk. Using this incident as pretext to manufacture a flaw and bring ruin upon the boy—that’s the real scheme. What a pity for the child.’
Mo Yong Yul felt their gaze and bowed his head low, teeth gritted.
“Well then, if any of you wish to form a separate team, you’re free to do so. Those interested, please speak now.”
Mo Yong Hu withdrew his gaze from Mo Yong Yul and continued, clearing his throat.
His words seemed fair on the surface, but the Young Martial Artists understood.
‘Operating in Yao Ning without the Mo Yong Clan’s backing? That’s no easy feat.’
‘The quality of intelligence they possess is a world apart. Who’d choose to walk a path of thorns?’
‘Ah, so this Baekga Sword Tournament is truly the Mo Yong Clan’s succession trial.’
Mo Yong Hu’s words were mere theater.
No Young Martial Artist who had come all this way to the Baekga Sword Tournament would gamble on such thin odds.
“Very well. If no one else, then we have four teams——”
“Hold on.”
A man rose from his seat, cutting off Mo Yong Hu’s words.
“Hmm? Nam Gung… Xiao Xie?”
“That team you mentioned. I’d like to form one.”
It was Ho Yeon.

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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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