Namgoong the Sword Ghost - Chapter 34

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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 34. The Sword Demon Arrives at Dandong
“Groups Four and Five slipped out of Simyang just moments ago.”
At the report from Moyong Gyeom, the Heavenly Peace General, Moyong Mujgyeol, the head of the Moyong Clan, nodded in acknowledgment.
“Send them after.”
“Understood.”
Bang!
Once the Heavenly Peace General vanished, Moyong Mujgyeol stood alone, gazing out the window.
The moonlight had turned red, radiating a faint, unsettling gleam.
Moyong Mujgyeol, his lips curving into a smile, murmured to the moon as though sharing a secret.
“Don’t resent me too much.”
* * *
Clatter! Clatter! Clatter!
A carriage drawn by two horses galloped forward, kicking up clouds of dust.
A banner bearing the name of the Cheongshang Merchant Guild fluttered from the carriage.
Two men sat on the coachman’s bench — one a youth with unusually broad earlobes, the other with prominent cheekbones.
“Sanggwan, you were right about this.”
“Hmm? Right about what?”
Dang Segi, the broad-cheeked youth, spoke first; Sanggwan Hae, the one with the broad earlobes, turned to ask in return.
“About Namgung Hoyeon. Your eye for people is sharper than mine, I’ll grant you that.”
“Heh heh heh.”
Sanggwan Hae chuckled with satisfaction at Dang Segi’s words and nodded.
“I had a sense from the first glance. There’s something uncommon about him.”
“Uncommon doesn’t begin to cover it — he’s almost incomprehensible. He moves like a grizzled wanderer who’s seen every hardship the Jianghu has to offer.”
Dang Segi shook his head slowly as he continued.
“He conceals multiple schemes within a single action, and all those schemes converge toward one singular purpose.”
“One Action Multiple Schemes Return to One Goal, then.”
“It’s like… watching our master.”
At Dang Segi’s words, Sanggwan Hae looked startled and asked.
“You mean the Poison King?”
“Yes.”
“That’s the highest compliment.”
“It’s a curse, more like.”
Dang Segi gave a bitter laugh and went on.
“The resolve he showed at Dojeon-ru using his Poisonous Heart. The patience to lure his prey into a trap. The execution that probes for weakness before striking decisively. Even his political acumen, the way he grasps a man’s weakness and shakes him with it.”
“Heh heh, isn’t that just what a dragon would do?”
“No — this is closer to a viper.”
Dang Segi judged firmly and turned his gaze toward the carriage where Namgung Hoyeon rode.
“……A viper that’s already swallowed several dragons, at that.”
* * *
“Mew!”
“Weol Myeo, come here!”
“Meow!”
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Inside the cramped carriage, Weol Myeo darted back and forth, evading Moyong Yul’s reaching hands.
Thud!
Then the carriage lurched as it hit a stone, and Moyong Yul lost his balance.
“Oof!”
Steady! Steady!
Hoyeon, sitting across from him, caught Moyong Yul even as she snatched Weol Myeo by the scruff with her other hand.
“Settle down.”
“I’m… I’m sorry…….”
“Not you. Mochi.”
“Meow!”
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Weol Myeo thrashed about with her paws as if to say *Let go*, but Hoyeon didn’t budge.
Moyong Yul settled back into his seat, his face flushed, and bowed his head.
“I apologize…….”
“I wasn’t scolding you.”
“I know… it’s just… I’m sorry for everything…….”
…….
Moyong Yul muttered something under his breath, and Hoyeon, who had been watching him intently, spoke up.
“Sheep have poor eyesight—they can only see what’s directly in front of their noses.”
“Pardon?”
“So those creatures follow the rear end of the sheep ahead of them without thinking.”
……?
Moyong Yul raised his head quietly and looked at Hoyeon.
Hoyeon cleared his throat and continued.
“Ahem. I don’t much care for sheep myself. They’re all identical. Animals like that should all tumble off a cliff together, if you ask me.”
…….
From Hoyeon’s words, Moyong Yul understood that he was trying to console him.
A blue glimmer flickered between his dark, tousled hair, and a smile bloomed at the corner of his mouth.
“Thank you.”
“Huh? For what? I was talking about Weol Myeo. This creature’s got quite an unusual appearance, wouldn’t you say?”
“Meow!”
Hoyeon spoke while lifting Weol Myeo by the scruff, and the cat wriggled and mewed in response.
“There you go.”
Whoosh! Thump!
As Hoyeon tossed Weol Myeo, the cat sailed through the air with lithe grace and landed gently on Moyong Yul’s lap.
“Pretty, isn’t she?”
“Meow!”
When Moyong Yul stroked Weol Myeo, the cat rubbed her head eagerly against his hand, seeking affection.
Hoyeon watched and smacked his lips.
“Tch. Does she hate me?”
“Not at all.”
“Then why does she avoid me?”
“Because you keep grabbing her by the scruff.”
“What? Isn’t that how you’re supposed to handle cats?”
Hoyeon tilted his head in confusion, and Moyong Yul patted Weol Myeo’s back as he spoke.
“Weol Myeo came from Arasa. According to the merchant, her mother was already pregnant when she boarded the ship, and she gave birth to six kittens in the hold.”
“Six? She had quite a litter.”
“That seemed to be the problem. The mother thought she couldn’t care for all of them, so she abandoned Weol Myeo—the weakest of the litter.”
…….
“The other kittens were all carried off by their mother’s teeth, but Weol Myeo alone was left abandoned on the dock.”
Stroke. Stroke.
Moyong Yul continued speaking, stroking Weol Myeo gently with evident sympathy.
“A kind merchant took pity on her and raised her. But here’s the strange thing—whenever someone grabs her by the scruff, even a cat that was otherwise docile suddenly turns ornery.”
…….
“When I heard that story, I went to my father for the first time ever and asked him for help. And then Weol Myeo became my friend.”
Hearing Moyong Yul’s words, Hoyeon recalled their first meeting.
“Weol Myeo is my only friend, after all.”
It was clear that Moyong Yul saw himself reflected in Weol Myeo.
A blue-eyed creature abandoned by its mother, cast alone into a strange world.
That was why Weol Myeo was the only friend who brought comfort to Moyong Yul.
“By killing my most cherished companion with my own hands, I resolve to survive! So please, let her go!”
‘He was going to kill his only friend with his own hands?’
Hoyeon’s eyes narrowed.
The Moyong Clan.
Endless Conflict Peak, they called it?
That’s a foul way to conduct business.
“H-ha ha ha! So please, from now on, don’t grab Weol Myeo by the scruff.”
When Hoyeon fell silent, Moyong Yul laughed awkwardly and spoke.
Hoyeon chuckled at that and replied.
“No. Now that I’ve heard that story, I want to grab her by the scruff even more.”
“What?”
“Simply put, I’ve never tried it before, so it feels unfamiliar. A full-grown cat whining like that—come now. Life is experience.”
Snatch!
Hoyeon seized Weol Myeo by the scruff again as she writhed in Moyong Yul’s arms.
“Meooow!”
“Hurts, does it? But you can’t wriggle free, can you?”
“Mew mew meow!”
“Yeah, I’m not letting go.”
After Moyong Yul thrashed about for a while without Namgung Hoyeon releasing him, Weol Myeo hung limply like taffy, gazing pleadingly at Moyong Yul.
“Pfft!”
Moyong Yul couldn’t help but burst out laughing at the sight.
“Meow…….”
Then Weol Myeo looked at Moyong Yul with eyes full of betrayal.
Moyong Yul, who had somehow regained his spirits, turned to Namgung Hoyeon with a question.
“But why did you disguise yourselves as a merchant guild?”
“It’s the safest option.”
“Why do you need to disguise yourselves at all?”
“Because we can’t afford to repeat the mistakes of previous generations.”
Namgung Hoyeon smiled meaningfully before continuing.
“Actually, this is a disguise within a disguise.”
“What?”
“Think about it. If four kids show up claiming to be a merchant guild, anyone would suspect a disguise.”
“But then isn’t that a problem?”
Moyong Yul’s eyes widened in confusion, and Namgung Hoyeon continued his explanation.
“Quite the opposite. It works in our favor. To them, we’ll look like poorly disguised Late-Stage Freshman making their first venture into the martial world.”
“I see…….”
“They’ll grow confident thinking they’ve seen through our disguise. That small gap can be fatal in the martial realm of Jungyeon.”
Namgung Hoyeon’s eyes glinted with sharp intensity, and Moyong Yul could only stare at him in admiration.
“Wow……! How do you know all of that?”
“When you’ve been hunted like a dog for twenty years, anyone picks up a bit of Deception Technique.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind. Kids don’t need to know everything.”
“I’m not a kid! I’m only one year younger than you!”
At Moyong Yul’s outcry, Namgung Hoyeon’s eyes widened in surprise.
“What? You’re already Zhixue age?”
Startled, Namgung Hoyeon looked Moyong Yul up and down.
With his small frame and short stature, Moyong Yul looked no more than twelve or thirteen because of his naturally withdrawn posture and quiet demeanor.
“I’m an adult, I tell you! My muscles will come in soon, and I’ll shoot up in height!”
“I certainly didn’t mean…… well, sorry.”
Namgung Hoyeon scratched the back of his head in apology.
Since he more than anyone understood the pain of being short, he understood Moyong Yul’s anger.
Looking at Namgung Hoyeon, Moyong Yul, who had been huffing and puffing, asked a question.
“Have you…… gotten married?”
“Not married yet. But there’s a Prenatal Marriage Contract. That’s what they call it.”
“Jegal Ahyeon.”
“Hm? How did you know?”
“I saw you two talking.”
“Is that so?”
Namgung Hoyeon tilted his head, trying to recall if such a thing had happened.
Then Moyong Yul’s next question came.
“Are you going to marry her?”
“Well…… I’m not sure?”
“Young Master Namgung. I’m marrying you.”
Namgung Hoyeon recalled Jegal Ahyeon’s words and scratched his tousled hair.
“It’s complicated, I suppose? It’s all grown-up business.”
“But I told you I’m an adult!”
“Yeah, okay. You’re an adult.”
“……You’re just saying that.”
Just as Moyong Yul muttered indignantly, Sanggwan Hae’s voice came from outside.
“We’ve arrived! This is Dandong!”
* * *
Dandong.
The crimson eastern place.
The name was originally given because autumn brings beautiful autumn foliage, but fifty years ago, after a certain martial sect took root here, its meaning twisted.
Now Dandong brought to mind an eastern land where red blood flowed.
This sect was called Salmak.
It was a fearsome force under the banner of Salmak, which belonged to Gucheon Fortress and was one of the Twelve Kings.
“What a time of chaos this is.”
Namgung Hoyeon murmured, gazing out through the inn window into the darkened street.
Shadowed storefronts lined the way, and here and there a red lantern hung from eaves.
Each lantern bore a single character—”Kill”—marking them as fronts where contracts with Salmak could be placed.
“It’s shameless how openly these assassins operate.”
At Namgung Hoyeon’s sigh, Sanggwan Hae brought his teacup to his lips and spoke. “Mmm, which is precisely why they’ve established their headquarters in a remote corner like this. Once you cross the Amnok River from here, you’re in the Eastern Barbarians’ sphere of influence.”
“Even Moyong Mujgyeol, the master of the Fragmenting Light Sword, entered into a political marriage with the eldest daughter of Baekyak Mountain Manor to keep Salmak in check. They’re clearly taking this threat seriously.”
Dang Segi’s observation hung in the air. Namgung Hoyeon smiled faintly and pressed his focus inward, toward the yintang point between his brows.
Thrum!
Qi Flame Movement erupted, and a semicircular field of flame energy unfurled outward, enveloping the space around him.
‘One, two, three, four…’
Multiple presences watched the inn.
Each emanated a different aura—clearly operatives from rival factions.
‘Heh. Word travels fast that this is a fine establishment.’
But as Namgung Hoyeon’s smile widened, Sanggwan Hae’s expression hardened into something grim.
“I still can’t believe it. That they—of all people—might be behind the Gwae Dong Ji Group…”
At Sanggwan Hae’s words, both Dang Segi and Moyong Yul’s faces went rigid.
Namgung Hoyeon withdrew his Qi Flame Movement and shrugged. “Nothing’s confirmed yet. We’re only looking at possibilities.”
“Possibilities are dangerous enough.”
Gulp!
Sanggwan Hae swallowed hard at Namgung Hoyeon’s words, then spoke as if seized by dread. “If Gucheon Fortress is truly involved in this—then what we’re facing isn’t something the five of us can handle alone!”

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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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