Namgoong the Sword Ghost - Chapter 70

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

Chapter 70. Echoes of the Sword Demon
“Hmm…….”
Namgung Baek, Master of the Righteous Heaven Sword School, sat at his desk lost in deep thought.
That morning, his youngest son and the clan’s law keeper had stormed into Baekwon Trading Company and arrested over thirty people involved in illegal salt trafficking, including Baek Won Gwang, Baek Won Eui, and the chief administrator.
“They were engaged in illegal salt trading, were they?”
Thanks to this, there was more than enough justification—in fact, an overabundance of it.
Had the Namgung Clan executed them on the spot, no one would have leveled accusations against them.
Yet Namgung Baek had chosen to hand them over to the authorities rather than stain his clan’s hands with blood.
And remarkably, the government had rendered its verdict with unusual swiftness, sentencing the Baek father and son to flogging.
Ordinarily, flogging sentences were measured in tens of strikes, but this pair had received no such limitation.
In other words, it was no different from a death sentence.
“For illegal salt trafficking to draw such a swift judgment—it seems what Ho Yeon said was true.”
Watching how events unfolded, Namgung Baek had no choice but to believe his youngest son’s words.
“I happened to grow close with the Third Imperial Princess, you see? That’s how I obtained this ledger. It appears the Imperial House had been carefully laying plans regarding illegal salt trafficking.”
“Ha! So you’ve become acquainted with the imperial family.”
Ordinarily, the authorities and the martial world kept their distance from one another.
The government regarded the martial world as little more than ruffians, while the martial world saw the government as interfering busybodies.
Yet he had cultivated a connection with the imperial family—the very pinnacle of authority?
“Haha! Truly, you are remarkable!”
Ho Yeon had pulled off another miracle.
Merely supplying tea leaves to the Imperial House would have been cause for celebration, yet in the process he had also eliminated Baekwon Trading Company, which had been a constant thorn in their side.
It was like having a troublesome tooth finally extracted, and Namgung Baek could not contain his laughter.
“Hahahaha!”
As his eyes fell upon the documents on the desk, his mirth only grew.
“Ho Yeon, you have restored your father’s dignity!”
Just moments ago, an official had arrived and informed him that all of Baekwon Trading Company’s assets had been confiscated.
Not only their business enterprises, but also the choicest lands surrounding Lake Cheonha and the Northern Farmland that had been seized from the Namgung Clan were now under government seizure.
Among these, the official had casually handed over the deed to the Northern Farmland and departed with a murmur of thanks.
‘Even though that vast land has become a wasteland, to grant it to us for free—surely this too is Ho Yeon’s doing?’
Namgung Baek gazed at the recovered deed with satisfaction, then found himself contemplating his youngest son, who seemed somehow different.
‘And above all, the inner energy I sensed from him was extraordinary. Could it be he attained enlightenment during those ten days in Shaanxi?’
Even if the Sword Heart Resonance had transmitted the experiences of countless swords, this was still remarkable.
Peak at sixteen years old?
Peak—the apex.
A realm where one could earn the title of master anywhere, where a person from a major sect could become a vice-leader of a generation, and where someone from a minor sect could even become a sect leader.
“Chuckle, chuckle—truly the Greatest Genius of All Ages!”
Namgung Baek’s lips curled upward as he nodded to himself.
Originally, it had been a phrase he himself had coined to conceal the Sword Heart Resonance.
Yet now Namgung Baek genuinely believed his beloved youngest son to be the Greatest Genius of All Ages.
“This is no time to be sitting idle!”
Namgung Baek hastily drew the wooden chest from his drawer and retrieved the Changgun Secret Record.
Swish!
As he opened to the very last page, he saw his own characters written in heavy, solemn strokes.
[The thirty-eighth patriarch of the Namgung Clan, Namgung Baek, humbly begs forgiveness of his ancestors and descendants. Through my own incompetence, the Namgung Clan has lost the farmlands that lay between Lake Dongpo and Lake Daebang, which our family has managed for centuries.]
He had confessed his failure and begged for pardon, but how heavy his heart had been in that moment.
“Chuckle, chuckle.”
Yet now Namgung Baek, his face radiant with joy, ground ink on the Jingni Ink Stone that his daughter had purchased, took up the West Lake Brush his wife had selected, and added a new line.
Scratch! Scraaatch!
[Yet because I have been blessed with a worthy son, I have recovered the farmlands once more. Therefore, let my ancestors and descendants rest assured.]
“Hahahaha! If there is anyone among all past patriarchs as fortunate in their children as I am, let them step forward!”
Namgung Baek’s boisterous laughter filled the study of Changgun Palace as he proudly recorded his son’s accomplishments in the Changgun Secret Record, showing no sign of abating.
* * *
Rumble!
Crack!
Rumble!
Boom-crack!
The red storm clouds advanced and retreated repeatedly, amplifying the Celestial Thunder energy.
“Hup!”
Pop!
Ho Yeon leaped into the air, treading on the wind, and began to unleash the Celestial Thunder Three Palms.
Boom!
With a majestic crack of thunder, a single palm strike blazed forth in brilliant white lightning.
The first form, Thunder Strike, was a simple palm technique that combined the essence of speed and rigidity, mimicking lightning that descended in a single instant.
It had the characteristic of striking the narrowest range, but was correspondingly fast and powerful.
“Hah!”
Following this, Namgung Ho Yeon fell through empty air and spread his gathered fingers wide, deploying the second form, Thunder Shockwave.
Crackle-crack!
As he did, celestial thunder force scattered in all directions through the gaps between his fingers, sweeping clean a radius of one zhang.
Thunder Shockwave thus combined the essence of tremor and scatter, striking a wide range but losing power compared to Thunder Strike—such was its nature.
Thud!
Landing on the ground, Namgung Ho Yeon’s eyes blazed white as he prepared the third form.
Originally, the third form was an advanced technique beyond Namgung Ho Yeon’s reach, but now that he had ascended to the Peak through the Heavenly River Pill’s efficacy, he was attempting it for the first time.
‘In truth, Thunder Strike and Thunder Shockwave are merely preparations for this.’
Sizzle! Crackle-crackle!
Namgung Ho Yeon gazed at the thunder light billowing like mist around him, sparking brilliantly.
Now, while the residual force of Thunder Strike and Thunder Shockwave still lingered sufficiently, was the opportune moment to use the third form.
“Huuuh.”
Bang!
Having steadied his breath, Namgung Ho Yeon struck through empty space.
It appeared to be a palm strike thrown without meaning, but Namgung Ho Yeon could sense the flow of current running through the thunder light.
‘There!’
As Namgung Ho Yeon concentrated his will, a palm shadow formed of white lightning erupted from within the densely layered thunder light.
Crack! Crackle!
The thunder palm, released after striking one zhang’s distance, burst through the earth in a spray of dust.
This was the third form of Celestial Thunder Three Palms: Thunder Shadow Flash.
By utilizing the celestial thunder force layered around him and sequentially applying the essence of instant, transformation, and concealment, one could send the thunder shadow to strike wherever desired—an ambush technique of the highest order.
Though it required thorough preparation and consumed the most inner force among the three forms of Celestial Thunder Three Palms, there was no better method for catching an enemy off guard.
Single-target Thunder Strike, area-of-effect Thunder Shockwave, and surprise-assault Thunder Shadow Flash.
“Merely three forms, yet surely worthy of being called a divine art.”
As Namgung Ho Yeon, having succeeded with Thunder Shadow Flash for the first time, murmured admiringly, Cheon Roe Geom spoke with a boastful tone.
―Of course! Throughout the long history of the Namgung Clan, Celestial Thunder Three Palms ranks among the rarest and most exquisite palm techniques!
―Ooh! In the old days, Oniyaro’s palm technique was nothing more than compressing inner force and driving it in.
―Ha ha ha! This is the true power of a great clan! Especially Thunder Shadow Flash—it rivals even the Hundred Step Divine Fist of Shaolin, a peak striking technique!
―How magnificent!
“……Well, it’s certainly impressive. But I learned good palm techniques from Geom Gwi too, remember? Myriad Tribulation Palm was useful enough in its way.”
Namgung Ho Yeon muttered with a slight pout.
Yet compared to Celestial Thunder Three Palms, Myriad Tribulation Palm could hardly be called an advanced technique.
“Hmm? Now that I think about it, the main clan’s Layered Cloud Palm and Myriad Tribulation Palm have some similarities. Maybe I should try blending them?”
Just as Namgung Ho Yeon found inspiration in an unexpected corner and fell into thought.
Crackle! Sizzle-sizzle!
The lightning bolts sparking in all directions began to gradually settle.
But they did not vanish without purpose.
The lightning bolts were decomposing the nitrogen dispersed through the air and spreading it into the soil.
This was the Northern Farmland that Namgung Ho Yeon had turned into barren wasteland through Flame Force Absorption Reversal, and after it was returned to the Namgung Clan, he had been training here daily.
―You certainly give medicine with one hand and the disease with the other.
―Kontae, Yaro. How did you know about that nitrogen business?
―The wisdom of ages, you barbarian. And didn’t I tell you not to call me Yaro?
―I don’t care.
As Cheon Roe Geom and Heuk Ya Tae Geom bantered.
Namgung Ho Yeon, having organized his thoughts, nodded and murmured to himself.
“That might work.”
―Oniyaro. The Namgung Clan fills the gaps in you. Before, you simply moved on instinct.
Heuk Ya Tae Geom spoke as though approving this good change.
Namgung Ho Yeon nodded in agreement.
“You’re right about that. If I was once without learning, I now possess Martial Learning itself.”
Examining the insights he had once grasped through bodily conflict through the lens of organized Martial Principle, he found much worth understanding anew.
In the process, several new martial arts had come to life, which he had roughly sketched and tossed into Changgyung Pavilion.
‘Unlike the past when I built castles on sand, now I stand on solid, compacted ground.’
The Namgung Clan’s history ran deep, spanning nearly a thousand years. Namgung Ho Yeon was now drawing from that vast well to quench his past thirst.
‘It’s all thanks to Sword Heart Resonance.’
Clang!
Namgung Ho Yeon rested his forearms on the sword hilts and smiled.
The more he used it, the more he marveled at the power of the Sword Heart Resonance.
It had proven invaluable during the pursuit of the Salt Bandits, and it was Heuk Ya Tae Geom who had taught him about the solar-dried salt they produced in Dongying.
‘Still, I wonder how it’s going. It won’t be as simple as it sounds.’
Namgung Ho Yeon thought of Eun Cho Ae bouncing about with flushed excitement, and shrugged.
‘Not my problem, though.’
He had no idea what kind of storm his advice was setting in motion within Beijk at that very moment.
* * *
“The Salt Bandits, no less! And how do you suppose such vermin are able to drain the blood of the common people? It is all because of the rot of the Monopoly System!”
“Nonsense! The very character for salt embodies its administration—a subject managing salt in vessels. The monopoly is woven into the word itself.”
“Is it not the duty of the Emperor’s ministers to root out such evil practices?”
“Evil? How dare you besmirch centuries of tradition with your three-inch tongue!”
The imperial audience had devolved into cacophony.
The incident that had erupted in Sacheon had become the pretext for the court’s factions to openly clash.
The First Prince’s supporters championed the salt monopoly, while the Second Princess’s faction opposed it vehemently.
The First Prince, the likely heir, had every reason to preserve the monopoly’s revenue; it would be madness to dismantle it.
The Second Princess, eager to topple her brother, championed the abolition of the monopoly to win the people’s favor.
“Ministers, lower your voices! This is the Emperor’s presence!”
General Hwang Gyun raised his voice to restore order to the tumult.
Then Eun Mu Gun, the Eun Dynasty’s Emperor, spoke from his throne in a weary tone.
“It is no matter. Cough! Such devotion to the realm is admirable.”
With the Emperor’s permission, the First Prince’s faction and the Second Princess’s faction renewed their clash.
And as always, the same tedious argument unfolded like a rehearsed play.
“Official salt is too costly, so the people turn to cheap illegal salt. Is flogging truly the proper remedy?”
“Salt is a strategic resource. To prevent military rebellion, the center must control all salt!”
“Before it is a strategic resource, it is a necessity! If you will not abolish the monopoly, then lower the price of official salt!”
“Production limits make that impossible.”
“The Salt Bandits accomplish what the court cannot? Absurd. Simply admit that you wish to collect more taxes!”
“What did you say?!”
From his position at the rear, Yu Hui Seong, the adopted son of the Grand Eunuch, let out a quiet chuckle as he observed all the commotion.
‘The monopoly can never be truly abolished. Everyone knows this. They are merely playing their roles according to their interests.’
The Second Princess’s faction played the part of champions of the people; the First Prince’s side played the guardians of national stability.
They were all in league together.
‘No wonder only this side grows fat. Soon enough, we’ll have a new Salt Bandit organization to manage.’
As a smile crept across Yu Hui Seong’s lips, the Emperor, having listened to each faction state its position, turned to look at the seat beside him and spoke.
“Cough! What does Cho Ae think of this matter?”
At those words, every minister’s gaze fixed upon the seat beside the Emperor.
The Third Princess, Eun Cho Ae, had been tending to her mother’s illness in Shaanxi and had only just returned to the Imperial Palace today.
Her radiant beauty, renowned throughout the realm as the most exquisite in all the world, left the younger ministers utterly entranced, while the older, more seasoned ones furrowed their brows.
‘Why has this woman entered the palace? Could there be some hidden agenda?’
‘A strategist favored by the Emperor? What could a milk-scented girl possibly understand?’
‘My, she truly is beautiful. Might she spare a glance in this direction?’
Receiving the collective gaze of every minister upon her, Eun Cho Ae parted her lips, cherry-red and full.
“Your Majesty, I believe the salt monopoly must be abolished.”
At her words, the expressions of Yu Hui Seong and the other ministers shifted subtly.
Eun Cho Ae’s statement could be interpreted as support for the Second Princess’s position.
Eun Cho Ae, heedless of the assembly’s reaction, opened her mouth once more.
“I shall now explain the reasons for this view.”
It was the moment when the Third Princess Eun Cho Ae’s argument would thrust the political landscape of Beijk into turmoil.
The opening volley of the Theory of Converting Boiling to Sun-Drying had been fired.

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