Namgung Heavenly Demon - Chapter 10

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

Chapter 10

Jacheon Hall.

In the largest pavilion of the Namgung Clan, Jegal Hwa held a teacup and gazed out the window.

Outside the window, countless palace rooftops and the bustling scenery of Hefei stretched endlessly into the distance.

However, her gaze was not directed at this scenery, but toward somewhere much farther away.

“…The Bloodsword Sect.”

At her quietly murmured words, the shoulders of Chief Steward Namgung Un, who stood like a shadow, trembled slightly.

He had just reported to her the news that had come through the family’s information network.

“Yes, he headed straight for the Bloodsword Sect, but…”

Namgung Un’s voice was deeply tinged with undeniable concern.

He had not placed surveillance on Namgung Cheon according to Jegal Hwa’s orders.

However, tracking his movements through the family’s information network spread throughout Hefei was not particularly difficult.

And the news he had heard was filled with things he simply could not understand.

Visiting Bieliong Gate, a mid-level orthodox sect, and making its sect leader Gwak San submit could be overlooked.

One could think he had been hiding his true abilities until now.

But his next destination being the Bloodsword Sect.

“Bloodsword Demon Galmuseong… He chose Gwak San as his first opponent, and now it’s that bastard. He does have quite an eye.”

Jegal Hwa spoke calmly as if discussing someone else’s affairs, still gazing out the window.

Namgung Un could not understand her composed attitude.

Unable to contain himself, he stepped forward and spoke.

“The orthodox masters who have fallen to Galmuseong’s sword number more than ten fingers can count. He is a man who knows no honor. There’s no telling what despicable tricks he might use under the guise of a duel. The Third Young Master… could be in danger.”

After hesitating briefly, he continued.

“Even now, if we send the family’s warriors…”

“Have you forgotten my orders?”

Before he could finish speaking, an ice-cold voice cut off his words.

She slowly turned her head to look at Namgung Un.

Under that chilling gaze, Namgung Un instinctively felt his spine grow cold and bowed his head.

“I apologize.”

“I told you no one should interfere. This matter is no exception.”

Jegal Hwa turned her gaze back to the window.

“He went of his own volition. Since he walked into a death trap with his own feet, he must bear the consequences alone.”

“…”

“If he cannot survive and return from there, then he was simply a vessel of that caliber. Since he said he wouldn’t accept anyone’s interference, he must take responsibility.”

Namgung Un bit his lips, unable to say anything more in the face of her ruthlessness.

The acting family head’s decisions were always correct.

But this time, it felt like an excessively harsh judgment.

“If a man of Namgung, the son of the Sword Emperor, amounts to only that much… it cannot be helped.”

The path of the strong was inherently like that.

Jegal Hwa thought to herself.

Her husband, Sword Emperor Namgung Mugang, had also pierced through countless death traps alone to reach his current position.

With only his sword.

There was no reason his son should be any different.

If anything, he should be tested more harshly.

Silence flowed through the pavilion.

Namgung Un instinctively knew it was time to quietly withdraw.

Just as he was about to bow and turn away.

“However… if.”

Jegal Hwa, who had been gazing out the window, murmured quietly.

A very faint smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

“If he walks out of that death trap completely unharmed, then I would truly have to change my thinking.”

Her eyes deepened more than ever before.

Until now, she had regarded Namgung Cheon as something like a lost lamb.

As a being in need of protection, wandering lost within his mother’s fence.

But if he emerged from the Bloodsword Sect unharmed…

‘Everything would change.’

It would mean that the wolf in sheep’s clothing had finally revealed its true nature and begun to hunt.

Therefore, if he returned alive, she would have no choice but to acknowledge it.

‘What I released into the wilderness was not a lost lamb…’

But a starving wolf.

* * *

The moment Mukhon was drawn, the air in the training ground grew heavy.

Galmuseong instinctively felt his spine grow cold.

‘That sword… is dangerous.’

His survival instincts rang alarm bells.

But what was even more dangerous was the look in the eyes of the man holding that sword.

“Now you finally seem to have the mind to kill.”

Namgung Cheon murmured quietly.

In that moment, Galmuseong realized.

That all of this had been in his opponent’s palm from the beginning.

He had perfectly seen through the fact that while he initially had no intention to kill, now he did.

And those eyes that looked at him calmly despite knowing this.

It was clear contempt.

That terrible humiliation snapped Galmuseong’s reason.

“You bastard! I’ll tear you apart and kill you!”

With a roar, Galmuseong charged again.

The red sword energy emanating from his blade was incomparably more vicious and dense than before.

A pure killing sword meant only to slay his opponent.

Seeing this, the corner of Namgung Cheon’s mouth rose slightly.

‘Different from Gwak San.’

Gwak San’s way had been excessively honest.

But Galmuseong before him was different.

Killing intent without hesitation.

A sword honed solely for killing.

This pure struggle that faintly stirred his memories of his past life made his blood boil.

‘Yes, this is what I wanted.’

Namgung Cheon did not avoid the fight.

Clang―!

He swung Mukhon to directly meet the pouring attacks of the Bloodsword Demon.

A thunderous roar like tearing metal shook the training ground.

“With just this much, who do you think you can kill?”

Even amid the fierce exchange, Namgung Cheon did not lose his composure and continued to provoke Galmuseong.

“Shut up!”

Galmuseong lost his reason and swung his sword even more fiercely.

His sword, without fixed techniques, followed only instinct as it bored toward Namgung Cheon’s vital points.

Galmuseong mobilized all his senses and experience.

He employed every trick, such as pretending to expose his shoulder while aiming for vital points.

A fight willing to perish together.

‘This is my fight!’

Galmuseong’s Blood Wind Sword Technique was the struggle for survival itself.

There was no honor or prestige that orthodox sects emphasized.

The sole purpose was only to deceive, cut, and kill the opponent.

Clang―! Bang!

The two men’s swords exchanged dozens, hundreds of strikes, scattering fierce sparks throughout the entire training ground.

The Bloodsword Sect members watching held their breath.

It was the first time they had seen their sect leader fight so desperately.

On the surface, it was an evenly matched confrontation.

No one could easily predict the outcome.

‘This is manageable!’

As hundreds of exchanges of offense and defense continued, arrogance began to sprout in Galmuseong’s heart.

It was the delusion that no matter how much he had defeated Gwak San, he would eventually crumble before his own sword.

But that thought soon turned into bitter despair.

‘What kind of nonsense is this…’

Galmuseong was horrified.

All of his attacks were blocked by that strange black sword, unable to advance even a single inch.

Rather, every time their swords clashed, he even had the illusion that the eerie and ominous energy flowing from the black sword was disrupting his internal energy.

His killing sword, honed through a lifetime of real combat and slaughter, was being neutralized.

It was a terrible humiliation he had never felt even once since becoming a peak master.

He could not accept it.

“Die!”

Galmuseong drew up more internal energy and slashed diagonally at Namgung Cheon.

Kwang―!

Namgung Cheon blocked Galmuseong’s strike.

And at that moment, his movements began to change.

He who had only defended until now began to take the offensive for the first time.

Mukhon’s swordsmanship was completely different from when he held Changcheon.

Extremely concise and efficient movements.

He deflected the opponent’s attacks with minimal movement and struck at the gaps created in that instant.

Clang! Slash―!

While deflecting Galmuseong’s sword, Mukhon grazed past his shoulder.

Though not deep, his clothes tore and bright red blood spurted out.

“Kugh!”

Galmuseong was more shocked by the fact that he had been wounded than by the pain itself.

“To be surprised by just this much. I haven’t even started yet.”

Namgung Cheon’s voice was cold as ice.

His offensive was just beginning now.

Mukhon’s sword trajectory became even more irregular and strange.

Galmuseong desperately swung his sword to block those attacks.

But the more he blocked, the more he was overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness as if sinking into a vast swamp.

His opponent was reading all of his moves, while he could not predict at all where the opponent’s sword would come from.

Slash―.

Small wounds began to accumulate on his body one by one.

His cheek was cut, his thigh was torn.

The stench of blood vibrated throughout the training ground.

The faces of the watching Bloodsword Sect members turned pale.

Now their sect leader was being unilaterally toyed with.

“Is this all you have.”

Namgung Cheon’s voice echoed through the training ground.

And at that moment, his posture changed subtly.

For the first time, the tip of Mukhon’s sword, which had been delivering short and concise attacks until now, aimed at Galmuseong’s throat.

Then Namgung Cheon took the basic stance of the Heavenly Boundless Sword Technique.

But what was felt from that posture was not the Namgung family’s aura.

An extremely aggressive and domineering energy that sought to destroy and devour everything.

It was Namgung Cheon’s own swordsmanship that reinterpreted the techniques of the Heavenly Boundless Sword Technique differently.

“Since you deployed killing sword techniques first, there’s nothing more to say.”

Galmuseong, overwhelmed by that aura, unconsciously tried to step back.

But it was already too late.

Namgung Cheon’s body became a streak of black lightning that split through space.

Slash―!

A speed that could not be followed by the eyes.

Galmuseong instinctively sensed danger and tried to raise his sword to block.

But at that moment, the dark blue energy rippling from Namgung Cheon’s sword slowly took shape.

“…Sw, sword energy!”

Mukhon, wrapped in dark blue sword energy, ignored Galmuseong’s defense and burrowed toward his throat in a strange trajectory.

‘Transcendent realm!’

That was the last thought that flashed through Galmuseong’s mind.

And.

Slash―.

The sound of something being severed was heard, and silence flowed through the training ground.

Namgung Cheon was already standing behind Galmuseong.

Drip. Drip.

Blood drops flowed down the blade from Mukhon held in his hand.

Galmuseong stood blankly behind him.

And the next moment.

Thud.

With a small sound.

Galmuseong’s head rolled on the floor.

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