novelraw Chapter 24 : Shall We Talk?
Chapter 24 : Shall We Talk?
Namgung Muhyeok.
The weight that his name carried was quite different.
The hegemon of Anhui, the head of the Five Great Families, and the number one martial family under heaven.
Namgung Muhyeok, the family head of the Namgung Family, who had all these modifiers.
Unlike the Hundred Great Masters Under Heaven who were full of empty fame, he was a transcendent martial artist who had shown actual martial prowess and had been named one of the Five Great Masters of the Central Plains, acknowledged by all.
"I am the Family Head of the Namgung Family, Namgung Muhyeok."
Gongsun Cheong, who faced Namgung Muhyeok, could not even lift his head.
'A strong man... and an incredibly strong one at that!'
A strong man to the point where the hair on his whole body stood on end.
As a martial artist walking the path of martial arts who revered the same martial arts, he could tell Namgung Muhyeok's strength just by facing him.
"It's been a while, Family Head Namgung."
Towards Gongsun Su, who was politely clasping his fists, Namgung Muhyeok gave a slight nod.
"It's been ten years. Is the one next to you your grandson?"
"That's right. Go ahead and greet him. He is the Family Head of the Namgung Family of all under heaven."
"G-Gongsun... Cheong."
As Gongsun Cheong seemed to find it difficult to even breathe, Gongsun Su placed his hand on his shoulder.
At that touch, the pressure he had felt throughout his body was somewhat erased, and Gongsun Cheong was finally able to lift his head.
"His studies are still lacking, so it seems it is difficult for him to even face the Family Head."
"There's no need to be humble in front of me. He doesn't seem to have passed his coming-of-age yet, but he has excellent qualities."
At Namgung Muhyeok's praise, Gongsun Su was inwardly very pleased.
The more you know, the more you see.
Gongsun Cheong was feeling the power that Namgung Muhyeok was unconsciously exuding, and this meant that Gongsun Cheong's ability to sense qi was that outstanding.
In fact, Jin Gahyeon, who had not learned any martial arts at all, had an indifferent face, and...
'Why is that brat not affected?'
Jin Sohyun, who was said to have learned martial arts, was standing with a blank face.
On the contrary, even a sense of boredom could be felt on his face.
At that moment, Jin Gahyeon lightly nudged Jin Sohyun's side with her elbow.
This was because, according to etiquette, Jin Sohyun, the eldest son of the Jin Family, had to offer his greetings first.
"Ah! I am Sohyun of the Jin Family, the eldest son of the Jin Family."
Although it was a bored voice that felt lazy, it was a self-introduction with its own sense of moderation, befitting a scion of a prestigious family.
"I am Gahyeon of the Jin Family. It is an honor to meet Family Head Namgung, a hero of the orthodox martial world."
Resembling Jin Seomok, who was skilled in flattery, Jin Gahyeon's skill in flattery was also not ordinary.
A sense of dignity could be felt in her facing eyes and voice, and there was no excess in her way of praising the other person.
Moreover, her outstanding beauty, which resembled Yu Seoheung, was shining more and more as the days went by.
But even so, Namgung Muhyeok's interest was directed towards another person.
'An interesting fellow.'
A martial artist recognizes a martial artist.
This is because the habits that have been accumulated while training in martial arts are unconsciously revealed externally.
The internal energy that has been built up for a short period of several years, or a long period of several decades, flows out from the breath and pupils.
The sense of pressure that Gongsun Cheong had felt from Namgung Muhyeok was precisely this.
Any martial artist with an outstanding ability to sense qi would feel Namgung Muhyeok's energy and either tuck their tail or bow their head.
But... what should I say about this brat?
'A face that says it's a hassle.'
Boredom overflowed from Jin Sohyun's face, which looked as if even standing was a hassle.
"Are you the famous lazy bum of Shanxi?"
At Namgung Muhyeok's question, Jin Sohyun answered with an embarrassed face.
"Probably... so."
"Hahahaha! Probably so?"
"But I've been living quite busily lately. I did my own laundry, cooked, and even hunted."
Although it was already five years ago, to call it 'lately', for Jin Sohyun, it was no different from recent.
Namgung Muhyeok, who was laughing heartily, focused his inner vision and stared at Jin Sohyun.
Soon, a golden energy began to flow from Namgung Muhyeok's eyes.
Meanwhile, Jin Sohyun, who faced Namgung Muhyeok's golden eyes, slightly frowned.
'Why is that mister acting like that again?'
The intense gaze was unbearably burdensome, but Jin Sohyun did not avoid the facing gaze.
This was because he had learned that it was not polite to avoid the other person's eyes.
'Hoo? You're not avoiding my eyes?'
Namgung Muhyeok felt an interest in the man named Jin Sohyun.
He seemed to have learned martial arts, but it didn't show on the outside, and he did not avoid his eyes even when facing the Dragon's Scolding Eyes, which were said to make even the giant mountain lord, the master of the mountain, tuck its tail and urinate in fear.
On the contrary, his face looked slightly annoyed.
"Hahaha! You must be tired from coming a long way, so go and rest for today. You've suffered a lot coming all the way to Anhui."
"Thank you."
Jin Gahyeon and Jin Sohyun, who had finished their meeting with the Family Head, hurriedly left the main hall.
"As expected, the head of the Five Great Families is very different. Isn't that right?"
"Is that so?"
In fact, Jin Sohyun had only thought of Namgung Muhyeok as just a rude middle-aged man.
If not, he wouldn't have tormented him by making his eyes shine with a golden light.
"Let's go back home as soon as possible, if possible."
"Why?"
At Jin Gahyeon's question, even Siu, who was waiting outside, ran over and asked.
"Why!? The opportunity to visit the Namgung Family is rare!"
The two women seemed very excited to have visited the Namgung Family, the mainstay of the Five Great Families.
It was only natural, as the Namgung Family was a great prestigious family that boasted a scale and history that could not be compared to the Jin Family.
From the old traditional houses to the newly built pavilions.
No matter where one looked, a sense of splendor and grandeur could be felt.
But Jin Sohyun did not like any of this.
Especially that gaze that had been glaring at him.
'I have a feeling that something troublesome will happen.'
Jin Sohyun's beast-like senses, which were ridiculously good at smelling trouble, sent a chill down his spine.
"Ugh... let's go quickly. This is not a place for me to be."
***
"Interesting."
"At first, I thought their target was me. In the martial world, once you reach this age, you're bound to have big and small grudges."
There were no old masters of the martial world without a story.
Especially for masters like Gongsun Su, who had made a wide name for themselves, grudges were like a shadow.
This was because with every step they took, life and death danced, and in that place, those who received grace and those who had enemies were created at the same time.
"But, what they were really after... was not me, but Cheong."
The fear that he might have lost his grandson in front of his eyes made the seasoned old master tremble.
Namgung Muhyeok, who had heard Gongsun Su's story, muttered a single word softly.
"Bud Crushing."
Also known as 'stepping on the bud'.
This was a tactic originally used as the first means to completely crush a hostile family or sect.
By stepping on the growing buds, the land that should be fertile is devastated.
To mercilessly break the future that should be brilliant.
"They probably planned to kill Cheong while pretending to attack a merchant group."
Gongsun Su wiped his face, which had a complicated expression, with both hands.
"Their methods are becoming more and more diverse and blatant."
As he had said, the methods of Bud Crushing were becoming more and more diverse and blatant.
At first, a young man who was someone's successor lost his life during a power struggle.
Then he was poisoned, and then he was found in a dung pit with his limbs broken.
He died after a blind chopstick pierced a vital point during a fight at an inn.
He died after slipping and falling while hiking and hitting his head hard on a rock.
They were all plausible stories, but the problem was that the dead were all promising next-generation talents, and they were young martial artists who lacked experience in the martial world.
"The number of children who have died due to Bud Crushing is now countless. And yet, the fact that we can't find out who is behind it..."
Bud Crushing was the biggest headache not only for the Martial Arts Alliance but also for the orthodox martial world.
The future of the martial world ultimately depends on the hands of competent next-generation talents.
But those next-generation talents were losing their lives in various ways before they could even bloom, and there was no way to find out who was behind it.
"The Heretic's Path Alliance is still denying that it is their doing."
"That's to be expected. There will be no evidence that they did it."
Gongsun Su scratched the table with a mournful face.
He had once, by a very fortunate chance, captured assassins who were about to execute Bud Crushing.
But he had not been able to find out anything from them.
This was because they were nameless people who did not even have a history of life or a name.
"More importantly... tell me about the light... no, the sword that was said to have pierced the assassin."
"I didn't see it myself, so I'm not sure. It's just what Cheong felt. But one important thing is that they were first-rate assassins. But if there is someone who can kill a first-rate assassin by throwing a sword from a long distance... wouldn't it be only the Flying Sword Hero?"
"And his disciple is that lazy bum."
"It couldn't have been him. In the first place, a flying sword of that level would have to be polished for at least several decades, but from what I hear, that lazy bum has only been under Kang Cheon's tutelage for a mere six years..."
Anyone who heard Gongsun Su's story would think that Kang Cheon had personally taken action for his disciple who was in danger.
'Kang Cheon let an assassin live? That's impossible.'
Namgung Muhyeok thought differently.
If Kang Cheon had been there, not a single one of the assassins would have been able to return alive.
The assassin whose right arm had been blown away would have had his head blown away, not his arm.
That was Kang Cheon.
'Ten-Armed Blood Ghost.'
Namgung Muhyeok had also witnessed Kang Cheon's fight.
Ten swords danced and killed the surrounding enemies.
When the number of black-clad men who had died at his hands exceeded a hundred, a blood ghost, covered in blood from head to toe, was standing there.
Having finished his short recollection, Namgung Muhyeok felt an interest as he recalled Jin Sohyun, who had faced him with a bored gaze.
'Interesting, interesting.'
Namgung Muhyeok was enjoying himself for the first time in a while.
***
The next day, early in the morning.
While Jin Gahyeon and Yi Haesang were busily moving to settle the goods they had brought to the Namgung Family, Jin Sohyun was, as expected, sleeping.
"Young Master! The sun is already high in the sky!"
Siu, who could no longer watch, shook Jin Sohyun, who was curled up in the darkness.
"Half a shichen... just half a shichen more."
"That's the third time you've said that!"
Siu roughly pulled Jin Sohyun up.
It was not an action a maidservant should do, but in the Jin Family, everyone understood and even encouraged Siu's actions.
If not for that, Jin Sohyun would never come out of his bed for his entire life.
"Sigh!"
As Siu, who had barely managed to get Jin Sohyun up, was panting, a huge shadow suddenly appeared outside.
Siu, who had spotted him, blinked.
"Who are you?"
"I heard Jin Sohyun is here."
"Yes... our Young Master is here..."
At the sudden visit without any notice, Siu raised her eyes.
"Who are you? No matter how much this is the land of the Namgung Family, to come without any notice like this! Please give notice first and then come next time."
Siu did not like this middle-aged man.
He looked like a member of the Namgung Family, but from the robe he had lightly slung over his shoulders to his swaggering walk.
"Come back after giving notice?"
At the middle-aged man's question, Siu huffed.
"Yes! Even so, our Young Master is the eldest son of the Jin Family! He is a noble and dignified..."
"That!?"
Siu, who had turned her head in the direction the man had pointed, could find Jin Sohyun with his head stuck in the water basin that had been prepared for washing his face.
"Ah..."
Siu, who had placed her hand on her forehead, opened her mouth with a short sigh.
"Th-That's... because he drank too much yesterday! Our Young Master is not usually like that!"
Siu hurriedly ran and got Jin Sohyun up.
"Young Master!"
"Ugh... ugh..."
"Please get up quickly! Please!"
At Siu's desperate call, Jin Sohyun opened his eyes.
"Mmm... why?"
"A strange person came without any notice."
"A strange person?"
Jin Sohyun looked at the middle-aged man who was said to have come to see him with a face that was still not fully awake.
And then he scratched his head and said.
"What brings the Family Head here...?"
"I came because I have a few things to ask you. Oh! Did I have to give notice and come back?"
The Family Head of the Namgung Family, Namgung Muhyeok, smiled brightly at Siu, who was standing next to Jin Sohyun.
Then Siu pulled Jin Sohyun's sleeve and asked.
"That person... is the Family Head... of the Namgung Family?"
Jin Sohyun nodded and answered.
"Yes."
"..."
Siu's body slowly collapsed, and she fainted on the spot.
Jin Sohyun looked down at such a Siu blankly and then turned his gaze to Namgung Muhyeok.
'I feel uneasy for some reason.'
As Siu had said, why had that strange man come to see him?
Jin Sohyun felt a very slight chill down his spine.
Whether he knew of Jin Sohyun's feelings or not, Namgung Muhyeok still said with a smiling face.
"Shall we talk?"
(End of Chapter)