Chapter 19

But time was not on his side. The Iron Swordsmen quickly moved up and secured Namgungal’s new form, and disappeared, while below them, Second Duke Namgung Hyuk, Fourth Duke Namgung Gae, and others were still waiting to compete.
There was no more time to waste.
“……Nam Gung-hyeok, 2nd Duke of the Namgung Sega, and Baek Cheong-hak, 4th Duke of the Baeksan Mugwan.”
Nam Gung-ho was obligated to see this sword tournament through from beginning to end. It was his calling.
“I want you to come up on stage.”
He had to move before the crowd and others became suspicious, and at the same time, Namgung Ho fixed his gaze on Namgung Hyuk as he calmly ascended.
If the Grand Duke and the Third Duke couldn’t use their strength.
Wouldn’t it be the same for the Second Duke?
Watching the situation with deepening eyes, Nam Gung-ho only spoke again when he saw that the two had arrived.
“I hope that you will not seek to kill each other, but rather to verify each other’s credentials and compete, and if any unfortunate incident should occur, I, Namgung Ho, who is in charge of the Sword Council, will not stand idly by.”
With that, Namgung Ho stepped aside, looked at the boy and the young man, and allowed the sword tournament to proceed.
Chae-ang
Watching Namgung-hyeok as they began to cross swords, Namgung-ho prepared to jump out of the way, fearing that he might be caught off guard like Namgung-gal.
However.
Chae-ang!
Ta-da-da-da-dang!
The tip of Namgung-hyeok’s sword was unwavering, parrying all of Bai Qinghak’s sword strikes with exquisite power, at just the right moment, and with the full strength of a young man who looked at least fifteen years older than him.
It was proof that Nam Gung-hyuk was drawing on his inner strength and flexing it.
“…….”
Why.
At a time when the Grand Duke and the Third Duke are unable to use their inner strength, Nam Gung-hyeok, the Second Duke, is fine.
Despite Nam Gung-hyeok’s superior status, Nam Gung-ho’s gaze was focused on looking around and taking in his surroundings.
An uncomfortable situation meant that there was a mastermind behind it, and he had to weigh the interests of that mastermind.
And the biggest piece of the pie was.
…… is the boss.
Namgung Ho’s eyes narrowed.
He couldn’t decide or be sure of anything yet.
Chae-ang.
The Heavenly Wind Sword Technique that Nam Gung-hyeok is practicing.
It was unbelievably heavy for a young child, and it shook the surroundings. The pressure exerted by the child, who was only at the level of a three-star cultivator, but had the talent to meld the Southern Palace’s Ascending Sword Technique, threatened to take the young man’s breath away.
Bai Qinghak gritted his teeth.
Every day in Anhui, he heard the name Namgung.
Every time he heard the name, his heart trembled.
What the hell is Namgung?
If they were the same person, if they tried hard enough, they could stand shoulder to shoulder and even rise higher.
What the hell are you talking about?
Bai Qinghak firmly believed that dragons came from streams.
But.
Zzerzer.
The tip of the sword in Bai Qinghak’s hand was being pushed against a child who was several years younger than him and had an unbroken body. It was an unbelievable situation.
It was said that the Grand Duke of the Southern Palace was only fifteen years old, and this boy in front of him was no older than fifteen.
No matter how much cultivation and swordsmanship such a child has accumulated, what kind of status would he have?
Bai Qinghak believed in the passage of time, which made him even more disbelieving of the situation before him. No, he couldn’t believe it.
“……for a mere child like this.”
He was furious. And facing Baek Cheng-hak, who was furious, Nam Gung-hyuk opened his mouth for the first time.
“It’s qualitatively different. It doesn’t matter what kind of training you’ve done, what kind of effort you’ve put in.”
“You……?”
Bai Qinghak felt the tendons in his hand that held the sword rise as he switched on the double heart. A sense of humiliation surged through him.
However.
“At the same time, the concentration of time is different.”
The boy with the cynical demeanor didn’t stop speaking.
“It’s not the insignificant passage of time you believe in.”
The words were cold and stinging, but Bai Qinghak could say nothing.
“Remember, remember, remember, that the roots of what the Southern Palace can be are right there. And never again will you show such behavior in front of the name of the Southern Palace.”
Boom!
Suddenly, Namgung Hyuk’s sword gained momentum and slammed into the side of Bai Qinghak’s sword. The intense vibration that spread out, as if it were the front paw of a killer, instantly made him spit out a gulp of blood from his mouth.
At the same time, Bai Qinghak felt his insides shake and took a few steps back, forcing him to falter on the spot.
Quickly.
He was about to turn to look at Namgung Hyuk. His gaze was so cold that Bai Qinghak turned away.
In front of Bai Qinghak, who was completely defeated in body and mind, a word spread everywhere as if it were a public figure.
“Bai Shanmuguan, Bai Qinghak is defeated!”
At the sight of the bitter loser’s back and the triumphant winner’s air of confidence, Namgung Ho let out a short exclamation, but quickly regained his composure, and his eyes narrowed as he calmly focused on the next round of bouts.
There were still several bouts to go, and he didn’t expect the main driver to disappear anytime soon. The field would narrow as time went on.
“Next up, the Fourth Duke of the Namgung Clan, Namgung Dog, and Zhao Yi of the Taishan Clan! Come up and get ready.”
You shouldn’t be too hasty.
Still, the current suspect is none other than the 2nd Duke…….
With that in mind, Namgung Ho decided to wait and see.
Boom!
Namgung Ho’s head spun when he saw that the sword dog was also channeling all of his internal energy into the tip of his sword.
Dukes 1 and 3 couldn’t use their internal energy,
but the second and fourth dukes can use it freely.
What kind of harmony is this?
Namgung Ho looked at Namgung Dog carefully.
He didn’t have the deep mastery of the sword that Namgung Hyuk had, nor did he have the natural talent of Namgung Gal, but he was pressuring his opponent in a way that was worthy of the name Namgung.
If it weren’t for the prestige of the sons of the Southern Palace, many eyes would have been on the Southern Palace Dog.
During the long and fierce battle, the dog prepared for what was to come.
Finally.
“That’s enough!”
The young man, who had been engaged in a fierce battle with Nam Gung-ho, squeezed his eyes shut as the tip of the sword touched his uvula and declared his surrender.
At the same time, the victor was called out.
“Namgung Dog, 4th Duke of the Namgung Family, wins!”
Perhaps because of his hard-won victory, Namgung Dog forgot his fatigue and jumped around like a child. Feeling no respect for the loser, Nam Gung Ho spoke up.
“The next match is the semifinals, and I think we should give everyone a little time to rest. During the sword contest, Anhui’s master, who is also a master of the art, and the shop’s jumsoi will come out to greet us, so I hope you all have a good time. I’ll see you at exactly half past one.”
It was time to finish judging and organize the situation.
* * *
Even Namgung-hyuk can use my skills.
I have one more candidate for the dirty deed of poisoning the teacup, and I can’t just assume it’s a Namgung dog.
While I was thinking this, I watched Nam Gung-hyeok perform the Heavenly Wind Sword Technique and listened to everything he said.
“It’s qualitatively different. It doesn’t matter what kind of training you’ve done, what kind of effort you’ve put in.”
“The concentration of time is different. ”
“Keep in mind, keep in mind, keep in mind that the roots of what the Southern Palace can be are right there. And never let the name of the Southern Palace be associated with such behavior again. ”
As I rolled myself in the Namgung tax, I realized that these words were true.
Except.
“How dare you disparage the efforts of others?”
I couldn’t believe how unreasonable he was.
It was too fierce and arrogant for a boy of only fourteen to say.
A young man named Bai Qinghak.
No matter what he’s done, there’s no need to disparage his efforts in the name of the Southern Palace. If he wasn’t good enough, he could be guided once again.
For Kang Wu-moon, it simply shattered his pride.
For Dong Hui, it taught him the mindset of a sword wielder.
But Bai Qinghak would never hold the sword again, and he would never be able to thank Nam Gung-hyeok for reducing him to a wastrel, body and soul.
Without blood or tears, Namgung Hyuk is the one who most resembles Namgung Mu Baek.
Where would that blood go?
“So what are you going to do, you can’t use your skills?”
Under the guise of a break, my uncle came in to berate me again, saying that I would pay the price for swallowing up the military assets and trying to undermine my hopes.
He has a short temper.
If he wanted to stop me, he could have used force.
“He’s going to blame you for beating up his apprentice.”
I laughed at the way he clamped his mouth shut.
I just poked him, and he was right.
Anyway.
“It’s not a good thing. Everyone here must have eyes in their sockets, because they’re all seeing and knowing, and you can see the hustle and bustle, starting with General Namgung Ho.”
“You ……twit. Your pestering is over.”
“Very well, then, I’ll go remove the last variable.”
“You confident?”
“I’ll have to remove the rotten family mold one by one, it’s what my uncle agreed to.”
“I don’t think I can do that with all the eyes on me…….”
I glanced at the matriarch, then at Gu Feifang and the other members of the Five Great Families seated in the grandstand. All of them were looking at the Sword Family Council with calm, but not pretty, gazes.
“On the contrary, it’s a matter of whether you’re just a flamboyant family or a family that can properly deal with those who poison the family. No family or sect is immune to the winds, it’s just a matter of whether you close your eyes to them or not.”
Unless you face the storm nakedly, confront it, and cure it.
You cannot uproot the roots of what ails your family.
Even if you think it’s a blot on the family name.
My gaze traveled to the south palace wall, to the sunny child. And then I saw the beautiful Mr. Bai carrying the child.
Don’t worry, Wall.
Don’t worry, Wall. Mother.
I’ll clean up all the mess.