Chapter 273: Chapter 273

Caressing his swollen face, Namgung Gang was leaving the clan and returning to Luoyang.

Behind him followed the members of the Namgung Clan, all of them wearing expressions so dark they looked as if they had seen a ghost.

“Haha, but it seems So-mi is doing well at least.”

Looking at the distant mountains, Namgung Yong muttered.

His words were calm, but his expression was not. It looked as if his soul had left his body.

“So, what did you see?”

“……I saw a ghost. My only thought is that I will never go near that place for the rest of my life.”

Namgung Gang whimpered as he caressed his painful face.

He had realized to his bones just how painful and agonizing a human fist could be. Terror was engraved so deeply into him that he never wanted to see the face of the man named Dan Woo-hyun again.

The members of the Namgung Clan let out awkward laughs.

In the first place, they had chosen the wrong opponent to pick a fight with.

“By the way…… I heard that the Gentleman Sword and the Heavenly Demon Lord live there…….”

“Come to think of it, they did say that…….”

The tavern boy had told them.

If it was the Heavenly Demon Lord, it must surely refer to Sa Do-hak.

Though it was ridiculous that he was wearing a mask and guarding the streets of Luoyang.

But then, who on earth was the Gentleman Sword?

It was quite an interesting story.

“Could it be that man, Dan Woo-hyun……?”

“No, didn’t they say he was an old man?”

Namgung Gang shook his head at the other person’s words.

They had definitely said both of them were old men, so it would not be the young Dan Woo-hyun. Then, as if suddenly remembering someone, Namgung Gang wore a strange expression and shook his head.

“There is no way…….”

“Did you think of the same thing? I did too…….”

“What kind of person is he to wear such a mask and play hero?”

It made no sense that Sa Do-hak was doing that, but of all people, the Sword Emperor Namgung Cheon?

The Sword Emperor was someone who was noble, aloft, and always gentle.

“And the fact that he has one arm…….”

Because he was wearing a mask, they could not see his face, but the voice was undoubtedly Namgung Cheon’s.

That was why the memory of that time was still vivid.

The sight of his father who had lost an arm.

Namgung Gang turned his head and glared at the one speaking nonsense.

“It cannot be! Absolutely not.”

“But…… if you look over there…….”

Someone pointed to a spot.

Unconsciously turning his gaze, Namgung Gang gasped.

An old man mixed with a few who looked like rogue mercenaries could be seen. Although his face was not visible due to the mask, his movements and experience were far too familiar.

“Did you all think the Gentleman’s Sword was that light?”

“You…… you bastard! Where does a decrepit old man get off playing hero!”

“Hohoho, this appearance is not the truth. This old man is not even thirty yet!”

“You just called yourself an old man, you bastard!”

“Bastard? A young brat sure speaks harshly. Do you need more of a gentleman’s teachings?”

At the ridiculous sight unfolding in the middle of Luoyang, Namgung Gang was lost for words.

Although it was a far distance, the voice could be heard clearly.

At the far too familiar way of speaking, cold sweat broke out unconsciously.

As he relentlessly beat the rogue mercenaries while displaying the ultimate techniques of the Namgung Clan, cheers of ‘Gentleman Sword! Gentleman Sword!’ erupted from all around.

“Hohoho… this Gentleman Sword! Whenever and wherever you call, I shall run to you.”

Leaving those words behind, he leaped into the air.

Unfolding a brilliant lightness art, Namgung Cheon landed on a high roof and instantly vanished from the spot as if he were truly a hero.

“…….”

“…….”

“Pa…… Patriarch.”

“Do not speak.”

“Bu…… But just now…….”

“Do not say a word!”

“However…….”

“We…… saw nothing.”

Namgung Gang and Namgung Yong stealthily turned their gazes and looked at the ground.

They did not want to let others know that their father and grandfather was playing around like that.

Cold sweat beaded on their foreheads.

* * *

“Whew, it’s so chaotic.”

Namgung So-hye fanned herself, hiding her reddened face. Since her father and brother’s embarrassing behavior had been shown directly to Dan Woo-hyun, she wanted to hide in a mouse hole.

“Still, it’s a relief. That your grandfather didn’t see that sight.”

“That’s…… true.”

Namgung So-hye laughed awkwardly, breaking into a cold sweat.

If Namgung Cheon, of all people, had seen his son in that state, he would have beaten him with fire in his eyes.

If Namgung Yong had left this clan on his own two feet, albeit in a disastrous state, then conversely, a situation where Namgung Gang had to crawl out would have unfolded.

Since Namgung Cheon was originally strict with his children, he would never have tolerated it if he had seen such a sight in person.

“Still, you seem to be in a good mood.”

“Yes? Ah…….”

Dan Woo-hyun looked at Namgung So-hye and smirked.

Even as she complained with a red face, she was unconsciously smiling. She felt grateful to her family who had come out of worry.

“Even if they look like that, they are my family.”

“That is a relief.”

“Yes, it really is.”

Dan Woo-hyun thought of So-mi, who had gone fishing.

It had been quite a long time since he met that child.

Had they become like family now? Rather than just having her follow him, he truly wished for them to become family.

Thinking of that, he suddenly snapped out of it.

“Haha.”

“Why are you laughing?”

When he laughed unconsciously, Namgung So-hye looked at Dan Woo-hyun with a strange expression.

But he did not answer and let out a small sigh.

Then he closed his eyes gently and brought the wine cup to his lips.

‘The one who wanted to have a family was me.’

Dan Woo-hyun let out an absurd laugh as he thought that.

At first, he wanted to make a family for So-mi. Because he wanted that child to walk a path different from his own.

But looking closely at the reality, the one who craved that family the most was none other than Dan Woo-hyun himself.

He slowly opened his eyes and looked at the people in front of him.

Starting with Jang Sam-tae, Gwon Mu-jin, Ma Jang-gang, Sa Do-hak, Namgung Cheon, Namgung So-hye, and though they were not here, Zhugeyan and Zhuge Un.

Gathered together like this, it really felt like a family.

Of course, there would be those he was particularly fond of among them, and those he was not.

Since a person’s heart could not be fair to everyone.

But even so, it was a very pleasant feeling.

As he smiled warmly, Namgung So-hye’s cheeks flushed bright red at the sight.

She feigned looking elsewhere to cool the heat on her face.

Just then, the main gate banged open.

At the sudden situation, everyone’s eyes focused on the gate.

Even Sa Do-hak, who was playing Go alone, frowned at the sight of Zhuge Un, who looked extremely urgent.

“Huff…… huff…….”

“What is the matter that you are panting so hard?”

Dan Woo-hyun asked, looking at Zhuge Un with an uninterested gaze.

The matter of the Murong Clan had been settled.

Although it was not properly announced, Murong Hyeok-mun was already a corpse, and since that matter was resolved, there was no way another problem would erupt.

Yet looking at Zhuge Un, that did not seem to be the case either.

“The…… the supreme leader of the unorthodox path…… Jeok Mu-seong is said to have been murdered.”

“What?!”

The one most surprised by the sudden words was Sa Do-hak.

If it was Jeok Mu-seong, he was at the bottom of the Five Emperors.

Although he was not someone to be deeply concerned about, he was the leader of an organization and the absolute ruler who commanded the unorthodox path.

The murder of such a person was by no means an ordinary event.

Without a doubt, a bloodbath would blow through the unorthodox path.

Whether they liked it or not, the martial world was bound to be affected by the wind.

Particularly from Sa Do-hak’s perspective, it was a very troublesome matter. Although they had cleaned up the chaotic Demon Sect, their power could not be said to be the same as in the past, so if a great war were to break out, they would end up seeing an unfavorable situation.

“What do you mean by that? Why would that fellow die? Did a rebellion break out?”

“N-No, it is not that…….”

Zhuge Un also wore an expression as if he could not believe it at all.

If it had not been for the message bird from the chief of the Ha-oh Sect, he too would have dismissed it as a wild rumor.

But everything was true.

“They say unidentified individuals appeared, overthrew the Martial Emperor Castle overnight, and killed Jeok Mu-seong.”

Dan Woo-hyun showed a bit of interest.

It was quite surprising that there were others who hid that much power besides the Blood Demon Cult.

‘Perhaps they are the ones who fled that day, or those who were holding their breath because of the Blood Demon.’

Indeed, the martial world was a shura field where something was constantly happening.

This was exactly why they said once you step foot in it, you can never escape.

“So, is that a major crisis?”

“Yes? Ah…… well, it is, but…….”

Looking at the flustered Zhuge Un, Dan Woo-hyun casually brought the wine cup to his lips.

After swallowing a sip and setting down the empty cup, Zhuge Un finally realized something and let out a small gasp.

“Are those fellows holding swords and invading Luoyang?”

“Of course not…….”

“Then leave it be.”

Unless those bastards came to Luoyang to cause trouble, he had an expression showing he did not want to care about things that happened far away.

Sweating coldly, Zhuge Un nodded.

The habit he had formed when he was the chief strategist of the Martial Alliance had come out.

In fact, because the overthrow of the Martial Emperor Castle had nothing to do with Luoyang, it was not a big deal, but he had been shocked by the collapse of the Martial Emperor Castle, the pillar of the unorthodox path, and the death of Jeok Mu-seong, one of the Five Emperors, and had run to report it.

Just like when he was in the Martial Alliance.

Zhuge Un awkwardly sat down.

He wondered if he had run here for nothing.

“See, what did I tell you? I told you it wasn’t a serious story.”

Zhugeyan stared at her father with somewhat fierce eyes. How hard had it been for him to run all the way here from Luoyang?

From the perspective of the Zhuge Clan, it was definitely a major event, but even though she had told him that Dan Woo-hyun would not care in the slightest, he had not listened.

“…….”

Cowed by that gaze, Zhuge Un hung his head.

“No, is it once or twice that those unorthodox bastards move? It was the same last time…… isn’t that right?”

“……Why are you asking me?”

“You’re an unorthodox bastard.”

Gwon Mu-jin winced and glared at Jang Sam-tae.

He felt needlessly annoyed by his words that brought up a past that did not need to be mentioned.

Thinking of giving him a blow, he clenched his fist tightly. But the quick-witted Jang Sam-tae slinked away and clung to Dan Woo-hyun’s side before anyone knew it.

“Hohoho, if Jeok Mu-seong was defeated, it means the opponent is also no ordinary foe.”

Just then, Namgung Cheon opened the gate and walked inside.

As he stealthily took off his mask, the single sentence he spat out was filled with great interest.

Killing none other than the world’s Five Emperors, Jeok Mu-seong, was by no means an ordinary matter.

“It really is a surprising event.”

But conversely, Zhugeyan did not care at all. Having taken a seat next to Namgung So-hye before anyone noticed, she ate a side dish and thought.

‘Even so…… could they be worse than the people here?’

Looking at the humans in front of her who were worse than terrifying monsters, Zhugeyan stuck out her tongue.

She was thinking of contacting the Zhuge Clan to send a message telling them to flee to this place if anything happened.

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