Chapter 133: Because it's the Namgung Clan
Chapter 132 – Because it’s the Namgung Clan
At Namgung Seol-hui’s words, the atmosphere in the room turned solemn.
Words that someone had surely been aware of.
Yet, that fact which no one wanted to admit.
Since such bone-crushing remarks came out of Namgung Seol-hui’s mouth, no one could easily open their mouth.
Even those who had passionately opposed no longer brought up the Great Killing Star.
Namgung Won, who had been watching the reactions for a long time, quietly whispered to Namgung Pyo sitting next to him.
“Brother, please say something.”
“Be quiet. My mind is complicated right now.”
For some reason, Namgung Pyo cut him off in a stiff voice.
Glancing at his complexion, Namgung Pyo’s expression was indeed crumpled. Only then did Namgung Won remember the story he had heard about what happened at the Shining Monk Association’s manor.
‘Ah… it’s because of the matter involving Jang Won-sik.’
Namgung Won asked again in a low voice.
“Brother, by any chance…”
“…?”
“It is not true, is it?”
“What do you mean?”
Namgung Pyo raised his eyebrows sharply, not hiding his uncomfortable feelings. Namgung Won shrank his neck like a turtle and continued.
“That… is it really true that you joined hands with Jang Won-sik…”
“Even you do not believe me?”
As Namgung Pyo got angry in a low voice, Namgung Won quickly waved his hand.
“It’s not that. I just heard about it for the first time…”
“I truly thought that Jang Won-sik was handing over the money he saved for the clan. I never dreamed there would be such an inside story.”
“I understand, Brother.”
Namgung Won nodded his head and glanced at Namgung Cheon.
Just yesterday, his brother, who was eyeing the position of the clan’s Young Patriarch, was suddenly driven as a traitor to the clan.
If this was Namgung Cheon’s scheme, he was a truly terrifying fellow.
If one looked down on him for his young age, they would pay a heavy price.
‘Well, if he is the material to lead the clan, he might need that much resolve.’
Thinking inwardly, Namgung Won startled despite himself.
Before he knew it, was he already thinking of Namgung Cheon as the next Family Head?
Just then, Namgung Geom spoke heavily.
“Do you have anything else to say?”
“…”
“Then I will make the decision.”
As Namgung Geom paused for a moment, everyone’s gaze turned toward him.
An important moment when the family’s fate would be decided.
The Lord of the Golden Cauldron Pavilion, Namgung Hyo, tightly clutched the title deed ahead of the new era.
And Namgung Seol-hui looked at Namgung Cheon with a somewhat expectant expression.
Finally, Namgung Geom’s dry voice cut through the icy silence.
“I will appoint Namgung Cheon as the Young Patriarch.”
“…!”
“If there is anyone who opposes, speak now.”
Even those who had engaged in heated debate did not step forward now.
Excluding the elders, the two oldest members of the family supported Namgung Cheon.
Although the family’s power had declined, Namgung Geom’s position was still as solid as a rock.
After a brief silence, all the key figures answered in one voice.
“We will follow the Family Head’s will!”
Finally, the moment Namgung Cheon officially became the Young Patriarch of the Namgung Clan.
Namgung Cheon curled up the corners of his mouth, stood up from his seat, and cupped his hands.
“I receive the command!”
* * *
As the sun was setting, Namgung Cheon went to Namgung Geom’s residence.
“Did you call for me?”
“Sit.”
Namgung Geom, who was sitting at the table reading a book, spoke without even casting a glance.
Seriously, since a person arrived, he could at least throw a glance.
Namgung Cheon swallowed his inner dissatisfaction and sat in the chair.
After a while, a servant brought tea, and Namgung Cheon drank it. After sunset, the servant entered again and brought warm tea once more. Even so, for a long time, Namgung Geom silently stared only at the book.
At this point, Namgung Cheon’s patience was slowly reaching its limit.
No, if he called, shouldn’t he say something?
Whether he knew his heart or not, Namgung Geom kept his gaze only on the book from start to finish. As if he had even forgotten that he had called Namgung Cheon.
Only after the tea had completely cooled down and a long time had passed did Namgung Geom close the book and speak.
“Speak.”
Huh? Speak what?
While Namgung Cheon had a puzzled expression, Namgung Geom continued in an indifferent voice.
“Do you not intend to speak?”
“I do not know what you mean.”
Only then did Namgung Geom raise his eyes and look at Namgung Cheon.
Seriously, old man. Your gaze is still fierce.
Even so, Namgung Cheon was someone who had gone through all kinds of hardships.
When Namgung Cheon also accepted the gaze calmly without avoiding it, Namgung Geom could not help but be inwardly surprised.
‘He has certainly changed. It is not even surprising anymore.’
Clearing his thoughts, Namgung Geom drank a sip of the cold tea and spoke.
“Fine. If you do not intend to speak, I have no intention of prying. What is the reason you suddenly changed? Whether it is mental or physical.”
Ah… so that was what it was about.
Indeed, wasn’t he the grandfather who passed down his blood?
While pretending to be indifferent, he must have been curious inside.
However…
‘Even if he asks me, it’s awkward to answer…’
Namgung Geom stared straight into Namgung Cheon’s eyes and continued.
“However, as the Family Head, I must ask this.”
“I am listening.”
“Why did a fellow who had no lingering regret in life suddenly try to become the Young Patriarch?”
“After dying once, I developed lingering regrets. And greed.”
“Greed?”
“Yes. Given a second chance, I wanted to go all the way this time.”
“Where is that end?”
“The peak.”
As Namgung Geom narrowed his eyes, Namgung Cheon continued calmly.
“I have already experienced the rock bottom, where there is no further down to go. Then, in this second round of life, shouldn’t I go to the highest place instead? I will rise to the peak. I will become the Number One Dragon of the Land. That is why I must become the Young Patriarch.”
The Number One Dragon of the Land.
It was Namgung Seon’s title, and once the symbol of the Namgung Clan.
In other words, Namgung Cheon meant he would return the family to its original place.
To the era when his mother was alive.
“Do you mean you will lead the family?”
“There is no need for me to lead.”
“What does that mean?”
“The Namgung Clan is not such a trivial family. It is the world’s number one family that produced the Number One Dragon of the Land. I only need to rise to the peak alone, as befits the Young Patriarch of that family. Then the family will already be there.”
“…!”
Namgung Geom’s eyes shook for an instant.
Was this something a youth who had not even passed his coming-of-age ceremony would say?
Although he experienced death, could that death achieve such a growth in consciousness?
Even he had never thought this way.
He always thought he was leading the family. He always felt he was carrying it on his shoulders.
However, it was not so for Namgung Cheon.
There was no need to lead the family.
The Namgung Clan was not that weak.
If he rose to the peak alone, the family would be standing upright in that place.
That was how much he believed in the family’s strength.
Because it was the Namgung Clan, and nowhere else!
Indeed.
The Namgung Clan was such a place.
Was it not originally a family of sovereigns?
Suppressing his strangely swelling heart, Namgung Geom quietly turned his head and looked out the window.
While the cold night air flowed, the starlight sparkled exceptionally.
It felt as if Namgung Seon was watching from the heavens.
‘Let’s see: you no longer need to worry.’
However, the world did not move by thoughts alone.
One must face reality.
“Although you have become the Young Patriarch, the path you must walk will be rugged. Are you prepared?”
“I have already walked through hell.”
Namgung Cheon smiled broadly.
However, even in that smile, his eyes shone firmly.
Namgung Geom nodded and spread open the book again.
“Do you have anything else to say?”
“Please permit my entry into the Boundless Sky Library.”
The library that only the Family Head and the Young Patriarch could enter.
In fact, it was the first thing to do upon becoming the Young Patriarch.
“The reason?”
“I want to look through all of the family’s martial arts.”
“You have already become the Young Patriarch. I can personally transmit all of the family’s ultimate arts to you.”
“I know. However, before that, I want to inspect all of the family’s martial arts without omission.”
Namgung Geom raised his head for a moment and looked at Namgung Cheon again.
It was truly incomprehensible.
Having passed his seventies, he thought he knew life to some extent.
Right now, it was hard to see even an inch into his grandson’s thoughts.
Namgung Geom turned his gaze back to the book.
“Understood. I permit it.”
“Thank you. Then I will take my leave.”
Namgung Cheon bowed his waist and stood up.
It was just as he was about to exit the room.
“Cheon.”
He paused.
“You worked hard.”
Namgung Cheon looked back slightly, and Namgung Geom spoke as if spitting it out, with his eyes still on the book.
“You did very well.”
Namgung Cheon faintly raised the corners of his mouth.
Honestly.
That old man always struck from behind once.
* * *
Creaaak… Thud.
As the old door closed, dust billowed up.
Stepping into the Boundless Sky Library, Namgung Cheon fanned the dust away with his hand and looked around the interior.
‘It’s not as spacious as I thought.’
When he was very young, he had heard exaggerated stories that the Namgung Clan’s library was a five-story pavilion, and that it was so wide and packed with bookshelves that one would get lost upon entering…
Was a rumor indeed just a rumor?
Well, in fact, the Namgung Clan’s library might have been like that once.
Since they sold the main manor as their fortune declined, he could only imagine what the previous library looked like.
However, the Boundless Sky Library was highly likely to be the same then and now.
No matter how much the family’s fortune declined, it was said that not a single secret manual in the Boundless Sky Library had been sold.
Thinking about it, it was also natural for the Boundless Sky Library to be narrow.
Because secret manuals that only the Family Head and the Young Patriarch could view were stored here.
Considering that, it couldn’t be said that there were few books.
Rather, it felt like a bit of a waste that only the Family Head and the Young Patriarch had the right to view this many books.
“Now, then, shall I monopolize it?”
Namgung Cheon walked between the bookshelves while smelling the scent of books wafting from all directions.
Since he truly intended to look through all the martial arts, he began to pull out books from the first bookshelf one by one and spread them open.
“Hmm… Boundless Sky Abyss Sword? Is it an advanced version of the Boundless Sky Sword Art?”
Rustle… Rustle…
Just as Namgung Cheon expected, it was a book that supplemented and went deeper into the Boundless Sky Sword Art.
However, since that was nothing more than what Namgung Cheon already knew, there was nothing special.
For Namgung Cheon, who could see the flow of internal energy completely, he was already familiar with the contents in the book.
“This… is fine. Next.”
Rustle… Rustle…
“Well, the content is decent. But it’s a bit lacking. Now, next…”
Rustle… Rustle…
“It’s worth reading, but it’s still missing something.”
Rustle… Rustle…
“Hmm… next. This is also… now, next. Next. Next…”
Namgung Cheon pulled out every single book in the Boundless Sky Library one by one and read them.
Since he was reading books leisurely for the first time in a long while, it was like heaven.
He could never have dreamed of such luxury in his past life.
Like that, the books piled up beside Namgung Cheon, and the unread books gradually decreased.
The Boundless Sky Library did not have a single window for security.
Therefore, Namgung Cheon read the books depending only on night-glowing pearls, not knowing how much time was passing.
Because a oil lamp might catch fire and burn the books, expensive night-glowing pearls had been placed.
It was also the only valuable object that was not sold even after the family’s fortune declined.
Standing in front of the last bookshelf, Namgung Cheon looked at the remaining books and sighed.
“This… there isn’t much to get out of it.”
Of course, there were quite a few excellent secret manuals.
If he mastered those secret manuals properly, it would raise Namgung Cheon’s current martial arts by one level.
However, it was insufficient.
Because the place Namgung Cheon was looking at was not just one or two levels above.
He wanted a completely different dimension of martial arts.
Enough to become the Number One Dragon of the Land!
Because it would surely be different from the era when Namgung Seon was the Number One Dragon of the Land.
He had to look beyond that.
If there was no answer in the Namgung Clan…
“Should I learn the martial arts of other sects?”
There was nothing he couldn’t learn.
Since he had the First Sight Skill-Breaking Eyes.
However, it was not something a Young Patriarch should do.
But just then, a book caught Namgung Cheon’s eye, thrown carelessly in a corner of the bookshelf.
“Hmm? What is this?”
A book that looked extremely old.
Perhaps because it was not in a very good state of preservation, the characters on the cover were faded and hard to see.
“Azure Emerald… Divine Art?”
And a worn-out book placed side-by-side with it.
“Azure Emerald Sword…?”
Uh? Was there such a thing in the Namgung Clan?