Chapter 5: The Heavenly Killing Star Reincarnated into the Namgung Clan (3)
Chapter 4 – The Heavenly Killing Star Reincarnated into the Namgung Clan (3)
Namgung Cheon stared at Yun Jong-seung with deeply settled eyes.
Perhaps because he had clashed with so many people in his past life, he could now roughly read a person’s character just by looking at their face.
So, what about Yun Jong-seung?
He was a typical malicious jerk.
An arrogantly raised chin, eyes looking down as if to dismiss the other person, and the right corner of his mouth slightly curled upward.
With a face so clearly expressing blatant disregard, it was impossible to view him in a positive light even if one tried.
“Are you Yun Jong-seung?”
At Namgung Cheon’s sudden question, Yun Jong-seung raised his thick, caterpillar-like eyebrows.
An expression of surprise was evident on his face.
It was only natural.
In the past, Namgung Cheon would not have even been able to meet Yun Jong-seung’s eyes.
But now, what?
Are you Yun Jong-seung?
“Haha! I heard you lost your memory, and it seems it’s true?”
“That’s how it turned out.”
A stiff tone.
Indeed, Namgung Cheon seemed to have become an entirely different person.
The right corner of Yun Jong-seung’s mouth curled up even further.
For a guy who used to tuck his tail and shrink back whenever he saw him to hold his head high and talk back like this.
‘This is… interesting. It really looks like he lost his memory.’
He had been getting tired of bullying Namgung Cheon anyway.
But now, that paper, once worn out from all kinds of scribbling, had become a blank white sheet.
Was this not the perfect opportunity to regain his initial passion as a bully?
Meanwhile, Bok-seong could not hide his anxious expression.
He could tell just by looking at Yun Jong-seung’s expression how wicked his thoughts were right now.
It felt as if the malice, which could not be fully hidden, was slowly creeping up from his face.
Amidst the subtle tension, Yun Jong-seung spoke.
“I came to visit you because I heard you returned from the dead, and you look quite lively. But why are you sweating so much?”
“I did some exercise.”
“Wow, even exercising. You really must be fine. Then, shall we do that after such a long time?”
“That?”
Yun Jong-seung grinned and nodded.
“Yeah, that.”
“What is that?”
“You know. You and I used to do it often. Even at the academy. Since we got along so well.”
Namgung Cheon smirked.
It was because he knew Yun Jong-seung’s words were utter bullshit.
Got along well?
He must have unilaterally bullied and thoroughly exploited him.
Meanwhile, Yun Jong-seung was dumbfounded by the way Namgung Cheon smiled.
‘He’s smiling?’
Even if he had lost his memory, one would think some instinctual fear of him would remain.
It seemed he had treated him too softly.
Otherwise, how dare he laugh at his words?
His hands were itching.
Namgung Cheon stared intently at Yun Jong-seung and asked again.
“So, what is it?”
“What else? A spar.”
He knew it.
Kids were always the same.
He was probably planning to beat him half to death under the pretext of a spar.
Indeed. Having the excuse of a spar would make it easy to explain to the adults.
Namgung Cheon wore a bitter smile.
‘Right, so this is how you bastards bullied my son. Since you’re creating a legitimate occasion for me, I should probably bow in gratitude.’
Just as Namgung Cheon cracked his neck and was about to step forward, an unexpected voice interjected.
“You cannot! Absolutely not!”
Namgung Cheon and Yun Jong-seung turned their gazes at the same time.
Bok-seong, looking extremely anxious, continued speaking.
“Um… that is, our young master has only just recovered his strength. A spar, of all things? That is absolutely not—!”
Thud!
“Argh!”
At the fist that flew in an instant, Bok-seong clutched his nose and tumbled to the ground.
Yun Jong-seung shook off his blood-stained fist and muttered coldly.
“This crazy pig has no sense of hierarchy. Do you think I’m a joke? How dare a mere servant disrupt us so insolently?”
“Yo-Young Master… It’s not that, a spar is dangerous…”
“Since you’re a pig, you can’t understand human speech, can you?”
Thump! Thump!
Yun Jong-seung kicked Bok-seong repeatedly, as if determined.
“How dare a mere servant interrupt my words! Twice…!”
Grab.
In that split second, Yun Jong-seung noticed Namgung Cheon grabbing his shoulder and spun around.
He swung his arm wide on purpose, but Namgung Cheon quickly took a step back.
‘He dodged it?’
As Yun Jong-seung’s eyes widened, Namgung Cheon gestured toward Bok-seong with his chin.
“Why don’t you stop? Is there any need to waste your energy before we even spar?”
“Does that mean… you’ll do the spar?”
Namgung Cheon shrugged his shoulders.
“Didn’t you ask for it? Since it is a spar requested by a friend after a long time, I should gladly accept.”
“Friend? Pfft. Hahaha!”
Yun Jong-seung suddenly burst into laughter.
A friend.
A guy who didn’t even dare to look him in the eye calling him a friend?
Sure, I’ll make you regret losing your memory.
Yun Jong-seung smiled brightly, hiding his true intentions.
“Yes, a wise decision. I got a bit carried away unintentionally. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. Since I feel like I’ll end up feeling sorry as well.”
“What?”
Just as Namgung Cheon was about to say something, Bok-seong suddenly cut in again.
“Young Master! You cannot! Your body must not have fully recovered yet, so a spar is out of the question! Absolutely not!”
Bok-seong even shed tears.
Namgung Cheon glanced at Bok-seong.
At least this guy sincerely worried about my son.
Namgung Cheon walked over to Bok-seong and patted him on the shoulder.
“Why are you crying like a loser?”
“Young Master…?”
“Don’t worry. Isn’t this a spar with a friend who came to visit after a long time? It will be quite enjoyable.”
At that moment, for some reason, Namgung Cheon looked like a mature adult to Bok-seong.
Namgung Cheon turned back to Yun Jong-seung.
“By the way, will you be alright? I’ve changed a bit.”
“What do you mean by changed?”
“I’ve gotten a bit stronger. Shall we say I gained enlightenment after crossing the threshold of death and returning?”
Now Bok-seong’s jaw dropped so low it almost touched the ground.
Yun Jong-seung also widened his eyes and remained speechless for a moment.
Ha, look at this crazy bastard.
Did he go mad from being too nervous?
Or did he lose his fear along with his memories?
‘Well, it doesn’t matter anyway.’
Was it not true that even an earthworm had to wriggle for it to be satisfying to step on?
Sure, wriggle all you want.
The more you do, the more ruthlessly I will trample you.
Yun Jong-seung curled his lip.
“What better news could there be than a friend getting stronger? For the day to come when I can learn a thing or two from you. I am deeply moved. Please teach me a lesson.”
“Sure, since you want it so much.”
“Good, then we should use wooden swords, right?”
“As you wish.”
Meaning he wouldn’t mind a real sword if desired.
Yun Jong-seung was dumbfounded but selected a wooden sword from the sword rack set up in one corner of the room.
It was by no means out of consideration.
It was because only with a wooden sword could he beat him to his heart’s content.
If they fought with real swords and he accidentally inflicted an irreversible injury, it would not be easy to make excuses to the elders, even if it was a spar.
Thus, the two of them each held a wooden sword and stepped out into the courtyard.
Bok-seong stomped his feet repeatedly in anxiety.
‘Young Master, why on earth did you accept the spar?’
Surely, losing his memory was the problem.
‘This is no time to just stand here and watch.’
Should he not run to the Patriarch’s Hall as fast as possible to report this?
Someone had to show up and stop this ridiculous spar immediately.
Bok-seong cautiously backed away while watching the two of them, and then sprinted toward the Patriarch’s Hall.
‘I must report this quickly!’
Meanwhile, Yun Jong-seung stared blankly at Namgung Cheon standing opposite him.
The courtyard where the quiet moonlight fell.
No fear could be seen in Namgung Cheon’s eyes as he faced him.
Instead, they gleamed like a wild beast eyeing its prey.
Ha! That crazy bastard…!
A strange tension flowing between them.
Wait, tension?
No way.
There was no way he would feel tense in front of such a pushover!
Although the atmosphere had certainly changed a bit, a person could not transform overnight.
Yun Jong-seung suppressed the irritation rising within him and spat out his words.
“Then, let me learn a thing or two.”
“Sure, sure. Go ahead and learn quickly.”
Namgung Cheon grinned.
That crazy bastard! That smile will soon turn into tears!
With a swift leap,
In an instant, Yun Jong-seung kicked off the ground and shot forward like an arrow.
He had absolutely no intention of yielding the first strike.
He wanted to trample that arrogant face right this instant.
‘Hmph! What an awkward stance!’
As expected, Namgung Cheon had not even assumed a proper starting stance.
Yun Jong-seung intended to completely break Namgung Cheon’s left shoulder with this single strike.
How dare he say what?
He gained enlightenment after returning from the dead?
You brainless bastard, I’ll make sure you get to experience that enlightenment once more!
Swoosh!
Reaching in front of Namgung Cheon’s chest, Yun Jong-seung swung his wooden sword vertically downward.
At that moment, Namgung Cheon’s eyes gleamed.
At the same time, a red light arose from Yun Jong-seung’s dantian, amplified in size near his chest, and began to spread rapidly.
The red energy instantly moved along the Hand-Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian, as if vividly displaying the flow of qi occurring within his body.
The red light, which finally reached the wooden sword, fell slicing through the air as if illuminating the path it would follow.
Of course, this was a phenomenon visible only to Namgung Cheon, who possessed the ability of the First Sight Skill-Breaking Eyes.
For a brief moment, Namgung Cheon wore an interested expression.
‘The First Sight Skill-Breaking Eyes is still active!’
This meant that the First Sight Skill-Breaking Eyes was not a physical talent, but a supernatural ability operating in the realm of the spirit.
Either way, it was not bad.
At the very moment the wooden sword fell along the path of the red light and was about to strike Namgung Cheon’s shoulder!
Swish.
Namgung Cheon’s figure vanished like a mirage, letting the wooden sword slip past.
In an instant, Yun Jong-seung’s eyes widened.
Clack!
As the wooden sword struck the ground, the impact vibrated through his palms.
“Tch!”
Gritting his teeth hard, Yun Jong-seung slashed the wooden sword diagonally upward.
Swoosh!
But this time, too, the wooden sword only sliced through empty air.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Whoosh! Swoosh!
He unleashed consecutive sword strikes after that, but the wooden sword repeatedly struck nothing but empty air.
At first, he thought it was just bad luck.
However, as the strikes continued to miss, Yun Jong-seung’s eyes began to waver.
‘Why? Why isn’t it hitting!’
It was truly a hair’s breadth away.
If he had swung wildly into the air, he might have at least acknowledged his opponent’s skill, but Namgung Cheon kept dodging by the narrowest of margins.
‘You bastard, how long do you think your luck will hold!’
Gritting his teeth, Yun Jong-seung put all his strength into slashing his sword diagonally.
‘He can absolutely never dodge this one!’
It was a decisive strike in its own right.
It was also a sword technique that the Mount Huang Yun Clan prided itself on.
Sure enough, even Namgung Cheon could not dodge this time.
Instead, he raised his wooden sword and clashed directly against it.
Claaaack!
A dull sound echoed through the air as the wooden swords collided.
Yun Jong-seung’s eyes shook violently.
‘…He blocked it?’
It made no sense.
What on earth had happened to Namgung Cheon?
Why was the most pathetic guy in the world acting like this?
“Ugh!”
While his pupils trembled wildly, Namgung Cheon, with their wooden swords locked, actually grinned with a mad smile.
“Why so serious?”
“W-What?”
“You should enjoy it.”
“Y-You crazy…!”
Swoosh, clack!
Once again, the wooden swords collided.
The impact was so strong that Yun Jong-seung felt as if his palms were going to tear apart.
“Argh!”
However, Namgung Cheon’s face was filled with sheer joy.
Looking at that face radiating madness, Yun Jong-seung even felt a sense of dread.
But he could not afford to be pushed back by a pushover like this!
If word of this got out, he would be too ashamed to hold his head up at the academy.
The more he thought about it, the more insolent and infuriating it became.
Extremely provoked, Yun Jong-seung spoke through gritted teeth while their wooden swords were still locked.
“Be honest with me. You didn’t actually try to commit suicide, did you? You just put on a show and lied because you didn’t want to come to the academy.”
“That’s a fresh interpretation.”
“Why is a bastard who committed suicide so perfectly fine? Does it make sense for a dead man to come back to life? But then, a guy like you wouldn’t even have the courage to commit suicide. Isn’t that right?”
In an instant, Namgung Cheon’s expression turned ice-cold.
Seeing the sudden change in expression, Yun Jong-seung felt a shiver run down his spine.
Finally, Namgung Cheon spoke.
“Hey, dumbass.”
“W-What?”
Yun Jong-seung glared with wide, bewildered eyes.
At first, he wondered if he had misheard.
However, Namgung Cheon was staring straight at him.
Those eyes were so deep and dark that he instinctively felt intimidated.
“Do you think suicide requires courage?”
“…”
“What suicide requires is not courage, but giving up. True courage is only needed to keep living.”
“…!”
“And trash like you, who drive others to give up on life, are the worst kind of murderers who kill without getting their hands dirty.”
Thwack!
“Ugh!”
Struck on the shoulder by the wooden sword, Yun Jong-seung stumbled backward.
Immediately after, Namgung Cheon swung his wooden sword like lightning.
Crack!
“Argh!”
Yun Jong-seung’s palm tore open, and his wooden sword was sent flying.
Falling flat on his buttocks, Yun Jong-seung looked up with a look of utter disbelief.
‘How did this guy become like this…?’
Namgung Cheon glared down at Yun Jong-seung and said coldly.
“Now, it’s time for a proper lesson.”