Chapter 7: Will You Fight the World
Chapter 6 – Will You Fight the World
Yun Cheom-san could not make sense of the sight unfolding before his eyes.
Was the person collapsed on the ground and groaning in pain not none other than his youngest son, Yun Jong-seung?
As the battered Yun Jong-seung with effort opened his swollen eyes and met his gaze, Yun Cheom-san felt as if he were about to lose his mind.
*Tadat!*
“You bastard!”
In an instant, his eyes rolled back, and before anyone could stop him, he kicked off the ground and flew toward Namgung Cheon.
*Whoosh!*
As a wind-breaking sound arose along with a sudden angry roar, Namgung Cheon quickly turned around and narrowed his eyes.
‘A palm technique?’
This time too, a red light arose from Yun Cheom-san’s dantian area, passed through his chest, and moved rapidly down his right arm.
‘It seems the martial arts of the Mount Huang Yun Clan generally circulate energy along the Hand-Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian.’
Indeed, the method of energy circulation was almost identical to the sword form that Yun Jong-seung had unleashed moments ago.
However, compared to Yun Jong-seung, it was a far more sophisticated and refined attack.
‘I guess he is better than his son at least?’
Namgung Cheon reflexively stepped back using a footwork.
For he knew that if he rashly tried to block it, his bones would not remain intact.
*Swoosh, bang!*
The sharply extended single palm strike brushed past Namgung Cheon’s shoulder and struck the empty air.
‘He avoided it……?’
Yun Cheom-san’s pupils trembled violently.
Was this really a reaction that a child who was merely bullied would show?
The problem lay in what happened next.
The wave of energy generated as the strike hit empty air flew straight ahead and struck Yun Jong-seung.
*Bam, bam!*
“Aaargh!”
Suddenly caught in the aftermath of the Red Lotus Palm unleashed by his father, Yun Jong-seung even coughed up blood and rolled on the ground.
“Gasp! Seung, Seung-ah!”
Yun Cheom-san’s face turned pale and contorted as if he were about to cry.
Of all things, the Red Lotus Palm had flown toward his son!
Namgung Cheon scrunched up his face and shrugged his shoulders.
“Oof, that must really hurt.”
By this point, Yun Cheom-san’s anger surged to the top of his head, driving him to the brink of losing his reason.
“Y-You……!”
In an instant, Yun Cheom-san whipped around and unleashed the Red Lotus Palm with all his might.
“You slippery loach……!”
An attack clearly different from the beginning, when he had held back!
‘This might be a bit dangerous……!’
Namgung Cheon also quickly deployed his footwork to dodge while clenching his teeth.
Compared to the peak of his past life, his current physical state had barely reached about twenty percent.
If he responded without thinking, he might suffer a great disaster.
‘To at least minimize the damage……!’
Namgung Cheon spun his body and executed a mysterious footwork.
It was only a brief moment, but the eyes of Namgung Geom, who was watching, flashed.
Finally, just before Yun Cheom-san’s palm was about to strike Namgung Cheon’s ribs.
*Swoosh!*
A streak of flash intervened, and an explosion-like sound erupted right in front of his nose.
*Bang!*
As the blast of energy erupted, Namgung Cheon’s hair fluttered violently, and Yun Cheom-san staggered backward by five or six steps.
On the other hand, Namgung Geom, who had extended a wooden sword in front of Namgung Cheon, stood as straight as a bamboo and did not budge in the slightest.
Instead, emitting a freezing chill from his entire body, he spat out a voice like a cutting wind.
“What do you think you are doing?”
Every single word was as cold as a shard of ice.
Even Yun Cheom-san, who had been running wild after losing his reason for a moment, felt a chill run down his spine and hesitated.
“Mmm.”
Suppressing his anger for a moment, Yun Cheom-san’s cheeks trembled.
“Patriarch, can you not see my son?”
Yun Cheom-san’s finger pointed to Yun Jong-seung, who lay collapsed in a corner as if crumpled.
Staring at Yun Jong-seung with a cold gaze, Namgung Geom snorted and asked.
“And?”
“What?”
“It seems he was injured during a duel. And?”
“No matter how much of a duel it was, was this not going too far!”
“So, are you trying to hold him responsible now?”
An emotionless voice dryly flowed from Namgung Geom’s mouth once again.
Yun Cheom-san clenched his teeth and panted.
He had already spoken those words himself.
As if to remind him of that fact, Namgung Hwa also stepped forward and questioned him in a clear voice.
“It was a fair duel, just as you said. To talk about responsibility just because one side got injured is foolish.”
“……”
Yun Cheom-san looked back and forth between Namgung Geom and Namgung Hwa with eyes blazing like fire.
Since he had ended up falling into a grave he dug himself, he had no excuse even if he had ten mouths.
Namgung Geom spat out a stiff voice toward Yun Cheom-san.
“We shall end today’s meeting here.”
“Today’s matter…… I will remember it.”
“You should.”
“……?”
“Did you not exert force in this Patriarch’s residence because you could not even keep the words you spoke yourself? I am exercising a great deal of patience today.”
At that truly sharp voice, Yun Cheom-san gulped down dry saliva without realizing it.
Namgung Geom, who had practically ordered them to leave, turned around and approached Namgung Cheon.
“You, come to the Patriarch’s Hall.”
“Understood. I actually had something to tell you as well.”
When Namgung Cheon replied confidently, Namgung Geom slightly furrowed his brow.
His grandson’s personality had definitely changed.
At this rate, it felt like dealing with a different person.
However, Namgung Geom showed no further reaction.
He soon left the place, whipping up a cold wind.
Namgung Cheon whispered as he helped the fallen Yun Jong-seung up.
In an instant, Yun Jong-seung flinched and looked back at Namgung Cheon with an expression as if he had seen a ghost.
Yet, Namgung Cheon was merely calm.
* * *
‘I really can’t get used to this old man’s prickliness.’
Namgung Cheon stared back at Namgung Geom, hiding his inner discomfort.
If he called for him, he should say something, but his mouth had been tightly shut in a straight line as he kept staring him down.
With the atmosphere like this, Namgung Hwa, who was sitting with them, could not bring herself to speak either.
Well, even though it was a duel, he had turned the opponent into a tattered rag, so at least a sharp scolding would likely come down.
He had committed the act prepared for at least that much.
‘Though it was unexpected that he stepped forward himself to block Yun Cheom-san at the end.’
If he had not, he would probably be lying bedridden with broken ribs by now.
Experiencing a practical battle that was not quite a practical battle made his desire to properly build up his body grow even stronger.
Finally, Namgung Geom opened his mouth.
“How did you do it?”
“I do not know what you mean.”
“Even if avoiding Yun Cheom-san’s single palm strike was a coincidence, how did you make his youngest son like that?”
“It was because that fellow let his guard down against me. Is it not because of arrogance that even the world’s greatest master can become a cripple in an instant? Much less a nobody like him.”
Staring intently at Namgung Cheon again, Namgung Geom let out a shallow sigh.
‘Is it my turn to be scolded now?’
However, the words that flowed from Namgung Geom’s mouth completely defied his expectations.
“What is it that you have to say?”
Hmm? Was this the end of the duel talk?
“Are you not going to scold me?”
At Namgung Cheon’s question, Namgung Geom narrowed his eyes.
“For what?”
“I thought you would say something since I thoroughly trampled the opponent during the duel.”
“It is something that happened during a duel. Are you not at an age to take responsibility for whatever happens afterward yourself?”
Mmh, it was definitely unexpected.
Well, although it was hard to tell whether he was taking his side or telling him to go screw himself.
‘Well, it is not a bad development for me.’
Organizing his thoughts, Namgung Cheon brought up his business without hesitation.
“Once the summer recess is over, I will attend the academy.”
This time, even Namgung Geom showed a change in expression.
Of course, even that lasted for only a very brief moment.
The first to react was Namgung Hwa.
“The academy? Your body is not fully recovered right now……”
“I am merely returning to the academy. I am not going to a battlefield.”
By this point, Namgung Geom also opened his mouth.
“Do you know your situation before you speak?”
“I know it well. The child carrying the blood of the Great Killing Star. No one will welcome me.”
“Then you must know well that it does not carry such a light meaning.”
“But I cannot live forever holding my breath and walking on eggshells, can I?”
A strange gleam flickered in Namgung Geom’s eyes.
His grandson had indeed changed.
He had to admit it now.
Closing and opening his eyes after a moment, Namgung Geom stared straight at Namgung Cheon and asked.
“Are you trying to defeat the world?”
“Can I not?”
Namgung Hwa abruptly intervened.
“It is reckless, Cheon-ah. Why all of a sudden……”
“Aunt, who makes the world?”
“That is, of course, individuals gathering to make it……”
“Then, in the end, do I not just need to fight and defeat those individuals?”
“But the Jianghu is not such an easy place.”
“It is the same. It is enough to fight and defeat each and every martial artist.”
There was not a single tremor in Namgung Cheon’s voice.
Namgung Hwa, to whom such a reaction from her nephew was only unfamiliar, parted her mouth slightly and could not continue.
How on earth did that weak child change so much?
Did it not seem as if he were bursting out all the resentment and pent-up anger he had accumulated all at once?
A weak appearance was not good, but being this reckless was even worse.
In an instant, the atmosphere in the room felt like walking on thin ice.
Not knowing how this precarious balance would break, Namgung Hwa also held her tongue.
An atmosphere where even breath seemed to freeze.
Tearing through the cold air, Namgung Geom’s voice flew in.
“You…… resemble your father exactly. Yet even your father lost. To that world. To that Jianghu.”
“……!”
Damn it, the old man was hitting a sore spot.
Indeed, I had lost to the world.
I had fought until the end, but I had knelt to this despicable Jianghu.
Namgung Cheon clenched his fists tightly and looked at Namgung Geom.
“So I…… must win. Especially me, without fail.”
Namgung Geom, who was raising his teacup, hesitated before draining the rest of his tea.
Holding her breath, Namgung Hwa looked back and forth between Namgung Geom and Namgung Cheon.
Finally, Namgung Geom opened his mouth.
“What is it that you need?”
“Father!”
When Namgung Hwa abruptly shouted, Namgung Geom raised his hand to stop her.
Instead, he merely stared intently into Namgung Cheon’s eyes.
One corner of Namgung Cheon’s mouth curled up slightly.
“I need my mother’s sword.”
‘What on earth is that child……!’
Namgung Hwa had now turned to stone.
The Emerald Silk Sword that her sister, Namgung Seon, had used during her lifetime.
A treasured sword passed down through generations in the Namgung family, and a keepsake left behind by her deceased sister.
It was also the sword that her father, Namgung Geom, cherished the most.
There was no way he would permit it……
“You may treat the sword lightly, but you must not treat the intent loaded onto the sword lightly.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
Turning to Namgung Hwa, Namgung Geom spoke in a dry voice.
“Give the Emerald Silk Sword to this child.”
“……!”
Namgung Hwa could not think of moving for a long while.
* * *
“Young Master, please take care of yourself. If anything happens, please contact me immediately. By all means, do not skip your meals……”
“Even a pleasant song gets tiring after a few times. Stop it. I’m getting calluses on my ears.”
“It is because I am so worried. If anyone picks a fight, just pretend not to notice……”
“If you chatter one more time, I will rip your mouth apart.”
“Gasp.”
Bok-seong quickly covered his mouth with his hands.
Namgung Cheon smirked and patted the shoulder of Bok-seong, who had come out to the entrance of the village to see him off.
“Do you intend to follow me all the way to Wuhan? Go back now. I will go alone from here.”
Even as Namgung Cheon waved his hand and grew distant, Bok-seong did not forget to repeatedly urge him to take care of himself.
Only after crossing a hill did Namgung Cheon let out a sigh.
‘It is finally quiet now.’
Indeed, if the person chattering beside him had not been Bok-seong, he would have swung his sword hilt first.
At this rate, my temper has really mellowed out a lot.
Anyway, let’s see.
Since a month has passed since Yun Jong-seung visited, should his broken bones have set by now?
‘If he is a child of a martial family, he should have at least that much recovery power.’
Just as he was ascending the second hill with such thoughts.
He happened to see someone under the shade of a tree in the distance.
It was none other than Yun Jong-seung.
Yun Jong-seung, unable to bring himself to lock eyes with Namgung Cheon, spoke while looking at the ground.
“Y-You’re here?”
Instead of answering, Namgung Cheon tossed the knapsack he was carrying with a thud.
As Yun Jong-seung stared at the knapsack dropped at his feet, Namgung Cheon gestured with his chin.
“Carry it.”
“Me……?”
Namgung Cheon slightly knit his brows and reached his hand toward Yun Jong-seung’s shoulder.
At that, Yun Jong-seung was startled and quickly picked up the knapsack.
“I-I just need to carry it, right! Here, here! I’m carrying it.”
“Why are you so surprised? A bug landed on your shoulder, and I was just trying to brush it off.”
When Namgung Cheon smirked and gestured over Yun Jong-seung’s shoulder, a beetle fluttered up and flew away.
Though Yun Jong-seung’s expression contorted miserably, Namgung Cheon walked forward without paying it any mind.
“Shall we go then?”
“Y-Yeah.”
Carrying even Namgung Cheon’s knapsack, Yun Jong-seung followed unsteadily.
However, his expression as he glared at Namgung Cheon’s back was exceptionally fierce.