Chapter 614

Namgung Jin was the eldest son of Namgung Yugeom and the Young Master of the Thousand Kingdom School.

With his immense talent and mastery, he was the one who forced his younger Sister Namgung Seol to leave the Thousand Kingdom School and join the Silver Lotus Hall.

Namgung Jin looked at Hwangbo Sinhak’s body with cold eyes.

Hwangbo Sinhak was not just any steward.

He was Namgung Jin’s most trusted supporter, a fatherly figure. It was he who had stood by him and supported him, filling the void left by his indifferent real father.

Thanks to him, Namgung Jin could now dominate the Thousand Kingdom School.

But now Hwangbo Sinhak was found a cold corpse in the very house of his father, Namgung Yugeom.

Namgung Jin pulled out the dagger embedded in Hwangbo Sinhak’s throat.

The dagger, as large as an adult’s palm, was incredibly sharp. But what was more perplexing was the direction from which it came.

It had flown from the high mountains located behind the Thousand Kingdom School.

Turning to the warrior beside him, Namgung Jin inquired,

“Has my father returned yet?”

“No, sir.”

“I am going to find my father. Everyone, follow me!”

“Yes!”

Namgung Jin darted toward the mountains, followed closely by the elite warriors of the Thousand Kingdom School.

As he used his Qigong, his face was set in a stern expression.

He had a bad feeling about this.

‘Who could have such skills to precisely strike the steward’s breath from that distance in the mountains?’

Someone had managed to throw the dagger over five hundred zhangs to kill Hwangbo Sinhak, a feat even Namgung Jin couldn’t accomplish.

‘Surely, my father wasn’t defeated?’

He had faith in his father, Namgung Yugeom.

For Namgung Jin, Namgung Yugeom was the greatest martial artist he knew.

Namgung Yugeom had mastered the Emperor’s Sword Form up to the tenth level.

This technique was the ultimate sword skill of Namgung Segae, the founder of the Thousand Kingdom School.

Achieving its grand mastery meant being unparalleled in the world. Namgung Yugeom couldn’t have been easily defeated.

Just then!!

Quangg

As if to prove his suspicions, a booming sound came from the distance.

It was clear that Namgung Yugeom was battling a mysterious beast.

“Hurry! We must assist my father.”

“Yes!”

He and his followers swiftly ascended the mountain.

Whooosh!

The closer they got to the peak, the more ferocious the wind became, as if a storm was approaching.

Tall, majestic trees swayed as if they might snap any moment, and the dust was so thick they could barely open their eyes.

“Argh!”

“shit!”

The warriors of Thousand Kingdom School were being pushed back, struggling against the fierce wind.

Only a few managed to push through.

‘We must hurry,’

Namgung Jin gritted his teeth.

His skin felt as if it were being pricked by thousands of needles.

This wind was filled with a horrifying killing intent.

Even Namgung Jin, who was at the pinnacle of his abilities, felt fear from the malicious aura in the wind.

Namgung Jin gathered his internal energy to protect his vital organs and continued to advance.

Just as he was about to reach the summit—

Flash!

A blinding burst of light suddenly erupted ahead.

“Ah!”

“My eyes…”

The unexpectedly intense flash caused the martial artists to squint their eyes.

Namgung Jin was no exception. He halted and closed his eyes.

“…”

The surroundings became eerily silent.

It was hard to believe that the air had just shaken with such a loud crash.

As the pain in his eyes subsided, Namgung Jin cautiously opened them. Before him lay the peak of the mountain, utterly devastated.

The once beautiful trees were uprooted and scattered, the rocks crushed into gravel.

The destruction was so severe that it was impossible to recognize the place.

Suddenly, his gaze landed on the huge pit in the center.

Lying in the middle of the crater, as if struck by a meteor, was Namgung Yugeom.

“Father? Father!”

Namgung Jin cried out and raced towards him.

“How could this be!”

“Master!”

The martial artists who had regained their vision followed closely behind.

“Father! Wake up!”

Namgung Jin cradled Namgung Yugeom in his arms.

He tried to revive him by channeling his energy into the vital points. But Namgung Yugeom showed no signs of movement.

He was gone.

“Ah…”

“Master…”

The martial artists who arrived later knelt down, shedding tears.

After what felt like an eternity, Namgung Jin accepted the death of Namgung Yugeom.

He slowly rose, cradling Yugeom’s lifeless body.

Namgung Jin issued a command,

“Find out who killed my father. We won’t hold a funeral until we have taken our revenge.”

“As you wish!”

The martial artists responded in unison.

Tears streaked down Namgung Jin’s face as he looked up to the heavens,

“I will never forgive them. Never…”

***

Namgung Yugeom held half of the military power of the Thousand Kingdom School. His death meant that they had lost almost half of their strength.

If any outside enemies took advantage of this opportunity, they would be helpless.

Because of this, the Thousand Kingdom School tried to hide the death of Namgung Yugeom as much as possible, but it was impossible to keep everyone quiet.

Within days, the entire Kangho knew of it.

“Good heavens!”

“The leader of the Thousand Kingdom School is dead?”

“Who could have possibly killed him?”

The martial artists were shocked by the unbelievable news.

Namgung Yugeom wasn’t just a powerful fighter.

He was the head of a vast and influential sect.

The idea that he could be killed amidst all his elite guards seemed impossible. The killer would have to have unparalleled skills and strength.

The martial world shuddered at the thought of such a formidable enemy.

The Thousand Kingdom School searched for the killer. However, his identity and whereabouts remained a mystery.

The news of Yugeom’s death also reached the Silver Lotus Hall.

When Lee Geom-han heard the news, the first person he thought of was Namgung Seol.

“Sigh!”

He headed straight to Namgung Seol’s residence.

“Seol!”

When he opened the door and entered the room, he saw Namgung Seol sitting in front of her dressing table in a daze.

He thought she might be crying, but surprisingly her expression didn’t change.

Lee Geom-han could read the hidden sadness on her carefully neutral face.

Namgung Seol broke the silence.

“Geom-han!”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Sigh! Why do you look so shattered when I’m the one who should be grieving?”

Namgung Seol tried to muster a smile, but her face remained tense.

Lee Geom-han took her white hand in his.

Her small, warm hand was trembling.

He softly said,

“You should go to the Thousand Kingdom School. Attend the funeral.”

“I’m fine.”

“Seol!”

“My brother Jin will manage everything there.”

Namgung Seol bit her lip gently.

The bite was so hard that her lip bled. Yet, Namgung Seol seemed oblivious to this.

“I say this for your sake. Regardless of how strained the relationship was, he was your father. Attending the funeral would be beneficial for you.”

“If I know my brother, he won’t hold the funeral until he finds and avenges the monster.”

“Hmm!”

“So, I won’t return either until then. Staying here and helping you is the best way to honor my father.”

“I understand. If that’s your decision. But if you change your mind, let me know. I’ll be happy to send you to the Thousand Kingdom School.”

“I know.”

Namgung Seol nodded.

“Sigh.”

Lee Geom-han let out a quiet sigh.

Although he had said this, he knew that Namgung Seol would never change her mind.

Like him, Namgung Seol was someone who would not stop or deviate from her path until she achieved her goal.

To Namgung Seol, her beliefs and objectives were more vital than even the life of a blood relative.

At times, her determination was slightly intimidating. But in essence, Lee Geom-han wasn’t any different.

His own ambition and goals were paramount.

That’s why he left the Mad Martial Sect and took over Silver Lotus Hall.

Taking a moment, Lee Geom-han asked

“Do you know who the killer is?”

“Not yet, but I’m sure we’ll find him soon enough. There are only a few martial artists in all of heaven who can take on my father alone, and I’m sure that if we investigate their activities, it will surely lead me to the killer.”

“Shouldn’t you tell this to Namgung Jin?”

“Jin? He probably already knows. He’s an exceptional person.”

Namgung Seol closed her eyes slightly.

Namgung Jin was the deciding factor in her leaving the Thousand Kingdom School and settling in the Silver Lotus Hall.

Although he was not as skilled as her, he had a stable base of support, a strong spirit, and powerful martial skills that dominated the Thousand Kingdom School.

The only way she could take control of the Thousand Kingdom School was to confront him directly, but she didn’t want to go that far.

‘He’s capable enough. I can entrust him with avenging our father.’

However, the killer’s ability worried her.

If there was someone strong enough to kill her father, even the Thousand Kingdom School would suffer considerable losses in their quest for revenge.

“Let us leave the revenge to the Thousand Kingdom School and concentrate on the battle at hand.”

“I agree.”

“Currently, Golden Heavenly Hall’s movements are suspicious. They seem to be planning something big.”

“What makes you think that? There’s hardly any power difference between them and us.”

In battles between equally powerful factions, it was nearly impossible to tip the scales in your favor overnight.

Unless the head of the organization was incredibly stupid.

Both the Golden Heavenly Hall and the Silver Lotus Hall had brilliant minds among them. Namgung Seol was such an intellect.

It would be impossible to devise a scheme that would fool them all.

The Golden Heavenly Hall must know this as well. The fact that such talk is circulating suggests that some covert activities have been discovered.

“Does the Golden Heavenly Hall have any tricks left?”

“Not many. Most are predictable.”

“Keep a close watch on their movements then. If they’re planning something significant, they’ll surely act differently.”

“I’ve already instructed our men.”

“Hmm.”

Lee Geom-han nodded.

‘I shouldn’t be worried.’

Despite losing her father, Namgung Seol still possessed sharp judgment and a cold rationality.

He felt he could continue to entrust her with vital tasks.

Namgung Seol spoke to Lee Geom-han.

“Leave the operations of the Silver Lotus Hall  to me. Focus only on confronting Jang Mugak. In the end, this battle will culminate in a showdown between you and Jang Mugak. The victor will claim everything.”

“I suppose so.”

“So, center yourself solely on your fight. I will handle everything else. Any hindrances in your path, I will clear away. So, don’t worry about such things and only push forward.”

“I will.”

“We are destined to be the victors of this battle. Lee Geom-han! Trust in me.”

“I do.”

Lee Geom-han pulled Namgung Seol into an embrace.

A determined gleam appeared in Namgung Seol’s eyes as she nestled in his arms.

‘I will remove all who obstruct Lee Geom-han’s path, even if it’s the Reaper…….