Return of the Mount Hua

What kind of wealth and fame would I enjoy? (2)

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“The injured, how are they?”

Namgung Myeong casually replied to Namgung Dowi’s question.

“I don’t think anyone will die. They’re tough individuals with strong constitutions.”

“That’s fortunate.”

“The assistance from Tangga was a big help. Tangga’s medicine is well-known in the Central Plains, isn’t it?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Tangga specializes in poison control, but is also skilled in medicine. Due to dealing with numerous poisons and injuries in their line of work, their expertise in medicine naturally developed.

“However…”

Namgung Myeong, who had been speaking vaguely, opened his mouth solemnly.

“Among the eighty or so who returned from Maehwa Island, about ten may never be able to wield a sword again.”

Namgung Dowi nodded without a reply.

It’s a bitter truth, but they have to accept it. Just returning alive from Maehwa Island is already fortunate.

“And among the remaining, quite a few may never recover their previous martial skills.”

“…I see.”

Namgung Myeong suppressed a sigh.

The damage was greater than he had anticipated. He thought they had preserved at least three-quarters of their strength, but if Namgung Myeong is correct, they should worry about whether even one-quarter remains.

Even though they call themselves the Namgung Clan, with this level of power, it’s embarrassing to use the name “Clan.”

‘In different circumstances, I would have declared Bongmun and reorganize our family… But now, it’s impossible.’

Even if there are grudges against them, it’s customary for powerful factions to step back and observe if a clan declares Bongmun. However, those Sapa rascals won’t abide by that tradition.

If Namgung Clan were to declare Bongmun now, there’s a high probability that those from the opposing faction, Sapaeryeon or Surochae, would launch an attack while the relationship with other clans is strained. If that happens, Namgung Clan will truly be finished.

“Vice Lord.”

“Speak, Yong Lord.”

“I think we need to leave Anhui.”

A heavy sigh escapes from Namgung Myeong’s lips. He knows that there’s no other option right now, but leaving the place where the family has deep roots is not an easy decision.

It would be as difficult as leaving Sichuan for Tangga, or leaving Shaanxi for Hwasan.

“That seems to be the only way.”

“Yes.”

Namgung Dowi nodded.

“As we leave Anhui, we will lose a lot.”

If we were to leave Anhui immediately, it would indeed pose problems for the businesses established there and the relationships with other factions.

“But if we don’t leave, we’ll lose even more.”

“Huh…”

“Vice Lord, no, Uncle. This is a decision Namgung Clan has to make preserve our name. I implore you.”

Namgung Myeong shook his head.

“Please don’t say such things, Young Lord. You are currently the acting head of the family. Do not seek my permission; just give the command.”

“Uncle…”

“I believe that the decision made by the Young Lord is the right one. And…”

Namgung Myeong smiled warmly as he looked at Namgung Dowi.

“I believe that the head of the family also supports this decision. What’s important is not preserving wealth but preserving the spirit of Namgung. As long as the spirit is alive, Namgung can still be Namgung, no matter where.”

“Even Father…”

Namgung Myeong sighed softly, watching Namgung Dowi lost in thought for a moment.

“Young Lord.”

“Yes, Uncle.”

“I know what you’re thinking. You’re wondering if you would have needed to leave Anhui if your father was still alive, aren’t you?”

Namgung Dowi remained silent, his lips tightly sealed. Namgung Myeong nodded.

“Please don’t think that way, Young Lord.”

“…”

“A leader is a leader, and a you is a you. I have no doubt that Young Lord can become a leader surpassing the predecessors.”

“Uncle…”

It was a burdensome statement, but at the same time, it was empowering.

“It must be done.”

Not for his own glory, but for the future of Namgung Clan. To rebuild what had already crumbled, Namgung Dowi had to be stronger than anyone else.

“Alright. If you leave Anhui, what do you plan to do?”

“I plan to rely on Hwasan.”

“Rely on Hwasan, you say?”

“Yes.”

Namgung Myeong frowned.

Leaving Anhui was acceptable, but did he really have to rely on Hwasan?

“Young Lord, with the wealth accumulated by Namgung Clan, it wouldn’t be too difficult to establish a new presence in an uncontested region.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“But why insist on…”

Namgung Dowi slowly raised his head.

“For the sake of Namgung. You know, there has never been a faction that has grown as rapidly as Hwasan has until now. We need to learn how they did it to ensure Namgung’s future.”

“…Hyun Jong, Hwasan’s Sect Leader, is not such a harsh person. He’ll provide advice without the need to rely on him.”

“That won’t be enough.”

There was a firm resolve in Namgung Dowi’s eyes.

“Merely seeking advice and making efforts won’t allow Namgung Clan to regain its former status. Namgung Clan has overcome countless hardships, but this level of damage hasn’t been seen in a hundred years, hasn’t it?”

“…That’s true.”

Namgung Myeong nodded reluctantly. While the previous war with Magyo may have caused more extensive damage when measured purely in losses, it couldn’t be compared to the current situation. Back then, everyone, regardless of their faction, suffered losses. Consequently, Namgung Clan’s position within the factions did not decline significantly.

But now, it was different. All other factions had gained considerable strength except for Namgung.

“I can endure discomfort. What I can’t bear is the collapse of Namgung’s name during my generation.”

“Young Lord…”

“Please help. Uncle. If you help, I can persuade everyone in the family.”

Namgung Myeong gazed earnestly at Namgung Dowi. After a moment of hesitation, unable to ignore those resolute eyes, he finally nodded.

“I will do so.”

“Thank you.”

There was a hint of relief in Namgung Dowi’s voice. Namgung Myeong sighed.

“Remember that, with this choice, the person who will bear the most burden is you, Young Lord.”

“I am prepared.”

“…And, even if they don’t know, we can’t take all the swordsmen to Hwasan.”

“We will need build a residence in Hwaeum and stay there. I believe they will understand.”

It seemed that they had already devised a plan. At this point, Namgung Myeong became genuinely curious.

“What have you seen in Hwasan?”

“I haven’t seen anything.”

“Yes?”

“I’m going to see, Uncle.”

A smile appeared at the corner of Namgung Dowi’s mouth.

“They are different from the factions I’m familiar with. It’s different from Shaolin, and it’s different from Namgung.”

“…?”

“I know it’s different, but I don’t know why. That’s why I’m going to see. To fully understand why they are different from us and learn from it.”

Namgung Myeong nodded as if he couldn’t stop him. But there was a very warm smile on his lips.

“I will do my best to learn from your words, Uncle.”

“Sure.”

“It might take some time to persuade the members…”

At that moment, Namgung Myeong furrowed his brow and turned his gaze towards the door.

“Why is there so much commotion?”

Since a while ago, the sound of clashing weapons had been heard from outside. It wasn’t particularly remarkable for the sound of weapons clashing to come from where the warriors were, but to Namgung Myeong, who had grown up in Namgung Clan, this sound was unusual.

“Could there be some kind of problem…?”

It was precisely at that moment.

Kwaaaang!

The door of the room they were in exploded and shattered inward, and a person flew inside.

“What, what is this?”

“An invasion?”

Both of them jumped up in alarm and instinctively grabbed their swords. Right in front of them, the person who had flown in was lying on the ground.

“Huh?”

“Is that… Jo Geol Dojang?”

Jo Geol was spitting blood from his mouth and trembling all over.

In the moment of astonishment that flashed in Namgung Dowi’s eyes, Jo Geol pointed shakily outside.

“D-Dojang! Are you okay?”

“Damn…”

“D-Damn?”

“Damn… bastard…”

“…”

“Damn… bas…”

Thud.

Jo Geol finally rolled his eyes back and lost consciousness. Even though he had already lost consciousness, frothy red foam was still bubbling from his mouth.

Namgung Dowi stared outside with a dazed expression.

“Ughhh! You little b-“

Just then, Hwasan’s second class disciple Baek Cheon was kicked in the face like a soccer ball, which send him flying backward. Chung Myung, after trampling over Baek Cheon’s face, blinked his eyes and looked for his next target.

“Stop him!”

In a conflict, the one who raises their voice first is often at a disadvantage. Yoon Jong’s mistake was not knowing this simple truth.

As a result, he had to create a hole in the wall with the shape of a person’s body.

“This is chaotic!”

Yu Iseol propelled herself into the air and charged at Chung Myung. Namgung Myeong clenched his dry throat.

“…Is he in his right mind?”

Shock made his mouth gape open.

This place was exactly by the Yangtze River. And not far from here, there were not only Gupailbang but also the armed forces of Sapaeryeon. Yet here, they were making such a ruckus during their training?

‘Even though it’s only been two days since the battle at Maehwa Island?’

The way they swung their swords at each other didn’t look ordinary at all. It was not a practice suitable for a sparring session but rather the kind of training where it wouldn’t be unusual for someone to get injured.

In everything, there was a right time and place. This training was out of time and place. What was even more peculiar was that no one seemed to find this situation strange.

“Hey, you little-!”

Everyone was filled with complaints, but not a single person stepped back. It was hard to believe that these people didn’t know that if they didn’t like the training, they could simply turn and leave the training ground…

Furthermore, Chung Myung himself surprised Namgung Myeong.

Hwasan Geomhyeop was powerful enough to defeat the Black Dragon King, and even comparable to Namgung Hwang.

But when was the last time Namgung Hwang personally sparred with the swordsmen of the his Clan?

When top-level swordsmen reached their peak, they tended to prioritize examining their own sword over direct sparring. Therefore, as their skills improve, the number of actual sparring sessions naturally decreases. This was quite natural for Namgung Myeong, who had lived in the world of martial artists.

In the world of swordsmanship, it was considered common sense that having one top-level master was better than having a hundred mediocre ones. That’s why, in sword clans, they actively encouraged the isolation of top-level masters to focus on their own training.

That’s why seeing Chung Myung, who was several times stronger, fighting vigorously with a group of lower-level practitioners was a shock in itself.

“So this is what being strong is… This is why…”

It felt like he was catching a glimpse of the secret behind Hwasan’s strength.

How can someone not become stronger when a master of this caliber spars with you every day?

While he didn’t know much about others, it was clear to Namgung Myeong that Chung Myung’s goal wasn’t to make him stronger, but to make Hwasan stronger.

“I envy you, Uncle.”

“Young Lord…”

Namgung Dowi gazed at the scene with a wistful expression. Perhaps he was thinking about himself sparring with his father, Namgung Hwang, around this time.

“But, well… There might still be opportunities from now on.”

“What? Young Lord, are you…?”

“I’ll be back in a moment.”

Namgung Dowi drew his sword.

“Ah, you’re not fully recovered yet!”

Namgung Myeong hastily protested, but Namgung Dowi didn’t even acknowledge it and rushed forward. Seeing the triumphant smile on his face, Namgung Myeong gave up trying to stop him.

‘Hwasan…’

Perhaps Namgung Dowi’s decision to rely on them was the best choice. This was considering it from Namgung Dowi’s perspective, setting aside Namgung Clan’s position.

‘Do as you wish, Young Lord.’

Namgung Myeong could only hope that the lake called Hwasan would be enough to contain the young dragon Namgung Dowi.

Just that… he hoped for that alone…

Clang!

“What was that just now? There was a strange bastard here?”

Namgung Myeong closed his eyes tightly as he watched Namgung Dowi, who had been instantly thrown out of the training ground by Chung Myung’s sword.

‘Let’s think about this once more.’

For some reason, it felt like the lake had been poisoned.

…And with a rather deadly poison.

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