Chapter 77
“Lord Namgung Wiyo sealed that item in the shrine located within the Namgung Clan’s training cave.”
“A training cave, you say...?”
At Hong-seol’s words, Namgung Baek’s gaze drifted toward the low mountain that cradled the back of the estate.
“It is a cave used for cultivating martial arts. There are a few of them over there.”
“Why would the Heavenly Vault Sword Emperor hide such a precious pill so securely?”
If one didn’t know when it might be needed, shouldn’t it be kept somewhere safe?
To Hong-seol’s question, Namgung Baek replied.
“It was because of the Heavenly Demon.”
The Heavenly Demon!
At the mention of a name she hadn’t expected, Hong-seol’s heart filled with dread. In a trembling voice, she recalled what she had learned from the *Records of the Great War Between Justice and the Demonic Cult*.
“It was said that the Namgung Clan, the Tang Clan of Sichuan, and the Southern Savage Beast Palace joined forces to poison the Heavenly Demon...”
“Indeed. And what do you think would happen if such a Heavenly Demon were to get his hands on the Golden Dragon Jade Blood Pill?”
“The righteous martial world would have perished.”
Chills ran down Hong-seol’s entire body. If that had happened, the Namgung Baek before her eyes would not exist in this world either.
Nor would Grandfather Namgung Ho, Clan Lord Namgung On, Head of the Medical Hall Bing Yuhwa, or Heuk and Jeok.
“That is why the Heavenly Vault Sword Emperor took the Golden Dragon Jade Blood Pill, which had been crafted and kept by the Tang Clan of Sichuan, and sealed it deep within the Namgung Clan’s training cave.”
Namgung Baek slowly continued.
“And he ensured that to break the seal, one would absolutely require the help of their ally, the Southern Savage Beast Palace.”
“Hmm. But I heard that the Southern Savage Beast Palace was annihilated after being attacked by the Demonic Cult...”
“That is true. By the way, Seol, do you happen to know the other name for the Southern Savage Beast Palace?”
“Yes!”
“Oh, is that so?”
“The Southern Savage Beast Palace!”
At Hong-seol’s confident tone, a faint laugh escaped Namgung Baek’s lips.
“Not that. The Southern Savage Beast Palace once held the title of the Yin-Yang Palace.”
“Yin-Yang Palace?”
“The unique martial art passed down to the direct descendants of the Yin-Yang Palace is none other than the Yin-Yang Divine Art.”
Hearing this, Hong-seol clapped her hands together.
“So that is why the Heavenly Vault Sword Emperor made it so that the Yin-Yang Divine Art is required to break the seal!”
Namgung Baek looked at Hong-seol’s face with wide, surprised eyes.
Realizing her mistake, Hong-seol clamped her mouth shut.
Before she knew it, the corners of Namgung Baek’s mouth were trembling slightly.
“Seol, did you... know?”
“Ah, well, that is...”
Flustered, Hong-seol hung her head low.
Namgung Baek wore a look of utter bewilderment.
“Just how long have you known?”
“...For a very long time. I happened to hear it on the day the Head of the Medical Hall returned.”
Hong-seol replied, trying to avoid Namgung Baek’s gaze.
‘Mr. Mouse told me. He said he heard it by chance while passing by the Medicine Hall.’
To cure the eldest young master of the Namgung Clan, the Yin-Yang Divine Art is needed.
And now that the Yin-Yang Palace has vanished, the only one who can master the Yin-Yang Divine Art is Hong-seol, who suffers from the Yin-Yang Severed Meridians.
“I-I don’t know the details. Today was the first time I heard about the Golden Dragon Jade Blood Pill from you, Brother.”
Namgung Baek was silent.
Then, Hong-seol was suddenly struck by worry.
‘What if he gets angry that I eavesdropped on the conversation between the Clan Lord and the Head of the Medical Hall?’
Should she be honest and say it wasn’t her, but Mr. Mouse who eavesdropped?
‘But then I’d probably get scolded for hiding the existence of Mr. Mouse all this time...’
The mouse family might even be chased out of the Namgung Clan.
While Hong-seol was agonizing over this, Namgung Baek’s icy voice fell.
“Tell them you will not receive the Energy Transfer Technique.”
“Yes?”
At the unexpected words, Hong-seol’s eyes went wide.
“But...”
“It is a process of picking through and rubbing every single one of your damaged meridians. It will be excruciatingly painful. And besides...”
He took a deep breath before continuing.
“You could lose your life in the process.”
Just like a few days ago, when Hong-seol’s meridians went wild and she reached the threshold of death.
Watching her struggle to breathe, gasping for air with no strength left, how many times had he sworn to himself?
That he would never again put this little child in such danger.
Even if he himself were the beneficiary.
‘Because Seol is the only family I chose to keep by my side.’
Namgung Baek, having steeled his heart, was even radiating a sharp, cold energy. He spoke with a slightly choked voice.
“Promise me, Seol-ah. That you will not receive the Energy Transfer Technique.”
“B-but Brother...”
Hong-seol called out to him cautiously, but it was no use.
Namgung Baek’s face was as resolute as could be.
“Hurry!”
At his urging, Hong-seol, who had been biting her lip, suddenly shouted.
“Brother is a fool!”
“What?”
At Hong-seol’s sudden, heavy remark, Namgung Baek felt as if he had been struck.
It felt as if someone had punched him hard in the solar plexus.
“I’m... a fool? Why?”
“My decision to receive the Energy Transfer Technique was my own! It’s not like anyone forced me to do it.”
At those words, Namgung Baek’s mind went blank.
“I really want to have a body that can use Inner Energy. That’s why...”
Hong-seol couldn’t finish her sentence and hung her head low.
Hearing that, Namgung Baek’s heart sank.
‘Seol wants to get healthy so she can return to the Myo Clan...’
He recalled the look in Hong-seol’s eyes when she was shaken by the news of Mrs. Jeok at the <Anhui River Crossing>.
Indeed, why would the Myo Clan turn away Hong-seol once she had cured her Severed Meridians and mastered martial arts?
They might even welcome her with open arms.
Suddenly, he felt as if he couldn’t breathe. It felt as if someone were grabbing him by the collar and shaking him.
‘Someday, Seol will leave my side.’
He had always thought only about himself leaving first; he had never once considered that someone might leave him.
‘Should I try to persuade her not to go? Or should I beg?’
Namgung Baek’s mind was a blur.
Both were things he had never done in his life.
And above all, no matter what he did, it didn’t seem like Hong-seol would listen to him.
‘To an eight-year-old child, her mother is her whole world.’
So, if Seol ever said she was leaving...
‘Should I send her off with a smile, then?’
Even if it meant he could never laugh with her like before.
After all, the Myo Clan and the Namgung Clan were not on good terms.
Feeling a wave of sadness, he dropped his head. Seeing this, Hong-seol tilted her head in confusion.
“Brother?”
This was clearly different from when he had been pretending to be sad earlier. Right now, her brother truly looked deeply sorrowful.
“Brother...?”
“Ah, it is nothing.”
Namgung Baek lifted his head and forced a smile.
“Are you really okay?”
“Of course I am.”
“You’re sure... Oh! A messenger bird!”
Hong-seol, who had looked up to soothe Namgung Baek, widened her eyes.
A familiar bird was circling above the Namgung Clan estate.
That bird with blue-tipped wings was undoubtedly a messenger bird that traveled between Sichuan and Anhui.
“It looks like the Poison King sent a reply!”
Hong-seol said, jumping to her feet.
‘Did the Snake Grandfather say he would perform the Energy Transfer Technique for me?’
Unlike the quite excited Hong-seol, Namgung Baek’s face remained pale.
“Let’s go quickly, Brother!”
Hong-seol ran ahead, her footsteps pattering away.
Namgung Baek remained standing alone, watching her go.
After a while, lost in thought and idly fiddling with a pebble, he suddenly stood up with determination.
“That’s right. I’ll treat Seol so well that she won’t even think of leaving.”
Until she doesn’t even remember the ‘Myo’ in Myo Clan. He would make sure she grew deeply attached to everything in the Namgung Clan.
Namgung Baek looked down at the surface of the pond. His composed face, now set with resolve, shimmered on the water.
“I can do it.”
Clenching his fist, Namgung Baek tossed the pebble onto the pond.
Then, he turned on his heel and followed after Hong-seol.
The pebble he threw skipped across the surface of the water, not stopping until it reached the other side of the pond.
* * *
In the Azure Sky Pavilion, Namgung Ho and Namgung On sat facing each other before a tea table.
“The Azure Sky Unit has found the traces of the culprits who kidnapped Hong-seol, Father.”
The tendon in Namgung Ho’s hand, gripping the cloud-patterned porcelain teacup, bulged.
“Where?”
“In the mountains, a three or four-day journey away for an ordinary person on foot, inside a cave.”
“Did you catch them?”
Was it because of his scars? Or perhaps his cold gaze?
Today, Namgung Ho’s face looked particularly menacing.
“No, they were all dead.”
“Was it a solo act?”
“It was the work of an outsider.”
“What?”
Startled, Namgung Ho sprang from his seat.
“Are you saying that experts capable of evading the Azure Sky Unit were defeated so easily?”
On the other hand, Namgung On was calmly sipping his tea.
“Please, calm down and listen to the rest, Father.”
Feeling awkward, Namgung Ho sat back down. Then, Namgung On opened his mouth.
“There is another strange point.”
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