A murim clan.
A clan bearing one surname was, by nature, an extremely independent group.
They were people who did not share martial arts or information with anyone except those who bore the same surname.
Two such clans had become one.
Originally, the Namgung Clan had taken wives from nameless martial families or the daughters of wealthy merchant groups.
But this time, they had chosen union with the Sichuan Tang Clan.
He remembered there had been considerable opposition from the Elders……
In any case, Tang Yeonho did not dislike his grandson Namgung Yeon, who spoke so boldly.
But it would be no fun to simply give it to him.
The boy’s talent was tempting, but should this side not have something to gain as well?
“You want me to become your backer……. Then what can my grandson do for this grandfather?”
“Grandfather, I know the reason you came here.”
“Is that so? I came to see your mother and father, though?”
Tang Yeonho spoke shamelessly.
He had a separate purpose, but this was what he had to say here.
What could this young thing possibly know?
If he learned that his life was not long, and that because of it he had come to obtain an extremely precious ingredient……
‘No, no. That will not do.’
It was news that could shake not only the Tang Clan, but even the Namgung Clan here.
So he had no choice but to dodge the issue somehow.
Of all things, something had gone wrong while he was researching poison, and he had ended up in this state.
It was a truly absurd incident, enough to make the epithet Ten Thousand Poisons King feel wasted on him.
Of course, Namgung Yeon knew all of it.
In the end, Tang Yeonho would somehow recover on his own, but it had taken quite some time.
In truly unlucky cycles, he had failed to recover and even passed away……
Namgung Yeon judged that it would be better to drastically shorten that time.
‘It was truly nothing special.’
Once time passed, an affair of this level would come to feel like nothing, so he had to quickly deal with it and obtain the qualifications of a backer.
How could anyone cast aside the one who saved his life?
So this time as well, he decided to use the Infinite Storehouse.
“I know your body is unwell, Grandfather.”
“…….”
“And I know that you need this.”
A medicinal pill he had brought out from the depths of his mental image.
It was precious.
It was a medicinal pill made only from ingredients found deep within Mount Huang.
The secret medicine, made by receiving clear energy from the peaks of Mount Huang, would purify the poison energy coiled around his heart.
[Clear Heart Lotus Pill]
“Please accept this.”
“What is this?”
“Yeon, you gave this mother a medicinal pill last time too…….”
At this point, they should have found it suspicious, yet they did not think much of it.
To Namgung and the Tang Clan, such medicinal pills could be produced as much as one wanted so long as the ingredients were known.
“Please protect me and my group members for two years. That is the price for me saving your life, Grandfather.”
“…….”
Tang Yeonho looked at his grandson with a shocked face.
Where on earth did a bastard like this pop out from?
Tang Yeonho accepted the medicinal pill with a dazed gaze.
When he felt the energy contained within the pill, he marveled.
“Where in the world did you obtain such a precious formula?”
“What else could I do while lying in bed?”
“Heh heh……. Then will you stand guard for this grandfather?”
Namgung Yeon nodded.
This was someone who had always labored for Sichuan.
Looking at his maternal grandfather while he was still young made Namgung Yeon realize anew just how broken a life he had been living.
‘Now I’ve even reached the point where his young face and old face overlap.’
It was an illusion where it seemed there were wrinkles, and yet there were not.
The two faces shimmered and overlapped, as though he were seeing a phantom.
Because this was the end, he tried to be even more clearly conscious of it, and the emotions and memories he had forcibly buried began to creep up.
‘The attack will happen anyway.’
On top of that, there was a string-puller among his group members as well.
When would it be best to tell Father and Mother?
Not yet. It was not yet time to act rashly.
The proper time would naturally arrive.
***
When Father’s gaze had changed, and Mother’s gaze was becoming increasingly colored with admiration.
This time, he even changed his maternal grandfather’s gaze.
“Ha ha ha ha ha ha-! Fine, I will do that much! A backer!”
Having received a definite answer, Namgung Yeon came out.
His objective was one thing.
If an attack beyond his ability to handle occurred, Tang Yeonho would help once.
And continued spending money.
That alone was enough.
Having resolved the issue, Namgung Yeon looked at his mother, who was standing there blankly.
Then he spoke.
“You still have not taken it?”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
“The medicinal pill.”
“It feels a little too precious to take yet…….”
Soyeon smiled awkwardly.
Namgung Yeon looked at his mother and reassured her.
There were as many of those as needed.
So he told her not to use it for her sons and daughters, but to take care of herself.
Only then could she escape the wheel of sacrifice in which she had always given everything freely for her children.
“I think it would be best for you to take it, Mother. If I say it is this son’s lifelong wish, will you grant it?”
“Do you want me to take that medicine that badly?”
“Yes.”
He had been a child who obediently drank even bitter decoctions without a word.
Had there ever been a time when he demanded something this strongly?
On top of that, where exactly had such an elixir come from……?
There were truly many things she wanted to ask, but she decided to hold them back.
“You obtained that pill outside, did you not?”
“In a manner of speaking.”
“I heard many things happened. Do not…… push yourself too hard.”
“Do not worry. And if you need it, I can give you more, so please do not worry about the medicinal pill.”
“I will ask your father today and take the pill.”
Only then did a bright smile flash across Namgung Yeon’s face.
It was a smile of deep relief.
His mother, Soyeon, wore a strange expression as she watched him.
Because it seemed as though her son was trying to protect her.
“I will take my leave now.”
“……All right.”
Namgung Yeon bowed deeply, then left.
They were medicinal pills made with formulas that had not yet appeared in the world.
Therefore, even if they pressed their informants, nothing would come out.
However, it was also something that had to be done.
‘Without them, this murim has no value worth saving.’
Thinking that, Namgung Yeon quietly moved his steps.
Below him, the vast scenery of the Namgung Clan came into view.
The people down there must each be living with their own goals.
However, among them, there would certainly be forces trying to bring down this massive iron fortress.
Why did he not step forward now?
Words only worked when one had the skill to back them.
Rather, now was the time to steadily build strength.
When the words he spoke began to possess authority beyond mere legitimacy.
The Namgung Clan would stand whole, without collapsing.
The final and strongest fortress of murim.
As the true alliance leader whom all martial artists could trust and follow.
***
“You look happy.”
“Yes, of course. I’m serving the young master who’s rising as a new star, aren’t I?”
“I do not think that is all.”
By tomorrow, they had to leave for Hapsan.
Hoho’s expression looked unusually bright.
It had always been bright and friendly by nature, but today it looked even better.
Namgung Yeon thought he knew the reason, so he prodded a little further.
Hoho smiled awkwardly and opened his mouth.
Because he was still wearing the Dragon-Suppressing Shackles, he could not properly use martial arts.
Even so, the changed gazes must have stirred him.
“Not all of those gazes have disappeared yet…… but the people who used to torment me did not approach.”
“I suppose not.”
“Following your summons may have become the turning point of my life, Young Master.”
“You have entered a life different from theirs. Are you not already a proper martial artist?”
“…….”
What was a martial artist?
Some would say it was someone who had learned martial arts, and others would say it was one who had survived after fierce combat.
Then whom would Namgung Yeon himself call a martial artist?
A martial artist was one who took up the sword.
One who took up the sword would inevitably face dreadful consequences.
Whether that meant staining one’s hands with blood, or becoming drenched in blood oneself……
Hoho had already taken up the sword by his own will and accepted the consequences.
‘His bearing must have changed, and his atmosphere as well.’
There was a saying that martial artists recognized martial artists.
At its root, perhaps it was because of the growth that came from accepting the consequences and calmly moving forward.
Hoho was growing.
In the next battle, he would probably perform reasonably well.
“If you continue to show yourself changing, the bastards who look down on you will gradually disappear.”
“Will they really?”
“Of course, it will not be an easy path. There are many bastards who think that because your birth was at the bottom, your end must also be at the bottom.”
“…….”
Hoho nodded solemnly.
Because he thought every word Young Master Yeon said was right.
By the way, Manho was nowhere to be seen.
“Where did Manho go?”
“He said an Elder called him for a moment and that he would be back.”
“Hmm…… I see.”
A bodyguard had been called away without permission……
Ordinarily, it would have been something worthy of severe punishment, but the story changed if it was an Elder of the Namgung Clan.
The Elders of this great clan were people who wielded absolute power.
People he would one day have to bring beneath his feet.
‘Your future will split depending on your choice.’
Park Manho.
How tightly would he hold his tongue?
Namgung Yeon was not particularly worried.
If a bodyguard he disliked had been assigned to him, he would have changed him immediately.
Preparations were roughly complete now.
JINGLE—.
Namgung Yeon looked at the Demonic Spirit Sword standing beside him.
The way it drooped made it look like a pet that needed to be fed.
When he stroked the blade of the Demonic Spirit Sword, he felt as though the blade trembled very faintly.
“Do not worry.”
Soon, I will let you eat your fill of the energy you desire.
Namgung Yeon tried to gauge the things that would happen from now on.
He had gone through countless cycles, but the future always changed from moment to moment.
However, among them, there were also things that would inevitably happen without changing.
Events bound and led by the chains of fate, whether he intervened or not.
One of them was what would happen during the two years of training ahead.
He trained in order to prepare for that.
At the same time, he had to protect and grow his group members, making them into proper members of Namgung.
‘As for variables…….’
Namgung Jinjin.
Namgung Geonho.
And the others.
In addition, his brothers and sisters, including Namgung Jin.
And soon, his younger sister Namgung Hwayeon, one year apart from him, would make contact.
The brain of the Namgung Clan.
His younger sister, who had earned the epithet that her schemes alone rivaled the Zhuge Clan.
There had been times when she fell into disaster by her own hand because of her outstanding mind, but she was also a talent who was absolutely necessary.
“Third Group Leader? Hello?”
“You came.”
As they said, speak of a tiger and it appears.
A girl appeared with a lively voice, accompanied by her guards.
A strange wind swirled around the quiet detached residence.
Namgung Yeon, who had been sitting on the stone steps, slowly rose.
The gaze of his guest, Namgung Hwayeon, changed when she saw him.
Namgung Yeon knew what that look meant.
Fear.
She was afraid of him.
‘Be more afraid.’
What my path needs is your schemes and your mind, not your suspicion and competition.
Namgung Yeon’s abyss-like eyes expanded as though they would swallow the young girl.