Chapter 56 - The First-Rate Warrior Who Astonished the Divine Sword (4)

A short table was placed at the highest seat of honor. A table that could seat about six people.

And long tables were attached to both sides of that table at a right angle.

I did not know if it was intentional, but inside the banquet hall, the direct line and the branch line sat facing each other.

To the left sat the direct line: Namgung Jinmyeong, his wife, and his children, Namgung San and Namgung Seonhwa. Next to them sat the Hall Leaders and Squad Leaders of each hall.

To the right sat Namgung Songju and his son, Namgung Gipyo. And taking their respective seats were the pavilion masters in charge of the external pavilions, along with those who handled outside affairs.

Me?

I was sitting on the left side of the highest seat of honor.

At first, I approached thinking I could just sit next to Namgung Seonhwa, but Namgung Jinmyeong ended up pointing to the seat of honor.

Astonished, I tried to refuse several times, but he insisted on seating me here.

"I have prepared a small banquet for you."

The time I had somehow wanted to avoid had returned.

Just as I was wondering if I had to endure this embarrassing situation once again.

"I question whether that is truly the right decision, Minor Patriarch."

At Namgung Songju's words, Namgung Jinmyeong's brow slightly furrowed.

"What do you mean?"

"It is certainly true that a benefactor has come to the Namgung Clan. However, hasn't the Namgung Clan just experienced a major incident? Five warriors died. Will the clan's warriors and the people of the external branches really look upon this favorably?"

Namgung Songju was trying to stop the banquet just as I had hoped, but conversely, his opposition somehow made a sense of rebelliousness surge within me.

"..."

Namgung Jinmyeong could not say anything else to Namgung Songju.

To outsiders, it was an act bordering on a nonsensical mutiny, but the warriors of the Namgung Clan were not particularly surprised.

It was just that the gazes of those sitting on the direct line's side looking at Namgung Songju were not kind.

"Then what do you think would be best to do?"

"I have prepared around 100 taels of gold in the name of the Namgung Clan. I believe that is more than enough compensation for a disciple of the Taiyi Sect."

"Are you saying the value of the lives of the Namgung Clan's warriors is merely that much?"

"One cannot dare to set a price on the lives of warriors. However, isn't compensation ultimately a relative matter?"

It was a clear scene of Namgung Jinmyeong being pushed back.

This was a cross-section showing the current reality of the Namgung Clan.

Merchant Group Leader of the Cangqiong Merchant Group, Namgung Songju.

Despite being from the branch line, he was someone who held such immense speaking power within the Namgung Clan that he could refute the Minor Patriarch's opinions.

The reason he could act like this was because the Cangqiong Merchant Group, where he served as the Merchant Group Leader, managed all the external businesses of the Namgung Clan.

In short, all the money earned under the name of the Namgung Clan was flowing into the clan through the Cangqiong Merchant Group.

It was truly a situation where he had the Namgung Clan by the throat.

"..."

As an uncomfortable silence hung over the hall, the door burst open and an old man with a massive frame entered.

"What is this nonsense?"

Instantly, everyone in the hall jumped up and offered their greetings.

"We greet the Patriarch."

Standing tall at nearly six feet with solid muscles, he was an old man who could easily pass for a middle-aged man if not for the white beard covering his jaw and his white hair.

He planted himself right into the seat next to me.

"I am asking Namgung Songju. What is this nonsense?"

While everyone else took their seats, Namgung Songju remained standing and answered.

"It is exactly as I said. Just today, the direct descendants of the Namgung Clan faced a crisis where they nearly died. In the process, five elite warriors of the Namgung Clan lost their lives. If we hold a banquet on such a day, I fear how the people of the world will view it."

"I heard it was also this young man who played an active role in that very ambush today. And just a few months ago, this young man personally saved over 4,000 people, including the warriors of the Namgung Clan. If we do not even hold a banquet when such an esteemed guest visits the Namgung Clan, what would the people of the world say?"

Namgung Songju stared silently at the Azure Emperor Divine Sword, Namgung Taeha, without answering.

Surprisingly, there was not a single shred of fear in Namgung Songju's gaze. It was simply the ambitious gaze of a younger man looking at a pathetic old man.

"We will formally mourn those who died. But does that mean we are a clan that must care so much about the opinions of outsiders that we cannot even entertain a guest we barely managed to invite?"

"..."

"Answer me!"

"... No."

"Then that is settled. Let us begin."

* * *

I did not particularly want to receive thanks in an atmosphere that felt like walking on thin ice, but regardless of my will, the maidservants came in and began setting down food and alcohol.

"You are Jin Sowoon, right?"

"The junior martial artist Jin Sowoon offers his greetings to the Azure Emperor Divine Sword."

"Hmm, you look more ordinary than I expected."

I could not answer the remark, not knowing if it was a compliment or criticism.

"You beat Namgung Gitae to a pulp?"

"Ah... I did not know. I thought he was an intruder."

"Puahaha, you saw what he did to the maidservant and yet you tell such a lie. You are quite the brazen child."

He laughed heartily and patted my shoulder, my body thudding each time he struck.

When I discreetly turned my head to look at Namgung Songju and Namgung Gitae, they wore expressions as if they were eating bugs instead of food.

"Um, Grandfather."

At that moment, Namgung Seonhwa stood up from her seat.

"Do you have something to say?"

"Yes. I would like to give the Daeyeon Divine Pill I am supposed to receive this time to Young Master Jin Sowoon."

"!"

"!"

The commotion in the hall suddenly ceased.

At Namgung Seonhwa's sudden words, I also dropped the meat I was eating. I had heard that the descendants of the Namgung Clan received one Daeyeon Divine Pill every five years. Was she seriously giving that up?

"The Namgung Clan has already prepared a gift to give him. You do not need to step forward like that."

"No. Separate from that, I owe him my life again this time. I believe that failing to repay a favor would smear the name of the Namgung Clan."

"You... have to take the Murim Academy's standard exam soon. Will you be alright?"

"I will not use the Daeyeon Divine Pill as an excuse to cover up my own shortcomings."

"Good. In that case, do as you wish."

A groan briefly slipped from the mouths of Namgung Jinmyeong and his wife, but now that the Patriarch had made his decision, no one raised any objections.

The banquet proceeded rather quietly in its own way.

There were no group greetings like there had been at the Cheongmyeong Escort Agency, but occasionally people would approach individually to express their gratitude or pour a drink.

When the banquet was somewhat coming to an end, the Azure Emperor Divine Sword spoke.

"You, come see me for a moment."

This was a place I had come to meet him in the first place.

"Understood."

"Ah, do not get up just yet. It seems there are still people who wish to speak with you, so I will excuse myself first."

With that, the Azure Emperor Divine Sword left his seat first, and I was only able to get up a long while later.

"Disciple of the Taiyi Sect. Could I see you for a moment?"

As I was heading to the Patriarch's personal training ground, Namgung Songju called me over separately.

"What is the matter?"

Instead of answering, he surrounded us with qi to prevent his voice from leaking out.

Namgung San and Namgung Seonhwa frowned at Namgung Songju's actions, but they could not particularly stop him.

"You may not know this, but your presence does not look good in my eyes."

"For what reason?"

"You do not need to know the reason. What you need to know is that even without borrowing the power of the Namgung Clan's direct line, the power of the branch line alone is more than enough to wipe out something like the Taiyi Sect."

"... Is it because of what happened at Mount Gueom?"

Namgung Songju's eyes widened.

Soon, a smile touched his lips for the first time.

"I heard you were smart, and it seems those were not empty words."

"Are you not even afraid of the Azure Emperor Divine Sword?"

"... Of course I am afraid of the Azure Emperor Divine Sword. But not to the extent of stopping a grand endeavor. You should know that considering how I am still wandering around the clan perfectly fine despite what happened at Mount Gueom."

"..."

"You might think it is only because of what happened at Mount Gueom, but that is not the case for me. You have wronged me in many ways."

"..."

"So keep this in mind. The moment I set my mind to it, the Taiyi Sect will disappear from Anhui Province."

Namgung Songju soon lifted the qi barrier and walked away.

Namgung San and Seonhwa approached and asked in a serious tone.

"What did you two talk about?"

They were clearly convinced there was something. I shook my head and reassured them.

"It was nothing much. Let's go. The Patriarch is waiting."

"..."

* * *

Daeyeon Hall.

The Patriarch's residence, located in the deepest and highest part of the Namgung Clan.

Various beautiful flowers were in full bloom in the front yard, and walking around to the back of the residence revealed a training ground the same size as the grand training ground in the Taiyi Sect, set up as the Patriarch's personal training ground.

Standing there, the Azure Emperor Divine Sword was stroking his beard and gazing at the peak of Mount Huang.

"Patriarch, we have arrived."

"The meal wasn't very comfortable, was it?"

His majestic appearance as the Azure Emperor Divine Sword was nowhere to be seen, having transformed into the image of an old man wanting to play a prank.

"No. I was very satisfied to eat delicious food and be treated so well."

"By the way."

"..."

"I heard you stole our San's divine pill?"

"!!!"

The Azure Emperor Divine Sword unexpectedly threw a sudden jab.

Namgung San quickly stepped forward.

"I am dying of unfairness. Grandfather, I feel like I was robbed blind."

I looked at Namgung San with the feeling of having been struck hard in the back of the head.

"What are you..."

"Did you know that the Seven-Colored Treasure Orb you took was actually one of my most cherished treasures?"

"Hah..."

My vision spun.

Knowing my father's temper, he would have definitely already sold it, saying there was no point in keeping a useless jewel you couldn't even eat.

And there was no way I could return it now.

'No, why would a grandson arbitrarily take the Azure Emperor Divine Sword's possession and wager it on a bet!'

It was a situation with no solution anyway.

I decided to act brazenly.

"That was a fair and square match against Senior Namgung San. If you wish to scold someone... do not scold me, but scold Senior Namgung for arbitrarily using the Divine Sword's treasure in a bet."

"Pfft!"

"Kuhehehe."

Namgung San and Seonhwa giggled, and the Azure Emperor Divine Sword wore a gentle smile on his lips.

"Very amusing. I heard you grabbed a sword with your bare hand; your audacity is quite impressive."

Was it a joke?

I shook my head, feeling entirely drained.

"...!"

At the same time, an invisible energy tried to enter my body.

'What is this!'

The level of the emitted qi was on an entirely different dimension from anything I had experienced so far.

If the probing by my father, Jin Taesan, was on the level of a stream, the Azure Emperor Divine Sword felt like he was trying to bind my entire body with a massive current like the waters of the Yellow River.

I quickly took two steps back and activated the Taiyi True Scripture.

"?"

"?"

Namgung San and Seonhwa, who did not know his inner intentions.

The Azure Emperor Divine Sword quickly withdrew his emitted qi and chuckled.

"How amusing. There was a reason why a child who hasn't even reached adulthood shook the Jianghu."

"What do you mean, Grandfather?"

Namgung Seonhwa asked, but the Azure Emperor Divine Sword shook his head.

"Huhu, you do not need to know. If you knew, you would regret your choice."

The Azure Emperor Divine Sword looked at me and asked.

"I heard there is something amusing among what you have learned on your own?"

Seeing him subtly glance at Namgung San as he spoke, it seemed he was talking about the Destruction Form.

"... I do not know what you mean."

"I see. San, go and bring my sword, and Seonhwa, you go back down."

"I want to watch a little longer, Grandfather."

"I will send San down as well. I have something to discuss alone with this child."

"... Yes."

Pouting her lips, Namgung Seonhwa looked back at me several times as she went down.

When the two of them moved far enough away from the training ground, he asked me again.

"I heard from San. That you know the weaknesses of the Cangqiong Boundless Sword Technique inside and out?"

In the end, my guess was right.

And the Azure Emperor Divine Sword was quite certain.

I played dumb for the time being.

"How could someone like me know the weaknesses of such a mysterious and wondrous sword technique? I believe the senior exaggerated."

"That child Namgung Gipyo's enlightenment might be lower than San's, but he is not at the level where he would be subdued in just two forms by a child who has barely reached adulthood."

At that moment, Namgung San was coming out of Daeyeon Hall with the Divine Sword's sword, and the Divine Sword reached out his hand toward the distant Namgung San.

Then, the sword slipped out of Namgung San's hands and was caught in the Azure Emperor Divine Sword's grip as if drawn by a magnet.

"Tell me, what price must I pay to see your sword?"

"I am only deeply troubled because you say you will pay a price for something that does not exist."

His eyes, which had been full of goodwill, gradually turned cold.

The intimidating pressure exuded by someone who had lived their entire life ruling over others was as unbearable as murderous intent.

"I do not like lies."

Even while feeling a sense of crisis that my life was hanging by a thread, I could not easily open my mouth.

The foundation of the Namgung Clan is the Cangqiong Boundless Sword Technique.

For generations since the founder created the Cangqiong Boundless Sword Technique, it had made its name known as the profound mystery and greatest sword technique of the Namgung Clan.

Even after the Sovereign Sword Technique appeared, the Jianghu's treatment of the Cangqiong Boundless Sword Technique remained unchanged from before.

Knowing the Destruction Form of the sword technique that formed the foundation of the clan meant that one had seized and was shaking the very roots that constituted the clan's core.

"If you want to play hard to get, you can be as difficult as you want. If you knew how desperate I am right now, you would ask for anything. I will even allow that."

I knew the reason why the Azure Emperor Divine Sword was drooling over the Destruction Form of the Cangqiong Boundless Sword Technique.

The branch line of the Namgung Clan also practiced the Cangqiong Boundless Sword Technique as their main sword technique.

When the branch line tried to act as they pleased like they were doing now, the Destruction Form was the ultimate card that could subdue their sword technique and enforce discipline.

"Though that is impossible, assuming I did know the weaknesses of the Cangqiong Boundless Sword Technique. Would my life be preserved? No, even setting me aside, could the Taiyi Sect remain intact?"

The reason why I, who had regressed, did not reveal the Destruction Form to the world.

It was because the Destruction Form was a dangerous thing that would sever my lifeline and the lifeline of my sect.

Any sect in the world would try to eliminate it by whatever means necessary if a Destruction Form existed for their representative martial art.

"!!!"

The Divine Sword withdrew all the energy he was exuding as if he had been struck by lightning.

"No matter what price I receive, if the end result is ultimately death, wouldn't whatever I gain be meaningless?"

The Azure Emperor Divine Sword stared at me for a long time with a blank expression, like an old man who had suffered a stroke.

"... Very well, then are you saying you possess no such thing as a Destruction Form?"

"Yes, that is correct."

"Then for how much are you thinking of offering that Destruction Form?"

"Are you so desperate that you must buy something that does not exist?"

"If it exists in hell, then I must go even there to buy it."

Now that the Azure Emperor Divine Sword had made up his mind, I would ultimately end up offering the Destruction Form.

I also had the desire for the Namgung Clan to remain intact until the Orthodox-Demonic Great War, so I had been thinking about handing over the Destruction Form.

In that case, what was the most expensive price I could extract from the Namgung Clan right now?

"Are you really fine with anything?"

"Tell me."

If it could be anything, there was only one thing I wanted from the Namgung Clan.

"Give me the Cangqiong Merchant Group."

"... What?!"

The Azure Emperor Divine Sword's mouth dropped wide open.

It was the first time I had seen the Divine Sword wear a flustered expression.