Make the Namgung Family Great Again – Chapter 21

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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“Haaah…!”

Peng Ha-ryeong bolted upright with a strange gasp.

“Huh? What? Uh?”

She frantically patted herself down, checking her head, chest, stomach, legs, arms… Without even pausing to examine her internal state, she spread her palms which were calloused from years of training.

Like a baby testing its grip, she squeezed her hands open and closed, staring at them in wonder.

She was genuinely amazed that her body was moving normally.

‘Why am I okay?’

She’d clearly failed to block the Form Snatching Wraith’s demonic Qi with her Hwonwon Gaejang technique.

“You’re awake.”

“Eek!”

Startled, she yelped and instinctively hid her hands behind her back.

“U-Uncle? H-How long have you been…?”

“Since you made that ‘Haaah’ sound.”

So, the whole time!

But why was Peng Mu-ho so calm? She’d been on the brink of death!

Normally, she would have maintained her composure, upholding the dignity of a Peng Family direct descendant, but right now she couldn’t bring herself to care.

She’d just come back from the dead; if she could maintain a perfect facade after that, she’d be a saint.

Seeing her bewildered expression, Peng Mu-ho explained.

“I knew you’d be waking up around now.”

“What? How?”

“How? Because the person who healed you told me so.”

“Oh… right. Someone healed me, that’s why I’m… wait.”

“What is it? Is something wrong? I checked your pulse, and everything seemed fine, but perhaps there are some lingering mental effects…?”

“N-No, it’s not that…”

She wanted to reassure him, to tell him it wasn’t what he thought, but her astonishment at her own condition overwhelmed her.

She threw off the covers.

“Ha-ryeong?”

Peng Mu-ho called her name with a hint of annoyance in his voice, but she ignored him and sat cross-legged on the bed.

She closed her eyes and entered a meditative state.

How many days had she been bedridden?

Her muscles felt stiff.

She hadn’t been able to circulate her True Qi, so her reserves were depleted.

But her body felt… incredibly light.

‘It’s like I’ve been reborn.’

When the Form Snatching Wraith’s demonic Qi had invaded the three meridians in her right arm, and her breathing had stopped, she accepted her fate…that her life as a martial artist was over.

But now…

Her expectations had been completely overturned.

‘Even all of my smaller meridians are open…?’

Opening all the smaller meridians was a long and arduous process.

Unlike the Twelve Regular Meridians and the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, the smaller meridians were often neglected, depending on the martial arts practiced.

And their delicate nature meant that forcing them open with clumsy True Qi control could easily lead to internal injuries.

That was why most martial artists didn’t fully develop their smaller meridians until they reached the late stages of the Peak Realm, maximizing their True Qi efficiency.

But she’d somehow bypassed that entire process.

‘At this rate, I can recover my full strength in a month… no, half a month? No, ten days! If I focus solely on recovery for ten days… wait, what’s this?’

Not only were her smaller meridians open, but a new energy was also stirring within her.

Coiled within her Middle Extremity acupoint was a tiny dragon with platinum scales. It wasn’t a literal dragon, but that was the form it took in her mind’s eye.

‘Lightning Qi? Protecting… what?’

She suddenly remembered that she’d been menstruating.

The Middle Extremity acupoint was connected to the uterus.

Was the Lightning Qi protecting her womb from the invading demonic Qi?

A blush crept up her cheeks at the thought of her vulnerability being exposed.

But gratitude quickly overshadowed her embarrassment.

The fact that the Lightning Qi hadn’t been withdrawn meant its owner had expended at least twice as much True Qi as she’d received.

It was the greatest gift one martial artist could give another.

‘Thank you.’

Though her gratitude wouldn’t reach the owner of the Lightning Qi directly, the energy responded to her intent.

Normally, it would have dissipated or been absorbed as pure energy, because it was incompatible with her cultivation technique.

But her acceptance of it gave it a place to reside.

The Lightning Qi, now nestled within her Middle Extremity acupoint, became attuned to her will, like her own True Qi.

While she couldn’t use it for healing due to lacking the proper cultivation technique, it would undoubtedly become a powerful asset.

Another stroke of luck.

An immeasurable gift.

With half-closed eyes, she began to breathe, following the principles of the Heaven and Earth Infinite Void Divine Art, the Peng Family’s secret technique.

Her True Qi circulated, exploring her newly opened meridians like a child exploring a garden.

And when she completed the extended breathing cycle which was twice as long as usual, she realized that even ten days was an overestimation.

‘Three days. Opening all the smaller meridians… it’s even more beneficial than I thought.’

Only the Conception and Governing Vessels, the two most important meridians, remained unopened.

There were no more blockages in her body.

A new world had unfolded within her.

“Congratulations, Ha-ryeong.”

“Uncle… thank you.”

“Perhaps you’ll reach the Transcendent Realm before me.”

“That’s…”

She was about to say it was unlikely, but the thought suddenly seemed plausible.

So, She closed her mouth.

“B-But what exactly happened? What happened during the sealing of the Ghost Gate?”

“Haha, straight to the point, I see.”

“You know, I’m also a martial artist.”

“Of course. He gave you such a gift. A true benefactor. Even I didn’t realize the extent of his actions until you circulated your True Qi… I can’t even begin to imagine the depth of his skill.”

Peng Mu-ho shook his head in wonder.

He’d initially thought Namgung-Woo was a Transcendent Realm master, but now he suspected he was even stronger.

“Right. You asked what happened. Before I explain, tell me what you remember.”

“Well… after we defeated one of the Form Snatching Wraiths, you went to intercept the other one, and I tried to block its demonic Qi with the Hwonwon Gaejang.”

“And?”

“I failed and collapsed. After that, it’s hazy, but I think I saw the back of a young man. That’s all.”

“You saw Nam Woo, then.”

“Nam Woo?”

“Yes. The young man we were observing. You were right about him. He’s a true gem, we didn’t need to watch over him.”

Peng Mu-ho recounted the events of that day.

Namgung-Woo effortlessly dispatching the Form Snatching Wraith.

The Yang brothers’ intervention, their advice about the limitations of Sword Qi.

Namgung-Woo’s immediate response, unleashing his Sword Aura and cutting the Wraith down in a single stroke.

And then, seemingly unfazed, he’d offered to heal Peng Ha-ryeong.

Peng Mu-ho and the other Peng Family martial artists had gambled on him, risking her life in the process.

And they’d won the gamble.

“I’d thought he’d simply purged the demonic Qi and helped regulate your True Qi flow, but… it seems he’s done far more. And from what I’ve learned from the Yi Family, he’s only twenty…”

“We need to find him! Now!”

The rest of Peng Mu-ho’s words barely registered in her mind.

Her mind raced with gratitude and a renewed hope.

Perhaps he could also heal her younger sister, the Peng Family’s most painful problem.

“Is he still here? You didn’t let him stay somewhere… unsuitable, did you?”

She’d assumed he’d remain in Wuan County.

Even a master like him needed rest.

He’d not only fought valiantly during the sealing of the Ghost Gate but had also performed a miracle, healing her beyond all expectations.

He must be exhausted.

And, though she wasn’t one to boast, she was considered a great beauty, even rumored to be the most beautiful woman in Hebei.

If a man had given her such immense help, he’d surely be eager to see her again….

“There’s no need. He’s already left.”

….or not.

“What? Left? Who?”

“Our benefactor has already departed from Wuan County.”

“Y-You should have stopped him! I… and perhaps he could help Ye-ryeong, too…!”

“It would be ungrateful to force him to stay against his will.”

“But there’s the saying about ‘three visits to the thatched cottage’! Or is that different? Perhaps he was just being humble…” [T/N: A famous ancient Chinese idiom]

“I tried. Three times. But he was adamant.”

“Oh…”

Peng Ha-ryeong slumped to the floor and a wave of disappointment washed over her.

‘I didn’t even get to thank him…’

Regret and the loss of a newfound hope brought tears to her eyes.

“Oh, I did learn his destination. He’s heading to Beijing.”

“You should have said that sooner! Let’s go!”

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“So, why are you two following me?”

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