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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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âââââââ
âSo, why are you two following me?â
Namgung-Woo stopped and turned his head.
The two brothers, who were trailing behind him from a short distance, exchanged awkward glances.
Yang Kwai scratched the back of his head, acting uncharacteristically hesitant.
âWell, I told you⊠we want to follow you.â
Exasperated by his brotherâs evasiveness, Yang Jeong interjected.
âMy brotherâs not the sharpest tool in the shed, Fellow Martial Artist.â
âHey!â
âFellow Martial Artist, you are our benefactor. And⊠a pioneer who, like us, cultivates Lightning Qi and walks the path of martial arts.â
Before leaving Wuan County, the Yang brothers had expressed their desire to follow Namgung-Woo.
But heâd refused.
It wasnât that he disliked them. While their martial arts skills were far below his own, they possessed knowledge and experience as wanderers that he lacked.
They could complement each other. But heâd refused because of the burden of his name.
The Dugu Familyâs death warrant on all those with the surname Namgung.
For some reason, the righteous sects had failed to protect the Namgung Family.
The Dugu Family, the most powerful family in the black path.
While their death warrant hadnât been actively enforced recently, due to the absence of any openly declared Namgungs, it was still a looming threat.
The Dugu Familyâs vengeance extended not only to the Namgungs themselves but also to anyone who aided them.
âThese two could get caught in the crossfire.â
He knew the Yang brothers had offered to fight alongside him at the Ghost Gate out of concern for his safety.
But was that enough to reveal his secret?
Heâd pushed them away, unsure if they were ready to share his burden.
But the Yang brothers were persistent.
âYou said there was a reason you couldnât travel with us.â
âYes.â
âAnd that you couldnât reveal that reason because you didnât trust us. I understand. Itâs difficult to trust someone youâve only known for a few days. So, weâll prove our trustworthiness first.â
With that, Yang Jeong gestured to Yang Kwai, who pulled something from his robes.
âThis is the secret manual for our inner energy cultivation technique.â
Surprise flickered in Namgung-Wooâs eyes.
Inner energy cultivation techniques were the foundation of all martial arts.
Since inner techniques had become the dominant force in martial arts instead of external techniques, inner energy cultivation techniques were the most important.
Cultivating inner energy through a specific technique and then learning corresponding martial skills was the standard path to mastery.
The fact that most of the techniques referred to as âdivine artsâ were inner energy cultivation techniques spoke to their importance.
The brothers were offering to share the very foundation of their martial arts with him.
If their cultivation technique had been ordinary, Namgung-Woo would have dismissed it.
But their inner energy was exceptionally pure, something even the great sects would covet.
They were essentially offering him everything they own.
âIf you know the secrets of a cultivation technique, you know the intent, the imagery, the flow of energy. You also know how to create countermeasures. You understand this, Fellow Martial Artist.â
âOf courseâŠâ
âThis is our resolve. Please accept it.â
âHonestly, we doubt our martial arts are of much value to you, Fellow Martial ArtistâŠâ
Yang Jeongâs voice lacked confidence, and Yang Kwai nudged him with his elbow.
His look seemed to say, âDon’t ruin the moment.â
Namgung-Woo was already reading the secret manual.
âItâs genuine.â
Namgung-Wooâs enhanced senses, a product of his Chu-rok Murim body, quickly confirmed the manualâs authenticity.
He returned it to the brothers.
ââŠThe sunâs setting. Letâs make a camp and talk.â
âââââââ
*Crackle. Crack.*
The comforting sound of the campfire mingled with the quiet night air.
Night held a peculiar magic.
It coaxed secrets from the depths of oneâs heart… secrets one wouldnât normally share, making them feel strangely comfortable and natural.
The warm, flickering flames amplified this effect.
Gazing into the fire, the Yang brothers shared their story.
The more composed Yang Jeong did most of the talking, with Yang Kwai occasionally interjecting with comments and clarifications.
âOur father was a wanderer, like us.â
âA third-rate one, though.â
âBut he was a good man. He valued righteousness over money.â
âHe claimed to be from the Mount Hua Sectâs secular branch, but who knows.â
âBut his good deeds werenât in vain. He stumbled upon a stroke of luck.â
âThatâs how we got our cultivation technique, the Thunderbolt True Qi.â
Thunderbolt True Qi..
As its name suggested, it was a technique for manipulating the power of lightning.
âBefore the current dominant forces in the martial world emerged, before the Demonic Cultâs uprising that plunged the world into chaos, there were the Seventeen Wonders of the Martial World.â
âThunderbolt True Qi was the signature technique of one of them, the Thunderbolt Master.â
“A legacy from two generations ago.”
Two generations.
Considering a generation was roughly the time it took to raise a child to adulthood, that meant about fifty years.
In Namgung-Wooâs time, a generation was often considered to be ten years, but in this world, it was closer to twenty or thirty.
âBut that was the extent of our fatherâs luck. He never found the Emperorâs Heavenly Might, the technique that elevated the Thunderbolt Master to the ranks of the Seventeen Wonders.â
So that was it.
Namgung-Woo finally understood the discrepancy between the brothersâ pure inner energy and their relatively unremarkable martial skills.
âBut as you know, Fellow Martial Artist, Lightning Qi is difficult to control⊠Most techniques arenât compatible with it.â
âWeâd need a grandmaster-level teacher, but we donât have one.â
Namgung-Woo paused them.
âWith such a powerful cultivation technique, why not join a major sect?â
âWe couldnât trust them.â
âWe might be respected among wanderers, but the major sects are filled with Peak Realm masters. We were afraid theyâd steal our technique. And there was no guarantee theyâd teach us compatible martial skills.â
âActually, for the first few years, we traveled around, searching for the Thunderbolt Masterâs successor, hoping to learn the Emperorâs Heavenly MightâŠâ
âUgh! Forget it, just forget it. It’s Ancient historyâŠ..â
Theyâd gradually lost hope and resigned to their limitationsâŠthatâs when Namgung-Woo had appeared.
A master whoâd saved their lives, asked for nothing in return, and cultivated Lightning Qi like them, a true master of the Transcendent Realm.
âWe couldnât give up.â
ââŠIt was our lifeline.â
The brothers were desperate.
They loved their father, but they didnât want to end up like him, stuck as second- or third-rate wanderers.
The desire to become true masters, to leave their mark on the Jianghu, still burned within them.
Namgung-Woo looked at the Thunderbolt True Qi manual, which the brothers had refused to take back.
It was their heart, their dream, their hope.
If Namgung-Woo wanted to, he could spread the word that they possessed the Thunderbolt Masterâs technique, and theyâd be hunted down like prey.
A life for a life.
Theyâd placed their lives in his hands.
âWith such sincerity, itâs only right that I tell you why I refused you.â
Yang Kwai muttered, âBecause weâre too weak?â but Yang Jeong quickly silenced him.
Namgung-Woo chuckled.
âMy name isnât Nam Woo.â
Using an alias was common, so the brothers werenât surprised.
But his real name shocked them into silence.
âNamgung-Woo. Thatâs my name.â
Yang Jeong stared at him, wide-eyed.
Yang Kwai licked his lips, and his mouth suddenly felt dry.
âJ-Just in case⊠just in case⊠your family name is⊠Namgung, right?â
âOf course.â
Yang Kwai took a deep breath, his nostrils flaring.
âHoooo⊠HaâŠâ
âNamgung⊠Now I understand. Thatâs why⊠you were soâŠâ
Yang Jeong seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Song Chae-ji.
Yang Kwai, however, was surprisingly unfazed.
âWow⊠I never thought Iâd meet a survivor of the Namgung Family.â
But his gaze held no pity or sympathy, only a hint of admiration for someone whoâd reached such heights despite their tragic past.
âArenât you afraid?â
The Dugu Family was the most powerful in the black path.
While they were considered a step below the Imperial Family and the Xuanyuan Family, the most powerful family of the righteous faction, that also meant there was no other family that could rival their strength.
And the Namgungs were hunted by them.
But the brothers werenât afraid.
âWeâre ashamed,â Yang Jeong said.
âThat our resolve seemed so weak. And that we were so weak as to make you worry.â
âWeâve already entrusted our lives to you, Little Brother. The Dugu Family? Theyâre fearsome, yes. Even their reputation is terrifying. But that just makes this more exciting.â
What did they see in him?
Their trust felt unfamiliar.
Had anyone ever trusted him like this before?
Only two faces came to mind.
He hadnât had many close friends and retreated into the virtual world to escape the harsh realities of his life.
Namgung-Mae and Namgung-Pung.
He saw their shadows in the Yang brothers.
And so, their trust, though strange, wasnât unwelcome.
They talked through the night.
The brothers did most of the talking, but Namgung-Woo didnât hesitate to share his thoughts when asked.
As martial artists, attuned to the natural energies of the world, a single sleepless night didnât faze them.
Their hearts were full, having found comrades to share their journey.
âOh, Boss. We forgot to name our group.â
As the first rays of dawn painted the sky, Yang Kwai, prepared to leave, spoke. His tone had shifted, now carrying the weight of the hierarchy that had formed over their long night of conversation.
Namgung-Woo watched Yang Kwai, noting the slight awkwardness in his formality.
They were a unit now, bound together by a shared purpose.
A small beginning, just three wanderers.
But they knew this was the first step towards a greater future.
âYou should choose the name, Boss.â
Yang Jeong stepped forward, and made the request.
After all, Namgung-Woowas their leader.
To name something was to give it meaning.
And there was only one name that came to mind.
The azure sky of the east, heralding the beginning of spring.
Looking up at the vibrant blue sky, which looked as if it were blessing their path, Namgung-Woo spoke the name of their group.
âAzure Sky Group. That will be our name.â
âââââââ
After arriving in Beijing, Pyeong Cho-yul was concluding his escort mission.
âExcellent work. Iâd heard good things about the Yo-Pyeong Escort Agency, and I see why.â
âHaha, Iâm honored by your praise.â
Pyeong Cho-yul was nervous.
The man before him was the most influential person heâd ever met.
The Emperor, barely thirty, wielded absolute power.
But there was another figure, shrouded in mystery, whom even the highest officials feared.
Rumors of a hidden power broker circulated in hushed whispers.
Pyeong Cho-yul was one of the few whoâd heard them.
A figure who manipulated high-ranking officials, who had agents planted within the palace itself.
âBut⊠what do you intend to use this forâŠ?â
Pyeong Cho-yulâs cautious question wiped the faint smile from the manâs face.
The sudden shift in atmosphere sent a chill down his spine.
Then the man smiled again, his voice was soft, almost like a whisper.
âIâm thinking of surprising the world.â
The manâs tone was playful.
His name was Li Zi-long.
âââââââ
Thanks Chaos!