Make the Namgung Family Great Again – Chapter 22

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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“So, why are you two following me?”

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.

“Well, I told you… we want to follow you.”

Exasperated by his brother’s evasiveness, Yang Jeong interjected.

“My brother’s not the sharpest tool in the shed, Fellow Martial Artist.”

“Hey!”

“Fellow Martial Artist, you are our benefactor. And… a pioneer who, like us, cultivates Lightning Qi and walks the path of martial arts.”

Before leaving Wuan County, the Yang brothers had expressed their desire to follow Namgung-Woo.

But he’d refused.

It wasn’t 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 he’d refused because of the burden of his name.

The Dugu Family’s 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 hadn’t been actively enforced recently, due to the absence of any openly declared Namgungs, it was still a looming threat.

The Dugu Family’s vengeance extended not only to the Namgungs themselves but also to anyone who aided them.

‘These two could get caught in the crossfire.’

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?

He’d pushed them away, unsure if they were ready to share his burden.

But the Yang brothers were persistent.

“You said there was a reason you couldn’t travel with us.”

“Yes.”

“And that you couldn’t reveal that reason because you didn’t trust us. I understand. It’s difficult to trust someone you’ve only known for a few days. So, we’ll prove our trustworthiness first.”

With that, Yang Jeong gestured to Yang Kwai, who pulled something from his robes.

“This is the secret manual for our inner energy cultivation technique.”

Surprise flickered in Namgung-Woo’s 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 “divine arts” 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.

“If 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.”

“Of course…”

“This is our resolve. Please accept it.”

“Honestly, we doubt our martial arts are of much value to you, Fellow Martial Artist…”

Yang Jeong’s voice lacked confidence, and Yang Kwai nudged him with his elbow.

His look seemed to say, ‘Don’t ruin the moment.’

Namgung-Woo was already reading the secret manual.

“It’s genuine.”

Namgung-Woo’s enhanced senses, a product of his Chu-rok Murim body, quickly confirmed the manual’s authenticity.

He returned it to the brothers.

“…The sun’s setting. Let’s make a camp and talk.”

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*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 one’s heart… secrets one wouldn’t 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.

“Our father was a wanderer, like us.”

“A third-rate one, though.”

“But he was a good man. He valued righteousness over money.”

“He claimed to be from the Mount Hua Sect’s secular branch, but who knows.”

“But his good deeds weren’t in vain. He stumbled upon a stroke of luck.”

“That’s how we got our cultivation technique, the Thunderbolt True Qi.”

Thunderbolt True Qi..

As its name suggested, it was a technique for manipulating the power of lightning.

“Before the current dominant forces in the martial world emerged, before the Demonic Cult’s uprising that plunged the world into chaos, there were the Seventeen Wonders of the Martial World.”

“Thunderbolt True Qi was the signature technique of one of them, the Thunderbolt Master.”

“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-Woo’s time, a generation was often considered to be ten years, but in this world, it was closer to twenty or thirty.

“But that was the extent of our father’s luck. He never found the Emperor’s Heavenly Might, the technique that elevated the Thunderbolt Master to the ranks of the Seventeen Wonders.”

So that was it.

Namgung-Woo finally understood the discrepancy between the brothers’ pure inner energy and their relatively unremarkable martial skills.

“But as you know, Fellow Martial Artist, Lightning Qi is difficult to control… Most techniques aren’t compatible with it.”

“We’d need a grandmaster-level teacher, but we don’t have one.”

Namgung-Woo paused them.

“With such a powerful cultivation technique, why not join a major sect?”

“We couldn’t trust them.”

“We might be respected among wanderers, but the major sects are filled with Peak Realm masters. We were afraid they’d steal our technique. And there was no guarantee they’d teach us compatible martial skills.”

“Actually, for the first few years, we traveled around, searching for the Thunderbolt Master’s successor, hoping to learn the Emperor’s Heavenly Might…”

“Ugh! Forget it, just forget it. It’s Ancient history…..”

They’d gradually lost hope and resigned to their limitations…that’s when Namgung-Woo had appeared.

A master who’d saved their lives, asked for nothing in return, and cultivated Lightning Qi like them, a true master of the Transcendent Realm.

“We couldn’t give up.”

“…It was our lifeline.”

The brothers were desperate.

They loved their father, but they didn’t 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 Master’s technique, and they’d be hunted down like prey.

A life for a life.

They’d placed their lives in his hands.

“With such sincerity, it’s only right that I tell you why I refused you.”

Yang Kwai muttered, “Because we’re too weak?” but Yang Jeong quickly silenced him.

Namgung-Woo chuckled.

“My name isn’t Nam Woo.”

Using an alias was common, so the brothers weren’t surprised.

But his real name shocked them into silence.

“Namgung-Woo. That’s my name.”

Yang Jeong stared at him, wide-eyed.
Yang Kwai licked his lips, and his mouth suddenly felt dry.

“J-Just in case… just in case… your family name is… Namgung, right?”

“Of course.”

Yang Kwai took a deep breath, his nostrils flaring.

“Hoooo… Ha…”

“Namgung… Now I understand. That’s why… you were so…”

Yang Jeong seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Song Chae-ji.

Yang Kwai, however, was surprisingly unfazed.

“Wow… I never thought I’d meet a survivor of the Namgung Family.”

But his gaze held no pity or sympathy, only a hint of admiration for someone who’d reached such heights despite their tragic past.

“Aren’t you afraid?”

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 weren’t afraid.

“We’re ashamed,” Yang Jeong said.

“That our resolve seemed so weak. And that we were so weak as to make you worry.”

“We’ve already entrusted our lives to you, Little Brother. The Dugu Family? They’re fearsome, yes. Even their reputation is terrifying. But that just makes this more exciting.”

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 hadn’t 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, wasn’t unwelcome.

They talked through the night.

The brothers did most of the talking, but Namgung-Woo didn’t hesitate to share his thoughts when asked.

As martial artists, attuned to the natural energies of the world, a single sleepless night didn’t faze them.

Their hearts were full, having found comrades to share their journey.

“Oh, Boss. We forgot to name our group.”

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.

“You should choose the name, Boss.”

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.

“Azure Sky Group. That will be our name.”

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After arriving in Beijing, Pyeong Cho-yul was concluding his escort mission.

“Excellent work. I’d heard good things about the Yo-Pyeong Escort Agency, and I see why.”

“Haha, I’m honored by your praise.”

Pyeong Cho-yul was nervous.

The man before him was the most influential person he’d 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 who’d heard them.

A figure who manipulated high-ranking officials, who had agents planted within the palace itself.

“But… what do you intend to use this for…?”

Pyeong Cho-yul’s cautious question wiped the faint smile from the man’s 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.

“I’m thinking of surprising the world.”

The man’s tone was playful.

His name was Li Zi-long.

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