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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: cyno
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“Lord of the House, you’ve worked hard today.”
“Sigh… You’ve worked hard too, Chief Steward.”
“Then, I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
“…Cough!”
“I know it’s difficult, but you must get used to it. You are now the rightful Lord of the main family.”
“I’m starting to think my father’s illness might have been due to overwork.”
“Haha, well, that’s stating the obvious.”
“Huh…?”
“Never mind. I’ll take my leave now.”
“Yes… Let’s stay strong.”
After seeing the Chief Steward off, Jin Gayoung collapsed into her chair as if her legs had given out.
The Taiyuan Jin Family had gone through too much—far too much. From the death of the previous Lord to the purge of the Elder Council and the cleanup of hidden power players—there was no end to the work.
Enough to keep her trapped at her desk from dawn till dusk.
If not for the competent Chief Steward, she wouldn’t even have had this late-night respite.
“Hehe.”
But she was happy.
Exhausted and worn out as she was.
Even if all she did was sit at her desk, drowning in an endless sea of paperwork.
“Now… it’s just the beginning…”
Still, she was overjoyed that the life she had longed for—her life as the Lord of the House—had finally begun.
That joy made even the grueling labor feel welcome, even pleasant.
She had saved the family from her uncle’s grasp, and now they were rising rapidly as the “Overlord of Shanxi” and a “newly ascending sun.” That, too, was satisfying.
*‘All of this is thanks to him.’*
It was a shame that she had vowed to help him, only to end up being the one helped.
*‘I’ll definitely repay him.’*
But knowing that all of this would serve as the foundation for his conviction—his righteousness—she didn’t feel particularly uneasy.
Instead, her resolve only grew stronger: she would work even harder than today to continue the path of the Sword Saint.
“But… haa, it’s honestly ridiculously exhausting.”
Of course, physical fatigue was a separate matter.
Her body, utterly drained, slumped lifelessly in the chair. Jin Gayoung couldn’t even lift a finger as she leaned back, too exhausted to drag herself to bed.
“Should I get some elixir…? No, the budget’s already tight, I should save it…”
*Knock knock—*
A light, composed knock at the door.
“Young Lady, I’m coming in.”
Followed by a rough, grating voice—one utterly unique among the hundreds in the family.
“Yes, come in.”
Despite her exhaustion, Jin Gayoung forced herself to respond energetically.
Because the voice belonged to her “him.”
*Creak—*
The door opened, and a man with a few scars on his face strode in, his white hair swaying. His hair had grown considerably, now reaching mid-neck.
“You look tired.”
“I’m fine. It’s all work I have to endure anyway.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
Byeolak, stepping into the study, saw Jin Gayoung’s legs tremble as she tried to stand, only to plop back down into her chair.
Having once been the Lord of the Namgung Family, he knew all too well the dangers of overwork.
Sometimes, those stacks of paperwork were more terrifying than demons.
“Young Lady, may I share a little secret with you?”
“A secret?”
“A simple trick to make tedious, boring tasks easier to handle.”
Hearing it was exactly what she needed, Jin Gayoung’s tired eyes sparkled.
Leaning close to her ear, Byeolak whispered playfully, tickling her earlobe.
“Just perceive boredom as tranquility.”
“You sound like Confucius.”
“I’m serious. If you accept tedium as peace, even the dullest tasks become restful.”
“If it were that easy, everyone in the world would’ve attained enlightenment.”
“Surprisingly, many in this world have.”
“…Pfft. Why did you come? You brought something with you, yet you’re just spouting nonsense?”
Letting out a soft laugh, Jin Gayoung cut to the chase.
Still, the brief conversation had already eased much of her fatigue.
“The martial technique is complete.”
“Huh? Martial technique? What are you— Oh.”
Her mind still foggy from the hectic day, Jin Gayoung didn’t immediately grasp his meaning—until she remembered what he had been working on.
“Do you recognize this?”
*Thud!*
Byeolak set down a massive axe, nearly as large as himself, onto the floor.
The floor remained unscathed, but the heavy tremor betrayed its weight.
“That’s… the weapon of the founding Lord, isn’t it? How did you get it out?”
“I asked, and they gave it to me.”
“Really? Well, if it’s you, I guess it’s fine. But why bring it all the way here?”
“To explain that, I must first tell you about the Taiyuan Jin Family’s *Frozen Flame Sword Art*.”
“The *Frozen Flame Sword Art*? You said you were fixing its flaws, but what does this axe have to do with it?”
“You’ll understand once you hear my explanation.”
What followed from Byeolak’s mouth sent Jin Gayoung into a state of shock.
“Wha… What are you even saying…? Y-You’re joking, right…? Right?”
The revelation that the martial art she had devoted her life to had been fundamentally flawed from the start was something no warrior could easily accept.
“I’ll show you. The corrected *Frozen Flame*—no, the *’Moon’* method.”
“N-No… If you say so, then it must be true…”
“Good.”
“But… what am I supposed to do now…?”
“What do you mean?”
“I-I’ve been practicing the wrong sword art all this time… D-Do I have to change my techniques? Now, of all times?!”
Her voice was hollow, panic-stricken.
Byeolak answered calmly.
“You don’t need to change your techniques.”
“R-Really? But you just said the *Frozen Flame Sword Art* was wrong…”
“Just change your weapon.”
“……”
“It’s simple. In fact, it might even be easier. You’ve been chopping firewood with a sword all this time—imagine how you’ll soar with an axe.”
“……”
“It’s too late today… We’ll start tomorrow. If you follow my guidance in the upcoming Seven Flowers Tournament, you won’t lose to anyone except Okhwa.”
“…Haa.”
“All you need to do is move your body.”
*‘Moving my body is already too much…’*
Seeing Byeolak’s oddly excited demeanor, she couldn’t bring herself to voice her exhaustion.
—
### A Resonance in Jin Gayoung’s Dantian
A resonance stirred in Jin Gayoung’s dantian.
She didn’t seem to notice, but it was unmistakably a resonance.
A phenomenon that occurred when the Great Moon—left behind by the founding Lord—met the Frozen Flame Qi within her.
Of course, ordinary internal energy doesn’t resonate just from encountering a weapon.
Resonance, by nature, is a tiny gap in the wall between realms.
If a mere weapon could trigger it, everyone would be scrambling to find the perfect martial tool.
In other words, this meant there was something special about the Taiyuan Jin Family’s *Frozen Flame Art*.
“I haven’t visited Hao Wen since I gained more knowledge than them.”
It might be time to go back.
He needed to find out what kind of person the founding Lord of the Taiyuan Jin Family was—and why the use of such an unusual weapon had remained unknown.
—
After Byeolak Left
After Byeolak departed, Jin Gayoung dragged her weary body to bed and collapsed onto it.
So exhausted that sleep came instantly, she drifted off without even hearing the faint hum emanating from the axe he had left behind.
“Ugh… This ungrateful descendant can’t even recognize her ancestor…! Wait, she’s a girl, so is it ‘descendant girl’…?”
Not that it mattered to the axe.
In fact, her falling asleep was even better.
Now, it could slip into her subconscious and appear in her dreams.
“Let’s see… How peacefully can you sleep after seeing your ancestor’s face?!”
Transforming into mist, the axe seeped out and slithered toward Jin Gayoung’s sleeping form, entering her Seven Apertures.
All the while, she slept soundly, completely unaware.
“This insolent descendant… How dare you leave your ancestor rotting in some corner…?”
The mist exuded a threatening aura as it seeped into her—
“Wait.”
A sudden sound transmission made the mist freeze mid-movement.
Or rather, it was forced to stop.
“Huh? Who— G-Gahk! Why won’t my soul move?!”
“What were you trying to do to the Young Lady?”
The one who had halted the mist was Byeolak, who had returned after recalling the resonance between the axe and Jin Gayoung.
“W-Wait! Let go first—!”
“Answer me first. If that axe is your true form, I can just shatter it.”
Despite being in a formless state, Byeolak was suppressing the mist with his internal energy.
“I-I wasn’t doing anything! I just wanted to appear in her dreams!”
“Explain in detail. Why appear in her dreams? Were you planning to harm her?”
“No! Absolutely not! She’s my descendant—why would I do that?!”
“Descendant? Are you the founding Lord?”
“Yes! So let go already! If you strangle me to death, I’ll have nowhere to go—I’m already a ghost!”
“…If you try anything foolish, I’ll erase you on the spot. Behave.”
“Cough! Gah! Damn it! What kind of brute—!”
As Byeolak loosened his grip, the mist obediently withdrew from Jin Gayoung’s body.
Though grumbling, it was being careful—this man gave off an ominous feeling, as if he could truly annihilate it.
Of course, having not spoken to anyone in centuries, it had zero social skills or consideration.
“Tch, just when I thought I’d escaped the Moonlight Axe’s prison, I get cursed with bad luck.”
Since Jin Gayoung was still asleep, Byeolak continued communicating via sound transmission.
“Moonlight Axe? Is that the axe’s name?”
The mist had already started addressing him respectfully.
“Yes, the *Moonlight Axe*. Stop calling it ‘Great Moon’ or ‘big axe’—it’s disrespectful. This weapon once roamed the world with me.”
“I knew it wasn’t an ordinary axe. So it has a name.”
“Sigh, let me enter your body for now. I finally got to breathe fresh air, and you ruined it.”
“…You mean me?”
“Got a problem with that? Fine, forget it. I don’t want to force myself into someone who doesn’t want me.”
“No, I have questions for you too. Come in.”
“Hah, how the mighty have fallen. To think I, once a ruler of the world, would be treated like leftovers… Tsk.”
Grumbling endlessly, the mist fully withdrew from Jin Gayoung and seeped into Byeolak’s Seven Apertures.
Normally, housing two souls in one body was taboo—but since the founding Lord of the Taiyuan Jin Family was an ancient figure, even the Netherworld had likely forgotten about him, so it was fine.
Feeling the soul enter him, Byeolak quietly left Jin Gayoung’s quarters.
Then, closing his eyes, he entered the Mental Realm.
There, the founding Lord sat cross-legged, waiting.
“You’re here.”
His long beard and sage-like demeanor gave him an immortal air.
“I have things to discuss with you.”
“First, bow. Show some respect.”
“…Bow?”
“You brat! What kind of son-in-law doesn’t bow to his father-in-law?!”
“……???”
Though his crude speech instantly shattered any semblance of divinity.
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