The Genius Grandson of the Namgung Family Chapter 29

The Genius Grandson of the Namgung Family

Chapter 29

Ha Hyeon was quickly able to find a stream not far away where water was trickling. When he was about to open his water bottle to collect water, Ha Hyeon spotted a brown rabbit upstream.

‘A rabbit…’

After spotting the rabbit, Ha Hyeon walked upstream while holding his breath. His footsteps were carefully concealed. The Blue dragon pavilion teaches basic skills in stealth and concealment. While some righteous sects considered stealth techniques shameful for a warrior, the Namgung family taught them without hesitation, as they considered the safe return of their members as their first priority.

Rustle-

As Ha Hyeon moved while minimizing sound, the rabbit didn’t notice his presence and continued drinking water. Ha Hyeon carefully approached until he judged the distance was right.

Bang-!

Ha Hyeon leaped at the rabbit with all his might, kicking off the ground. If anyone had seen Ha Hyeon’s movement just then, they would have said he disappeared from his spot and suddenly appeared where the rabbit was – that’s how swift his movement was. This too was an application of the shape-changing technique he learned from Chwiwol Geolgae.

“Squeak-!”

The rabbit, which had been peacefully drinking water before suddenly being caught in Ha Hyeon’s grasp, let out a sharp cry in surprise. Ha Hyeon carefully put down the struggling rabbit. As soon as it touched the ground, the rabbit disappeared into the forest so quickly its legs were barely visible. Ha Hyeon felt sorry and called out after it.

“Sorry! I wasn’t trying to eat you!”

He wasn’t hunting since he wasn’t hungry and still had plenty of food left from what they brought from the Namgung family.

“Now I can catch them so easily.”

Ha Hyeon remembered the day he first learned lightness skills. Back then, how much he had struggled just to catch one rabbit like that. But now he could snatch one as easily as blowing his nose. This is how Ha Hyeon felt his growth.

“Ah, that’s refreshing. I guess it wasn’t that far?”

“Yeah. It was right there in front.”

So-hwa’s face brightened as if she was satisfied with the water Ha Hyeon brought. Namgung Min watched So-hwa carefully and noticed that she hadn’t fully recovered yet.

“Since we’re resting anyway, let’s rest a bit more. We have plenty of time. And So-hwa.”

“Yes, brother.”

“It’s important to say when you’re tired. Especially in the martial arts world, using all your strength isn’t always the right answer. You should always think about keeping half your strength in reserve.”

“I know that already.”

Of course, So-hwa knew this well. It was one of the things heavily emphasized at The Blue dragon pavilion. But what could she do when things didn’t go as planned – she didn’t want to fall behind Ha Hyeon even if it killed her.

“So-hwa. Why are you in such a hurry? You can take it slow. Your achievements are already outstanding for your age group.”

Instead of answering Namgung Min’s words, So-hwa bit her lip. She wanted to ask ‘Then what about Ha Hyeon?’ But asking such a question in front of Ha Hyeon hurt her pride. So instead, So-hwa asked a different question.

“Brother, how were you at my age? Were you as strong then as you are now?”

“Me? Haha… I don’t really remember.”

“Then what do you always do in your quarters? When you’re not on missions, you rarely come out and just stay holed up in there without thinking of coming out.”

Ha Hyeon’s eyes sparkled at So-hwa’s question. Actually, Ha Hyeon was also very curious about what Namgung Min usually did. Namgung Min was momentarily flustered by the sparkling eyes of his two younger siblings, then opened his mouth.

“Haha… What else would I do in my quarters? Of course, just training.”

“Training? In your quarters rather than the training ground? How?”

Ha Hyeon fired questions like a machine gun. Namgung Min looked at Ha Hyeon and said with a mischievous smile.

“That’s a secret. I’m already nervous about you catching up to me, so I can’t easily reveal my trade secrets, can I?”

“Ah…! Brother!”

“Aish! Brother, how can you be like that!”

Namgung So-hwa jumped up forgetting her fatigue, and Ha Hyeon unconsciously made a sulky expression. Though Ha Hyeon never acted spoiled even in front of grandfather, somehow this behavior came naturally with Namgung Min despite their usually limited interaction.

“Hahaha. This is fun.”

Namgung Min laughed heartily at their reactions. Anyone who knew Namgung Min would have been greatly surprised. After all, Namgung Min wasn’t usually someone who expressed his emotions so honestly.

“Are you really not going to tell us?”

“Alright, alright, I’ll tell you. But promise not to laugh at how trivial it is?”

“Never!”

Namgung Min’s expression became serious as his laughter subsided.

“It’s sparring. Life-and-death battles, at that.”

“Life-and-death battles?”

Ha Hyeon and So-hwa’s eyes were full of questions. When they asked why Namgung Min usually doesn’t leave his quarters, his answer was life-and-death battles.

“Brother, is this different from the life-and-death battles I know about?”

“No, it’s the same. I’m talking about those life-and-death battles (生死決).”

“Ah…!”

Ha Hyeon’s expression showed he had realized something, but So-hwa still couldn’t understand what Namgung Min was talking about. Namgung Min met So-hwa’s eye level and tapped her head while saying:

“Right here in the mind.”

“Ah, imaginary battles!”

Now So-hwa could also understand what Namgung Min meant. It was natural that Ha Hyeon had figured it out earlier. Since practicing fighting imaginary opponents in her mind was a training method Ha Hyeon also enjoyed.

“Shall I explain in more detail?”

“Yes.”

“I never skip basic physical training. It’s just that I’m not one to sleep in. I always train for about two hours before breakfast time.”

“So that’s why we couldn’t see you at the training grounds?”

The Blue dragon pavilion’s daily schedule usually starts after breakfast. Even though breakfast time is during the Myo hours (between 5-7 AM), which is much earlier than normal breakfast time, Namgung Min starts his day even earlier.

“That’s right. And then I spend most of my time doing energy cultivation while engaging in life-and-death battles in my mind.”

Ha Hyeon, who had been listening quietly, spoke with a serious expression.

“I prefer moving my body directly rather than doing energy cultivation… I see you’re different, brother?”

“At your and So-hwa’s current stage, it’s better to train by moving your body directly.”

Ha Hyeon spoke while deep in thought.

“Is there a reason?”

“Well…”

Namgung Min paused for a moment, as if wanting Ha Hyeon and So-hwa to think about it. After sufficient time had passed, he continued.

“It’s because you both lack experience.”

With just those words, Ha Hyeon immediately understood what Namgung Min meant. Even when creating imaginary opponents in his mind, their movements were too limited. He could count on his fingers the number of opponents he had faced so far, and except for Namgung Hwan, none had been particularly challenging opponents. Ha Hyeon turned his head toward So-hwa, intending to explain what he had just figured out. But Ha Hyeon realized this would be unnecessary kindness. Though So-hwa’s light might seem dimmed next to Ha Hyeon, she had great talent in martial arts and was an exceptionally bright child. She seemed to have already understood Namgung Min’s words completely, nodding her head.

“After experiencing numerous real life-and-death battles, that method would be extremely efficient, right?”

“That’s right. Because you’ll have that many more fighting styles and movements you can create in your mind.”

So-hwa and Ha Hyeon nodded. Ha Hyeon looked into the distance and spoke softly.

“Life-and-death battles… I suppose I’ll experience them to the point of tedium someday?”

Namgung Min smiled bitterly. The Namgung family is a martial arts family. And a well-known one in the martial arts world at that. Therefore, as long as conflicts continue in the martial arts world, it’s fair to say the blades of Namgung family warriors will never run dry of blood. Namgung Min looked straight at Ha Hyeon and said:

“Hyun-ah. And So-hwa. Someday you’ll both fight battles where lives are at stake, and days will come when you take lives. However, there’s one thing you must always keep in your hearts.”

“What is that?”

“Conviction.”

Namgung Min placed one hand on Ha Hyeon’s shoulder and the other on So-hwa’s as he spoke.

“It might sound contradictory, but we don’t draw our swords at just any time. We draw our swords for righteousness and wield them to protect chivalry. If we were to draw our swords whenever we felt like it, how would we be any different from the demon leaders of the evil sects?”

Ha Hyeon nodded. What Namgung Min was saying now was a concern he had dealt with before, and might be one Ha Hyeon would face in the future.

“That’s why conviction is necessary. Draw your sword according to your convictions. However…”

Namgung Min, who had been speaking to Ha Hyeon and So-hwa with a serious face, made a slightly cunning expression. Then, with a fierce look rarely seen on his face, he said,

“Those who try to harm you, to harm the Namgung family – defeat them by any means necessary. If they’re difficult to subdue, kill them. That is the way of this martial arts world.”

Then his face returned to its usual clear expression as if he had never made such an expression.

“Haha. Things got unnecessarily serious. This wasn’t what I intended to talk about.”

“No. It was very helpful.”

“That’s right. Brother, grandfather, and father are all warriors. And… I’m a warrior now too. I’m always prepared for that.”

So-hwa clenched her small fist tightly. Namgung Min found it so adorable that he unconsciously ruffled So-hwa’s hair.

“Aish! Stop it! You’re messing up my hair!”

“Haha. Alright, alright.”

After laughing once more at So-hwa pushing away his hand, Namgung Min looked at Ha Hyeon.

“Well. I’ve revealed all my trade secrets. So there’s something I want to ask too.”

“You mean me?”

“Yes.”

Namgung Min lowered his gaze to look at Ha Hyeon’s feet and asked directly.

“How do you run so well? Can you tell me?”

“Ah, are you curious about how I run?”

“Yes. Did you perhaps receive special footwork techniques from grandfather? If you can’t tell me because of that, that’s fine.”

There wasn’t a trace of jealousy or desire to check Ha Hyeon’s growth in his expression. He was simply purely curious. Although he was called an unparalleled genius and had establihed his position at The Blue dragon pavilion at a young age, he was ultimately just an ordinary warrior full of curiosity about martial arts.

“Ah, no. It’s a footwork technique I’m researching myself based on what I learned from Master Chwiwol Geolgae.”

“What? You’re creating martial arts?”

Namgung Min looked genuinely surprised.

“It’s too grand to call it creation, it’s more like combining things I’ve already learned in different ways.”

Namgung Min laughed heartily at Ha Hyeon’s modest words.

“Wahaha. Honestly, I’ve been called a genius my whole life to the point of being sick of it, but no matter how I look at it, you seem more of a genius than me.”

“At my current level, I can’t even match the beginning of your abilities, brother.”

“What? Hahaha!”

Even though Ha Hyeon hadn’t said anything funny, Namgung Min laughed even louder.

“You’re saying you can’t match me at your current level? I’m looking forward to the future then?”

“Ah… That’s not what I meant.”

“No? Well, I think differently. I think you’ll surpass me someday. And not too far in the future at that.”

Namgung Min’s face showed genuine enjoyment at teasing his young sister.

“I think I can explain how I run. Would you like to hear it?”

“I’d be grateful if you would. So-hwa, come here and listen carefully too. This will probably be really helpful for you.”

“So this is why I could never catch Ha Hyeon. Teach me too! I’ll practice and definitely catch you!”

“It’s not like I’ll just be playing around while you practice, sister.”

“Why you!”

So-hwa jumped up as if ready to chase Ha Hyeon right then. But Namgung Min’s intervention prevented her from chasing after Ha Hyeon.

“Well, So-hwa seems to have regained her energy, shall we get going?”

“Wait a minute, brother! Ha Hyeon is-!”

“Sister, what are you doing? We need to get going. At this rate, we’ll arrive late at night.”

“What? You little-!”

This time So-hwa really did chase after Ha Hyeon, and Ha Hyeon diligently employed his footwork techniques to avoid being caught. However, Ha Hyeon, whether intentionally or not, ran exactly in the direction they needed to go. Naturally, So-hwa chasing after Ha Hyeon also ended up going in the right direction.

“So-hwa… That should be enough footwork practice.”

Namgung Min smiled slightly before following after the two.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

If you would like to support these translations or read advanced chapters, you can do so by unlocking them.

Your support will allow for the continued translation of this novel.