The Genius Grandson of the Namgung Family Chapter 38

The Genius Grandson of the Namgung Family

Chapter 38

Tak- Tak-

In the dark and quiet cave, only the sound of burning torches echoes.

The masters brought by Chwiwol Geolgae from the Murim Alliance were all beyond first-class, reaching the peak of mastery, so silencing their footsteps was easier than eating.

However, for quite a while, not even a mouse could be found.

After going deep into the cave, stairs leading downward finally appeared.

No one stopped them as they descended those stairs.

“Could this be a trap?”

Chwiwol Geolgae grumbled.

Suspicion began to arise from being able to go so deep without any resistance.

“However, it seems unlikely to be a trap. The path we’ve come so far has been entirely single-track, and there hasn’t been any space for someone to ambush us.”

In fact, Chwiwol Geolgae was thinking exactly what Master Yu Yeop-jin had said.

How much further did they descend? Just as they felt a slight breeze coming from below, a massive cavern appeared before their eyes.

“My, was such a vast space here all this time?”

“It doesn’t seem artificially made… The Hwanhyun Gate must have discovered this naturally formed space.”

They examined the cavern interior further.

Then Heo Chang-pa, an elder warrior from the Blue Star Sect, spoke while letting out a deep sigh.

“Hmm… Everyone, come look at this.”

Since they hadn’t found anything unusual until now, everyone hurriedly gathered where Heo Chang-pa was.

“Hmm…”

“Good heavens!”

“Amitabha…”

They couldn’t help but furrow their brows at the tragic scene before them.

There were corpses stacked like bundles, and every single one of them was withered and twisted.

“It appears there were experiments. Otherwise, there couldn’t be so many dried-up corpses piled up like this.”

“Experiments…”

The masters didn’t hide their shocked expressions.

While everyone had similar thoughts about the withered corpses, no one dared to speak up clearly.

Chwiwol Geolgae, seemingly displeased with this situation, spoke irritably with a frown.

“Didn’t I tell you all? That they were doing something similar to the Soul Absorption Technique. Yet you all insisted such a thing couldn’t happen?”

“Ahem. That’s not…”

The Soul Absorption Technique is a legendary martial art passed down in the Demonic cult.

If this place belonged to remnants of the Demonic cult rather than the Hwanhyun Gate, the martial arts world would once again be stained with blood in another Orthodox-Demon War.

The elders, knowing this better than anyone, couldn’t easily bring up such words.

“Elder Chwiwol Geolgae. But if it really were the Soul Absorption Technique, the martial arts world would have already been drowning in blood from the appearance of an Evil Leader. Yet why is it so quiet?”

“No. That might paradoxically prove these people aren’t from the Demonic cult.”

“What do you mean…?”

Chwiwol Geolgae spoke with a frustrated expression.

“They might have tried to learn the Soul Absorption Technique, but since it wasn’t truly theirs, they haven’t perfected it yet.”

“…”

The masters who had been talking noisily suddenly fell silent.

However, it wasn’t because Chwiwol Geolgae’s words had hit the mark.

They all felt it at the same time.

That someone else was here besides them.

Master Juwon, who stood at their front, suddenly addressed the darkness.

“Devotees, please tell us. It seems you would know what the truth is.”

Chwiwol Geolgae, apparently aware of someone in the darkness, shook his head and spoke.

“Tsk tsk. Judging by their levels… they seem far inferior to the ones I’ve beaten before. If you’re going to release such killing intent, why bother hiding?”

As soon as his words ended, figures began to emerge from the darkness one by one.

The cavern was very dark so they couldn’t count precisely, but about thirty people wearing black clothes appeared.

And at their front stood one more man wearing yellow clothes.

“Hwanhyun Gate Master!”

Chwiwol Geolgae recognized him at once and growled.

“Chwiwol Geolgae…”

“Even after fifty years… you recognize me at a glance.”

He spoke self-deprecatingly.

He appeared as if he had given up everything.

“The last time I saw you was when we entered seclusion, and now even as we face extinction, you’re the last person I see… I suppose bad karma is truly bad karma.”

“It’s been a long time, but certainly not a welcome face.”

Chwiwol Geolgae continued with an unusually fierce expression.

“For the crime of breaking the seclusion agreement and throwing the martial arts world into chaos. And for the crime of committing atrocities with human beings that would anger both heaven and earth. For these two crimes, the Hwanhyun Gate will be exterminated today. If you willingly give up your martial arts and live as ordinary citizens, I’ll spare your lives alone.”

The Hwanhyun Gate Master wore a gloomy expression as if in pain.

“Kuk kuk… Whether we die this way or that way, isn’t death all the same? Give up our martial arts, you say. If I truly gave up my martial arts, would you really let me live?”

“I’ll promise on my name. You know me, don’t you? I’m Chwiwol Geolgae.”

“Hahaha. Always so confident. Chwiwol Geolgae. You were like that then too. You can’t take away my martial arts! I’ll take at least one of you as a companion! Attack!”

The moment the Hwanhyun Gate Master’s words fell, all members of the Hwanhyun Gate, including their master, began rushing toward the Murim Alliance masters.

“You fool! Even though I gave you one last chance.”

Cheng-!

Chwiwol Geolgae drew his staff from his waist.

The other masters also drew their weapons to face the Hwanhyun Gate disciples.

Despite being at an absolute numerical disadvantage, not a single person showed anxiety.

Bbaak-!

Moving with wind-like, unpredictable footwork, Chwiwol Geolgae struck down the head of one Hwanhyun Gate disciple.

Chwiwol Geolgae’s true specialty wasn’t one-on-one duels, but rather chaotic battles like this where he could utilize his ultimate weapon – his footwork – to its extreme.

A Tiger Among Sheep.

He truly rampaged across the battlefield like a tiger.

* * *

While the Murim Alliance masters were fighting with the Hwanhyun Gate disciples.

Ha Hyeon was having a private conversation with his grandfather, Namgung Mu-ryong.

Recently, Ha Hyeon had been learning not just martial arts, but also gradually learning the tea ceremony from his grandfather.

Seeing Ha Hyeon’s eyebrows slightly twitch as if the tea didn’t taste good, Namgung Mu-ryong burst into laughter.

“Does it taste bad?”

“Umm… No, Grandfather.”

“Hahaha. No need to lie. I wasn’t asking to scold you.”

“…It tastes bad.”

“Someday, you’ll come to find it delicious.”

Ha Hyeon kept frowning as if he couldn’t get used to the taste no matter how many times he drank it, and Namgung Mu-ryong looked at him adoringly before suddenly speaking.

“Hyun-ah.”

“Yes, Grandfather.”

“Are you disappointed?”

Without lengthy explanation, Ha Hyeon understood what Namgung Mu-ryong meant.

He was referring to how the recent incident at Minister Jung’s estate wasn’t actually done by the Demonic cult, but by the Hwanhyun Gate posing as the Demonic cult.

“Yes. Honestly… I am disappointed.”

Ha Hyeon answered honestly.

He didn’t feel the need to hide his feelings in front of his grandfather.

“Yes. Actually, when I first heard the news, I was a bit worried.”

Ha Hyeon was about to ask what he was worried about but stayed quiet as it seemed Namgung Mu-ryong hadn’t finished speaking.

After pressing down on the white tea leaves he was preparing, Namgung Mu-ryong continued.

“I worried that if all the truth was revealed, you might be consumed by anger. But talking with you carefully today, I see those were needless concerns.”

“Ah…”

“So don’t be disappointed. From now on, I’ll share all information about the Demonic cult with you as well.”

“Thank you.”

Ha Hyeon lowered his head. He could feel his grandfather’s sincerity.

“That’s why martial arts training must remain your top priority. Do you know when a martial artist is most pitiful?”

“When is it?”

“When your strength falls short at the moment you need it most.”

Namgung Mu-ryong added that Ha Hyeon was doing well now, of course, but said nothing more.

For a while, only the slurping sounds of drinking tea could be heard.

Ha Hyeon, seeming to have organized his thoughts, spoke with bright eyes.

“Grandfather. I’m fine now. My impatient heart is gradually settling, and I’m truly… truly enjoying learning martial arts and living here.”

“Haha. That’s exactly what I hoped for.”

“I think what I need most is time. Though time flows equally for everyone, I’ll strive to use that time better.”

Namgung Mu-ryong smiled gently.

When having such conversations with Ha Hyeon, he felt as if he was talking to an old Shaolin monk.

Of course, excluding his friend Master Juwon.

‘Master Juwon is similar to Chwiwol Geolgae after all.’

Thinking of them brought a smile to his face.

“Grandfather. May I leave first? I’d like to complete the training I couldn’t finish earlier.”

“Go ahead. I’ve kept you too long.”

“Not at all. Thank you always for your wise words. I’ll work harder.”

Ha Hyeon bowed his head in greeting and left the tea room.

Namgung Mu-ryong smiled looking at where Ha Hyeon had been sitting.

Ha Hyeon had truly disliked the tea, only pretending to drink it and leaving all but one sip.

“Young-ryeong… He takes after you even in disliking tea.”

The Sword Saint could feel his daughter in his grandson, even from afar.

* * *

Back at the Hwanhyun Gate.

In less than an hour, all the black-clothed people were either dead or subdued.

None of the Murim Alliance masters had suffered even a scratch.

The Hwanhyun Gate Master too had been struck by Chwiwol Geolgae’s palm, his chest caved in as he lay gasping for breath while bleeding from his mouth.

Chwiwol Geolgae approached him.

“Hwanhyun Gate Master.”

“Chwiwol Geolgae… My son… is he dead too?”

Chwiwol Geolgae realized that by “son,” he meant the yellow-clothed man he had killed on the mountain days ago.

“Yes. He died by my hand.”

“I… see…”

The Hwanhyun Gate Master looked into empty space as if remembering his son and continued speaking.

“What is not… ours… should not be… coveted.”

The Hwanhyun Gate Master’s words were becoming increasingly clear.

The final radiance before death.

Like a candle burning most intensely just before going out, his mind became momentarily clear before his life ended.

“The desire to return to the martial arts world and the forbidden technique that defied heaven’s law for that purpose consumed my son.”

“What?”

“The technique was half successful, sacrificing many people to gain tremendous power “gaining tremendous power was successful, but he lost his voice along with his sanity.”

Chwiwol Geolgae suddenly recalled the strange behavior of the yellow-clothed man from days ago.

He hadn’t spoken and seemed to act blindly for his purpose.

As if he couldn’t make judgments on his own.

“Did you really practice something like the Soul Absorption Technique?”

“Soul Absorption Technique… Haha… Yes. That’s right. We needed money for that… If we hadn’t gone to get money, we might have maintained even an ant-like thread of life…”

The Hwanhyun Gate Master’s life force could be felt gradually fading away.

“Following, following that person’s words was… a mis… take…”

“That person? Are you saying someone taught you this dark art?”

“When the technique… is complete… back to the martial arts world… when the technique… is complete…”

Chwiwol Geolgae grabbed the fallen Hwanhyun Gate Master’s shoulders and shook him.

“Get a hold of yourself. Who is it? Tell me before you die, you fool!”

But with those final words, the Hwanhyun Gate Master went limp.

Thud-

Chwiwol Geolgae laid the Hwanhyun Gate Master’s body on the ground and organized in his mind what he had heard.

‘Is he saying there was someone behind this incident? I should thoroughly search this place with the other masters. That someone taught them the technique… Does this mean the Demonic cult is truly involved?’

Though one case was concluded, Chwiwol Geolgae instinctively felt that this would be the beginning of something much bigger.

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