The Genius Grandson of the Namgung Family
Chapter 40
Yu Min-min was facing a situation she had desperately tried to avoid throughout her term.
‘Has my luck turned sour lately? Why does this keep happening?’
Her brows were furrowed, drawing the character for river(ć·).
During her years as the Alliance Chief, she had been praised as the best mediator of conflicts between martial arts sects and families among all previous Alliance Chiefs.
However, recently problems kept arising.
Moreover, these problems were being caused by the most respected elders in the current martial arts world.
‘Yesterday, it took so long to stop the fight between Elder Chwiwol Geolgae and Master Juwon…’
She was dumbfounded just thinking about yesterday.
The reason for the fight between these two highly respected masters was completely absurd.
‘They started arguing about who would win between the Namgung family’s grandchildren and Shaolin’s three disciples, and it turned into a real fight. But why did Elder Chwiwol Geolgae specifically choose the Namgung family’s grandchildren when they’re not even Kaibang disciples?’
It was a point she couldn’t understand no matter how much she thought about it.
‘If you win, something about the Sohwan Dan and what about the elder brother… The martial arts world would be in shock if they knew these people’s true nature.’
She was deep in thought when something suddenly caught her attention.
It was because Cold Blood Sword Moyong Bi-san greeted Sword Saint with a smiling face and cupped fists.
“Elder Sword Saint, I am merely grateful that you finally made time to have this conversation.”
“No, I too had been thinking we should have a dialogue someday.”
The meeting between Sword Saint Namgung Mu-ryong and Cold Blood Sword Moyong Bi-san.
Moyong Bi-san displayed outwardly very polite speech and manners.
‘Why is the Sword Saint meeting with Chief Moyong today after avoiding everyone for so long? And Chief Moyong too – why couldn’t you wait to start trouble until after my term ends?’
Yu Min-min felt a headache coming on.
The animosity between the Namgung and Moyong families had been ongoing for the past ten years.
But what could she do about her headache?
What’s done is done, and what’s happened has happened.
She made up her mind to mediate this situation as best she could.
“It’s been so long since I’ve seen both of you in the same place.”
“Indeed. I’ve always wanted to meet with the Sword Saint, but until now I thought you were avoiding me because you disliked me. Haha.”
Though Moyong Bi-san spoke with a friendly laugh, everyone present could sense the barb hidden in his words.
Yu Min-min had also intentionally tried to avoid creating situations where the two would meet.
She hadn’t expected him to make such a big issue at a meeting involving the Hwanhyun Gate and the Demon Sect.
“Hoho. If that’s how you felt, I apologize. As you know, I haven’t been able to pay attention to other minor matters because of major issues like the recent Demon Sect situation.”
Yu Min-min sensed something pointed in Namgung Mu-ryong’s words as well.
‘Huh? Why is the Sword Saint acting this way? He wasn’t like this recently.’
The Sword Saint was known throughout the martial arts world as a man of character.
He was someone who never showed anger even in extreme situations, maintaining his composure with a gentle laugh at all times.
But the implied meaning of what he just said was essentially that Moyong Bi-san’s request for a meeting was too trivial to warrant his attention.
“Haha! I see. Indeed, this is just like the elder who cares so deeply about the peace of the martial arts world.”
And naturally, Moyong Bi-san, being the subject of those words, understood their meaning best.
He didn’t particularly try to hide his displeasure.
‘Like a toothless tiger. Clearly, he fears our Moyong family. That must be why he pretended not to see my letter suggesting we compete for the position of world’s strongest family among direct descendants only.’
However, Namgung Mu-ryong’s expression remained cold.
“I need to return to my family quickly, and you must be busy too, so let’s get to the point. That letter mentioned having a martial arts competition between direct descendants only.”
“That’s right. A family’s strength is the strength of its direct descendants. Isn’t it right that the family with the strongest direct line should have leadership?”
“Haha. This is quite amusing. You’re saying this knowing that our Namgung family has only six direct descendants?”
In most major families, the number of blood relatives counting both direct and collateral lines usually exceeds double digits.
This meant that the Namgung family’s numbers were very small in comparison.
The main reason was that Namgung Mu-ryong had been alone after his siblings met with unfortunate circumstances, and he only had three children.
Moreover, although his children had continued the family line, their wives, who were ordinary people who didn’t know martial arts, had all passed away from an epidemic, leaving just those six.
“Just a moment!”
Yu Min-min sensed that their current conversation was becoming heated.
She particularly thought that talking about Namgung Mu-ryong’s deceased family members could potentially provoke his anger.
“Both of you are being too emotional right now. You know well that I didn’t bring you both here to fight, don’t you?”
While speaking outwardly calmly, she sent a sound transmission to Namgung Mu-ryong.
-Elder Sword Saint. Please calm your anger. I will speak with Chief Moyong to ensure this never happens again.
-Alliance Chief. Don’t worry. I’m not excited at all. However, I’ve made up my mind to show some unseemly behavior in front of the Alliance Chief today, so please understand.
-Ah… I understand, Elder.
Namgung Mu-ryong’s voice through the sound transmission was as calm as ever.
Min-min firmly believed that Namgung Mu-ryong must have something in mind.
“Alliance Chief. I came here for a conversation. I hope you will listen and judge well. I am absolutely not saying that the current Namgung family is weak. However, isn’t accepting and training outside disciples no different from any other martial arts sect? If we also begin to seriously gather talented disciples and pass down our family’s martial arts, we too can become stronger.”
Moyong Bi-san paused briefly to gauge Namgung Mu-ryong’s reaction, and when Namgung Mu-ryong made no response, he continued.
“Therefore, what’s important is the skill of direct descendants who share the family’s blood! That’s why I’m suggesting we compete to see which direct line is stronger – is that really such a problem?”
Moyong Bi-san knew well that there was a considerable amount of forced reasoning in his argument, even as he made it.
However, he thought the only way for the Moyong family to gain more recognition as the world’s premier martial arts family was to defeat the Namgung family.
And this method was also the only way the current Moyong family could win against the Namgung family.
“So. You’re saying you want to have this competition and be recognized as the world’s premier family?”
“If we win, that is. However, given the great Namgung family’s potential, isn’t it possible we might lose?”
Moyong Bi-san spoke with feigned respect and dignity.
‘The Sword Saint’s siblings all died in the Orthodox-Demon War forty years ago. None of them left heirs. That’s why the current Namgung family’s direct line consists only of the Sword Saint’s two sons and three grandchildren.’
He had calculated all this before speaking.
“How old… are you this year?”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“I’m fifty this year.”
Namgung Mu-ryong suddenly smiled.
“You’ve never physically experienced the Orthodox-Demon War then. Since it broke out fifty years ago and continued for exactly 5 years, you would have been a child at the time.”
Moyong Bi-san couldn’t respond as he failed to grasp what Namgung Mu-ryong was getting at.
Meanwhile, Namgung Mu-ryong continued speaking.
“So that’s why the Orthodox-Demon War and stories about our generation must have been just old tales to you.”
“If you’re talking about the subsequent Orthodox-Demon War… Kugh!”
Moyong Bi-san suddenly felt like his breath was being choked off and couldn’t continue speaking.
“The Orthodox-Demon War? Haha…. You mean that Orthodox-Demon War that happened when you were barely of age? Can you really say you know about that well?”
Hwaaak-!
On the surface, Namgung Mu-ryong appeared to be doing nothing.
But even the Alliance Chief could clearly sense it.
Somehow, an invisible energy had filled this space heavily, and beyond that, was pressing down on Moyong Bi-san.
“Kuhp!”
But Moyong Bi-san was also a supreme master who hadn’t obtained his position as the Moyong family head for nothing.
He too emitted his energy to resist Namgung Mu-ryong, not wanting to be outdone.
“Our Namgung family’s direct line only has six members, including young grandchildren. So you thought you had a chance. After all, your family has more than ten fingers’ worth of supreme masters just among your direct line.”
Unlike Moyong Bi-san whose face had turned red from summoning all his strength, Namgung Mu-ryong remained completely composed.
“World’s premier family? I have absolutely no interest in such things. However… what did you say earlier? Direct line’s ability? Right. Let me ask you just one thing.”
“Wh… what is it?”
Moyong Bi-san forced out his voice with all his might.
Namgung Mu-ryong looked at Moyong Bi-san and answered with a friendly smile.
“Do you think all of Moyong family’s direct line members combined… could overcome even just me alone?”
Kwajik-!
The chair Moyong Bi-san was sitting on collapsed, unable to withstand Namgung Mu-ryong’s crushing energy.
Finding himself suddenly sprawled on the floor, Moyong Bi-san tried to get up but couldn’t move an inch, pressed down by Namgung Mu-ryong’s energy as if someone was holding his shoulders down.
And Namgung Mu-ryong calmly rose from his seat and approached him. Step. Step.
“Why don’t you go ask the retired Moyong Hwi, your father… what kind of person I, Namgung Mu-ryong, am?”
“Heok-! Huuk, huuk-“
When Namgung Mu-ryong finished speaking and withdrew his energy, Moyong Bi-san could finally breathe and took rough breaths.
“Haha. My joke went too far. Get up. I apologize.”
Namgung Mu-ryong extended his hand to Moyong Bi-san, who hesitated uncertainly before taking his hand and standing up.
“And, I’ve thought about it. Following your suggestion might be one way to go.”
“You mean…”
Moyong Bi-san had already switched to being respectful.
“The martial arts competition. I’ll accept it. How about making the rules simple – seven versus seven matches? Matching up pairs, that is.”
“Seven versus seven?”
Though thoroughly intimidated, Moyong Bi-san quickly thought it through.
For him, there was nothing to lose in this proposal.
It was also exactly what he had been wanting all along.
But there was one question that came to mind.
“If it’s seven versus seven, there need to be seven people, but doesn’t the Namgung family only have six direct descendants?”
“Haha. Didn’t you know? We gained another grandchild.”
“How could… there be another grandchild?”
“Well, such things happen. What? Should we just not do it then?”
“No! We’ll do it.”
Namgung Mu-ryong spoke while patting his thigh to brush off the hand that had helped Moyong Bi-san up.
“The timing will be one year from now. Prepare and convey details like the location. Going to the Moyong family would be fine. You can manage that much, right?”
“Of course. But why one year from now?”
“My grandchildren are still young, aren’t they? They’ll need that much time to train before they can face the esteemed Moyong family’s direct line members.”
Moyong Bi-san’s face twisted as if he’d eaten dirt.
What Namgung Mu-ryong had just implied was that with just one year of time, even children could defeat their direct line members.
However, there was nothing Moyong Bi-san could do in this situation.
In the end, he could only answer that he understood.
Namgung Mu-ryong gave Moyong Bi-san a thoroughly friendly smile, then pulled him close and spoke quietly in his ear.
“Since we’re at the Martial Alliance today, I’ll stop here. Let’s meet at the competition. You should be prepared to take some hits then.”
“Heup…!”
“Well, if you’re done with your business, you may leave.”
Moyong Bi-san left the Alliance Chief’s tea room with a pale face.
“Elder… Should I say you showed great restraint… or should I ask why you did that… I’m confused.”
“Haha. Alliance Chief, I apologize. Didn’t I ask for your understanding earlier? I’ll compensate for the chair.”
“Well… You haven’t changed.”
Though Yu Min-min appeared to be middle-aged on the outside, she was approaching sixty.
Thanks to her master Hwasan’s First Sword Dan Mok-seong being a close friend of Namgung Mu-ryong, she had heard countless tales of Namgung Mu-ryong’s exploits.
In a way, she was one of the people who had heard the most stories about his past in the current martial arts world, so such scenes didn’t feel unfamiliar to her.
“But Elder.”
“Why do you call?”
“If… the Namgung family were to lose this competition, it would cause great chaos in the martial arts world.”
Currently, the Namgung family held significance beyond just being a martial arts family.
News of the Namgung family losing to another family in competition could bring major changes to the martial arts world’s political landscape.
In times like these, with chaos looming… it surely wouldn’t be a positive development.
“Haha. I’m not worried.”
“Is that so?”
“During the remaining time, I plan to properly teach my grandchildren.”
Namgung Mu-ryong naturally smiled as he thought of his grandchildren.
Thinking of his precious grandchildren, whom he cherished more than his own eyes, he smiled even more deeply.
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.
Schedule: Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun.
Please review this novel @ NovelUpdate.
