Chapter 160

At the words "Emperor’s Sword Manual," Namgoong Cheon froze. With eyes trembling, he slowly looked toward the silk-wrapped bundle. “W-what... did you just say?” “I said it’s the Emperor’s Sword Manual of the Namgoong Clan.” “You... you’re returning... the Emperor’s Sword Manual...?” “Yes.” “H-how is that even...?” He sounded like he was asking whether it was even possible. “I persuaded the Lord of Mushincheon.” As the silk wrapping was completely undone, an old book was revealed. On its surface, the faded, barely visible characters read: Emperor’s Sword Manual . Restoring the Emperor’s Sword Manual and returning the Namgoong Clan to its former glory had long been the clan’s greatest wish. And now, part of that wish was being fulfilled. At the hands of the very man who had once saved them. Thud— Namgoong Cheon dropped to his knees on the floor. He then slowly crawled forward on his knees and looked down at the Emperor’s Sword Manual. It was unmistakably the genuine original. Namgoong Cheon turned his gaze back to Yeon Woo Jin. “Y-you’re truly saying it’s alright to return this?” “Yes. That’s why I brought it.” “This... this kind of grace... how could I possibly repay it...” He hadn’t even repaid the debt for saving Hong Seol Hwa’s life. And now, the grace of fulfilling the Namgoong Clan’s long-cherished wish—how could such a thing ever be repaid? “Could it be... does Mushincheon wish to claim the Namgoong Clan?” Yeon Woo Jin shook his head. “No. It simply means I hope the Namgoong Clan will continue to stand as a pillar of the Central Plains.” Namgoong Cheon was deeply moved by Yeon Woo Jin’s words. As expected... the Lord of Mushincheon. He was cut from a different cloth. To be called the greatest martial figure of the age was clearly no empty title. And the man who had succeeded in persuading such a being—Yeon Woo Jin—was clearly no ordinary person either. “Please take it.” Yeon Woo Jin pushed the Emperor’s Sword Manual toward Namgoong Cheon. With trembling hands, Namgoong Cheon picked up the manual. He lifted it with utmost reverence. “Would you like to store it somewhere safe first?” When Namgoong Cheon looked at him with a gaze as if asking ‘Can I really?’, Yeon Woo Jin smiled and nodded. “Th-then I’ll be back right away!” With a face brimming with joy, Namgoong Cheon carefully wrapped the book again in silk and hurried out of the room. Watching him go, Yeon Woo Jin smiled to himself, convinced once again that he’d done the right thing. **** Namgoong Cheon returned after placing the Emperor’s Sword Manual in a secret chamber that only the patriarch could access. His face was flushed with excitement. As soon as he returned, he bowed deeply to Yeon Woo Jin. Startled, Yeon Woo Jin quickly helped him up. “What are you doing?” “The debt I owe you is as vast as a mountain! Please allow me to offer this bow of gratitude!” “You already did. Just now, didn’t you?” “Benefactor! Thank you! Truly, thank you!” He kept bowing again and again, and Yeon Woo Jin barely managed to stop him with the excuse of being hungry. But that, he would soon realize, was a mistake. “You’re hungry?” Namgoong Cheon’s voice was so loud, anyone outside might’ve thought something grave had happened within the clan. Sure enough, the steward outside rushed in in a panic. “Patriarch! What’s the matter?!” He should’ve said it was nothing serious— “It’s an emergency!” “An emergency? What kind of emergency?!” “Right this instant! Mobilize every chef in the clan!” “Sir?” “And dispatch our martial artists to scour the land for every rare delicacy they can find!” “Wait, what is this all about?!” “The benefactor is hungry! How could we commit such a disgraceful error! To not even realize that our benefactor was hungry! What are you standing around for? Hurry!” The steward, bewildered by Namgoong Cheon’s excitement, quietly led him out of the room. “Patriarch, please calm down. You need to tell me what’s going on. How am I supposed to respond otherwise? Just who exactly is this person from Sincheonjang?!” “Don’t call him someone from Sincheonjang.” “Sir?” “Call him the Master of Sincheonjang. No—call him benefactor.” “Manor Master? That young man is the master of Sincheonjang? And more importantly... benefactor?” “Yes! That man... has returned the Emperor’s Sword Manual.” “Wh-what did you just say?” “Why are you making me repeat myself? I said he returned the Emperor’s Sword Manual!” “H-how could he return the Emperor’s Sword Manual? Isn’t it in Mushincheon?” “Yes. Because he’s someone from Mushincheon.” “Huh... I had my suspicions, but hearing it confirmed is shocking.” “Yes. I heard he persuaded the Lord of Mushincheon himself. He persuaded him to return the Emperor’s Sword Manual to the Namgoong Clan. Ugh! And while I was basking in the joy of recovering the manual, I didn’t even realize the benefactor was hungry. What kind of pathetic man does that make me?” “Are you sure it’s truly the Emperor’s Sword Manual? What if... someone’s trying to deceive you...” “Gal!” A sharp rebuke exploded from Namgoong Cheon’s mouth. “How dare you! Are you suspecting the benefactor?!” “How can I not be suspicious? Who in the world could persuade the Lord of Mushincheon?!” At the steward’s words, Namgoong Cheon spoke quietly. “He’s the one who treated Seol Hwa.” “What?” The steward reeled in shock. “S-so... the man inside is the Divine Physician of the Sacred Beast?” “Shh! He wishes to keep that fact a secret.” At that, the steward hurriedly covered his mouth with his hand. Then, glancing around, he whispered to Namgoong Cheon, “Is that really true?” “It is. That’s why I have no doubts. The Emperor’s Sword Manual is genuine. Now move, before the benefactor’s stomach caves in from hunger!” The steward’s eyes turned razor-sharp. “Leave it to me! Even if I have to whip the boys into shape, I’ll bring out a feast of rare delicacies!” “I’m counting on you!” “Loyalty!” Leaving the grim-faced steward rushing away behind him, Namgoong Cheon hurriedly ran back toward the guest hall where Yeon Woo Jin waited. **** Crack, creak... The table groaned under the sheer weight of food placed upon it. “Y-you really didn’t have to go this far...” “What do you mean? Honestly, I still feel it’s not enough.” “N-no. It’s more than enough. Please, tell them to stop bringing dishes.” At this rate, the table legs might actually break. “...Alright.” Yeon Woo Jin sighed in relief. But then he noticed Namgoong Cheon still standing nearby. “Aren’t you going to eat with me?” “I’ll serve the dishes you want to your plate, benefactor.” This is insane. Yeon Woo Jin looked at him with pleading eyes. “Could you please just eat with me? It feels a little lonely eating alone...” “Oh my! I’ve made another terrible mistake! I understand!” Namgoong Cheon hurried to take his seat. There was not a shred of dignity befitting the patriarch of a great clan. Was the Namgoong Clan really going to be alright? That thought crossed Yeon Woo Jin’s mind. At that moment, Hong Seol Hwa, who had been quietly smiling beside him, spoke. “He’s a little scatterbrained, isn’t he?” “Ah—haha, yes. Just a bit.” “I always tell him to uphold his dignity as the clan’s patriarch, but he never listens. Still, what can you do? He is the head of the Namgoong Clan, after all.” Judging by her words, it seemed he behaved like this quite often. “Perhaps because the patriarch is like that, the people of the clan seem quite cheerful.” Indeed, the atmosphere in the Namgoong Clan was bright and energetic. Hong Seol Hwa began portioning food onto Yeon Woo Jin’s plate. “I can serve myself.” “Please allow me. I want to repay, even in this small way, the grace you showed in treating me.” “Still... how can I let the mistress of the Namgoong Clan do such a thing?” At Yeon Woo Jin’s words, Namgoong Cheon spoke. “Seol Hwa has always said she wanted to serve you a good meal at least once. So please just accept her sincerity.” “If that’s how she truly feels... then very well. I’ll eat with gratitude.” “There’s not much, but please eat your fill.” Not much, she said. There were easily over a hundred different dishes. Well, if anything was left over, the rest of the clan could divide it among themselves. Thinking that, Yeon Woo Jin began eating in peace. As he ate heartily, smiles bloomed on both Namgoong Cheon and Hong Seol Hwa’s faces. Soon, Namgoong Cheon joined in and began eating as well. Then he asked, “This matter you have in the Central Plains... is it by chance to return the secret manuals of the other sects?” Yeon Woo Jin nodded. “I’m not returning them unconditionally. I’ve established several requirements.” “Requirements?” “Yes. The most important is whether they’re acting properly as righteous sects. If they’re not, I won’t return them.” “I’ll help. I’m confident no one knows more about the Nine Great Sects and Five Grand Clans than I do.” “That includes sects affiliated with the Martial Alliance.” “You needn’t worry about that either! I’ll take responsibility for gathering all the necessary information.” “Thanks to you, things will go much more smoothly, Patriarch.” “If I can be of help to you in any way, I’ll do it.” “Thank you.” “What are you saying? It’s we who should be thanking you. From this day forward, the Namgoong Clan will spend the rest of our lives repaying your grace.” “No, this warm hospitality and your help already more than suffice.” “Absolutely not! Besides, you’re not even doing this for personal gain—you’re doing it for the benefit of the Central Plains. That can’t be considered a repayment.” Realizing that trying to argue further was pointless, Yeon Woo Jin waved it off. “L-let’s table that discussion for now.” “As you wish.” Namgoong Cheon asked something he’d been curious about. “I heard that only young martial artists live in Sincheonjang. Did you deliberately select only the young to bring with you?” “Ah, they’re all my close friends and subordinates.” “You mean... they follow you.” “That’s right. They’re my own force, through and through.” “Congratulations. The Namgoong Clan will provide our full support to ensure Sincheonjang continues to thrive.” “There’s no need. I receive support from Mushincheon already.” “Mushincheon is Mushincheon. We are us. We’ll support you as well.” Sensing that this could go on all night, Yeon Woo Jin quickly shifted the topic. “I-I’ll let you know if I need anything.” “Please do. Even if it means scouring every corner of the Central Plains, we’ll find it for you.” “Th-thank you.” After eating until he was truly about to burst, Yeon Woo Jin groaned as he slowly rose from his seat. “That was absolutely delicious.” “If you ever crave it again, just let us know. We’ll prepare the same spread and wait.” “Haha...” He couldn’t bring himself to say “Yes.” Just as he was about to leave— “Ah! That’s right!” As if he’d just remembered something, Yeon Woo Jin reached into his robes—then suddenly stopped. Wait... if I hand this over now, it might start a whole new storm. He glanced between Namgoong Cheon and Hong Seol Hwa. “Is something the matter?” “Was something unsatisfactory?” “Ah, no. There was something else I meant to give you. I just remembered it now.” “You... you have something else to give us?” Namgoong Cheon looked stunned. Yeon Woo Jin then took out a wooden case from within his robes. “This is an elixir for Madam. Even though she’s been treated, her qi must still be depleted, so please take this.” As he handed over the elixir, both Namgoong Cheon and Hong Seol Hwa looked at him with deeply moved expressions. “And this is for you, Patriarch. It’ll help with mastering the Emperor’s Sword Manual.” Drip— At last, tears spilled from Namgoong Cheon’s eyes. “Hngh! How much more grace do you intend to bestow upon our clan? We’ll never be able to repay all this! Please, no more!” “You don’t have to repay everything, you know.” “Hnghh... how can I not? I will repay you, no matter what!” “Then... please master the Emperor’s Sword Manual and show me. To witness the perfected Emperor’s Sword—that is my wish.” A deadly glint rose in Namgoong Cheon’s eyes. “Do you mean that?” “Yes.” “Understood! Even if this body is shattered, I will master it and show you!” “Great!” Namgoong Cheon and Hong Seol Hwa both understood. Yeon Woo Jin was doing this so they wouldn’t feel burdened. The two of them looked at him warmly. “Then I’ll be taking my leave.” “I’ll escort you to Sincheonjang.” “No, it’s alright. I want to walk to help digest the food. Please don’t see me out. I don’t like drawing people’s attention.” “You haven’t changed. Very well.” Once Yeon Woo Jin disappeared, the two remained behind. Namgoong Cheon spoke. “I think I must visit Sincheonjang. I’m curious how he lives.” “Yes, you should. And if anything is lacking, we’ll be the ones to supply it.” “My dear wife... you always know /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ my heart better than anyone. Hahaha.”