Chapter 34
“Ahh.”
Namgoong Hui, who had just finished sheathing his sword after emerging from a state of no-mind, wore a relieved expression.
‘I broke through a wall.’
All he had done was switch the hand that held his sword, but suddenly, everything flowed naturally. The more he internalized his realization, the more deeply moved he became.
‘This is a fortuitous encounter.’
In truth, Namgoong Hui hadn’t been in the best mood ever since leaving Muhyeon to follow Jegal Dam to the Seol family estate.
His heart had been anxious, and he found Jegal Dam’s sudden detour frustrating.
The Jegal family was his maternal relatives, and his mother—who was currently unwell—was staying there. For someone longing to see his ailing mother, being dragged off to the Seol estate was hardly welcome.
And to make matters worse, once they arrived, he found out it was all because of a child’s prank.
He couldn’t believe that someone like Jegal Dam, whom he respected deeply, had been tricked by such a childish scheme.
‘I had planned to scold her… but how should I even express my gratitude now?’
He hadn’t had good feelings toward Unyeong, but the fact that he had ended up benefiting from the situation made things awkward.
Not long ago, Namgoong Hui had been granted permission to learn the Changgung Muae Sword Technique. Some had questioned whether he wasn’t too young for it.
— I will pass on the Changgung Muae Sword to Hui, the eldest son.
But once the head of the Namgoong clan made the announcement, no one dared to voice further objection.
Everyone knew how strict Namgoong Kang—his grandfather and one of the Ten Masters of the world—was when it came to the sword.
Very few in the Namgoong bloodline had not been labeled geniuses or prodigies. The public’s admiration and expectation for the direct line of Changcheon was immense.
Namgoong Hui had entered into the Changgung Muae Sword Technique at the youngest age in clan history. Naturally, expectations for him soared.
A once-in-a-generation prodigy.
Though he always did his best to live up to those expectations, it was exhausting. On top of that, the Changgung Muae Sword was a technique of ascent—it was notoriously difficult to master.
He first picked up a sword at the age of five. But his right hand couldn’t hold it properly.
Because he was left-handed.
All swords in the Namgoong clan were right-handed swords. No one ever said it was okay to wield one in the left hand. In fact, the fact that Namgoong Hui was left-handed was kept an absolute secret.
— Don’t speak of weakness. One who inherits Changcheon’s name must always show perfection.
His father, the deputy head of the clan, told him to show strength, even when he confessed his difficulties.
He wasn’t the perfect right-hander. So Namgoong Hui had no choice but to train even harder. Fortunately, he had the talent to match his effort and improved rapidly.
— What if I held the sword in my left hand?
It was the first time anyone had ever told him to do that.
A change in perspective.
Wielding the sword with his left hand wasn’t easy at first. But it wasn’t nearly as hard as it had been when he first tried using his right.
For some reason, he had the feeling that if he mastered the left-hand sword, his right-hand technique would improve as well.
A realization gained through no-mind.
It was an unconventional thought, but every martial artist had their own unique way of training. Namgoong Hui felt certain that training both hands was the right path for him.
He might not be able to use a left-hand sword in front of others, but it would be no issue in training.
“…Thank you, Lady Unyeong.”
After organizing his thoughts, Namgoong Hui bowed deeply and offered his gratitude.
“Congratulations on your great achievement.”
Unyeong returned the gesture with a formal bow.
— You progressed faster than anyone else in the clan.
Back when she had a heart-to-heart with the Sword King, he’d spoken of left-hand swords too.
He said there had been no issues even as he neared mastery of the Changgung Muae Sword Technique.
— The Imperial Sword Form. Before the sword that pursued perfection, I could only feel despair.
Because he had advanced so rapidly, he met his first wall early. And with it, his first taste of defeat.
— I tried everything to find a way. But in the end, realization came suddenly.
— What was it?
— I was drunk and happened to swing my sword with my left hand. That’s when I realized. The left hand wasn’t the problem.
He said it with a laugh, but the bitter look on his face betrayed how much that moment had broken him inside.
‘Now he doesn’t have to go through that. He’ll grow faster by several years without detouring. He was late already, but he managed on his own.’
Unyeong felt satisfied knowing her friend wouldn’t have to remember his left hand with such a bitter expression.
“You said you wanted to speak with me.”
When Unyeong brought the conversation back around, Namgoong Hui visibly flinched.
“W-Well, it’s just that…”
He couldn’t get the words out.
How could he say he had sought her out just to scold her?
Unyeong was the one who had sparked his realization. He owed her.
“Yes, go ahead, Young Master.”
“T-The thing is…”
His face turned red. Watching him fumble, Unyeong couldn’t help but laugh. She could already guess what this was about.
‘This must be because of Jegal Dam.’
Namgoong Hui’s mother was the younger sister of the current head of the Jegal family. That made Jegal Dam and Namgoong Hui maternal cousins, and they’d been close since they were very young. As such, they were sensitive when it came to each other.
‘That smart little brat probably stirred things up. Knowing how fired up Hui was, he might’ve even egged him on to pick a fight.’
Jegal Dam would surely think this unfair, but it couldn’t be helped.
When Unyeong looked at young Jegal Dam, she couldn’t separate him from his future as a military strategist. She’d seen that boy make tactical moves no one else could even imagine.
“You seem to have forgotten why you came looking for me. That happens.”
Unable to keep watching Namgoong Hui flustered, Unyeong gave him an easy out.
‘I’m the adult here. I can’t keep teasing a kid.’
“Y-Yes. That’s right. I… Ah. The mushrooms were delicious.”
“Were they? I’m glad you enjoyed them.”
“Would it be… possible to take some of those fragrant mushrooms with me?”
Having changed the subject to mushrooms, Namgoong Hui thought he had completely tricked her.
“I was already planning to set some aside for you.”
“I see. Thank you. My mother is quite fond of mushrooms.”
His expression softened. His longing for his mother clearly showed in his face.
It was a smile Unyeong hadn’t expected to see from him.
“…I see. I’ll make sure you have plenty.”
A strange side of her close friend—whom she thought she knew so well. It flustered Unyeong, which was unlike her.
‘Still, I can’t help it. Even if he’s young, he’s still Namgoong ‘Perfect’. This is so weird.’
Unyeong bit her lip and sighed softly.
“Young lady? Are you feeling unwell?”
Noticing her pained expression, Namgoong Hui asked with concern.
“No, I’m fine.”
She replied, but she couldn’t stop thinking.
‘Am I still standing on the battlefield?’
She liked the peace of the Seol estate. But seeing these unfamiliar sides of her friends reminded her of the battlefield—one only she remembered.
A battlefield where she stood alone.
Unyeong shook her head and calmed herself.
‘Even if I stand alone, it’s okay. That hell must never return.’
There was something else she had to tell Namgoong Hui—something that could prevent his future misfortune.
“Young Master.”
“Yes, young lady?”
Biting her lip, Unyeong met his gaze and spoke.
“You may have heard from Young Master Jegal…”
“N-No! I haven’t heard anything!”
He frantically waved his hands, denying it.
Unyeong burst into laughter at the sight.
“Ahahaha.”
The brief memory of hell vanished in an instant. She laughed freely.
“Right. I suppose you haven’t.”
After a while, she finally spoke again. The corners of her mouth hadn’t come down.
“Yes, young lady…?”
“Well, our Seol family is more historic than most people realize.”
“I see.”
“Yes. So we’ve accumulated many ancient texts over the years. I enjoy reading, and recently, I found something quite interesting.”
“Oh? What was it?”
Namgoong Hui’s eyes lit up.
“About spiritual beasts.”
Divine creatures.
“And spiritual fruits.”
Miraculous fruits.
Namgoong Hui swallowed hard.
“It was an old book recording the locations of such beings and fruits.”
“I-Is that so…”
It was a lie. But she shared the information because she knew how much he needed it.
“I heard the Namgoong clan is searching for the Root of the Eternal Bellflower from High Mountains.”
“How do you know about that…?”
The root of a bellflower aged over 10,000 years in high altitudes. It was a miraculous medicine for lung disease.
Namgoong Hui’s mother was suffering from a hardening of the lungs.
‘And in a few years, she passed away…’
“The Seol family is in the merchant business. We get lots of information.”
“Ah, I see. Then… could you tell me where to find it? I’ll make it worth your while…”
“Of course. No need for a reward. And it’s an old document, so it may or may not be accurate.”
“Still… thank you.”
It would be accurate. Even twenty years later, the root would still be there.
Miracle medicines were rare to begin with, and during the war, they became even scarcer. The Murim Alliance collected them aggressively to nurture powerful warriors.
That was when the Root of the Eternal Bellflower was taken by the Murim Alliance.
— If only I’d found this twenty years earlier…
Namgoong Hui had muttered with a sorrowful look as he stared at the ancient root.
Unyeong remembered the exact location the mountain herbalist had mentioned back then.
“Leafhead Peak of Mount Wutai, in Shanxi Province.”
Thank goodness. She could help.
She could save a life.
