Chapter 67

Chapter 67

Nearly two months had passed since Namgung Cheon had entered this manor.

After spending about a fortnight recovering, he began helping with the work of the manor in earnest, but from the perspective of Namgung Cheon, who possessed no particular skills, it was merely at the level of helping with odd jobs.

Moreover, since he was even missing one arm, Jang Sam-tae or Gwon Mu-jin handled most of it.

In the end, Namgung Cheon came up with an extraordinary measure.

He decided to do something that could be helpful to this manor even without one arm. There were not many, but there were still a few things he could do.

Especially something like this.

Splash-!

As he lifted the fishing rod with force, a large catfish was hooked and brought up. Since it was so large that it was the size of an adult's palm, Dan So-mi, who was watching from the side, burst out giggling.

"Wow, it's huge! I think it's the best one we've caught so far!"

"Is that so? Hoho, but it is not as good as the crucian carp you caught yesterday, is it?"

"Geez, I think this one is bigger than that."

Dan So-mi smiled brightly and reached out. She removed the hook caught in the catfish's mouth and placed it into the basket that was half-submerged in the water.

This way, it would stay fresh and live longer until they took it home.

"Let's catch an eel this time! To boost Dad and Grandpa's stamina!"

"Hoho, those fellas are not easily caught, sigh…"

"It's fine. So-mi will grab them tight and catch them for you!"

Namgung Cheon quietly stared at Dan So-mi.

The young child fearlessly held the live bait in her hand and threaded it onto the hook without hesitation.

'At that age, it is normal to be afraid even at the sight of a bug.'

Namgung So-hye had also held a sword since she was the same age as Dan So-mi, but she had been extremely afraid of bugs or mice. Especially when a cockroach appeared, she would jump around and cause a huge scene.

As that memory faintly drifted in, he missed her quite a bit.

"Now that I think about it, So-mi."

"Yes?"

"Is it not hard on you?"

"What is?"

"What else, you rascal. Staying here, I mean. Aside from the marketplace or the academy, there are no friends around, and it is teeming with nothing but men. Hohoho."

"Ah!"

Dan So-mi understood Namgung Cheon's words and nodded.

When observing So-mi over the last ten days, Dan Woo-hyun had always gone to pick her up when school finished, and without even having time to play properly with her friends, she would return to the manor and do nothing but follow the uncles around.

However, except for Dan Woo-hyun, Gwon Mu-jin and Jang Sam-tae each had their own work, and thus they were in a situation where they could not continuously look after Dan So-mi.

She spent quite a lot of time alone.

Being in such a remote place did not seem to be a very good environment for a child.

However, Dan So-mi shook her head vigorously.

"Grandpa, is it inconvenient for you to not have an arm?"

Surprised by the sudden question, his eyes widened. This was because even a normal young child would not ask such a question.

Even Gwon Mu-jin and Jang Sam-tae had been walking on eggshells.

Namgung Cheon thought for a long time.

'Yes, it is inconvenient.'

The mere fact that his left arm was gone was actually a huge shock. It was the arm that had been with him his entire life and had raised him to the position of the Sword Emperor.

Even now, because he lacked an arm, he could do nothing but fish like this, and his heart ached because he could no longer give any help to Namgung So-hye.

Therefore, he had only one answer.

"A little bit."

"I'm not. Even if I don't have friends, I have the uncles here, and I have my dad. And now I have Grandpa too. If I sleep today and go to school, I can see my friends, and when I come back from school, I have my family again. So, So-mi doesn't feel uncomfortable at all."

The child's fresh smile reached him.

Though they were just words expressing her thoughts, Namgung Cheon wore an expression as if he had received a shock.

It was also at that moment that Dan So-mi's voice was heard.

"Isn't it the same for you, Grandpa? You don't have a left arm, but you have a right arm. I don't think you are inconvenienced."

Namgung Cheon raised his remaining right hand as he listened.

Although some awkwardness still remained in its movement since it was not his dominant arm, because he had this arm, he could still fish like this.

He burst into laughter without realizing it.

"Indeed… this old man still has his right hand."

"Hehehe, yes. That's why you can fish. You are not inconvenienced at all, right?"

"Hoho! You rascal, I told you it is inconvenient. But as you say, it doesn't seem to be bad."

Tug-!

Seeing the fishing line quiver, Namgung Cheon quickly reached out his right hand and pulled it up with force.

An eel was dragged up, unable to even put up a proper struggle.

As it flopped onto the ground, Dan So-mi clapped her hands.

"Wow-!"

"Hohoho."

Watching the squirming eel, Namgung Cheon smiled gently.

It was a sensation as if all the distracting thoughts that had cluttered his mind were disappearing one by one.

Before he knew it, his gaze was directed not at the caught eel, but at Dan So-mi. To be taught by a mere seven-year-old, a child so much younger than him?

It felt as if the dignity of the Sword Emperor had been completely shattered.

'I still have my right arm left.'

Even if his left arm was cut off, he had his right arm.

Though his internal energy was gone, if he made an effort once again, it would not be completely impossible to restore it.

Re-evaluating everything and beginning to think of them positively, Namgung Cheon's eyes finally flashed.

"This Namgung Cheon… is not dead yet."

He was the Sword Emperor.

He was an existence praised as the greatest master of the orthodox faction, and a martial artist whom everyone revered and looked up to.

Even if it was merely qi-scattering poison and one arm was gone, the footprints of a great martial artist would not disappear.

He could climb up again.

Namgung Cheon sprang up from his seat.

He smiled as he felt So-mi staring blankly at him.

"This grandpa suddenly has something to do, can you stay alone?"

"Yes, So-mi likes fishing. Hehe, and since Dad said he would come in a little bit, it's fine."

"Hohoho, alright then."

With a small smile, he stood up.

She was truly an admirable child.

Even though staying alone must be quite lonely, she did not even show it. Perhaps that was why he grew even more fond of her.

If Namgung So-hye saw how he treated this child, she might feel jealous.

Because he had lectured that child, but had never praised her.

Walking slowly, he opened the door of the manor and entered.

On one side, Jang Sam-tae was visible, and on the other side, there was the face of Gwon Mu-jin.

He walked past, ignoring the two of them.

The place he was heading toward was already decided.

The training ground at the back of the manor.

He gripped a wooden sword that was lying around there. Because he had not held one since he was very young, the sensation of wood felt truly unfamiliar after a long time.

Whoosh-!

As he swung it once, the fierce sound of the wind stimulated his ears.

Even without internal energy, perhaps because the stance remained unchanged, it made a fairly sharp sound.

But, he was not used to it.

Trying to do everything he used to do with his left hand with his right hand, he could not even tell how the stance should unfold, let alone the sword path.

However, he swung without stopping.

Whoosh, whoosh-!

Every time the sword moved, the sound changed dramatically. Repeating the sword paths in his head one by one, he step by step re-interpreted everything from the very beginning.

Those were by no means easy tasks.

Not even a quarter of an hour had passed, yet Namgung Cheon's face was drenched in sweat as if he found it difficult.

Since his internal energy was gone, it was a martial art performed by exhausting his remaining basic physical strength.

Given his age, it could not help but be difficult.

However, Namgung Cheon did not give up.

One day. Two days. Three days.

Since he spent four hours a day holding the sword, before he knew it, the sword path became even sharper than at first, and it felt as if the stances had also changed a lot.

Moreover, as he retraced everything from the beginning, he also gained realizations that he had simply overlooked back then, making him feel that his sword path had actually improved significantly compared to the past.

Namgung Cheon concentrated even further.

It was as if he was honing his sword even more for that day when he would reclaim everything.

Around the time ten days had passed like that.

Dan Woo-hyun, who had not even shown his face at the training ground, came by. He stared intently at Namgung Cheon, who had been swinging the sword for a long time, and then spoke to him once the sword stopped.

"It seems you have finally found your energy."

"Hoho, embarrassingly, I gained enlightenment from a young child."

"Does enlightenment distinguish between young and old, male and female? If you do not know it yourself and someone else does, you can receive teaching at any time."

Listening to that voice, Namgung Cheon thought.

'Indeed, it is by no means an embarrassing thing.'

Intoxicated by the empty title of Sword Emperor, Namgung Cheon had looked down on everything, and although he had given teachings to others recently, he had never received them, which might have made him feel even more embarrassed.

But even that did not matter now.

"It seems I am not dead yet."

"It looks that way to me too."

"Could you spare me a moment?"

Dan Woo-hyun looked at Namgung Cheon with a somewhat surprised expression. Did he want to exchange a few moves using his unfamiliar right arm?

It was quite interesting.

"With that arm?"

"It does not move properly, but I cannot just leave it alone either, can I? As I said before, this Namgung Cheon is not dead."

He had realized something while swinging the sword for ten days.

The fastest and most familiar way to adapt his right hand was to engage in a suitable fight.

Although he lacked internal energy, his basic stances and combat methods were as different from those of Gwon Mu-jin and Jang Sam-tae as heaven and earth.

Since they were no match for him, he requested this of Dan Woo-hyun, who at least seemed strong.

The way he executed stances, the sword paths, and everything else had to be different from when he executed them with his left hand, and he was the only opponent who could provide a sense of tension.

"We can do it lightly. Though I pride myself on having become fairly accustomed to it already, there are still areas where I am lacking, and I wish to test them."

Dan Woo-hyun let out a short groan, "Hmm."

He had already seen the swordplay of the Namgung Clan through Namgung So-hye.

But what kind of flavor would the stances executed by the Sword Emperor have?

In fact, Namgung Cheon was the strongest expert among those he had met since waking up.

He had never seen anyone this strong, and his spirit was also grand enough to make his heart race.

Even though it was a simple duel of stances, it seemed like it would be fun.

"Fine. If you wish."

"Thank you."

At those words, not only Jang Sam-tae, who had been working, but also Gwon Mu-jin carefully approached and watched the training ground.

That was because a match between the two of them was a spectacle that could not be seen even for money.

"Who do you think will win?"

"Of course it's the Estate Lord. No matter if he is the Sword Emperor, with only one arm…"

Watching the two men who held wooden swords and moved slowly, Gwon Mu-jin nodded at Jang Sam-tae's words.

Since he was hit by the qi-scattering poison, his internal energy was disrupted, and his physical condition was not the same as before, so this match would undoubtedly be won by Dan Woo-hyun.

However, the variable was that the opponent was the Sword Emperor.

He was the strongest of the orthodox faction.

That was why he was the one granted the title of Sword Emperor.

Even if it was a simple duel of stances, it was clear that it was at a level they could never match.

That was why they could not take their eyes off it even more.

Soon, the two men faced each other with wooden swords. What kind of stance would he use to strike? Around the time they were thinking that, Dan Woo-hyun's voice, as he stood without taking any posture, quietly drifted in.

"Do your best."