Chapter 163

Chapter 163: Evil Bonds Are Tenacious (1)

The Namgung Family.

A prestigious clan and one of the Five Great Families, they were the overlords of Anhui Province.

The Namgung Family was situated on the outskirts of Hefei, the capital of Anhui Province.

Behind them rose a substantial mountain like a great screen, and before them flowed a mighty river. A perfect terrain of backing mountain and facing water. Moreover, the only path leading into the village was a single bridge spanning the river.

With the bridge guarded, no enemy could infiltrate—a naturally fortified position. At its very heart sat the Namgung Family.

The houses surrounding the Namgung Family were all owned by branch families. The entire village was composed of the Namgung Family's bloodline.

Encircled by towering walls, the Namgung Family compound was itself a perfect fortress. Only those granted permission by the Namgung Family and those bearing the surname Namgung were permitted entry.

Among the numerous halls and training grounds that harmonized within the compound, there were certain spaces of particular importance.

The Sword Ringing Hall was one such space.

If the Divine Hall was the residence of the Family Head, then the Sword Ringing Hall was the residence of the Young Master.

The place where the next Family Head, who would lead the great Namgung Family into the future, resided. Naturally, its security was impenetrable.

Even under normal circumstances, the security was airtight, not allowing a single drop of water to seep through. But now, countless masters were gathered inside and outside the Sword Ringing Hall, making it resemble a fortress.

Excluding the martial artists stationed at the perimeter, more than ten people were gathered in the Young Master's chambers. But not one of them spoke a word.

Their gazes were fixed upon the bed at the center of the Sword Ringing Hall.

Lying upon the bed was a young man who appeared to be in his late twenties to early thirties.

Had he been in good health, he would have been handsome enough to be called a fine-looking man. But unfortunately, his face was covered in a deathly pallor, and thick veins bulged grotesquely across his entire body.

The young man's name was Namgung Mu-jin.

He held the exalted position of eldest son and Young Master of the Namgung Family's Head, Namgung Cheon.

He first took up a sword at the age of five and showed his talent at seven. By the age of ten, he had achieved accomplishments surpassing martial artists far his senior.

Naturally, he bore the expectations of every member of the Namgung Family. While such expectations might have been burdensome for an ordinary person, Namgung Mu-jin had surpassed them with ease, achieving results that exceeded all expectations.

He had mastered all of the Namgung Family's supreme techniques, including the Azure Sky Limitless Sword Art and the Great Extension Sword Art, and it had been only recently that he had begun learning the Emperor Sword Form, which only the Family Head was permitted to study.

"Was I too hasty?"

An elderly man who appeared to be in his mid-fifties gazed down at Namgung Mu-jin and murmured.

His eyes were cold and clear as a lake, and his refined features evoked the image of a distinguished scholar.

The elderly man was none other than Namgung Cheon, the Head of the Namgung Family.

The great martial artist who had completed the Emperor Sword Form for the first time in two hundred years. For that reason, the Namgung Family called him by the title of Sword King.

Namgung Cheon had left the management of the family to Namgung Chang and his brothers, devoting himself entirely to the path of martial arts.

What he desired was the path of the Sword Immortal, surpassing the Sword King. To reach the ultimate realm through the sword.

For that reason, he had neglected even overseeing his children's martial arts. It was three months ago that Namgung Mu-jin had come to him.

He wished to learn the Emperor Sword Form. Normally, it could not be transmitted before one formally attained the position of Family Head, but Namgung Cheon had willingly passed the Emperor Sword Form to Namgung Mu-jin.

Such was his trust in Namgung Mu-jin.

He believed that Namgung Mu-jin could carry on his legacy and complete the Emperor Sword Form magnificently.

Namgung Mu-jin had not betrayed Namgung Cheon's expectations. He progressed through the Emperor Sword Form at a remarkable pace.

Three months passed as he devoted himself to the Emperor Sword Form, forgetting even to eat or sleep. The problem erupted just a few days ago.

Namgung Mu-jin, intoxicated by his rapid progress, grew greedy. In his haste, he fell into deviation.

He was barely clinging to life, but his vital signs were critical—he could die at any moment. Without proper treatment, it was unclear how his life could be saved, but even if it were, he would never be able to practice martial arts again.

The Young Master of the great Namgung Family, reduced to a body incapable of practicing martial arts? For the Namgung Family, it was the worst possible scenario.

For that reason, countless physicians from across Anhui Province had been summoned to the Namgung Family. Every renowned healer, without exception.

Every physician who examined Namgung Mu-jin shook their head. With their abilities, they could not treat his deviation.

Enraged, Namgung Cheon had executed every physician who said it was impossible. He came to his senses too late and regretted it, but there was no undoing what had been done.

"Is the Sage still far away?"

"Jang-gyeong took his men to fetch her. She should be here soon."

"If she is the Sage, she will be able to treat Mu-jin."

"If she cannot treat him, then no physician under heaven will be able to save the Young Master."

"You must bring her here by any means necessary."

"Do not worry, brother."

The one who answered was Namgung Hwa, an elder of the Namgung Family. He was Namgung Cheon's younger brother and wielded considerable influence within the family.

Namgung Hwa looked at Namgung Cheon with a worried expression. At this moment, Namgung Cheon was in a state commonly described as having lost his reason.

Anger was eroding his rationality, and he was on the verge of an explosive outburst. If anyone so much as touched him, a catastrophe would ensue.

The Namgung Family's elders held their breath in the face of Namgung Cheon's fury when—

"Family Head!"

An urgent voice came from outside.

Namgung Cheon's eyes turned toward the door. Expectation flickered across his face.

"Have you brought the Sage?"

"Well, you see…"

The door opened and a Namgung Family martial artist entered the room. But he was alone.

"What happened?"

"The men who went to fetch the Sage were all massacred."

"What?"

"No matter how long we waited, she did not come, so we sent someone to investigate. They found only the corpses of our family's martial artists filling the inn."

"So our family's martial artists were massacred?"

"I humbly apologize."

"How dare! Who has thus insulted the main family?"

Namgung Cheon sprang to his feet. From his entire being, a terrifying aura erupted.

The sharp killing intent befitting the title of Sword King pierced the very hearts of all present.

The elders in the Sword Ringing Hall, overwhelmed by his aura, turned pale.

"F-Family Head! Please calm yourself…"

"Think of the Young Master, Family Head."

The elders tried to calm Namgung Cheon. But his fury would not easily subside.

"Who is it? The one who dared to kill our family's martial artists."

"That is… we are not yet certain. The innkeeper has fled, and there are no witnesses."

Namgung Cheon ground his teeth.

He was normally the most composed of men, but in the face of his child's crisis and his subordinates' deaths, his fury knew no bounds.

The martial artist continued cautiously.

"The methods were extremely cruel, and our family's martial artists were unable to mount any meaningful resistance before dying. The perpetrator is undoubtedly a formidable master."

"Deploy the Sword King Unit."

"What!"

"The Sword King Unit?"

In that instant, the elders let out cries of alarm.

The Sword King Unit was the Namgung Family's last line of defense.

The previous Family Head, Namgung Seon-wol, had secretly selected prodigies to protect the Namgung Family. He provided them with rare elixirs and secret manuals to cultivate.

They were deployed only when the Namgung Family faced an imminent crisis, and when they appeared, they displayed fearsome might.

The last time they had revealed themselves was thirty years ago—during the catastrophe of the Demonic Cult.

At that time, they had slaughtered over a thousand elite martial artists of the Demonic Cult who had breached the Namgung Family's walls, displaying overwhelming martial power to the world. Though they wore red masks, concealing their individual identities, the fact that they were the Sword King Unit became widely known.

After the Demonic Cult's invasion was repelled, they vanished as mysteriously as they had appeared, returning to their daily lives to continue guarding the Namgung Family.

Only the Family Head knew the identities of the Sword King Unit's members. And only the Family Head held the authority to mobilize them.

Namgung Hwa spoke cautiously.

"Brother, the Sword King Unit is only to be deployed in times of crisis for the Namgung Family, is it not?"

"And so?"

Namgung Cheon's voice grew cold. At this, Namgung Hwa quickly fell silent.

"N-No, of course."

The other elders who had witnessed Namgung Cheon's fury also sealed their lips tightly.

In the history of the Namgung Family, no Family Head had ever controlled the family as completely as Namgung Cheon. Once he made a decision, that was final.

Namgung Cheon raised his voice and called out.

"Su-cheon!"

"Yes! Family Head."

An answer came immediately from outside the door.

The voice from beyond startled the elders within. Not a single person among them was lacking in martial skill, yet none had detected the presence of the person outside.

"Take the Sword King Unit immediately and capture the culprit and the Sage."

"Shall I bring them back alive, or dead?"

"Bring the Sage back alive. The culprit need only be kept breathing."

"As you command."

With that answer, the sound of presence vanished.

Namgung Cheon looked at Namgung Mu-jin.

"Just wait a little while longer, my son."

A voice filled with a father's anguish reverberated through the room.

***

Dam Ho looked back. Behind him followed a beautiful woman and an old man.

It was Jong Ri-yeon and Hwa-no.

After Dam Ho left the inn, they had followed.

The innkeeper and the girl had fled on the spot as well. They understood—the Namgung Family would not let this rest.

Dam Ho spoke.

"Why are you following me?"

"We are not following you. We are simply going in the same direction."

"……"

"I'm telling the truth."

Jong Ri-yeon wore an expression of grievance.

Her words were also true.

The patient was located in Hanshan, and one had to follow the same main road that Dam Ho traveled to reach it.

Dam Ho looked at her for a moment. At this, Jong Ri-yeon's face flushed red.

"W-what is it?"

At that moment, Dam Ho turned away. His attitude of complete disinterest made Jong Ri-yeon feel awkward.

She felt a flash of anger.

"That man…"

"Please calm yourself, young mistress."

"Hmph!"

Hwa-no tried to soothe her. Jong Ri-yeon's shoulders trembled with indignation, but she refrained from further outbursts.

"Calm down, calm down. Think only of the patient. Jong Ri-yeon."

Jong Ri-yeon's gaze quickly settled. But Dam Ho's retreating figure still lingered in her eyes.

After last night's battle, she had vomited more times than she could count.

As a physician, encountering corpses was commonplace. She had witnessed many deaths and considered herself accustomed to the deaths of others.

But every death she had witnessed until now was nothing compared to the carnage Dam Ho had wrought.

Through Dam Ho, she had realized just how easily human life could be snuffed out.

To Dam Ho, the human body was more fragile than the most delicate clay pot.

Last night, Dam Ho's words came back to her.

—Killing people. It is not enjoyable at all.

How piteously those words had sounded. Perhaps that was why the aftereffects still lingered.

No matter how hard she tried not to think about it, her eyes kept drifting to Dam Ho.

"Young mistress!"

"Hmm?"

"Do not give him your attention."

Hwa-no spoke with caution but firmness.

"What do you mean?"

"He is a man who lives in a different world from ours."

"Well, that's…"

"An ordinary martial artist cannot kill people so ruthlessly. In all my years, I have never seen someone dispatch human life so mercilessly. A person like that cannot be sane."

Hwa-no's voice was remarkably calm. But his tone contained a powerful undercurrent of revulsion.

Jong Ri-yeon spoke as though offering an excuse.

"I have no interest in him whatsoever. Truly."

"Do not let that change, young mistress. These are the final words of an old man whose days are numbered."

"I… I understand."

Hwa-no's expression was heavy.

People are always drawn to the world they do not know.

Whether it is mere longing or simple curiosity, it matters not. The problem is that the more one is drawn in, the more one begins to give their heart.

Hwa-no sincerely prayed that such a thing would not come to pass.