Chapter: 481
The Heavenly Lord had four children.
There were four: three from the main wife and one from a concubine.
Among them, the one appointed as the head of the household after Cheonjon was the child of the concubine. He was also the youngest.
His name is Namgung Jeohwi.
Though he may not have been particularly talented, he had outstanding political skills and a knack for handling people, ultimately triumphing in the competition for the head of the household.
All the prominent four families probably experienced situations like that.
In particular, the Namgung family was notorious for its brutal battles for the head of the clan, and this time was no exception.
When Namgung Jeohwi emerged victorious and ascended to the head of the household, all the defeated brothers met their demise.
In shock, the Heavenly Lord’s main wife ended up taking her own life.
However, the Heavenly Lord didn’t seem to care much.
The winner is the law. He was only content that his child had become the head of the family.
Cheonjon was that kind of person.
Whether it was the child of the main wife or an illegitimate child, if they had worth, he recognized them. That was Cheonjon’s intended philosophy.
Thus, Namgung Jeohwi rose to the head of the household.
Afterward, he had two children through his main wife and one child through his concubine.
The second child he had with his main wife is Namgung Jin, who is now known as the Sword King.
When Namgung Jin was set to succeed Namgung Jeohwi, there was no one to oppose this.
Unlike the fierce competition that Namgung Jeohwi faced, it wasn’t particularly difficult for Namgung Jin to become the head of the household.
The eldest child had perished in childhood due to a frail constitution.
The third child was treated like a wretch and was even an illegitimate child cast out by the Namgung family.
Thus, it naturally followed that Namgung Jin, hailed as a genius, was next in line to become the head of the clan.
It was also no surprise that the elders, including Cheonjon, did not express any dissatisfaction regarding this.
That is, until ‘that’ incident occurred.
The incident was precisely this.
The issue arose when the Brainiac chose a bloodline other than Namgung Jin.
The Namgung family had a long-standing ancestral mandate.
The person selected by the prodigious Brainiac becomes the true owner of the Namgung family.
This was the last wish left by Namgung Myung before his death, expressing the hope that it would guide the direction of the Namgung family.
However, since the generation directly before the Heavenly Lord, the original intent had already crumbled.
They became the head of the household without being chosen by the brain.
The same went for the Heavenly Lord.
A time had arrived when no one knew what it meant for the Brainiac to choose.
Even the Heavenly Lord hadn’t given it much thought.
Even if that wasn’t the case, it was still possible to become a head, and the Namgung family continued to shine brighter.
As time gradually flowed on, the incident eventually exploded.
Crack… Pop…
Inside a bloodstained warehouse, a young man gripped the collar of Namgung Jin, drenched in blood, glaring at the Heavenly Lord.
“Yeah, I’m not doing it because it’s bullshit! You bastards!”
Resentment filled his eyes, and in his rough grip lay a sword.
Hair electrified with energy and the vibrating blade of the Brainiac glimmered ominously.
The Heavenly Lord could finally recognize this—a late realization indeed.
That was the power of the Brainiac.
This is what choosing a Brainiac looks like.
One.
“I’m leaving. This damn house? I doubt I’ll come back.”
The one chosen by the Brainiac prepares to leave the Namgung family for the Domun.
That day marked one of the Heavenly Lord’s few regrets.
The first regret was not recognizing his child.
The second regret was not being able to capture the child leaving.
The third regret was realizing too late that his family was starting to twist apart.
But it was already too late.
“So, what do you want me to do?”
My head turned at the sound of the voice.
In the direction where the Heavenly Lord’s gaze fell, a beggar was greedily gulping down water.
“Why do you keep chasing me and making my life a hell?”
“Chasing? That’s a weird thing to say.”
As the Heavenly Lord smiled while speaking, the man clicked his tongue with annoyance.
“Weird? Bullshit! I run away to avoid seeing you, but you relentlessly follow me around—what else can you call that?”
“Brother.”
Upon hearing Cheonjon call out Namgung Hyung, he grimaced with distaste.
“Hey, don’t call me that. It’s cringe and annoying to hear.”
“Isn’t it time for you to return to where you truly belong?”
A place to return.
The bitter words left Namgung Hyung parched, and he gulped down the remaining water.
“You still can’t let go of that foolish obsession?”
“You are of the Namgung family. Thus, you should return when the time comes.”
“Raw nonsense. Why would I be a member of the Namgung family?”
Namgung Hyung dug his fingers into his ears, as if trying to block out something he shouldn’t have heard.
“I abandoned that a long time ago! Now I’m a shaman.”
Namgung Hyung stared at Cheonjon as if he was repulsive.
It had to be that way.
The day he stormed out of the clan.
At that moment, he had cast aside everything, including his family name.
The clothes on his back, the surname he was given there.
Since he had never received proper treatment to begin with, even if he left behind something, it wouldn’t amount to much.
While he thought that, Namgung Hyung felt a bitter smile creep inwardly.
Because there was one thing he couldn’t discard.
That one thing was what caused the old man to keep pestering him.
Namgung Hyung pulled something out of his clothing and tossed it towards Cheonjon.
Thunk.
The object that fell to the ground was a stick with a jewel at the tip.
At first glance, it looked like a worthless piece of junk.
Yet, this was definitely not just any old trinket.
Thunder Fang.
It was a treasure of the Namgung family and a curse for Namgung Hyung.
“It’s obvious Grandfather came here for this. So please, just take it and leave quickly.”
“…”
Cheonjon didn’t deny Namgung Hyung’s words.
He simply bent down and extended his hand towards the Thunder Fang.
Shiii…
A tremendous surge of power erupted from the item, radiating light.
In an instant, the Heavenly Lord retracted his hand and stood up.
“… ”
He examined the lingering heat on his hand.
The pressure was staggering, causing Cheonjon’s protective energy to waver.
“Unfortunately, it seems the Thunder Fang’s will is not as I expected.”
Cheonjon chuckled, a bitter smile escaping his lips.
Wheeek—!
The Thunder Fang, which had been dropped on the ground, suddenly floated into the air and raced towards Namgung Hyung.
He hadn’t lifted it using his energy.
This was solely the will of the Thunder Fang.
Thud-!
Namgung Hyung’s expression twisted as he grasped the approaching Thunder Fang effortlessly.
“I’m done with this. Can’t it just leave me alone already?”
“Seems like the Thunder Fang still holds you in high regard.”
The Heavenly Lord’s words prompted laughter from Namgung Hyung.
“How naive—if you truly understood this item’s nature, you wouldn’t be saying that.”
But no one knew.
The unique nature of the Thunder Fang, which was only known to him.
Had Cheonjon been aware of this, he would have never approached this way.
Conversely, it was due to this ignorance that he could say:
“Come back. This isn’t where you belong.”
This had become an all-too-familiar line.
He’d run off with the Thunder Fang, lived alone, yet the Heavenly Lord still sought him out and harassed him from time to time.
It was infuriating.
“Why should my grandfather decide where I’m supposed to be? I’ll say it again, I’m a shaman!”
“Is it comforting to be cast away like this by a shameless shaman without even recognizing your value?”
“… Hah.”
A sigh escaped his lips acutely.
“I have no idea how you can say that after knowing how much I sacrificed for you.”
“… ”
This seemed to leave even Cheonjon momentarily speechless.
Indeed, during Namgung Hyung’s childhood, he had been treated worse than a dog by the Namgung family.
“Why not just kill me and give the Thunder Fang back?”
“What? How could a grandfather do such atrocious harm to his grandson?”
“Fuck, you’ve never treated me like one! Must be senility creeping in!”
He chuckled sarcastically.
Namgung Hyung’s brash remarks caused Cheonjon’s brows to furrow, but he held his tongue.
“If I return to the family now, how will that affect the Sword King? Does he know how his grandfather is behaving?”
“Don’t worry about Jin. What matters is you, brother.”
“Don’t dismiss it; lives are at stake here!”
Even if by some chance Namgung Hyung could return to the Namgung family…
Would Namgung Jin there accept him that easily?
He was already being isolated due to Namgung Hyung, which hardly seemed possible.
Especially considering how Namgung Jin was remembered by Namgung Hyung.
With that thought, Cheonjon replied.
“If only you could get your act together.”
He looked at Namgung Hyung and said it matter-of-factly.
“I’m also considering making you the head of the household, not Jin.”
“… ”
Namgung Hyung’s eyes widened in shock at this unexpected statement.
If he just returned, he would be offered the position of head of the Namgung clan.
This implied that the current influence of the Namgung family was still greater with Cheonjon than with the Sword King.
If he really wished it, he could smoothly transition the leadership.
“Haha.”
Namgung Hyung let out a laugh upon hearing this.
Inwardly, he felt relief.
“Well, isn’t it reassuring that you haven’t changed? Grandfather.”
How could he not be grateful when the old man’s words continuously assured him that his past choices weren’t wrong?
“You still lack a sense of humanity.”
Namgung Hyung managed to suppress his laughter and extended a middle finger towards Cheonjon.
“Fuck off.”
“… ”
“Even if my limbs were hacked off and I died, I’m not returning to that house.”
Crack.
Had Namgung Hyung finally reached a breaking point with those words?
An uncomfortable sound reverberated from Cheonjon’s body.
“Are you thinking of drawing your sword now?”
Even so, he found some odd satisfaction in it. He was prepared to fight if that was desired.
He wasn’t sure if it was something the Thunder Fang wished for, but…
At that moment, when Namgung Hyung tried to summon a resurgence of spirit…
Whoosh.
Cheonjon abruptly turned his back on Namgung Hyung.
“… I’ll take my leave for today.”
With casual indifference, he spoke, prompting Namgung Hyung to spit on the ground in response.
“Don’t come again. I’ll just hide.”
“When we meet again, I sure hope you provide a different answer.”
So was his dismissal.
Was that really the conclusion of their encounter?
Cheonjon vanished before Namgung Hyung’s eyes, disappearing with a rush of Thunder energy.
In the silence that returned, Namgung Hyung casually stuffed the remaining rice into his mouth.
“When I see that disciple, I will do so somewhere else.”
The disciple he had hinted would come visit him in future.
When the time came that he would meet them, it would have to be elsewhere, Namgung Hyung resolved to himself.
Meeting his disciple here would only add more unpleasant memories to his already complicated emotions.
Gas transformation technique.
A martial art capable of transforming not only the human body but even one’s gender.
It was a power I acquired through a phrase gifted by Dangjemun.
This has become a beneficial strength for me now.
After transitioning to another world, my body shape and appearance shifted.
When I arrived here, it seemed not much time had passed in my original world, making it tricky to explain my changes.
Thanks to this, I could keep it hidden.
‘Though it feels a bit awkward, it’s not bad.’
Aside from the fact that maintaining the body I had altered consumed a lot of energy and effort…
There didn’t seem to be any significant problems.
‘What a magical power.’
Although the difference between using it and not was stark, this level of discomfort was tolerable.
However.
‘I don’t think I’ll be able to change genders.’
Changing gender, as Dangjemun did, was an impossibility.
I’m not sure if it’s because I still don’t know how to use it or if the necessary information wasn’t provided when it was handed over.
‘But honestly, that’s no big deal.’
In fact, I had no desire to become a woman, so it wasn’t an issue at all.
Right now, I was just thankful. This, too, was a fortunate twist of fate.
‘Regrettably, it’s still the same with this.’
This thought turned toward my hands.
The most considerable anomaly resulting from my transformation.
My left arm, now coated in blue scales from shoulder to fingertip, unfortunately remained unchanged despite the gas transformation technique.
The size seemed to shrink down.
Should I say that the scales themselves couldn’t be removed?
‘Tsk.’
Though the bandages, tinged blue, covered it up, I couldn’t shake my concern.
Oh, and there was one more thing of considerable importance.
Shh—!
I nodded at the tiny creature nestled within my clothes, letting out small whimpers.
‘This is undoubtedly the most fortunate aspect.’
The fact that the gas transformation technique also applied to enemy investigations as well as myself.
Due to the species change, its body had grown so massive that it became unhideable; I was initially uncertain about how to handle it.
The ability to shrink that creature down using gas transformation was a significant advantage.
Thus, I could again stow it away in my arms as I wandered about.
‘The important things can wait for later…’
Aside from this, there were myriad tests still awaiting exploration.
For now, I merely wanted to get this sorted out and conclude it.
Given the current circumstances, attempting to grasp it all posed numerous challenges.
“… Your Majesty, what did you just say?”
A voice quivered in response, as though struggling to process what had been said. The uncertainty lent an almost tremulous quality to his tone, and I couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
“Say it again. What did you just say?”
“… No, what.”
The man’s expression began to distort as frustration grew from my reaction.
He was the Dokwang, the master of the Tang clan.
I found myself face-to-face with the Poison King in the master’s quarters.
We had business regarding the lake and other matters to share.
What had he said just now?
Was I asking him to repeat it?
That wasn’t too difficult.
The problem was…
“I think I’ll have to kill the elders of the Tang clan. Is that okay?”
This was decidedly a strange thing to say.
As expected.
Upon hearing this, the Poison King’s expression turned grim, and a deadly aura began to waft throughout the room.
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