The Namgung Clan.
A well-known sword clan that serves as the pillar of the Orthodox Faction, often referred to as the heart of the Four Noble Clans.
When the Blood Demon unleashed the Blood Disaster upon the world, it was none other than Namgung Joocheon, the head of the Namgung Clan at the time, who beheaded the Blood Demon.
Before the emergence of the Sword Emperor, the Namgung Clan had long held the title of the strongest sword clan in the Central Plains.
At that very moment, the current head of the clan, the Azure Heavenly Sword, Namgung Jin, was speaking to his son.
“I sent you to take care of your elder sister, and you return having lost your escort?”
Not only did he challenge someone younger than him to a duel, but he also lost and somehow pulled out his killing intent.
Furthermore, he came back with his arm broken.
Ugh…. And this is supposed to be my son…
The bigger issue at this moment, however, was;
“Macheol…”
Among the countless martial artists in the clan, not many names remained in Namgung Jin’s mind.
This was because there were simply too many talented martial artists in the Namgung Clan.
‘He was a martial artist who reached the peak.’
Macheol, the martial artist serving in the escort unit, had the title of the ‘Sword of Azure Wind’.
He was someone Namgung Jin remembered.
Few individuals reach the peak at such a young age, and it seemed he had plenty of potential for growth.
Yet suddenly, he was missing?
Namgung Jin couldn’t wrap his head around this situation.
“You lost a peak martial artist just because you were defeated by a young prodigy whose name isn’t even known yet?”
Namgung Cheonjun found himself unable to answer his father’s question.
He simply clenched his teeth in silence.
Even he couldn’t comprehend what had transpired.
What the hell happened?
Namgung Cheonjun initially thought it might take a few days for the situation to settle down.
Even if he spoke out of anger, he knew that capturing the scion of a prestigious clan wasn’t an easy task.
However, Macheol had insisted he found an opportunity and would return.
Namgung Cheonjun had never seen Macheol fail a mission after making such claims.
That’s why when Namgung Bi-ah mentioned she wanted to say goodbye to the Gu Clan’s Young Master, he allowed her to go without saying a word.
After all, he shouldn’t still have been alive at that point.
That was what was supposed to happen…
Instead, when Namgung Bi-ah returned, she told Namgung Cheonjun that she had bid farewell to the Gu Clan’s Young Master.
And that he was just fine, so they could return to their clan right after.
So… what about Macheol?
Where had Namgung Cheonjun’s personal escort gone?
Did that kid get killed?
He deemed that impossible.
Macheol was a peak martial artist.
For a martial artist, transitioning from first-rate to peak was a matter of talent.
It was a realm that an average martial artist couldn’t reach no matter how hard they trained.
Namgung Cheonjun was well-versed in this about peak martial artists.
And Macheol was indisputably one who had reached that level.
So, to think he lost to someone who was barely at the second-rate level?
That was simply out of the question.
Maybe he was ambushed?
Was it possible they predicted this would happen?
But how could they possibly know in advance?
And what tricks had they prepared to make Macheol simply disappear?
Whatever it was, it was a bad situation for Namgung Cheonjun.
It was a considerable problem for him to lose his direct escort due to his own stubbornness.
Furthermore, now Gu Yangcheon knew about this whole fiasco; at least, that’s what Namgung Cheonjun thought.
That piece of trash!
The mere image of Gu Yangcheon made his blood boil.
The injury he received on his side and the arm that had once been broken by him had all healed, but the anger towards that guy still festered within him.
“Cheonjun.”
“…Yes, Father.”
Namgung Jin approached Namgung Cheonjun with deliberate steps.
Namgung Cheonjun instinctively shut his eyes tight.
Namgung Jin didn’t lay his hands on his own flesh and blood.
He simply got closer.
The direct descendants of the Namgung Clan carried an immeasurable pressure that grew stronger as they developed in martial arts.
Namgung Jin, being the strongest aside from the Three Heavenly Venerables, exuded this pressure as he closed the distance.
As he approached, it felt like the air was getting thinner for Namgung Cheonjun.
Ughhhh…
Namgung Cheonjun emitted a muffled groan as the pressure weighed down on him.
“I’m disappointed in you. Not because you lost to a younger prodigy, nor because you drew your killing intent against him.”
Namgung Cheonjun understood why his father was disappointed.
It was something he had learned since childhood.
“I am disappointed because you couldn’t clean up your own mess.”
Namgung Cheonjun felt as if he were about to vomit from the pressure, but he fought with all his might to hold it in.
He understood that his father would be infuriated should he embarrass himself like that.
Maintaining dignity and honor as a member of the Namgung Clan was of utmost importance to him.
And if there was anyone who tarnished that dignity or honor, it was only natural for the Namgung Clan to remove them by any means necessary.
“As punishment, you are to be confined for three months. Any objections?”
“N-No, Father…”
The weight on him lifted after Namgung Cheonjun’s reply.
Namgung Jin then interrogated his struggling son.
“The Gu Clan, you said?”
“…Yes, Father.”
The clan ruled by the Tiger Warrior…
Namgung Jin displayed a strange expression upon hearing Namgung Cheonjun’s response.
It was an expression Nambgung Cheonjun had never seen on his father’s face before.
“…Of all the clans, it had to be the Gu Clan, huh.”
With a huff, Namgung Jin turned around and walked toward the railing near the lord’s chamber.
The banner fluttering in the wind clearly read ‘Namgung’.
After a moment of thought, Namgung Jin addressed Namgung Cheonjun.
“Forget everything regarding the Gu Clan from now on.”
“Father…?”
This was the first time.
His father had told him to forget something.
He had been taught his whole life to never forget a grudge, yet suddenly he was contradicting everything he had learned.
“You’ll understand when you become the Lord of the clan someday. Until then, tread carefully around Gu Clan matters.”
“…Yes, Father.”
In the end, Namgung Cheonjun couldn’t defy his father’s order.
All he could do was nod in agreement.
Besides, we might end up as family soon.
Namgung Cheonjun froze due to the shock of those words.
He couldn’t grasp their meaning.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Your sister’s engagement has been arranged.”
“Father!?”
Namgung Cheonjun inadvertently raised his voice.
He quickly shut his mouth upon receiving Namgung Jin’s fierce glare, but the news was far too sudden to digest.
Although her name wasn’t well-known yet, she was regarded as the most talented individual among the clan’s descendants.
His beautiful, flawless sister.
The flower of the Namgung Clan.
Namgung Cheonjun was convinced that if she had been active in the world, she would have earned the title of ‘Sword Phoenix’ rather than the current bearer.
…But out of nowhere, my perfect sister is getting married?
This was far too sudden for Namgung Cheonjun to accept.
He hurriedly hid his trembling hands from Namgung Jin and asked,
“To which clan, pray tell?”
Namgung Jin looked directly at his son.
He quickly noticed his quivering pupils and uneven breaths.
He lacks so much…
He couldn’t even conceal such straightforward signs.
But Namgung Cheonjun would have to lead the clan in the future.
It was only natural for him to be corrected for any shortcomings.
And if it deemed necessary, those corrections would be reinforced with force.
Namgung Jin slowly opened his mouth while focusing on Namgung Cheonjun.
Namgung Cheonjun’s eyes widened in surprise at his father’s words.
“…What?”
Gu Yangcheon reeled from the outlandish claims made by the Second Elder.
“What did you just say?”
“I said that you’re engaged to the daughter of the Namgung Clan.”
“…Pardon?”
What kind of nonsense is he spouting?
*
It had taken over ten days for us to finally return to our clan after leaving Sichuan.
We had rushed along the way there due to time constraints, but now that we were back, we could take it slow.
I needed some time to gather my heightened Qi anyway.
And finally, when I returned from that exhausting trip,
The Second Elder, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, dropped a bombshell on me.
“A marriage has been arranged for you.”
“…What did you just say?”
He had casual looped out that phrase as soon as we met without even acknowledging my greeting.
Come on, I hadn’t even unpacked yet; this was totally thunder from a clear sky…
How long had it been since the breakup with the Peng Clan?
For me, it felt like ages ago, but it likely hadn’t been that long in reality.
Yet suddenly, a new engagement?
…This is unprecedented…
In my previous life, after canceling my engagement with Peng Ah-hee, no further marriages were proposed.
It had a role to play in my reputation as a bit of a loser, which kept other families at bay.
I assumed it would be the same in this life, so what gives?
As I looked overwhelmed, I replied to the Second Elder.
“Lord Second Elder, is this really the time for your ridiculous pranks when I’m this beat…?”
“Hey! You think this old man would joke around with you, of all people?”
“You usually do, so why deny it now?”
Had an actual marriage been arranged?
…I feel like my life is spiraling down the drain.
I had a bad feeling that something was terribly wrong.
Wi Seol-Ah flashed through my mind, but I brushed it aside.
“If it’s true, then who am I set to marry?”
Names of available ladies flitted through my thoughts.
It couldn’t possibly be Peng Ah-hee since that was already settled.
And outside of her, I couldn’t recall too many options.
I did consider a girl from the Moyong clan but dismissed her; that crazy girl only ran after the Lightning Sword in both lives.
There were likely many eligible candidates outside the Four Noble Clans, but I didn’t know many ladies.
If I really counted them, I could only name a few.
Maybe Tang Soyeol…?
That could be a possibility since she remained unengaged in my previous life.
…But a girl who gifts poison as a present is somewhat…
Regardless, I had no clue what caused such a mess.
It wasn’t clear when it all fell apart.
No… It’s just that I don’t remember because it’s all jumbled together…
“What Clan is this engagement with…?”
The Second Elder casually picked his ear while speaking as if this were a trivial matter.
“The Namgung Clan.”
“…What?”
Caught off guard, I asked for clarification.
What… Where?
“What did you just say?”
“I’m saying that your engagement is with a daughter of the Namgung Clan.”
“…What?”
The Namgung Clan? Was there a different branch of the Namgung Clan I hadn’t heard of…?
Perhaps there was an obscure Namgung Clan with a similar yet distinct name. God, I hoped there was!
Because as far as I knew, the only daughter of the Namgung Clan was one I cared to avoid.
“The daughter’s name is… Namgung Bi-ah? Apparently, the elders regard her as precious and find it hard to part with her; thus, the old man took matters into his own hands to make this happen.”
Damn it…
The universe continues to defy my wishes.
How on earth did he maneuver this?
Me… getting engaged to that lunatic?
Why? What did they even do to make Namgung Bi-ah my fiancée?
While I struggled to digest this revelation, the Second Elder continued his nonchalant ramblings.
“Anyways, that’s just background info; you’ll get the details from your father later. More crucial matters are at hand.”
“…Excuse me, Second Elder, how can you say this isn’t important?”
What could possibly be more vital than this?
I’m stuck marrying that crazy bitch, and you’re saying it’s not important?
I wanted to argue with the Second Elder,
But I couldn’t utter a word when he said:
“Your sister has returned.”
“Huh?”
The world’s prodigious Sword Phoenix, Gu Huibi.
The news of her arrival struck me like lightning.
The Second Elder nudged my shoulder as he said:
“She was so eager to see you that she asked for you right away. The bond between siblings is quite heartwarming! She’s certainly in the Lord’s room, so go on… Yangcheon?”
I didn’t need to hear the Second Elder finish.
At that moment, I was consumed by a singular thought.
Fuck. I have to get out of here NOW!!!
Marriage and all that? I just needed a clean getaway for now.
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