Chapter 9

Changcheon Wushen Chapter 9 (9/730)

As Namgung Hyuk entered the head of the household's room, he saw Namgung Jangcheon sitting on a high seat. The heavy atmosphere and stern expression made him feel as if he were facing Mount Tai. Namgung Hyuk walked steadily towards him. He could feel Namgung Jangcheon's gaze scanning him from head to toe, but he ignored it and spoke directly.

"Give me the secret manual."

Namgung Jangcheon's eyebrows arched.

"Is that what you came to say right after being called here?"

His low voice carried a hint of reprimand. He expected Namgung Hyuk to at least offer an excuse for breaking the no-entry order. But Namgung Hyuk just stared blankly at Namgung Jangcheon.

'Is he supposed to greet me first? Or is it the tone that's the problem?'

Even the leader of the Zhengtian Alliance was at a loss in front of him, let alone a descendant of the Sword King. 'Still, I have something to ask.'

Namgung Hyuk spoke in an awkward tone.

"Give me the secret manual... please?"

"..."

Namgung Jangcheon's mouth opened slightly, but he swallowed the words that were about to come out. He sighed deeply and spoke softly.

"How did you get into the Changcheon Wushu Pavilion? How did you avoid the guards?"

"I climbed over the wall."

Namgung Jangcheon's forehead veins bulged. His eyes darted around the room.

"Is the Changcheon Wushu Pavilion your playground? How dare you sneak in! How did you climb the wall?"

"I crawled."

"Crawled? You brat! If you fall and get hurt, do you know whose loss it will be?"

"I'm fine even if I fall."

"Falling is not fine! The wall of the Changcheon Wushu Pavilion is over ten feet high! If you fall, there won't be a single part of your body that isn't injured..."

Namgung Jangcheon's voice rose in anger but then paused, sensing something odd in Namgung Hyuk's words.

"...Did you fall?"

Namgung Hyuk shrugged.

"I'm fine."

"Fine?"

"Yes."

Namgung Jangcheon's eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected answer. He scanned Namgung Hyuk from head to toe with his enlarged eyes and asked carefully.

"Really?"

"Yes."

A moment of silence. Namgung Jangcheon's mouth moved, but no words came out. His eyes, which seemed about to pop out, trembled as they looked at Namgung Hyuk.

"...Cough, cough! How are your feet? Your toes?"

Namgung Hyuk showed his feet instead of answering.

Namgung Jangcheon's pupils shook violently. He forced a slight smile and then regained his composure.

"Cough, cough! You're fine."

"They were a bit twisted, but I'm fine."

"Did you climb over the wall to get into the Changcheon Wushu Pavilion?"

"Yes."

"..."

Namgung Jangcheon let out a sigh. The unauthorized entry into the Changcheon Wushu Pavilion was already long forgotten in his mind. What mattered was something else.

'He's fine! How is this possible!'

Namgung Jangcheon, who would break his leg if he jumped off a table, was now unharmed after jumping off the wall of the Changcheon Wushu Pavilion. He was moved.

At this moment, he could only be happy as a parent, not as the head of the household.

'Is it finally working? The tribute I've been giving? Or is it the effect of the medicinal herbs he's been taking regularly?'

'Could it be... finally?'

But given his position, he couldn't show it.

He tried to maintain a stern expression and said,

"Hmm! Even if you're not hurt, the fact that you entered the Changcheon Wushu Pavilion without permission is still true, isn't it!"

Namgung Hyuk spoke indifferently.

"Entering the Wushu Pavilion isn't a crime, is it? You should have let me in from the beginning."

That was true, but...

"Hmm! It's all for your health. Your body is so weak that even learning basic martial arts is very dangerous!"

"I'll end up doing nothing and just die."

"Die? Grr! You're still talking weakly! How can you call yourself a descendant of the Namgung family!"

"Because I'm a descendant, I need to learn martial arts even more. What's wrong with a martial family's child learning martial arts? I need to do something, or I'll really die. I need to have strong inner energy to feel secure. Is this something to be punished for?"

Namgung Hyuk spoke firmly, though his tone remained indifferent. This left Namgung Jangcheon bewildered.

'What is this? Was Hyuk always like this?'

Instead of being intimidated, he was looking at Namgung Jangcheon as if daring him to do more. His gaze was almost a glare.

What could he say about this?

His expression was as if he found the whole situation annoying, as if he was wondering why he had to go to such lengths. Yet his tone was very aggressive, and his posture was slanted, as if he was ready to grab Namgung Jangcheon by the collar if things went wrong.

It was hard to believe this was the weak second son he knew.

"Why can't you grant the wishes of someone who is about to die, when you grant the wishes of the dead?"

"I told you to stop talking weakly..."

"Then give it to me!"

Namgung Hyuk stared intently at Namgung Jangcheon. Namgung Jangcheon, who had been looking at him with a dazed expression, suddenly came to his senses.

"Um! Do you really want to learn martial arts?"

"Yes!"

"Really?"

"Really."

"Your body might be damaged..."

"I'll die if I don't. I want to learn martial arts. Give it to me, I'm getting dizzy!"

Namgung Hyuk looked at Namgung Jangcheon and sighed inwardly. Seeing him still conflicted, he knew he needed to take decisive action.

'I didn't want to do this, but...'

"Cough."

"Huh?"

"Cough, cough! Cough, cough, cough!"

As Namgung Hyuk started to act out, Namgung Jangcheon's eyes bulged. His face turned pale.

"You, you!"

Namgung Hyuk wiped his mouth and looked at Namgung Jangcheon with a pale face.

"...Ha, give me the martial arts manual. This debate is tiring."

Namgung Jangcheon's eyebrows trembled. After a long moment of contemplation, he finally nodded heavily.

"Alright. I'll allow it. I'll call you again tomorrow."

Namgung Hyuk celebrated inwardly.

'If you were going to give it, why not do it quickly? What a hassle!'

The thought of finally being able to see the Namgung family's secret manual tomorrow made Namgung Hyuk smile.

Namgung Jangcheon drank the tea on the table and placed his hand on Namgung Hyuk's shoulder.

"Hyuk."

The warm, tingling voice made Namgung Hyuk flinch.

"I won't tell you to become a master. All I want is for you to grow up healthy..."

"By the way, do you have the martial arts of the previous generation's masters?"

"Huh? Yes, we do."

"Great! I'll see you tomorrow."

Namgung Hyuk bowed slightly and left the head of the household's room. His steps were surprisingly light, unlike the one who had been coughing up blood just a moment ago.

Namgung Jangcheon's fingers twitched aimlessly in the air. His face looked as if he had been hit on the back of the head.

Jing Guangmo, who was pouring tea, laughed.

"Second Young Master seems very energetic. He even threw a tantrum, which he never did before."

"Hmm."

"I didn't know he would act so dramatically to get the secret manual."

Jing Guangmo chuckled.

"Lord, do you think he will understand the secret manual?"

Namgung Jangcheon cleared his throat and thought for a moment before shaking his head.

"That's why I'm showing it to him."

"Huh?"

"How can a weakling who can barely read the Thousand Character Classic master advanced martial arts?"

"Ah!"

"I'll try to explain a little. If he feels frustrated after seeing the advanced martial arts, he might either give up or become more determined."

Jing Guangmo marveled at Namgung Jangcheon's strategy.

"If he becomes more determined, will you really teach him martial arts?"

Namgung Jangcheon sighed.

"If he wants to learn that badly, I'll have to teach him. It's better than him getting hurt by climbing over the wall, isn't it?"

"Ah, that's true."

"Tell the guards not to block his entry to the Changcheon Wushu Pavilion."

Namgung Jangcheon drank the tea and shook his head.

"What a stubborn child."

"He takes after you, Lord."

"Don't say such nonsense. He takes after his mother. Hmm!"

* * *

The Emperor's Pavilion (帝王閣).

The highest secret vault of the Namgung family, accessible only to the head of the household and his bloodline. Despite its importance, it looked like a simple warehouse, with no fences or gardens around it.

Of course, appearances were deceiving.

'Look at the formations? One, two, three, four... twelve?'

The Emperor's Pavilion was a small, single-story building. To protect this building, there were twelve different formations, each incredibly complex.

The security was far beyond that of the Changcheon Wushu Pavilion.

'If I had sneaked in, I would have died.'

As Namgung Hyuk marveled at the Emperor's Pavilion, Namgung Jangcheon called someone to deactivate the formations. Soon, a path opened, and the two entered the Emperor's Pavilion.

As soon as they entered, the smell of books filled the air. Namgung Hyuk's eyes naturally scanned the bookshelves in the Emperor's Pavilion.

Namgung Jangcheon looked around and said,

"The main family's true martial arts are here. Find the secret manuals you need. I'll choose the one that suits you."

Though it wasn't necessary, Namgung Hyuk nodded obediently.

"I'll allow you to enter at this time every day. Read as much as you want, but don't overdo it."

Namgung Hyuk smiled in satisfaction.

"Yes!"

Then, get out quickly.

He waved his hand and kept glancing at the Emperor's Pavilion.

'Where should I start?'

As he pondered, Namgung Jangcheon placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Hyuk. Don't overdo it and don't be impatient. Just stay healthy..."

"Can I start from there?"

Namgung Hyuk quickly dodged Namgung Jangcheon's hand and ran deep into the Emperor's Pavilion.

Namgung Jangcheon's hand twitched awkwardly in the air.

"Hmm! Be careful not to get hurt! Don't run!"

With an embarrassed cough, Namgung Jangcheon left the Emperor's Pavilion.

Namgung Hyuk looked around the books in the Emperor's Pavilion.

The thousand-year history of the Namgung family was here.

"What should I read first? The previous generation's masters? Or the direct lineage martial arts?"

A happy dilemma, this was an enormous privilege.

The Emperor's Pavilion was off-limits to anyone except the head of the household and direct descendants. Even the eldest son could only enter after a certain age, making this a special favor.

Namgung Hyuk hummed a tune and smiled after a moment of thought.

"I'll just memorize everything."

If others heard this, they would think he was crazy. Or they might interpret it as a sign of his enthusiasm and ambition.

But Namgung Hyuk was serious. He really intended to memorize all the secret manuals in the Emperor's Pavilion.

While he actually needed an inner energy cultivation technique, why would he pass up the opportunity to learn other martial arts?

His heart raced with the greed for martial arts.

Namgung Hyuk activated the Tian Kai Wan Ji Gong (天開萬記功).

The Tian Kai Wan Ji Gong was a unique technique created by the meditators of Tianzhu. It was a martial art that simply enhanced memory, but when mastered, it could store ten thousand pieces of information in the brain.

The concept was to create ten thousand rooms in the brain to store ten thousand pieces of information.

This was why Namgung Hyuk could store hundreds or thousands of martial arts in his mind in his previous life.

With the Tian Kai Wan Ji Gong activated, Namgung Hyuk began to explore the Emperor's Pavilion.

Numerous pieces of information were input into his mind. The characters, shapes, images, and feelings from the secret manuals were stored in his brain.

The stored martial arts were then categorized.

What to discard and what to keep.

"This is too simple."

"My inner energy is not strong enough. I can't reach the advanced level."

"Huh? Why is this preserved here? Is it from the early stages? What kind of study is this?"

"Oh, this is useful?"

"Pretty good?"

Namgung Hyuk's focus reached its peak.

Finally, the five most advanced martial arts in the Emperor's Pavilion were stored in his mind.

"Why do all the martial arts have names like lightning or emperor?"

The naming sense is questionable.

"I understand why the Sword King was so arrogant."

Namgung Hyuk realized the importance of early education as he reviewed the stored martial arts in his mind.

"...Hmm, still a bit disappointing."

Namgung Hyuk rubbed his chin.

"It can't just be good."

He was looking for the framework to create a new martial art. He needed to use this framework to overcome the Gouyin Meridian and achieve enlightenment.

And...

"I need to crush those immortal bastards."

Thoroughly.

Namgung Hyuk vividly remembered the fall he experienced because of them. The humiliation of not being able to counterattack and falling.

"If it weren't for them, I would have achieved enlightenment. We were both at the enlightenment level, and it shouldn't have been overturned by a single move. This is a different issue."

A more fundamental problem.

Mutual counteraction (相剋).

The martial arts of the immortal bastards clearly had the power to destroy evil and demons. His martial arts were closer to the path of evil, and later, he even absorbed the martial arts of the path of demons.

Without a physical body, the difference was even more pronounced.

If not for this, he wouldn't have fallen without even a cough.

And the Namgung family was one of the peaks of the righteous faction.

So, he needed to find it here.

To create a new foundation and framework