Chapter 800: If You're Handsome and Unlucky, You Must Be from Jin Family (5)

 

Even Hyun Jong’s eyes were filled with shock.

‘Namgung Hwang.’

In the earlier meeting with the sect leaders, Hyun Jong had found Namgung Hwang’s behavior somewhat distasteful. While he understood the ill feelings Namgung might hold toward Mount Hua, it still seemed unbefitting of the head of the Namgung Family, hailed as the foremost family under the heavens.

But the display Namgung Hwang had just shown was more than enough to wipe away all of Hyun Jong’s previous impressions.

‘Dignity?’

It felt as though Namgung Hwang were saying to him that in the martial world, qualities like compassion and benevolence were meaningless. All that mattered for the head of the Namgung Family was the strength to carry that name forward.

“…That’s a true master.”

Baek Cheon’s palms were clammy with cold sweat.

‘How does he compare to the cult leader?’

It was hard to say. The cult leader had been terrifyingly powerful, but at that time, Baek Cheon hadn’t possessed the ability to grasp his strength fully. He had only been able to charge with everything he had, ultimately leaving the final blow to Chung Myung.

But this time was different.

Watching a true master unleash his might from a slight distance filled him with chills and a trembling so intense he could barely keep his hands steady.

‘The Nine Great Sects… and the Five Great Families…’

In that moment, Baek Cheon realized just how lightly he’d regarded those names.

"Guaargh!"

In no time at all, the river’s blue waters were stained with red.

Namgung’s warriors, the Changgung Sword Unit, were systematically slaughtering the pirates who dared dive into the water.

The overwhelming sword strikes might not cleave the river like Namgung Hwang’s had, but they parted the water enough, and their sturdy internal energy, cultivated from a young age, allowed them to move with nearly the same ease as they would on land.

The result was an insurmountable difference in power.

Swoosh!

A sword cut through the water and embedded itself in a pirate’s heart. Before he knew what had happened, his body had already gone limp, sinking into the water.

“Hmph!”

Watching this, Namgung Hwang swung his sword in a grand arc.

“A time of peace has gone on too long if such worthless pirates dare charge at the Namgung banner!”

It was time to make it clear.

They needed to understand that the Namgung Family’s decision to remain idle in the face of the unorthodox was never due to a lack of strength.

Boooom!

Once again, an enormous energy wave gathered around Namgung Hwang’s sword. His aura was so vast that it was impossible to gauge how much power lay within his core.

“Th-That…”

Baek Cheon muttered in astonishment, prompting Chung Myung to respond coldly.

“Senior Brother.”

“Hm?”

“Watch carefully.”

Chung Myung nodded toward Namgung Hwang on the ship.

“Do you know why the Namgung Family is called the strongest under heaven?”

“…Why?”

A flurry of thoughts passed through Baek Cheon’s mind: they had extensive power, talented heirs, wealth enough to provide elixirs, stable training environments…

But he knew none of these were the answer Chung Myung sought.

“The Namgung Family is a gathering of fools. If they truly wanted to wield overpowering force, they’d wield blades, like the Peng Family in Hebei.”

Baek Cheon nodded, understanding the sentiment. If they wanted brute strength, a sturdy, thick blade would be far more effective than a flexible sword.

“But those fools cling to swords while pursuing dominance. They want both strength and finesse, two things difficult to combine. And they’ve succeeded in mastering both.”

“…”

“If you’re a swordsman, keep your eyes on that man’s sword. The Namgung sword is very different from Mount Hua’s.”

“…Understood.”

Baek Cheon’s expression became even more serious. Nodding, he focused intently on Namgung Hwang. Hearing their conversation, the other disciples turned serious as well, all focusing on Namgung Hwang.

Chung Myung looked at this and nodded with satisfaction.

‘Good.’

The reason he had stepped back wasn’t just to avoid fighting alongside them.

Mount Hua’s disciples lacked experience.

Experience didn’t only come from fighting with one’s own hands and body; observing how others fought and which techniques they used was also invaluable.

Mount Hua, Wudang, and the Namgung Family.

In the days when Chung Myung had been known as the Plum Blossom Sword Saint, these three sects had stood together as the three great sword sects of the world. And weren’t their finest swordsmen known as the Three Supreme Swordsmen?

Mount Hua wielded the flamboyant Illusory Sword; Wudang, the soft-flowing Sword of Flexibility; and the Namgung Family sought the overwhelming dominance and power not typically associated with swords.

‘Mount Hua’s sword is supreme.’

But supremacy doesn’t mean perfection. If the Mount Hua disciples could learn something from Namgung Hwang’s sword, their skills could become even closer to perfect.

“Taah!”

Namgung Hwang swung his sword again with great force.

The river surged left and right as if a legendary flood dragon from the Yangtze itself were writhing beneath the waters.

The sword aura cleaving through the river swallowed an enormous ship whole.

Boom!

The destructive power was unlike anything else. The sword didn’t just break the ship but tore through multiple vessels in a single stroke.

In the packed cluster of pirate ships, a direct path began to form.

The blade of an emperor.

The emperor strides forward only, knowing no retreat and having no regard for detours.

Namgung’s sword was the sword of an emperor; an emperor’s blade obliterates anything in its path.

“Kill them all! Teach these insignificant pirates the price of daring to stand against the Namgung name!”

“Yes, Lord!”

The ships flanking Namgung Hwang’s surged forward, picking up speed.

Swoosh.

Namgung Hwang slowly sheathed his sword, glancing sideways.

“Hmph.”

The pirates blocking his path had never concerned him. His real focus was on the Wudang, Cheongseong, and Shaolin sects that had quietly boarded their ships and were following from behind.

Namgung Hwang, who had been watching them coldly, suddenly turned his gaze to the shore.

He could see Mount Hua’s disciples staring at him with wide, shocked eyes.

‘Hmph.’

The expressions of shock on their faces were evident.

‘Fools.’

Just because they had gained a bit of fame, they now fancied themselves something special. This was why Namgung Hwang couldn’t stand Mount Hua. A true master remains silent and steadily hones their strength.

“Watch closely. This is the power of the Namgung Family.”

“Hmm.”

A sly smile crept onto Heo Do-jin’s face.

“Looks like Lord Namgung is having the time of his life.”

“Well, wouldn’t you agree? It’s futile to be a warrior who never gets to wield his sword.”

“Indeed.”

The time of peace had lasted far too long.

Since the war with the Demonic Cult, so much time had passed that the sects had not only regained their strength but had accumulated even greater reserves.

Those with power are always eager to prove it. However, the current martial world offered neither the means nor the opportunity. Proving one’s strength ultimately requires an opponent, and one cannot simply display one’s mastery by performing sword dances on a public road.

“Still, Lord Namgung’s martial prowess is greater than I anticipated.”

“True. The Namgung Family, like us, has sharpened its blade in silence.”

A cold gleam shone in Heo Do-jin’s eyes. The sheer force behind Namgung Hwang’s sword was stimulating in a way that aroused admiration.

And, as if on cue…

“A—mi—ta—bul!”

From a ship to the right, a resonant Buddhist chant echoed, and a golden energy wave surged forward.

Like a cascade of pure gold crashing into the riverbank, the destructive energy crushed the pirate ships in its wake.

Unlike Namgung Hwang’s explosive strikes, this was a weighty, crushing force that splintered the ships under its overwhelming pressure.

Though the techniques were different, the power contained within was just as immense as Namgung Hwang’s.

“Seems the Dharma Master lacks the restraint of his elder.”

“A monk is still a warrior. Even a master isn’t immune to worldly desires.”

Heo Do-jin chuckled softly.

Had the great elder been present, he might have watched Namgung Hwang’s display with a patient smile. But the Dharma Master was merely a senior monk, and he couldn’t bear the idea of Shaolin being overshadowed by the Namgung Family.

“What will you do?”

“The timing isn’t right.”

Heo Do-jin licked his lips, slightly bitter.

Their strength was not lacking, but their technique was of a different kind. Though they could unleash their own power, their attacks couldn’t replicate the same explosive impact as the Namgung or Shaolin strikes.

‘It’s possible to force a breakthrough now, but there’s no need to waste our efforts here.’

This was not their stage; the real theater lay beyond, within the valley.

“Namgung and Shaolin will clear the way. The moment we enter, we’ll disembark and drive back the pirates.”

“Yes, Sect Leader!”

At that moment, Namgung Hwang’s ship, which had surged forward, finally opened a direct path.

The pirate ships, previously positioned firmly, began turning their bows left and right, their courage faltering. They knew that losing the Black Dragon Stronghold would mean the end of their future. But the overwhelming might of Namgung Hwang’s aura shattered their resolve and planted a deep fear in their hearts.

With just two strikes.

With only two swings of his sword, Namgung Hwang had managed to carve a massive path through the densely packed ships, completely changing the flow of the battle.

“Pay no mind to the small fry! The sects following us will handle them. We’ll break through and head straight for the Black Dragon Stronghold!”

“Yes, Lord!”

Namgung Hwang smiled.

‘They handed over the vanguard to us?’

Sure, they had their own calculations for letting the Namgung Family take the lead… but…

‘Their mistake was underestimating Namgung’s true power.’

He had no intention of leaving the spoils to those who followed. With them covering the rear, Namgung Hwang had no worries about a retreat. He would push forward, break through, and crush everything in his path.

Only the name Namgung would echo through the Yangtze River.

“Dowi!”

“Yes, Father!”

Namgung Hwang turned to Namgung Dowi, who was standing by with a flushed face, ready to leap into battle.

“When we disembark, lead the charge. Win back the honor you lost with your own hands!”

“I will not fail, Father!”

“Good!”

Namgung Hwang’s eyes fixed on the path ahead, which led directly into the valley.

“Increase our speed! We’ll break through in one go! Pay no mind to any traps! I’ll shatter them with my own hands!”

“Yes, Lord!”

As the morale of the Namgung Family’s warriors reached its peak, they let out a collective cheer, their voices reverberating against the entrance of the valley.

The multitude of ships sliced through the Yangtze’s current, surging into the shadowed, narrow gorge with unstoppable momentum.