Chapter 1636
Even beasts know gratitude. (1)
“Huff!”
“Slow down a bit!”
“There’s no time to waste!”
Namgung Dowi ran forward without looking back. Following him, Tang Soso shook her head repeatedly.
‘How can someone be this reckless?’
She thought all the ignorance in the world had been swept up by Chung Myung and Jo Geol, but it seemed there was plenty left to go around. Watching him push his body to such extremes, despite his condition, was beyond frustrating.
His external injuries might have healed somewhat, but his internal injuries were far from recovered. If he continued to strain himself like this, it wouldn’t be surprising if something went seriously wrong.
As a physician, Tang Soso couldn’t tolerate such recklessness from her patient.
Swoosh!
“Ugh?”
Tang Soso’s bandages flew from behind and wrapped tightly around Namgung Dowi’s arm.
“That’s enough. Slow down.”
“But, Sojeo. This is…”
“Dojang, not Sojeo!”
“Ah… My apologies, Dojang. But in any case, there’s no time…”
“Yes, it’s urgent. But if you keep running like this, you’ll be rushing to the afterlife.”
“…”
“Slow down. I’m telling you this as a physician.”
“…Understood.”
Whether it was the mention of her being a physician that had an effect, Namgung Dowi slowly reduced his speed. Perhaps due to the release of tension, sweat was pouring down his forehead like rain.
“Really…”
Tang Soso looked at him with a frown, as if he was beyond help.
“Do you think something terrible will happen if you arrive a bit late? That’s why you sent the elder in the first place.”
Namgung Dowi wiped the sweat off his brow with his sleeve and nodded.
“Indeed, my uncle is much more capable of handling matters wisely than I am.”
“You know that well. So why do you act like someone with their tail on fire? Anyone would think that Cheonumaeng would collapse without you. That’s just overestimating yourself.”
Namgung Dowi smiled bitterly at her words.
“Overestimating myself, huh…”
“Well, it’s a trait of Namgung clan.”
Namgung Dowi shook his head.
“It’s hard to deny that Namgung clan tends to have such tendencies, but that’s not what this is about right now.”
“Then what is it?”
“It’s not about fearing something will happen because I’m not there – it’s about fearing what might happen while I’m not there.”
Tang Soso tilted her head in confusion.
Isn’t that the same thing?
“Even if I’m not there, Chung Myung Dojang and his seniors will handle anything. They won’t easily crumble, not even against Paegun.”
“…”
Namgung Dowi’s voice was filled with unmistakable trust. Anyone could tell it wasn’t just a polite remark.
Is it really possible to feel such trust in someone from a different sect, especially those not much older than oneself?
“…So, isn’t it all right then? After all, the seniors will handle things well.”
“Of course. But that’s why it’s frustrating.”
“Frustrating?”
Namgung Dowi snickered.
“It’s frustrating and it hurts my pride. The fact that things can be resolved even without me means that I am that insignificant.”
“…”
Tang Soso looked at Namgung Dowi with a sense of disbelief. What kind of logic is this?
But Namgung Dowi, with a serious expression, hardened his face and continued.
“I can’t stand it. The idea that I am merely a minor part of the achievements that others will make. Not as the head of Namgung clan, but as just Namgung Dowi, a swordsman.”
“…So, in other words, you can’t accept being in a supporting role.”
“That’s right.”
Namgung Dowi smiled brightly.
“But isn’t it acceptable to have such ambition? As a swordsman?”
Tang Soso shook her head once more. After all, the people from the Five Great Families were all a bit strange. Though, given her background as a disciple of Hwasan and a member of the Tang clan, perhaps she wasn’t in a position to comment.
“I thought you weren’t interested in such things.”
“I wasn’t. Not until I cut off the head of the Black Dragon King.”
“…”
“But now that revenge is over, I need to look to the future. I am anxious that I might fall behind in that ‘future.’”
Tang Soso clicked her tongue.
In some ways, he was similar to Chung Myung Sahyeong. Once he accomplish one thing, he never stops and always looks for the next task, the next goal.
People like this never stop until they collapse from exhaustion.
“And aren’t you curious?”
“Curious about what?”
“About Chung Myung Dojang.”
There was a hint of excitement in Namgung Dowi’s eyes as he spoke of Chung Myung. It was an expression that contrasted with his serious demeanor until now, with a hint of playfulness.
“Someone like him would have definitely started something by now. Something beyond my imagination. He doesn’t do things half-heartedly.”
“…”
Tang Soso couldn’t deny this. She couldn’t imagine Chung Myung staying quiet for even a few days. He would undoubtedly be causing a headache and making things complicated with his latest scheme.
“He’d definitely push through with something absurd but with a certain degree of rationale, like a raging bull. It’s unavoidable not to be curious about what that might be.”
“Then wouldn’t it be better to wait a bit longer and hear the news before setting out? The world calls that a sensible approach.”
“You know as well as I do that there’s no time for that.”
Tang Soso sighed as if there was no response to give.
‘People should at least change moderately.’
Of course, she didn’t mean that she preferred the old, arrogant Namgung Dowi, but was there no way to find a reasonable compromise with the current approach?
“Well, that’s a relief.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’ll find out soon enough. Look, it’s Hwaeum.”
“Oh.”
Namgung Dowi lifted his head and looked ahead. In the distance, Hwaeum they had painstakingly built came into their eyes.
“…It’s a bit funny to say this,”
“What?”
“It feels like coming back home. Even though I just came from Anhui.”
Namgung Dowi chuckled at his own words, finding them amusing.
“Let’s go. Whether it’s home or not, as long as it feels familiar.”
Namgung Dowi left Tang Soso behind and hurried towards Hwaeum.
“The atmosphere seems a bit chaotic.”
“Really?”
“It’s likely that something else has happened.”
“Could you not say it so cheerfully? My stomach is already aching.”
“Ultimately, it’s a good thing. You know that too, Dojang?”
“…I suppose. It’s just that the path to that good result is so shaky.”
Namgung Dowi smiled at the truth of the statement. It was indeed typical of Chung Myung’s actions.
“Anyway, we need to find out what’s going on first…”
“Young Lord, you’ve arrived!”
At that moment.
“Hmm?”
“Young Lord! You’ve come!”
Namgung Dowi squinted his eyes. The swordsmen of Namgung clan, who had followed Namgung Myeong to Hwaeum, were rushing towards him.
“…There doesn’t seem to be a need to search for them.”
The serious expressions on their faces were what Namgung Dowi noted.
“Disband the family and… establish new factions, dispersing the household members within them?”
“Yes!”
One of the Namgung clan’s swordsmen said with a stiff face.
“And Elder Namgung Myeong approved this on behalf of the Young Lord.”
“…”
Namgung Dowi scratched his cheek a couple of times.
“……I expected something unimaginable, but this is beyond that.”
He had thought it would be something far beyond their expectations, but this was an entirely different level of thinking. Who would dare to plan and execute something so absurd?
“Have the other sects approved as well?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm.”
Namgung Dowi nodded heavily.
He needed to hear how such a situation had come about, but it didn’t seem like a completely reckless plan. Of course, it wasn’t. If it were, the sects unfriendly to Hwasan wouldn’t have agreed.
‘No… If it’s him, he would have made them agree regardless of their stance.’
Pretending to gather and coordinate everyone’s opinions, but in reality doing as he pleased. This had always been the way Namgung Dowi had seen Chung Myung operate. In the midst of it all, a bit of intimidation and threats mixed in.
“Young Lord.”
“Hmm?”
“Even now, you must punish Elder Namgung Myeong’s recklessness and reverse everything.”
“…”
Namgung Dowi looked at Namgung clan’s swordsman as if asking what he was talking about.
“It is a complete overreach for an elder to decide on something of this magnitude.”
“Yes. That’s right, Young Lord. And to disband the family? How can those with Namgung blood take orders from others? The only person who can issue orders to Namgung clan is you, Young Lord.”
“The other sects are the same. While we don’t know what the higher-ups think, most of those who have to fight on the front lines are not pleased. They can’t understand why they have to risk their lives following orders from people they’ve never even met.”
Hearing this, Namgung Dowi’s expression hardened seriously.
“The public opinion is not good?”
“Yes.”
Namgung Dowi sensed that the others around were focusing on them. Seeing that no one was stepping in to stop their words, it seemed the poor public sentiment was indeed true.
“And you? Do you feel the same way?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because our lives are at stake.”
“…More details.”
One of the Namgung clan’s swordsmen continued with a serious face.
“We are not afraid to give our lives. I can throw away my life for the glory of Namgung anytime. But if things go this way, won’t Cheonumaeng and Hwasan take all the value of our lives? Why should we sacrifice our lives to bring them glory?”
Several people nodded in agreement at those words.
“Breaking down the barriers sounds plausible, but ultimately, doesn’t it mean using the power of other sects as they please? Even if we win, what do we gain from it?”
“…”
“I believe that you, Young Lord, must step forward. Namgung will shine the brightest under the name of Namgung…”
“Enough.”
“Young Lord. Namgung will…”
“I said shut your mouth.”
The speaker flinched and looked at Namgung Dowi.
His voice was filled with killing intent. But more surprising was the rough tone he used. As far as the speaker knew, Namgung Dowi had never used such language before.
“Young… Lord?”
Namgung Dowi glared at the speaker with a twisted look in his eyes.
“The glory of Namgung? Did you just utter those words?”
The swordsman shrank under the killing intent in his voice. No one here had ever seen Namgung Dowi so enraged. Not even when facing the Black Dragon King had he displayed such blatant fury.
The atmosphere was so frigid that even Tang Soso stepped back in surprise.
“When you were dying at Maehwado, you begged for help from anyone, bowing your heads. And now that you’re comfortable, you dare speak of glory?”
“Young Lord…”
“Humans are inherently deceitful. I am not ignorant of that, but…”
Namgung Dowi ground his teeth.
“I have never imagined that someone bearing the Namgung name would say something like an animal that doesn’t even know gratitude.”
“…”
Those intimidated by his presence couldn’t even look him in the eye, lowering their heads instead.
“I was wondering what I should do, but thanks to you, I now know the answer.”
Namgung Dowi gripped his sword.
This was something Hwasan could not do. If they did, it would be seen as coercion. Thus, Namgung Dowi fully understood his role.
“Anyone dissatisfied with the Alliance’s actions, step forward. I will make you realize just how much freedom and rights you’ve enjoyed until now.”
The faces of those standing before him turned deathly pale.
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