Chapter 2572 – 2572. Gwangmyeong Ascension

I arrived at the Namgung Clan.

The Namgung Clan’s family members gathered at the entrance to welcome us. Not only the direct descendants of the Namgung Clan but also the Clan Head came out to greet us. I was the Clan Head’s son-in-law and an elder who had returned to the Namgung Clan after a long time. This level of welcome was only natural.

However, the expressions of the Namgung Clan members were subtle. This was because my other identity, the Little Heavenly Demon of the Heavenly Demon Cult, had been revealed early on.

Anyway, a welcome was a welcome. I confidently stepped through the gates of the Namgung Clan and headed towards the women beside me, not the Clan Head.

Among the black-haired women, there was one with uniquely white hair. It didn’t mean she was old. She looked young enough to be in her late teens. Both her body and mind had grown more than before. Her chest, which used to be a B cup, had grown to a C cup.

“Gaga. You’ve returned! I’ve been waiting!”

She used to look sickly due to the Nine Yin Severed Meridians, but now, having been cured, she was as fresh as a blooming flower.

I smiled and hugged her. I didn’t care about the gazes of the people around us.

“It’s been a while. I missed you.”

“Gaga…!”

I stroked Namgung Seol’s back and looked to the side. I grinned on purpose, and she flinched in surprise.

Namgung Rin.

Namgung Seol’s older sister. She was my sister-in-law. And she was my woman.

Unlike Namgung Seol, whose body hair was white due to the Nine Yin Severed Meridians, Namgung Rin’s body hair was jet black. Also, as befitting a heroine, she was quite tall. Her chest also seemed to have grown a bit more since I last saw her.

As I stared at her intently and licked my lips, Namgung Rin’s face turned red. She quickly turned her head away.

‘Hehe. I can taste the black and white double treasure here too.’

Namgung Rin’s name and demeanor reminded me of Han Harin. Her personality was also picky, so it could be said that they were similar.

“Ahem. Elder Seong. Am I not visible?”

Namgung Hocheon, the Namgung Clan Head and known by the alias Azure Sky Sword, cleared his throat and made his presence known.

I pulled away from Namgung Seol and belatedly greeted him.

“Ah, I apologize. It’s been a while since I’ve seen my wives.”

“……Wives?”

“A slip of the tongue. Wife. Wife.”

Namgung Hocheon’s expression soured. It was well-known that I was a womanizer, so he would probably just accept it. There were many eyes watching, so he couldn’t get angry even if he wanted to. He wouldn’t want to be humiliated.

“Come to my office later. I have something to discuss.”

He then looked at the Martial Alliance Leader.

“Alliance Leader, please make yourself comfortable. And please attend the banquet prepared for this evening.”

“Haha. Of course, I will attend.”

The Martial Alliance Leader answered while still watching me. The old man’s gaze was unpleasant, and my brow furrowed involuntarily.

‘What are you plotting?’

Even if I asked directly, the answers I got were nonsense, so I decided to ignore the Martial Alliance Leader’s gaze.

* * *

I wanted to go to the bedroom and hold the Namgung double treasure in my arms. However, my father-in-law had called me, so I couldn’t do that.

‘If it weren’t for my father-in-law, I would have just gone.’

They were the fathers of my women. I could respect them to some extent.

“…I’ve heard that the Fallen Moon Goddess took you as her disciple. But… you’ve grown tremendously in the meantime. I never thought you’d reach the same level as me. How should I think about this?”

“Isn’t it a blessing for the Namgung Clan that a genius like me is the son-in-law of the Namgung Clan?”

“It is a blessing and a great fortune. If you hadn’t become the Little Heavenly Demon of the Demonic Cult. Explain to me what happened.”

“That’s how it happened.”

“……You’ve become quite arrogant in the meantime.”

“Clan Head, the Heavenly Demon Cult is a place where the strong are respected. Regardless of age, the strong are respected. And I don’t listen to those who are weaker than me. I’m only respecting you because you’re my father-in-law.”

“Are you saying you’re stronger than me?”

Namgung Hocheon unleashed his aura. If it were the old me, I might have bowed my head under that pressure. But not the current me. I also unleashed my aura as if to counter him.

The invisible auras of the absolute masters of the Three Realms collided in the air, affecting the surroundings. The building vibrated, and the table in front of us cracked.

“……Enough. I didn’t call you here to fight.”

“If that’s the case.”

We simultaneously withdrew our auras. I sat on a nearby chair and looked at Namgung Hocheon. He let out a deep sigh.

“I’m curious as to why you’re moving with the Martial Alliance Leader and how you became the Little Heavenly Demon of the Demonic Cult… but I need to ask this first. Where did the Cheongun Unit I sent to escort you go? Why did you return alone?”

“Cheongun Unit? Those assassins are burning in hell.”

“The Cheongun Unit as assassins? The Cheongun Unit’s loyalty is famous. I trusted their loyalty and sent them to you.”

“Ah. So that’s why they called me a disgrace to the Namgung Clan and tried to kill me. And what is the relationship between Namgung Tak, the leader of the Cheongun Unit, and my wife?”

Namgung Hocheon seemed to have an idea and swallowed his breath before touching his forehead.

“…Namgung Tak. Although he was from a branch family, he was very loyal and talented, so he was allowed to live near the main family from a young age. He was about the same age as Seol, so they played together when they were young. Could it be that he had feelings for Seol?”

“The Cheongun Unit joined hands with the Slaughter King to kill me. Fortunately, I killed all of the Cheongun Unit and covered it up. There will be no blemish on the reputation of the Namgung Clan. I’ve also taken care of the Slaughter King, so rest assured.”

He glared at me for a moment, then closed his eyes tightly before opening them again.

“……This is my mistake. I should give you proper compensation. Is there anything you want?”

“I want to marry Namgung Rin.”

“Are you crazy? Rin is Seol’s older sister. You want to marry sisters at the same time?”

“And she’s also my woman.”

“I noticed the atmosphere was unusual earlier… Could it be that you’ve already….”

“Hehe. As expected of the Clan Head. You’re quick-witted. That’s right. As a man, shouldn’t I take responsibility for a woman?”

“Responsibility? You’re dragging the Namgung Clan’s reputation through the mud!”

“A hero loves beauty. A man of my caliber is allowed to do that.”

“You call yourself a hero?!”

“If not me, then who is a hero?”

“……”

Namgung Hocheon couldn’t refute it. Objectively speaking, my reputation was more than that of a hero. Even in terms of cultivation, I was on par with Namgung Hocheon.

“This is not something I can decide.”

“If not the Clan Head, then who will decide?”

“The highest-ranking person in the main family is not me but the Supreme Clan Head. He will soon finish his closed-door training and come out. And he will also decide on your fate. Until then, wait quietly.”

Sword King Namgung Bu.

A master of the Harmony Realm. I had heard his name, but I didn’t know anything about him.

Even though he was the Supreme Clan Head, he was not from the previous generation but the generation before that. The previous Clan Head of the Namgung Clan had died from qi deviation while attempting to forcefully ascend.

“You may leave.”

“Yes, Clan Head.”

I bowed to Namgung Hocheon and left his office.

Stay quiet? Of course, I would stay quiet. With the peerless beauties Namgung double treasure, there was no time to look elsewhere. Moreover, I could learn the Kwon-gak technique from the Martial Alliance Leader. I would be able to spend my time meaningfully for the time being.

* * *

Two months later.

Sword King Namgung Bu finished his closed-door training and came out into the world. All members of the Namgung Clan greeted him.

The oldest elder of the Namgung Clan was, surprisingly, a young man in his early thirties.

After coming out into the world after decades, he casually slung his sword over his shoulder, looked up at the sky for a long time, and then lowered his head to look around.

“There are familiar faces and unfamiliar faces. I’m glad that there’s no worry on your faces. But… why is that old Taoist from the Wudang Sect here?”

“Haha. It’s been a while. You’ve become younger than the last time I saw you. It seems you’ve achieved something. Congratulations.”

“I would have to die if I didn’t achieve anything after decades of training. It’s perfect. How about we have a spar?”

“Haha. You’re still the same. Can we talk for a moment?”

“Sure.”

The Martial Alliance Leader and the Sword King flew into the mountains behind the estate. At the top of the mountain, the Martial Alliance Leader took out wine and cups from a spatial pouch.

“It’s hard to say this, but it seems you haven’t broken through the wall. I thought you would come out of seclusion after breaking through the wall….”

“The wall of myriad forms was too far away. I tried to reach the realm of myriad forms and become a half-immortal, but… I didn’t think it was possible, so I gave up.”

“The wall of myriad forms? Was the wall of ascension easy?”

“When you reach the end of the Harmony Realm, you see two paths. One is the path to myriad forms, which is blocked by a wall, and the other is the path to ascension, which is wide open.”

“Then why didn’t you choose ascension?”

“I was more curious about the path beyond the high wall than the wide-open path.”

The Sword King drank his wine calmly, like an enlightened Taoist. After decades, a smile appeared on his lips.

“That’s enough about me. Seclusion training is all the same, so it’s not fun. Tell me your story. The martial world is a place where there’s no peace. There must be a lot of interesting stories?”

“Do you know? The Mount Hua Sect has been annihilated.”

“What?”

The Martial Alliance Leader told the story. It was surprising that the Mount Hua Sect had been annihilated by the Demonic Cult, but that was all. The Namgung Clan was not part of the Martial Alliance.

There was another story that made the Sword King frown.

“The Little Heavenly Demon is my great-granddaughter’s son-in-law?”

“That’s right. I’ve heard rumors that he’s even eyeing his sister-in-law. He’s said to have asked the Namgung Clan Head to marry both sisters.”

“Have you ever seen such a crazy bastard? I’ll have to deal with him.”

The Sword King fiddled with the sword beside him. His eyes shone brightly. Unlike his angry tone, his eyes showed joy. The Martial Alliance Leader just accepted it. The Sword King had always been this kind of friend.

“What did you see in that guy that made you travel with him?”

The Sword King asked. Just as the Martial Alliance Leader knew him well, the Sword King also knew the Martial Alliance Leader well.

“He’s the Little Heavenly Demon of the Demonic Cult, but he doesn’t seem to have much attachment to the Demonic Cult. At the same time, he’s not interested in the Martial Alliance either. If that was all, I would have accepted it. But the talent he possesses caught my eye.”

“How talented is he that he caught the eye of the Supreme Heavenly Sovereign?”

“Talent beyond that of an emperor.”

“……”

The Sword King closed his mouth. Even he couldn’t casually mention the word emperor.

“The fight between the Martial Alliance and the Demonic Cult has continued for thousands of years. Isn’t it time to end this tiresome fight? In my eyes, he seems to be the talent who can end this fight. Perhaps, just as an emperor unified the continent, he will unify the martial world.”

“Huh. You’re evaluating him so highly… I’m getting more and more curious about him.”