EP.41 Sword Phoenix (Jianfeng). (1)
Sword Phoenix (Jianfeng) (1)
The Great Nangong Family.
Among the Four Great Families, known as the pillar and heart of the Orthodox faction, the Nangong Family stands at the center as a prestigious sword clan.
When the Blood Demon caused the Blood Calamity, the one who beheaded the Blood Demon was none other than the Patriarch of the Nangong Family at the time, Nangong Zhutian.
It was a family that held the position of the Central Plains' Number One Swordsman until the Sword Venerable, who was of ronin origin, appeared.
The Patriarch of such a Nangong Family, the Cangtian Sword King Nangong Jin, looked at his son and spoke.
"I sent you simply to look after your sister well, yet you return saying you lost an innocent guard?"
At the Tang Martial Competition, which he had attended with a light heart, not only did he propose a duel to a rising star younger than himself.
He even lost the duel and drew killing intent.
And then, he heard that he suffered retaliation and even had his arm broken.
His very own son, no less.
The biggest problem, however, was.
"Ma Tie, you say..."
Among the countless martial artists of the family, only a few remained in the Patriarch's memory.
Because there were simply too many talented and strong martial artists in the Nangong Family.
'He was a martial artist who reached the Absolute Peak.'
Ma Tie, a martial artist belonging to the Guard Unit, sobriquet Qingfeng Juejian.
He was someone he remembered.
There weren't many who reached the Absolute Peak at that age, and seeing his sword, he was a martial artist with much potential left to grow.
Such a martial artist went missing on a mere escort detail?
Nangong Jin could not comprehend this.
"Are you saying we lost an Absolute Peak martial artist because of a rising star whose name isn't even known yet?"
To Nangong Jin's question, Nangong Tianjun could not say a word.
He merely clenched his teeth quietly.
Because even he himself couldn't understand the words he had just spoken.
'What on earth happened?'
He thought that even if it took a few days, it would be because the circumstances were unfavorable.
Because he knew that even if he spoke out of anger, arbitrarily capturing the child of a prestigious family was a difficult task.
However, Ma Tie had said he would go, mentioning an opportunity had arisen.
And he had never seen Ma Tie fail after saying such things.
That was why he had sent his sister off without a word when she said she had to go pay her respects to that Gu family bastard.
Because in the first place, even if she went, that bastard wouldn't be able to come.
'It certainly should have been that way...'
But his returning sister brought up that she had paid her respects well.
She said the Gu bastard had returned to his group perfectly fine and rode back in a carriage.
Then what about Ma Tie...?
What happened to his guard's whereabouts?
'Did that bastard kill him?'
He thought it was impossible.
Ma Tie is an Absolute Peak martial artist.
For a martial artist, the path from First-Rate to Absolute Peak is not a realm of effort, but a realm of talent.
No matter how many spiritual elixirs one consumes and how much training one repeats, it is a realm of superhumans that cannot be easily reached without enlightenment.
That was how Nangong Tianjun had learned about the Absolute Peak.
And Ma Tie was an Absolute Peak martial artist who had reached that realm.
Yet he was defeated by a rising star who had barely reached the threshold of Second-Rate, let alone First-Rate?
This was an impossible occurrence.
'Is there a possibility it was a trap?'
A situation where he knew of his scheme and prepared in advance?
If so, how did that bastard know and do so?
And what did he prepare that made Ma Tie go missing?
Whatever it was, this was a bad situation.
Losing an Absolute Peak martial artist of the Nangong Family because of his own stubbornness was a huge problem in itself.
Moreover, the fact that Gu Yangtian knew about this was also a problem.
'Bastard.'
Thinking about Gu Yangtian, anger flared up inside him.
The vital points he was struck with by that bastard.
And his broken arm had now fully healed, but the anger he harbored toward that bastard still remained.
"Tianjun."
"...Yes, Father."
Nangong Jin approached Nangong Tianjun with slow steps.
Nangong Tianjun squeezed his eyes shut.
His father never laid a hand on his children.
He only approaches.
That was what was most suffocating and difficult.
The King's Gait.
The invisible pressure that comes with being a blood relative of the Nangong Family grows stronger as one's martial prowess increases.
The aura of Nangong Jin, who was counted on one hand among the strongest martial artists if the Three Venerables were excluded, went without saying.
"Ugh..."
Under the constricting aura, Nangong Tianjun finally let out a groan.
"What disappointed me is neither that you were defeated by a young rising star, nor that you drew killing intent during the duel."
He knew.
The reason his father was disappointed in him.
He had learned it ad nauseam since he was young.
"Your failure to handle the aftermath properly. That is the most disappointing."
With the crashing pressure, he felt like he would throw up right then and there, but Nangong Tianjun held it in with all his might.
If he threw up on the floor here, his father would truly be furious.
To uphold dignity and honor wherever they are as a Nangong.
This was what Nangong Jin valued most.
Conversely, if there was someone who tarnished their dignity and honor...
Eliminating them by any means necessary was the Nangong way.
"For such a sin, I order you to go into closed-door cultivation at the Qingjin Pavilion for three months. Do you have any objections?"
"N-No, I do not..."
At Nangong Tianjun's answer, the crushing pressure vanished in an instant.
Nangong Jin then asked the gulping Nangong Tianjun.
"Did you say the Gu Family?"
"...Yes, that is correct."
The Gu Family of Shanxi, where Huxia is the Patriarch.
Hearing the answer, Nangong Jin made a peculiar expression.
To Nangong Tianjun, it was a very unfamiliar expression for his father to make.
"...Of all families, it had to be the Gu Family."
Saying so, Nangong Jin whirled around and walked toward the railing of the Patriarch's office.
On his robes fluttering in the wind, the characters for Nangong were written in distinct calligraphy.
After pondering for a moment, Nangong Jin spoke to Nangong Tianjun.
"Forget about the matter with the Gu Family."
"Father...?"
It was the first time.
That his father had told him to forget a matter.
Having taught him his whole life never to forget enmity, what did this mean?
"You will understand when you become the Patriarch someday. Until then, do not easily mess with the Gu Family."
"Yes..."
Whatever the case, he could not disobey Nangong Jin's words.
All Nangong Tianjun could do was nod and accept it.
"Besides, they might become family with us now."
At Nangong Jin's words, Nangong Tianjun froze.
Because he couldn't easily grasp what he meant.
"What... exactly do you mean by that?"
"The Council of Elders has decided on your sister's betrothal."
"Father...!?"
Nangong Tianjun raised his voice without realizing.
He quickly shut his mouth at Nangong Jin's fierce glare, but it was that sudden of a matter.
Although not properly known to the world, she was the woman called the most talented among the Patriarch's bloodline, including himself.
His beautiful older sister.
The Flower of the Nangong Family.
Surely, if his sister had shown an impressive enough display, whether at the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering or the Divine Dragon Pavilion...
He thought the name of the Sword Phoenix would surely belong to his sister right now.
'...Such a sister is getting betrothed?'
It was too sudden.
Nangong Tianjun hid his trembling hands so Nangong Jin wouldn't notice.
"W-With which family, may I ask?"
Nangong Jin took in Nangong Tianjun's appearance.
His shaking pupils and uneven breathing were all captured in his eyes.
He was still an immature son.
To not be able to easily hide even this.
However, Nangong Tianjun would have to carry the Nangong name on his back and lead from the center in the future.
Therefore, if there were lacking parts, he had to fill them.
If there were wrong parts, he had to fix them even if it meant tearing them down and rebuilding.
Nangong Jin looked at Nangong Tianjun and opened his mouth very slowly.
At Nangong Jin's words, Nangong Tianjun's eyes widened.
"...What?"
Looking at Elder Li, who was spouting nonsense the moment I returned to the family, I spoke.
"What did you just say?"
"I said you are going to be betrothed to a daughter of the Nangong Family."
"....Excuse me?"
What kind of crazy talk is this.
******************
It took over ten days to return to the family after leaving Sichuan.
I had hurried because the journey was a bit urgent, but now I thought I could take it easy.
I also needed time to consolidate my increased aura.
The day I returned to the family, dragging my exhausted body.
Elder Li, whom I saw for the first time in a while, dropped a bombshell on me.
"I hear your betrothal schedule has been set."
"...What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
Hearing him bring this up the moment he saw my face without even a greeting, I couldn't control my expression.
I haven't even properly unpacked yet, what is this bolt from the blue...?
How long has it been since the engagement with the Peng Family was broken?
It was so long ago for me that it's hazy, but in the present timeline, it hasn't been that long.
But suddenly getting engaged again?
'...This didn't happen before?'
In my past life, after breaking off the engagement with Peng Yaxi, I never got engaged again.
It was less by choice and more because rumors about me spread so widely across the region, with many saying, "I will not betroth my daughter to that mad dog!"
I thought this life would obviously be the same, so what is this out of nowhere?
With a completely devastated expression, I said to Elder Li.
"Elder Li, I'm really exhausted right now, do you have to play such a prank...?"
"You rascal! Do you think you're in a position to play pranks with this old man?"
"You always play jokes on me, so why are you suddenly acting like this?"
Is the engagement really set...?
'...I think I'm screwed.'
Something seems tangled up.
For a moment, Wei Xue'er flashed through my mind, but I desperately ignored it.
"If it's real, who am I getting engaged to?"
As I spoke, the names of the daughters I knew from the surrounding families quickly flashed through my mind.
Peng Yaxi is already in the past, so it won't be her.
I wasn't very familiar with the Nine Sects and One Clan.
Suddenly, that bitch from the Murong Family crossed my mind, but that crazy woman was a lunatic who only chased after the Thunder Dragon in my past life, so I excluded her for now.
There would be many who aren't part of the Four Great Families, but I didn't know many women.
If I really counted, I could count them on my fingers.
Could it be Tang Xiaolie...?
Tang Xiaolie also didn't get engaged or married in my past life, so wouldn't it not be her?
'...Besides, a girl who gives poison as a gift is a bit much.'
...Anyway, how did it get so tangled up like this?
I can't get a feel for it at all...?
Where exactly is the starting point of this tangled skein?
'There are so many now that I don't know...'
"If you ask where..."
Elder Li said while picking his ear with his pinky.
As if it wasn't a particularly important matter.
"The Nangong Family."
"...What?"
Flustered by the remark, I asked back without realizing.
What... Where?
"What did you just say?"
"Yangtian, I said you are going to be betrothed to a daughter of the Nangong Family."
"....Excuse me?"
Nangong? Is there another Nangong I don't know about?
Could there be something like Nangong Tian Family or Nangong Myung Family? Please, for the love of God, let there be.
Because among the Patriarch of the Nangong Family's children, there was only one daughter.
"The daughter's name was... Nangong Fei'a, I think? The elders there were making it so obvious they didn't want to give away such a precious child, so this old man had to use a bit of force."
Fuck....
The world still doesn't go my way.
What kind of force did you use to obtain that, of all things...?
'I'm... getting engaged to that crazy bitch?'
Why? What method did he use that Nangong Fei'a's name suddenly popped up?
Even as I staggered from the massive shock, Elder Li continued speaking without a care.
"No, that's not the important thing right now, so you can go hear the details from the Patriarch later. There is something more important."
"...Wait a moment, Elder Li, how is this not important?"
Then what is important?
I'm getting engaged to that crazy bitch, so what could be more important than this...?
In this absurd situation, I tried to bring up more to say.
But at Elder Li's following words, I had to shut my mouth.
"Your sister has returned."
"Excuse me?"
At the news Elder Li brought up, my body stiffened without me realizing.
The Greatest Rising Star, Sword Phoenix Gu Xibi.
The news that she had returned.
Elder Li pats my shoulder and says.
"She must have missed you so much, Xibi came looking for you as soon as she returned. The sibling bond between you two is very deep, it's good to see. Xibi should be in the Patriarch's office right now, so hurry... Yangtian?"
I didn't listen to the end of Elder Li's words.
The only thought that came to my mind right then was one thing.
'Fuck, I need to run right now!'
Engagement or whatever, I had to run away first.