Chapter 481 - That Which Has Decayed.
The Heavenly Venerable had four children.
Three from his wife, and one from his concubine, making four in total.
Among them, the one appointed as Clan Head after the Heavenly Venerable was the child of the concubine. At that, he was the youngest of them all.
His name was Nanggung Jeohwi.
While not outstanding in talent, he possessed superior political ability and the bearing to command people, making him the man who ultimately won the struggle for succession.
The other great clans were likely no different.
Especially the Nanggung Clan, which was infamous for its brutal wars of succession, and this time was no different.
Around the time Nanggung Jeohwi rose to become Clan Head through victory.
All his brothers who had been defeated were put to death.
Shocked by this, the Heavenly Venerable's wife also took her own life, but…
The Heavenly Venerable did not care very much.
The victor was the law. He was simply satisfied that his child had become the Clan Head.
Such was the kind of man the Heavenly Venerable was.
Whether it was the child of the wife or the child of a concubine, if they possessed value, he respected them. That was the will of the Heavenly Venerable.
And so Nanggung Jeohwi ascended to the position of Clan Head.
Afterwards, he had two children through his wife, and one through a concubine.
The second of these, born of the wife, was none other than the one now called the Sword King, Nanggung Jin.
When the time came for Nanggung Jin to rise as Clan Head after Nanggung Jeohwi.
There was no one who argued against it.
Unlike the war of succession waged by Nanggung Jeohwi, it was not such a difficult thing for Nanggung Jin to rise to the position of Clan Head.
The firstborn had been frail and died in childhood.
The third was treated as a good-for-nothing and was even a son of a concubine, cast out by the Nanggung Clan.
Thus, it was only natural that Nanggung Jin, who was hailed as a genius, would become the next Clan Head.
It was also no problem that the elders, including the Heavenly Venerable, expressed no dissatisfaction with this.
At least, before ‘that’ incident occurred.
The incident was, precisely—
The problem was that the Thunder Fang chose a different bloodline than Nanggung Jin.
The Nanggung Clan possessed the will of their ancestors, passed down through generations.
The one chosen by the precious artifact, the Thunder Fang, would become the master of the Nanggung Clan.
It was the dying wish of the Thunder Heaven Single Sword, Nanggung Myeong.
Words he had left behind hoping they would become the will of the Nanggung Clan, but…
From the generation immediately above the Heavenly Venerable, it was already a will that had crumbled apart.
They had become Clan Heads without being chosen by the Thunder Fang.
The Heavenly Venerable was no different.
An era had arrived where they no longer even knew what it meant to be chosen by the Thunder Fang.
It was also something the Heavenly Venerable had not bothered to think deeply about.
Even without it, he could have become Clan Head, and the Nanggung Clan was growing ever more glorious.
Time passed slowly in that manner.
Until the incident finally erupted.
“[F… uck…]”
Inside a warehouse stained with blood.
A young man grabbed the collar of the Young Clan Head, Nanggung Jin, who had become a bloody mess, and glared at the Heavenly Venerable.
“[Yeah, I won’t do it because it’s fucked up. You fucking bastards.]”
Eyes filled with resentment and a sword gripped roughly.
Hair dyed with qi and the blade of a sword ringing with exploding lightning qi.
Watching that, the Heavenly Venerable realized belatedly.
That was the power possessed by the Thunder Fang.
That was what it meant to be chosen by the Thunder Fang.
However.
“[I’m leaving. This dogshit household. Don’t expect me to ever return.]”
The master truly chosen by the Thunder Fang left the Nanggung Clan and headed for the Dao Gate.
This day became one of the Heavenly Venerable’s rare regrets.
His first regret was not having recognized the child.
His second was not being able to stop the child from leaving.
His third was realizing too late that the clan had begun to twist, but…
By then, it was already too late.
“So, what do you want me to do?”
At the voice that reached him, he moved his head.
Where the Heavenly Venerable’s gaze landed, some beggar was gulping down water.
“Why do you keep following me around and tormenting me?”
“Following you? That’s a strange way to put it.”
As the Heavenly Venerable spoke with a smile, the man clicked his tongue.
“Strange, my ass. If following me to the point of exhaustion while I run because I hate the sight of you isn’t ‘following,’ then what is?”
“Hyeong.”
When the Heavenly Venerable called out to Nanggung Hyeong, he furrowed his face in disgust.
“Hey, don’t call me by that name. It’s disgusting and annoying.”
“Isn’t it time you returned to where you belong?”
A place to return to.
At those foul words, as if his throat was dry, Nanggung Hyeong gulped down the remaining water in one go.
“You still haven’t given up on that wretched attachment?”
“You are a man of the Nanggung Clan. Thus, when the time comes, you must return.”
“Nonsense. Why would I be a man of the Nanggung Clan?”
As if he had heard something he shouldn’t have, Nanggung Hyeong diligently dug at his ear with his hand.
“I threw all that away a long time ago. Now, I am a man of Wudang.”
Nanggung Hyeong looked at the Heavenly Venerable as if he were utterly fed up.
It couldn’t be helped.
On the day he had run away from the clan.
He had thrown away everything, including his own surname.
The clothes he wore, the surname he received there.
He had never been treated properly from the start, so it wasn’t as if he had much to leave behind.
Nanggung Hyeong, thinking thus, gave a bitter laugh inwardly.
Because one thing was wrong.
He hadn’t been able to throw it all away; it was because of that one thing that the old man was pestering him.
Nanggung Hyeong took something from his bosom and threw it at the Heavenly Venerable.
Thud.
The object that fell to the ground was a staff with a jewel embedded at its end.
It looked like a shabby piece of junk, but…
This was by no means an ordinary antique.
Thunder Fang.
The precious artifact of the Nanggung Clan, and a cursed object to Nanggung Hyeong.
“You obviously only came for this anyway, Grandfather. Take it and get lost.”
“…”
The Heavenly Venerable did not particularly deny Nanggung Hyeong’s words.
He simply bent down and reached his hand toward the Thunder Fang.
Then.
Crackle—sizzle—!
An enormous lightning qi exploded from the Thunder Fang, blazing with light.
Immediately, the Heavenly Venerable withdrew his hand and straightened up.
“…”
He examined his hand, still hot.
It was a pressure enough to shake the Heavenly Venerable’s protective astral qi in an instant.
“Unfortunately, it seems the will of the Thunder Fang is still not so.”
The Heavenly Venerable spoke with a smile.
Fwoosh—!
The Thunder Fang, which had fallen to the ground, abruptly floated up into the air and flew toward Nanggung Hyeong.
Nanggung Hyeong had not lifted it with his qi.
This was solely the will of the Thunder Fang.
Tap—!
Nanggung Hyeong’s face twisted as he lightly caught the flying Thunder Fang.
“I’m sick of this. Can’t you get lost already at this point?”
“It seems the Thunder Fang still favors you.”
Likes him. At the Heavenly Venerable’s words, Nanggung Hyeong’s face filled with ridicule.
Still an old man who knows nothing.
‘If he knew this thing’s temperament, he wouldn’t say such things.’
No one knew.
Only he himself knew the true nature of the Thunder Fang.
If the Heavenly Venerable had known of it, he would never have acted this way.
Precisely because he did not know.
“Stop this and come back. The place you belong is not here.”
That was why he could say such things.
How many times had it been by now?
He had run away with the Thunder Fang and lived alone, yet the Heavenly Venerable occasionally sought him out to torment him like this.
It was truly disgusting.
“Why should my grandfather decide where I belong? I’ll say it again: I am a man of Wudang.”
“They don’t even properly respect a man’s worth. Is the Wudang that cast you out so dear to you?”
“…Ha.”
A sigh he couldn’t hold back escaped his throat.
“I don’t know what and how much they provided you to speak like that, but…”
“…”
On this point, the Heavenly Venerable seemed to have no words either.
In truth, Nanggung Hyeong had grown up receiving worse treatment than a dog in the Nanggung Clan during his childhood.
“If anything, you should have tried to kill me to take back the Thunder Fang.”
“Hoho, how could I, as a grandfather, do such a terrible thing to my grandson?”
“Fuck, you old man who has never once treated me like a grandson keep spewing nonsense. Seems your senility has gotten quite bad.”
Heh.
At Nanggung Hyeong’s words that crossed the line, the Heavenly Venerable’s brow threatened to furrow slightly, but he held it back.
“If I return to the clan now, how do you think the Sword King will react? Does that man even know you’re doing this?”
“Don’t mind Jin. What’s important is that you, Hyeong, are the one.”
“Don’t mind him, my ass. A man’s life is on the line.”
Even if by any chance Nanggung Hyeong could return to the Nanggung Clan.
Would Nanggung Jin, who was there, accept it easily?
He was a man whose position hadn’t been firmly established precisely because of Nanggung Hyeong. It absolutely didn’t seem like he would.
Moreover, the Nanggung Jin that Nanggung Hyeong remembered was even more so.
To these words, the Heavenly Venerable…
“If only you set your will straight…”
He said this, looking at Nanggung Hyeong.
“I am even considering establishing you, not Jin, as the Clan Head.”
“…”
At the rather shocking statement, Nanggung Hyeong’s eyes widened for a moment.
The words that if he only returned, he could even be given the position of Clan Head of the Nanggung Clan.
These words meant that even now, the Nanggung Clan’s influence lay more with the Heavenly Venerable than the Sword King.
And that if he wished, he could easily change the Clan Head.
“Haha.”
Nanggung Hyeong laughed upon hearing those words.
Because he felt it was fortunate.
“Truly, I am grateful that you are still the same, Grandfather.”
How could he not be thankful to be constantly reassured that the choice he had made in the past was not wrong?
“You are still inhuman.”
Nanggung Hyeong barely reined in his laughter and extended his middle finger to the Heavenly Venerable, saying:
“Go fuck yourself.”
“…”
“Even if my arms and legs are cut off and I die. I am not returning to that house.”
Creak.
Had he finally reached his limit at Nanggung Hyeong’s tirade?
An uncomfortable sound came from the Heavenly Venerable’s body.
Was he thinking of drawing his sword?
That wouldn’t be bad either. If he wished, he would fight him as much as he wanted.
Though he didn’t know if the Thunder Fang would wish for that.
The moment Nanggung Hyeong tried to raise his momentum first.
Swish.
The Heavenly Venerable turned his back on Nanggung Hyeong.
“…I shall take my leave for today.”
At the words spat out so nonchalantly, Nanggung Hyeong spat on the ground.
“Don’t come again next time either. I’ll hide again.”
“When next we meet, I do hope you will have a different answer.”
Crackle.
As if those words were truly his last.
The Heavenly Venerable disappeared in a burst of lightning qi before Nanggung Hyeong.
In the silence finally regained, Nanggung Hyeong nonchalantly shoved the remaining rice into his mouth.
“When meeting that disciple of mine, I suppose I should see him elsewhere.”
His disciple, who had hinted that he would come to find him soon.
He would have to go somewhere else rather than here to meet him. Nanggung Hyeong resolved himself thus.
Meeting his disciple here would likely leave him in a bad mood, as another terrible memory would be added.
******************
Fundamental Body Transformation Art (基體變易術).
A martial art capable of reversing not only the human body, but even going so far as to swap gender.
A power learned through passages received as a gift from Tang Jemun.
This was a power that was quite helpful to the current me.
After going to another world, my physique as well as my appearance had changed.
And upon returning, it seemed not much time had passed in the original world, so it would have been difficult to explain my changed appearance.
Thanks to this, I was able to hide it.
‘It feels a bit awkward, but it’s not bad.’
Aside from the fact that, having used it myself, it consumes a lot of energy and is rather taxing to maintain the transformed body…
There didn’t seem to be any major problems.
‘What a wondrous power.’
Of course, the difference between using it and not is huge, but this much is at a tolerable level.
However.
‘It seems the gender won’t change, though.’
Changing gender like Tang Jemun had done seemed impossible.
Whether it was because I didn’t know how to use it to that extent yet, or because Tang Jemun hadn’t given it when he passed it on, I didn’t know.
‘That’s not really a problem.’
In truth, I had no desire to become a woman, so it wasn’t something that could be called a problem.
For now, I was merely grateful. Because this too was a stroke of fortune.
‘It’s a shame this one stayed the same, though.’
This was said while looking at my hand.
The greatest abnormality that occurred as my body changed.
My left arm, covered in azure scales from shoulder to fingertips, unfortunately did not change even when using the Fundamental Body Transformation Art.
The size seemed to shrink.
I suppose I can’t remove the scales themselves.
‘Tch.’
The bandages wrapped around the arm, turned blue, were hiding it, but…
It couldn’t be helped that it bothered me.
Ah, and there was one more quite important thing.
Shaaaaak—!
Looking at the creature making a small cry from inside my bosom, I nodded.
‘This is the most fortunate part.’
The fact that the Fundamental Body Transformation Art applied not to just me, but to Jeoksusa as well.
Since its species had changed and its body had grown too large to hide, I had been worried about what to do with Jeoksusa.
The fact that I could make this fellow smaller with the Fundamental Body Transformation Art was a huge advantage.
Since I could hide it inside my bosom again like this.
‘The important things will be figured out later…’
There were so many other things to test as well.
For now, I wanted to organize only this much and be done with it.
Because trying to figure this out in the current situation was problematic.
“…Ninth Young Master. What did you just say?”
A voice asking as if it had heard wrong. The tone trembled slightly, showing how flustered he was, and I smiled slightly without realizing it.
“Say it again. What did you just say?”
“…Well, it’s just.”
Perhaps angry at my reaction, the man’s expression gradually contorted.
The man was the Poison King, the lord of the Tang Clan.
I was meeting the Poison King in the Family Head’s chamber.
Because of matters regarding the lake, as well as things that needed to be discussed.
What had he said just now?
Had he asked me to say it again?
That wasn’t a very difficult thing.
The problem was…
“I think I’ll have to kill the elders of the Tang Clan. Is that alright?”
It was simply a rather strange thing for me to blurt out.
And as expected.
Upon hearing those words, the Poison King’s expression grew vicious, and killing intent began to erupt within the room.