Chapter 1133: Scorched World.

‘Stupid fool.’

There was something his father said to him when he was injured protecting the woman being whipped.

‘Use tools like tools. Even if you’re only half-baked, you’re still of the Namgung family bloodline. Why are you acting so crudely?’

She was a woman who treated him well. When he went hungry, she worried and tried to bring him food, day and night.

When it got cold in winter, she would bring him warm cotton clothes and blankets, asking if he wasn’t cold.

A woman who would come and place her hand on his forehead even if he was just a little sick.

She was someone he might have thought of as a mother, even if she never spoke the words.

When she was being whipped for failing to properly attend to her master, he would step forward, offering to take the punishment instead.

Each time, the woman would smile and stop him.

‘It’s okay.’

‘If the young master isn’t hurt, then it’s okay.’

Protecting such a woman, he didn’t care about the insults he heard. ‘I only need you. My mother who abandoned me and disappeared, or this family that sees me like an idiot, none of that matters.’

‘If she is here, I can endure.’

Those were the days he thought like that.

One day, enduring like that.

‘…Nanny?’

Namgung Hyung called out to the woman held in his arms.

There was no answer.

‘Nanny, answer me. Please answer…’

She was growing cold. The remaining warmth faded, making her feel terribly cold.

‘Ah… Ahh…’

All he could do was let out a quiet, single scream.

Trembling like that, he recalled the nanny’s last words in his ear.

‘Young master… You must make sure to eat well…’

The woman, saying that with trembling lips, finally lost her life.

‘Aaaaaaaah–!!!’

He screamed. Tears flowed as if he would lose consciousness, and he wailed like that, without even wiping them.

Someone spoke to Namgung Hyung, who was like that.

‘See? I told you.’

Standing before him were the man called his father and the person called his brother.

‘Tools must be managed properly like tools. Tsk, tsk.’

His father spoke, holding the sword that killed his nanny.

‘Because you’re acting foolishly, aren’t you attempting poisoning?’

‘…That’s impossible.’

He looked at his father with eyes reddened as if blood had pooled in them.

His father had killed the nanny. The reason given was that the nanny had tried to poison him.

Poison was found in the food he always ate and drank.

Using that as justification, the nanny died.

But.

‘You expect me to believe that…?’

The nanny wasn’t that kind of person. He knew that better than anyone.

She was the woman who protected only him in this rotten, disgusting place.

That woman tried to kill me?

‘Even if she had…’

It would have been better if I had died like that.

‘But why–!!!’

He screamed until his throat hurt. He couldn’t control his trembling body.

‘Why… why is this happening…’

‘Son. I punished the one who tried to kill you, so why are you acting like this?’

‘Don’t make me laugh. The nanny wouldn’t do that.’

‘Hmm.’

At Namgung Hyung’s words, Namgung Jeohui shook his head lowly.

The expression he gave his son was full of pity.

‘Yes. That could happen. But you see.’

A smile formed on his face as he looked at him.

‘Even if that were the case. What can you possibly do?’

‘…’

‘Don’t harbor pointless hope. As long as you bear the Namgung family name, your options are few.’

Namgung Jeohui turned his back.

At that moment, the sword in his hand glinted. It was the sword stained with the nanny’s blood.

‘Don’t have useless thoughts. Just stay where you belong. That’s what’s right for you.’

With that, Namgung Jeohui disappeared.

Left alone, Namgung Hyung held the cooling nanny and swallowed his sobs.

It was true.

Whether the nanny really tried to poison me.

Or if father simply killed the nanny.

What could I do right now?

Bearing the Namgung family name, I could do nothing.

It was both a shackle and a restriction.

‘Ah… Ahh…’

His breath hitched, unable to even scream. Beyond that, Namgung Hyung thought, retching.

‘This place is hell.’

“…”

Tak-! Taktak-!!

He passed swiftly through the forest. Namgung Hyung ran and ran with a hardened expression, wanting to escape hell as quickly as possible.

As he moved frantically, squeezing his dantian with the intent to push himself further,

-Hey, you punk.

A voice sounded in his ear.

-Pace yourself. You’ll collapse from exhaustion otherwise.

“…I can handle it myself.”

Namgung Hyung replied curtly.

The owner of the voice was none other than the sword with only a hilt hanging at his waist. The sound came from within his mind.

One day, after the nanny died.

In the dilapidated quarters he was confined to like a prison, he discovered a hole.

Surprisingly, the hole connected to the Namgung family’s armory, and that’s where he found this sword.

He later learned that the shabby quarters Namgung Hyung stayed in were actually the residence of the past owner of the Mae-Ah, the Namgung family hero, Yecheon Ilgeom.

He had no idea why such a place was left in such disrepair.

And.

‘This voice belongs to that man too.’

Yecheon Ilgeom. The Namgung family’s supreme master and the hero who stopped the Blood Calamity.

His spirit, contained within the Mae-Ah, would speak to him.

-Tsk… Why did you have to go and do something like this? You could have done it within the Namgung family.

“I told you. I don’t want to be there, even if it means death.”

Namgung Hyung frowned and increased his speed.

“And besides. Didn’t we already agree you’d help?”

-…Tsk.

It was a nonchalant reply. Leaving the Namgung family seemed to displease this old man immensely.

Well, that makes sense. After all, this old man’s goal is the revival of the Namgung family.

What did he say again?

‘Restore the lost swordsmanship of the Namgung family.’

He told me to restore the Namgung family’s sword techniques, which had degenerated over time.

Of course, I have no intention of listening. Why would he make me do something like that?

I told him he should tell someone else. Like my brother or that father of mine. But…

-You must do it.

Only he could hear the voice of Mae-Ah.

Therefore, he had to become the family head, Mae-Ah had said.

‘Disgusting.’

Namgung Hyung has no intention whatsoever of becoming the Namgung family head. If he were to take that position, he’d rather bite his tongue and die.

I will get out of here.

He lived his life with only that thought.

Of course.

‘Without this, it would have been impossible.’

Without Mae-Ah, even the option of running away wouldn’t have been possible.

This was something that happened under agreement with this old man.

It couldn’t be helped.

‘Because I had to break free from the restriction.’

A restriction deeply ingrained in the body upon being born into the Namgung family bloodline.

The Namgung family head. Or…

‘Grandfather.’

The restriction that required obedience to the previous family head, Cheon-jon.

As long as that was in effect, even dying couldn’t be done carelessly within the Namgung family.

‘Running away was naturally impossible too.’

Escaping this filthy place would have been impossible as well.

‘Thanks to this, I could get out.’

The Mae-Ah hanging at his waist.

It suppressed the restriction.

-Don’t forget the contract, descendant.

“…I know.”

The fact that only I could hear the voice. He used that to speak.

‘I’ll restore the Namgung family’s swordsmanship and pass it down to the family. So help me escape.’

‘If you don’t like that, I’ll ignore the fact that I can hear Mae-Ah’s voice and won’t help with the Namgung sword techniques or anything else.’

Under such threats, Mae-Ah finally consented.

This was the reason he could come out while suppressing the restriction, and why he sought the sword and went all the way to the armory.

‘I’m out.’

Namgung Hyung curled his lips upwards.

He walked under the cover of night, reveling in the freedom of escaping the Namgung family. Unlike his brother, Namgung Jin, Namgung Hyung had been unable to leave.

He had finally come outside and was savoring his freedom.

Now…

‘I can go anywhere.’

I can go anywhere. I can do anything. He reminded himself only of that.

‘Somehow, I need to hide first.’

Having brought Mae-Ah out, he first needed to move while avoiding the Namgung family’s eyes.

That was all he was focused on.

For Namgung Hyung, feeling free, only that mattered.

-Descendant…!

Suddenly, Mae-Ah urgently called out to Namgung Hyung.

“What is it…”

-Run.

“Huh?”

-Things that never paid attention to you normally. Now that the structure is broken, the old geezer is moving. Vile things.

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

-Your grandfather is coming.

“…”

Hearing that, Namgung Hyung’s eyes widened. The moment he instinctively tensed his legs.

Kureureureung-!!!

-Tch, too late.

Thunder sounded as the area ahead flashed.

Chijijijik.

Chi-i-i-ik.

With a sound like melting earth, someone stood in the center of the forest.

It was an old man with blue eyes, white hair, wearing a fluttering blue martial robe.

“…”

Seeing him, Namgung Hyung broke out in a cold sweat.

How many times had he seen him since birth? Probably only a handful of times. Yet, Namgung Hyung knew very well who that person was.

The being called the current Namgung family itself, its very essence.

“…A distinguished personage has come to see lowly me.”

Namgung Hyung said, forcing a smile.

“Grandfather.”

“…”

Cheon-jon turned his head and looked at Namgung Hyung.

“My grandson.”

“…”

“You’ve done something mischievous. Do you know what you were trying to take?”

How did he get here? He didn’t think about that.

Because he knew well how anomalous that existence was.

The Three Venerables.

An old man called the pinnacle of martial artists.

He wasn’t someone to be viewed strangely as unconventional and anomalous.

“I know very well. Isn’t he an antique?”

“Ho ho ho. An antique?”

“If not an antique, then what? He’s trash that neither you nor father can use. I was just trying to take him.”

-Trash, you punk…?

Mae-Ah bristled. He paid it no mind. What mattered was his grandfather’s reaction.

His grandfather glanced at the Mae-Ah hanging at his waist.

“You took it.”

“…It’s light, so I could hear it well.”

“You took Mae-Ah. And overcame the restriction.”

“Yes.”

“I see. Then it seems you should become the next family head.”

“…Huh?”

He mentioned the position of family head so casually.

“Let’s go back. I’ll give you the position of Young Master.”

“…”

Kkadeuk.

The fact that he took Mae-Ah. Just for that fact, they were offering the position of Young Master.

So casually.

That indifferent reaction was infuriating.

“I don’t need it. I don’t want such an annoying position or this disgusting family. I left because I hate it all, so why would I go back?”

“Hmm…”

At Namgung Hyung’s words, Cheon-jon narrowed his eyes.

“Is that so?”

“I have no intention of going back, even if I die-“

“Then die.”

Pajik-!

Lightning struck. Along with his words, Cheon-jon unleashed his lightning energy towards Namgung Hyung’s crown.

He couldn’t dodge. By the time he saw it, it was right in front of him.

I’m going to die.

The moment Namgung Hyung thought that.

Pajijijijijik—–!!!!!

Mae-Ah erupted.

Chijijijik—–!!!!!

The sound of lightning energy exploding roared in his ears. He tightly shut his eyes, then opened them.

There was no pain, only sound.

Finding it strange, he slowly opened his eyes.

“…What?”

Namgung Hyung’s eyes widened at the sight before him.

The lightning energy was clearly exploding, yet it was only flashing in front of him.

Furthermore, his grandfather was looking at him with a stern face. More accurately, he was looking not at him, but at something in front of him.

“Who are you?”

Cheon-jon asked.

In front of Namgung Hyung, a figure had appeared, blocking the lightning energy.

It was the lightning energy of the world’s Cheon-jon.

He was gripping it with one hand, enduring it nonchalantly.

Peollek-!

A figure nearly eight feet tall, with a black robe fluttering and long hair, was impressive.

Kwaak-!

Padeudeudeuk-!!!

He crushed the lightning he held in his grasp. Energy burst out in all directions.

Just then.

“Nice to meet you, old geezer.”

A deep voice resonated through the forest.

“You ask who I am?”

The man spoke, looking at his grandfather.

“I am.”

With those words.

“The Heavenly Demon (Cheonma).”

Hwaaaaaaaah-!!

Darkness spewed forth, erasing the moon hanging in the sky.