Chapter 173: The Namgung Clan (5)

“He’s definitely concealing his internal energy!”

“Muscles don’t need internal energy!”

“Stop him!”

The instructors who had grasped the situation drew their swords, but by then, a brutal beating was already being delivered to the person lying on the ground.

“Hahaha! It’s the Ghost Kick Technique!”

“Get hit by the Ghost Punch!”

“Swish! Swish! You can’t see me, can you, you bastard!”

Seeing the person being beaten to a pulp, the instructors tried to rush in with their swords.

“What? Can you see me?”

Muttering as if in a daze, Instructor Cho Un-hwi lifted Eo Jeong-geun with his foot and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.

*Clang.*

Then, holding the limp Eo Jeong-geun’s hand, he drew his sword and brandished it threateningly.

“Feel the blade of a senior instructor possessed by a ghost.”

Come on!

He was so agile that whenever they tried to attack, he used Eo Jeong-geun as a shield, making it impossible to get close.

‘This crazy lunatic!’

Everyone had the same thought.

But Instructor Cho Un-hwi, who had gained momentum, showed no signs of stopping.

*Swish!*

Holding Eo Jeong-geun by the scruff of his neck with one hand and swinging his sword with the other, he was both fierce and agile, making it impossible to deal with him.

“Such incredible strength.”

Even with his internal energy sealed, his movements were extraordinary.

*Flash!*

If they tried to get behind him, he somehow knew and kicked up dirt, burning with frustration.

*Swish!*

Eventually, a bloodline appeared on the thigh of a flustered young instructor.

“Bastard!”

The instructor, with eyes blazing, decided to use his sword technique.

But Instructor Cho Un-hwi had been waiting for this.

*Swish.*

Like a snake’s head, his move was sharp, proving his worth as an instructor from Euncheon Hall.

“Instructor Shield!”

Unfortunately, the opponent didn’t expect him to throw the hostage.

“Gasp!”

Swallowing dryly, the instructor tried to retract his sword, but Eo Jeong-geun was pushed at the perfect moment, leaving no time to react.

*Thud.*

The sword pierced Eo Jeong-geun’s abdomen, who foamed at the mouth even as he passed out.

“I… I…”

The instructor, holding Eo Jeong-geun impaled on his sword, forgot something.

“Ghost Possession!”

Seizing the opportunity, Instructor Cho Un-hwi quickly struck the instructor’s pressure points.

“Gah!”

With his body stiffening, Instructor Cho Un-hwi grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and used him as a shield, grinning over his shoulder.

“Round two.”

Come on, you bastards.

Everyone in the room froze at the unprecedented sight of an instructor taking another instructor hostage.

***

“What did you say?”

Mo Yong Seon-ya screamed at the sudden news.

The person on the other side couldn’t believe what they heard either, their mouth agape.

Baek Ri Seon-ho stammered, “If I heard correctly, that means Temporary Instructor Cho Un-hwi…”

The Myojinmun disciple who had rushed in corrected him.

“He’s fighting with the senior instructor and other instructors.”

“Why!”

The disciple seemed at a loss for words.

“He claims to be a ghost, but I’m not sure.”

“Oh my.”

Mo Yong-ju, covering his forehead, groaned.

“Just when things were already troublesome, this guy caused another incident.”

“This is no time to dawdle. If this escalates further, we won’t be able to handle it.”

It’s a case of mutiny, no less.

But suddenly, Mo Yong Seon-ya remembered something.

Not long ago, Jegal Tan had asked her a question.

– [Regarding the duties of an instructor], I have a question.

She had explained the duties of an instructor to him, including the concept of ‘suspension.’

‘Could it be…’

With a sinking feeling, Mo Yong Seon-ya shook her head.

“Quickly. Let’s go. This won’t end well if we don’t intervene.”

“Let’s go!”

Mo Yong-ju and Baek Ri Seon-ho followed her out in a hurry.

When they arrived at the annex, they saw.

“Come on, you bastards!”

Instructor Cho Un-hwi, holding a battered person hostage, was swinging a sword threateningly.

“What are you doing! He’s just one person!”

The instructors, hesitating, were trying to corner Instructor Cho Un-hwi.

“Oh no. It’s a disaster.”

Seeing the irreversible situation, Mo Yong Seon-ya wiped her face in despair.

***

“Have you still not made up your mind?”

In the reception room provided by Myo Gwang.

This lavishly decorated room for receiving guests felt suffocating to Namgung Yun-ho.

“Come to think of it, I don’t remember having a drink with my son.”

Pouring the drink with an unusually gentle voice was his father, and watching him with a pleased expression was his grandfather.

If it were just a meeting between grandfather and grandson, it would be pleasant, but this was not a comfortable place.

“Yong-ho, you drink too. The chef put a lot of effort into this.”

Namgung Yong-ho, who had also been summoned, looked equally uncomfortable.

‘They must know this.’

Everyone in the room kept throwing compliments.

“Haha. What a lovely sight.”

“To see such harmony between father and son, truly the Namgung Clan.”

All of them were either close to the Namgung Clan or trying to curry favor.

Even half of them were from the Azure Sky Hundred Sword Squad and Shinmu Academy instructors.

None of them were on his side.

The situation they were creating by pushing him.

*Zing.*

The subtle pressure testing his energy made Namgung Yun-ho feel suffocated.

‘Are they telling me to give up now?’

He had tried to hold on, but with his colleagues and even instructors involved, he had no way to resist.

“Brother.”

If it weren’t for Namgung Yong-ho beside him, he might have already crumbled.

“Take the cup. I’ll take it as a sign of your consent.”

*Slide.*

He tried to turn his gaze away from the cup offered to him, but a soft voice whispered in his ear.

[You know, don’t you? I am a man who gets what I decide to get.]

His father’s emotionless voice.

[I can’t give you more time. Give up and follow your father.]

*Grit.*

As the pressure subtly increased, Namgung Yun-ho’s vision darkened.

‘Instructor.’

Keeping his head down and avoiding eye contact, Namgung Musan chuckled.

“It seems he still hasn’t given up. Well, it won’t be long now.”

“…What do you mean?”

“It’s about time for the message to arrive.”

Before he finished speaking, an Azure Sky Hundred Sword Squad member came running from beyond the garden and knelt.

“He’s here.”

The final blow to his last hope was about to be delivered.

‘Seeing the one he trusts and follows bowing and trembling before his father will make him give up any lingering hope.’

As Namgung Musan awaited the good news, the report was unexpected.

“Reporting to the head of the family!”

“Speak.”

“The temporary instructor Cho Un-hwi is coming this way with Senior Instructor Eo Jeong-geun as a hostage!”

What!

Not only Namgung Musan.

Even the usually composed Namgung Chan’s expression cracked.

***

*Clang! Clang clang!*

The once peaceful garden was in chaos.

“Come on, you bastard!”

A man using an instructor as a shield had barged in with a dozen other instructors.

*Swish swish.*

Backing away while holding his colleague hostage, the man was relentless.

“What the hell! What’s this place!”

As if he didn’t like the peaceful garden, he swung the limp instructor around, making a mess.

The next part was even crazier.

Thinking the place was safe because it was heavily guarded by the Azure Sky Hundred Sword Squad.

“Oh, really.”

*Thud.*

He threw the instructor he was holding and walked in boldly.

‘What is this.’

As he stomped up the steps and through the threshold with his dirty feet, the once clean room was now covered in muddy footprints.

“Stop!”

Unable to bear it any longer, a few of the Azure Sky Hundred Sword Squad members tried to stop him.

“Can you see me?”

This is awkward.

“You said I was a ghost.”

Is it okay for a ghost to be this visible?

You can’t trust anyone in this world.

As he grumbled, Namgung Musan was about to speak.

“Let him in.”

Namgung Chan, who had been silent, spoke, and the members stepped back.

Finally, the man took a deep breath and looked around the room, shouting.

“What’s this, a bunch of new faces.”

Ah, some familiar ones.

Seeing the instructors avoiding his gaze, he jumped when he saw Namgung Yun-ho.

“Wow. Yun-ho, what are you doing here?”

*Tap tap.*

With even more exaggerated steps, he walked over and sat beside him, poking his side.

“Hey, where have you been hiding, eating all the good stuff by yourself.”

“…Instructor.”

Seeing Namgung Yun-ho’s complexion, which had been pale, regain some color, Namgung Musan realized who this was.

‘Is this Cho Un-hwi?’

He was nothing like he had imagined.

‘I thought he was a weakling who got lucky and became a temporary instructor from Dongcheon Hall.’

Sometimes there are people like that.

Those who excel as educators based solely on their knowledge and theories of martial arts.

But seeing him in person, this man was entirely different.

‘He looks more like a wild boar that just ran out of the forest.’

Instead of learning martial arts in theory, he seemed to move his body first.

‘I heard he’s from an unknown martial arts family.’

Is this possible?

He was still unsure.

“Hey, are you crying? Are you crying?”

“…I’m not crying.”

“A man shouldn’t cry.”

He was an unpredictable person.

But one thing was certain.

‘It’s dangerous to let things go his way.’

As he was about to speak.

[He knows how to fight.]

His father, Namgung Chan, who had been silently observing, spoke.

[Look at the footprints he left.]

Following the advice, he looked at the chaotic garden.

And when he saw the footprints, he shivered.

The footprints, like a beautiful painting, formed a pattern of small and large circles.

‘Can someone move like this while causing such chaos?’

This man had created the situation naturally while causing a ruckus.

‘I thought it was a coincidence that he defeated the senior instructor.’

Maybe it wasn’t entirely a coincidence that the senior instructor was defeated.

Though his martial arts and internal energy might be lacking, someone who knows how to fight is tricky.

As he realized this new fact, the man was already manipulating the situation to his advantage.

“Oh, geez! I keep hearing voices in my ear.”

Is he possessed by a ghost?

“It feels like an old man is whispering in my ear.”

“Isn’t it a voice transmission?”

“Oh, right. I’ve heard of that. It’s a high-level technique our Dongcheon Hall guys don’t know.”

Hearing that he didn’t even know about voice transmission, Namgung Chan, who had maintained a mysterious silence, finally spoke.

“Are you okay?”

“What do you mean?”

*Sigh.*

Instructor Cho Un-hwi slapped his forehead.

“My body feels stiff. Maybe a ghost is clinging to my shoulder…”

“……”

The onlookers knew that the Sword Saint had just sent a powerful energy wave at him.

The amazing thing was that despite this, he was still talking.

“I’m usually a bit dull.”

*Chomp chomp.*

Stuffing a chicken leg into his mouth, Instructor Cho Un-hwi asked nonchalantly.

“By the way, who are you, old man?”

“…You don’t know me?”

“Would I ask if I knew?”

“……”

Namgung Chan was at a loss for words.

The one who stopped the situation from spiraling further was Namgung Il-jun.

“Temporary Instructor Cho Un-hwi.”

Having experienced this before, he knew he couldn’t let the situation continue.

“Well, how have you been? It’s been a while.”

His greeting was irritating, making him choose his words carefully.

“This is the head of our clan and the Supreme Elder. Show some respect.”

“Supreme Elder? Wow.”

*Chomp chomp.*

Tearing at the chicken leg, Instructor Cho Un-hwi’s eyes sparkled.

“Is he the famous… what was it again?”

Seeing the look, Namgung Yun-ho quickly answered.

“The Heavenly God of the Azure Sky.”

“Right. The Heavenly God of the Sky.”

It’s the Heavenly God of the Azure Sky.

His grandson’s correction was quite noticeable.

“Hehe.”

Namgung Yong-ho, who had been laughing, quickly covered his mouth when he saw the look.

“Don’t you know how to show respect to a senior in the martial world?”

“Respect?”

Seeing him looking for an excuse to act, Instructor Cho Un-hwi straightened his neck as if he had heard something new.

And then.

*Blaaargh!*

He vomited bright red blood onto the table.

Seeing the mess on the table, Instructor Cho Un-hwi scratched his head.

“Sorry about that. I have a hole in my stomach, so it’s hard to hold it in.”

*Cough. Cough.*

Seeing him cough up blood pitifully, Namgung Chan slowly lowered his hand.

“Ugh. I can’t stay in such a strict place with my body in this condition.”

*Thud.*

Placing the half-eaten chicken leg on the table, Instructor Cho Un-hwi clicked his tongue and groaned as he stood up.

“Are you leaving?”

“Hey, aren’t you going to help a dying instructor?”

Seeing him trying to slip away, Namgung Musan slammed the table.

“Temporary Instructor Cho Un-hwi!”

His loud voice echoed through the room, but Instructor Cho Un-hwi whispered to Namgung Yun-ho.

“That’s weird. I keep hearing strange noises.”

“Didn’t you hear clearly just now?”

“Do people often say you lack awareness?”

“Quite often.”

“I thought so.”

Unable to bear it, Namgung Musan signaled with his eyes.

The head of the Namgung Clan couldn’t personally harm a member of Shinmu Academy.

‘But a fellow instructor is different.’

*Tap tap.*

The instructor who received the signal leaped over the threshold with a graceful lightness technique.

And then.

*Swish.*

Landing in front of the two, the instructor crossed his sword.

“You can’t leave without permission.”

With sunken eyes, he warned sternly. Instructor Cho Un-hwi feigned distress.

“I can’t beat up another instructor.”

“You were doing just fine a moment ago.”

“Let’s make the next lesson about awareness.”

“But Yun-ho.”

“How about becoming an instructor hunter?”

“Instructor hunter?”

*Clang!*

Picking up a broken branch from the garden, Namgung Yun-ho smiled.

“Why not.”

As the branch moved slowly.

*Snap.*

The instructor’s sword broke in half.