Chapter 22

“But why are you two brothers following me?”

Namgung Woo stopped walking and turned around.

The two people who had been following him from a distance awkwardly smiled and looked at each other.

Yang Kwae scratched the back of his head and cautiously spoke, “Uh, I told you. I want to follow you, little brother.”

Seeing his brother fumbling with his words, Yang Jeong stepped in, “Our brother is a bit lacking, little hero.”

“What did you say, you brat?”

“Little hero. You are our benefactor. And… you are also a pioneer walking the martial path with the same Thunder Qi as us.”

Before leaving Muan County, the Yang brothers had already expressed their desire to follow Namgung Woo.

However, Namgung Woo had refused them.

Namgung Woo didn’t dislike the Yang brothers. Although their martial arts were far inferior to his, the brothers had common sense and experience as wanderers that Namgung Woo lacked.

Namgung Woo and the brothers could have complemented each other well. Yet, the reason Namgung Woo refused them was because of the family business tied to his name.

The Dokgo Family’s assassination order against the Namgung clan’s martial artists.

For some reason, the Orthodox Martial World couldn’t protect the Namgung clan.

The Dokgo Family, known as the number one evil family.

For a while, no martial artist claiming to be from the Namgung clan had appeared, so their assassination order hadn’t been enforced, but their pursuit was relentless.

The Dokgo Family would even extend their blades to the Namgung clan’s allies.

‘If I’m not careful, those two will get dragged into this too.’

Namgung Woo knew that the Yang brothers had proposed to collaborate in the Ghost Gate Sealing Battle out of consideration for him.

But was it really okay to reveal his circumstances to them?

Not knowing if they were prepared to shoulder his burden, Namgung Woo pushed them away.

However, the Yang brothers didn’t seem willing to give up.

“You said there’s a reason we can’t join you.”

“Yes.”

“The fact that you can’t reveal it means you don’t trust us enough. We understand. It’s hard to place that much trust in people you’ve only known for a few days. So, we’ll show our trust first.”

At Yang Jeong’s words, Yang Kwae pulled something out from his pocket.

“It’s the secret manual of the internal energy technique our brothers have mastered.”

A glint of interest flashed in Namgung Woo’s eyes.

Internal energy techniques were the foundation of martial arts. Since internal energy, not external techniques, became the mainstream of martial arts, internal energy techniques had become the most important aspect of martial studies.

Through internal energy techniques, one could build up their internal energy and learn martial skills suited to it, which was the orthodox way of training.

Ninety-nine out of a hundred martial arts known as divine techniques were internal energy techniques, showing just how important they were compared to other martial studies.

The brothers were proposing to share the foundation of their martial studies with Namgung Woo.

If the brothers’ internal energy had been as mediocre as that of ordinary wanderers, Namgung Woo would have just shrugged it off.

But strangely, the brothers’ internal energy was so exceptional that even prestigious sects would covet it.

In essence, the brothers were offering everything they had.

“Knowing the secrets of the internal energy technique, you can understand the will and imagery within the energy, as well as the acupoints for energy circulation. You can easily devise a counter technique, as you well know, little hero.”

“Of course…”

“This is our brothers’ resolve. Please accept it.”

“Honestly, little hero, I don’t think our martial arts would be of much value to you…”

As Yang Jeong spoke with a lack of confidence, Yang Kwae nudged him with his elbow.

It was a warning not to interrupt while Namgung Woo was examining the secret manual.

“It’s genuine.”

Namgung Woo’s body and five senses, reflecting the settings of Chasing Deer Murim, quickly assessed the manual and confirmed it was authentic.

Namgung Woo handed the manual back to the brothers and said, “…The sun is setting. Let’s set up camp and talk.”

§

Crackle. Crackle.

The sound of burning firewood mixed with the serene night air, creating a picturesque scene.

The atmosphere of the night has a strange magic. It makes you feel comfortable enough to spill secrets you’d never tell anyone, as if it’s no big deal.

The magic is even stronger when you’re sitting in front of a warm, beautifully flickering flame.

The Yang brothers, gazing at the swaying fire, poured out their life stories. Mostly, the calm Yang Jeong told the story, with Yang Kwae chiming in occasionally.

“Our father was a wanderer like us.”

“A third-rate one.”

“But he was a good man. As a wanderer, he pursued righteousness over money.”

“He claimed to be from the Hyeong Mountain Sect’s secular branch, but who knows if that’s true.”

“But virtuous deeds aren’t meaningless. He encountered a fortunate opportunity.”

“That’s our internal energy technique, the Thunderous True Qi.”

Thunderous True Qi.

As the name suggests, it was an internal energy technique that wielded the power of lightning.

“Before the absolute rulers who dominate the current martial world were established, during the chaos caused by the Blood Sect’s uprising, the top martial artists were known as the Seventeen Peaks of the Martial World.”

“The Thunderous True Qi is the legacy of one of them, Thunder Master.”

“It’s the secret technique of a master from two generations ago.”

Two generations ago.

Considering that a generation is roughly the time it takes for a person to have children, it’s about 50 years.

In the future Namgung Woo came from, generations were shorter, often defined as 10 years, but in this world, a generation usually meant 20 to 30 years.

“But our father’s fortunate opportunity ended there. He couldn’t connect with the Divine Emperor’s Power that elevated Thunder Master to the Seventeen Peaks.”

So that’s why.

Namgung Woo understood the gap between the brothers’ exceptional internal energy and their clumsy martial skills.

“But as you know, little hero, Thunder Qi is a difficult power to control… Most martial arts don’t suit us.”

“Unless you have the talent of a grandmaster, but we don’t.”

Namgung Woo paused and asked, “With such a divine technique, wouldn’t joining a major sect be an option?”

“We couldn’t trust them.”

“Even if first-rate wanderers respect us, major sects are full of peak masters. We were worried they’d just take our manual and kill us, and there was no guarantee we’d find martial arts suitable for Thunder Qi.”

“Actually, for the first few years, we wandered around, determined to find the Divine Emperor’s Power as Thunder Master’s successors…”

“Ugh! Forget it, forget it. That was ages ago.”

As their enthusiasm waned and they began to despair, thinking this was their limit, he appeared.

A master who saved their lives without asking for repayment, who practiced Thunder Qi like them and reached a higher realm.

“We couldn’t give up.”

“…It’s the lifeline we barely managed to hold onto.”

The brothers were desperate.

They loved their father, but they didn’t want to end up as second- or third-rate martial artists, wandering aimlessly.

They still had the burning desire to become true masters and make their mark in the martial world.

Namgung Woo looked at the Thunderous True Qi manual the brothers had refused to take back.

It was their heart. Their wish. Their hope. If Namgung Woo had ill intentions and spread the word that the brothers had mastered Thunder Master’s techniques, they’d be hunted down by martial artists like hungry wolves.

A life for a life.

The brothers had entrusted their lives to Namgung Woo.

“If you’re going this far, it’s only right that I tell you why I’ve been refusing you.”

Yang Kwae muttered softly, “You’re not weak, are you?” but Yang Jeong quickly covered his mouth, allowing Namgung Woo to continue.

Namgung Woo smiled faintly at the brothers and confessed his secret.

“My name isn’t Nam Woo.”

Using a pseudonym was common, so the brothers weren’t particularly surprised.

But when they heard his real name, they couldn’t stay calm.

“Namgung Woo. That’s my name.”

Yang Jeong’s eyes widened in silence.

In contrast, Yang Kwae licked his lips and said, “Uh, just in case, I have to ask… Your surname is Namgung, right?”

“Of course.”

When Namgung Woo confirmed, Yang Kwae took a deep breath, expanding his nostrils to the limit.

“Huuuuu… Phew…”

“Namgung… Now I understand. So that’s why… No wonder…”

To Namgung Woo, Yang Jeong seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Song Chaeji.

In contrast, Yang Kwae was quite bold.

“Hah… I never thought I’d meet a survivor of the Namgung Family.”

Though he said that, Yang Kwae’s gaze toward Namgung Woo wasn’t much different from before.

There was no pity or sympathy for someone who had lost his entire family and was being hunted. Instead, there was a faint admiration for someone who had reached such heights despite such a dark environment.

“Aren’t you afraid?”

The Dokgo Family was the number one evil family.

Though they were said to be inferior to the Imperial Family, the number one family in the world, and the Heonwon Family, the number one orthodox family, in a way, that meant there was no family comparable to them except those two.

And the Namgung clan was being hunted by the Dokgo Family’s assassination order.

But the brothers’ expressions weren’t those of fear.

“We’re ashamed.”

Yang Jeong spoke.

“Our resolve must have seemed weak, and we must have seemed so weak that we caused you such worry.”

“We’ve already entrusted our lives to you, little brother. The Dokgo Family? They’re scary, sure. I’ve never seen them, but just the rumors are terrifying. But that’s why I’m even more excited.”

What did Namgung Woo look like in the brothers’ eyes?

The trust they showed felt unfamiliar to Namgung Woo. Had anyone ever shown him such trust before? Only two faces came to mind. In the harsh reality he had escaped to a virtual world, there were few people he missed.

Namgung Mae and Namgung Pung. The Yang brothers seemed to carry a shadow of them.

So, the trust they showed felt unfamiliar, but it wasn’t unpleasant.

That night, the three of them talked until dawn.

Most of the conversation was from the brothers, but Namgung Woo also spoke willingly when it was his turn.

All three of them were martial artists who carried the energy of nature within them, chasing the stars. Staying up one night didn’t tire them.

Instead, their hearts were filled with a sense of fulfillment, having found comrades to share their future with.

“Ah, boss. We forgot to name our wanderer group.”

As the dark sky began to brighten with the blue light of dawn, Yang Kwae, who had just finished preparing to leave, spoke. Over the course of the night, they had established their hierarchy, and his tone had changed accordingly.

At Yang Kwae’s awkward honorifics, Namgung Woo fell into deep thought.

Now the three of them were bound together as a group. It was a humble start—a wanderer group with only three members. But they knew this was the first step toward a grander future.

“Let the boss decide.”

Yang Jeong approached Namgung Woo and requested.

Naturally, the leader of the yet-to-be-named wanderer group was him.

Naming something.

It meant giving it meaning.

So, the name Namgung Woo came up with was only one.

The blue sky of the east, heralding the start of spring.

Gazing up at the beautifully colored blue sky that seemed to bless their path, Namgung Woo spoke the name of their wanderer group.

“Changcheon Pavilion. That will be our name.”

§

Arriving in Beijing, Pyeong Choyul was finishing this escort mission.

“Impressive. The reputation of the Yopyeong Escort Agency is well-deserved.”

“Haha, hearing that makes me, Pyeong, incredibly happy.”

Pyeong Choyul was extremely nervous in front of the client.

The person before him was undoubtedly the most overwhelming figure Pyeong Choyul had ever seen in his life.

The emperor, who had just turned thirty, wielded supreme power. But there was another person feared by those who held real power beneath that dignity.

Rumors circulated secretly that there was someone else pulling the strings from behind the scenes. Pyeong Choyul was one of the few who had heard of this.

Someone who had drawn high-ranking officials into his inner circle and planted his agents freely within the palace.

“But… what is this for…?”

At Pyeong Choyul’s cautious question, the man wiped away the faint smile he had been holding.

The atmosphere turned cold, and Pyeong Choyul’s legs went weak.

Then the man smiled faintly again and spoke softly, as if reciting a poem.

“To shock the world.”

The man spoke playfully.

His name was Yi Ja-ryong.

---