Chapter: 14
Ten Proofs.
The riverside where the final life-and-death battle had taken place had now become a new holy site for the martial artists of Hefei.
Every day, countless people visited the place, staring at the devastated landscape and imagining the traces of the fierce duel that had unfolded there.
But the man at the center of that duel, Namgung Cheon, was no longer there.
His footsteps had carried him back to the place he had left behind.
The front gate of the Namgung Clan.
The first to spot him were the guards stationed at the entrance.
At first, they doubted their own eyes.
His clothes were torn, stained with dried blood in several places, and one shoulder was wrapped in a rough bandage.
Yet all of that was overshadowed by the chilling, profound aura surrounding him—an aura so overwhelming that they scarcely dared meet his eyes.
He was completely different from the man who had left the clan.
“Th-Third Young Master…!”
One of the guards cried out without thinking.
His voice trembled with reverence for the man whose deeds had shaken not only Hefei but all of Anhui Province.
Hearing his shout, the other guards hurried forward and bowed deeply before him.
“Welcome back, Young Master!”
Their attitude was nothing like it had been ten days ago.
Back then, Namgung Cheon had merely been the troublesome youngest young master.
But the man standing before them now was no longer the clan’s disgrace.
He was the legend who had defeated ten masters in barely ten days.
The Sword Demon.
Namgung Cheon did not spare even a glance for their exaggerated courtesy.
Without a word, he walked through the tightly shut front gate.
Nothing within the clan had changed.
The neatly swept stone paths.
The magnificent halls rising proudly toward the sky.
The servants busily going about their work.
The martial artists immersed in training.
But the eyes of the people filling that scenery had changed completely.
Everyone who noticed his arrival stopped what they were doing and froze in place.
Then, as if by prior agreement, they all stepped aside and lowered their heads.
The contempt, ridicule, and pity they had once directed at him had vanished without a trace.
Quite a dramatic change.
Compared to the days when he had ruled as the Heavenly Demon, it was insignificant.
Still, it was a rather unfamiliar feeling.
Namgung Cheon walked on silently.
The whispers surrounding him reached his ears with perfect clarity.
“I heard he even defeated the Silent Destruction Sword. Is that shoulder wound from that fight?”
“The Sword Marsh… and now the Duel Journey… At this rate, the Young Clan Head…”
The storm he had created had already swept through the entire Namgung Clan.
His proof had produced even greater results than he had expected.
Without hesitation, Namgung Cheon headed toward his residence.
It was the oldest and most secluded place within the clan.
A residence perfectly suited to the insignificant man he had once been.
But when he arrived, he noticed that it had changed.
The old door had been replaced with a new one.
The once dusty courtyard had been meticulously cleaned.
And attendants he had never seen before stood lined up outside, waiting for him.
The moment they spotted him, they hurried forward in surprise.
“Young Master, you’ve returned! Acting Clan Head ordered us to move you to a larger and finer residence, but since you had not yet returned, we cleaned and prepared this place first.”
It was his mother, Zhuge Hwa’s doing.
She had prepared treatment befitting his new status.
Fast.
Namgung Cheon dismissed the servants with a slight nod before entering his residence.
Creak.
The moment he opened the door, his steps paused.
The room was completely different from when he had left.
The floor was polished until it gleamed.
The old table and chairs had been replaced with luxurious red sandalwood furniture.
The thin, cold bedding had been exchanged for thick, soft silk quilts that looked warm just to behold.
And atop the table…
A steaming cup of tea awaited him, alongside exquisite refreshments reserved only for the clan’s most honored guests.
Zhuge Hwa had calculated the exact time of his return and prepared everything in advance.
Standing in the middle of the room, Namgung Cheon silently surveyed every change.
He could clearly sense the meaning behind it.
She acknowledged the return of a powerful new warrior.
Yet at the same time, she had no intention of loosening the reins on him.
Her cool, calculating intentions were woven into every detail.
Zhuge Hwa’s indifferent face appeared in his mind.
I’ll accept your acknowledgment.
I won’t refuse your hospitality, either.
A faint, inscrutable smile appeared on his lips.
However…
He picked up the neatly prepared teacup.
Instead of drinking it, he silently poured the tea out the window onto a withered plant.
Trickle—
The warm tea soaked into the dusty earth.
I have no intention of moving according to your plans.
That was the son’s answer to his mother’s intentions.
Less than half a shichen after Namgung Cheon had poured the tea out the window—
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Urgent pounding shattered the silence.
It was nothing like the usual knock of a servant.
“Young Master! Young Master, are you inside?”
The voice outside was rough, as though the speaker had run out of breath.
Namgung Cheon’s brow furrowed slightly.
“What is it?”
As soon as he asked, the voice became even more frantic.
“Y-You need to come to the front gate!”
Namgung Cheon rose and opened the door.
Standing outside was one of the gate guards, panting heavily despite maintaining proper etiquette.
“Report in detail.”
At Namgung Cheon’s calm command, the guard steadied his breathing before speaking.
“The Silent Destruction Sword… Mu Jin… has come to see you, Young Master!”
The Silent Destruction Sword.
Mu Jin.
The instant the name was spoken, Namgung Cheon slowly closed his eyes before opening them again.
There was no surprise in them.
Only mild annoyance.
Master and disciple really are alike…
He left his residence and quietly walked toward the front gate, where all the commotion was taking place.
By the time he arrived, the entrance was already packed.
Hundreds of clan members had gathered at a distance, holding their breath as they watched the strange confrontation.
Standing before the gate was a single man.
Mu Jin.
Unlike the image of a wandering swordsman, he was dressed neatly and with impeccable composure.
At the very front of the crowd stood Zhuge Hwa.
Her arms were folded as she quietly observed the interesting scene unfolding before her.
At last, Namgung Cheon stepped through the crowd.
The murmuring instantly ceased.
Hundreds of eyes turned toward him.
“Oh, Young Master!”
The moment Mu Jin saw him, he greeted him with astonishing warmth.
Everyone present doubted their own ears.
The overwhelming pressure of a supreme master that Mu Jin had displayed moments earlier had vanished without a trace.
Even Namgung Cheon frowned slightly.
He hadn’t expected this reaction, either.
…I have a feeling this is going to become troublesome.
His intuition was correct.
Ignoring everyone’s stares, Mu Jin walked straight toward Zhuge Hwa.
He respectfully bowed.
“I, the wandering swordsman Mu Jin, greet the Marquis of Martial Splendor.”
“…You’re the first person to address me by my title since I became the mistress of the Namgung Clan.”
A faint smile appeared on Mu Jin’s face.
“For the famed Silent Destruction Sword to come all the way here to the Namgung Clan… I assume this is no ordinary matter.”
In response, Mu Jin revealed his purpose.
“If you permit it, I humbly request to become a guest retainer of the Namgung Clan.”
The moment those words were spoken, the front gate exploded into shock.
“What…?”
“The disciple of the Wandering King wants to become a guest retainer? Why?”
The crowd burst into whispers.
Mu Jin immediately continued.
“However, my reason for becoming a guest retainer is not because of the Namgung Clan’s prestige.”
His gaze passed beyond Zhuge Hwa and settled upon Namgung Cheon.
“I simply wish to watch the path Young Master Namgung Cheon walks… and walk alongside him.”
“…!”
It was a shocking declaration.
The disciple of the unparalleled Wandering King had openly declared his support for Namgung Cheon.
The air around the gate grew heavy.
Everyone held their breath as they watched Zhuge Hwa.
She smiled as though she found the situation immensely entertaining before looking at her son.
“My son.”
Her voice was soft, yet everyone heard it clearly.
“The renowned Silent Destruction Sword has come here for you alone. What do you think of his proposal?”
Just as Namgung Cheon had once done to her, she skillfully handed the decision entirely over to him.
In that instant—
The elders.
The martial artists.
The servants.
Hundreds of eyes turned toward Namgung Cheon.
An unexpected situation.
He clicked his tongue inwardly.
Just as I thought… this has become troublesome.
He had never planned on taking followers.
They could easily become unnecessary burdens on the path he intended to walk.
I should refuse.
The moment he looked at Mu Jin, ready to voice his decision—
He couldn’t bring himself to say it.
Mu Jin’s eyes burned with pure determination and fighting spirit.
He had moved beyond defeat.
Now he sought only a higher realm.
As a martial artist, it was difficult to reject such resolve.
“…Sigh.”
A sigh escaped Namgung Cheon’s lips.
Finally, though reluctant, he spoke.
“Do as you please.”
“Thank you.”
Mu Jin bowed once more.
Namgung Cheon gave a brief nod before turning his gaze away.
A supreme master had come seeking to follow him.
Hundreds watched him with awe.
But to him…
These were merely natural consequences of the road he had walked.
His interest lay elsewhere.
His eyes settled upon a magnificent hall.
The Azure Dragon Pavilion.
The throne-like residence reserved exclusively for the future Young Clan Head of the Namgung Clan.
This is only the beginning.
A faint smile appeared on Namgung Cheon’s lips.
And…
Only one person failed to miss that brief glance.
The corners of Zhuge Hwa’s lips quietly curled upward as well.
