The Return of the Namgoong Clan’s Granddaughter - Chapter 119



Only Noblemtl

Episode 119

“I don’t want you to follow my sword exactly.”

Submu-gwang put his sword back into its scabbard.

The energy around him was slowly dying down.

“I will give you everything I have, but you do not have to do everything I do.”

“… .”

Seolhwa knew what those words meant as a prosecutor. She also knew that it wasn’t something she could say with a smile.

The reason why martial artists take on disciples is because they do not want the martial arts skills they have cultivated throughout their lives to be lost to their generation.

Even if the body dies, if the martial arts skills that contain one’s life and spirit remain and are passed down to future generations, and further research and development are carried out, is there anything more valuable than that?

Through martial arts, the martial artist will exist forever. He will remain as a trace in the history of martial arts.

That’s what many martial artists wish for.

However, Seopmu Gwang was not forcing it on Seolhwa.

“You will learn Namgung’s martial arts and my martial arts as you told me, and create your own martial arts.”

“… .”

“Then one day, if I meet a guy who looks like a good sprout, I’ll teach him my martial arts.”

It literally means becoming a specialist.

A messenger, not a successor.

“…Do you trust my judgment?”

“If you can’t trust the insight of someone your age, then who can you trust?”

It was a statement filled with complete trust in Seolhwa.

Seolhwa clenched her fists.

You said you wanted to find your own way. So why don’t you feel so good?

Is it because I saw the sword of Submu-gwang and the life contained in his sword?

I hope his martial arts skills aren’t easily forgotten like in his previous life.

“If you learn the Great Lord’s sword and create a new martial art, then you have been influenced by the Great Lord, so wouldn’t that be considered developing the martial art?”

“You could think of it that way.”

“And I have no intention of using the great lord’s swordsmanship in that way.”

For my own good, I use and discard the Wind and Thunder martial arts, which is comparable to the martial arts of my family.

“I am not training with the Great Lord with that kind of mindset. I respect the Great Lord’s martial arts and want to incorporate that spirit into my sword.”

“… .”

“So please accept me as your disciple.”

Seolhwa knelt before him.

Submu-kwang’s eyebrows twitched and shook.

He taught her everything – the law of the treasure, the law of the spirit, the law of the sword… but he still never admitted to taking her as his disciple.

Although he has received teachings, he is already the master to Sulwha, but he has not yet acknowledged Sulwha as his disciple.

Perhaps the reason behind that meaning is the same as the one I mentioned earlier.

He is a child who learns but does not follow.

Even if it wasn’t intentional, it was unconscious.

“You’re a kid who knows how to tie and break knots.”

Seopmu-kwang burst into laughter as if he found it absurd.

“I will become the successor of the great lord.”

“… .”

His eyes became very serious.

He was a kid who said from the beginning that he wanted to find his own path.

The reason I didn’t specifically say that I would take you as my disciple was because I didn’t want you to be confined by the framework of being the successor to my martial arts and set limitations.

But as if he knew her heart, the child respected the life he had dedicated to this martial art.

He did not take lightly this martial art, which contained his past life.

“…good night.”

So how could I refuse a child who wants to become my disciple?

“I will accept you as my disciple.”

Seolhwa’s expression brightened for a moment. Seolhwa quickly got up from her seat.

Seop Mu-gwang arched an eyebrow as he watched her neatly clasping both hands together.

“What are you trying to do?”

“I learned that when forming a bond between teacher and disciple, one must perform the nine-bow ritual.”

“hmm….”

“Receive the disciple’s bow.”

“No, no.”

Seopmu-gwang stopped Seol-hwa, who was about to bow down. His lips curved into a smirk.

“Since we’re going to do it, let’s do it properly.”

* * *

Seop Mu-gwang, who wanted to receive proper rites of passage, brought Seol-hwa to a dumpling restaurant.

Seolhwa was already hungry, so she ordered dumplings, noodles, and even dongpo pork, and she stuffed herself with food without thinking.

Then I realized something was strange.

“Didn’t you say you would receive proper rites of passage?”

Seop Mu-gwang, who had been watching Seol-hwa eat with a pleased expression on his face and his arms folded, nodded.

“That’s right.”

“But why….”

Is that what you’re doing here?

“Why, why? It’s because it’s mealtime. A little kid who should be growing up shouldn’t skip meals. Look at him now, kid. He looks like he’s only ten years old.”

Aegae… Rani.

Seopmu-kwang burst into laughter at Seol-hwa’s sinking eyebrows. Then, his expression suddenly became very serious.

After confirming that Seolhwa had finished eating to some extent, he opened his mouth with a smileless expression.

“Have you ever thought about what I was asking you?”

What did you ask?

Seol-hwa, who was pondering for a moment, thought back to the question Seob-mu-gwang had asked her a while ago.

‘Why do you carry a sword, that’s what I’m saying.’

Why do you carry a sword?

In order to do that, he said, you must first know yourself.

But Seolhwa still didn’t know who she was or what kind of person she was.

One, there was one thing I had definitely learned through my training with Submu Kwang over the past few days.

“I like swords.”

The corners of Submu-gwang’s mouth curved into a grin.

“Do you like the sword?”

“yes.”

“Why is it good?”

“I like it when I swing my sword because I don’t think about anything else. I like it because I can just focus on the sword.”

There is no time to worry about things like preparing for war with the Blood Cult or reforming Namgung. Whenever he swings his sword, he only thinks about the sword.

How to be faster and sharper.

Could you wield a sharper, more powerful sword?

How to gain the upper hand, evade effectively, and exploit weaknesses.

What if I take a step forward, wait for a breath, diagonally, horizontally, vertically, stabbing, or letting it flow?

“It’s amazing how simple movements come together to form complex formulas, and how these formulas come together to complete the law.”

What starts out as just swinging a sword, when it reaches a law, becomes a secret weapon of the swordsman.

“It’s also fun to learn about the thoughts, ideas, and concerns of the prosecutors that went into the law that was created that way.”

A single sword technique is like a book of martial arts, containing the thoughts and concerns of those who created and developed the sword technique.

The movements of the feet and body when swinging the sword. Even a single breath.

Nothing is written without meaning.

In order to perfect swordsmanship, swordsmen created necessary martial arts such as footwork, breathing techniques, etc., and these created martial arts combined to create the history of swordsmanship.

“It’s good to be able to learn about the history our ancestors fought so hard for. It’s even better to be able to learn the sword from someone like that.”

The martial arts of Seopmuwang are living history.

His history, not the achievements that were left behind in books.

“Things like that… I think they’re good.”

Seop Mu-gwang looked happily at the child who was saying such wonderful things while looking down at his small hands.

I knew that the child was enjoying the training.

During my training, I often caught a glimpse of my child’s childhood laughter.

I wanted him to figure it out on his own, and although it took a short time, he did a great job.

So how could it not be special?

“If so, what was it like before?”

“yes?”

“Before returning to the family, what was the reason you swung your sword?”

“… .”

Seolhwa was speechless.

The child did not answer for a long time. The expression on his face was not because he did not know the answer.

Seop Mu-gwang, who had been waiting for the child for a moment, nodded.

“You can answer that when you’re ready.”

“…killing….”

“hmm?”

“… is killing.”

Seol-hwa neatly placed the dishes down and held the table with both hands.

It wasn’t a difficult word before, but for some reason, it’s not easy to say it out loud now, and it keeps lingering in my mouth.

“Before coming here….”

He opened his blocked throat and let out his voice.

“Killing is the only reason… I took up the sword.”

If the Blood Demon instructs, if it interferes with the great work of the religion.

The death that the story spoke of was the karma that had piled up in her previous life.

It was the resentment of those who died by my hands.

“jeon….”

An unknown heat rose in my eyes.

No, it wasn’t just my eyes, my whole face felt hot.

My vision became blurry and my eyesight became cloudy.

“I am….”

My throat was so tight that I couldn’t speak. I had to use both hands to hold the table.

I couldn’t raise my face, so I lowered my head.

Soon, something fell between the two small hands.

“I was a bad… kid…”

The light brown dining table was dyed a deep brown.

The deep throbbing of a drop expanded its territory, drop by drop, drop by drop.

Seolhwa hated the sight.

I knew I was crying, but I didn’t want to cry.

I couldn’t understand why I was crying over such words.

What did you say? What brilliant words did you say?

After all, emotions are a cumbersome thing. Changes that cannot be controlled are scary.

I would have preferred my past life, where my emotions were completely gone.

I’d rather show this pathetic appearance.

Seolhwa bit her lower lip tightly.

I didn’t know how to stop crying, so that was all I could do.

Tub.

“…?”

Seolhwa looked down at the soft object that had hit her mouth.

It was a dumpling the size of her fist.