Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Namgung Geom was not flustered.

Namgung Pae's reaction was something he had already anticipated.

If a grandson who could not even cultivate martial arts due to the Nine Yang Severed Meridians suddenly appeared bearing first-rate energy overnight, suspicion was only natural.

Namgung Geom had considered concealing his energy, but quickly gave up the idea.

No matter how well he hid it, he could not fool Namgung Pae's eyes.

It was something he would have to face sooner or later, regardless.

"I've found a way to cure the Nine Yang Severed Meridians."

"Is that truly so?"

Namgung Pae asked, eyes wide with surprise.

"Yes. In the process, I gained a small fortune."

"A fortune?"

"I cannot share the details, so I hope Grandfather will trust me and watch over me."

"You want me to ask nothing more?"

Namgung Pae wore an expression of disbelief.

"What matters is that I've overcome the Nine Yang Severed Meridians and can now cultivate martial arts, isn't it?"

Namgung Pae shook his head at Namgung Geom's brazen reply.

"And if I say I must know regardless?"

"If Grandfather insists, then I would have no choice but to tell you."

Namgung Pae studied Namgung Geom, then let out a wry smile.

"I cannot very well strong-arm my own young grandson."

Then his gaze sharpened as he continued.

"But if you want me to trust you, should you not show me something?"

At Namgung Pae's words, Namgung Geom smiled faintly and spoke.

"Would entering the Azure Dragon Pavilion at the top of the class suffice?"

The Azure Dragon Pavilion.

An organization created by the Namgung Family to cultivate elite martial artists.

The children of the Namgung Family honed the basics of martial arts at the Azure Dragon Martial Halls established throughout Anhui Province.

Among them, those with talent entered the Azure Dragon Pavilion to learn the Namgung Family's advanced martial arts.

After building their skills through real combat, they would then join one of the Namgung Family's elite sword corps.

Once accepted into the Azure Dragon Pavilion, the path to advancement was open.

For the children of the forces under the Namgung Family, entering the Azure Dragon Pavilion was the dream of a lifetime.

But not just anyone could enter.

The Azure Dragon Pavilion selected its members through rigorous examinations.

Not even the direct line of the Namgung Family was exempt.

The Namgung Family did not grant unconditional favor simply for being of the main line.

One had to prove one's worthiness as a direct descendant.

The first such proof was the Azure Dragon Pavilion.

"You're saying you'll enter the Azure Dragon Pavilion at the top of the class?"

The Azure Dragon Pavilion's examination was less than a month away.

Even if one began cultivating martial arts now, achieving any meaningful progress would be difficult.

Having gained first-rate inner arts was one thing, but if one lacked the martial arts to employ it, it was useless.

Entering the Azure Dragon Pavilion might be possible, but taking the top spot would not be easy.

"That much is necessary to earn Grandfather's trust, wouldn't you say?"

"You certainly have confidence."

"If one is the eldest grandson of the Namgung Family, one should have at least that much confidence."

Namgung Pae shook his head at Namgung Geom's self-assured expression.

"Confidence is fine, but I hear that the candidates for this session's entrance examination are the strongest on record."

Among the candidates for this session's entrance examination were many children of exceptional talent.

It would not be an exaggeration to call them the Namgung Family's golden generation.

"Then how about a wager with me?"

Namgung Geom smiled and proposed.

"A wager?"

"If I enter the Azure Dragon Pavilion at the top of the class, grant me one wish of my choosing."

Namgung Pae let out a wry smile and asked.

"And if you fail to enter, what will you offer in return?"

"I'll do the same—grant one wish of Grandfather's choosing."

Namgung Pae shook his head immediately at Namgung Geom's answer.

"That seems rather unfair. I have a great deal I can offer, but you have nothing at all."

Namgung Geom had to admit that was unfair.

He thought for a moment, then spoke as if a good idea had struck him.

"Then how about I repay it later, with interest?"

"What?"

Namgung Pae stared at him in disbelief, and Namgung Geom smiled and said:

"A grandfather can afford to make that kind of concession for his grandson, can't he?"

Namgung Pae let out a laugh of sheer bewilderment at Namgung Geom's cheek.

***

The Family Head's hall.

After Namgung Geom left, Namgung Pae laughed in disbelief.

"What an audacious boy. To think he had the nerve to propose a wager against me."

Namgung Pae had accepted Namgung Geom's wager.

If Namgung Geom truly overcame the Nine Yang Severed Meridians and entered the Azure Dragon Pavilion at the top of the class, what was a single wish?

"If one is the eldest grandson of the Namgung Family, one should have at least that much nerve, wouldn't you say?"

"And what is your assessment of him?"

Namgung Pae straightened his expression and asked.

"It seems Young Lord Namgung Geom has changed a great deal."

"He seemed like an entirely different person."

Namgung Pae concurred.

"Perhaps the hope of overcoming the Nine Yang Severed Meridians has given him a drive he never had before?"

Namgung Yu offered his own guess.

"That is possible."

"If Young Lord Namgung Geom overcomes the Nine Yang Severed Meridians and cultivates martial arts, it would be a boon for the family as well."

Namgung Yu cautiously shared his thoughts.

"So you are saying we should set aside the other questions?"

"If Young Lord Namgung Geom can cure the Nine Yang Severed Meridians, the rest can be buried, can it not?"

At Namgung Yu's words, Namgung Pae gave a small smile.

"Indeed. He is the only bloodline my departed son left behind. Saving him is what matters—what are a few unanswered questions compared to that?"

"Even so, as a precaution, I will have those around Young Lord Namgung Geom watched closely."

At Namgung Yu's words, Namgung Pae nodded.

"Do so."

Meanwhile, having left the Family Head's hall, Namgung Geom returned to his quarters with a light step.

Judging by Namgung Pae's attitude, it seemed he would not press further about Namgung Geom's condition or level of mastery.

He had been inwardly worried, but it had gone over more easily than expected.

Now he could set aside all distractions and focus solely on cultivation.

One month remained until the Azure Dragon Pavilion's entrance examination.

Namgung Geom intended to follow in the footsteps of his late father, Namgung Il, and become the Young Lord of the Namgung Family.

Entering the Azure Dragon Pavilion at the top of the class was the first step.

Namgung Geom regarded the Azure Dragon Pavilion's entrance examination as a sort of debut.

Within the family, the perception of Namgung Geom was that of a pitiable eldest grandson suffering from the Nine Yang Severed Meridians.

No one considered Namgung Geom a candidate for Young Lord.

The first priority was to shatter that perception.

Entering the Azure Dragon Pavilion at the top of the class would change that perception in one stroke.

And once it became known that Namgung Geom had overcome the Nine Yang Severed Meridians and already possessed considerable martial prowess, people who would seriously consider him a candidate for Young Lord would begin to emerge.

The status of eldest grandson of the Namgung Family was the position closest to the seat of Young Lord, after all.

With the wager against Namgung Pae riding on it as well—

"I'm taking the top spot, no matter what."

Namgung Geom clenched his fist with resolve.

And apart from eating and sleeping, he threw himself into cultivation.

In the mornings, he tempered his body with the Ice White Body Refining Art. In the afternoons, he practiced the Namgung Family's martial arts.

Before the soul had changed, Namgung Geom had learned every martial art available to a direct descendant of the Namgung Family.

He simply could not practice them in person due to the Nine Yang Severed Meridians; in theory, his understanding surpassed anyone's.

There had been no shortage of people who mocked him, saying it was a pointless exercise since he could never use them anyway.

But now that the current Namgung Geom inhabited the body, the martial arts he had studied in his mind shone brilliantly.

His theoretical knowledge, combined with the mastery and enlightenment the current Namgung Geom had built over a previous lifetime, produced staggering achievements in a remarkably short time.

Had anyone witnessed his progress, they would have been struck speechless.

Lastly, in the evenings, he used the Azure Sky Ice Fire Divine Art to absorb extreme yang fire qi and refine his inner arts.

Meanwhile, Gang Mo-yeon learned that Namgung Geom was cultivating martial arts and tried everything she could to stop him.

But Namgung Geom would not be dissuaded.

He persuaded Gang Mo-yeon by pointing out that Namgung Pae had not forbidden his martial arts cultivation.

In the end, Gang Mo-yeon had no choice but to allow it.

She could not oppose something that Namgung Pae, the Family Head of the Namgung Family, had permitted.

She was worried sick that the extreme yang fire qi might erupt during training, causing something terrible to happen to Namgung Geom.

But contrary to her fears, Namgung Geom continued his cultivation without any issues.

In fact, his health visibly improved with each passing day.

Only then could she finally breathe easy.

Thanks to that, Namgung Geom was also able to cultivate with peace of mind.

And in just ten days, he completed the Grand Expansion Sword Art.

He had not yet grasped its ultimate technique, but he had achieved what would normally require several years of cultivation at minimum.

Namgung Geom moved on to the Celestial Wind Sword Art, one tier above the Grand Expansion Sword Art.

The Celestial Wind Sword Art was an advanced martial art of the Namgung Family, embodying the relentless force and speed of an unceasing gale.

The Celestial Wind Sword Art was far more complex and intricate than the Grand Expansion Sword Art.

But Namgung Geom progressed rapidly through the Celestial Wind Sword Art as well.

The Celestial Wind Sword Art bore a striking resemblance to the Northern Sea Ice Palace's Ice White Snow Wind Sword.

There were many similarities in their forms and in the circulation of inner arts.

The only difference was that the Ice White Snow Wind Sword conjured blizzards through its attribute of glacial cold.

"What would happen if I used the Azure Sky Ice Fire Divine Art to infuse the Celestial Wind Sword Art with the attribute of glacial cold?"

Namgung Geom smiled at the thought that had suddenly crossed his mind.

A Celestial Wind Sword Art imbued with glacial cold.

Just imagining it was thrilling.

Namgung Geom first completed the forms of the Celestial Wind Sword Art.

Then he infused them with the attribute of glacial cold.

Outwardly, it was the Celestial Wind Sword Art, but within, it carried the essence of the Ice White Snow Wind Sword—a new sword art belonging to Namgung Geom alone.

The birth of the Celestial Wind Ice White Sword.

Namgung Geom refined the Celestial Wind Ice White Sword through cultivation, polishing and adjusting the sword art as he went.

In the midst of this, the Azure Dragon Pavilion's entrance examination drew to just ten days away.

Namgung Geom headed for the Azure Dragon Pavilion.

To take the entrance examination, one first had to submit an application.

Today was the day applications were due.

The Azure Dragon Pavilion's front courtyard was bustling with children who had come to submit their applications.

Among them, someone recognized Namgung Geom.

"Hey! Isn't that Namgung Geom?"

"It is. But what's Namgung Geom doing here?"

The children wore puzzled expressions.

"Don't tell me he's here to take the Azure Dragon Pavilion's entrance exam?"

"Be serious. He can barely move because of the Nine Yang Severed Meridians—how would he take the entrance exam?"

"I heard he started cultivating martial arts not long ago."

"Then did he cure the Nine Yang Severed Meridians?"

"Who knows? But if he's cultivating martial arts, he must have gotten better, right?"

"Even so, it can't have been more than a month. He can't seriously think that's enough to pass the Azure Dragon Pavilion's entrance exam."

"No way. He's probably just taking the exam for the sake of it, regardless of the result."

The children watched Namgung Geom with curious eyes, whispering among themselves.

Not one of them believed Namgung Geom could pass the Azure Dragon Pavilion's entrance examination.

Namgung Geom heard their murmuring but paid it no mind and walked inside.

At the top of the Azure Dragon Pavilion—

Someone was watching Namgung Geom.

It was Azure Dragon Pavilion Master Namgung Baek.

He studied the energy of Namgung Geom as he entered the Azure Dragon Pavilion.

A distinctive gleam appeared in his eyes.

Namgung Geom's energy was large and vivid enough to be felt even from the top of the Azure Dragon Pavilion.

"Eldest Young Lord! Have you been deceiving everyone all this time?"

Namgung Baek murmured with interest.

Namgung Geom had been counting his final days due to the Nine Yang Severed Meridians.

He had heard that the extreme yang fire qi of the Nine Yang Severed Meridians made martial arts cultivation impossible.

Yet the energy he detected from Namgung Geom was nothing of the sort.

First-rate, at the very least.

A level that would require several years of dedicated cultivation to attain.

Had Namgung Geom been using the Nine Yang Severed Meridians as a cover, secretly cultivating martial arts all along?

Whatever the truth behind it, Namgung Geom's martial prowess was astonishing.

And once his martial prowess became known—

"The family is going to be in an uproar."

A deep smile hung on Namgung Baek's lips as he said this.

It was the expression of a man anticipating something.

Meanwhile, Namgung Geom, who had been about to enter the Azure Dragon Pavilion, suddenly lifted his head at a gaze he felt upon him.

From the highest point of the Azure Dragon Pavilion, Namgung Baek was looking down at him.

Azure Dragon Pavilion Master Namgung Baek.

One of the Azure Heaven Ten Swords, the strongest active martial artists of the Namgung Family.

And a cousin and childhood friend of Namgung Geom's father, Namgung Il.

Namgung Geom could sense the intrigue in his gaze.

The corner of Namgung Geom's lips curled upward.

'Looks like I've succeeded in drawing attention, at least.'