Episode 1013 He caught me today. (3)
Inside the large inner room.
The inspectors of the Namgung family, who were sitting with their backs against the wall, looked up at the ceiling in silence. Even though so many people were gathered in the room, no one spoke.
It was an atmosphere that cannot be described even with the word gloomy.
In the middle of the heavy atmosphere in the room, Namgoongdan sighed silently.
Normally, he would have tried to salvage this sagging atmosphere somehow. Of course, it is Namgung Dowi’s role to lead them. However, it was always Namgungdan’s role to help Sogaju in difficult areas where it was difficult for him to step forward.
However, unfortunately, the current Namgoong Dan did not have the luxury of considering other people’s feelings.
Why not? The person who contributed most to this miserable atmosphere was Namgungdan.
He raised his hand and massaged his face.
It is a terrible defeat that cannot be expressed in words. The fact that he was defeated without even being able to counterattack properly against Tang Xiaoso, who had learned the sword less than five years ago, blew away the slightest excuse he had left.
What on earth could he say in this situation?
‘How…’
He could still see Tang Soso’s sword flying towards his head.
What made it even more unbearable for him was that he could not find any part of her victory that could be considered a fluke.
I was pushed out of the basics.
The power contained in the sword. With an accurate sword. And even history.
I don’t understand how on earth he, who devoted more than twenty years to the sword, can be pushed aside by Tang Xiaoso.
“…How can this happen?”
At that time, everyone’s eyes turned to someone’s voice.
Namgoonghyuk muttered with a lost face.
“How… we…”
There was only silence. No one could answer that question.
“older brother. Are we wrong?”
“….”
“How can we tell you….”
“Stop.”
Namgoong Dan cut off Namgoong Hyuk’s conversation in a slightly annoyed voice.
“stop. “Because it’s ugly.”
“Brother…”
“No matter how many excuses you make, it doesn’t change the facts. We lost. “It’s also miserable.”
“….”
“Is there just one more reason? “It’s just that we were weaker than Soso.”
“Why don’t you do this because it doesn’t make sense?”
Namgoongdan burst out laughing.
‘It doesn’t make sense…’
What can you do?
Of course, if he follows his common sense, this cannot happen. But didn’t that actually happen? If so, the conclusion is obvious.
“Then maybe our common sense is wrong.”
“older brother!”
Namgung Dan glared at Namgung Hyuk with sunken eyes.
“why? Are you going to insist that you can’t admit it?”
“That…”
“Otherwise, would you even pick up the sword and fight again?”
Namgoonghyuk eventually lowered his head. He knows it too.
The fact is that no matter how unfair it is and shouting about it, the fundamental skill gap will not be narrowed. As of now, they couldn’t withstand that party.
“…It’s because I really don’t understand, brother.”
Namgungdan rubbed his face with his hand at the faint voice of Namgunghyuk. Even he couldn’t understand it.
But….
“There is no need to understand.”
“yes?”
“You just have to accept it. “The fact is that we are weaker than the late volcanic indices.”
“….”
The inspectors of the Namgung family lowered their heads.
Namgoong Dan spoke in a slightly self-deprecating voice.
“We have already clearly seen them in action on Maehwa Island. “Isn’t that right?”
“…yes.”
“Nevertheless, we did not fully acknowledge them. “Even though we watched with our own eyes as they unilaterally wiped out an enemy that we had not even tried to fight against, we arbitrarily believed that the reason they were able to do so well was because of something other than their skills.”
Even as he spoke, Namgung Dan’s face showed a look of desperation.
“Because we risked our lives to tire out the enemy, those who showed up late were able to play an active role. If the positions had been reversed, we would have been able to unilaterally wipe out our opponents… with thoughts like that.”
“Brother…”
“But.”
Namgungdan slowly shook his head.
“I understand after experiencing it. “It’s just that… they’re just stronger than us.”
I never wanted to admit it, but now I had to accept the truth.
Even Dangsoso is that strong.
So, how strong are the disciples who entered Hwasan before Tang Xiaoso are now? Also, how great is the skill of the Hwasan Five Swords, who are said to be one of the best among Hwasan’s disciples?
‘Can Lord Soga be able to deal with them?’
If it were just a day ago, Namgungdan would have answered ‘yes’ without hesitation. Namgungdowi is Namgungdowi. Because his skills are on a different level from other young swordsmen of Namgung.
But now I couldn’t be sure.
“But brother.”
Namgoonghyuk said as if he still didn’t understand.
“We… haven’t we worked hard too?”
Namgoongdan understood Namgoonghyeok’s unfairness.
Were they really lazy? No, absolutely not.
Namgung, who suffered humiliation in the Yangtze River Disaster, tried his best for the past three years to take revenge on Sapa. Nevertheless, how on earth should we explain the gap that has widened so much?
“Hyuk.”
“Yes, brother.”
“Have you seen Sister Soso’s hands?”
“….”
Namgoonghyuk closed his mouth. Namgungdan glanced at everyone watching.
In order to persuade someone, you need to find a reason that you can convince yourself. I wasn’t completely convinced yet, but as I was in the position of persuading Namgoong Hyuk, I saw things that I had not seen before.
“Let me see your hands.”
“….”
“Hold it out.”
Namgoonghyuk hesitantly held out his hand. There are several scars on his hands as well. However, the number of scars was incomparable to those engraved on Tang Xiaoso’s hands.
Namgung Dan, who had been staring at the hand in silence, slowly opened his mouth.
“I… remember the old Soso.”
“yes?”
“You were so beautiful.”
The eyes of the Namgungse inspectors narrowed for a moment. Namgungdan was startled by that reaction and hurriedly threw up his hands.
“Oh no! That’s not what I meant…!”
He was misunderstood and cleared his throat with a red face.
“In the past, Sister Soso’s hands were very white and clean. “The pure white hands that were visible under that gorgeous palace were called ‘seomseom chalcedony’.”
Some people who remembered the party from the past nodded and agreed.
“But how are Soso’s hands now?”
Many people became solemn at those words. The hands they saw this time were simply those of a swordsman. Hands covered in calluses and scars.
You can tell just by looking at her hands how hard she has been training. He endured such difficult times that he completely lost his original hand.
Namgoong Dan opened his hands wide. And I looked at the scars carved on those hands.
“You worked hard?”
“….”
“I guess so. Yes, you must have tried. But… I guess our ‘effort’ and their ‘effort’ are different. “I saw that my hands were so clean after practicing for a long time.”
“…older brother.”
Namgungdan became embarrassed once again.
I thought I tried. I thought I lived harder than anyone else. But there are no traces of that effort on his hands.
Even as the swordsmen of the volcano swung their swords again and again until both hands were covered in scars, they settled for the typical training they had been doing.
“Did we really try?”
“….”
“Could you really speak confidently in front of them? Did we try as hard as you? “Are we really the ones who raised our voices saying that we were hurting our bodies after only a few days of training?”
No one could answer that.
Because they knew too.
That Hwasan’s disciples routinely practice the practice that was once criticized as merely overworking the body. Even with an intensity several times higher than what the Namgung swordsmen had done for several days.
Namgungdan sighed deeply. At first, he was just saying this to calm them down, but now his words were full of sincerity.
“Discussing talent, the environment, and the superiority of swordsmanship are meaningful only among those who have made the same effort. “We have no right to discuss swords with them.”
The swordsmen of the Namgung family, whose faces were stained red, could not bear to raise their heads.
“What makes me more embarrassed is….”
Nangung Dan bit his lip.
“Even though we clearly saw the end of those who died to save us on Maehwa Island, we still could not give up our useless pride.”
“…That…”
“Is it really embarrassing to learn about volcanoes?”
When he asked the question, he let out a laugh.
“At least, I’m even more embarrassed now that I’m only showing off my useless pride even though I know that there are people who work harder than me.”
No one answered that question. I just bow my head.
“I will participate in training tomorrow.”
“Brother…”
“I have no intention of forcing anything. I guess it’s each person’s choice. But I… I wouldn’t hesitate if there was a way to become stronger and regain the name of the Namgung family. “I plan to test my limits rather than just talk about them like I have done so far.”
Namgungdan stood up. Then I turned my gaze and looked at the person sitting in the corner.
Namgungdowi. He was looking at Namgungdan in silence.
Namgoong Dan bit his lip slightly.
‘Lord Soga must have already known.’
The irreconcilable gap between Hwasan and Namgung. So how frustrating must it have been to see them showing off only their pride?
Namgungdan bowed his head deeply towards Namgungdowi. And then I went out without any regrets.
A thick silence fell where he left. The inspectors of the Namgung family, sitting against the wall, were each lost in deep thought.
Namgung Do-wi, who was sitting in the corner, smiled a little at the sight.
‘It’s only a starting point.’
After turning around, we are now at the starting line. In order to run forward, you must first know where you stand.
This night will probably be very long for them.
Because you will have to find your own answers to questions that no one can answer.
But Nangong Dowi believed in them.
At least if they are aware of the weight of the name Namgoong, they should be respected no matter what choice they make.
Nangong Daowi just watched the choice…
“Lord Soga.”
“huh?”
At that time, Namgoonghyuk sneakily approached me. Nangung Dowi asked with a puzzled look.
“…What’s going on?”
Then, as if he was hesitating, he looked at Namgung Dowi’s eyes and cautiously opened his mouth.
“Um… Lord Soga. “If you don’t mind, there’s something I’d like to ask you.”
