Soon the patriarch met with Namgung, because that was exactly what they had been discussing.
Han's father said the boy should be sent to sit the martial arts examinations. But Patriarch Namgung interrupted him. No matter how gifted Han was, that road would only ever make him a general.
Han's father asked what was on his mind.
The old man said that with the right master Han could be raised above any general, and become a leader who saves the nation and leaves his name in history.
The words about saving the country lit a fire in the man. Stunned, Papa asked whether it was true. Did such a great master really exist?
Namgung said there was no need to go looking for one. He would teach the boy himself — the retired patriarch of the Namgung clan, the Sword King, Namgung Changsun.
Han quickly worked out that the old man wanted him for what he had already done. He also knew that this clan was extremely materialistic, powerful and respected though it was.
Even so, Han saw a huge chance to become strong in it, and an opportunity to spend some time away from the Yu clan. That was provided his father agreed. A moment later his father was already sniffling at the news that Han wanted to become a Namgung disciple. The Namgung elder had clearly made his place in the old man's mind already.
So things were settled quickly. Han's father said it was a relief that Namgung himself would take care of his son, especially now that they had to go to the Emperor.
Confused, Namgung asked what the Emperor wanted. Perhaps he was thinking of choosing the next ruler, and wanted the grandfather nearby.
Namgung immediately praised this as proof of how trustworthy the man was, and the old man lapped it up like a cat. Han was already tired of these old men and their talk.
Later he came back to the Emperor's Gate to say goodbye. His tearful father told him to listen to his uncle and to train hard. Then the same overprotective comments came around again. Eat properly. Write letters twice a week. And so on.
Eventually he started to go, and Han was relieved that the awkward scene was finally ending. That relief did not last long. Before he left, Papa and the vassal gave him one last dramatic wave, in the most embarrassing way possible. Han was completely mortified. Though he was clearly happy with all that care as well.
Then his uncle called out to him and Han turned around immediately. The Namgung patriarch simply said, follow.
Han felt that the real training was about to begin.
The old man walked off through the city greeting people as he went. Han got an early notice of how popular the patriarch was. Everywhere they went, people bowed with deep respect and greeted him.
Yet what impressed Han more was the sheer scale of the Namgung clan's city. Guards were deployed everywhere. But as soon as they saw their leader, they cleared the path.
Namgung took him upstairs. Soon they were heading for the top of the castle wall. Han was amazed by the view.
Then the old man suddenly began to float. Han realised he was using aerial steps, something even his own master could not do. After a while the Sword King landed on top of a wooden structure and flipped over, and asked Han to come up too.
Han could have reached there just as easily with the Beggar Sect's movement art, but he thought quickly. The Sword King probably would not like it. He would probably get angry and ask what Han had to do with those Beggar Sect bastards. So he chose his second method. He jumped, and landed directly in front of the patriarch.
The old man praised his speed, and Han felt honoured.
Then the old man suddenly asked whether he had noticed the streets on the way here, and whether he had a sense of how many places they had passed.
Han went cold, realising that this whole time might have been a test. But the patriarch answered it himself. Sixty-four. Han apologised for not paying attention.
Instead of being angry, the old man said that every one of those sixty-four places belonged to the Namgung clan.
Han could not believe it, so he asked to hear it again.
The patriarch pointed towards a pavilion and asked whether Han could see it. Han said yes. Then the old man explained that from that pavilion to the far end, all of it was Namgung land. Was all this land, were all these buildings, not enormous?
Han was still confused. He simply replied that yes, it was very big.
Then the old man turned and asked him what he thought about all this.
Han was at a loss. The man would ask a question and Han would answer it, and that was all. He began to think that perhaps this whole journey up here had only been a test of his movement skills. As soon as he began preparing to leave, the old man asked whether he had understood now, after seeing everything.
But Han was only preparing to dash off. As he stepped forward, the patriarch said that even after seeing all of it he had still not understood.
Then Han remembered the word possession, and suddenly he realised, and hit his head on the ground. He raised his injured face and asked the patriarch to explain clearly.
With a fake-looking, smug smile, the old man said that a very good part of all this could be Han's.
He was completely shocked to hear it. Then came the real thing. He only had to marry the old man's granddaughter, Hye, and it would come with a very generous dowry.
After so much build-up, Han finally understood why he had been brought here. And yes, that was the reason. The old man confirmed it. Now it all made sense — why the Sword King had put in so much hard work with his father.
The old man said with a smile that Han should not worry about convincing Hye.
Thinking the whole thing insane, Han simply jumped off the roof. If the Sword King was seriously talking about marriage already, he had to be crazy. The old man went after him at once, shouting at him to stop, calling him a scoundrel. Han did not seem to hear it, and kept going.
The old man followed behind with a terrifying look on his face, saying that he could make more offers. It was then that Han realised he had been reborn as a martial arts prodigy, which should have been wonderful, and the Sword King had put his eyes on him and ruined all of it.
Then the old man suddenly stopped and shouted that if Han married the granddaughter of the Namgung clan, most of the wealth might become his.
Han flatly refused.
Offended, the old man asked for a reason. Han reminded him that he was the only son of the Yu clan. Most of the share of the province belonged to the Yu family, and the Emperor favoured his father so much that gifts kept arriving from time to time. Why should he marry for money? He heaved a tired sigh and told his poor uncle again that he was the only heir of his clan. So this marriage talk should stop.
Han was excited, thinking that now he would get to learn martial arts.
The old man then realised that wealth has no meaning for someone who grew up inside it. Yet the man who had broken every limit to become the Sword King was bound to have another offer to make.
After a while he began to show a flurry of sword moves. Han simply wondered why he had been dragged out of bed so early in the morning for this. Namgung finished proudly and declared that this was the Emperor's Sword style. Was it not amazing?
To Han it mostly proved that old people get up too early.
Then the old man threw his sword and called it the Explosive Vibrant Blade. The blade slashed the tree over and over from different angles, and Han's first thought was whether those trees had been expensive.
The old man went on parading techniques one after another for a long time. Finally, breathing hard, he said that this art was only taught to direct descendants of the Namgung. He just had to add that on marrying the granddaughter, Han could learn every bit of it.
But Han was already walking away.
In a panic the old man threw himself at him and insisted he pay attention. This was a priceless technique, one no money could buy.
Han said that he knew, but that what he had been shown so far was not special.
The old man laughed out loud. It was a joke. Then he said that Han was certainly talented, but he had only just started martial arts, so it was not possible for him to understand how great these techniques were. He began to explain that martial arts are built up and refined over generations.
Han cut him off and said he could do it easily.
Stunned, the old man told him to stop the nonsense. Han asked to be allowed to prove it and picked up a branch. He thought that perhaps this was the only way to make the old man back off. The rumours would spread anyway. So what was the harm in pretending to be a genius one more time?
He started swinging the branch, while his uncle kept telling him to stop joking.
Then Han wrapped the branch in an invisible sheath. He paused for a moment of focus. Then he began the demonstration.
The old man froze in confusion. Han was actually using the upper sword style, and he was dancing beautifully with a branch in his hand. The old man could not believe his eyes. He shouted at Han to stop.
Angry and shaken, he demanded to be told what was happening, and how he had learned the Emperor's sword style.
Without any fear, Han replied that he had taught it to him.
Still baffled, the old man asked whether he was serious. Han replied that he had watched it being demonstrated a little while ago. Then the old man understood. To call this boy a genius was an understatement. He stood there thinking that Han had seen it once and copied it.
Then Han called out to him. He asked whether the old man always stood there staring and drooling like that. Then he threw the branch away and said that he definitely was not going to marry his granddaughter.
The old man just kept muttering, all right, all right, watching the branch fall. But inside, his eyes were burning. This boy was perfect, and he would get him married no matter what it took.