The RoFan Novel Fan Has Reincarnated Into A Martial Arts Novel-Chapter 53: Hidden Character

Yeon quickly informed Soso and Gongye of the situation from inside the tent.

“Soso, Master Gongye! You both need to come out.”

The two emerged with confused expressions, but Yeon simply pointed ahead—just as Cheongang had done.

Soso gasped, covering her mouth with both hands, while [N O V E L I G H T] Gongye murmured under his breath:

“...Huh. Are they coming for us?”

“Looks like the game of tag isn’t over yet.”

As Yeon spoke, the pursuers arrived within reach.

Roughly thirty of them, all exuding the unmistakable presence of martial masters. Their aura was razor-sharp, like masterfully forged swords held at the ready. Even the howling wind across the plain seemed to quiet, as if cautious in their presence.

From within that unnatural stillness, the leader dismounted and stepped forward.

It was the man in the dragon mask—Namgung Myeong. And the arrogance he had hidden beneath that mask now revealed itself in full.

“The coachman was very helpful with directions.”

Yeon’s brow twitched.

I knew something was off...

Apparently, instead of taking a large payment, the coachman had chosen to keep a shred of conscience.

But now that she understood the truth, the man’s false righteousness made her stomach turn.

“I thought about it,” Namgung Myeong began casually.

“About what?”

“Why you'd come all the way out here.”

Even as he spoke to Yeon, his eyes kept flicking toward Cheongang. That same bitter, festering inferiority complex—Yeon had felt it before. Now it was grating.

“And then I remembered what happened at the auction. The host mentioned it, didn’t he? Said it was a shard that had broken off from Ice Crystal, right?”

His gaze shifted now to Yeon’s necklace. He looked at it as if it rightfully belonged to him.

“If that gem is truly a piece of Ice Crystal, then two hundred nyang wouldn’t even begin to cover it. But if it merely holds a clue about Ice Crystal—something like information—well, then...”

Feigning deep thought, Namgung Myeong tapped his chin theatrically, playing up the scene like an actor about to deliver a monologue.

“...Then it’s information about the Northern Sea Ice Palace.”

Yeon didn’t respond. Namgung Myeong turned to Cheongang.

“Tell me, Cheongang. Am I right?”

“I’m afraid I can’t answer that.”

“And why not?”

“I have no authority to.”

“Authority?”

“I’m just following someone.”

“Ha! Now I really have to wonder if you’re the same Yi Cheongang I knew. Since when does the great Yi Cheongang ‘follow’ anyone?”

Cheongang’s calm eyes turned to Yeon.

Namgung Myeong’s handsome features twisted with frustration.

“Are you serious? What is this, some kind of romantic game? I suppose she does look the part.”

“Myeong.”

Cheongang’s voice hardened. Just one word—but it was enough. A clear warning that a line had been crossed.

The sudden chill in his tone made even Yeon hesitate.

“You may not believe it, but I’ve always considered you a friend,” Cheongang said. “But don’t insult her. If you do... I can’t treat you as a friend anymore.”

Yeon found herself more shocked by that than by the threat. Cheongang... genuinely thought of Namgung Myeong as a friend?

Why?

“Friend?”

Namgung Myeong repeated the word with a low, drawn-out laugh. Then he turned back to Yeon.

“Save the sentimental nonsense. If the so-called authority lies with you, then I’ll ask again. Why did you visit Shaolin? To confirm the necklace’s link to the Ice Palace?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Yeon replied without blinking, tucking her hands behind her back to hide the prayer beads. Since the moment the Namgung warriors arrived, Master Myoeun had gone completely silent.

“Sell me the information. I’ll pay two hundred nyang—and take the necklace too.”

Namgung Myeong spoke like he was doing her a favor. Yeon couldn’t help but ask, genuinely curious:

“Why two hundred nyang? We paid more than that for the necklace.”

“Because that’s what it was worth originally. And there’s also the price of your life.”

“My life?”

“Have you forgotten, young lady? You’ve come too far. This isn’t Zhongyuan anymore.”

“And?”

“It means that if the daughter of the Hwangbo Clan were to meet an unfortunate accident here, no one would ever know the truth. And that applies to everyone here—not just you.”

Yeon let out a short laugh.

Sure, they were far from Zhongyuan, but wiping out everyone here would still be madness. Even setting aside herself and Cheongang, Gongye was still a monk of Shaolin—despite appearances. And Soso was the youngest daughter of the Tang Clan of Sichuan.

Master Tang Jeonghu may act cold, but the way he loves his daughter isn’t any different from my own father.

Still, Yeon couldn’t entirely dismiss the possibility that Namgung Myeong would do something that reckless. People consumed by inferiority had a tendency to explode at the most unpredictable moments. There was no guarantee it wouldn’t be tonight.

Just then, Namgung Jihyeon, who stood beside her brother, spoke up toward Yeon.

“You should be grateful he’s offering to pay. Just hand it over quietly.”

“Well, well. I was wondering why you’d been so quiet, Jihyeon.”

“Don’t pretend we’re on friendly terms. Call my name again and I’ll gut you.”

“Oh my. Just like your brother. How touching.”

“You bitch—!”

As Yeon traded verbal jabs with Namgung Jihyeon, she began to understand Cheongang a little more. Somewhere along the way, Yeon had stopped feeling real hostility toward Jihyeon.

At this rate, I’m going to start feeling weirdly attached to her.

Of course, Jihyeon wasn’t likely to stop until she had Yeon’s face beneath her boots. Yeon understood that. But that didn’t mean she was going to lie down and let it happen. What a pair, these two siblings.

“Brother, let’s just wipe them out. As long as we spare Yi Cheongang, the rest doesn’t matter, right? Shaolin’s not going to make a fuss. They stayed quiet during the Great Righteous War too, remember?”

Namgung Myeong responded without looking.

“Azure Sky Captain. Prepare the formation.”

Azure Sky...? Wait, Azure Sky Sword Battalion?

Even Yeon had heard of the Namgung Clan’s Azure Sky Sword Battalion. The name alone was enough to make her tense. But the middle-aged man referred to as “Captain” hesitated.

“Lord Myeong... but...”

“Captain.”

“...Yes.”

“Have you forgotten what you said?”

Namgung Myeong’s sharp gaze made the man grit his teeth. After a moment’s pause, he steeled himself and spoke in a voice like ice:

“All members of Azure Sky Battalion—draw your swords.”

“Yes, sir!”

The sound of their blades leaving their sheaths rang out not as thirty, but as one. A unified, razor-precise motion.

They were on a different level from the martial artists Yeon had seen at the Red Flower Gate.

Their swords, gleaming under the moonlight, looked as if they’d swallowed the wind itself—and could strike at any moment.

“Excuse me—warriors of the Namgung Clan.” Yeon’s voice was steady. “Are you seriously planning to kill all of us?”

Yeon spoke up to buy time, signaling subtly to the others. She saw Soso, trembling with fear, reach into her robes and pull out her bead pouch.

Namgung Myeong, watching her, let out a mocking laugh.

“There are plenty of ways to get what I want without killing anyone. Word is, you all stuck together in Honam too. You must be a close-knit little group of ‘friends.’”

His gaze landed on Soso and Gongye—but lingered on Soso in particular. It was clear that, in his eyes, the Tang Clan of Sichuan was a soft target.

“If one of your dear friends were to lose a finger... would that loosen your tongue? Maybe then you'd tell me something about the Northern Sea Ice Palace.”

A comment like that—from the so-called heir of a prestigious clan—was nothing short of gutter behavior.

Yeon felt a wave of heat rise in her chest. But she kept her head. There were simply too many of them—Namgung Myeong, his sister, and thirty swordmasters of the Azure Sky Battalion.

Sure, with their full strength combined—and if she unleashed the Thunder God Divine Art—it wasn’t out of the question that they could win.

But Yeon had been doing everything in her power to hide her use of Thunder Energy. The merchants back at Hwanrak Pavilion might not have noticed anything, but these people were a different story.

If I reveal my abilities here... the entire martial world will know.

Thunder Energy might be rare, but the rarer it was, the more power it held in secrecy. Even if she won today, it would be a loss if she had to expose herself. Not unless she killed every single one of them.

Though honestly, they’re the kind of people who do need killing...

Just then, Namgung Myeong raised a hand with calculated ease.

“Azure Sky Battalion, listen well. You have one quarter-hour. Make them all kneel by then.”

“Yes, sir!”

As the battalion closed in, Cheongang drew his sword. Yeon clenched her fists, preparing to call upon her Thunder Energy. If it came to this, they would fight. But just then—

“Hahaha.”

The laugh, light and breezy as a passing wind, froze everyone in place. The suddenness of the voice made it all the more jarring.

A small, elderly man strolled into view, unhurried.

“I knew this would happen. Wherever there’s a hero, the flies will gather.”

Half his face was covered with black cloth, and he looked more like a petty thief than someone with any real power. Behind him walked another man—middle-aged, similarly masked—though clearly far more embarrassed to be seen in such getup.

“Ahem. Ahem.”

Yeon, of course, recognized both of them instantly.

Great-Grandfather Hwangbo...? And Master Tang?

Just how long had they been following? And in silence, no less?

One of the swordsmen in the Azure Sky Battalion whispered something into Namgung Myeong’s ear. The heir snorted in amusement.

“So it’s the gentlemen from the teahouse. One’s the head of the Tang Clan, and the other... from the Hwangbo family, is that right?”

Clearly, they hadn’t identified Hwangbo Gweong. Which made sense—he barely existed in the original novel’s lore to begin with.

At that, Tang Jeonghu tore off the cloth covering his face.

“Elder! I told you I’m not suited for this kind of thing!”

“Hmph. Vile brats. You already finished digging up our backgrounds?”

“I told you things felt wrong ever since Hanam.”

“What a shame. Those who aid heroes are supposed to stay hidden.”

“...What?”

Ignoring Tang Jeonghu’s baffled retort, Hwangbo Gweong calmly stepped forward—right into the path of the Azure Sky Battalion. Empty-handed, staring down a forest of blades, he looked completely unfazed.

“So then? Go on. What were you planning to do?”

“You seem to have heard everything. No need for me to repeat it,” Namgung Myeong replied, with zero sign of intimidation. He might not know who Hwangbo Gweong truly was, but Tang Jeonghu was an acknowledged clan leader. Yeon could clearly see how lightly the world still regarded the Tang Clan.

Gweong’s long, narrow eyes twitched. It was like watching a long-dormant temper begin to rouse from slumber.

“You said a quarter-hour, didn’t you?”

“...What?”

“You’d make them kneel in one quarter. Then allow me to return the favor.”

The elder’s bony hand pointed toward the battalion.

“You little frogs—no, wait, that’s an insult to frogs. Tadpoles, then. You tadpoles should be easy enough to handle.”

Namgung Myeong chuckled in derision.

“Old man. If you’d ever made a name for yourself, I’d know it. I suppose you’ve spent your whole life tucked away in that Hwangbo manor. That would explain it. What you don’t know is that these men are the Azure Sky Sword Battalion of the Namgung Clan. Back during the Great Righteous War, even the demonic sects trembled at their name. You have heard of them, haven’t you?”

Of course, times had changed since the war, and the current Azure Sky Battalion had undergone generational shifts. But their reputation remained untarnished. With Wudang and Mount Hua closed off, there were few sword-based factions left that could even compare.

“Hahaha!”

But Hwangbo Gweong’s laughter rang out louder than Myeong’s scorn.

“Heard of them? I’ve wanted to see them for myself. Wanted to know if their skills matched that bloated reputation. But now that I have? I must say—I’m deeply disappointed.”

Clicking his tongue, Hwangbo Gweong let out a thin breath.

“Hmm?”

Even without Namgung Myeong’s question, everyone there could feel it.

What had started as a faint wisp, like a curling trail of smoke, suddenly expanded—swelling outward to engulf the entire battalion.

“Draw in your internal energy and resist!” the battalion captain barked in alarm.

At that moment, Yeon realized something.

Great-Grandfather has never once shown us his true strength.

In the original novel, Hwangbo Gweong was little more than a footnote—barely mentioned at all. In a way, that made him a hidden character.

And now, that hidden character’s lips curled into a mischievous grin.

“Tadpoles... are you ready to see the world outside your little well?”