[Why?]
The question reflected utter incomprehension. It was as if the idea of rejection had never crossed Namgung Myung's mind. Woo Hyuk responded with a sheepish smile.
"Even if you ask me whyâ¦"
[No matter how deeply I consider it, I still donât understand. Why?]
Namgung Myungâs expression made it clearâhe was baffled. To him, this must have seemed like an incredible opportunity.
But to explain it clearlyâ
"Iâm not a member of the Namgung Clan."
It was a simple reason.
Woo Hyuk didnât fully know if this spirit was truly Namgung Myung, nor why he remained in this form here.
But if everything the spirit said was true, and he truly wanted to bestow this âopportunityââ¦
"I canât accept it."
Woo Hyuk had no intention of taking it.
[For such a trivial reason?]
Namgung Myung tilted his head, his confusion plain on his face.
"Trivial? If this is such an extraordinary gift, shouldnât it rightfully go to one of your descendants?"
The Namgung Clan wasnât extinct. They were still one of the Four Great Families, a cornerstone of Zhongyuan.
"And besides⦠I donât know if youâre aware, Senior, but one of your descendants is currently here."
Though both were likely in poor condition, he trusted his friend to handle the situation.
To take this legacy for himself in such circumstances? It was unthinkable.
[Hmm.]
Namgung Myungâs expression turned slightly more serious.
[A descendant, you say.]
The revelation that members of the Namgung bloodline were present here didnât seem to faze him. His reaction was so flat that Woo Hyuk found it unsettling.
"â¦Did something happen between you and your family?"
Unable to suppress his curiosity, Woo Hyuk asked, and Namgung Myung replied with an impassive expression.
[Not particularly. Itâs just that none of it matters to me anymore.]
"What do you mean by that�"
[I mean that I left such attachments behind long ago.]
Left them behind? Did he mean this in a literal sense, as one who had died? Or was there something deeper?
The ambiguity made it hard to interpret, and Woo Hyuk couldnât understand the exact meaning.
[So, youâre refusing my offer?]
"â¦Iâve judged it to be something I shouldnât take."