Chronicles of the Martial God’s Return - Chapter 24

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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***

“…….”
The woman stood amid a crowd of countless people.
They hurled curses and stones at those being dragged away by the constables, their rage pouring forth without restraint.
The constables and magistrate had descended upon the village below Cheonja Mountain and routed the Black Sword Society’s forces.
Considering that the Murim Alliance, along with countless other organizations, had failed repeatedly in their attempts to locate and eliminate the Black Sword Society’s headquarters, this was nothing short of extraordinary.
The sight of them was ghastly.
It was enough to turn one’s stomach.
‘Something isn’t right.’
A woman standing among the enraged crowd narrowed her eyes in suspicion. The Black Sword Society’s members numbered roughly two hundred, and the constables appeared to be in similar numbers.
Yet while the constables possessed only third-rate martial skills, those men ranged from second-rate to first-rate, and the Black Sword Society’s leader was reputed to be a master of the highest caliber.
And yet the Black Sword Society had been subdued without a single casualty?
It was impossible.
‘That the Black Sword Society was even here was nothing but conjecture—something even the Jegal Family’s strategist couldn’t confirm. How did that magistrate discover it?’
Namgung Sohye, commander of the Phoenix Unit of the Murim Alliance.
A woman possessed of undeniable genius in the martial arts, she held the position of unit commander while barely past twenty, and expectations were high that she would continue to grow and one day rise to the rank of Sword Saint.
Even among the promising talents of the martial world, her prowess stood out, and now her mind churned with questions.
“Tell me—did that magistrate really subdue the Black Sword Society?”
“Pardon?”
Namgung Sohye turned to the person beside her, her question hanging in the air. No matter how she reasoned through it, the situation made no sense.
But the man to whom she’d spoken simply turned away without answering.
The others did the same.
As if they knew something but had been sworn to silence.
Their lips remained stubbornly sealed.
Namgung Sohye sighed quietly and left the scene. With the constables on high alert, eyes wide and watchful, there was no point stirring up trouble needlessly.
The government and the martial world were, after all, best kept apart.
‘First, I need to report this to the Alliance.’
An incident of this magnitude would be known swiftly enough without sending a courier bird. The fall of the Black Sword Society itself was momentous news.
And it was her duty to spread word of it faster than anyone else.

***

“Wow—is this something you eat?”
Dan Uhyun had returned to the manor bearing gifts of food, which he now presented. Having been away for days, he’d brought them as a peace offering for Hwa Somi’s sake.
The collection was filled with things to delight a child.
Sweet candy, taffy, dumplings—all of it.
Each item came from an expensive shop, and each tasted exquisite. The demand was such that one had to stand in line to purchase them, so it was clear how much effort Dan Uhyun had expended.
Hwa Somi’s face, which had been somber these past days, now bloomed with joy. Though the food itself was welcome, the sight of Dan Uhyun’s face delighted her even more.
Hwa Somi sat gently upon Dan Uhyun’s lap as he reclined on the veranda, a gesture so endearing that he reached out to stroke her head tenderly.
“Hehe.”
“Have you been well?”
Hwa Somi nodded without speaking.
Seeking the warmth of his presence, she nestled deeper into his embrace, rubbing her face against his chest.
She resembled a kitten seeking its mother’s comfort.
“Good, that’s good.”
Hwa Somi popped a piece of sweet candy into her mouth and nibbled at it contentedly, her bright smile refusing to fade.
“Is it tasty?”
Hwa Somi nodded again. The sticky candy left traces around her lips, which Dan Uhyun gently wiped away—and her face grew even brighter.
Delicious food was pleasant, and playing was pleasant, but being with Dan Uhyun was pleasanter still.
Hwa Somi, who had felt a deep emptiness these past days without him at her side, now gripped the fabric of his sleeve with determination, as if she would never let go.
“Now that I think of it, you seem to have grown a bit thinner over these few days?”
“Ah, Jang did something called practice? And I did it with him!”
“I see…….”
What Jang Samtae was learning was the common Taiji Fist sold in the marketplace. Yet under Dan Uhyun’s guidance, its form had shifted somewhat, making it difficult for Hwa Somi to master.
“Did you find it enjoyable?”
“Hmm, I’m not sure. It was just hard.”
Dan Uhyun laughed aloud at that, a warm chuckle escaping him.
It would certainly be difficult. This was no ordinary martial art—it had been modified to suit Jang Samtae’s particular style, so there was no reason it should fit Hwa Somi’s constitution.
Just as one tailors clothes to an individual’s frame, so too must martial arts be learned according to the body and nature of the one who practices them.
For this child, Jang Samtae’s martial art was beyond reach.
“Where did you put that book you took with you last time?”
“Oh, you mean that strange picture book?”
Dan Uhyun nodded, and Hwa Somi rose from her seat with a small grunt. She hurried to her room in quick, eager steps and returned carrying the Saejaeswordtechnique manual that Jang Samtae had purchased.
“The Saejaeswordtechnique……”
“That uncle said this was a really cheap martial art.”
Dan Uhyun smirked.
The Saejaeswordtechnique.
Heaven is a vertical slash, Earth is a horizontal slash, and Human is a thrust.
This was the foundation of the Wudang Sect—its very bedrock.
And there was profound meaning in such foundations.
“Long ago, there was one born under the Three Disasters.”
“The Three Disasters?”
“Three calamities. Wherever he went near water, floods would rise. Near fire, conflagrations would break out. Even standing still, he could unleash windstorms upon the land.”
“How did such a person survive?”
Dan Uhyun chuckled softly. “Well, that’s the question, isn’t it? In any case, he was born uniquely cursed. Everyone thought he would surely die before his twentieth year.”
Hwa Somi’s eyes gleamed with fascination.
She loved old tales—there was no mistaking it. She fixed him with those bright, eager eyes and silently pleaded for the rest of the story.
“So he devoted himself to Daoism to atone for his karma, and in time, he grasped the principle of Taiji. The Three Disasters, too, became something he could command as naturally as breathing.”
Dan Uhyun rose smoothly to his feet.
He picked up a fallen twig from the ground and took a shallow breath. Hwa Somi watched intently, unsure what he meant to do, and then he brought the twig down in a sharp vertical motion.
Whoosh—!
“Huh?!”
As he drew the blade downward, flame erupted along the twig. Then, moving with fluid grace, he swept the blade horizontally, and a cool, refreshing gust of air washed over them—the fire on the branch extinguished as if doused in water.
Finally, he recovered the twig and delivered one last, light strike.
Crack-boom—!
From the end of the twig, a massive torrent of wind erupted like a gale, sweeping across the Manor and scattering in all directions.
“I… I can’t…!”
Hwa Somi stood speechless.
Before her very eyes, Dan Uhyun commanded fire and water, even summoning the wind itself. He seemed like an immortal sage from the old stories.
“This is what the Saejaeswordtechnique truly is.”
Dan Uhyun smiled knowingly.
One of the Three Heavens.
Tae Gongjin.
A figure from some thousand years past, during the era when Dan Uhyun walked the earth, and a master who had made his name as the standard-bearer of the Orthodox Faction.
As one of the Three Heavens capable of contending with Dan Uhyun himself, he had commanded legions of devoted followers—or so Dan Uhyun recalled.
When Tae Gongjin first emerged into the Central Plains, the Saejaeswordtechnique was the first martial art he created. How it came to be attributed to the Wudang Sect, Dan Uhyun could not say, but there was no denying it held a place of longing in his heart.

***

The world trembled with profound upheaval.
The Black Sword Society, which had lurked in shadow for so long, had crumbled.
What astonished everyone most was that the one who brought it down was not the Murim Alliance, nor any organization of the Unorthodox Faction—but the Magistrate of Akyang.
And the fact that not a single life was lost became proof of the Magistrate’s extraordinary strategic brilliance, a reputation that spread far and wide.
The Murim Alliance.
The absolute symbol of the Orthodox Faction and the dream destination of every orthodox practitioner.
Within its grand headquarters, the Nine Major Sects and One Alliance, or perhaps the Eight Great Families, and beyond them the vast network of hands that sustained the Murim Alliance itself, all gathered in one place.
“Hmph, so the Phoenix Unit Master’s letter was no fabrication, then.”
Jegal Wun, he who was called the head of the Murim Alliance.
He was one of the central pillars of the Eight Great Families, and a member of the Jegal Family—a house known as having no rival in intellect.
He scratched his head with an awkward smile.
“Surely you don’t believe that, do you, Director Jegal?”
Moyong Chun, the patriarch of the Moyong Family, fixed Jegal Wun with a displeased look. The Director seemed to be laughing at something absurd, which clearly rankled him.
“Well, that’s merely what the letter suggests. In any case, this much is now certain.”
“And what is that?”
“That there is a master of considerable skill near that Magistrate.”
“A master… a master, you say…”
Frowns creased foreheads throughout the chamber.
It made sense—otherwise the story wouldn’t hold together. Everything this Magistrate had accomplished so far was simply too difficult for a man of his rank to achieve alone.
“Who could he be…… Who could he be…….”
“Perhaps one of those we’re already hunting?”
“No, I doubt it. Among those openly proclaimed, there aren’t many bold enough for such daring deeds.”
“Then what in the world…….”
“We’ll have to investigate from now on. Whether he’s someone favorably disposed toward us, or not…….”
Jegal Wun murmured the words with a grave expression.
The Martial World held countless Eccentric Recluses. So it wasn’t strange for a hidden master to emerge from obscurity.
But for the Orthodox Faction—and the Murim Alliance—this was a matter requiring verification.
Whether this nameless figure was an enemy, or someone with whom they might stand together.
Of course, such thoughts weren’t exclusive to the Murim Alliance.
Perhaps the various factions would move all at once.
Conflict was something to prepare for.
A talent capable of crushing the Black Sword Society without leaving a trace was not common to find.
Which meant they had to locate him faster than anyone else, and bring him into their fold.
The Murim Alliance Lord let out a brief sigh and opened his mouth.
“Send the Phoenix Unit Commander to search for him.”
“Understood.”
Jegal Wun bowed deeply.
A perfect decision.
Though the Murim Alliance had branches elsewhere, the Phoenix Unit Commander was ideal for this task. Surely the other factions had dispatched formidable people as well.
‘The Martial World will grow turbulent.’
Jegal Wun exhaled softly and turned away.
There was no time.
They had to move as quickly as possible.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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