Namgoong the Sword Ghost - Chapter 154

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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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Chapter 154. The Sword Demon Considers His Strategy
A fortnight had passed since the opening of Baekmu Academy, which now commanded the attention of the entire Martial World.
In the Principal’s Office, Geum Jeong, the Amipa Divine Sword, asked Dam Hae, the Unbreakable Golden Arhat.
“How are things progressing?”
“So far, there have been no significant problems. Classes are proceeding smoothly.”
“Any external interference?”
“None detected. However, the military forces brought by the students’ sects and clans are clashing throughout Uichang, or so I hear.”
“We have no grounds to intervene there. Those are matters occurring outside the academy.”
“True enough, though…”
As Dam Hae’s brow furrowed, Geum Jeong smiled and spoke.
“The world oscillates between stillness and motion. Before order takes root anywhere, chaos reigns supreme—that is the law. Uichang will flourish all the more for it.”
“I worry the common people might suffer losses.”
“The residents of Uichang are welcoming the academy’s opening with open arms. Tens of thousands of warriors are flowing in, and as a result, business is booming.”
Geum Jeong’s words were truth.
Currently, Uichang was developing at a rapid pace.
The news of Baekmu Academy’s opening had caused commerce to explode—inns, restaurants, textile shops, herb merchants, lodging houses, all swelling their trade.
“Jeongjusan itself was never a developed city. Yet after the Murim Alliance and Baekga Maeng established their headquarters, it came to be called one of the Three Cities of Henan. This place will follow a similar course.”
“I trust your foresight. I am but a humble monk; such worldly matters escape me.”
Dam Hae scratched his shaven head as he spoke.
Geum Jeong, as Amipa’s sect leader and keen to the currents of the age, surely understood better than he—a man who had spent a lifetime as one of Shaolin’s Four Diamond Kings, knowing only cultivation.
“What concerns me is what order will be established in Uichang. Yesterday, Hu Gae mentioned that all five of the great information organizations of Zhongyuan have infiltrated the city.”
“What!”
Dam Hae let out a startled exclamation at this news.
The five great information organizations of Zhongyuan meant Kaibang, Jeogan Bigak, Geum Yi Jeon, Hao Mun, and Dongchang.
Kaibang’s presence was expected—Hu Gae was here. Jeogan Bigak had likely been dispatched by Gucheon Seong, who kept close watch on Baekmu Academy, to gather intelligence.
Geum Yi Jeon, being spirit-merchants who appeared wherever money gathered, would naturally be eyeing this thriving city. Hao Mun existed everywhere anyway.
The problem was the remaining one.
“Dongchang is operating in Uichang?”
“Yes.”
“But why would they…”
“The exact reason is unclear, but with tens of thousands of warriors gathering at the academy, it bears watching.”
At Geum Jeong’s words, Dam Hae’s brow creased deeper.
“Still waters should not invade the river’s flow. Each has its place.”
“According to Hu Gae, there is nothing to worry about. Rather than infiltrating agents into the academy itself, they seem to be searching for something outside its walls.”
“Searching for something?”
“Whether it is a person or an object, I cannot say. But if they need assistance, they will reach out first.”
A relaxed smile played at the corners of Geum Jeong’s lined lips.
Though Dongchang was an official agency serving the realm, Baekmu Academy was backed by both the Murim Alliance and Baekga Maeng.
It was not something they could easily touch.
The initiative lay with them.
“And the students? How are they faring?”
Geum Jeong set aside external matters and turned to internal affairs.
Dam Hae then spoke.
“Classes proceed well enough, but beneath the surface, fierce competition has begun.”
“Oh?”
“Two factions in particular stand out—the Nakjeon Faction and the Guangfeng Faction.”
“Swift work.”
Geum Jeong nodded.
Given that the stage for competition had been set from the start, such a development was inevitable.
Still, divisions had formed far faster than anticipated.
“The Nakjeon Faction is a coalition centered on Namgung Ho Yeon, the Thunder God Broad Dragon, supported mainly by students from the spring and summer cohorts.”
“Namgung Ho Yeon.”
“The Guangfeng Faction is a force centered on Ak San Gun, the Explosive Heaven Mighty Elephant, with students from the autumn cohort joining their ranks.”
“Ak San Gun.”
“Beyond these, Mo Yong Cheol, the Swift Blade Without Form, leads the Seolmu Faction in drawing neutral factions to his side.”
“Mo Yong Cheol. Mmm, all three are later generation disciples from Baekga Maeng. I anticipated this, but the imbalance is pronounced indeed.”
Geum Jeong exhaled softly.
The very thing the Murim Alliance had feared was coming to pass.
‘It cannot be helped. Later generation disciples from the great sects are versed in the arts of gathering and division, in calculation.’
Students from sect origins like the Five Mountain and One Sword lineages often lacked flexibility in their thinking.
Perhaps being cooped up in the mountains studying has made me rigid in my thinking?
“The later generation disciples from the Murim Alliance tend to gather in groups of fellow sect members. Among them, the Jongnam Sect is actively recruiting outside talent.”
“Jongnam, I see. At least they’re secular-minded compared to others. And the other sects?”
“The Owak Sword Sect is making moves as well, though their results seem modest. Now, the Huashan Sect is rather different.”
“The Huashan Sect?”
Geum Jeong’s eyes brightened with anticipation.
The Huashan Sect was a place that had barely clung to existence since the Sword Demon’s blood purge.
Was she saying that this shrunken sect had actually produced results here at Baekmu Academy?
But Dam Hae’s next words contradicted her expectations.
“Yes, the Huashan Sect has thrown their support behind the Nakjeon Faction without hesitation.”
“Ah…….”
“As a result, some of the Murim Alliance disciples have begun treating them as traitors, it seems.”
……
Geum Jeong fell silent for a moment, then shook her head slowly.
‘They’re simply seeking a path to survival. There’s no reason to judge them harshly for it.’
To condemn the Huashan Sect as traitors made no sense.
There had been several calls from the Murim Alliance hierarchy to support the declining Huashan Sect, but each time such voices were silenced.
One could hardly blame them for seeking their own way out.
“Please ensure that the factionalism among the students doesn’t become too heated.”
“I will bear that in mind.”
“Phew. I have a feeling this first semester will be the real test.”
Geum Jeong let out a small sigh.
In truth, she detested being saddled with such headache-inducing affairs, but there was no help for it given Geol Wang’s circumstances.
‘He said this was the best way to maintain balance between the two alliances.’
According to Geol Wang, this was an agreement reached between the leaders of the Murim Alliance and the Baekga Maeng.
Simply put: the Baekga Maeng couldn’t commit many elite forces to the instructors’ division due to the Gubaek Sheng Pae, and
the Murim Alliance’s later generation disciples would struggle to dominate the Student Council, so both sides would compromise with mutual concessions.
‘It unfolded exactly as they predicted. Sigh—if this is how it’s going to be, we might as well have established a new joint Baekga-Murim Alliance from the start.’
Geum Jeong’s heart was unsettled by the various political entanglements and power struggles, the way young people were being drawn into factional disputes for the sake of older interests.
But soon she shook off the dark thoughts and posed another question.
“Master Dam Hae, have you noticed any promising later generation disciples?”
“……Yes, there is one.”
“Oh? Who might that be?”
“Namgung Ho Yeon.”
Dam Hae continued, gazing at his own fists.
“In the sparring match with Hak Gyeong of the Red Fire Martial Art, the martial prowess he displayed was nothing short of shocking. But what troubles me more is the killing intent he emanates.”
“Killing intent?”
“A murderous resolve that far exceeds what you’d expect from a later generation disciple. The intent directed wholly at me bore the very visage of an Asura.”
At Dam Hae’s words, Geum Jeong’s brows twitched.
If someone of Dam Hae’s caliber—among the Thirty-Six Sovereigns of the Hundred and Eight Cities of the Heavens—felt that way, it must be certain.
‘That’s different from what Nan A told me. She said Namgung Ho Yeon was someone with deep feelings and warmth…….’
Geum Jeong found herself intrigued by these contradictory assessments.
“Namgung Ho Yeon, then…….”
* * *
“Ahem! Footwork is the foundation of all things. To understand the body’s movement, one must master footwork. And within that, understanding foot patterns allows each step to carry true purpose.”
An elderly man with a head of white hair lectured in a crisp, authoritative voice.
In the Martial Practice Hall, about twenty later generation disciples sat in dark martial robes.
They were students of the same Black Bamboo Group.
‘Yo Gyeon from the Great Emptiness Dojo!’
‘A master from the previous generation, they say?’
‘Kunlun’s footwork is unsurpassed under heaven.’
‘Truly, Baekmu Academy will have much to teach us.’
The students gazed at the sage Yo Gyeon with brilliant, sparkling eyes—all except two, whose gaze was as dull as that of dead fish.
“Ugh. I have to sit through this again…….”
One of them was Gwang Myeong from Kunlun.
“Hmm. What did we have for lunch today?”
The other was Ho Yeon.
‘At first I thought there might be some clue to Ascension, so I paid attention. But why does he have to make it sound so complicated? Is this how everyone learns martial arts?’
For Ho Yeon, every class at Baekmu Academy was unbearably tedious.
No life-and-death stakes, no deadly challenges—just quiet, sterile instruction.
It simply didn’t suit his nature.
“Ahem! First, the Parallel Step—also called the natural stance—is a preparatory posture where you bring your feet together and stand with concentrated focus. From there, you progress to the Open Step, spreading your feet to shoulder width apart. Now, depending on whether your toes point straight ahead or take on the shape of the character for eight, the intended purpose changes……”
Yo Gyeon’s lecture.
Understanding of Footwork Patterns deepened in earnest.
Namgung Ho Yeon’s eyes began to droop as if he’d caught a whiff of sleeping incense.
‘Damn it, this crazy Daoist. Is this sorcery?’
Shaking his head vigorously, Ho Yeon managed to pull himself back to attention and his mind began to wander elsewhere.
‘Right, Geol Wang told me to go find Hu Gae and ask for his help. He said he’s someone who knows about the Society, too.’
Ho Yeon hadn’t forgotten why he’d come to Baekmu Academy.
His purpose was to root out the Society’s secret agents and prevent them from seizing control of the Student Council, and by extension, the Academy itself.
‘For now, I have two methods to identify the Society’s agents.’
First, there’s finding those who’ve received Jiseon’s Secret Art.
Normally, the Upper Dantian is a smooth, round sphere like jade, but those who’ve received Jiseon’s Secret Art have an Upper Dantian that’s tattered like torn scraps of paper.
‘But if the opponent has already mastered the Yeongryeok Byeongjang, I can’t peek freely at will. In my case, I use the Uigi Yeondong to make educated guesses by striking appropriately.’
The Uigi Yeondong had unparalleled versatility, but that very breadth came at the cost of depth in any single domain.
Unless there existed a Spirit Ability User specialized in detection who could see through even the Yeongryeok Byeongjang, it would be difficult for now.
‘The second method is to find half-baked Ascended Masters like Guangfeng and Chu Eum who’ve forcibly ascended through the Life-Death Gate.’
Ho Yeon recalled the mysterious voice he’d heard about through Chu Eum’s Private Blade Techniques.
“Hehehehe, I am the one who will pull you all up and over the wall.”
So the Society’s leader could forcibly elevate others to Ascension.
If someone had met him directly and undergone Ascension, they’d likely be a secret agent of considerable importance to the Society.
‘But this is ambiguous too. In the end, the bastard has to draw out his Qi Force, and if he’s got any brains, he might’ve already smoothed out some of the imbalance between conception and governing vessels.’
Ho Yeon had been in such a situation once himself.
At first, he’d used Chaotic Qi—the tangled energy of scattered stars—and had come close to death several times against masters who could strike his weak points before refining his Qi Force through repeated trials.
‘Hmm, but it’s not like there’s no method at all?’
Both the first and second methods required the opponent to act first before he could assess them.
So what if he pressured them into acting? Wouldn’t they have to move?
‘Hehehehe, so Geol Wang’s method wasn’t entirely wrong after all. If you keep poking around, eventually they’ll show their tail, won’t they?’
Ho Yeon recalled an excellent example and smiled.
Conveniently, the perfect circumstances were already at hand.
‘I should call that water beetle. I’m dying of boredom—might as well stir things up while I’m at it!’

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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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