Return of the Sword Emperor - Chapter 58

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

Chapter 21: The Bi Mu Dae Hoe (1)

“Cough! Cough!”

Nok Rim Tu Wang held a handkerchief to his mouth, his body wracked with violent coughing. When he glimpsed the blood staining the cloth, his face darkened.

‘There’s not much time left now.’

He had endured so many trials rising from a nameless junior member of some forgotten Sanchae to become the leader of Nok Rim itself.
Through sheer perseverance, he had earned the honor of his title, Nok Rim Tu Wang, and transformed what had once been merely a large force into a true power—one possessed not just of numbers but of genuine skill and military strength. Yet time had proven stronger than even he, reducing this once-formidable man to a frail, withering old warrior.

‘So this is what they mean by a fleeting spring dream.’

As Nok Rim Tu Wang released a sigh, overcome by emptiness and bitter regret, someone knocked at the door.

“Leader.”

At the rough, ragged voice, Nok Rim Tu Wang’s stern expression softened slightly.

“Come in.”

The door opened and Hwang Rip, the strategist, stepped through, exhaustion etched plainly across his face. As he sat, Nok Rim Tu Wang noticed the heavy bloodshot in his eyes and tilted his head in question.

“What’s wrong with your eyes? Don’t tell me you’ve grown so old you’ve lost the ability to sleep?”
“I wish that were the case. With my late nights as they are, some cursed fools kept me from sleep entirely.”

Irritation rising, Hwang Rip seized the teacup on the table roughly.

“Tsk, tsk. Which fool has disturbed the strategist’s rest this time?”

A smile played at Nok Rim Tu Wang’s lips—a reaction only Hwang Rip within all of Nok Rim could have drawn from him. Yet Hwang Rip’s own expression remained far from pleased.

“Last night, trouble arose at Heukgol Chae.”
“Heukgol Chae?”
“Yes. Enemies whose identity was unclear—or rather, I can say with certainty they were from Jeongmu Maeng. They infiltrated and there was a major clash.”
“Jeongmu Maeng, you say.”

The playful glint in Nok Rim Tu Wang’s eyes shifted, becoming the gaze of an aging lion.

“And what became of it?”
“The damage to Heukgol Chae is severe. We don’t have exact numbers yet, but the report from Ya Hyo Dae suggests they’ve lost at least half their fighting force.”

Nok Rim Tu Wang’s face hardened like stone.

“Those Jeongmu Maeng dogs made quite the spectacle. But they wouldn’t have acted without reason—and certainly not here in my domain. What was their purpose?”

He was displeased they had run rampant in Nok Rim’s territory, but his curiosity about their motive burned far hotter.

“According to reports, Heukgol Chae was holding prisoners. It appears they came to rescue them.”
“Prisoners? Ha! So it wasn’t Heukgol Chae alone—Madoryeon was involved.”

Nok Rim Tu Wang let out a harsh laugh.
From that single word—prisoners—he had pierced straight to the heart of the matter.

“Precisely. And for what it’s worth, the Madoryeon dogs helping Heukgol Chae were also crushed.”
“Idiots! So in the end, they waded into a fight between Jeongmu Maeng and Madoryeon and paid the price in blood.”

Nok Rim Tu Wang sighed at Heukgol Chae’s foolishness.

“No, you misunderstand. We weren’t trapped—we wouldn’t be in this mess if we hadn’t dragged Madoryeon into the succession dispute from the start.”

Hwang Rip, who had long disapproved of bringing outside forces into Nok Rim’s affairs, rebuked Heukgol Chae’s stupidity sharply.

“What of the Jeongmu Maeng?”
“They succeeded in escaping with those they had held captive in Heukgol Chae. They repelled the Madoryeon forces and broke through Heukgol Chae’s encirclement entirely.”
“Impressive.”
“What’s most remarkable is that Jeongmu Maeng deployed only six people.”

For a moment, Nok Rim Tu Wang’s hand froze mid-reach for his teacup.

“Did you say six?”
“Yes.”
“Merely six of them smashed the Madoryeon dogs and took out half of Heukgol Chae’s forces?”

Even as he posed the question, Nok Rim Tu Wang’s expression betrayed utter disbelief.

“That is correct.”
……

Nok Rim Tu Wang fell silent for a long while.

“What should we do?”

Hwang Rip asked carefully.

“About what?”
“Narrowly speaking, it’s Heukgol Chae’s shame—but more broadly, it could be seen as disrespect toward your authority as Chongchaejoo.”
“Are you suggesting we send the guild’s elite to exact revenge in Heukgol Chae’s stead?”
“Not revenge necessarily, but we ought to show some response. We must consider the eyes of the various Sanchae gathering at Jeonggang Mountain.”

After a moment’s thought, Nok Rim Tu Wang shook his head.

“Forget it. Let the matter be buried.”
“There are quite a few Sanchae that support Heukgol Chae. Considerable discontent may well erupt.”

At Hwang Rip’s worried words, the corner of Nok Rim Tu Wang’s left mouth twitched upward.

“Discontent? How dare they?”

Rather than fear the aura radiating from him, Hwang Rip broke into a pleased smile.

“Tch-tch-tch! I had momentarily forgotten who stands before me. It gladdens my heart to see your old self again, Chongchaejoo.”
“Hmph! Mind your tongue. This matter is done—let those who brought in outside forces handle it themselves. But warn them: if the damage spreads to other Sanchae, there will be no forgiveness.”
“I shall see to it.”
“By the way, have we any word on the Divine Sword?”

At Nok Rim Tu Wang’s question, Hwang Rip lowered his head, embarrassed.

“We have mobilized all of Ya Hyo Dae to investigate, but we’ve found nothing of consequence.”
“I have a bad feeling about this. Packs are gathering from all directions. We must find it before they arrive.”
“I will find it.”

Hwang Rip spoke with resolve, as if steeling himself with a vow—yet his face showed unmistakable uncertainty.

* * *

“How is everyone’s condition?”

Woo Mun Jik stepped through the door and glanced around the room, his face etched with concern.

“It’s fine. Nothing serious at that level.”

Jong Gak raised himself from the sickbed and spoke as if it were nothing.
Yet the bandages wrapped tightly around his torso and the blood that stained them crimson betrayed the true severity of his wounds.

“Tsk, tsk. If an injury of this degree isn’t serious, what exactly would constitute a grave wound?”

Woo Mun Jik clicked his tongue in disapproval and began a methodical examination of his patients’ conditions, though his gaze lingered especially on Yu Geomha, whose wound, though small, had been complicated by poisoning and placed him in the most critical state.

“You were always hovering around the Bo Myeong Dang back when you were with Chongchaejoo. Turns out you’re quite skilled at medicine.”

Jong Gak watched in admiration as Woo Mun Jik felt the pulse with precision, inserted needles with practiced ease, and deftly disinfected the wounds.

“I endured countless insults from Master Hwan Myung Sin Soo just to learn a bit of this accursed medicine. It’s worth something, at least.”

Rather than deflecting with false modesty, Woo Mun Jik spoke with quiet pride in his own ability.

“What about the others?”
“You mean the ones we held prisoner?”
“Yes.”

Woo Mun Jik’s expression clouded for a moment before settling.

“They suffered severe torture, so there will be some lasting effects. But they’ll manage. We should be grateful we got their lives back at all.”
“If only we’d arrived sooner. What happened to the others… that’s a pity.”
“It can’t be helped. It’s the fate of men like us, isn’t it? We all went into this knowing the risks.”

A bitter smile crossed Woo Mun Jik’s face, emotions flickering across it like candlelight.
Then Yu Seollan gently steered the conversation elsewhere.

“Senior, you said that fellow Jeon Woong came by earlier?”
“Yes. He showed up early this morning asking what he’d heard about.”
“What did he want?”

At Jong Gak’s question, Woo Mun Jik let out a snort of laughter.

“What else? He heard his rival Huk Gol Chae got crushed, so he came with his mouth wide open. And then…”

He rummaged through his bag and laid out six large Geum Won Bo.

“He left these, saying it was for our hard work. All this time complaining about not having enough funds, and it was all lies. Besides, it sits wrong with me taking money from bandits.”

Everyone’s eyes widened at the unexpected fortune.

“Money is money, regardless of who gives it.”

Yu Seollan glanced at Jong Gak and reached for the Geum Won Bo, collecting five at first, then hesitantly setting two back down.

“Ha! Don’t worry about it, take them all.”
“No, this is plenty. Give the rest to those who suffered on this expedition.”
“Thank you.”

Without further protest, Woo Mun Jik pocketed the remaining Geum Won Bo. Funds from above never seemed sufficient, and there were always needs to fill.

“Right, there’s something important I almost forgot to mention.”
“Something important?”

At Jong Gak’s question, Woo Mun Jik’s demeanor shifted entirely.

“For some time now, strange rumors have been circulating in this area.”
“What sort of rumors that warrant such a grave expression?”

Jong Gak posed the question lightly, but Woo Mun Jik’s stern face remained unmoved.

“There’s talk that the Divine Sword has appeared near Jeonggang Mountain.”

At the mention of the Divine Sword, not only Jong Gak but everyone whose ears had perked up wore expressions of shock.

‘The Yo Geom Sa Ryeong.’

Dokgo Jin finally bit his lip, as if something he’d long anticipated had arrived.

“On the very day you arrived here, I did hear whispers of it, but it sounded so absurd and groundless that I dismissed it. But do you know what’s remarkable?”

Woo Mun Jik slowly surveyed the assembled group before continuing.

“Last night, word came from the Chongchaejoo. They’ve found the Divine Sword in the Jeonggang Mountain area and ordered proper verification. Moreover, they say countless people are already converging on this place.”
“Is the Jeongmu Maeng mobilizing as well?”
“No, it doesn’t seem to be.”
“Then why aren’t they——”

Jong Gak, about to ask, recalled the origins of the Jeongmu Maeng and how the organization was structured, and let out a bitter laugh.

“They’re moving independently, then.”
“That’s right. You could say everyone and their dog is rushing over.”
“This will be chaos.”

Jong Gak let out a sigh and closed his eyes slowly.
Already, the thick scent of blood seemed to be vibrating in the air.

* * *

Late that night, Gong Ja-gyeol gazed at the moon hanging bright in the sky, lost in thought.
He had sighed until the earth seemed to collapse beneath him, and pondered without finding an answer.
It wasn’t the Bi Mu Dae Hoe scheduled for tomorrow that troubled him.

“Damn it all! What on earth is his intention!”

Gong Ja-gyeol whipped his head around, his frustration bursting forth.
Where his gaze fell lay three pills, each the size of a thumbnail, arranged atop silk spread across the table.

“There was no poison. They are without question elixir pills.”

He had analyzed them countless times, taking only the tiniest amounts, and even consumed them, yet felt no ill effects whatsoever. Rather, the crisp, cool sensation that lingered on his tongue despite the minuscule quantity was distinctly exceptional.

“So why!”

Unable to bear the frustration, Gong Ja-gyeol grabbed his hair and recalled Dokgo Jin, the man who had burdened him with this terrible dilemma.

“He told me not to exert myself in the Bi Mu Dae Hoe. He said not to even think of seizing the Man Geum Sang Dan. The Bi Mu Dae Hoe I can accept, but how could he possibly know we were targeting the Man Geum Sang Dan? Only our uncle and an extremely select few in both the Waryong Chae and Bu Un Chae know of it.”

That an outsider, completely unrelated to him, knew of their designs on the Man Geum Sang Dan was itself a grave matter.
What’s more, though he’d heard it through silent speech at their first meeting, that final remark about a separate trial to determine the successor was something he could not fathom at all.
Yet he couldn’t simply dismiss it—the man’s attitude had been far too serious and earnest.

“True, the Jeongmu Maeng’s intelligence network might know things I don’t… but none of this makes sense.”

Gong Ja-gyeol shook his head violently.

“That’s a denial of Nok Rim’s very tradition. Just recently, the Chongchaejoo declared it himself. You’re talking nonsense!”

Just as Gong Ja-gyeol resolved to dismiss Dokgo Jin’s words, his eyes drifted to the Manyeon Seok Gyun Hwan Yak sitting on the table.

“There is no kindness without a price. Never.”

Gong Ja-gyeol’s eyes flickered as he clenched his teeth. Though he tried to look away, his gaze kept wandering back of its own accord.

“This is driving me mad!”

Gong Ja-gyeol clawed at his hair again.
He found himself thinking that if the inner demon his master always warned him about were to arrive, it would feel exactly like this.
The night grew deeper, but Gong Ja-gyeol’s torment only intensified.

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