Return of the Sword Emperor - Chapter 65

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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 23: Flying Phoenix Ridge (3)

“Halt.”

As the warrior at the front gave the order and the same cry echoed from all sides, the long column of merchants came to a stop.
Jin Hurim, the chief steward of the Manjeum Merchant Group leading the caravan, dismounted, and Ho Jaepyeong, commander of the Geumwidan, approached him.

“This is Heonhwa Pass, Chief Steward.”
“I see. We’ve made good time to reach here already.”

Jin Hurim, who had personally led the caravan for the first time in a long while, nodded as he gazed at the massive boulder shaped like a celestial maiden holding flowers.

“We’ll rest here before moving on.”
“Very well.”

Though their route was pressing, Jin Hurim readily agreed.
Crossing Heonhwa Pass, which belied its name with treacherous terrain, required adequate rest.
As Ho Jaepyeong turned back to relay orders to the waiting Geumwidan, two middle-aged men who had dismounted late approached.

“So this is Heonhwa Pass.”
“Yes. I’ve been here before, but I’d forgotten.”

At Jin Hurim’s words, Namgung Mu shook his head.

“Not exactly. It’s been so long that my memory’s a bit hazy.”
“Have you been here before, sir?”

Namgung Sook, walking shoulder to shoulder, asked the question.

“Years ago. When that fellow was a junior steward on his first caravan.”

Namgung Mu pointed at Jin Hurim and broke into laughter.

“Do you remember how much he trembled?”
“Ha! Who was trembling? It was the dead of winter—I was just cold.”

As Jin Hurim made his excuse with eyes narrowed, Namgung Sook found himself laughing despite himself.

“What’s that laugh? Don’t tell me you think I’m lying.”

When Jin Hurim glared, Namgung Sook quickly waved his hand.

“Ha ha! No, no. I never thought such a thing.”
“Hmph! Lick your lips before you speak.”

Jin Hurim snorted, and his expression shifted as he regarded the Geumwidan encircling the resting merchants and laborers.

“It’s about time they showed themselves.”
“Who? The bandits?”

At Namgung Mu’s question, Jin Hurim nodded with a grave face.

“Not ordinary bandits. Have you forgotten where we are?”
“You said this was the territory of the Buun Bandit Group, one of the Nok Rim Eighteen Strongholds.”
“Exactly.”
“Bandits are bandits, regardless.”

Namgung Mu spoke with audacious indifference even in the heart of the Naso Mountain Range, home to Nok Rim itself.
At such an attitude, Jin Hurim chuckled softly as if he’d never been worried to begin with.

“Whether then or now, it’s true—nothing scares you in this world.”

In that instant, Namgung Mu’s expression hardened.

“Not at all. Those things.”

Namgung Mu pointed to some of the baggage the workers had unloaded.

“You know what those are, don’t you?”

Jin Hurim turned his head and nodded readily.

“How could I not?”
“Those are the betrothal gifts for Yeon A’s wedding. If anything were to happen to them…….”

The thought alone was so terrible that Namgung Mu shuddered.

“Hehe! Your aunt is frightening, I’ll give you that.”
“Is it only Mother? Eldest brother and all the family elders would have my head.”
“Well, it’s not every day. This is the wedding of the household head’s youngest daughter. I understand why you took charge.”
“I didn’t take charge—I was pushed into it.”

Namgung Mu sighed and laughed, gesturing toward Namgung Sook, who was handing him a waterskin.

“The one who volunteered is notorious throughout the family as a fool for his niece.”
“Ha! Whatever you say, but the third brother worried about this shipment more than anyone. And of all times, the Succession War in Nok Rim…….”

Namgung Sook felt Namgung Mu’s eyes sharpen in an instant and quickly stopped himself, turning his head sharply.
Presences closed in from all directions.
At first glance, there were easily two or three hundred of them.

“So the uninvited guests have finally arrived.”

Namgung Mu tossed the waterskin aside, a cold smile crossing his lips.

“Remember this. Negotiation comes first.”

Jin Hurim, arms crossed, steadied Namgung Mu, who was watching the approaching bandits with an icy glare.

“Don’t worry. As long as they don’t cross the line, I have no intention of escalating this.”

Namgung Mu nodded lightly.
He didn’t particularly want to admit it, but the Naso Mountain Range was unmistakably Nok Rim’s domain, and they had their own rules. There was no reason to break those rules unless something serious threatened. For the Manjeum Merchant Group, who would have to cross the Naso Mountain Range again after today, that approach was far preferable.

“As I said before, this is Buun Bandit Group’s territory. Given the times, things may be different from usual, but they still won’t make unreasonable demands.”

Jin Hurim, who had always maintained good relations with Buun Bandit Group, was reassured even as he remained cautious.

“But sir, what if it’s not Buun Bandit Group but someone else?”

Jin Hurim’s expression turned incredulous at Namgung Sook’s question.

“I told you. This is Buun Bandit Group’s territory. If bandits from other strongholds came here and acted recklessly, they’d be the ones in serious trouble.”
“I understand. But sir, as you said, these are unusual circumstances. Those obsessed with the Succession War might ignore such conventions.”
“True enough. And what if those obsessed ones are stronger than Buun Bandit Group? Then we have a real problem, don’t we?”
“That’s so, but…….”

Jin Hurim trailed off, quietly recalling the intelligence he had gathered before departing for Heonhwa Pass.

‘The strongest candidates are Jeon Woong of Baekho Chae and Jo Sa-eung of Heukgol Chae. Jeon Woong had been leading, but Jo Sa-eung’s victory at the Martial Arts Tournament has evened the field between them. The Succession War will only grow more bitter from here on.’

Jin Hurim’s gaze swept across their surroundings.

‘Looking at it now, there are far too many of them. Even accounting for more bandits than usual, this is excessive. Could it be….’

Jin Hurim’s complexion darkened.
As Namgung Sook had suggested, the bandits approaching might not be from Buun Bandit Group but from Baekho Chae or Heukgol Chae instead. Moreover, both Baekho Chae and Heukgol Chae possessed far greater military strength than Buun Bandit Group.

“Don’t worry. It won’t change anything either way.”

Namgung Mu, noticing Jin Hurim’s unease, gently steadied his shoulder. At the same time, he nodded toward the young men who had been watching him.
Beyond the Geumwidan—Manjeum Merchant Group’s own security force tasked with protecting the caravan—others began slowly revealing their presence.
Though merely ten in number, they represented the elite of the Changgung Unit, which symbolized the martial might of the Namgung Family itself, and so their presence was far from negligible.
The bandits, now fully emerged, surrounded Manjeum Merchant Group in moments, yet throughout the process the caravan remained utterly composed.
Moments later, commotion arose from the center, and Jeon Woong strode forward with studied arrogance.

“Who leads this merchant group?”

At Jeon Woong’s shout, Jin Hurim stepped forward.

“I lead the caravan.”

Just then, someone whispered a description of Jin Hurim into Jeon Woong’s ear.

“Ah, so you’re the deputy director of Manjeum Merchant Group.”
“Indeed. But who might you be? You don’t appear to be one of the Buun Bandit Group’s warriors I’ve encountered on these roads before.”
“Warriors, my foot.”

Jeon Woong laughed breezily, puffing out his chest as he spoke.

“We’re from Baekho Chae.”

At the mention of Baekho Chae, Jin Hurim’s pupils flickered slightly.
Just as Namgung Sook had predicted, it was not Buun Bandit Group but one of the fiercest contenders in the Succession War now blocking their path.

‘Negotiations won’t be simple.’

Jin Hurim caught an ominous premonition in Jeon Woong’s arrogant expression and manner—that this might not end with merely a raised passage tax.

“What do you want from us? If it’s a passage tax, we’re prepared to pay whatever you ask.”
“Passage tax? How much did you pay those Buun Bandit Group dogs?”
“Well, that is to say….”

Jin Hurim was about to speak, hoping against hope, when Jeon Woong waved his hand dismissively.

“Never mind that. Our condition is simple.”

Jeon Woong’s eyes, glinting with murderous intent, fixed on Jin Hurim and the Manjeum Merchant Group behind him.

“Set down all your cargo and leave. Do that and no one gets hurt.”
“Isn’t that excessive? We’ve maintained a reasonable relationship with Nok Rim by paying passage taxes all this time.”

At Jin Hurim’s protest, Jeon Woong scraped the inside of his ear while speaking.

“That’s your arrangement with Buun Bandit Group—nothing to do with us. You won’t meet us again after this. Consider yourself unlucky today. Honestly, I’d rather avoid bloodshed, but if you resist….”

He left the threat unfinished, but his meaning came across clearly enough. The moment his words ceased, the bandits surrounding them on all sides erupted in a unified war cry.
The shouts of nearly three hundred bandits shook the walls of Heonhwa Pass, and their menace was potent enough to inspire dread.
Watching Manjeum Merchant Group shrink back in fear, Jeon Woong saw his intimidation work as intended and smiled with satisfaction.
Separate from the assistance Heukgol Chae received from other Sanchae, Baekho Chae had mobilized only a handful of smaller bandits that they commanded like limbs—standing against Manjeum Merchant Group’s advance almost entirely alone. They knew the merchant group had armed forces of their own, but the confidence was there that they could handle whatever came.

‘Roughly thirty, I’d say.’

After a rough count of Geumwidan’s numbers, Jeon Woong concluded that Manjeum Merchant Group would have no choice but to accept his terms. More than that, he decided he ought to help them reach a decision more quickly.
A man caught Jeon Woong’s eye and swaggered forward.

“Cheol Ryung of Baekho Chae. If you’ve got nerve, step up. Let me show you just how generous the Great Prince can be.”

Then it happened.
A flash of steel cut through the air with a piercing shriek, passing cleanly through Cheol Ryung.
Just as Cheol Ryung tried to raise his voice again, not yet understanding what had struck him—
Before he could even wonder why no sound came from his mouth, a torrent of blood fountained upward, and his massive frame crumpled to the ground.
Step. Step.

Namgung Sook walked forward with the leisure of someone taking a stroll, surveying the stunned bandits around him.

“You should have been content with the Passage Tax.”

Namgung Sook leveled his sword at Jeon Woong and declared:

“You want blood? Come on then. The Namgung Family never walks away from a fight that comes to us.”

* * *

The Iron Flail cut viciously through empty air.
Crash!
With a deafening boom that split the ears, dust rose and shattered stone fragments sprayed in all directions.
Yet Mae Gyunsang remained unscathed.
Mae Gyunsang did not rush.
He did not lower his body or retreat far.
Half a step.
As if he had known from the start how the flail would move, he simply sidestepped by half a pace.
Jo Geuk, who retrieved the Iron Flail, bared his teeth.

“You dodge like a little rat!”

Mae Gyunsang made no reply, merely meeting him with an indifferent gaze. The moment he reset his stance, Jo Geuk snarled and charged again.
Boom! Boom!
The earth shook with each footfall.
The Iron Flail in Jo Geuk’s hands was like a raging tempest unleashed.
Each swing tore the air, carrying a force that shattered everything it touched.
Down from above, left to right, and along the diagonals.
It was pure offense, all guard abandoned.
But Mae Gyunsang never once met any of his attacks head-on.
He deflected, dodged, and parried.
Each time the Iron Flail passed, his robes fluttered violently. The crushing air pressure made breathing difficult, yet there was no wavering in Mae Gyunsang’s deep-set eyes.

“Dammit! Let’s see how long you keep running!”

Jo Geuk roared like a beast and pressed the assault even harder.
He sustained wounds from Mae Gyunsang’s counterattacks but paid them no mind.
With the resolve to sacrifice flesh for bone, he drove forward with stubborn fury.
An ordinary martial artist would have been completely overwhelmed by Jo Geuk’s momentum, but Mae Gyunsang was different.
No matter how fierce the attacks came, he escaped crisis after crisis using only minimal distance, minimal motion, minimal force.
Thus the exchange continued for dozens of seconds.
As time wore on, Jo Geuk’s breathing grew ragged. Mae Gyunsang’s respiration, by contrast, scarcely differed from the start.
When Jo Geuk’s Iron Flail rose above his head one more time, unleashing a strike that threw all his remaining strength behind it—
Dokgo Jin, who had been watching Mae Gyunsang and Jo Geuk’s duel from the corner of his eye while dealing with the bandits, felt a spark flash through his gaze.

“It’s over.”

Before Dokgo Jin’s murmur had even faded, Mae Gyunsang launched a counterattack—one that had flawlessly realized the subtlety of Stillness-in-Motion even amid countless perils.
Rather than dodge the Iron Flail plummeting toward his head, Mae Gyunsang drove himself straight into Jo Geuk’s embrace.
The distance vanished in an instant.
Slice!
A single arc of light cleaved the air, followed by an eerie whisper of wind.
Jo Geuk stood motionless.
The Iron Flail, raised high above his head, never came down.
His face was filled with shock, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Thud.
The heavy weight of metal struck the ground.
Jo Geuk stared at his own hand, still gripping the Iron Flail.
Blood surged belatedly from his arm, severed cleanly at the shoulder, and more spilled from the gaping wound that split his chest open.

“So…it comes to this, after all…….”

A hollow murmur escaped Jo Geuk’s lips, and in that same instant, his body—drained of all strength—began to crumble.
A fierce duel, and yet the moment the victor emerged was nothing but a flash, a blink of the eye.
No flourish, no excess—only an endless simplicity and quiet, the blade itself.
This was the sword of the First Master of the Land, the Pillow-Fire Blade Saint Mae Gyunsang.

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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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