The Battle for the Heavenly Sword - Chapter 111

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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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111
The Supremacy of Woo Geom-san
The poorly dressed old man said as he set Yun Jin-myeong down.
“It seems he has turned back now.”
“How did you get here, Senior Zhong?”
Yun Jin-myeong asked, rubbing his chest where Woo Geom-san had kicked him.
The old man, addressed as Senior Zhong, replied as he caressed his fishing rod.
“Your father secretly requested that I guard you. He told me to help only in times of crisis.”
“Father did…”
An expression of deep emotion appeared on Yun Jin-myeong’s face.
The name of the old man who had appeared swinging the fishing rod was Zhong Tianyi.
Usually, people called him Senior Zhong.
Senior Zhong’s martial title was the fisherman of Dongting Lake.
He was a rare martial artist who had pacified the entire Dongting Lake region with a single long fishing rod held in his hand.
The fishing rod he held was no ordinary item.
The Dragon Steering Rod.
It was a divine weapon known to be capable of snagging even a dragon.
Up until now, the number of people caught and killed by his Dragon Steering Rod exceeded a hundred.
A few years ago, he suddenly disappeared from Dongting Lake, leading everyone to believe he was dead. However, having grown weary of his long life as a fisherman, Senior Zhong was currently spending his remaining years comfortably, relying on the Yunyo Bang.
Yun Jin-myeong asked cautiously.
“I am grateful to you for saving me, but with your skills, Senior Zhong, couldn’t you have easily killed that fellow?”
If he had killed Woo Geom-san on the spot instead, he wouldn’t have suffered the humiliation of fleeing while slung over Senior Zhong’s shoulder like a piece of luggage.
Senior Zhong looked with an indifferent expression at Yun Jin-myeong, who was staring at him with resentful eyes.
This was because the man who held the title of the Second Young Master of the Yunyo Bang lacked the eyes to properly recognize an opponent’s capacity.
He looked down at the Dragon Steering Rod in his hand.
Bzzzz!
The Dragon Steering Rod, which had been with him his entire life, was still trembling.
In all his decades of facing countless enemies, this was the first time the Dragon Steering Rod had shown such a reaction.
They had clashed only a single time.
Yet, the Dragon Steering Rod was screaming.
Its outward appearance was fine, but its interior must have suffered severe damage.
This was the first time he had received such a shock since acquiring the Dragon Steering Rod.
“Young Master Yun!”
“Speak, Senior.”
“Next time you encounter that man without me, flee without even looking back.”
“What?”
Yun Jin-myeong widened his eyes and stared at Senior Zhong, wondering if he had misheard. However, Senior Zhong’s expression was dead serious.
“Even I have no confidence in winning if I clash with that fellow head-on.”
“But…”
“You must not be fooled by his appearance or age. He is an expert who stands on a completely different plane from any martial artist the Second Young Master has met until now.”
“Just what kind of realm is he in for you to say that…”
“He hides extraordinary capability within ordinariness and can freely control his Internal Strength, so he must be at least above the Peak Realm.”
“Are you saying that at such a young age, he is a Peak Expert?”
“I said he must be above it.”
“Then could it possibly be the Transcendental Peak Realm?”
“It could be, or it could be somewhere between the Transcendental Peak Realm and the Peak Realm. One thing is certain: he is absolutely not below the Peak Realm. If he were of that level, there is no way my Dragon Steering Rod would show such a violent reaction.”
The Dragon Steering Rod was a divine weapon commonly spoken of in the world.
Even Senior Zhong did not know who made it or when.
However, its elasticity, which was proportional to its beyond-imagination strength, and the miraculous utility of its fishing line that could extend nearly a hundred Zhang, were more than enough to classify it as a divine weapon.
Since holding the Dragon Steering Rod, he had never once met a proper opponent.
This was because he never permitted any Domain Distance.
Generally, martial artists who had ascended to a realm above the Peak Realm possessed a sense that allowed them to perfectly feel and control a space ranging from a few Zhang to dozens of Zhang.
The area where this sense reached was called the Domain Distance, and a person who had reached the Peak Realm could usually perfectly dominate a space of about a dozen Zhang.
Naturally, the higher one’s realm became, the wider the Domain Distance grew.
Senior Zhong’s realm was somewhere between the Peak Realm and the Transcendental Peak Realm.
People commonly think that the Peak Realm and the Transcendental Peak Realm are adjacent to each other, but in truth, countless walls exist between them.
Even after entering the Peak Realm, one must break down and surpass numerous walls through bitter training before finally being able to ascend to the Transcendental Peak Realm.
A person who had reached the Transcendental Peak Realm like this could hardly find a match in the Jianghu. No one could stop them unless it was someone who had also reached the same Transcendental Peak Realm.
However, there was a realm even higher than the Transcendental Peak Realm, and that was the Absolute Realm.
In other words, the Zenith Realm.
A realm where one climbs a high peak and has no higher place to ascend.
There were not very many experts who had ascended to such a realm in the current Jianghu.
Senior Zhong was not even in the Transcendental Peak Realm yet, let alone the Absolute Realm.
He had drawn close to the Transcendental Peak Realm, but he had stagnated because he could not cross a single wall.
He, too, was blocked by one of the countless walls existing between the Peak Realm and the Transcendental Peak Realm.
It felt as though he could certainly enter the Transcendental Peak Realm if he could just cross this one wall, but unfortunately, that wall was so large and solid that he had no choice but to give up on piercing it.
Because he had not even entered the Transcendental Peak Realm, he did not know for certain about the Zenith Realm, which was called the Absolute Realm.
He could only roughly guess it through a conversation he once had with an absolute expert he met at Dongting Lake.
The essence of the Zenith Realm was completion, not transcendence.
When one ascends to this realm, they completely understand every stance and mental law of martial arts, allowing them to use martial arts efficiently without any waste.
They could even dismantle and reassemble martial arts on the spot to complete them in the most efficient form.
It was truly a great realm that would not be overshadowed even if one were called a Great Grandmaster.
However, if one were to ask whether the Absolute Realm was the end of martial arts, that was not the case either.
Experts who had ascended to the Absolute Realm all vaguely came to know that a realm lay beyond it.
However, it was said that the path leading to the new realm was so incredibly far and arduous, and even finding the direction was so blinding, that they did not dare to summon the courage to advance.
After reaching the Absolute Realm, no matter how much one cultivated, their martial arts would not dramatically develop or improve.
It was almost impossible to increase one’s strength through ordinary cultivation.
From then on, it could truly be called the domain of enlightenment.
Since one could look down upon the world merely by ascending to the Absolute Realm, it was said that most people who reached this realm chose one of four paths.
Silently walking, or laying down the sword.
Changing the path, or touching a taboo.
Senior Zhong did not know exactly what those meant.
This was because the absolute expert who had come to fish at Dongting Lake had only spoken that far, as if venting his frustrations.
Senior Zhong did not know which path that absolute expert had chosen after that. This was because they never met again.
It was around that time that Senior Zhong left Dongting Lake.
This was because he instinctively felt that even if he stayed at Dongting Lake any longer, his realm would never rise any further.
Just as a moment of choice comes to an expert who has ascended to the Absolute Realm, a moment of choice came to him as well, and he chose the comfort of his later years.
That was why the place he entered was the Yunyo Bang.
A choice to spend his later years comfortably while occasionally granting the requests of the Chief of Yunyo Bang.
Although the growth of his martial arts had stopped, Senior Zhong was fully satisfied with his life in the Yunyo Bang.
At least, until he met Woo Geom-san just a moment ago.
The boy was around the same age as Yun Jin-myeong, but the depth of his accumulated Internal Strength and gongfu was absolutely not inferior to Senior Zhong’s.
It was truly a monstrous talent and martial capability.
Senior Zhong’s Domain Distance was well over a hundred Zhang.
This was thanks to the fraudulent divine weapon known as the Dragon Steering Rod.
The entire area reached by the fishing line, which was over a hundred Zhang in length, could be considered his Domain Distance.
Although it was thanks to the divine weapon called the Dragon Steering Rod rather than his own pure ability, at any rate, he could perfectly control a space of about a hundred Zhang.
Yet, Woo Geom-san breached his space simply by throwing a sword.
If he had not experienced it firsthand, he would never have believed it.
He gave Yun Jin-myeong a serious piece of advice.
“Young Master Yun, absolutely abandon any thought of doing anything to that man through a head-on confrontation. You are remarkable too, Young Master Yun, but that man has already surpassed the category of being remarkable.”
“Then are you telling me to back down like this?”
“Personally, I wish you would. But there is no way you would back down so easily.”
“That is right. I cannot back down like this without any results. If that fellow returns safely to the Woo Family Manor, it will become even more impossible to seize the shipping rights.”
“Mmh!”
“We have plotted a grand scheme for over ten years to secure the shipping rights. It is right on the verge of completion now, so I cannot give up and back down because of a single person.”
“…”
Because Yun Jin-myeong’s words were reasonable, Senior Zhong could not refute them.
The Yunyo Bang had long coveted the shipping rights of the Woo Family Manor. This was in order to use it as a stepping stone to soar even higher.
They were confident that if they only had the shipping rights, they could grow their power beyond that of the Ten Pillars, who could be considered the ruling forces of the current Jianghu.
The problem was that the Yunyo Bang was not the only one eyeing the shipping rights of the Woo Family Manor.
From what he knew, several factions were scheming out of covetousness for the shipping rights. Surpassing them all to take control of the Woo Family Manor was by no means an easy task.
That was why they had invested a long period of time to carry out their grand scheme.
“I cannot allow ten years of time to turn into bubbles.”
“Then what do you intend to do?”
“We must stop him from returning to the Woo Family Manor.”
“But with your strength alone…”
“He is alone, but I have the Yunyo Bang. And the Tianjin Escort Agency is helping us.”
“Mmh!”
“And don’t I also have you, Senior Zhong? Surely you won’t reject my request?”
Yun Jin-myeong stared intently at Senior Zhong.
Senior Zhong clicked his tongue inwardly.
‘Tsk! I relied on the Yunyo Bang because I didn’t want to get caught up in bothersome matters, yet I’ve been swept into a real headache.’
He had no just cause to refuse.
Originally, that was what guests were.
Although they seemed to live in luxury without any responsibilities normally, they could not refuse when the sect they relied upon made such a request.
After all, they had to repay the debt of being fed and sheltered.
Concealing his inner thoughts, Senior Zhong asked.
“So, what do you intend to do?”
“I will use the Tianjin Escort Agency to completely block off the waterway.”
To get to the Woo Family Manor, one absolutely had to pass through the territory managed by the Tianjin Escort Agency.
Without the permission of the Tianjin Escort Agency, no boat would be able to pass through this territory.
If they blocked the waterway without a proper just cause, it would create conflict with the sects that utilized it, but that was a matter to be resolved later.
As long as they handed out compensation in some form, most matters would be settled.
That is, if they could eliminate Woo Geom-san before the conflict grew too large to patch up.
“You mean you will block the waterway to force him to detour by land.”
“Then we will be able to buy at least ten more days.”
“Mmh!”
“Within that time, we just need to mobilize more experts to eliminate him.”
Yun Jin-myeong’s eyes gleamed with murderous intent.
Even if it wasn’t a matter of the shipping rights, he had absolutely no intention of forgiving Woo Geom-san, who had handed him the humiliation of defeat for the first time in his life.
‘You’d better absolutely abandon any thought of dying peacefully, Woo Geom-san!’
***
“The Hongjo Bang suffered great damage all because of us. I am sorry.”
“Not at all. This is because those bastards from the Tianjin Escort Agency completely crossed the line. This is absolutely not something for you to apologize for, Young Master Woo.”
At Woo Geom-san’s apology, Captain Mak replied with a deferential expression.
Many sailors were injured due to the attack by the Tianjin Escort Agency.
Fortunately, no one died, but several were in critical condition, so they needed to find a doctor quickly to get them treated.
They were all lying on the deck, receiving care from their comrades.
Woo Geom-san said to Captain Mak.
“May I take a look at them for a moment?”
“I would rather request that of you instead. If you would do that, I would be truly grateful.”
Captain Mak knew for a fact that Woo Geom-san was a doctor skilled enough to treat Ha Yeong-ryeong.
There was no reason to refuse when he volunteered to look after his subordinates.
Woo Geom-san examined the sailors who were groaning as they lay on the floor one by one.
Fortunately, their major organs were not damaged, so it seemed that Sinmyeonggo and Hongeun Bowon-dan would be sufficient for treatment.
Woo Geom-san applied a generous amount of Sinmyeonggo to the sailors’ wounds and then had them ingest the Hongeun Bowon-dan.
Seeing the sailors, who had been writhing in pain until just a moment ago, visibly find stability after Woo Geom-san’s treatment, Captain Mak marveled.
‘His medicine has truly reached a miraculous realm. To think they would improve so quickly.’
There was a doctor in the Hongjo Bang as well. However, it was impossible for anyone else to improve patients so rapidly.
Having administered emergency treatment, Woo Geom-san approached Captain Mak.
“They won’t get any worse, so if you find a skillful doctor to treat them, they will heal in no time.”
“Thank you for your great help, Young Master Woo!”
“Not at all. It is damage suffered because of us, so I am only sorry that I cannot treat them further.”
Woo Geom-san replied with an apologetic expression.
This was because the Hongjo Bang would not have fallen into such a difficult predicament if they had not been on the boat.
Looking around his surroundings for a moment, Woo Geom-san said.
“It seems that utilizing the Yangtze River any further will be impossible. If you drop us off at a nearby shore, we will walk.”
“I am only sorry that I cannot escort you further.”
“Not at all. Thanks to you, we traveled comfortably up to this point. Thank you.”
Woo Geom-san offered a cupped hand salute to Captain Mak, expressing his gratitude for the hard work up to now.
Captain Mak also offered a matching cupped hand salute filled with respect.
“I will pray that you return safely to the Woo Family Manor. If you request it in the future, Young Master Woo, no matter where I am, this Captain Mak will steer a boat and rush to you. Just call for me.”
“I am grateful even just for your words.”
“I will show you later that it is not just words.”
A firm resolve was contained within Captain Mak’s words.
Sailors do not give their hearts easily, but once they do, they will rush for a friend even to the ends of the sea.
Today, Woo Geom-san became such a presence to Captain Mak.

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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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