The Battle for the Heavenly Sword - Chapter 13

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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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13
Woo Geom-san’s Rise to Power
The Hongjo Bang was one of the Seven Great Water Gates, and they claimed the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River as their base.
It was a place that had firmly established its territory between Punglim Fort at the uppermost reach of the Yangtze River and the Tianjin Escort Agency along the middle and lower reaches.
It was also Woo Geom-san’s first time seeing a Cloud River-Crossing Vessel belonging to the Hongjo Bang.
This was because their territory was entirely different from that of the Woo Family Manor, which was situated where the lower reaches of the Yangtze River intersected with the canal.
From its very inception, the Hongjo Bang differed from other Jianghu sects.
It was a sect naturally formed when sailors and fishermen banded together to protect their own rights and safety.
As time passed, martial artists naturally joined and their influence expanded, but the fact that their roots lay with seafaring men never changed.
Because many of them came from the lowborn class, a lot of people slighted them, but their power was hardly weak enough to be disregarded. No, they were strong.
When martial arts were added to the rough temperament and venom unique to seafaring men, they were reborn as a formidable force that no power could easily provoke.
At the very least, no force existed in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River that could pose a threat to the Hongjo Bang.
Even water bandits did not dare attack the ships of the Hongjo Bang.
For that reason, the vessels operated by the Hongjo Bang did not carry martial artists on board unless something extraordinary occurred. This was because they possessed the confidence to protect their ships with ordinary sailors alone.
Woo Geom-san and Baek Ho-yang purchased their ferry tickets and boarded the vessel.
On the deck, passengers who had boarded earlier were sitting here and there.
Among them, there were individuals who particularly stood out.
“Who are they?”
Woo Geom-san furrowed his brow slightly.
It was because they were people he had already seen once before.
Baek Ho-yang spoke.
“They are the ones we saw on Blacksmith Street.”
They were the people who had brought as many as five carts and purchased over a thousand weapons.
On the deck, there were dozens more individuals who appeared to be their companions.
Every single one of them was a martial artist exuding a fierce aura, and they were scanning the people boarding the ship with sharp eyes.
“Their gazes are fierce.”
“The fact that each and every one of them harbors killing intent means they are no ordinary martial artists.”
Once someone reached a realm like Baek Ho-yang’s, they could discern an opponent’s level just by looking into their eyes.
An intense glint in the eyes, well-developed muscles, and a naturally emanating fierce aura were not things that mediocre, run-of-the-mill martial artists could possess.
Only martial artists who had crossed the boundary between life and death at least several times could naturally project such an atmosphere.
Cowed by their fierce aura, the passengers who had boarded the ship without knowing any better flinched and quietly headed toward the corners.
Although they were curious about the identity of the martial artists, they did not particularly wish to remain near them.
Woo Geom-san and Baek Ho-yang quietly made their way to the opposite side of the deck.
Baek Ho-yang spoke.
“Since we are already on the ship, rest comfortably until we disembark.”
“Yes!”
Woo Geom-san replied and sat down on the floor.
As soon as he took his seat, he pulled out a needle and thread.
Paying no mind to the stares of the people around him, Woo Geom-san practiced threading the eye of the needle.
He had practiced threading the eye of the needle without missing a single day during their journey here, but he had not succeeded even once.
Even so, Woo Geom-san did not lose heart.
It was because even though he had not succeeded, he could feel the movements of his fingers gradually becoming more natural.
Licking the end of the thread, he focused his mind and brought it toward the eye of the needle. However, his attempt failed yet again.
On top of the ship rocking, the wind blew and ruthlessly shook the slender thread.
Even until the Cloud River-Crossing Vessel, fully loaded with people and cargo, left the pier, Woo Geom-san continued to try without rest.
A male sitting on a ship practicing threading the eye of a needle drew the attention of many people. However, as he continued to fail, the onlookers also lost interest and returned to their original places.
Though there was a brief stir like that, Woo Geom-san’s concentration did not falter in the slightest.
Whether people were chattering nearby or not, Woo Geom-san focused solely on the task of threading the eye of the needle.
Baek Ho-yang remained by the side of such a Woo Geom-san.
Right then, the door to the cabin opened and a group of people emerged onto the deck.
“Hmm!”
Seeing the male leading the way, Baek Ho-yang wore an intrigued expression.
It was because the eyes and demeanor of the male, clad in pitch-black martial robes and wearing a Hero Headband embroidered with a pitch-black plum blossom pattern, felt extraordinary.
A powerful force was contained within those eyes, which seemed capable of piercing through everything.
Baek Ho-yang read a colossal ambition within his gaze.
He was glaring forward with a look in his eyes that suggested he would only be satisfied if he devoured everything in the world.
The atmosphere and demeanor of the martial artists following him were also unusual.
In particular, unlike the others, the atmosphere of the martial artist dressed in white clothes was distinct. He possessed a giant frame that was at least a head taller than the others, and his fists, as large as pot lids, were impressive. Those large fists were covered in scars, making it evident that he had trained them for a long time.
The gaze of the male wearing white martial robes was soft, unlike that of the male in pitch-black martial robes, yet he did not look weak either.
The place they headed toward was where the males who had bought weapons on Blacksmith Street were gathered.
‘They must be companions.’
Somehow, he had thought their atmospheres appeared similar.
Baek Ho-yang soon pulled his interest away from them.
Although the male wearing the black plum blossom Hero Headband concerned him a little, it ultimately had nothing to do with him anyway.
It was merely a fleeting encounter.
If he were to continue operating in the Jianghu, he would naturally have to pay attention, but once he left with Woo Geom-san, he would never come out again.
In a sense, this was his first and last journey into the Jianghu.
A single journey into the Jianghu and its battles had left his mind and body exhausted.
He would never step into the Jianghu again until the day he died.
‘Come to think of it, I am truly weak as well. I thought my mental fortitude was stronger than anyone else’s, but it was mere arrogance.’
Baek Ho-yang gazed at the river with a bitter smile.
The Cloud River-Crossing Vessel, carrying all its passengers and cargo, was already moving along the river.
As he was blankly staring at the river like that, he sensed someone approaching.
When he lifted his head to look, he saw the males who had come out of the cabin a moment ago.
It was the male wearing the black Hero Headband and the heavily built male clad in pure white martial robes.
Clasping their hands, they greeted Baek Ho-yang.
“Junior Gwak Pung offers his respects to a senior master of the Jianghu.”
“Junior Ha Baek-jin offers his respects to Senior.”
At their sudden greeting, Baek Ho-yang furrowed his brow slightly and spoke.
“Do you know me?”
“I once saw you together with Great Master Hui Kong at Mount Taemo.”
At the words of Gwak Pung, the male wearing the black Hero Headband, Baek Ho-yang knit his brows.
Mount Taemo was precisely where the main headquarters of the Cheonmyeong Association had been located.
It was there that the elites of the Nine Great Sects had fought a decisive battle for supreme dominance against the Cheonmyeong Association.
Having been at Mount Taemo meant that Gwak Pung hailed from the Nine Great Sects.
Baek Ho-yang’s gaze lingered on the black Hero Headband wrapped around Gwak Pung’s forehead.
To be precise, it was the black plum blossom embroidered on the black Hero Headband.
“Do you hail from the Mount Hua Sect?”
“I am a secular disciple of the Mount Hua Sect.”
“If you went as far as Mount Taemo, you must have been a promising talent even within the Mount Hua Sect. But why is the color of the plum blossom black? The symbol of the Mount Hua Sect should be the white plum blossom.”
“The Mount Hua Sect sealed its gates not long ago.”
“Is that so?”
At Gwak Pung’s reply, an expression of pity naturally surfaced on Baek Ho-yang’s face.
In the war against the Cheonmyeong Association, the Nine Great Sects had suffered immense damage.
The future generation that would lead each sect had been practically annihilated.
It was impossible to recover from the damage within one or two generations. To raise proper disciples, they had to seal their gates for at least several decades.
Even for the survival of the sects, sealing the gates was an unavoidable choice.
The Mount Hua Sect, which was Gwak Pung’s master’s sect, had suffered particularly heavy damage, so the general consensus was that they would have to seal their gates for at least a hundred years.
The reason Gwak Pung had embroidered a black plum blossom onto his Hero Headband was also to mourn the Mount Hua Sect as it sealed its gates.
Although the Mount Hua Sect had not collapsed entirely, it was accepted by him as though it were dead.
That was how great the shock of sealing the gates had been.
Baek Ho-yang’s gaze turned toward Ha Baek-jin, the male dressed in white clothes.
“Do you also hail from the Nine Great Sects?”
“I am a secular disciple of Shaolin. I have also received teachings from Martial Uncle Hui Kong.”
“Ah! So that is how you recognized me. It is a pleasure! My name is Baek Ho-yang.”
Baek Ho-yang revealed his own name.
When he participated in the battle against the Cheonmyeong Association, he had thoroughly concealed his identity. Therefore, even the people who saw Baek Ho-yang’s face did not know his true identity or name.
They had merely speculated that he must be an extraordinary existence, given that he was an individual directly invited by the highly renowned Great Master Hui Kong of the Jianghu.
Both Gwak Pung and Ha Baek-jin had participated in the war against the Cheonmyeong Association and achieved great merit. However, the area where the two of them had fought was far removed from where the Cheonmyeong Association Chief was located, so they had not seen Baek Ho-yang fight firsthand. Thus, they did not know Baek Ho-yang’s true identity or martial prowess.
“Shaolin must have sealed its gates as well?”
“Yes! They have entered into an indefinite sealing of the gates.”
“That is a tragic matter.”
“What else can be done? Since it happened while fighting for the greater good, we should rather think of it as honorable.”
As the Nine Great Sects entered into the sealing of their gates, the individuals left adrift were precisely secular disciples like Gwak Pung and Ha Baek-jin.
The Nine Great Sects had produced countless secular disciples, and they had taken deep root throughout the entire Jianghu.
While the secular disciples who had already established a foundation would face no issues, the future of transitional secular disciples like Gwak Pung or Ha Baek-jin was bound to be rugged.
Baek Ho-yang questioned Gwak Pung.
“If so, are those who are with you also all secular disciples of the Nine Sects?”
“Most of them are. Since making a living alone was bleak, they have gathered around me and we are working as escort guards.”
“Escort guards?”
“Yes! It is the work of protecting merchant groups traveling long distances. Currently, we are protecting the Eunha Merchant Group.”
The Eunha Merchant Group was an incredibly massive merchant group that handled a diverse range of items. Among them, the items they dealt with the most were precisely weapons.
They would buy cheap, high-quality weapons and sell them at high prices to turn a large profit.
Pursuing extreme profits, instead of operating their own escort convoy, they hired outside personnel to protect them.
This was because that method required far less money.
“It must be arduous.”
“Even so, there is much to learn. By being with the Eunha Merchant Group, I am learning a lot about how the world turns.”
“Is that so?”
“When I was learning martial arts at the Mount Hua Sect, I thought that as long as my martial arts were strong, I would live comfortably. But the world is not that simple. I realized that unless backed by wealth and power, an individual’s martial prowess is utterly useless.”
Gwak Pung’s eyes flashed fiercely.
When the Mount Hua Sect had been going strong, there was nothing in the world he feared or dreaded.
This was because everyone respected him solely for the reason that he was a disciple of the Mount Hua Sect. Thus, he had believed that only a path of roses would unfold before his future.
However, it was only after his sturdy background called the Mount Hua Sect vanished that he realized the truth.
The truth was that the world was neither that beautiful nor that easy.
The only reason he had been able to receive respect was solely because he was a disciple of the Mount Hua Sect.
In a short period, he had been swindled and betrayed several times.
Even among those who had stabbed him in the back were his own fellow senior and junior martial brothers.
After that, Gwak Pung lost faith in people.
The people reflected in his eyes were merely monsters blinded by desire. He found them so loathsome that he could hardly bear it.
Most of those gathered by Gwak Pung’s side had shared similar experiences.
Having heard his entire story, Baek Ho-yang spoke carefully.
“Even if public sentiment is like that, I hope you do not hate all people. Because there are still many good people in the world.”
“Most good people seemed to live difficult lives.”
“Hmm!”
“I am sorry. It seems I committed an discourtesy as my emotions became agitated.”
“Not at all!”
Baek Ho-yang shook his head at Gwak Pung’s apology.
Right then, Ha Baek-jin, who was beside Gwak Pung, changed the subject.
“By any chance, is that young brother also Senior’s companion?”
The one he pointed to was Woo Geom-san, who was still wrestling with the needle and thread.
Baek Ho-yang nodded his head.
“He is my grandson.”
“I see. But why is he acting like that with a needle?”
“He suffered a major injury to his hand and is currently undergoing rehabilitation.”
“Ah! I see.”
Only then did Ha Baek-jin wear an understanding expression.
Being a martial artist who had learned martial arts, he comprehended what kind of meaning lay within Woo Geom-san’s bizarre behavior.
Baek Ho-yang lightly tapped Woo Geom-san’s shoulder and spoke.
“Geom-san! Rest from your needlework for a moment and greet these people. They are all disciples of the Nine Great Sects.”
“My greeting is late because I was distracted by something else. I am called Woo Geom-san.”
“It is a pleasure! Young brother. I am called Ha Baek-jin.”
“I am Gwak Pung.”
Unlike Ha Baek-jin, who greeted him warmly, Gwak Pung’s gaze was endlessly cold.

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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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