The Battle for the Heavenly Sword - Chapter 46

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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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46
The Struggle of Woo Geom-san
“In the end, you discovered absolutely nothing.”
“I am deeply sorry.”
Sado Cheong replied with a contorted expression of remorse to So Seol-yeong’s questioning.
A full day had already slipped away since the assassination attempt on her life.
A multitude of events had unfolded throughout that single day.
Sado Cheong had moved swiftly and decisively to unmask the mastermind behind the assassination.
Thanks to Jin Seo-ho, they had discovered that Go San-gyeong was connected to the Cheongmun Gang.
Sado Cheong and the Escort Guards had immediately stormed the Cheongmun Gang and thoroughly broken the Gang’s chief, Oh Gang-yeol.
They interrogated the wounded Rogue Warriors and Oh Gang-yeol alike, but the mastermind pulling Go San-gyeong’s strings remained shrouded in darkness.
The sole harvest from their efforts was confirming Go San-gyeong’s true identity through the vagrants.
So Seol-yeong spoke with a hardened, icy expression.
“The very moment we return to the Main Headquarters, execute a sweeping, large-scale inspection. We must root out every single person connected to this affair, pulling them out by their very seeds. Only then will people refrain from looking down on me after I officially become the Alliance Leader.”
“Understood! I shall dispatch inspection teams to the Four Great Branches and Regional Offices immediately.”
“Dig into the Western Branch Office with absolute focus. Something is bound to crawl out from there.”
“As you command.”
Sado Cheong lowered his head deeply as he gave his response.
This was an assassination attempt targeting none other than the Young Alliance Leader of the Man-sang Alliance.
There was zero probability that the Man-sang Alliance Leader, So Han-gyeong, would let this slide quietly.
A storm of blood was undoubtedly about to tear through the inside of the Man-sang Alliance.
They could not allow fear of bloodshed to let the matter fade into obscurity.
“Actually, this works out well. I should take this opportunity to clearly show those bastards exactly who they chose to provoke.”
So Seol-yeong’s eyes flashed with a dangerous light.
The moment Sado Cheong met her gaze, which was filled with genuine murderous intent, he felt the tiny hairs all over his body stand entirely on end.
A tiger cub was still a tiger, no matter how young.
Similarly, though So Seol-yeong was still quite young, she possessed a grand vision and a bold heart that were in no way inferior to So Han-gyeong’s. Because of that, she did not fear the spilling of blood.
Seeing her stand completely unshaken while knowing full well that countless people would die because of her orders brought the image of the Man-sang Alliance Leader, So Han-gyeong, vividly to mind.
Perhaps finding the oppressive atmosphere in the room unpleasant, So Seol-yeong smoothly shifted the topic.
“By the way, did you happen to uncover his true identity?”
“I am sorry.”
Sado Cheong shook his head in defeat.
From yesterday until today, he had exerted every ounce of his energy to uncover Woo Geom-san’s true identity. Yet, rendering his efforts completely meaningless, he had learned next to nothing about Woo Geom-san.
Everything about Woo Geom-san was wrapped in dense clouds, much like the summit of Cheonbaeksan.
The only certainty was that he lived in Yunjung Village; where he came from and what kind of Martial Arts he had mastered remained beyond even a wild guess.
“He is no simple country bumpkin born and raised in Yunjung Village. He is far too well-versed in the ways of the world, and he is highly skilled in negotiating with merchants like us. A person who spent their entire life inside Yunjung Village could never possess that kind of discernment.”
“Master Seo shared the exact same opinion.”
“Discovering his origin is our highest priority. Only then can we establish and develop a proper relationship with him.”
“I will do my absolute best.”
“Sigh! They say worldly affairs are utterly unpredictable, but I truly did not expect such an Expert to be hiding away in a mountain village like Yunjung Village.”
“I was also profoundly shocked.”
The Black Snake Spear, Go San-gyeong, was an Expert that even Sado Cheong could not easily face in battle.
One would have to throw themselves into the fray fully prepared to lose at least an arm to have even a sliver of hope of subduing him.
Yet, Woo Geom-san had blocked the assault of such a formidable Expert without any visible struggle. What was more, he had done so using nothing but a broken wooden chair leg.
He was undeniably an Expert who had mastered a truly formidable form of Martial Arts.
The real problem was that they could not even begin to guess what kind of Martial Arts Woo Geom-san had cultivated.
It was entirely unclear whether his foundation lay in the sword, the saber, or if he had mastered spear techniques.
This was the very first time they had encountered such a complete lack of information regarding a single individual.
“Even after we return to the Main Headquarters, we must continue to keep a close eye on this place.”
“I shall instruct Master Seo to do exactly that.”
“Is Master Seo truly someone we can trust?”
“Thus far, no suspicious movements or grounds for suspicion have been found.”
“Very well. Keep a close watch on Master Seo as well.”
“I will do so.”
Having said everything she needed to say, So Seol-yeong gently closed her eyes.
A thick, heavy exhaustion washed over her, making her feel as though she had not slept a wink for several days.
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Woo Geom-san and the young men from the Village moved with busy diligence from the very crack of dawn.
This was because today was the day they would finally return to Cheonbaeksan.
The faces of the young men loading the baggage onto the donkeys’ backs were rigidly frozen.
They, too, had learned of the bloody event that had erupted inside the Inn the previous day.
It was an affair far too massive for ordinary mountain village youths to easily digest. Consequently, most of the young men had failed to catch a proper night’s sleep.
Woo Geom-san completely understood their state of mind.
This was because his own heart was not entirely at ease either.
The flutter of excitement he had felt when first arriving in Guangu County no longer existed within him. He simply wanted to return to Cheonbaeksan as quickly as possible to focus entirely on his Martial Arts and his farming duties.
Woo Geom-san loaded the Books, carefully wrapped in waterproof tarps, onto the back of the donkey he had personally purchased.
He loaded only enough weight for the donkey to comfortably endure, choosing to hoist the remaining load onto his own back.
Carrying dozens of Books on his back made the load quite heavy.
Seeing Woo Geom-san carrying such a massive pile of Books on his back, Baek Wol-sang spoke up.
“Distribute those books a bit. I will carry some of them for you.”
“No, thank you. You already have a mountain of things you need to carry on your own back, elder brother.”
“Even so, I can still manage to carry a few books for you.”
“I am really fine. This much weight is absolutely nothing to me.”
“Fine, then. But if you start whining about being tired later, you are dead meat.”
“That will never happen.”
Woo Geom-san let out a loose chuckle as he rolled his shoulders back and forth.
Watching him for a moment, Baek Wol-sang turned to address the young men.
“Is everyone completely ready to head back home?”
“Yes!”
“Let us hurry and leave. The villagers back home must be waiting for us with their necks craned out.”
The young men replied in booming voices.
Before anyone realized it, a flutter of excitement about leaving the complicated City and returning home began to ripple across their faces.
Baek Wol-sang looked at each of their faces one by one before speaking.
“Then let us move.”
“Yes!”
The village youths led the donkeys forward and began stepping out of the Zhuyang Inn.
Woo Geom-san followed them, bringing up the absolute rear.
“Wait just a moment.”
However, a voice calling out to him forced him to halt his steps for a brief second.
The person who had called out to Woo Geom-san was none other than So Seol-yeong.
Standing firmly by her side were Sado Cheong and Jin Seo-ho.
Woo Geom-san told Baek Wol-sang to head on ahead first, then casually walked over to So Seol-yeong.
“What brings you to me?”
“Well, since we are acquaintances who shared a life-and-death crisis together, I thought we should at least say our proper goodbyes.”
“There was never a moment dangerous enough to truly divide life and death, nor did we share grueling hardships or joyful experiences together, so I see no particular reason for us to exchange separate parting words.”
“Are you really going to act like this? I am approaching you to converse out of genuine goodwill.”
“Haha! I know all too well just how terrifying a merchant’s goodwill can truly be, so I must ask you to kindly withdraw your interest.”
Woo Geom-san waved his hands dismissively while flashing a perfectly affable smile.
That easygoing display only served to irritate So Seol-yeong even further.
Utterly unconcerned, Woo Geom-san addresses So Seol-yeong, Sado Cheong, and the rest.
“Safe travels on your journey back. I also have a very long road ahead of me, so I shall take my leave now.”
“Let us meet again later.”
The one who spoke up this time was Jin Seo-ho.
In the short time that had passed, the light within Jin Seo-ho’s eyes had grown significantly deeper.
‘As expected, hardships and trials truly make a person grow.’
Woo Geom-san nodded his head lightly as that thought crossed his mind.
“If chance allows, let us meet again. Take good care of yourself.”
With those final words, Woo Geom-san turned squarely around.
As he walked away from So Seol-yeong’s group toward his Village, his footsteps appeared incredibly light and cheerful.
Watching Woo Geom-san’s receding back as he departed without leaving behind even a single shred of lingering attachment, So Seol-yeong wore an utterly dumbfounded expression.
“That man, until the very end…”
Though her huffing voice echoed clearly from behind his back, Woo Geom-san paid it absolutely no mind and quickened his pace.
Only after he successfully caught up and merged with the village youths did a true smile finally break across Woo Geom-san’s face.
Woo Geom-san shared pleasant chatter with the village youths as they steadily made their way toward Cheonbaeksan.
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“Hmph!”
Baek Ho-yang scowled deeply as he gently massaged his own chest.
A jagged, rough scar could be felt beneath his fingertips.
It was the physical scar that the Cheonmyeong Association Chief, Zha Mu-wol, had carved into his body.
It had been a wound so terribly deep that his bare bones had been exposed to the air.
After killing Zha Mu-wol and wandering aimlessly Under Heaven, Baek Ho-yang had neglected the injury for a very long time. Perhaps because of that neglect, an agonizing pain would occasionally flare up, tormenting him fiercely.
After a brief moment, once the pain had subsided to a manageable degree, Baek Ho-yang stepped outside into the open air.
Staring out at the completely empty Courtyard, a profound sense of hollowness washed over his heart.
“With the rascal who used to practice his martial arts here every single day gone, it feels incredibly empty.”
He found himself thinking that this must be why people say that while you might not notice someone’s presence when they are around, their absence leaves an immediate, gaping void.
Having lived glued to each other’s sides every day for five whole years, Woo Geom-san had truly come to feel like his very own biological grandson.
It had already been nearly a full month since the boy had descended the mountain alongside the other youths.
Though he reasoned that nothing bad would happen, being human, it was an undeniable fact that he could not help but worry.
It was precisely at that moment.
“Grandfather!”
“Did you sleep well, Grandfather?”
There were children greeting Baek Ho-yang with exceptionally vibrant voices to start the morning.
They were the twin siblings, Nam Mu-rin and Nam I-yeon, whose faces resembled each other to a truly startling degree.
The moment they spotted Baek Ho-yang, they came running over to him in a single, breathless dash.
“Whoa there! You are going to trip and fall. Be careful.”
“Hehe! I am perfectly fine.”
“Do not worry about us.”
The twin siblings gave their energetic, spirited responses.
Baek Ho-yang gently stroked their heads with a tender hand.
While the other villagers also followed and respected Baek Ho-yang well, these twin siblings treated him with an especially rare lack of formality. Because of that, Baek Ho-yang held a particular fondness for them.
Nam Mu-rin looked up at Baek Ho-yang with an expression that suggested he had just come to a monumental decision.
“Grandfather.”
“What is it?”
“Could you please teach me martial arts as well?”
“Did I not already tell you that it is impossible? This old man’s martial arts are rooted in Taoism as their absolute source, making them incredibly difficult to cultivate unless one possesses a proper Taoist Vessel.”
“Is it really completely impossible?”
“Sigh!”
Staring down at Nam Mu-rin’s utterly dejected face, Baek Ho-yang’s heart began to soften.
For several years now, Nam Mu-rin had continuously pestered Baek Ho-yang to teach him martial arts.
Though Baek Ho-yang had strictly vowed to never take any disciple other than Woo Geom-san, his heart grew weak before the unwavering, constant desire of the Nam twins.
“Do you truly wish to learn martial arts that badly?”
“Yes!”
“Why exactly do you wish to cultivate martial arts?”
“I want to be helpful to the village, just like Geom-san hyung. I want to keep the older brothers safe from bandits when they go down the mountain, and besides, it just looks incredibly cool. Hehe!”
Hearing Nam Mu-rin’s completely honest words, a natural smile spread across Baek Ho-yang’s face.
“May I examine your body for a brief moment?”
“Of course.”
Baek Ho-yang meticulously and thoroughly checked Nam Mu-rin’s physical frame.
‘His limbs are long, and his joints are remarkably supple. With this level of flexibility, he will easily digest almost any form of martial arts.’
He already knew the boy was exceptionally intelligent, and seeing him run around the mountains every single day proved that his cardiovascular endurance was vastly superior to other children his age.
A talent of this caliber was a prize that almost any prominent sect would fiercely covet.
‘Since he does not possess a Taoist Vessel, I cannot pass down the martial arts of my own sect. However, if it is a different kind of martial arts…’
Fortunately, Baek Ho-yang happened to know quite a few martial arts outside of the Quanzhen Sect’s repertoire.
This was because he had unintentionally acquired various Secret Manuals during the brutal war against the Cheonmyeong Association.
Among those acquired manuals, there was a specific martial art that both Nam Mu-rin and Nam I-yeon could successfully cultivate.
Of course, he could not begin teaching it to them this very instant.
There were far too many areas that required personal modification to perfectly suit the specific bodies of the Nam twins.
“Very well! I shall teach you martial arts as well.”
“Really? Thank you so much, Grandfather!”
“There is no reason to celebrate just yet. A path of pure hardship is about to open up for you. Do not come to me crying later, begging to quit.”
“That will absolutely never happen. I am so excited!”
“We get to learn martial arts too!”
The Nam twins jumped up and down wildly, completely bursting with pure joy.
Baek Ho-yang shook his head slowly from side to side.
‘Is it truly that wonderful to them?’
While he fully understood their excitement, he could not help but worry whether they would be able to successfully endure the agonizingly harsh Cultivation Training.
This was because once he firmly resolved to teach someone martial arts, he had absolutely zero intention of doing it half-heartedly.
It was precisely at that moment.
“Oh? It is the older brothers!”
“It is the oppas!”
Suddenly, the twin siblings pointed toward the entrance of the Village, completely bursting with excitement.
In the exact direction their small fingers were pointing, Woo Geom-san and the young men of the Village were walking into view.
It was their grand return after a full month away.

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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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