The Battle for the Heavenly Sword - Chapter 75

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

75
The Struggle of the Sword
In the early dawn, Woo Geom-san stepped out of his room.
He had already said his proper goodbyes to the Village people yesterday, so he intended to slip away quietly without anyone knowing.
Though he had spent fifteen years in Yunjung Village, the luggage he brought out was meager at best.
Three Books he had acquired in Guangu County, the Yunjung Tea he had harvested and kept aside, and the Refined Steel Sword at his waist were all he possessed.
Woo Geom-san thought this was more than enough.
Since he also had the Money Vouchers given to him by Baek Ho-yang and Baek Do-gyeong, he wouldn’t run short of travel expenses on his way to the Woo Family Manor.
Finally, Woo Geom-san gently caressed the main gate of the house where he had stayed for fifteen years.
It was a gate worn smooth by Baek Ho-yang’s hands.
He felt as if the old man’s lingering scent was right at his fingertips.
“I’ll be going now.”
Woo Geom-san offered his final farewell to Baek Ho-yang and stepped outside.
Perhaps because it was such an early hour, not a single human shadow could be found on the street.
Thanks to that, Woo Geom-san was able to leave the Village with a much lighter heart.
It was when Woo Geom-san, walking at a brisk pace, arrived at the Plank Road.
“Why are you so late? I was bored to death waiting for you.”
A young man sitting on a small rock at the entrance of the Plank Road said while stretching.
“Murin, is that you?”
“Then who else would be waiting for you at this hour, brother?”
The young man was none other than Nam Mu-rin.
Woo Geom-san noticed that his shoulders were soaked with dew.
“Did you stay up all night by any chance?”
“Yep! I figured you’d try to leave quietly without anyone knowing, brother.”
“Saying our goodbyes yesterday was enough, so why did you come out?”
“Still, someone ought to see you off to the mountain pass. Let’s go. I’ll escort you down to the foot of the mountain.”
“Thank you.”
Woo Geom-san gratefully accepted Nam Mu-rin’s kindness.
The two walked side by side along the Plank Road.
Nam Mu-rin caressed the wall of the Plank Road and spoke.
“If it weren’t for you, brother, we never would have been able to complete this Plank Road.”
“It would have been impossible for me alone. Because everyone joined forces, we were able to accomplish such a grand undertaking.”
“As long as this Plank Road stands, our Village people will remember you forever.”
“You talk as if you’ll never see me again.”
“Well, it’s not forever, but it’s not like we’ll be able to see each other often either.”
“If you ever miss me, come visit the Woo Family Manor whenever you want. I’ll leave the front gate wide open and wait for you.”
“Once the Village stabilizes, I’ll go play sometime. Don’t turn me away at the door then. I might just charge right in.”
“Understood.”
As they walked while chatting idly like that, before they knew it, they passed the Plank Road and arrived at the mountain pass.
For ordinary people, it was a two-day journey, but for the two who had practiced Martial Arts, it took only about two Shijin.
When they arrived at the mountain pass, the sun was rising in the east.
Basking in the sunlight, Woo Geom-san spoke to Nam Mu-rin.
“I’ll go on alone from here. You head back to the Village.”
“Take care.”
“You too.”
After giving Nam Mu-rin’s shoulder a final pat, Woo Geom-san moved his feet.
Nam Mu-rin stood blankly like a stone statue, watching Woo Geom-san’s receding figure for a long time.
Even though he could feel Nam Mu-rin’s gaze, Woo Geom-san never looked back.
It was because he didn’t want to leave any lingering regrets for no reason.
Instead, he looked up at the sky.
A sharp cry echoed from above the clouds.
Screeech!
A massive hawk was circling above his head.
It was Hongbaek.
In the end, Hongbaek had left Cheonbaeksan to follow Woo Geom-san.
“It really would have been much better for you to just stay in Cheonbaeksan.”
Though he shook his head side to side, a smile was plastered on Woo Geom-san’s face.
He didn’t mind traveling alone, but it was still better to have a companion.
Even if the hawk spent most of its time high up in the sky, meaning their shared moments wouldn’t be very long.
From now on, Hongbaek would watch over Woo Geom-san from high above and follow him.
Thanks to that, this path leaving Yunjung Village didn’t feel so lonely.
Hongbaek flapped his wings vigorously while looking down at Woo Geom-san.
The place Woo Geom-san headed after parting with Nam Mu-rin was none other than Guangu County.
Though his heart wanted to go to the Woo Family Manor right away, he thought it wasn’t right to go looking like this.
The clothes he was currently wearing were self-made.
Because utility was the top priority, they were comfortable to move in, but due to the cheap fabric used, they looked incredibly shabby.
When he was in Yunjung Village, there was no need to care about the eyes of others, but now that he had come out into The World, he needed to maintain a certain level of decorum.
Woo Geom-san walked into the largest Drapery Shop in the Market.
The Drapery Shop was literally a place that sold fabrics and clothing, and perhaps because its scale was quite large, many garments were on display.
Among the numerous outfits, the one Woo Geom-san chose was a Dark Navy Light Armor.
The finishing and shape were excellent, looking as if they were made by a skilled woman.
Woo Geom-san immediately called the clerk, paid, and changed into it.
The Dark Navy Light Armor fit him perfectly, as if it had been tailored to his exact measurements.
While he was at it, he also bought and put on new shoes at the Drapery Shop.
“Nice!”
Woo Geom-san smiled.
He wasn’t picky about clothes, but there was still a pleasant satisfaction that came from well-made new clothes and new shoes.
With a small bundle slung across his back and a sword buckled to his waist, the appearance of a rustic villager vanished, replaced by the quite respectable look of a Martial Artist.
Leaving the Drapery Shop, Woo Geom-san roamed the Market to buy items needed for his travels.
He purchased Dried Rations, a water canteen, and a small pot, stuffing them into his bundle.
Having thus completed his preparations to leave Guangu County, Woo Geom-san sought out the Zhuyang Inn.
He intended to have a final meal before departing Guangu County.
In the courtyard of the Zhuyang Inn, a whopping twenty wagons were lined up.
Ten Martial Artists with glaring eyes were guarding the wagons, which were heavily loaded with cargo.
It was not an unfamiliar sight to Woo Geom-san.
Whenever the Yunjung Village youths stopped by the Zhuyang Inn, they always stood guard with that exact posture.
However, the differences lay in the number of wagons and the level of the Martial Artists.
Judging by their momentum and gazes, they were clearly well-trained Martial Artists.
Even though they must have been desperate for a comfortable rest, their disciplined posture as they guarded the wagons was highly impressive.
Woo Geom-san looked at the flag planted on the leading wagon.
Four characters, Feiyun Merchant Group, were vividly written on the flag.
“The Feiyun Merchant Group? Is it a Merchant Group that travels Beyond the Border? Looks like I’ll have to wait quite a while to eat lunch.”
Merchant Groups that traveled Beyond the Border were different from the very scale of their operations.
This was because they had to traverse rugged and dangerous paths that small-scale Merchant Groups couldn’t even dare to attempt.
Naturally, a massive number of personnel was mobilized for every Trading Journey.
If there were ten people guarding the cargo, the actual headcount had to be viewed as ten times that number.
Upon entering the Zhuyang Inn, he saw that nearly a hundred people were packing the interior of the Restaurant.
With nearly a hundred people flooding in all at once, the Zhuyang Inn was thrown into absolute chaos.
“Hey! Take our order over here.”
“Yes! Coming.”
“Bring some Shaohong Wine.”
“Please wait just a moment.”
“How long has it been since we ordered our food, and it’s still not out?”
“It’ll be right out.”
The waiters were running around the tables frantically trying to take orders, while the owner had gone into the kitchen to make food alongside the Chef.
Woo Geom-san shook his head at the commotion that reminiscent of a war zone.
He had intended to eat here since it was the most familiar place, but in this kind of situation, he couldn’t even begin to guess when the food would come out.
“Can’t be helped.”
It was just as Woo Geom-san clicked his tongue and was about to move to another Inn.
“Excuse me, sir.”
Someone’s voice caught Woo Geom-san.
Woo Geom-san looked toward where the voice came from and said,
“Are you speaking to me right now?”
“That is correct.”
The person who spoke was a middle-aged man who appeared to be in his late forties or early fifties.
“By the looks of it, you seem to be heading elsewhere because of us. Instead of doing that, why don’t you share a table with me?”
Three or four appetizing dishes were set upon the middle-aged man’s table.
Woo Geom-san smiled and replied,
“It is fine. I can eat at another Inn, so please enjoy your meal comfortably.”
“I am saying this because it will be the same even if you go to another Inn.”
“Pardon?”
“All the large Inns nearby are occupied by the members of our Feiyun Merchant Group. Since those places are in the same state as this one, it won’t be easy to get a quick meal.”
At the middle-aged man’s words, Woo Geom-san realized he had picked the wrong day.
If they were staying at the other Inns as well, having a meal on time would be impossible.
Woo Geom-san gave a Cupped Hand Salute to the middle-aged man and offered his thanks.
“My name is Woo Geom-san. I will gratefully accept your kindness, Great Hero.”
“My name is Niu Jinshu. I am also the Chief of the Feiyun Merchant Group. Nice to meet you!”
“Nice to meet you too, Great Hero Niu!”
“This is my younger brother, Niu Jinhong. He trained in Martial Arts at the Mount Hua Sect and joined the Feiyun Merchant Group to help his incompetent older brother.”
Niu Jinshu pointed to the middle-aged man sitting next to him.
As if to prove his training at the Mount Hua Sect was no lie, his eyes were full of Inner Light, and the aura radiating from his body was also extraordinary.
Woo Geom-san gave a Cupped Hand Salute to him as well.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you as well. Take a seat.”
“Thank you.”
Niu Jinhong offered Woo Geom-san a seat.
Without declining, Woo Geom-san sat across from him.
While Niu Jinhong had a gruff personality, Niu Jinshu, the Merchant Group Chief, possessed rich expressions and an amiable, affectionate way of speaking that drew people in.
“If you do not mind me asking, how old are you, Young Hero Woo?”
“I turn thirty this year.”
“Oh dear! Then I have committed a rudeness.”
“Pardon?”
Woo Geom-san looked at Niu Jinshu with a puzzled expression.
“Since you are thirty, calling you a ‘Young Hero’ counts as a great discourtesy. Please forgive me.”
“It is quite all right.”
“You look so young for your age that I made a mistake. Then I should call you Great Hero Woo.”
“Please call me whatever you find comfortable. I do not fixate on titles.”
“Still, how could I do that? Are you a local of this place, Great Hero Woo?”
“I do not live in Guangu County, but since I have lived nearby for a long time, it wouldn’t be wrong to say I am a local. Why do you ask?”
“I heard that a fine tea called Yunjung Tea is produced here. Do you happen to know where one can acquire that tea?”
Only then did Woo Geom-san realize the reason Niu Jinshu had called him over.
‘He’s trying to get some Yunjung Tea while stopping by Guangu County.’
He saw a nearby waiter clear his throat for no reason.
It was the waiter he had seen when he came here before.
It was obvious the waiter had informed Niu Jinshu that Woo Geom-san was a resident of Yunjung Village.
Woo Geom-san asked Niu Jinshu,
“Did you perhaps come here because of the Yunjung Tea?”
“No, that is not the case. I just thought it would be nice to get some while stopping by; the Yunjung Tea itself was not our objective.”
“To tell you the truth, the buyer for Yunjung Tea has already been decided.”
“Is it not possible even if we pay a premium?”
“Previously, it was sold to the Man-sang Alliance, and not long ago, the Tianjin Escort Agency signed a new contract.”
“Ha! Then I must give up cleanly. I cannot turn them into enemies just to obtain some tea. Consider our conversation unspoken, Great Hero Woo!”
Niu Jinshu raised both hands, gesturing surrender.
“I am sorry.”
“What is there for Great Hero Woo to be sorry about? It is my fault for poking around despite knowing it wouldn’t work out. I offer my sincere apologies.”
“No, it is fine.”
“Since you have already come this far, please enjoy your meal comfortably. As a token of my apology, I shall treat you to a grand feast.”
“Thank you.”
“Come, let us eat.”
At Niu Jinshu’s urging, Woo Geom-san picked up his chopsticks and began his meal.
Niu Jinhong watched Woo Geom-san intently as he ate.
Though he appeared unadorned and pure, a strange air of nobility drifted from him, which naturally evoked goodwill.
“Have you also trained in Martial Arts, Great Hero Woo?”
“Just enough to protect myself.”
“If it is not a discourtesy, could you tell me your Master’s Sect?”
“I am sorry. I am not in a position to disclose my Master’s Sect.”
“No, I asked an unnecessary question. Please forgive me.”
In the Jianghu, it was not mandatory to reveal one’s Master’s Sect. There were quite a few people who did not disclose it due to various circumstances.
Rather, the discourtesy lay heavily on Niu Jinhong for abruptly asking a complete stranger. Even so, since they recognized their mistake and apologized immediately, they were clearly decent people.
This time, Woo Geom-san asked them a question.
“Are you by any chance on your way back from Beyond the Border?”
“That is right! We are on our way back after several months in the Western Regions. Since we took a full day’s rest, we must sprint toward the Yangtze River again.”
“Are you going all the way to the Yangtze River?”
“Because it is convenient to use the Cloud River-Crossing Vessel.”
“If it is alright with you, may I tag along? I also need to board the Cloud River-Crossing Vessel.”
“So you wish to follow us?”
“I have lived here for a long time, so I do not know the roads well. If you would permit it, I will follow quietly.”
After contemplating for a moment, Niu Jinshu replied,
“That much is no problem.”
“Thank you.”
“Since we committed a discourtesy first, we ought to extend at least that much goodwill.”
Niu Jinshu formed a smile.

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