The Great Heavenly Sword Emperor - Chapter 25

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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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#025. The Path That Jeogeumsang Points To (1)

Bohyeonsa Temple stirred with feverish activity.
Even as it maintained its ordinary duties as a temple, the constant need to chase down leads left everyone busier than usual.
Especially now.
They had found a crucial clue in Jeogeumsang, but tracking it proved far from simple.
Poison distribution wasn’t the sort of enterprise that operated in daylight, and the network that moved it worked with such meticulous secrecy that it only made matters worse.
It had been half a month since Yu Baek Hyeon handed over his lead and departed.
In all that time, Bohyeonsa hadn’t managed to snag even the tail of the thread—let alone anything substantial.
As the days wore on, Gwang An found himself watching Cheon Mu Gyeol’s face without quite meaning to.
The same thing happened whenever he encountered Bukgung Dan Ya, who was following Cheon Mu Gyeol’s advice and focusing entirely on recovery.
Seeing Bukgung Dan Ya’s eyes light up with desperate hope every time they crossed paths—as if searching for news—was almost unbearable.
Twenty days passed.
Bang!
Gwang An burst through the temple hall door with violent force.
“I’ve found it!”
At those words, Cheon Mu Gyeol’s eyes fixed on the paper clutched in Gwang An’s hand.
“Bring Bukgung Dan Ya.”
“I’ve already sent for him.”
Before Gwang An had even finished his reply—
“You’ve found it?”
Bukgung Dan Ya appeared, breathless from his hurried dash.
“Sit. I’ll explain everything carefully.”
Gwang An steadied himself and guided Bukgung Dan Ya to a seat.
Bukgung Dan Ya settled down, his face flushed with the thrill of finally seeing this moment arrive.
“It was genuinely difficult. There were so many layers wrapped around this—it wasn’t easy to unravel,”
Gwang An preened a little, fishing for praise, but Cheon Mu Gyeol and Bukgung Dan Ya kept their eyes fixed on the paper he’d presented, unmoved.
At their indifference, Gwang An’s expression turned sheepish as he opened his mouth again.
“First, there are roughly twenty locations that handle Jeogeumsang.”
“You investigated all of them?”
“Not all. Jeogeumsang has a crucial characteristic that allowed me to narrow down the possibilities by taking it into account.”
“The poison has another special property?”
“Yes. Do you remember what the Medicine Merchant said just before he left?”
Bukgung Dan Ya recalled the words Yu Baek Hyeon had spoken at that time.

* * *

As Yu Baek Hyeon passed beyond the gate escorted by Gwang An and Bukgung Dan Ya, something seemed to occur to him. He stopped in his tracks and turned back toward them.
“There is one more thing I should tell you. It may prove useful.”
“What would that be?”
“A poison like Jeogeumsang is actually more difficult to produce. For that reason, its Effective Period is also quite short. At most, half a month. Beyond that window, the Poison Effect either fades or intensifies, and Jeogeumsang loses its characteristic properties.”
“That’s a drawback?”
“Jeogeumsang exists as a poison because someone demands it. If they wanted a stronger or weaker effect, they would use something else instead.”
“I understand. Thank you.”
Gwang An offered his thanks, and Yu Baek Hyeon departed Bohyeonsa with a smile.

* * *

“Half a month. That span of time.”
“Precisely. So the place that supplies the poison cannot be too distant, nor can the delivery window be too tight. That eliminated several candidates in the first pass.”
“And this is what remained after that winnowing?”
Bukgung Dan Ya posed the question, and Gwang An nodded.
“Muklimbang.”
“Yes. When I weighed all the factors, Muklimbang was the only place that satisfied every condition.”
At Gwang An’s words, Bukgung Dan Ya turned his gaze toward Cheon Mu Gyeol.
“Then let’s verify it at once.”
Bukgung Dan Ya was ready to storm into Muklimbang that very moment.
But Cheon Mu Gyeol turned to Gwang An and spoke.
“Is there a way to infiltrate discreetly?”
“With your skill, I doubt there’s anywhere you couldn’t slip into. Everywhere in the world, save for a handful of places, should be possible.”
Gwang An then looked toward Bukgung Dan Ya and continued.
“Though I must apologize, if the young master of Bukgung moves with us, a discreet infiltration would be all but impossible.”
Gwang An cast an apologetic glance toward Bukgung Dan Ya.
But Bukgung Dan Ya felt no offense.
He was acutely aware of his own shortcomings and could assess his own level with unflinching honesty.
“I’ve written a Secret Code on this paper.”
The paper Gwang An handed over bore the contact Secret Code for Muklimbang.
“Posing as a buyer of Jeogeumsang through that Secret Code is your best approach.”
At Gwang An’s words, Cheon Mu Gyeol nodded.
“Understood.”
Then Gwang An turned to Bukgung Dan Ya with an earnest caution.
“Your role is crucial, young master. Cheon excels at overwhelming opponents through strength and martial prowess, but he lacks experience in matters of this delicacy.”
This time it was Gwang An pointing out Cheon Mu Gyeol’s inexperience.
Looking at it this way, Bukgung Dan Ya’s presence suddenly seemed far more beneficial.
“Understood.”
Bukgung Dan Ya answered with a faint smile, while Cheon Mu Gyeol remained expressionless.

* * *

Anyang County in Hanam Province, where Bohyeonsa Temple stood, and Anguk County in Hebei Province, where the Bukgung Clan had resided.
Their destination lay in Johyeon County, positioned between these two locations but closer to the Bukgung Clan’s territory.
It was not far from the temporary residence Bukgung Dan Ya had arranged after ceding the Bukgung Clan Estate to another.
“So Muklimbang had a base in such a place.”
Upon arriving in Johyeon County, Bukgung Dan Ya gnashed his teeth.
The thought of his past self, ignorant that the very source of his misfortune lay so near, attempting to begin anew in this very place, filled him with bitter contempt.
“Set aside your emotions. Excess feeling only corrupts the work.”
“I know.”
At Cheon Mu Gyeol’s reproach, Bukgung Dan Ya drew a deep breath and forced his feelings down.
“That must be it.”
Bukgung Dan Ya’s gaze fell upon a medicine shop.
On the surface, it was an ordinary establishment, but in truth it was a covert operation run by Muklimbang.
“Should we go in now?”
At Bukgung Dan Ya’s question, Cheon Mu Gyeol nodded.
There was no point wasting time now that their target was in sight.
The two men approached the medicine shop directly.
Upon entering, the mingled scent of countless medicinal herbs hit their nostrils sharply.
“Welcome! What herbs are you seeking?”
An elderly medicine merchant greeted the two men.
Rather than produce the Secret Code at once, Bukgung Dan Ya spoke naturally.
“How many varieties of herbs do you stock here?”
“Many indeed. It’s faster to list what we don’t have than what we do. What are you looking for?”
Thinking them wealthy patrons, the merchant drew closer and became more obliging.
“Do you happen to carry aged herbs?”
Bukgung Dan Ya’s words were the Secret Code for contacting Muklimbang.
Upon hearing it, the merchant glanced briefly at Bukgung Dan Ya and Cheon Mu Gyeol before speaking with calculated calm.
“Aged herbs come in many varieties, so perhaps what you seek is here.”
The merchant, who had seemed eager moments before, now drew back slightly.
It was clear he was being cautious, as befitted a covert transaction.
“I’d like to see what you have directly, if I may.”
At Bukgung Dan Ya’s request, the merchant scrutinized both men once more before speaking.
“Such goods require careful handling and aren’t kept here. Follow me. They’re in the back room.”
With that, he walked quietly to the front entrance and locked the door, then led the two men out through a rear exit.
Beyond the rear exit stood several storage buildings for medicinal herbs.
The merchant, escorting both men, opened the door to one of the storehouses.
Inside, all manner of medicinal herbs lay in great quantities.
As Bukgung Dan Ya’s eyes swept rapidly across the storehouse interior, he heard Cheon Mu Gyeol’s whispered transmission.
‘Draw your sword at any moment.’
Cheon Mu Gyeol sensed something shifting.
Meanwhile, the Medicine Merchant cleared away a heap of medicinal herbs piled to one side, and behind it, a door came into view.
Creak!
As he opened it, a fairly spacious chamber hidden behind was revealed.
“Step inside.”
Cheon Mu Gyeol and Bukgung Dan Ya passed through the open door.
Then a pungent, acrid smell struck them like a wall.
Thud!
After the two entered, the Medicine Merchant followed and closed the door behind him.
He stood before them, studying their faces in silence before speaking.
“Before I ask what you’re looking for, I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“How did you learn of what you mentioned earlier?”
The Medicine Merchant’s demeanor had changed.
Where he’d seemed approachable moments before, a single hardening of his expression transformed him into someone cold and distant.
“Must I answer that?”
Bukgung Dan Ya replied evenly.
“Of course you must.”
Clap!
The Medicine Merchant clapped his hands, and from all around, men emerged in a rush.
At least twenty of them—martial artists with hardened, forbidding faces.
“What is the meaning of this?”
Bukgung Dan Ya’s voice turned sharp with anger.
“Answer my question first.”
“Ha. I heard it through various channels. I see no reason to account for my sources.”
At Bukgung Dan Ya’s response, the Medicine Merchant’s eyes narrowed.
“That won’t do. You both must die here.”
With that, the Medicine Merchant retreated, and the mass of martial artists surged forward.
Yet even as the situation unfolded this way, Cheon Mu Gyeol made no move to draw his blade.
Only Bukgung Dan Ya hardened his expression and drew his sword.
Shing!
It had been some time since he’d practiced swordsmanship.
His body wasn’t yet perfectly healed.
But Bukgung Dan Ya harbored no doubts.
Cheon Mu Gyeol stood behind him, after all.
Not that—rather, it was confidence born from a path he’d carved out himself, however brief the time.
“Attack!”
The Medicine Merchant cried out, and the martial artists rushed in as one.
And Bukgung Dan Ya advanced without hesitation to meet them.
Whistle!
Bukgung Dan Ya deployed the Hyunjeong Swordsmanship with confidence.
Along meridian channels now cleanly healed, the inner force of Jinmu Jeongshim Gyeol flowed with vigor.
Slash!
The first to fall was the first to have swung his blade at Bukgung Dan Ya.
Though spacious, the chamber was cramped for a battle against many, yet Bukgung Dan Ya was relentless.
He wove Jinbo and Cheonjubo together with precision, maximizing his efficiency.
Slash!
Another fell.
Bukgung Dan Ya’s confidence only climbed higher.
Regardless of his opponents’ skill, the thrill of finally executing what he wished, how he wished, flooded through him.
Slash! Slash!
Bukgung Dan Ya cut down his enemies without mercy.
Each flash of the Hyunjeong Swordsmanship brought another opponent crashing down.
The Hyunjeong Swordsmanship’s strength lay in the stable balance between offense and defense, and here it shone brilliantly.
He couldn’t block and evade every attack, yet through the power of his technique, he pressed forward without facing any serious peril.
“Hah!”
In that instant, Bukgung Dan Ya gasped in shock.
His body, which had been cutting through enemies without pause, lurched violently.
Had something caught his foot?
That wasn’t it.
Excess breeds insufficiency.
Bukgung Dan Ya’s body was not yet whole.
In a state that required more time to fully recover, he had continued to drive the momentum of the Hyunjeong Swordsmanship and Jinmu Jeongshim Gyeol ever higher, and his body could not keep pace.
The moment his body failed to move as he willed, his center of gravity shattered, and this cascaded directly into a fatal crisis.
Ping!
In that instant, the one who had been swinging his blade at Bukgung Dan Ya’s face rebounded sharply backward.
Bukgung Dan Ya spun in surprise to look behind him.
Cheon Mu Gyeol was lowering a finger he had been holding with studied carelessness.
Cheon Mu Gyeol had saved Bukgung Dan Ya from the brink of death using his finger technique, the Cheonheojiin.
‘Then too?’
In a flash, his final battle with the Muklimbang assassins surged back into memory.
The Muklimbang killers who had suddenly crumpled, one after another, just when he had thought it was over.
Only now did he grasp that Cheon Mu Gyeol had stepped in then as well.
But Bukgung Dan Ya could not allow his thoughts to linger.
The enemy remained, and the peril was unceasing.
Bukgung Dan Ya hastily steadied his center and swept his blade forward.

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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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