The Patriarch of the Northern Heavens - Chapter 103

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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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Master of the Bukcheon Sword Family – Chapter 103

“Yes, proceed as you see fit.”
Father nodded in approval, supporting my decision.
His eyes brimmed with trust.
“But make sure to bring the Wind Cloud Unit with you. Moving alone could be dangerous.”
“Understood. I was already planning to do so.”
Going to greet the Sadoryean delegation alone would have appeared unseemly.
It would seem as though we were not observing proper etiquette.
Even if they were coming because they had something to offer us…
‘Still, we must show proper respect to an envoy from such a major power.’
The current martial world was not as fraught with factional strife as it once had been.
Though we still disliked one another, we no longer encroached upon each other’s territories.
Therefore, the Bukcheon Sword Family had to respect the authority of Sadoryean.
This was one of the reasons I decided to go personally.
“Then I shall prepare at once.”
Both of them nodded at my words.
“Travel safely.”
“Yes.”
I left the Family Head’s Office and made my way to the Training Grounds.
There, Sa Gong-cheon was in the midst of training the Wind Cloud Unit members.
“Ah, Young Master.”
He greeted me while shirtless, sweat dripping profusely from his body.
I chuckled at the sight and spoke.
“You certainly are diligent.”
“One must earn their monthly wages, must they not?”
“In that case, perhaps I should increase your pay. To employ someone of your caliber, that much is only fair.”
“I would be most grateful. But what brings you here?”
“I need you to accompany me on a brief outing.”
“Understood.”
“You’re not even going to ask what it’s about?”
“If it is something the Young Master is doing, it must surely have significance.”
Deep trust accumulated in Sa Gong-cheon’s eyes as he spoke.
Trust built through treating his daughter and traveling together since my return.
Pleased by this, I chuckled and briefly explained the situation.
Sa Gong-cheon nodded after hearing my explanation.
“Indeed, it would look more appropriate to bring a martial force when receiving the Sadoryean delegation.”
“Exactly.”
“But we don’t know when they will arrive, do we?”
“So I intend to entrust the information gathering to the Saeying Division. Since the path connecting the Sadoryean headquarters to us is essentially fixed, we need only station ourselves in that vicinity and wait.”
“Understood. I shall prepare the Wind Cloud Unit immediately.”
“Though there is no need for everyone to go. Deploying our full strength might impose unnecessary pressure.”
“Then I shall select a smaller, elite contingent befitting the occasion.”
“Much obliged.”
Sa Gong-cheon immediately began selecting personnel for the reception.
In moments, roughly thirty members of the Wind Cloud Unit had been assembled.
In the meantime, I summoned Gong Hyun, the commander of the Saeying Division, only to receive unexpected news.
“They are already on their way?”
“Yes. I was about to report it to you immediately. The Sadoryean side contacted us first.”
“Indeed, from their position, initiating contact would be the wiser course.”
Fortunately, we obtained the information without needing to conduct any investigation.
It was thanks to the Sadoryean reaching out to us first.
“Then we have already grasped the general route and personnel involved.”
“Yes. However, there is someone rather unusual among those coming as representatives.”
“Who might that be?”
“That is….”
Gong Hyun spoke with a somewhat troubled expression.
“The Sadoryean Master’s disciple, apparently.”

* * *

Some time later.
On the road heading toward Taiyuan, Shanxi Province.
A carriage bearing the characters of Sadoryean moved along the path.
Several carts followed behind that carriage, and roughly thirty martial artists surrounded them in a protective formation.
And inside that carriage.
“Hmm.”
A beautiful woman rested her chin at an angle, gazing down through the window.
Dressed in a crimson battle jacket with fierce makeup applied to her face, she was none other than Hong Yeon, a disciple of the Sadoryean Master.
“Miss. Is something troubling you?”
Mak Ri-hyeon, who shared the carriage with her, asked upon seeing Hong Yeon in such a state.
Hong Yeon merely shook her head with an enigmatic expression.
“No, I’m just curious. About that Jin Muyeol fellow.”
“You mean the Wind God Dragon?”
“Yes. Everyone around keeps going on and on about how strong he is. So I’ve been wondering just how powerful he really is.”
She suddenly smiled and asked Mak Ri-hyeon.
“Tell me, you’ve seen Jin Muyeol yourself. What’s your impression? Is he as strong as the Senior Brother?”
The Senior Brother she referred to was Il-gwang, the first disciple of the Sadoryean Master.
Though he rarely appeared in the martial world and remained largely unknown, within Sadoryean he was already recognized as a martial artist who had reached the Johwa Realm despite his young age in the late Foundation stage—a feat accomplished long ago.
Mak Ri-hyeon laughed awkwardly.
It was a difficult question to answer.
“Honestly, I cannot say. I have never witnessed the full strength of either of them, so how could I know?”
“It’s common knowledge that the Senior Brother conceals his true power, but you watched the Wind God Dragon fight, didn’t you? Then you should know about him at least.”
“I did observe it. But it ended in an instant. At least, he never displayed his full strength before me.”
“But he killed the Black Sword Master, didn’t he? And you’re saying that wasn’t his full strength?”
“I can say with certainty it was not. As I mentioned, it ended in a flash, and he didn’t appear to be exerting himself much at all.”
“Interesting. Then he must be at least in the Johwa Realm?”
A deep smile played across Hong Yeon’s lips.
Mak Ri-hyeon sighed as he watched her.
“Miss, even if that’s the case, you mustn’t challenge him to a fight on sight. Please remember that he is the Young Master of an Orthodox Faction family, not one of our Sadoryean members.”
“I know. My master drilled it into my head until I couldn’t hear anymore.”
“Then why are you leaking killing intent?”
“Oh. I must have gotten excited from imagining it. My apologies.”
Hong Yeon quickly suppressed the killing intent that had been subtly emanating from her.
Mak Ri-hyeon already felt a dull ache forming in his head.
“I won’t stop you from requesting a martial exchange, but still, you cannot simply attack without warning.”
“What’s the difference?”
“First, since we’re going as envoys, we must greet them formally, deliver what we’re meant to deliver, and then proceed through proper channels….”
“Why make it so complicated? We’re just martial artists meeting each other—we should simply enjoy it.”
“Sigh. Please remember that your opponent is at least five years younger than you, Miss. If you act recklessly, won’t it damage your reputation?”
“What? The Wind God Dragon is that young!?”
“Yes, it’s no wonder that among enthusiasts, there’s talk of him being the Central Plains’ greatest prodigy. I hear he hasn’t even reached his twenties yet.”
“Ufufu. Now this is getting interesting.”
The new revelation seemed to capture Hong Yeon’s attention.
‘That’s fair enough.’
Mak Ri-hyeon acknowledged that fact as well.
How would one feel hearing that a boy not yet twenty had reached the same level as the renowned masters of the martial world?
The sense of wonder would be considerable.
After all, he had felt something similar when he first learned of it.
‘In that sense, I want to bring him to our side by any means necessary….’
Mak Ri-hyeon recalled the secret mission he had received from the Sadoryean leader, his expression hardening.
The mission was to recruit him if possible, and if that failed, to make him as favorably disposed toward us as possible.
‘Of course, it won’t be easy.’
He was already a promising prospect receiving considerable attention within the Orthodox Faction—what would he lack that would make him join the Sadoryean?
Mak Ri-hyeon had already accounted for this reality.
So he didn’t harbor great expectations.
Then.
“Who goes there!”
Suddenly, a fierce voice rang out from the front of the procession.
It was the voice of the escort commander protecting Hong Yeon.
Mak Ri-hyeon reflexively leaned his head out of the carriage to assess the situation.
‘What is this?’
A man wearing a white mask blocked the road.
In one hand he held a short spear of modest size, and in the other, a sharp-edged sword.
‘What in the world….’
It was an incomprehensible combination.
Weapons were meant to be wielded one at a time, as was proper.
While some martial artists occasionally wielded dual swords, such cases were nothing but the pretense of amateurs—unless they were among the rare few who had inherited secret techniques from prestigious schools.
‘After all, handling two weapons simultaneously is difficult.’
Moving the left and right hands in unison while controlling their trajectories so they didn’t collide was harder than it seemed.
Even more so in actual combat.
But to wield two different weapons in both hands?
It felt like nothing but bluster.
However….
“Who are you to dare block the Sadoryean’s procession… Gack!”
That thought scattered along with the escort commander’s severed head.
Though not quite at Mak Ri-hyeon’s level, the escort commander was a master who had reached the pinnacle, befitting his position.
Yet such a person lost his life in a single strike?
This meant the opponent was no ordinary foe.
Mak Ri-hyeon immediately leaped from the carriage and shouted.
“Everyone, form a defensive formation!”
Despite the death of the escort commander, the warriors of Sadoryeon moved with elite precision in perfect unison under Mak Ri-hyeon’s command.
They swiftly formed a formation, encircling the lone enemy who had appeared.
“Who are you?”
Mak Ri-hyeon drew his blade and unleashed his killing intent.
It was the murderous aura of someone ranked among the very highest of Sadoryeon’s late-stage masters, if not the absolute pinnacle.
Even formidable experts would not dare dismiss such power.
Yet the White-Masked Swordsman showed no emotional reaction whatsoever.
He gazed at Mak Ri-hyeon and then at Hong Yeon, who had only just descended from the carriage.
“Are you a disciple of the Sadoryean Master?”
“Huh? You’re talking to me? Yeah. I’m Hong Yeon.”
“Miss, please withdraw.”
“Even if I back away, it won’t matter, will it? I can see it clear as day. This guy is no ordinary foe. I don’t think we can handle him unless we all fight together.”
Mak Ri-hyeon broke into a cold sweat.
Because Hong Yeon’s words were true.
Even now, with dozens of warriors radiating their killing intent…
The White-Masked Swordsman showed not the slightest tremor of emotion.
Which meant he was confident he could handle every single one of them.
‘What do I do? Should I force Miss Hong to escape? Or should I fight alongside her as she suggests?’
Mak Ri-hyeon found himself at a crossroads.
Yet neither choice seemed viable.
The former seemed unlikely—Hong Yeon would never comply. The latter would likely result in everyone’s death except hers.
“Disciple of the Sadoryean Master. You’ll have to come with me.”
“Hmph. I don’t know what gutter you crawled out of, but…”
Yet even as he deliberated, time slipped away.
The White-Masked Swordsman and Hong Yeon were now clashing their auras, ready to collide at any moment.
Mak Ri-hyeon ultimately chose to fight.
Considering her stubbornness, he believed this was the best course of action.
And just as Mak Ri-hyeon and Hong Yeon exchanged glances and were about to rush at the White-Masked Swordsman—
“This is absurd.”
A familiar voice rang out from somewhere.
And with that voice came a massive sword strike that tore through the air itself, hurtling toward them.
Kwaaaang!
The White-Masked Swordsman raised his weapon and blocked the attack, but he was forced back several paces.
Though his mask concealed his expression, a faint hint of surprise emanated from him.
In that instant, everyone turned to look in the direction from which the strike had come.
There stood a handsome young man wreathed in golden wind.
“What are you doing in the territory of the Bukcheon Sword Family?”
It was Wind God Dragon Jin Muyeol.

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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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