The Patriarch of the Northern Heavens - Chapter 104

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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 104

“….”
I fixed the masked man with a cold, piercing gaze.
The warriors of the Sadoryeon showed expressions of surprise, but I had no attention to spare for them.
My entire focus was concentrated on him alone.
“Quite the sharp presence.”
The masked man said so and released his grip.
Something I couldn’t quite see seemed to pierce through me.
It was the gaze of the masked man.
“Are you Jin Muyeol, the Wind God Dragon?”
“I am. And you are?”
“They call me Mu Cheon. I’m your enemy.”
“How courteous. I didn’t need you to tell me that much.”
He was the one who had tried to abduct the Sadoryeon Master’s disciple in the very heart of Bukcheon Sword Family territory.
If that were the case, he surely harbored ill intentions toward us.
Shing.
I calmly drew the Windgod Sword.
-Be careful. He’s quite formidable.
The Sword Spirit issued a brief warning.
I didn’t disagree.
Judging from the aura emanating from this Mu Cheon, he appeared to be at least on par with my own level.
“I’ll warn you once and only once. Surrender willingly and come over to our side. If you do, I’ll treat you as a prisoner of war and protect you from the organization that gave you your orders.”
“I’m afraid I cannot. To surrender without fighting would be a disgrace to any martial artist.”
“Then negotiations have failed.”
So be it.
“I’ll take an arm as compensation.”
Boom!
I immediately surged forward and unleashed the Wind God’s Slash.
But he deflected my attack with his sword as if he had already anticipated it.
Then he thrust his spear through the opening that had formed.
I twisted my body to evade the spear strike and immediately released the Heavenly Thread.
Whoosh!
Three strands of Heavenly Thread extended outward in different directions.
“Hmm.”
But they were severed before they could even approach, cut clean in half.
I clicked my tongue lightly and unleashed the Wind God’s Continuous Strike.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, crash!
Our weapons collided, and shockwaves erupted across the surrounding area.
“Young Master!”
“Stay back!”
I shouted at Sa Gong-cheon and the Wind Cloud Unit members rushing to protect me.
Joining forces with them would certainly improve our odds, but it would likely result in heavy casualties.
If their sacrifice meaningfully increased our chances of victory, that would be one thing—but otherwise, it would be nothing but senseless death.
And I had no desire to see the Wind Cloud Unit members fall uselessly.
Just as I thought this—
“I’m joining in.”
A beautiful woman in a crimson leather jacket burst onto the battlefield.
Wielding a thick-bladed sword, she unleashed a series of devastating strikes.
Clang, clang, clang, clang—crash!
The masked figure retreated a step to block the assault.
In that opening, Mak Ri-hyeon, whom I’d met before, thrust forward.
The masked figure swung his spear in a wide arc to parry the attack.
“You are…?”
“A disciple of the Sadoryeon Master—Hong Yeon.”
“We’ve met before. I’m Mak Ri-hyeon.”
I nodded, observing the two of them.
“As I mentioned, I’m Jin Muyeol of the Bukcheon Sword Family. I came to escort you.”
“There’s still quite a distance to the Bukcheon Sword Family, isn’t there?”
“I was out greeting our guests. That’s when I spotted this one.”
Curiosity flickered across Hong Yeon’s face.
But she was someone who understood priorities.
Rather than indulge that curiosity, Hong Yeon lowered her weapon and spoke.
“I’ll join the fight. You have no objections?”
“None whatsoever.”
In truth, such situations were rare.
The Orthodox Faction and Evil Faction joining forces against a common enemy the moment they met.
Yet the masked figure appeared to possess such formidable skill that we couldn’t face him otherwise.
Even I couldn’t guarantee victory at this moment.
Hong Yeon had sensed this as well, which is why she proposed cooperation.
“Let’s go.”
I activated Yaksha Transformation.
Golden energy flowed softly from my body, and my senses sharpened considerably.
Simultaneously, the wind of the Windgod Technique enveloped my entire form.
I became one with the wind and surrendered myself to its flow.
Swift Wind God Step.
“…!”
A violent gust erupted, and in an instant, the distance between the masked figure and me collapsed.
The surrounding air itself seemed to invert from the sheer force of the wind.
Barely keeping pace with my speed, Mu Myeon-tal swung his spear.
I evaded it and drove into his embrace.
My goal was to end his life in a single strike.
Skreeeech!
But I fell just short.
He immediately twisted his body, reducing my lethal blow to merely a grievous wound.
It seemed to be instinct born from countless real battles.
“What is this…?”
However, the fact that he’d avoided instant death didn’t change that he’d suffered considerable damage.
I had just learned this new arrangement from Pungsin upon joining the Chukji Society.
Though my proficiency wasn’t high enough to combine it with other techniques like Gale Shatter, this alone deserved to be called a killing blow.
As proof, his movements shifted noticeably to the defensive.
‘He’s preparing for a second strike.’
But I didn’t have the luxury of unleashing such techniques consecutively either.
My inner energy consumption was far too great.
As I continued my assault, I drew two hidden blades from my robes and hurled them.
They were steel blades gifted to me by the Sichuan Dang Family.
Empowered by the Escape Blade Technique, they rushed toward him.
“Kyahahaha! The Wind God Dragon—truly living up to the epithet!”
And in that opening, Hong Yeon struck.
Like a hyena watching for her moment, the instant Mu Myeon-tal shifted to defense, Hong Yeon unleashed a powerful technique and pressed him relentlessly.
Boom boom boom crash!
At first glance, it appeared she was simply bulldozing through with brute force, employing no particular finesse.
But I could see how threatening and precise it truly was.
From just that brief observation, I understood the nature of her martial art.
‘She’s specialized in the Art of Killing.’
Hong Yeon was quite literally a master who had thoroughly studied how to end her opponents.
Every target she aimed for was a vital point on the human body—not a single opening left uncovered.
“Let’s see how long you can hold out!”
She cried out with a savage voice, yet subtly signaled us with her eyes.
A silent command to seize the opening while she held his attention.
Mak Ri-hyeon and I moved to flank him from the sides and rear, intent on finishing him.
“Hnngh!”
But Mu Myeon-tal was no easy prey.
Clang clang clang clang crash!
He employed a technique similar to my Revolving Heaven, forming a hemispherical sword barrier.
All our attacks were deflected.
I immediately reset my stance to counterattack, but it was futile.
Mu Myeon-tal had already exploited the weakest link—Mak Ri-hyeon—and broken free from our encirclement.
“Ugh!”
Mak Ri-hyeon barely managed to defend against his assault before retreating backward.
The masked swordsman who had been pressing him ceased his advance, creating distance between us as he regarded our group.
“….”
A heavy silence settled between us for a moment.
Without anyone needing to speak, we all began steadying our breathing in unison.
Another collision could erupt at any second without warning.
Yet the masked swordsman exhaled lightly, as though accepting the outcome.
“Formidable. All of you. It’s clear why Black Night Fortress has taken such an interest in your group.”
“So you were indeed connected to Black Night Fortress?”
“To be precise… I’d say I’m affiliated with them. Currently, I accepted a commission to retrieve the Sadoryeon Master’s disciple. But… I’ve failed. Because you, Wind God Dragon, chose to interfere.”
“I’m aware of that much. I have eyes, after all.”
“Which is why, regrettably, our battle must end here. Continuing would leave it uncertain whether I could win, and I’ve already wasted considerable time.”
“Ha. So you’ll attack recklessly and then simply flee? What makes you think I’d let you?”
I gripped the Windgod Sword tightly as I spat the words.
If necessary, I was prepared to unleash the Wind God Dragon technique again and sever his neck.
But the moment I stepped forward—
-Danger!
“…!”
Clang!
Sensing the flow of wind through the Windgod Technique, I instantly deflected something that had closed the distance in a heartbeat.
“Steel arrows!?”
They were arrows forged from hardened steel.
Not just one, but multiple volleys.
“These bastards….”
I swiftly deployed my technique to deflect every incoming arrow, but the masked swordsman had already withdrawn from the battlefield.
Hong Yeon and Mak Ri-hyeon attempted to pursue him, but his speed far exceeded theirs.
In the end, they had no choice but to retreat, dodging the barrage of arrows that harassed them.
“I hadn’t anticipated there would be additional enemies.”
“Hmph. It was likely some insurance he kept in reserve, just in case.”
In any case, we were nearly caught in a dangerous situation. Had it not been for you, Jin Muyeol, we would have faced grave peril. I offer my sincere gratitude.”
Mak Ri-hyeon spoke thus and clasped his fist in salute toward me.
Hong Yeon, seeing his expression, reluctantly offered the same gesture.
She spoke to me with a somewhat reluctant tone.
“I have to admit what’s worth admitting. Honestly, the two of us alone would have struggled against him. I’ve heard stories, but you’re truly impressive, aren’t you?”
“I too would have found him difficult to face without your assistance. Your name is Hong Yeon, correct?”
“Yes. As you’ve heard, I’m the disciple of my Master… the Sadoryeon Master.”
She spoke to me with a radiant smile.
“I came here under my Master’s orders to build a good relationship with you. I look forward to working together.”
“How direct of you.”
I let out a hollow laugh, finding the situation absurd.
I hadn’t expected him to be so candid about his purpose—I thought he’d at least maintain some pretense.
“Well then, I look forward to working with you, Mak Ri-hyeon.”
“I didn’t expect you to speak so formally. Last time, you didn’t use honorifics with me, did you?”
“Well, back then we met as potential enemies in hostile territory. Now you’ve come as a guest. It’s only natural that the treatment differs, wouldn’t you say?”
“Haha. That’s true enough. I appreciate your courtesy.”
Among the Sadoryeon, she was counted among the finest late-stage cultivators, and as the Sadoryeon Master’s disciple, she represented a meaningful connection worth cultivating.
I exchanged brief greetings with her and Mak Ri-hyeon, then had the scene cleaned up.
Fortunately, only one casualty remained—the Sadoryeon’s escort captain who had fallen first—so we simply needed to recover his body.
“Let us escort you to the Main House. We’ll see to your comfort.”
The Wind Cloud Unit and I guided them back to the Bukcheon Sword Family with those words.
No further attacks occurred during our return.

* * *

Meanwhile, a short distance from the battlefield.
“Ugh!”
The masked man applied medicinal salve to the wound carved across his chest, letting out a pained groan.
The injury ran deep, bringing considerable agony with it.
Most would have wept and wailed at such pain, yet the fact that he endured it with mere groans spoke volumes about the mental fortitude of this masked figure.
“We were thoroughly defeated. I never thought you’d take such a blow.”
The Archer, who had been keeping watch, clicked his tongue upon seeing the masked man’s wound.
This was no mere courtesy.
Mu Cheon, the masked man, had ascended to a realm higher than even the Archer who had reached the Johwa Realm.
He stood at the threshold just before breaking through to the Heavenly Martial Realm.
In other words, Mu Cheon was a man who had reached the pinnacle of the Johwa Realm.
Yet even accounting for the three-to-one disadvantage, he hadn’t expected to suffer like this.
“Was the Wind God Dragon’s full power really that formidable?”
“You saw it yourself. He was no ordinary opponent. He operated on an entirely different level from common rabble.”
“For one so young, he possesses monstrous strength.”
“Indeed. A monster still in his growth phase. If he maintains this rate of advancement, within ten years there will be few who can match him—save those who have already reached the highest echelons.”
Mu Cheon sighed as he spoke.
With the Archer’s assistance, he wrapped bandages tightly over the salve and rose to his feet.
“What do you intend to do now?”
“Since the mission has failed, we should withdraw first. Lingering here risks exposure, which would only complicate matters.”
“That’s reasonable.”
“And I need to report that the Wind God Dragon’s strength exceeds expectations. We can’t afford to underestimate him for his youth. One miscalculation born of overconfidence could result in irreversible losses.”
“Understood. Then let us depart immediately.”
“Very well.”
With those words, Mu Cheon gazed toward the direction Jin Muyeol’s party had departed.
His eyes gleamed with cold rationality, yet beneath it burned a peculiar excitement.
It was because the martial prowess that Jin Muyeol had displayed through such perfect harmony with me left a profound impression.
‘Perhaps… he could become the stepping stone for me to reach the next realm.’
Of course, before that could happen, I needed to treat my wounds and receive the next orders.
So without hesitation, Mu Cheon slipped into the darkness of the forest alongside the Archer.

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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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