The Patriarch of the Northern Heavens - Chapter 14

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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 14

“The Jade-Eyed Sword Demon, Moyong Hyun-rak? Are you referring to the one who single-handedly annihilated the Chiljon Sect not long ago?”
“Indeed. We should go recruit him.”
“…!”
Sa Gong-cheon’s expression shifted to one of shock at my words.
It was hardly surprising.
The Jade-Eyed Sword Demon, Moyong Hyun-rak.
A martial artist of the Moyong Clan, he was a prodigy who had reached the realm of Harmonious Enlightenment at a remarkably young age.
His most distinctive feature, befitting his epithet, was his golden hair and jade eyes.
This appearance stemmed from his mixed heritage—born of the Moyong Clan’s patriarch and a woman from the Western Regions.
Was it true that he had suffered considerable discrimination in his childhood because of his looks?
‘But that’s not what I need to focus on when recruiting Moyong Hyun-rak.’
In my past life, the Moyong Hyun-rak I had encountered harbored no great inferiority complex about his appearance.
Rather, he took pride in it as a trace of his mother’s legacy.
Instead, he possessed an extraordinary obsession with perfecting his swordsmanship.
So intense that others found it genuinely terrifying.
No wonder a man of orthodox sect lineage earned the title of Sword Demon.
However….
‘Perhaps that’s why his temperament is so abysmal.’
Moyong Hyun-rak had little interest in anything beyond perfecting his blade.
He cared so little for his own clan’s affairs that he might as well have ignored them entirely.
Or rather, was it merely indifference?
‘I heard he and the elders of the Moyong Clan were at each other’s throats.’
Due to the discrimination he suffered in childhood, Moyong Hyun-rak had never learned the Moyong Clan’s hereditary martial arts.
Thus, the swordsmanship he now wielded was a synthesis of various techniques he had gathered, forged into his own unique style.
Honestly, when I first heard this, I was genuinely impressed.
It meant he possessed the caliber of a Grand Master capable of creating martial arts from scratch.
‘Yet hastily assembled techniques inevitably harbor flaws.’
In the years to come, Moyong Hyun-rak would dedicate himself to refining and eliminating the weaknesses in his swordsmanship.
And ultimately, he would succeed.
But that lay years in the future.
For now, he was secluded in a remote mountain, deeply immersed in researching and developing his unique sword style.
I intended to exploit that very aspect.
Lost in these thoughts, Sa Gong-cheon asked anxiously,
“May I inquire why you wish to recruit someone so dangerous?”
“Dangerous, you say?”
“The Jade-Eyed Sword Demon, Moyong Hyun-rak, hails from an orthodox sect, yet I’ve heard he possesses a savage temperament—he cuts down anyone who displeases him. In essence, he’s no different from a heterodox martial artist….”
“That’s a misconception. While it’s true he intimidates and drives away those who displease him, he’s not the sort to carelessly slaughter people.”
How do I know?
Of course I know—I’ve met him before.
I’ve even crossed blades with him in actual combat.
But that’s something I can’t exactly reveal.
I offered Sa Gong-cheon a vague explanation instead.
“In any case, you’ll be coming with me, so you deserve to know the reason. The Bukcheon Sword Family is currently facing an existential crisis.”
“The main family, you say?”
Sa Gong-cheon’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Granted, the family head is bedridden, but surely that doesn’t mean the entire clan is on the verge of collapse? The family head will recover from his illness soon enough, won’t he?”
He seemed to be speaking with the Purification Seal in mind—the one I’d given him earlier.
I’d told him the Purification Seal was effective not only against toxins and curses, but also against illness to some degree.
But I answered with a grave expression.
“That may be true. But there are those who won’t simply sit idle and watch. To be precise, I’m talking about the ones who poisoned my father.”
“What? Poisoned? What do you mean by—”
“Listen carefully. They call themselves Black Night City. Their true identity remains hidden in darkness, known to no one.”
“…!”
Shock flooded Sa Gong-cheon’s face.
He immediately erected a barrier and asked urgently.
“Are you saying that the Bukcheon Sword Family is currently being infiltrated by the schemes of this Black Night City?”
“Yes. My father’s illness, my own condition, the various incidents that appear coincidental, the worsening circumstances of the Bukcheon Sword Family—all of it is their doing.”
“Then shouldn’t we immediately convene a family council to discuss countermeasures? Everyone must be informed—”
“Calm yourself. I wish we could do that. But there are already many of their agents hidden within the main family. If we make this public, there’s no telling what they might do.”
They might even move to erase the Bukcheon Sword Family far sooner than in the original timeline.
There’s no way I could stop that with my current strength.
I had to avoid that future at all costs.
“Now you understand why I’ve concealed my power, don’t you?”
“Indeed, so that was the reason…”
Sa Gong-cheon trembled as though he’d just learned an enormous secret.
Perhaps because we’d built considerable trust between us?
He didn’t doubt me for a moment, no matter how unbelievable my words might have seemed.
I exhaled lightly and continued.
“That’s why I’m gathering forces that can aid us when the time comes. The Sword Saint of the Pale Eyes is one of them. Does that make sense now?”
“Yes. I understand completely.”
Normally, I would have told him about Black Night City much later.
There was always the risk that information might leak out.
But I trusted Sa Gong-cheon.
Once a bond of trust was forged, I knew he would never betray me, no matter the circumstances.
That’s why I shared one of my greatest secrets with him.
“Then let’s depart soon. To where Moyong Hyun-rak is.”
“Yes!”
Sa Gong-cheon nodded vigorously.
We departed from the family estate under the pretense of taking a leisurely journey, riding our horses out into the world.
Our destination was where the Phantom Thief King awaited.

* * *

Moyong Hyun-rak resided in Black Mountain, situated some distance from Shenyang where the Moyong Clan was headquartered.
To be precise, he dwelled upon the highest peak in Black Mountain County.
After several days of hard riding, we arrived at our destination.
“So this is the place.”
We settled our meal at a nearby inn, entrusted our horses to their care, and immediately began ascending the highest mountain.
Fortunately, we had no need to wander aimlessly.
Rumors of the Phantom Thief King’s residence had already spread throughout the region.
Consequently, people rarely ventured near the mountain.
“But Master, what if the Phantom Thief King drives us away?”
Partway through our ascent, Sa Gong-cheon asked with evident concern in his voice.
He was likely thinking of the man’s notoriously difficult temperament.
I shook my head reassuringly.
“That won’t happen. I possess a method to capture the Phantom Thief King’s interest.”
“Is that so?”
“I’m quite certain of it. So trust me on this.”
“I shall.”
We continued our conversation as we climbed higher.
The mountain was steep and treacherous, but since we were both martial artists, it posed no great difficulty.
In particular, I used this opportunity to practice the Phantom Thief King’s movement technique.
When executing lightness martial arts on mountainous terrain, one must adjust breathing, inner energy circulation, and stride length accordingly, making mountain climbing an ideal training ground for such skills.
Sa Gong-cheon marveled at my silent, soundless movement—like a thief gliding through the darkness.
“Master, your movement technique is truly wondrous. Is that the Phantom Thief King’s method?”
“Yes. I obtained it from Nam Cheon’s hideout previously. Of course, I returned the original.”
I had settled all debts with Nam Cheon by returning both the original manual of the Phantom Thief King’s technique and a portion of funds.
He seemed to have expected me to break my promise, and his expression when I returned the technique was quite memorable.
Perhaps that left a favorable impression?
Nam Cheon departed after providing me with a method to contact him.
He said that since I had saved his life, he would lend his strength should I ever face difficulty.
‘In truth, there’s likely little Nam Cheon could do to aid me in the battles I must face.’
Yet it might become possible to establish contact with the Phantom Thief King through him as an intermediary.
If so, that would be ideal.
‘For now, though, I have no immediate need.’
This was something I could pursue at a leisurely pace.
For the moment, I had no use for him.
For now, drawing in Moyong Hyun-rak took priority.
As I climbed the mountain with that thought, I noticed strange traces.
“Hmm?”
Ahead on the path we were taking, I spotted quite a few footprints.
They led toward the direction of the mountain’s peak.
“Something feels off about this.”
“Could something have happened?”
“Let’s go check it out.”
“I think it would be wise to proceed carefully.”
“Agreed.”
We hurried up the mountain.
Not long after, we heard it.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The metallic ring of blades clashing against each other.
“This is…”
“It appears to be an assassination attempt.”
Sa Gong-cheon spoke with a hardened expression.
An assassination attempt.
The target was obvious without being stated.
It was likely aimed at Moyong Hyun-rak.
“What shall we do?”
“Hmm, Moyong Hyun-rak should be more than capable of handling this on his own. I’m certain of it.”
The proof was that he lived unscathed for years to come.
He wouldn’t fall to assassins in a place like this.
Rather, it was highly likely he would defeat all the assassins who came here.
“But if we do nothing, we’ll have wasted the trip. If we leave the mountain and return the next day, we’ll be suspected of being accomplices to the assassins.”
“True enough…”
“It would be better to lend a hand and earn his favor. What do you think?”
“I think that’s a good idea. Helping him would make it easy to gain his goodwill.”
Sa Gong-cheon nodded at my words.
Normally, as my protector, he would never have allowed such a risky operation, but after witnessing my abilities, he seemed to think even bold tactics were acceptable.
We climbed toward the mountain peak where the metallic clashing echoed.
There, over thirty assassins in black masks surrounded a single handsome man.
The man had golden hair and blue eyes—a beautiful man with sharp features and distinctly masculine bearing.
‘He doesn’t look much different from how I remember him years from now.’
Perhaps it was because the aging process slowed upon reaching the Harmony Realm.
The man, Moyong Hyun-rak, frowned sharply upon seeing us.
“Who are these bastards? Are they your allies?”
It seemed he mistook us for members of the assassin group.
But that misunderstanding was quickly resolved.
“We cannot leave witnesses. Kill them!”
Several of the masked figures rushed toward us, their blades flashing in deadly arcs.
I drew my sword and immediately channeled the Vajra Yaksha Technique.
Whoooosh.
Golden energy engulfed my body.
It flowed seamlessly into my blade, forming a luminous sword aura.
The assassins closed the distance in an instant.
I unleashed my technique with all my strength.
Gale Cyclone Sword.
Second Form.
Heavenly Reversal.
Shhhhwack!
The assassins’ bodies were hurled upward, blood spraying in all directions.

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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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