The Patriarch of the Northern Heavens - Chapter 17

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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 17

Jin Cheon-hui and I were never particularly close, to be honest.
Though we met occasionally as cousins, our interactions remained distant and formal.
This stemmed from the poor relationship between his father, my uncle, and my own father.
The two had fought bitterly in the past over the position of family head, and the resentment from those days still lingered.
I’d heard that Jin Cheon-hui had grown up listening to his father heap abuse upon my father and me whenever the opportunity arose.
‘Still, he himself wasn’t a bad person.’
Despite being raised on such words, Jin Cheon-hui harbored no hatred toward me.
He simply felt somewhat uncomfortable and awkward in my presence.
It had been the same in my first life, when all the household members despised me.
So I, too, held no ill will toward him.
However, I had never been the one to initiate conversation with him before.
‘Is this because of that matter?’
Judging by the fact that he sought me out like this.
“What brings you here? Tell me.”
“Well, that is…”
“It’s alright. Speak freely.”
I addressed Jin Cheon-hui with a gentle expression and tone.
He seemed slightly taken aback by my response, but soon answered calmly.
“I heard that you’re traveling to the Shanxi Liu Family. Would it be possible for me to accompany you?”
‘As expected.’
It was exactly the request I had anticipated.
There was no other reason for Jin Cheon-hui to seek me out.
Yet I wondered why he would make such a proposal…
“Very well.”
I agreed readily without hesitation.
There was no reason to refuse.
Jin Cheon-hui showed a surprised reaction.
“Are you truly certain?”
“Why wouldn’t it be? More strength is always better, after all.”
Of course, I couldn’t bring the entire military force with me…
But Jin Cheon-hui with a single guard would pose no problem.
With him, Sa Gong-cheon, and myself, we would number only four.
‘Besides, I want to grow closer to Jin Cheon-hui in this life.’
“Thank you, brother. I was afraid of going alone, but knowing you’ll be with me puts my mind at ease.”
Jin Cheon-hui’s tension eased as well, and he spoke with a gentle smile.
I nodded and replied to him.
“I’m glad I can go with you too. Thank you for making such a proposal.”
I could see Jin Cheon-hui’s eyes widen at my sincere words.
I patted his shoulder and spoke.
“Then prepare yourself for departure, as we’ll be leaving soon. I’ll call for you again when the time comes.”
“Yes! I’ll greet you properly then.”
Jin Cheon-hui, whose mood had brightened considerably, nodded and took his leave.
After confirming his departure, Sa Gong-cheon approached me quietly and asked.
“Young Master. Are you truly certain about this?”
“What could possibly be wrong with it?”
“Young Master Jin Cheon-hui likely didn’t make this proposal of his own will. His father, Jin Yu-seong, the patriarch, must have ordered him to do so.”
“Obviously. An opportunity to gain merit has appeared, so he’s sending his talented son to steal my accomplishments. I’m well aware of it.”
Jin Cheon-hui’s talent was second to none within the Bukcheon Sword Family.
Even now, he possessed martial prowess at the pinnacle of the upper echelon, and in the future, he would ascend to the Harmonious Enlightenment realm and earn the epithet “First Sword of the Jin Clan.”
‘That’s why in my previous life, there were endless whispers about what would have happened if Cheon-hui had been the patriarch instead.’
Yet he himself harbored no ambition for the patriarch’s seat.
He had even defied his father’s command to seize my position, remaining a loyal retainer until the very end.
He lost his life in the battle against Black Night City.
In this life, I would ensure such a fate never befell him.
Since he had shown me goodwill, I would reciprocate it and protect him to the end.
‘As a bonus, I should help that boy’s talents flourish to their fullest.’
With that thought, I spoke to Sa Gong-cheon.
“Still, you know as well as I do how important this matter is. Having Jin Cheon-hui with us will give me greater peace of mind than risking failure alone.”
“That’s true….”
“Besides, Jin Cheon-hui isn’t the type to covet another’s accomplishments. He’ll simply act as a member of my expedition, following my orders. So the picture your uncle wishes to paint won’t come to pass.”
I hadn’t accepted Jin Cheon-hui’s proposal on a whim.
I accepted it because there was nothing to lose.
Rather, both of us would shine in this endeavor and bring greater honor to the Bukcheon Sword Family.
Of course, this carried the risk of provoking the Black Night City faction….
‘This much should be manageable.’
They rarely stepped forward unless absolutely necessary.
Even in my previous life, they only emerged when I began earnestly subjugating them, so they wouldn’t budge over me gaining some renown.
“Don’t worry too much. Help me with my training on the journey. To handle any situation that might arise, I need to become stronger than I am now.”
Through my knowledge of the past, I roughly understood what had transpired at the Shanxi Liu Family.
And I also knew how to address it.
But in case of unforeseen circumstances, my martial prowess could never be too formidable.
That’s why I’d been training relentlessly of late.
“Understood. I shall do so.”
“I’m counting on you.”
Sa Gong-cheon nodded and went to prepare for his own departure.
After some time had passed.
We completed our preparations and set out toward the Shanxi Liu Family.

* * *

The party heading to the Shanxi Liu Family was remarkably small.
Just myself, Cheon-hui, my escort Sa Gong-cheon, and Im Ho-gyeong, a martial artist serving as Cheon-hui’s guard.
I could have brought more if I wished, but…
‘They specifically requested that I send only the minimum necessary personnel.’
This was because the matter involved the creation of the Shanxi Liu Family’s secret elixir.
Since we were dealing with the family’s most guarded secrets, they naturally wanted as few people involved as possible.
It suited me perfectly.
After all, I trusted very few martial artists besides Sa Gong-cheon.
Until I could establish genuine trust, I had no intention of working alongside other warriors.
“Then we shall depart. I’ll take the reins first.”
Im Ho-gyeong, Cheon-hui’s escort, volunteered to take the driver’s seat.
The three of us remaining settled into the carriage to rest.
While I sat with my eyes closed in meditation, Cheon-hui’s voice broke the silence.
“Elder brother, may I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
“Were you perhaps concealing your true strength?”
It was the same question Sa Gong-cheon had posed before.
Likely many others were curious about the same thing.
I smiled playfully before answering.
“Well, what do you think?”
“I… honestly, I’m not certain. We haven’t interacted that frequently, after all.”
Cheon-hui answered with refreshing candor.
I regarded him thoughtfully and spoke.
“Then discover it for yourself.”
“Discover it?”
“During this journey, observe whether I’ve been hiding my true strength or not. You should be capable of discerning that, shouldn’t you?”
“…!”
Cheon-hui’s eyes widened.
“Though truthfully, even if you determine the answer, it holds little significance. What matters is my current state. Isn’t that so, Sa Gong?”
“Indeed, Young Master’s words are correct.”
Sa Gong-cheon nodded calmly in agreement.
Just as Cheon-hui was about to respond—
Whoosh! Thud!
Neigh!
The sound of air being torn apart came alongside the agonized cry of a horse.
“What’s happening?”
“This is…”
Before we could even assess the situation, a voice called out from outside.
It was Im Ho-gyeong, our coachman, speaking urgently.
“Young masters, we’re under attack! The Green Forest Bandits have appeared!”
“The Green Forest Bandits?”
We immediately rushed outside to see what was happening.
Just as Im Ho-gyeong said, dozens of Green Forest Bandits had surrounded us.
“So the rumors were true—wealthy young masters are coming through here, eh?”
A middle-aged man who appeared to be their leader swaggered toward us.
He carried a massive axe on his shoulder, and the considerable aura he exuded suggested he was quite skilled.
“How do the Green Forest Bandits operate in this place?”
Jin Cheon-hui murmured in surprise.
This region was still under the influence of the Bukcheon Sword Family.
In other words, the Bukcheon Sword Family was responsible for maintaining order here.
And our intelligence network had no reports of Green Forest Bandits in this area.
Which meant these were outsiders who had recently infiltrated the region.
‘Moreover, what that man just muttered.’
‘According to what we heard,’ wealthy young masters ‘were coming through.’
This suggested they had received information about us in advance from someone.
“Sigh.”
I exhaled slowly.
There were too many suspects to narrow it down.
Perhaps one of the senior members who resented me had decided to play a prank.
“Sa Gong-cheon, I’ll draw their attention. Please take the young masters and escape.”
Unlike me, who was merely annoyed, the atmosphere around Jin Cheon-hui and Im Ho-gyeong had grown quite serious.
Given the scale of the enemy force, they likely believed we couldn’t pass through without casualties.
So Im Ho-gyeong was trying to sacrifice himself to clear a path.
“What are you saying! Im Ho-gyeong, absolutely not!”
“But young master, this is the only way.”
“We could all fight together instead….”
“If we do that, we’ll likely all suffer serious injuries. Then reaching the Shanxi Liu Family would be pointless.”
“Is the Shanxi Liu Family really that important!? I won’t abandon Im Ho-gyeong!”
“Young master, please listen to me!”
Jin Cheon-hui and Im Ho-gyeong were arguing with each other.
Their bond of trust ran deep, much like mine with Sa Gong-cheon—it was moving enough to bring tears.
I ignored the two of them and stepped forward.
“Wait, brother!?”
“Young clan master? It’s dangerous!”
I ignored the voices calling from behind and addressed the Green Forest Bandits.
“Tell me, what should I call you?”
“You’re asking about me?”
“Indeed.”
“Hehehehe. This old man here is called Geum Ho-tae, the Crimson-Blooded Axeman. Feel free to address me however you wish.”
“I am Jin Muyeol, the Young Master of the Bukcheon Sword Family. These are my companions.”
“The Young Master of the Bukcheon Sword Family! Well, well—we’ve caught ourselves quite the big fish.”
I made a calm proposal to the Crimson-Blooded Axeman, whom I found quite troublesome.
“I’ll hand over every coin I possess if you’ll simply withdraw from this place, yes? After all, your true objective is money, is it not?”
“Hehehehe. Unfortunately, that won’t do, boy. We’ll make far more profit by taking you hostage and squeezing the Bukcheon Sword Family for ransom than by accepting whatever pittance you’re carrying.”
“If you do that, you’ll fall into the Bukcheon Sword Family’s bad graces—quite the predicament, wouldn’t you say?”
“Hehehehe. Once we’ve collected our payment, we’ll flee south. No matter how skilled you are, how could you possibly catch us? Besides, everyone in these parts knows your family’s influence has been waning lately.”
It seemed I had a long road ahead if I were to restore the Bukcheon Sword Family to its former glory.
To hear such words from mere mountain bandits of all people—it was infuriating.
I exhaled lightly and spoke.
“Negotiations have failed.”
Shing.
My blade sang as it drew from my scabbard in the same instant.
I swung it before the Crimson-Blooded Axeman could even react.
“Then die.”
Whoosh-crack!
A torrent of razor-sharp slashes descended upon the bandits encircling us.

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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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