The Patriarch of the Northern Heavens - Chapter 18

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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 18

Gale Cyclone Sword.
Third Form: Chaos Dance.
Whoooosh!
A sudden torrent of blade wind swept across the bandits.
“Argh!”
“Gasp!”
The four brigands surrounding me without any defense fell with screams.
Four bandits collapsed in an instant.
Everyone who witnessed it was struck with shock.
They never imagined I would launch an attack so abruptly.
“You, you madman! How dare you!”
So he was truly the leader?
The Red Blood Leader, the only one who had blocked my attack, wore an expression of fury.
His face screamed with the desire to kill me.
I flashed him a grin in response.
It was to erode his composure as much as possible.
“I’ll kill you!”
“If you kill me, you won’t get paid. Take it easy.”
Crash!
I received his descending axe strike with a parry.
My wrist tingled, but it was bearable.
The energy of the Diamond Yaksha Divine Art flowing through my entire body fortified my physical form.
From the impact I felt now, the enemy’s cultivation realm was roughly early to mid-peak stage.
“Sa Gong-cheon, stand guard!”
“Yes!”
“While I hold this one down, eliminate the rest!”
“I obey your command!”
With victory within reach, there was no reason to retreat.
I slashed down two charging foot soldiers and kicked them away.
Simultaneously, the Red Blood Leader rushed at me.
I raised my sword and blocked his powerful downward strike.
Crash!
“Brother! We’ll help too!”
Then Jin Cheon-hui and Im Ho-gyeong joined Sa Gong-cheon.
Both of their skills were quite impressive.
Impressive enough to make me wonder why they had tried to flee without fighting.
Perhaps they hadn’t properly assessed the enemy’s full strength?
There was only one master at the pinnacle level among them, yet they had foolishly let numbers intimidate them.
“Do you truly believe you’ll walk away unscathed from this?”
“How amusing—speaking as though you’re the one being unjustly attacked.”
I scoffed at the absurdity and deflected the Red Blood Leader’s massive axe.
The Red Blood Leader swung his enormous weapon again with tremendous force.
I tracked the arc of his blade and parried his assault repeatedly.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
“I’ll split your skull open!”
“You reek—keep your mouth shut when you’re this close.”
With that jab, I executed the Phantom Thief King’s footwork.
Whoosh.
I retreated like a phantom, evading his strike entirely.
The Red Blood Leader seemed bewildered as his axe cleaved through empty air.
In that instant, I channeled all my energy into the Yongcheon point beneath my sole.
Boom!
My body, having struck the ground, accelerated at tremendous velocity.
What followed was the opening technique of the Gale Strike.
The Red Blood Leader realized defense was impossible and immediately threw himself to the ground.
A technique of the Falling Tyrant that disregarded all pride and dignity.
Yet that very action saved his life.
Had he attempted to defend, my strike would have pierced straight through his heart.
“Still, for a master at the pinnacle, you know how to fight reasonably well.”
“How dare you….”
He spat curses to maintain his momentum, but I could see the wavering in his eyes.
He was clearly shaken—my strength far exceeded his expectations.
But I had no intention of showing mercy.
I wrapped myself in the Vajra Yaksha Qi and charged at him once more.
Gale Slash.
Boom!
The Red Blood Leader’s body was driven back several steps as he blocked my attack.
Even as he retreated, he swung his axe in an attempt to counterattack.
I twisted my body to the side, evading his strike, and unleashed another Gale Slash.
Boom!
It was an attack with enough power to cleave an unarmored body in two.
Crack.
I saw a fissure form across the Red Blood Leader’s axe blade.
As expected of the impoverished Green Forest Bandits—he clearly wasn’t wielding a weapon of quality.
It was time to end this.
“Hah.”
I drew in a sharp breath and gathered strength into my lower body.
Explosive force surged from my firmly planted feet, coursing through my thighs.
That power traveled upward through my waist and torso, finally settling into my blade.
Gale Slash Barrage.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-crack!
A devastating flurry of strikes unfolded—similar to my earlier assault, yet far more potent.
By unleashing the Gale Slash—a technique capable of felling a small tree in a single blow—consecutively, I shattered my opponent’s defense entirely.
The first few attacks seemed to be parried, but….
Crack!
“This… this can’t be!”
His axe finally shattered.
Almost simultaneously, a fountain of blood erupted.
Whoosh-hahahaha-crack!
The Red Blood Leader, his entire body lacerated, stared at me in disbelief.
I didn’t even grant him the chance to speak a final word.
Swish!
His head flew skyward.
I had ended it completely.
“Phew.”
As I steadied my breathing, my companions approached.
The common soldiers had already been dealt with.
Most were dead; some had fled.
But there seemed no need to pursue them.
“Brother. What exactly was that technique just now…?”
Jin Cheon-hui stared at me in disbelief.
Im Ho-gyeong wore the same expression.
They were shocked because I, whom they had estimated to be merely first-rate at best, had displayed such martial prowess.
I offered them a knowing smile.
Sometimes a single action conveyed far greater meaning than a hundred words.
Let them wonder how I had become so strong.
Instead, I told them something crucial.
“Jin Cheon-hui. Did you notice?”
“Pardon? Notice what…?”
“What those Green Forest Bandits said earlier. They clearly stated they’d learned of our arrival from someone, didn’t they?”
“…!”
Jin Cheon-hui’s expression grew grave as the realization dawned on him.
I spoke to him in a measured tone.
“It appears there are people within the family who view us unfavorably. They’re trying to prevent us from reaching the Shanxi Yu Clan.”
“But… surely we can’t assume it was definitely a family member? It could be the work of another faction hostile to the Bukcheon Sword Family….”
“That’s possible, certainly. But how could outsiders have known the exact date of our departure? That’s information most of the family servants don’t even know—only those in high positions.”
“…!”
“Even if others were the culprits, it’s certain that someone within the family has been colluding with them. Of course, I don’t know who exactly.”
Jin Cheon-hui was no fool.
With just this much said, he could piece together the general circumstances well enough.
And he would quickly realize that the perpetrator of this incident was one of the senior members who despised me.
Indeed, as his thoughts reached that conclusion, Jin Cheon-hui’s expression darkened.
“Brother, this is….”
“Enough.”
I cut off Jin Cheon-hui’s words with a gentle tone.
“Since it’s already been resolved, there’s no need to dwell on it further for now. Let’s focus on our business with the Shanxi Yu Clan.”
“Yes, understood.”
Though he seemed to have much more he wanted to say, Jin Cheon-hui deferred to my judgment.
I turned to Im Ho-gyeong and spoke.
“Im Ho-gyeong, would it be alright if I asked you to continue driving the carriage? I’ll take over in a bit.”
“No, there’s no need for that. I can continue driving the carriage. Please get some proper rest.”
He spoke with a noticeably more respectful tone than he usually afforded me.
Seeing my current state, his assessment of me must have shifted.
I smiled gratefully and turned back toward the carriage.
Shortly after, the carriage began moving again.
Our destination was Shanxi Province, Guxian.
Where the Shanxi Yu Clan resided.

* * *

Fortunately, nothing significant occurred during our journey to the Shanxi Yu Clan.
I had wondered if assassin squads might appear, but those who wished for my death seemed unprepared for such measures.
Or perhaps they believed mere bandits would suffice?
‘A laughable assumption.’
Of course, the clan members were unaware of how I had changed, so it was only natural—but still.
The fact that they attempted this despite my having companions suggested they had gravely underestimated me.
“So this is the Shanxi Yu Clan.”
Jin Cheon-hui gazed in admiration at the vast estate sprawling in the distance.
In terms of scale, it surpassed even the Bukcheon Sword Family.
That was the Shanxi Yu Clan.
People lined up outside the Shanxi Yu Clan, waiting to receive pulse diagnoses.
“Aren’t you surprised, brother? Have you been here before?”
“No, this is my first time.”
That was a lie.
The problem was that the memory belonged to my previous life, not this one.
Back then, I had visited this place to gather allies to stand against the Black Night Fortress.
The results were… underwhelming.
The Shanxi Yu Clan and its leader, the Medicine King, had no intention of joining hands with the Bukcheon Sword Family, who had allowed their precious jewel to be injured.
That was why they refused to hear me out and issued an expulsion order.
I had no choice but to be driven away from this place empty-handed.
That was the memory of my first life.
‘This time, I won’t let it end that way.’
After successfully completing the escort mission properly, I would establish a good relationship with the Shanxi Yu Clan.
Then perhaps I could receive their assistance later.
For the Bukcheon Sword Family, it would be an invaluable outcome.
No—I would make certain it happened that way.
With that resolve, I approached the gate guards stationed at the main entrance.
“Greetings. I am Jin Muyeol, the young master of the Bukcheon Sword Family. These are my companions. Would you be able to inform those inside of our arrival?”
“Yes. Please wait a moment.”
The gate guard quickly disappeared inside, apparently having already been notified.
As I waited, a woman with a strong medicinal fragrance emerged with her escort.
“I never expected the young master of the Bukcheon Sword Family to come personally. How delightful. I am Yu Qing-ah, overseeing this entire matter.”
“The Medicine King’s granddaughter, I presume. Pleased to meet you. I am Jin Muyeol.”
We exchanged brief greetings and regarded each other.
Yu Qing-ah.
In the original timeline, she was someone who suffered grave injuries from the failure of the Bukcheon Sword Family’s escort and nearly perished.
But this time, that would not happen.
“Shall we discuss the details once we’re inside?”
“Of course. I had several questions myself.”
We entered and proceeded deep into the heart of the Shanxi Yu Clan.
Yu Qing-ah led us to the reception room and served tea.
After the warm tea had been distributed to everyone, she began to speak.
“As you know, we requested assistance from the Bukcheon Sword Family because a certain faction was threatening us.”
“Which faction exactly, and what was the nature of their threats?”
“We haven’t been able to identify them with certainty. They simply sent letters threatening us to stop producing the Medicine King Divine Elixir.”
“So you don’t know the true culprit or their reason for the threats.”
Of course, I already knew the answer.
Through information from the past, I had a relatively clear understanding of both the perpetrator and their motive.
But I couldn’t reveal that now.
Speaking carelessly would only invite suspicion.
“I understand. Then we shall begin the protection detail immediately. Of course, there are some matters we need to discuss regarding this….”
I stopped mid-sentence and fell silent.
Yu Qing-ah, puzzled by my sudden pause, asked a question.
“Clan Master. What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing serious.”
I rose quietly from my seat and spoke.
“There’s a rat eavesdropping on our conversation.”
…!

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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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