The Patriarch of the Northern Heavens - Chapter 22

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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 22

Father rose from his sickbed and immediately convened a family council.
More senior members participated in this meeting than ever before.
Everyone understood that this was an exceptionally important council that would determine the future direction of the Bukcheon Sword Family.
“I thank you all for gathering here.”
Father sat at the head seat and spoke with measured calm.
Though his body had not fully recovered—he remained gaunt and frail—his eyes and bearing burned with an intensity that no one could ignore.
“Family Head. We are grateful for your recovery.”
“Truly, fortune has smiled upon us.”
“To think we would see you again like this….”
The senior members favorable to Father each offered their words.
Meanwhile, Lee Tae-gyeom and the Elder Council faction wore expressions of displeasure.
Of course they would be displeased.
One of them had managed to poison Father using toxins, and all that effort had come to nothing in an instant.
From their perspective, they must have wanted to tear me to shreds for bringing the antidote.
“It is not fortune. My recovery is entirely thanks to the Young Master.”
Father said this and looked toward me.
I felt all eyes converge upon me.
“Without the Medicine King Divine Pill that the Young Master brought, I would not have overcome this illness even after years. I might well have perished as it was.”
“The Young Master has truly accomplished a great deed.”
“Indeed. There was a moment when we wondered what would become of us….”
“The future of the Bukcheon Sword Family appears bright.”
Voices praising me rose once more.
I lowered my head slightly in modesty.
Though it sounded like flattery, every word was truth.
Father waited a moment, then spoke again.
“However, there are those who have attempted to obstruct and kill such a Young Master. I intend to bring this matter into the open for discussion.”
“…!”
Shock swept across every face in an instant.
Father’s words had come without warning.
One senior member stammered out a question.
“W-what do you mean by that?”
“I heard testimony from those who accompanied the Young Master. During the journey to Shanxi Yu Clan, the Green Forest Bandits targeted the Young Master.”
“Surely the mere presence of bandits does not mean they targeted the Young Master, does it?”
“Of course not. But if they had learned the Young Master’s route beforehand from someone and were lying in wait, that is another matter entirely. I have confirmed from the three who accompanied the Young Master that the bandit leader spoke of such things.”
“That cannot be!”
“I issue this warning here and now. I do not know who the culprit is, but abandon any thoughts of laying hands on my son. Should such an incident occur again, I will conduct a thorough investigation to uncover those behind it.”
As Father spoke, his eyes burned with barely contained fury.
In truth, what he wished to convey extended far beyond this moment.
He would undoubtedly want to publicize the scandal of father and son both falling victim to addiction, and he would certainly wish to censure the Elder Council for the contempt they had shown him all these years.
Yet my father deliberately singled out what I had endured.
This was nothing less than a declaration that he would prioritize me above all else.
I felt the weight of that intention, and my heart warmed at the realization.
“Furthermore, I have something to say regarding the young master.”
“Is there yet another matter to discuss?”
“This time, I wish to discuss a reward. The young master has not only elevated the family’s name through several missions, but has also saved my life. This is no small feat, regardless of his station as young master.”
“….”
“Therefore, I intend to bestow a reward upon the young master. I would like to discuss with all of you what form this reward should take.”
Truly, my father risen from his sickbed was a man of decisive action.
I could not help but admire the way he moved forward without a moment’s hesitation.
At his words, all the senior members fell into contemplation.
As my father had stated, my contributions were no ordinary matter.
It was certain that some reward must be given, yet what that reward should be remained unclear.
“Does anyone have a suitable suggestion?”
“That is….”
“It seems there are none. Then allow me to propose my own compensation. First, the young master shall continue to maintain his authority as acting family head.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“In times of crisis, this child’s voice shall carry equal weight to my own. I will grant him all the rights and authority that a family head possesses, equally.”
“Hmm.”
“F-Family Head, you have only just risen from your sickbed. Is this not too much?”
“Had I remained bedridden, he would naturally possess these rights. To strip them away now would be absurd. Rather, I believe it is right to strengthen his position at this very moment.”
My father spoke with finality, brooking no further objection.
“Moreover, I shall bestow upon this child the Sword Soul Pill, a treasure of our clan. This is compensation for his sacrifice of the Medicine King Divine Pill, which he could have consumed himself.”
“However, the Sword Soul Pill is a treasure of which our sword clan possesses only three remaining….”
“Is that more important than the fact that it saved my life?”
At the chill in my father’s voice, the senior member who had begun to object hastily closed his mouth.
“N-No, of course not. Upon reflection, it seems quite reasonable.”
“With our improved relations with the Shanxi Yu Clan, obtaining the materials for the sacred pill has become far easier.”
“Precisely. And finally, I shall grant this child command authority over one military division. This is not to say I am giving him the position of division commander, but rather granting him the pure authority to mobilize that division without my permission.”
“…!”
Murmurs of astonishment could not be contained.
Everyone was taken aback by this extraordinary compensation.
Yet my father had once been the family head who led the Bukcheon Sword Family to prosperity.
Thus, even having just risen from his sickbed, none could oppose such declarations.
My influence differed entirely from his—I who had become family head in my first life with no foundation whatsoever.
He turned his gaze toward me and asked.
“Moo-yeol. What are your thoughts? Is there a military division you wish to command?”
I paused briefly in thought before answering.
“I wish to take command of the Saeying Division. Would you permit it?”
At my words, several of the senior elders’ expressions hardened.
The Saeying Division was not renowned for exceptional martial prowess, but rather as an intelligence unit that handled information.
And to gain full authority over that division meant I would be the first to review all information entering the Bukcheon Sword Family from that moment forward.
This was truly a significant power.
As I spoke without a moment’s hesitation, Father nodded.
“Of course. From now on, all reports from the Saeying Division commander shall come to you first.”
“Family Head!”
Unable to contain himself, Elder Lee Tae-gyeom raised his voice loudly.
But Father merely responded with a cold expression.
“Elder, is there a problem?”
“Surely giving the Saeying Division is going too far!”
“As long as he maintains his position as acting family head, it was a right he could possess anyway. There is nothing strange about making it more explicitly defined, is there?”
“But…”
“And he is my son, who saved my life when I was dying. I believe I can grant him this much. Do you think differently, Elder?”
Lee Tae-gyeom’s words caught in his throat.
He must be in a difficult position.
If he pressed further here, the conversation would inevitably turn to Father’s life and its value.
And if he misspoke, he would bear a significant political burden.
So he could not recklessly say anything more.
Seeing Lee Tae-gyeom like this, Father smiled faintly.
“It seems not. Then I shall consider your objection unheard.”
A sense of exhilaration swept through me.
So that insufferable elder was being outmaneuvered like this.
This was only possible because many people still remembered the achievements Father had accumulated in his youth.
Though he had been bedridden and unable to demonstrate it until now, the authority he had built in those days was not something even an elder could easily disregard.
And on top of that, Father was a man who had just barely escaped death, was he not?
Anyone who spoke against such a person risked attack from the senior members of the pro-family head faction.
“Then let us conclude the family council here. Everyone has worked hard.”
Father declared the end of the meeting in a calm voice.
The senior elders left the conference hall, each wearing complex expressions.
After everyone had departed, I expressed my gratitude to Father.
“That must not have been easy for you. Thank you.”
“No. Rather, this was something I could only do now, having just risen from my sickbed. I simply made the most of that opportunity.”
For now, under the pretext of saving the family head’s life, I could grant as much as possible.
Father had understood this and acted immediately.
“One concern is the checks that will now be directed at you. Since you are taking command of the Saeying Division, everyone will watch your every move. But that also means they could all become your enemies.”
“I am fine with that. I chose that path after considering everything.”
“Then I am relieved.”
Father nodded without even asking the reason.
It was an action that clearly conveyed her trust in me.
“While I lay bedridden, there was something I could not do. Do you know what that is?”
“Restoring this family’s deformed structure to normalcy, is it not?”
“Correct. The Bukcheon Sword Family now has far too much power concentrated in the hands of the elders. The various privileges gained through the family’s strength flow not into the family’s coffers, but into their own pockets.”
Father sighed lightly and continued.
“Therefore, I intend to devote all my strength to correcting this. For now, I have only just risen from my sickbed, and they have not yet formulated a response. But Elder Council Chairman Lee Tae-gyeom is a meticulous and cunning man. He will undoubtedly obstruct my every move going forward.”
“Of course. I believe the same.”
Lee Tae-gyeom would almost certainly do exactly that.
Given that he was strongly suspected to be a puppet of the Black Night Fortress, he would spare no effort to devour this family.
“Then we must first sever their limbs, so to speak.”
“Using the Saeying Division?”
“Yes. I shall become your sword, Father, and eliminate Lee Tae-gyeom’s subordinates. We should begin by dealing with the elders of his faction first.”
And I possessed not only the Saeying Division’s intelligence network, but also knowledge of the future.
I knew exactly where they were and what they were doing.
Eliminating them one by one would be child’s play in reducing Lee Tae-gyeom’s faction’s influence.
“Still, there is danger. They will not sit idle and accept this. I worry they may attempt to assassinate you again.”
“It is fine. My guards are capable. And besides, I am no longer who I was before.”
I tapped my chest confidently, then spoke to Father.
“Then I shall take my leave. Please take good care of yourself, Father.”
“Very well.”
I parted from Father and returned to my quarters.
Even as I walked, my mind was occupied with determining what to do first.
The first target should be easy to strike while minimizing damage to our side.
I quickly recalled a suitable candidate.
‘Wang Jin.’
The uncle of Wang Ho, the steward I had killed on the first day after returning to the past, and a member of Lee Tae-gyeom’s faction.
With the knowledge I possessed, I could draw him out without difficulty.

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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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