The Patriarch of the Northern Heavens - Chapter 24

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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 24

Gong Hyun, the commander of the Saeying Division, came to me directly to deliver his report.
It seemed he was taking the matter seriously, given its gravity.
I welcomed him warmly, offering hot tea and refreshments.
After bowing lightly and moistening his throat with the tea, he spoke.
“It’s true, then.”
I didn’t need him to explain what he meant—I understood immediately.
The martial artists of the Bukcheon Sword Family were extorting protection money from merchants.
And it wasn’t sanctioned by the family leadership, but rather the reckless actions of certain elders.
“My men confirmed that those fellows were collecting money from the merchants. However, I refrained from subduing them on the spot, just to be cautious….”
I nodded as I watched Gong Hyun, the Saeying Division commander, trail off with a bitter expression.
“You did well. I was planning to handle this matter personally.”
This incident was significant enough that the reputation of the Bukcheon Sword Family hung in the balance.
If mishandled, it could give the impression that our family was exploiting the merchants of the Marketplace District.
In fact, our reputation was likely already suffering.
‘I need to resolve this as quickly as possible.’
Otherwise, I or my father might end up bearing the blame for it.
I rose from my seat and spoke.
“Guide me to the merchants who suffered losses. I need to speak with them.”
“Yes.”
We left the Bukcheon Sword Family and headed toward the Marketplace District.
Gong Hyun led us to a cloth shop.
The Cloth Shop Owner froze as he came out to greet us.
All three of us had swords at our waists—it was obvious we were martial artists.
“Oh, welcome, honored guests.”
Even so, his mouth kept moving.
He was frightened, but he couldn’t afford to turn away business.
I spoke to him in a gentle voice.
“We are from the Bukcheon Sword Family. Would you mind if I asked you something?”
“The, the Bukcheon Sword Family!”
At the mention of that name, the Cloth Shop Owner cried out in alarm.
“Oh my! Honored sirs! I paid the tribute yesterday—why have you come again….”
“Did you just say tribute?”
At my question, the Cloth Shop Owner’s face went pale in an instant.
He seemed to realize he had misspoken.
“Ah, no. Not tribute, but a gesture of goodwill. I apologize….”
“Please, calm yourself. We haven’t come to harm you. We certainly haven’t come to steal your money.”
I spoke to the Cloth Shop Owner in a warm voice.
The Cloth Shop Owner appeared flustered.
“You’ve come to collect… protection money, haven’t you?”
“Quite the opposite, actually. We’re here to investigate the damage they’ve caused.”
“…!”
Perhaps he had finally grasped that something was different.
The Cloth Shop Owner began cautiously reading the situation.
I continued speaking to reassure him.
“The Bukcheon Sword Family does not accept money from merchants under the guise of protection fees. Those currently extorting funds are acting entirely against the main family’s will. Entirely.”
I looked directly at the Cloth Shop Owner and emphasized my words to make certain he understood.
Yet the Cloth Shop Owner still appeared somewhat anxious.
“You seem unconvinced. Then allow me to provide proof.”
I withdrew a golden token inscribed with “Bukcheon” from my robes.
The Cloth Shop Owner naturally wouldn’t understand its significance, so I made sure to explain.
“This is an identity token that only direct descendants of the Bukcheon Sword Family may possess. This should serve as evidence of my words.”
“Direct… descendant, you say? Could it be…?”
“Yes. This gentleman is Jin Muyeol, the Young Master of the Bukcheon Sword Family.”
Gong Hyun, standing beside me, provided the explanation instead.
The Cloth Shop Owner’s face drained of all color.
He must have been shocked to discover that the ordinary young man he’d taken me for was actually someone far more significant.
He immediately bowed deeply, trembling.
“I-I apologize profusely. This humble one’s limited knowledge prevented me from recognizing your esteemed station.”
“Please, raise your head. As I said before, I harbor no ill intent toward you whatsoever.”
The Cloth Shop Owner cautiously lifted his head.
I posed my next question to him calmly.
“Now then, do you believe my words?”
“Yes, yes, of course! But then… those men were not martial artists of the Bukcheon Sword Family…?”
“That is precisely what we must investigate.”
Of course, I already knew the truth.
But to move forward naturally while convincing the two men beside me, it was easier to demonstrate the appearance of conducting an investigation.
Besides, there was always the possibility that my recollections might be incorrect.
“When did they begin their extortion?”
“Since early this year. They suddenly began making the rounds among the merchants in this area, claiming they were protecting the neighborhood and demanding money.”
“It hasn’t been going on as long as I expected. Yet no one thought to inquire with the main family?”
“W-well, if we drew their attention, it could spell disaster.”
Though the Bukcheon Sword Family was said to be in decline, they remained the strongest martial force in Shanxi Province, counted among the regional overlords.
From the perspective of ordinary commoners, they absolutely did not wish to incur their displeasure.
Since the amounts demanded were not exorbitant, it made sense that they chose not to invite trouble unnecessarily.
‘But that was precisely their scheme.’
They had deliberately set the extortion amounts low enough for victims to endure, allowing them to evade the Bukcheon Sword Family’s surveillance network.
Of course, they would eventually be discovered years later.
But I failed to properly punish Wang Jin, who oversaw the entire operation at that time.
All I could do was impose a disciplinary suspension.
Why, you ask?
‘Because I couldn’t find evidence connecting those bastards to Wang Jin.’
The men currently extorting money throughout the city weren’t actually Wang Jin’s direct subordinates.
They weren’t even martial artists of the Bukcheon Sword Family.
So when they pointed to Wang Jin as their backer, people didn’t believe them.
Not only was the evidence insufficient, but public opinion had spread that this was someone’s scheme to frame Wang Jin.
‘It was probably the work of the opposing faction.’
But this time, I had no intention of letting him slip away so easily.
I asked the Cloth Shop Owner for more information.
In doing so, I managed to obtain one useful piece of intelligence.
“The next place scheduled for extortion is the Dumpling Shop next door?”
“Yes. The date is probably today… Oh!”
The Cloth Shop Owner pointed and gestured toward something in the distance.
Three martial artists wearing the garb of the Bukcheon Sword Family were approaching from afar.
“Those are them! Those are the very men who go around extorting protection money!”
Interesting.
There’s a saying in Haedong that if you speak of a tiger, it will appear.
This was exactly that situation.
Just as we were investigating these men, they happened to show up like this.
“Should we apprehend them?”
“No, wait a moment.”
We watched to see how they would proceed.
They approached the Dumpling Shop with practiced ease and called out the owner.
The owner emerged in a panic, bowing repeatedly.
They swaggered about, shouting something or other, and the Dumpling Shop Owner handed over his purse with trembling hands.
That was undoubtedly the protection money.
“Good. We can arrest them red-handed.”
There was no need to wait any longer.
I told my two companions to stay put and approached the men.
“All of you, stop what you’re doing.”
“Hm?”
They tilted their heads and looked at me.
They seemed somewhat startled.
They were probably flustered because I, who clearly appeared to be a martial artist, had addressed them.
I didn’t give them time to compose themselves and continued.
“Put that money down right now. Return it to the owner.”
“What do you mean….”
“Ha. Does the little brat want to play at being a righteous wanderer?”
One of them mocked me with a sneer.
Perhaps they looked down on me because I appeared young.
It didn’t matter. If my opponent let their guard down, that worked in my favor.
“Stop wasting time and leave. Unless you want to get hurt.”
“What, you think we’re robbing you by force? This is protection money.”
“Protection money? Why would they need to pay you for protection?”
“That’s obvious—because we from the Bukcheon Sword Family protect them. Without us, how could they even do business here?”
“The Bukcheon Sword Family?”
Seeing my expression of feigned surprise, they chuckled and continued.
“That’s right. We’re people from the Bukcheon Sword Family. So….”
“And yet you men from the Bukcheon Sword Family don’t even recognize your own clan’s young master.”
“Huh? What do you….”
These worthless fools didn’t deserve another word. I swung my sword scabbard at them.
Crack!
“Gasp!”
One of them staggered backward, gasping for breath.
The others stood dazed, apparently not expecting to be attacked.
But soon their expressions twisted with rage as they drew their blades.
“You bastard!”
“How dare you!”
A sharp sword strike came rushing toward me.
Whoosh!
I simply tilted my head back and dodged it.
Then I struck the stunned attacker’s jaw with a vicious backhand.
“Ugh!”
His brain rattled, and he collapsed unconscious.
“W-what….”
The last one seemed to realize I was far superior to them.
He swung his blade wildly and shouted.
“Don’t come closer! I’m warning you!”
“….”
“Do you know what you’ve done? We’re martial artists of the Bukcheon Sword Family! You’ve just laid hands on warriors of the greatest martial clan in Sanseo!”
“Enough. I won’t listen to any more of this.”
I sighed.
“Didn’t you hear what I said earlier? If you had any sense, you should have figured out who I am by now.”
“Who you are….”
He faltered mid-sentence, his expression shifting.
Now he was finally catching on.
“Y-you’re not the young master of the Bukcheon Sword Family!?”
“Only now do you understand? Your mind works slowly indeed.”
I said this and struck the bastard’s shin hard.
“Krraaaagh!”
The creature collapsed with a scream.
At the same moment, I mounted him and channeled my inner energy to press his sleep acupoint. Consumed by terror, he fell unconscious immediately.
“You’ve worked hard.”
Sa Gong-cheon and Gong Hyun, who had been watching from a distance, approached.
“M-Master Jin. You’re quite impressive.”
Sa Gong-cheon, who knew my abilities, remained composed, but Gong Hyun seemed somewhat surprised.
Even if my opponents were of low caliber, I had subdued three people far too easily.
“Are you alright? Please take this.”
I returned the purse I had taken from those bastards to the Dumpling Shop Owner.
The Dumpling Shop Owner, who had been staring blankly at us, startled and waved his hands frantically.
“Eh?! B-but….”
“These bastards won’t be demanding tribute from you anymore. Besides, they were never martial artists of the Bukcheon Sword Family. So rest assured.”
We said this and gathered the three men, heading toward the alley.
Sa Gong-cheon asked.
“What shall we do? Should we hand them over to the family immediately for trial?”
“We can’t do that. If we did, all the other gangs would flee.”
Those who engaged in such work were always quick to sense danger.
The moment we made a spectacle of this, the others would wash their hands of it immediately.
If that happened, we wouldn’t be able to capture the mastermind behind them.
We couldn’t make such a fuss just to catch a few small fry.
So I woke one of the unconscious men and spoke.
“Guide us to your headquarters.”
“…!”
“Right now.”

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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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