The Patriarch of the Northern Heavens - Chapter 31

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Master of the Bukcheon Sword Family – Chapter 31

This was a matter of utmost importance.
Lee Tae-gyeom was the linchpin of the Elder faction that sought to destroy the Bukcheon Sword Family.
Until now, I lacked the strength to move against him.
Even if I had tried, I couldn’t predict how the repercussions would spread, so I had left him untouched.
‘Now things are different.’
The mere existence of my Great-Uncle had already turned the tide.
He was the family’s supreme elder and a master of the Heavenly Martial Realm.
Once he returned to the family, he would wield tremendous influence and authority.
If my Great-Uncle stepped forward to punish Lee Tae-gyeom, resistance would be minimized.
Yet Sa Gong-cheon spoke with an anxious expression.
“Young Master. But what pretext would we use to remove Lee Tae-gyeom? If we simply tried to suppress him by force, the other Elders wouldn’t stand idle.”
“Of course not. But Lee Tae-gyeom is the Elder Council Chairman. He bears responsibility for the actions of the Elders.”
“Then….”
“His failure to supervise Wang Jin’s transgression alone is sufficient grounds for impeachment. Besides, we have considerable evidence of his own misdeeds.”
“Indeed, so you intend to diminish his influence in this manner.”
“No, I won’t stop there. I’m going to finish him completely.”
He had been the primary culprit who served as a lackey for Black Night City, attempting to destroy the Bukcheon Sword Family.
There was no way I could forgive such a man.
Would it not be a waste if such a creature merely received a reprimand and disappeared?
“I have a trump card to corner him.”
Of course, this was an extremely dangerous undertaking.
One misstep could result in a backlash against me.
So first, I intended to reduce his influence as much as possible.
Stripping him of his position as Elder Council Chairman and imprisoning him in Thunder Prison was part of that plan.
“Hehehehe. Our Mu-yeol has a plan, it seems.”
My Great-Uncle laughed heartily and patted my shoulder.
“Then I shall follow your plan. From the moment I heard your story, I was already thinking it was time to eliminate the parasites gnawing away at the main family.”
“Thank you.”
“Lee Tae-gyeom. I know him well too. He’s not without ability, but he’s always been greedy and disloyal. It’s absurd that such a man became Elder Council Chairman.”
My Great-Uncle clicked his tongue as he spoke.
Since our periods of activity overlapped, he seemed to know him better than I expected.
“By the way, show me the Pungsin Martial Art you obtained. What kind of technique is it?”
“I’m still not entirely certain myself… but it seems to be like this.”
I unleashed the martial art, relying on my newly acquired sense.
Kwaaaang!
With my sword strike, a gale of wind came rushing forth.
It was as though the wind possessed will and responded to my every movement.
“That is…”
“According to the Ancestor’s words, the Pungsin Martial Art is a technique without forms. Therefore, it cannot be obtained through conventional methods.”
I relayed exactly what I had heard from Pungsin.
Great-Uncle fell silent, as if deep in thought.
But soon he laughed with genuine delight.
“Ah, so that’s why the Pungsin Martial Art was never passed down until now.”
“Yes. Since it’s closer to a sensation, I cannot explain it to others.”
“Hehehehe! That’s fine. The mere fact that you’ve obtained the Pungsin Martial Art is more than enough. And wouldn’t using the Pungsin Martial Art allow for far more diverse applications?”
“Diverse applications, you say?”
“Pungsin called it a technique without form and used it without creating any formal sequences. But you need not follow that path. What if you, with your own genius-level intuition, created and used a martial technique with form? Wouldn’t you be able to employ something far more efficient and superior than what you have now?”
“…!”
This was a perspective I had never considered when first learning about the Pungsin Martial Art.
So this was what it meant to be a master of the Heavenly Martial Realm.
Great-Uncle’s understanding of martial arts seemed far superior to what I had imagined.
‘Creating new martial techniques with the Pungsin Martial Art…’
It was similar to what the ancestors of the Bukcheon Sword Family had attempted—mimicking Pungsin’s movements.
The difference was that I would be doing this while fully possessing the Pungsin Martial Art itself.
After all, just because Pungsin used the Pungsin Martial Art as a formless technique didn’t mean I had to do the same.
“Of course, that doesn’t mean you should cling to a fixed form either. What I’m saying is that you should abandon the rigid notion that things must be done this way or that way. Remember, the essence of the Pungsin Martial Art is freedom, and that means you can use it however you see fit.”
“I will keep your words close to my heart. Thank you for your guidance.”
“Hehe. What a good child. Usually, when people gain new power, they become intoxicated by it and stop listening to others.”
Great-Uncle patted my shoulder with evident pride.
But then he spoke with slight concern.
“I do hope no one attempts to intrude on this place while I’m away…”
“Even if they did, it should be fine. Only those with the bloodline of the true family can undergo the trial, and even if someone somehow passed it, Pungsin said he would personally reject anyone without the proper qualifications.”
Though the Pungsin I encountered was merely a lingering thought rather than the real being…
He was still an entity with pride and the power to back it up.
Even if the cave were sealed, he wouldn’t carelessly hand over the Pungsin Martial Art.
‘Wait, was it the same in my first life?’
It seemed quite likely.
Though I had no concrete evidence, my intuition told me I was right.
If that were true, it would explain why the Pungsin Martial Art never fell into the hands of enemies.
‘In any case, I should search for other contingencies when I have the time.’
Pungsin mentioned that he had hidden various safeguards throughout the trial.
If I searched diligently enough, couldn’t I find them?
And in doing so, I might even uncover the secret of my regression.
Perhaps I would gain even more than that.
‘Well, for now I need to focus on the family first.’
The Pungsin Martial Art had been hard-won.
Obtaining it meant I had officially become his successor.
So I resolved to revitalize the family to prove myself worthy of that position.
Driving out Lee Tae-gyeom was part of that plan.
With these thoughts in mind, I returned to the family compound alongside the two of them.
We managed to slip back quietly without drawing anyone’s attention.
Two days later.
After returning to the family and completing various behind-the-scenes preparations, I formally requested that a family council meeting be convened.
The agenda contained only one item.
The impeachment of Elder Council Leader Lee Tae-gyeom.

* * *

Naturally, the family erupted into chaos.
An impeachment request against the Elder Council Leader.
This was no trivial matter.
From dawn onward, numerous senior members gathered in the Council Chamber.
Even those without the qualifications to participate in family councils lingered about, desperate to learn the outcome.
“The atmosphere is rather ominous, isn’t it?”
Sa Gong-cheon’s assessment was accurate.
The senior members—particularly those aligned with the Elder Council Leader—cast hostile glances in my direction.
They looked ready to devour me whole.
But I ignored their stares and took my seat.
Then a voice transmission reached my ears.
[I don’t know what scheme you’re plotting, but you’ve certainly stirred up quite the commotion.]
The sender was none other than Lee Tae-gyeom himself.
He glared at me fiercely, no longer bothering with courtesy.
I let out a soft chuckle and replied.
[You should have conducted yourself properly from the start.]
[What?]
[Had you not betrayed the family, I wouldn’t have gone this far. But you crossed the line.]
[You dare—]
Lee Tae-gyeom’s retort was cut short.
Father had entered, and the meeting was beginning.
“We shall now commence the council meeting regarding the impeachment of the Elder Council Leader, as proposed by the Young Master.”
The moment Father finished speaking, someone shot to their feet with a bang.
It was one of the elders from Lee Tae-gyeom’s faction.
“The Young Master is being unreasonable! Impeach the Elder Council Leader? The Young Master clearly seeks only to consolidate his own power!”
“Hear, hear!”
“This is an affront to the authority of the Elder Council!”
“The Young Master who orchestrated this meeting must face severe punishment!”
Lee Tae-gyeom’s faction erupted like a swarm of angry wasps.
However, the neutral faction and the minority of family head supporters remained silent.
They seemed at a loss for words—a reaction that only underscored how sudden and unprecedented my actions were.
Even my father gazed at me with concern.
Yet I remained composed. I looked toward him, silently urging him to continue.
“Ahem. Does the Young Family Head have something to say?”
“Yes. I do.”
I rose from my seat and surveyed the chamber methodically, my gaze passing over Lee Tae-gyeom and those around him.
Then I invoked the Pungsin Martial Art, summoning wind into the hall.
“What…?”
“The doors are sealed. Where is this wind coming from?”
“It seems to be emanating from the Young Family Head’s body…”
Good.
I had captured everyone’s attention.
I turned to face them, my expression grave.
“Elder Council Chairman Lee Tae-gyeom bears responsibility not merely for failing to oversee Elder Wang Jin’s misconduct, but there exists suspicion that he is deeply implicated in those very crimes. The bribes collected by Wang Jin flow directly into Lee Tae-gyeom’s coffers.”
“What, what are you saying?!”
“That’s slander!”
“Yes, do you have proof?!”
The Elder Council Chairman’s faction erupted in outrage.
But I remained unmoved. Instead, I produced the documents I had prepared in advance and displayed them to the assembly.
“And this is a record of all criminal acts believed to have been perpetrated by Elder Council Chairman Lee Tae-gyeom. It includes even the appalling allegation that he attempted to poison the Family Head.”
“P-poison?!”
“What is the meaning of this…!”
“I believe that one under such suspicion has no right to occupy the position of Elder Council Chairman. As the Young Family Head of the Bukcheon Sword Family and as the inheritor of the Pungsin Martial Art wielded by our ancestor, this is my conviction.”
“He inherited the Pungsin Martial Art?!”
“Is that truly the case?!”
Uproar erupted once more.
At the mention of the Pungsin Martial Art, not only the Elder Council Chairman’s faction but everyone in the chamber became electrified.
In truth, my inheritance of the Pungsin Martial Art was largely tangential to this matter…
‘But the fact itself—that I have inherited the martial legacy of our ancestor—carries immense authority. It will make people listen far more intently to my words.’
Perhaps the authority wielded by the inheritor of the Pungsin Martial Art exceeded even that of the Young Family Head.
If not, the tide would turn against me—but this was truth, was it not?
There was no reason for me to hesitate.
Ignoring the tumultuous assembly, I pressed forward with what I had come to say.
“Therefore, I request that Elder Council Chairman Lee Tae-gyeom be stripped of his position and confined to the Thunder Prison until the investigation concludes, and that a full inquiry be conducted. Furthermore, I wish to fill that vacant seat with another.”
“Are you suggesting we appoint a new Elder Council Chairman now?”
“Indeed. It will be someone whom all of you cannot help but acknowledge. Rest assured—the qualifications are beyond reproach.”
With those words, I summoned my Great-Uncle, who had been waiting outside.
“Great-Uncle. Please enter.”
“W-what?!”
The elders’ jaws dropped at the mention of my Great-Uncle.
My Great-Uncle.
There was only one Great-Uncle, after all.
“The family has fallen into chaos in the time I’ve been away.”
My Great-Uncle.
A master of the Heavenly Martial Realm and the supreme elder of the Bukcheon Sword Family.
Jin Ho-geon, the current First Sword of the Jin Clan and bearer of the epithet Swift Wind Divine Sword, spoke in a savage voice that rumbled like a prowling beast.
“All of you, lower your eyes.”
“…!”
Shock flooded the faces of the elders.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————