The Patriarch of the Northern Heavens - Chapter 44

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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 44

“What? Combat?”
“Young Master, what do you mean…?”
“Follow the Young Master’s orders. Something is approaching.”
Unlike Jin Cheon-hui and the flustered junior members of the family, the Iron Blood Sword Squad moved with sharp precision.
They rose from their seats, set down their cups, drew their weapons, and formed a defensive formation.
“Young Master Jin? What is the meaning of this?”
Chung Yun asked me in confusion.
I gazed at him and spoke quietly.
“Heighten your sensory perception. There is a presumed enemy approaching.”
“…!”
Chung Yun did as I instructed, and his expression immediately hardened.
Had he sensed the presence of the demonic being drawing near?
Since it made no attempt to conceal itself, detection was effortless. The warriors of the Huashan Sect all felt it as well and drew their blades.
Then.
Crash!
The inn’s door shattered into fragments as a massive, middle-aged man entered.
Upon seeing us inside, he flashed a sinister smile—one that boded ill.
“So many young whelps of the Orthodox Faction gathered in one place. It’s surprising to find the Huashan Sect here as well.”
“Who are you, wretch!”
“I am Blood Water Demon General Song Gyeom. Surely you’ve heard my name?”
“Blood Water Demon General!”
At that name, everyone’s complexion turned ashen.
Blood Water Demon General Song Gyeom.
He was one of the Demon Generals—fewer than twenty existed even within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
His power was renowned even among the masters of the Johwa Realm.
He was certainly not an opponent we could face with our current numbers.
“How could such a man…?”
Jin Seo-hong spoke through gritted teeth.
It was incomprehensible.
This region was close to the Martial Alliance, firmly within Orthodox Faction territory.
Yet a demonic being from the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult roamed freely here—it was unnatural. However, I understood why he had come.
‘He’s likely targeting me.’
As evidence, he paid almost no attention to the Huashan Sect warriors, whom he would normally have regarded more carefully.
Instead, his gaze was fixed upon us—the warriors of the Bukcheon Sword Family.
Then our eyes met.
His smile deepened, as if to say he had found what he sought.
“Do not expect any of you to leave alive.”
The Blood Hand Demon Lord charged forward with a sudden assault.
Whoosh!
His fist shot toward Jin Seo-hong’s face with a thunderous crack splitting the air.
Was this an attempt to eliminate the strongest opponent first?
Yet, true to his station as master of the Iron Blood Sword Squad, Jin Seo-hong deflected the attack without hesitation.
Boom!
A deafening explosion erupted, sending all the nearby tables flying. The floor became littered with food and spilled wine.
“Young Master! I’ll hold this wretch at bay—you must escape!”
Jin Seo-hong’s voice carried an uncharacteristic gravity, stripped of his usual playfulness.
But that was impossible.
I had no intention of losing him here.
Besides.
“Kill everyone inside!”
“Kyaaaaaaaa!”
Escape was no longer an option.
Dozens of martial artists, presumably subordinates of the Blood Hand Demon Lord, had poured into the inn.
The inn descended into chaos.
“Form a defensive line! Protect the Innkeeper and the proprietor!”
“Hold them back!”
I reacted immediately.
I ushered the civilians into the kitchen and positioned our forces to defend that position.
The Taoists of the Huashan Sect and the warriors of the Iron Blood Sword Squad drew their blades against the enemy.
Our family’s junior disciples formed a defensive formation under Jin Cheon-hui’s command and began to counter the attackers.
“Hehehehe! Whoever you are, you’ve got some skill!”
“Tch!”
In the center of the inn, a blood-soaked duel raged between the Blood Hand Demon Lord and Jin Seo-hong.
At first glance, they seemed evenly matched.
Yet the Blood Hand Demon Lord fought with ease while Jin Seo-hong was strained. It was only a slight difference, but in the duels of martial artists, such margins meant the difference between life and death.
What should I do?
Should I join forces with the Blood Hand Demon Lord right now and kill him?
It might be possible.
But the current situation was unfavorable. The enemy outnumbered us, and our overall forces were being pushed back.
There were no casualties yet, but the situation was precarious.
Then.
I would thin out the foot soldiers first!
Whoooosh!
My body was enveloped in golden wind.
It was a fusion of the Vajra Yaksha Technique and the Wind God’s Dance. I became a single gust of wind and charged into the enemy ranks.
Shhhhhhack!
“Ugh!?”
“Cough!”
“Aaaaargh!”
In a single breath, three enemies lost their combat ability and collapsed to the ground.
I moved between them, systematically eliminating my opponents with maximum speed.
Seeing this, the rear-guard soldiers of the Iron Blood Sword Squad and Bukcheon Sword Family erupted in cheers.
“Young Master!”
“Help the Young Master!”
“Waaaaaaaah!”
Simultaneously, our forces’ morale surged like boiling water.
Emboldened by my fierce display, they began fighting with even greater ferocity.
Even the Taoist Masters of the Huashan Sect were taken aback by this momentum.
“The Young Master of Bukcheon Sword Family is this strong…”
“It’s astounding that this hasn’t been known until now.”
“No time for idle talk! Huashan won’t fall behind!”
“Yes!”
In an instant, the tide of battle shifted.
Though we had been outnumbered, our qualitative superiority overwhelmed them, and victory swung decisively to our side.
Jin Seo-hong’s face, which had been rigid with tension, now broke into a smile.
In contrast, the Blood Hand Demon Lord’s expression hardened like stone.
“This bastard…?”
“As expected, Young Master! I knew I could trust you!”
Jin Seo-hong laughed loudly and unleashed a barrage of strikes.
The Blood Hand Demon Lord blocked the attacks with his crimson hands while launching counterattacks, but Jin Seo-hong had already twisted his body to evade.
I finished off the Blood Hand Demon Lord’s subordinates efficiently and positioned myself behind him.
If Jin Seo-hong and I attacked together, victory would be completely ours.
Then this battle would be over.
One.
Clang!
“…!”
“I came just in case, and it’s a good thing I did.”
Someone blocked my sword strike from behind.
It was a young man wearing a crimson robe. The Red-Robed Swordsman looked at me and smiled faintly.
“You’re stronger than I thought. Now I understand how the Shadowless Poison Spider died.”
“…!”
The Red-Robed Swordsman swung his thin blade and unleashed a cutting strike.
I hastily moved to defend.
But I couldn’t block it completely.
Slash, slash, slash!
Wounds opened across my body as blood sprayed forth.
“Young Master!”
Seeing this, Sa Gong-cheon’s eyes widened as he rushed forward.
“Get out of the way!”
“Not a chance.”
But someone blocked his path. It was a lean swordsman of middle years, and judging by the aura he emanated, he had reached the late stages of the Ultimate Realm, bordering on the Johwa Realm.
“This is insane!”
I couldn’t help but curse under my breath.
With the Martial Alliance—the very heart of the Orthodox Martial World—right before us, how had three masters of Johwa Realm caliber suddenly appeared?
“Sa Gong, my guard! Don’t force your way here! Protect yourself!”
“But Young Master!”
“Think of your wife and daughter! Focus on staying alive!”
“…!”
Even as I shouted this, I continued to parry the Red-Robed Swordsman’s attacks. Yet my opponent’s skill surpassed mine, and my body accumulated wounds with each exchange.
‘This is bad.’
The battlefield itself was terribly disadvantageous for me.
In such a cramped space, I couldn’t fully unleash the power of my Wind God technique.
Moreover, the enemy’s overall strength was superior.
Victory seemed unlikely. If this continued, everyone here—myself included—could die.
‘If I keep this up, we’re all finished. I have no choice.’
I feigned a retreat while completely obliterating the inn’s entrance.
Crash!
A massive hole opened, revealing the outside.
I shouted loudly toward the chaotic battlefield beyond.
“You damned bastards. I’m your target, aren’t I?”
“Smart boy. You know it well.”
The Blood Hand Demon Lord replied with a smirk.
The Red-Robed Swordsman said nothing, but his reaction was similar.
I grinned wickedly at them and shouted.
“Then forget about everyone else and kill me right now. Otherwise, you won’t be able to.”
“What?”
[If you don’t chase me, I’ll escape at full strength and spread word about your Black Night City everywhere. If you don’t want that, you’d better chase me now.]
“…!”
The expressions of the Blood Hand Demon Lord and the Red-Robed Swordsman changed upon hearing my transmission.
They seemed shocked I would say such a thing. In that moment, I unfurled my Gale Step and burst from the inn at tremendous speed.
Boom!
“You crazy bastard!”
“Seize him!”
Following me, the enemies ceased their fight with our forces and immediately rushed out in pursuit.
For them, keeping their identities hidden was far more important than defeating their opponents.
“Young Master!”
“Jin Cheon-hui!”
[Let us meet at the Dragon Phoenix Conference. Evacuate to safety immediately and request reinforcements.]
I sent a telepathic message to Jin Seo-hong and Chung Yun, who had belatedly followed the enemies. The two of them flinched, confirming the message had reached them.
[Iron Blood Sword Captain. This is the Young Master’s command. Take responsibility and evacuate the others to safety.]
[But!]
[I will find my own way to survive.]
My tone was resolute, brooking no argument. More telepathic protests followed, but I did not respond.
“Come and catch me, you idiots!”
Instead, I unleashed the Gale Step to its fullest extent.
Or should I call it the Wind God Step now? My body, wrapped in a tempest, rapidly distanced itself from the inn at breathtaking speed.
“Chase him!”
The Red-Robed Swordsman, the Blood Hand Demon Lord, and the Lean Swordsman abandoned all else and pursued me.
Of course, they must fear the exposure of Black Night City’s true identity.
Moreover, seeing how obsessively they pursued me, it was clear they had been ordered to capture me from the start.
Then this worked perfectly.
“Let us play a game of tag.”
I controlled my speed just enough to keep them from losing sight of me entirely, luring them onward.
Sometimes I vanished so far they nearly lost me; sometimes I came so close they almost had me within their grasp.
Fortunately, my speed was swift enough to impress even masters of the upper echelon of the Johwa Realm. This was thanks to the combination of the Wind God Technique, which commanded the power of wind, and the Vajra Yaksha Divine Art, which enhanced physical abilities to their absolute limit.
How long had I been running?
The enemy’s minions were no longer visible.
Only the three enemy commanders continued to pursue me.
‘This should be enough now.’
I lured them toward the waterfall I had seen earlier.
It was a beautiful cascade where fierce currents connected down to the river below.
But it was also a cliff with nowhere left to flee.
As I reached that place, the three pursuers surrounded me atop the cliff.
“Huff, huff, huff. Damnably fast.”
“You cursed brat. We finally have you.”
“Did you not realize there was a cliff here?”
The three regarded me with eyes gleaming with triumph.
But I said nothing, merely activated Yaksha Transformation and drew my blade. At this, the Blood Hand Demon Lord let out a derisive laugh.
“You could not win even in a one-on-one duel. How do you think you can face the three of us?”
“I probably cannot win. Not now, anyway.”
“What?”
“But that does not mean I can give up, does it?”
“What do you mean—”
“Why do we not all die together?”
“Dodge!”
The Red-Robed Swordsman, sensing my intent, suddenly shouted a warning.
At that moment, all three moved backward simultaneously. But it was already too late.
Crash! Crash! Crash! Crash! Boom!
The gale of pure force erupting from my blade shattered the edge of the cliff where we stood.
“Y-you insane bastard!”
“You’re trying to take us all down with you?!”
The four of us plummeted as the ground crumbled beneath our feet, plunging toward the waterfall below.
I twisted my lips into a smirk as I watched them fall.
“Die together? Hardly.”
In that same instant, I channeled every ounce of my power and unfurled the Wind God’s Palm mid-air.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
“Only you will perish.”
The recoil from the Wind God’s Palm sent my body hurtling through the air at tremendous velocity.
My target: a cave carved into the cliff face on the opposite side of the waterfall.
My body was violently propelled toward it.
Crash! Thud! Thud!

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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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