The Patriarch of the Northern Heavens - Chapter 50

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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 50

“You are…?!”
The Masked Figure stammered in surprise upon seeing me.
He hadn’t expected me to appear here.
Of course, Namgung Seung felt the same way.
Both men stared at me in shock.
“How did you get here?”
“I had a hunch you two would show up, so I decided to check it out. When I arrived, I noticed two guards collapsed at the entrance. So I came straight in.”
“…!”
“The way you’re acting so openly suggests you’ve already decided to pin this on the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, haven’t you? If you’d taken your time, there would’ve been more discreet ways to kill him. Unless there’s a reason for this haste? For instance….”
I swept my sharp gaze across the Masked Figure as I spoke.
“If he’s holding information so critical that it can’t leak out, that would make sense. Then you’d have no choice but to kill him as quickly as possible, even if it means taking risks. Am I right?”
“You talk too much, you young pup of the Bukcheon Sword Family.”
The Masked Figure quietly leveled his blade at me.
“As it happens, you were already marked for death. Killing you now before I leave would be convenient.”
Ssshhh.
A chilling murderous aura swept across my entire body.
I showed no sign of intimidation and smiled as I spoke.
“You can try, but I don’t think you’ll succeed.”
“Hmph. So you’ve gained some notoriety lately and think you’re invincible….”
Whoosh!
He suddenly lunged at me with a shout.
“Then show me what you’re really capable of!”
Clang!
I deflected his blade with my hand wrapped in Heavenly Silk.
“What?!”
He recoiled in shock.
He’d expected me to either dodge or block with my sword, but I’d suddenly swung my hand instead.
However, through several experiments, I’d discovered that Heavenly Silk was crafted from the threads of the Heavenly Silkworm Sect.
It meant the material could withstand ordinary blades and even sword energy.
On top of that, I’d wrapped myself in the Diamond Yaksha Technique like armor.
At that point, the Heavenly Silk had become something that couldn’t be cut unless he unleashed his full inner strength.
“An opening.”
Boom-crack-crash!
The moment I deflected his blade, I unleashed a Gale Strike.
The fierce wind sent his body flying backward.
The Masked Figure crashed against the wall with a heavy thud.
But he didn’t seem to take much damage, quickly rising to his feet and lunging at me again.
This time, I drew my sword aura properly.
‘So he’s not just some common rabble.’
His situational awareness and response were remarkably swift.
He must have recognized me as an opponent worthy of his full strength.
It didn’t matter.
I summoned the Vajra Yaksha Technique and manifested my own sword aura to match his.
What followed was the opening move of the Gale Slash.
Whoosh!
A blade of wind tore through the air, rushing forward to shred my opponent.
The Masked Figure halted his charge and hastily defended against the attack.
Boom!
His body recoiled with the thunderous impact.
I seized the moment and closed in immediately.
I wrapped wind around my blade in the same manner, maximizing its killing intent.
Clang clang clang!
Our exchanges left countless sword marks etched across the surroundings.
“Ugh!”
It was Namgung Seung, huddled inside the Thunder Prison, who suffered instead. He couldn’t withstand the shockwaves and stumbled backward with a groan.
“Impressive.”
The Masked Figure spoke those words while briefly adjusting his stance.
He drew in a breath, preparing for a decisive strike.
I immediately thrust my sword forward to prevent him from executing whatever technique he was about to unleash.
But then—
“…!”
Boom boom boom boom crash!
His sword energy erupted explosively, shattering one wall of the Thunder Prison.
I couldn’t withstand that force and was driven backward. A direct hit would have been dangerous.
Yet he cunningly exploited that opening.
I swung my blade desperately, but only managed to cut across his back.
Whoosh!
“Ugh!”
Even as my attack landed, the Masked Figure didn’t stop.
Perhaps he decided fighting me was a losing proposition.
Without hesitation, he hurled himself through the air and shot out of the Thunder Prison.
He fled to survive by any means necessary.
I paused briefly, then sheathed my sword.
Right now, there was something more important than pursuing him.
“Are you alright?”
I asked Namgung Seung, who was huddled in a corner of the Thunder Prison, trembling violently.
Namgung Seung nodded frantically. He appeared to be quite terrified of me.
“We have little time, so let me get straight to the point. Why did that man try to kill you?”
“To silence me, I suppose.”
“Silence you? What exactly do you know?”
I asked in the calmest voice I could muster.
Namgung Seung hesitated before answering.
“…I know of their plans.”
“Tell me.”
“It may be hard to believe, but that man was not a demonic cultist dispatched by the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. Rather, he was part of a faction working to incite conflict between the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the Orthodox Martial World.”
“I already knew that.”
“…!”
Namgung Seung’s eyes widened at my words.
He had never expected such a response.
“What I want to know is what orders that man gave you and why you followed them. Why did you target Peng Seo-ho’s life?”
“That was….”
“Is it difficult to speak of?”
“Ugh.”
Namgung Seung let out a groan before shaking his head.
“…It was for revenge.”
“Revenge?”
“I wanted to take revenge on the Namgung Clan for treating me this way. If I killed a member of the Peng Family, war would break out between the Namgung Clan and the Peng Family. So I followed their words and learned demonic cultivation.”
“…!”
I had not expected him to actually learn demonic cultivation.
This was beyond my anticipation.
It seemed Namgung Seung’s desire for revenge against the Namgung Clan ran deeper than I had imagined.
“Demonic cultivation was indeed effective. Someone with little talent like me became strong in an instant. But when the real opportunity came, I tried to stop my sword like a coward….”
He sighed and continued.
“Suddenly my emotions surged and I lost control of my body. That’s why I attacked Prince Peng, and that’s why I attacked you. Of course, I failed because of you. Now I’m grateful for that.”
“Indeed.”
So the war between the Namgung Clan and the Hebei Peng Family in my first life was indeed the work of those from Black Night City.
They must have orchestrated the same scheme back then.
But this time, I had prevented that war beforehand.
This meant I had preserved our military strength before the coming war with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, and ultimately before facing Black Night City.
“Over here!”
At that moment, I heard a shout from afar.
Soon after, Ha Hu-ran, the Demon Slayer Commander, rushed into Thunder Prison with his forces.
They gasped at the sight of the devastated terrain around them.
“You?!”
And they seemed to realize that I was the culprit.
I bowed my head to Ha Hu-ran.
“Demon Slayer Commander.”
“W-what is the meaning of this? Why would you….”
“After returning to my quarters and reflecting upon the matter, I realized that the vicious creature who placed the Soul-Binding Curse upon Young Master Namgung Seung would surely return to finish him. So I hurried back, and as expected, an assassination attempt was underway.”
“Is that truly the case?!”
“Y-yes, it is the truth.”
At that moment, Namgung Seung spoke in a strained voice.
“Young Master Jin saved my life. Had he not arrived, I would have been murdered.”
“Then! Where is the vicious creature now?”
“I inflicted a sword wound upon its back, but it managed to escape. I considered pursuing it, but I deemed it more prudent to remain and protect Young Master Namgung Seung.”
“Well done. Had you pursued it, you might have faced grave danger.”
Ha Hu-ran nodded and offered me his praise.
He exhaled deeply, as though troubled.
“Yet this matter seems entangled in complexity. I never imagined the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult would dispatch assassins to silence witnesses….”
“Lord Ha. Would it be possible for me to meet with the Alliance Leader?”
“The Alliance Leader?”
Ha Hu-ran responded with evident surprise.
Perhaps he found my request sudden and unexpected.
“I have obtained information from this incident. I wish to share it directly with the Alliance Leader.”
“Hmm… Would it not suffice to tell me first?”
“My apologies. It is not that I distrust you, Lord Ha, but for security’s sake, I wish to minimize the number of people who possess this knowledge.”
My earnest tone prompted Ha Hu-ran to sigh.
“If that is your conviction, then so be it. I shall contact the Alliance Leader at once.”
“Thank you.”
Fortunately, Ha Hu-ran was not a rigid man.
He was not the type to complicate matters by insisting upon formalities and authority.
Shortly thereafter, we were granted an audience with the Martial Alliance Leader.
“So you are the Gale Divine Dragon?”
Before me stood an elderly man whose presence was as sharp and refined as a masterfully honed blade.
This elder was none other than Yu Gwang-seok, the Sword Saint and current leader of the Martial Alliance.
One of the Thirteen Venerables who had risen from a minor sect to command the Martial Alliance itself.
He was also a candidate for the title of Greatest Swordmaster of the age, rivaling the First Sword of Sichuan.
I offered him a respectful fist salute.
“Jin Muyeol, Young Master of the Bukcheon Sword Family, pays his respects to the Alliance Leader.”
“Spare me the formalities. I hear you thwarted the villains who assaulted Thunder Prison?”
“Yes. I have information regarding that matter to share.”
“What is it?”
“An account of the full circumstances behind this incident.”
I had hesitated before broaching this subject.
For once I proceeded, the matter of Black Night City would inevitably surface.
Black Night City was an organization that fiercely guarded the secrecy of its existence.
Should I reveal them now, I would almost certainly become a target for elimination.
But conversely, another thought crossed my mind.
‘Isn’t it already too late anyway?’
I had killed the Shadowless Poison Spider, obtained information about Black Night Fortress, and nearly slain the Blood Hand Demon Lord who came to assassinate me.
In the process, I had revealed that I knew about them.
From Black Night Fortress’s perspective, I was already marked for death.
This much was evident from how the Masked Figure had spoken of me as a target for elimination.
Given this situation, I had no choice but to extract maximum advantage.
What I chose was to increase my allies.
By persuading Yu Gwang-seok, the leader of the Martial Alliance.
“Everything I’m about to tell you is the absolute truth.”
With those words, I began my account.
How the Bukcheon Sword Family had nearly been destroyed by a conspiracy orchestrated by the organization known as Black Night Fortress.
How I had barely managed to set things right and survive.
How I had been threatened with assassination and, upon realizing their involvement in this matter, had chosen to intervene.
I recounted everything about Namgung Seung as well—how Black Night Fortress had intended to use it to sow discord within the Orthodox Martial World, and when that scheme threatened to be exposed, they attempted to frame the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult instead.
After hearing my account, Yu Gwang-seok fell silent for a time.
He simply stroked his beard thoughtfully, as if organizing his thoughts.
After a moment, he exhaled softly and spoke.
“Truly remarkable. You’ve been fighting them alone all this time?”
“You believe what I’m saying?”
“There’s no reason not to. I’ve had some inkling of the existence of this Black Night Fortress organization myself.”
“…!”
As expected, it seemed that those at the level of the Sichuan First Sword, the Sword Sage, and the Thirteen Venerables—the leaders of major factions—had some grasp of such matters.
Though they likely didn’t know the detailed circumstances.
I asked him calmly.
“What will you do now? Will you make their existence public?”
“No, doing so would only drive them deeper into the shadows. That would make them far harder to catch. It would be better to inform only the leaders of each faction about this intelligence, then form a separate organization of our own to pursue their trail.”
“A separate organization, you say….”
“The Secret Investigation Bureau would be a fitting name. I’ll establish a unit under the direct command of the Alliance Leader and grant it authority to deal with them. Of course, we’ll need to carefully vet all personnel. Which brings me to this….”
Yu Gwang-seok said this while gazing at me.
His eyes gleamed with a covetous light, as if he were beholding a brilliant, glittering jewel.
“Would you not consider becoming a member of the Secret Investigation Bureau?”
I answered immediately.
“I must decline.”
Astonishment crossed the Alliance Leader’s face.

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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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