The Patriarch of the Northern Heavens - Chapter 51

—————
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 51

“Why?”
From the Alliance Leader’s reaction, it seemed he hadn’t expected me to refuse.
Of course, he would have naturally assumed I’d accept.
The Secret Investigation Bureau.
If the Martial Alliance Leader himself created a position in such a prestigious organization and invited me to join, nine out of ten rising talents in this martial world would leap at the opportunity without a second thought.
But I had my reasons.
“I am the Young Master of the Bukcheon Sword Family. That means I must prioritize the interests of the Bukcheon Sword Family above all else. However, if I were to join the Secret Investigation Bureau, I would also need to consider the Martial Alliance’s position, making that impossible.”
“But wouldn’t the family suffer no losses from you joining the Secret Investigation Bureau?”
“Perhaps not directly. However, there would be no particular gains either. In that case, the time I could dedicate to serving the family would diminish, making it a net loss in the end.”
“Hmm.”
“Moreover, the Secret Investigation Bureau is ultimately an organization under the Martial Alliance’s authority. Political considerations would frequently impose restrictions on my actions. I have no desire to occupy such an unstable position.”
“I see.”
Yu Gwang-seok nodded, his expression showing understanding.
I continued in a noticeably softer tone.
“That said, I have no intention of severing good relations with you and the other members of the Martial Alliance. Therefore, I would like to propose a cooperative arrangement with you.”
“A cooperative arrangement?”
“Yes. We join hands to stand against Black Night Fortress. Surely such cooperation is possible without me formally joining the Secret Investigation Bureau, is it not?”
“Ha, hahahaha!”
Yu Gwang-seok burst into laughter—a refreshing, resonant laugh.
“I never expected a young talent of your generation to propose a cooperative arrangement with me. You truly possess greater depth than I initially assessed.”
“If I have caused any offense, I sincerely apologize.”
“Not at all. Quite the contrary—it’s delightful. Meeting a young person like you is a genuine pleasure.”
His broad smile carried unmistakable goodwill in his eyes.
“Very well. I accept your proposal. After establishing the Secret Investigation Bureau, I shall appoint you as a special guest warrior. That way, you can gain access to information without bearing direct responsibility.”
“Thank you.”
“The gratitude should be mine. Thanks to you, I’ve finally identified those whose names and faces remained shrouded in mystery. Black Night Fortress, indeed…”
“Now that matters have come to this, I would like to share some additional thoughts with you, if you permit it?”
“Of course. Speak freely.”
With Yu Gwang-seok’s permission, I spoke calmly.
“I suspect their spies have infiltrated not only the Martial Alliance but also various Orthodox Faction organizations. The Demonic Sects likely face the same problem.”
“Are you saying they intend to incite the Orthodox-Demonic War through conspiracy, as they mentioned earlier?”
“Yes. They desire chaos in this martial world and will stop at nothing to achieve it. The Orthodox-Demonic War is merely one facet of their scheme.”
“We must conduct a thorough investigation to identify the traitors.”
“It won’t be easy. They’ve likely been embedded within the organization for an extraordinarily long time. Some may have already risen to positions of considerable authority.”
In reality, the number of spies within the Martial Alliance was far from negligible.
Certainly, some of them had secured high-ranking positions.
Vigilance could never be excessive under such circumstances.
“I suggest gathering trustworthy individuals to establish the Secret Investigation Bureau, but it would be wise to publicize a different official reason. For instance, that it was created to counter the covert operations of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.”
“Hmm. You’re right—if I mention those bastards directly, it’ll cause you trouble and they’ll likely go into hiding. Very well, I’ll do as you suggest.”
“Thank you. Now, regarding the matter of the Orthodox-Demonic War….”
“That’s something even I cannot prevent. Even if I suppress the public sentiment pushing for the Orthodox-Demonic War, if they attack first, there’s nothing I can do.”
Then the Orthodox-Demonic War was inevitable.
I understood that much as well.
However, there was one method available.
“Still, there are ways to delay the war as much as possible.”
“How?”
“By preemptively resolving incidents that would escalate tensions between the Orthodox and Demonic factions, and by sending an envoy to the Demonic Cult to negotiate directly with the Heavenly Demon.”
“…!”
Yu Gwang-seok’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Since you’ve told me, you could certainly inform them as well. But it’s far too dangerous.”
“I’ll go myself. Of course, not immediately.”
If I went now, I’d die nine times out of ten.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult likely had far more spies than the Martial Alliance.
And if the Heavenly Demon ignored my words and tried to kill me?
I would simply die.
So it was impossible for now.
“Once I judge that I’ve acquired sufficient qualifications, I’ll inform the Alliance Leader. I’ll attempt to persuade the Heavenly Demon myself.”
“Ha….”
The Alliance Leader let out a peculiar sound—whether a sigh or something else, I couldn’t tell.
He spoke to me in a measured tone.
“Are you truly unwilling to join the Martial Alliance? With your abilities, while becoming the next Alliance Leader might be difficult, you could certainly grasp the position of Alliance Leader two generations from now.”
“I appreciate the offer, but as I mentioned earlier, I have many people to take responsibility for. I cannot afford to increase that burden further.”
“Ha ha. What a shame. I mean it sincerely.”
Yu Gwang-seok burst into laughter.
I quietly asked him a question.
“What do you intend to do about Namgung Seung?”
“Rather than us handling it, we must leave it to the families. He attempted to kill a member of the Peng Family, so neither side will let this pass easily. The family heads from both clans are already on their way here.”
“At minimum, his meridians will be severed and he’ll become a cripple. At worst, he’ll die.”
“Do you feel sympathy for his situation?”
I answered bluntly.
“No. I simply think it’s a waste.”
“A waste?”
“Namgung Seung doesn’t know something. More precisely, he knows but hasn’t truly grasped it.”
“What is it?”
“Did his family truly abandon him as he believes?”
I smiled faintly as I spoke.
My first life.
The Namgung Clan and the Hebei Peng Family Territory had waged war against each other.
But did it truly need to come to that?
If the Namgung Clan had surrendered Namgung Seung to the Hebei Peng Family, it would never have escalated so far.
That’s right. The Namgung Clan refused to hand him over.
They merely claimed they would punish him themselves and kept him in their custody.
And so war erupted between the two families.
The Hebei Peng Family sought to repay their grief—the loss of their own son—in kind.
Yet the Namgung Clan protected Namgung Seung to the very end.
What could that possibly mean?
‘Regardless of how they pretend otherwise, Namgung Gyeong, the patriarch of the Namgung Clan, must care for Namgung Seung.’
At the very least, he harbored the desire that his son would not perish.
If that were the case, I intended to exploit it.
To stand against the Black Night Fortress.
The Namgung Clan would incur a tremendous debt of life to both the Bukcheon Sword Family and myself.
“I believe I must meet with the patriarch of the Namgung Clan.”

* * *

However, there was still time before the patriarch of the Namgung Clan would arrive.
Considering the distance, he likely wouldn’t reach us for several days.
So in the meantime, I decided to investigate what I had been meaning to look into at the Martial Alliance.
It was the whereabouts of the Pungsin Sword.
“The Pungsin Sword?”
At my question, Yu Gwang-seok tilted his head in confusion.
“I’ve never heard of such a thing being in the alliance. Are you perhaps mistaken?”
“That may be the case, but…”
I explained to him how I had come to learn of the Pungsin Sword.
That I had seen it mentioned in a report while pursuing remnants of the Black Night Fortress.
And that the Pungsin Sword was supposedly housed within the Martial Alliance.
“Hmm. It does seem suspicious, I must admit.”
Yu Gwang-seok nodded thoughtfully.
“Those villains wouldn’t mention such things without reason. Very well. I’ll open the Martial Arts Alliance Armory for you to investigate.”
“Are you truly certain?”
“Didn’t the vice-leader mention it? That I would grant you a special reward. The senior members have already concluded their discussions. All that remains is deciding what that reward shall be.”
“So you intend to grant me access to the armory as that reward.”
“Precisely. It provides justification to investigate the armory, and even if the sword isn’t there, you may take one item from it. Our alliance’s armory contains many remarkable weapons.”
“I am grateful for your consideration.”
The very next day, I was able to enter the Martial Arts Alliance Armory.
“You have unlimited time. However, please note that you may only take one item with you when you leave.”
The gatekeeper standing at the entrance said this to me.
I nodded to him and stepped inside.
What appeared before me was a vast space that could hardly be called a mere armory.
Since they had converted entire buildings into this weapons storage, an astonishing variety and quantity of arms lay meticulously organized.
‘So this is the Martial Alliance’s true power.’
Every weapon I examined possessed exceptional craftsmanship.
Honestly, any blade here would surpass the one I currently wielded.
Yet I dismissed my interest in the neatly arranged swords and turned my focus to locating the Pungsin Sword.
That was precisely why I had come here.
‘But how do I find the Pungsin Sword in this vast expanse?’
The task seemed almost insurmountable.
If I searched through each blade blindly, I might not find it even after days of effort.
I needed a method—an efficient way to locate the Pungsin Sword.
‘Then….’
I exhaled softly.
Activating the Bukcheon Heart Method, the family’s core technique, I let my energy flow.
Simultaneously, a subtle wind emanated from within me.
It spread outward in all directions, sweeping across the entire armory.
Then.
‘Hmm?’
I felt a different wind—one distinct from what I had released.
It was so faint that only someone who had mastered the Pungsin Technique could perceive it.
My lips curved upward naturally. It seemed my instinct had been correct.
I carefully traced the source of that wind and ventured deeper into the armory.
This area housed weapons of relatively inferior quality.
A place I would normally have ignored.
Yet the wind clearly pointed here.
I released a stronger surge of energy to sense the wind’s flow more distinctly.
Whiiing!
Then the Pungsin Sword announced its presence with a fierce, unmistakable resonance.
There was no doubt.
This was the place.
Here lay the blade once wielded by our ancestor.
I carefully examined the armory, following the wind’s current.
Something caught my eye among the weapons.
It was a sword that appeared worn and shabby at first glance.
Its age was considerable, and it lay carelessly among other aged blades.
Yet I could sense it.
The powerful attraction emanating from that blade.
It was an attraction only I, who had mastered the Pungsin Technique, could perceive.
‘I found it at last.’
I swallowed hard.
My throat dry, I approached the sword.
Then, with careful deliberation, I drew it from its sheath.
Unlike the frayed grip and weathered scabbard, the blade itself bore no signs of damage whatsoever.
It was as though its former master had only just set it down.
My face flushed with excitement as I channeled the essence of the Northern Wind technique into the blade.
Then something impossible occurred.
—Are you a descendant of Pungsin?
A voice resonated from within my mind—the sword’s voice.

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