The Patriarch of the Northern Heavens - Chapter 63

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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 63

‘Could Black Night Fortress have been behind Heaven Killing Star as well?’
I furrowed my brow and recalled memories from my past life.
Heaven Killing Star.
It was an entity that appeared when an ominous star rose in the sky, born with an inherent, overwhelming murderous intent.
One might call it a heaven-sent assassin.
However, many in the martial world, including myself, had never truly believed in its existence.
Why?
Because it appeared so rarely that records of its existence were treated as nothing more than legend or folklore.
So until I actually witnessed it myself, I couldn’t believe such a being existed.
‘But when I actually saw it on the battlefield, I couldn’t deny it any longer.’
I briefly recalled memories from my first life.
That figure sweeping across the battlefield, wielding a blood-stained blade….
I couldn’t forget it, no matter how hard I tried.
Over a hundred warriors from the main family had died in that battle alone.
‘It was truly horrific.’
Her solitary destruction of the Shanxi Martial Alliance was terror incarnate.
If reinforcements hadn’t arrived midway and she hadn’t fled, wouldn’t the casualties have been even worse?
‘In this life, I won’t allow such a tragedy to unfold.’
But if Heaven Killing Star fell into Black Night Fortress’s grasp, the same catastrophe would likely repeat itself.
No matter what, I had to prevent that.
‘If necessary… I’ll kill Heaven Killing Star myself beforehand.’
With that resolve, I rose from my seat.
To accomplish this, I first needed to make several preparations.

* * *

Meanwhile, at that very moment.
Phantom Thief King Ho-un, the master of the Heavenly Assassination Sect, stared at the documents with a furrowed brow.
The information displayed on those documents was none other than Jin Muyeol’s profile.
“This is absurd. Did the Blood Hand Demon Lord and my disciple really die to some mere brat like this?”
The executives of the Heavenly Assassination Sect gathered around fell silent at Phantom Thief King Ho-un’s words.
It was painfully obvious that his mood had soured.
Moreover, Phantom Thief King Ho-un had failed the mission entrusted to him during this Dragon Phoenix Conference.
This meant the Heavenly Assassination Sect had failed to complete two consecutive assassination contracts.
Naturally, Phantom Thief King Ho-un’s rage burned like a raging inferno.
“How did this even happen? Did that bastard have some hidden escort we didn’t know about?”
“That… that shouldn’t be the case. Officially, Jin Muyeol only has one escort. We observed no signs of movement from other masters of the Bukcheon Sword Family.”
“Then how did they fall!”
Crash!
Phantom Thief King Ho-un slammed his hand hard against the conference table.
The faces of the subordinates giving their report turned pale, and they clamped their mouths shut.
Phantom Thief King Ho-un glared at them before exhaling a long, heavy sigh.
“It seems that bastard’s skills are superior to we thought. But to kill the Blood Hand Demon Lord… he cannot be evaluated within the framework of a late-stage master.”
“Then what will you do?”
“Vice-Master. You go out yourself.”
“…!”
At Phantom Thief King Ho-un’s decision, everyone in the conference room swallowed hard.
The Vice-Master of the Heavenly Assassination Sect.
Known as the Hundred-Face Killer, he was a master of the Johwa Realm and an assassin second only to Phantom Thief King Ho-un.
His combat prowess was evaluated as equal to or surpassing the Blood Hand Demon Lord.
“It seems this matter cannot be resolved at the disciple level. To kill that bastard, it’s better to deploy a reliable force.”
“Understood. When should we execute the plan?”
“For now, we only monitor his movements. Instead, prioritize completing the Jin Won Gate assignment first. In terms of priority alone, that one is more important.”
“Yes.”
The Jin Won Gate was where someone who might possibly be the Heavenly Assassination Saint resided.
Thus, Black Night Fortress had been orchestrating schemes there for some time to secure her.
This involved applying subtle pressure on the Jin Won Gate Master through surrounding evil factions and Black Bandit sects.
And that strategy was working remarkably well.
The Jin Won Gate was currently in a state of emergency.
‘If the Jin Won Gate is destroyed in this state, it will look like the work of those surrounding evil faction bastards.’
Then they would be able to safely abduct only the Heavenly Assassination Saint.
Phantom Thief King Ho-un wore a cold smile.
‘It would be nice to request permission from above for our Heavenly Assassination Sect to take in the Heavenly Assassination Saint. With her, she would surely become the greatest assassin, surpassing even my master.’
If that happened… Black Night Fortress would no longer be able to dismiss the Heavenly Assassination Sect as merely their subordinate force.
Once they obtained the Heavenly Assassination Saint, their status would skyrocket.
With such thoughts, he issued orders to his subordinates.
It was to secure the Heavenly Assassination Fortress by any means necessary, placing it firmly in their own hands.

* * *

Several days later.
With all preparations complete, I set out toward Sak Province.
More precisely, toward a place called Jin Won Gate located in Sak Province.
As the largest city in the northern reaches of Shanxi Province, Sak Province housed a considerable number of martial sects and factions.
Sa Gong-cheon asked me with a tense expression.
“Family Head. Is the Heavenly Assassination Fortress truly located here?”
“Yes. According to the intelligence Nam Cheon brought back, it’s certain.”
I spoke thus and recalled old memories.
The Blood Tears Demoness—So Hye-rim.
A figure of terror who appeared suddenly and drenched the Shanxi martial world in blood.
She was the strangest enemy I had ever faced.
Why, you ask?
‘Because she wept tears of blood every time she killed someone.’
She shed tears as if desperately rejecting her own nature.
But what was truly terrifying was that this did not stop her from the slaughter.
A monster lost to madness, mechanically murdering people.
That was the Blood Tears Demoness So Hye-rim. I cannot count how many sects fell to her hands.
‘Yet she vanished suddenly at some point.’
It was when the Shanxi Martial Alliance summoned masters from Hua Shan and the Zhong Nan Sect in neighboring Shaanxi to kill her.
Both sects had even sent the Plum Blossom Sword Sage and the Zhong Nan Divine Sword themselves.
No matter how formidable So Hye-rim was, a force capable of certainly ending her had arrived.
Yet So Hye-rim did not appear at the Heaven’s Net Trap that was laid that day.
She simply vanished without a trace.
After that, she was never seen anywhere.
She never appeared in the annals of the martial world, not even until my death.
‘But regardless, the damage she inflicted before was far too catastrophic.’
I could not simply leave her be.
I had to find her beforehand and either hide her so Black Night Fortress could not exploit her, or
Render her unable to use martial arts at all, making her harmless.
Otherwise, countless more would die.
“According to our intelligence, it is here.”
As I walked with this resolve, a small sect came into view in the distance.
It was Jin Won Gate, where the Heavenly Assassination Fortress was said to be hidden.
We calmly approached and knocked upon the gate of Jin Won Gate.
Soon a martial artist who appeared to be a gatekeeper emerged with a cautious expression.
“Who are you?”
“Ah, I am Jin Muyeol from the Bukcheon Sword Family.”
“The… the Bukcheon Sword Family!? Why would they…?”
“I’ve come seeking an audience with a young lady named So Hye-rim who resides here. Would it be possible to meet with her?”
“…Please wait a moment. I’ll send word inside.”
The gatekeeper’s face hardened like stone as he shut the door and hurried away.
Apparently in great haste, the door soon swung open again, and people emerged from within.
But those who came out were not So Hye-rim—rather, a strikingly handsome middle-aged man and armed disciples.
‘What is this?’
As bewilderment seized me in that moment.
“How dare the Bukcheon Sword Family set their sights on our Hye-rim!”
“You should be ashamed!”
“The young lady will never be given to you!”
Suddenly they shouted at me with fury burning in their eyes.
Their tone was ominous, as though they would not tolerate my presence a moment longer.
I could have taken offense, but I immediately grasped the truth.
‘There’s something else at play here.’
Something must have transpired before my arrival.
That explained their defensive posture.
Which meant Black Night Fortress had already made their move.
I exhaled lightly and prepared to speak.
But in that instant.
“Who is this? Isn’t this our Jin Won Gate Master!”
A voice rang out from behind us, feigning cheerfulness.
The flow of wind told me that dozens of martial artists had converged upon us.
Turning my head to identify them, I saw a gathering of rough-looking martial artists who unmistakably bore the mark of the Evil Faction.
The Jin Won Gate Master’s teeth ground together at the sight.
“The Iron Sword Gate Master!”
“Haha. Have you all come out to welcome me?”
The man called the Iron Sword Gate Master spoke thus, his lips curling into a sinister smile.
Observing this, I exchanged a brief word with the Sword Spirit.
‘It seems those fellows are the source of our conflict, doesn’t it?’
-It appears so. I’m beginning to see what’s happening here.
The two factions faced each other, eyes locked. The Iron Sword Gate Master bared his teeth in a grin and asked.
“Are you prepared to accept me now?”
“Silence! Did I not warn you never to show your face here again?”
“Haha! Surely neighbors shouldn’t speak to each other this way. My sect is right nearby—how could I not pay a visit? Besides, we’re soon to be father-in-law and son-in-law.”
‘Father-in-law and son-in-law?’
“Where is the young lady So who will become my wife? Is she cowering inside like a frightened pup? Ehehehe.”
The Iron Sword Gate Master laughed repugnantly.
The situation was beginning to crystallize in my mind.
That Iron Sword Gate Master probably kept pressuring Jin Won Gate because he wanted to take So Hye-rim as his wife.
No, judging by Jin Won Gate Master’s reaction when he showed me earlier, it wasn’t just the Iron Sword Gate Master doing this.
It meant many of the martial sects in this region were targeting her.
‘This must be Black Night Fortress’s scheme. I don’t know what methods they used, but they’re the ones inciting them.’
The So Hye-rim I remembered was certainly a stunning beauty.
Even while constantly shedding tears of blood, her beauty was renowned enough to spread as rumor.
The Iron Sword Gate Master, true to his nature as the leader of a greedy Evil Faction sect, coveted such a woman.
He was being used faithfully in Black Night Fortress’s scheme.
In that case.
“Get out.”
First, I needed to send them away.
I spoke to the Iron Sword Gate Master and his subordinates in a cold voice.
Everyone gathered there seemed slightly taken aback.
The Iron Sword Gate Master pointed to himself with a bewildered expression and spoke.
“Are you talking to me?”
“Who else would I be talking to? I came here as a guest, so if you have business, come back later.”
“Has this brat lost his mind….”
The Iron Sword Gate Master was momentarily dumbfounded before his anger flared.
He looked at his subordinates beside him and spoke.
“What are you doing? Get rid of that arrogant bastard right in front of us!”
“Yes!”
The Evil Faction members approached me in large strides at the Iron Sword Gate Master’s command.
They showed no sense of danger.
My appearance seemed youthful, so they probably thought I was easy prey.
[What should we do?]
I shook my head at Sa Gong-cheon’s voice transmission reaching my ears.
[Stay still. I’ll handle it.]
I reached out my hand as I watched the ones approaching me.
Whoooosh!
The gentle breeze that had been blowing became a massive whirlwind that erupted from my palm.
Then.
Boom!
The Evil Faction members approaching me were struck by the Wind God Palm and flew through the air.
“That’s why I told you to get out.”
The Iron Sword Gate Master’s jaw dropped as he watched the scene.

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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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