The Patriarch of the Northern Heavens - Chapter 72

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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 72

“A new military unit.”
I paused to consider before asking.
“Why would you suggest such a thing?”
“The main family’s prestige is growing, and our financial situation has improved considerably. I believe it’s time to expand our military forces. However, rather than simply increasing the numbers of existing units, I thought it would be better to establish an entirely new division.”
“But why exactly?”
“I felt we needed a force to support the Young Master’s activities from behind the scenes. While the Saeying Division exists, their martial prowess isn’t particularly exceptional, is it?”
“You mean to say….”
I asked, feigning slight surprise.
“You want me to form my own personal guard?”
“In essence, yes.”
“I must decline. I cannot establish a military unit solely for myself, nor would it serve the family’s interests.”
“Even if the Family Head himself has approved it?”
“…!”
“It’s not just the Family Head. Elder Won-ju has also consented to this matter. All the elders of the family have agreed.”
Jin Seo-hong regarded me with an enigmatic expression.
“Ordinarily, such a thing would be unthinkable, of course. But if it lightens even slightly the burden of responsibility the Young Master carries, we are prepared to support you to the end.”
“Iron Blood Sword Captain….”
It was an astonishing proposal.
I must admit, it was rather moving.
After all, they wouldn’t make such an offer unless they truly cared for me.
“Hehe. In any case, I hope you’ll give it careful consideration. All the preparations are already complete. All that remains is your approval.”
“I’ll think about it a bit longer.”
“Very well. Then I shall take my leave.”
Jin Seo-hong departed with a smile.
Dang Ye-rin, who had been listening to our conversation, then exclaimed with an expression of surprise.
“It seems the people of the Bukcheon Sword Family truly trust Young Master Jin.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Normally, even a Young Master wouldn’t be permitted to command a military unit openly called a personal guard. At least, that’s true for all the great martial families.”
This was due to the ever-present danger of rebellion.
What would happen if the family’s military forces refused to obey the Family Head and listened only to the Young Master?
“But for the Family Head of the Bukcheon Sword Family himself to permit such a thing… it’s truly remarkable.”
“Perhaps it’s because they understand how terrifying the enemy we face truly is.”
I exhaled lightly as I spoke.
Black Night Fortress.
Had they not existed, Jin Seo-hong would never have made such a proposal.
And I myself would never have desired it.
Yet Father and Jin Seo-hong seemed to believe that having a unit to aid me, unbound by family protocol, would be beneficial.
“For now, I need to think it over more carefully. Ah, but let me show you around other parts of the estate as well. Please, follow me.”
I concluded the conversation and led the three of them through every corner of the Bukcheon Sword Family, introducing them to the grounds.
After finishing with a meal as the final stop, we dispersed, and evening had fallen.
I escorted So Hye-rim to her quarters, returned to my room, and fell into deep contemplation.
‘The establishment of a new military unit, then.’
-Why not accept it? You have nothing to lose, do you?
‘That’s true, but… I’m concerned others might view it strangely.’
-When have you ever cared what others think? And what does it matter if they find it odd? What’s important is you and your family. Besides, even Pungsin, who was called the greatest under heaven, did the same. Do you think he built his house and created his own faction for nothing?
‘….’
-Remember this: finding people to be your hands and feet is important work. There’s only so much you can accomplish alone. Even Pungsin, for all his might, understood that. Why do you think he established his lineage and built his own power base?
‘You have a point there.’
The Sword Spirit was right.
There were limits to what a single person could accomplish.
Had I not learned this painfully in my first life?
‘Back then, I had no allies in the family—I stood alone.’
But now things were different.
The Bukcheon Sword Family operated with perfect unity under Father and Great-Uncle’s guidance, and the family members now showed me trust unlike before.
Given such circumstances, wouldn’t it be reasonable to bring one military unit under my command?
‘Very well.’
The moment I resolved this, I sought out Sa Gong-cheon.
“Ah, Young Master.”
Sa Gong-cheon, who had just returned home and was playing with his daughter, greeted me with a warm smile.
“What brings you here? Are you heading out again?”
“No. I have no intention of leaving right after returning. I simply wanted to make you a proposal.”
“A proposal for me?”
“Yes.”
I addressed the man who had been my first ally after my regression.
“Would you have any interest in becoming the captain of a new military unit?”
“Pardon?”
Confusion flickered across Sa Gong-cheon’s face.

* * *

A moment later.
I found Jin Seo-hong, bringing Sa Gong-cheon with me.
The moment Jin Seo-hong saw him, he seemed to grasp my intention.
“So you’ve selected Sa Gong-cheon as the commander of the new martial force unit. An excellent choice.”
“Wait, what exactly is happening….”
“It’s simple. We’re planning to create a new martial force unit that will follow the Young Master’s orders. You’ve been selected as its commander.”
“…!”
Sa Gong-cheon’s eyes widened in shock, but he soon responded with a stern expression and a negative answer.
“However, I am the Young Master’s guard. I cannot simply abandon that duty.”
I interjected.
“Even if I permit it?”
“That is….”
“Guard Sa Gong-cheon. What matters to me now is not a guard, but a martial force that can move in perfect coordination with me. I believe you are the only one capable of taking on that role.”
I meant every word.
We had built trust together ever since the regression.
When it came to finding someone to be the head of a martial force that would serve as my hands and feet, there was no one else who came to mind.
“Besides, you’re already at the peak of the Transcendent realm, in its later stages, aren’t you? You’ll soon ascend to the Johwa Realm, so you’re more than qualified. Even if I searched the entire family, I’d be hard-pressed to find a better candidate than you.”
“Conversely, doesn’t that mean I’m still only at the Transcendent realm? Can someone like me truly be trusted with commanding a martial force?”
“If you accept this role, I promise the main family will provide full support.”
“And regarding martial arts, rest assured. Both I and Elder Won-ju will help guide your training whenever we can.”
“…!”
Sa Gong-cheon’s eyes widened considerably.
The Iron Blood Sword Captain was a master of the Johwa Realm, and my Great-Uncle, Elder Won-ju, was needless to say a master of the Heavenly Martial realm.
He was astonished that such people would offer to guide his training.
Conflict flickered across Sa Gong-cheon’s face.
But in the end, he accepted my proposal.
“Very well. Then I shall accept it.”
“Good thinking.”
I gave Sa Gong-cheon’s shoulder a sincere pat.
He exhaled a long breath and asked.
“How should we recruit members for the new martial force unit?”
“First, we should select those from within the family whose loyalty and abilities are proven. Then we can add Namgung Seung and Jin Cheon-hui, who are currently staying as retainers.”
“Then who will become the Young Master’s guard in my place?”
“I no longer need a guard. You know my abilities well enough.”
Despite not yet achieving perfect unity of spirit and energy to reach the Johwa Realm, my actual combat strength was comparable to the upper-middle tier of the Johwa Realm.
If I used the Yaksha Transformation, I had a real chance of defeating even enemies in the upper tiers.
Thus, if I were to have a guard stronger than myself, I would need to keep a master of the Heavenly Martial realm by my side.
But since no such master existed besides my Great-Uncle, there was no need to keep a guard.
Sa Gong-cheon looked decidedly uneasy at my answer.
“Still, it might be better to keep at least one guard….”
“In fact, during emergencies, having an escort becomes a liability. If I’m alone, I can simply use the Wind God’s Step to escape. But if someone depends on me, I’d be forced to fight to the bitter end to protect them. If there were someone at my level capable of wielding the Gyeong Divine Method, I’d reconsider.”
“Sigh. I understand.”
Sa Gong-cheon seemed barely convinced.
I smiled at his expression and spoke.
“From now on, I should call you Captain Sa instead of Escort Sa.”
“But I haven’t even formed the unit yet. Please continue calling me as you always have.”
“Fair enough. Still, congratulations on becoming a captain. If you’re to become one, Father will certainly approve without hesitation.”
“I will do my utmost to live up to the Young Master’s expectations.”
He knelt on one knee with a solemn expression.
The atmosphere grew reverent.
It seemed he felt compelled to repay the debt of gratitude he owed me.
I smiled gently to ease the tension.
“Your wife must be delighted. Her husband becoming a captain of the Bukcheon Sword Family! With that, Ye-rin will have access to far greater resources.”
“The burden has grown considerably for me, though.”
Sa Gong-cheon exhaled lightly, as if his shoulders had become heavier.
Jin Seo-hong, who had been watching with an amused smile, asked.
“By the way, Young Master. What name would you like for the new unit?”
“Hmm…”
A name.
I had been so focused on the fact of creating the unit that I hadn’t given much thought to this aspect.
But deciding was quite simple.
The answer came to me immediately.
“What about the Wind Cloud Unit?”
The unit we would create would bring winds of change and fortune to this martial world.
At my words, both men nodded in agreement.
The establishment of the Wind Cloud Unit, which would represent the Bukcheon Sword Family alongside the Iron Blood Sword Squad, was thus decided.

* * *

At the same moment.
In a high-class establishment located in Taiyuan.
Five people had gathered on the fourth floor, the highest level of the building.
All of them were the leaders of the Evil Faction who had established themselves in Sanseo.
“You all understand why we’ve gathered here, don’t you?”
Ho Won-mun, the largest and most menacing of them, spoke first.
Hwan Hui-gung, seated beside him, responded to his words.
“Isn’t it because the Bukcheon Sword Family’s influence continues to grow stronger? If things continue as they are, all of Sanseo will fall into their grasp.”
The other four nodded at Hwan Hui-gung’s sinister tone.
The Bukcheon Sword Family.
Until recently, they had been the declining Orthodox Faction power in Sanseo.
But now they were rising again, soaring toward the heavens.
The reason was naturally Jin Muyeol, the young master of the Bukcheon Sword Family.
From the moment he drove out the corrupt Elder Council member Lee Tae-gyeom, healed the family head’s illness, and earned the epithet Wind God Dragon through his exploits at the Dragon Phoenix Conference, the Bukcheon Sword Family had been reborn.
“Indeed, if we leave things as they are, we may lose our influence entirely.”
“I’ve heard that in the past when the Bukcheon Sword Family was at its peak, the Evil Factions throughout Sanseo couldn’t even breathe freely.”
“I have no intention of allowing that to happen.”
Each of those gathered spoke their piece.
This meeting was crucial to them.
In a sense, it could determine the future direction of Sanseo’s martial world.
Clap!
Ho Won-mun, who had clapped his hands lightly, spoke.
“I share your thoughts. Though we’ve been in opposition until now, we must prevent an Orthodox Faction power like the Bukcheon Sword Family from dominating Sanseo, mustn’t we?”
“Do you have some method in mind?”
“Surely you’re not suggesting we attack them directly?”
“If we did such a thing, we might be able to annihilate the Bukcheon Sword Family, but we wouldn’t escape unscathed either.”
“Of course not. That’s why I believe it would be better for us to form an alliance and pressure them, rather than attack them directly.”
“An alliance?”
Hwan Hui-gung let out a scornful laugh.
“You’re not about to suggest an alliance and then claim leadership for yourself, are you? If so, I’m walking out of here.”
“Of course not. I’ve already secured someone to be our representative.”
“What?”
“Please come in.”
At Ho Won-mun’s courteous words, everyone turned their heads.
Creak.
The door opened, and an emaciated old man, little more than skin and bones, entered leaning on a cane.
Yet with each step the old man took, malevolent energy scattered through the air, and the atmosphere in the room vibrated with the stench of rotting corpses.
Even the Evil Faction leaders who dominated Sanseo, gathered in that room, held their breath.
What entered was a Demon Lord who had reached the pinnacle of the Heavenly Demon Realm and carried death in his wake.
“The White Bone Old Demon!?”
He was a far more significant figure than they had anticipated.

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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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