The Patriarch of the Northern Heavens - Chapter 91

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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 91

Their anger was entirely justified.
The Woo Won Gate was a carefully constructed operation within the Black Night Fortress’s Sichuan branch, after all.
How much effort had gone into acquiring the reputation of being an outer disciple of the Blue Star Sect?
Decades of painstaking work.
Yet all that investment had been squandered in a single moment, for reasons they didn’t even understand.
Rage was the only natural response.
“How did this happen?! The Woo Won Gate exposed?! How could you bungle this so badly?!”
“P-please, calm yourself. Anger won’t change anything.”
“Do I look like I can calm down right now?!”
Jang Jin, who oversaw the Black Night Fortress’s Sichuan branch, continued to bellow despite his subordinate’s attempts at restraint.
His subordinate exhaled slowly before speaking.
“It appears the Dang Family’s intelligence network was more thorough than we anticipated. I never expected them to sense something amiss and locate our subsidiary sect so quickly.”
“Do you think this situation can be dismissed with ‘I didn’t expect’?”
“The Woo Won Gate must have made a mistake on their end. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have come so confidently and directly.”
“A mistake?”
“I don’t know what it was specifically. But there must have been something. However, there’s another likely reason.”
“What is it?”
“The Wind God Dragon arrived here. As you know, he’s unaware of our existence, isn’t he? I suspect he may have influenced this situation somehow.”
At the mention of the Wind God Dragon, the eyes of those present gleamed with intensity.
The Wind God Dragon, Jin Muyeol.
He was currently the most closely watched person of concern in the Black Night Fortress’s Sanseo branch.
Of course, unless one was part of the Sanseo branch, they wouldn’t pay him much attention…
‘Because of him, our plan to kidnap the Granddaughter of Sichuan’s First Sword failed completely.’
And that wasn’t all.
This time, he had even led an assault on the Black Night Fortress’s subordinate sect.
From the circumstances, it was highly likely that he had leaked information about the Black Night Fortress to the Sichuan Dang Family.
“If I had my way, I’d kill him on the spot.”
Thus Jang Jin muttered through gritted teeth.
But his subordinate stopped him.
“That won’t do. If we step forward and actually kill him ourselves, we’d be admitting our existence. Instead of remaining as mere rumors, the Black Night Fortress would be truly exposed.”
“Damn it! So you’re saying we just take this lying down?”
“Not exactly. We must have our revenge. We simply refrain from acting directly.”
“Refrain from acting directly?”
Jang Jin’s subordinate nodded at his words.
“Yes. We have him killed from a place that appears unrelated to us. Whether that place be a location, a person, or a faction.”
“Hmm. A place that appears unrelated…”
Jang Jin fell silent, lost in thought.
“I need to think about this a bit more. Anyway, everyone prepare to relocate!”
“Relocate, sir?”
“Now that the Woo Won Gate Master has fallen, there’s a high probability information about this place will leak out. We have a seal in place, but we can’t simply sit idle relying on that alone.”
“That’s true….”
“First, I’ll move the branch to a location he doesn’t know about. Move quickly!”
“Yes, sir!”
Jang Jin watched his subordinates scramble about in haste.
He sighed and gathered various documents.
Yet even as he did, one name kept surfacing in his mind.
‘Jin Muyeol….’
For now, I would retreat, but someday I would have my vengeance for this affair.
Jang Jin’s eyes gleamed with fierce determination.

* * *

Hidden within the secret passage of the Woo Won Gate was a cramped space barely large enough for a single person to squeeze through.
We managed to obtain countless documents from that location.
Directives from the Black Night Fortress and reports on the Blue Star Sect’s movements. Along with the numerous missions they had been receiving and executing.
The Blue Star Sect members who saw this were left aghast.
That their branch sect was truly a puppet of another power—it was hardly surprising they were shocked.
Meanwhile.
“How is the interrogation of the Woo Won Gate Master progressing?”
“Honestly, we’re not making headway. That bastard has quite the tight lips.”
“If the Family Head speaks of it that way, he must be a person of considerable mental fortitude.”
“It’s possible he simply cannot speak. With a seal in place, carelessly moving his lips could mean death.”
I was having a conversation with Dang Geuk, the Family Head of the Sichuan Dang Family, regarding this incident.
“Have you attempted to locate their main headquarters?”
“Of course. But it seems only the Woo Won Gate Master and the messenger birds traveling between them know the exact location. And as I mentioned, the Woo Won Gate Master won’t speak, and someone has already killed all the messenger birds.”
“It’s already too late, then.”
“They seem to have prepared various contingencies in case of discovery. Well, even if we knew, I doubt they would have remained idle until now.”
I nodded in agreement.
Certainly, even if I were known to be from the Black Night Fortress, they wouldn’t have left their main base exposed after the Woo Won Gate was compromised.
They had likely already relocated to another secret hideout unknown to the Woo Won Gate Master.
“Still, we plan to search as thoroughly as possible. Those who dared lay hands on the direct line of the Dang Family will pay the price.”
Dang Geuk spoke with a terrifying expression.
“Our Dang Family has a maxim: repay kindness twofold and enmity tenfold. We intend to hunt them down and exterminate every last one of them.”
“You must be cautious. Their forces are not only vast but also concealed.”
“With Mother helping us, what is there to fear? Of course, you spoke with that in mind. I’m grateful.”
He said this and produced something from his robes, extending it toward me.
Two sleek hidden blades.
“What is this?”
“A personal gift from me. I hear you’ve mastered not just swordplay, but also a fair bit of assassination techniques?”
“Nothing worthy of boasting about before the Family Head.”
“Modest, aren’t you? Ye-rin’s already told me how exceptional your hidden blade technique is. Go ahead and feel it.”
There was no reason to refuse.
I nodded and immediately took the hidden blade he offered, testing its weight.
A cool sensation wrapped around my palm with a sharp whisper.
The subtle chill coursing through it suggested this was no ordinary iron.
Could it be?
“Did you use cold iron?”
“Yes. I had it forged from cold iron so it would last you a long time. With this level of durability, it should serve you well even if you find yourself in close combat wielding a hidden blade.”
“Something so expensive…”
“Didn’t I mention it earlier? The main family repays kindness twofold. By that standard, I’ve barely repaid half the debt I owe you. So don’t burden yourself with guilt.”
I nodded and rose, assuming a respectful stance.
“I’ll use it well.”
“Heh. I said not to burden yourself.”
“But I cannot simply accept such a gift without expressing my gratitude.”
“Truly courteous. Young as you are, you possess admirable character.”
Dang Geuk smiled warmly, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
“I can trust you with important matters.”
“Sir?”
“No, never mind. Let’s move on to what I wanted to discuss. Sit back down.”
I settled back into my seat as he requested.
Dang Geuk’s expression grew more serious as he asked his next question.
“What are your plans now?”
“Now that matters in Sichuan are resolved, I intend to return to the main family.”
After all, why had I come here in the first place?
I had brought Dang Ye-rin after hearing false information that Dang So-hye was in danger.
But here, I had ascended to a higher realm of cultivation, secured cooperation from the Blue Star Sect, and dismantled the Uyuan Sect—a subordinate organization of the Black Night Fortress.
At this point, there was little left for me to accomplish.
So I had begun considering my return.
Besides, there was much work awaiting me at the family.
“I see. But before you leave, there’s someone I’d like to introduce you to.”
“Someone you’d like to introduce me to?”
“Yes. I’m certain they would be of great help to you.”
“Who might that be?”
“I’m afraid I cannot speak of it at this stage.”
Cannot speak of it?
I regarded Dang Geuk with a puzzled expression.
Yet Dang Geuk remained utterly composed.
“It seems you have your reasons.”
“Indeed. Thank you for understanding.”
“Are you certain this person will truly be of help to me?”
“Without question. Even the main family has benefited greatly from him.”
Dang Geuk let slip hints about the man’s identity with deliberate subtlety.
‘If someone of Dang Geuk’s stature—the Family Head of the Sichuan Dang Family itself—refers to him as “that person,” he must hold considerable standing.’
At minimum, he was either a renowned master of the martial world or a figure of great power.
I turned the matter over in my mind quickly, then nodded.
“In that case, I would be grateful for an introduction. Since you’ve shown such consideration, there’s no reason for me to decline.”
“A wise choice. You won’t regret it.”
With those words, Dang Geuk ushered me out.
And several days later.
“Try not to speak of this meeting to others, if you can help it.”
Dang Geuk, who had personally guided me, offered thorough warnings.
“Of course. I shall not.”
There was no reason to spread word of it anyway, so I nodded readily.
Satisfied at last, Dang Geuk led me to a tea house in the Marketplace District.
The tea house was quiet.
More than quiet—it was utterly devoid of patrons.
When I inquired about this peculiarity, I learned that the entire building had been rented out.
-This must be quite the important figure, then.
‘It would appear so.’
While the Sword Spirit and I exchanged such whispered observations, a man descended from the upper floors of the tea house.
He bowed respectfully to Dang Geuk in greeting.
“Family Head Dang. From here, I shall guide you.”
“Very well. I’m in your hands.”
“Please, follow me.”
I exchanged a glance with Dang Geuk and nodded.
Creak.
After climbing several flights of stairs to the very top, I beheld a man surrounded by three others.
He appeared to be in his mid-thirties.
I had expected someone of far greater prominence, given how Dang Geuk had spoken of him, but such did not appear to be the case.
‘Then his standing must lie in his position, not his appearance.’
Yet Dang Geuk was the Family Head of the Sichuan Dang Family and a master of the Heavenly Martial Realm.
Moreover, he was the son of Dang So-hye, the Sichuan First Sword and one of the Thirteen Venerables.
It seemed unlikely that such a man would show such deference to an ordinary official of high rank.
Then.
‘Let me think.’
Who in Sichuan could command such careful respect from someone of Dang Geuk’s stature?
Several candidates came to mind, only to fade away.
Some were too old, others lacked the standing, and still others couldn’t possibly be in Sichuan at this hour.
After eliminating candidates based on these conditions, only one person remained.
I straightened with conviction and offered a respectful bow.
“Jin Muyeol, Deputy Family Head of the Bukcheon Sword Family of Sanseo, pays respects to Prince Jun.”
“Ho?”
The man.
No—Prince Jun’s eyes widened in surprise.

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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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