The Patriarch of the Northern Heavens - Chapter 98

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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 98

Mak Ri-hyeon could not help but be astonished.
These words came directly from none other than Dok Go Moon, the Master of Sadoryeon.
Who was Dok Go Moon?
A legendary figure who had risen from a third-rate sect, unifying various evil factions to build the colossal power that was Sadoryeon.
In the underworld of the martial realm, his name had already become legend.
Yet such a man had taken interest in a mere child not yet in his twenties.
It was nothing short of extraordinary.
“May I speak frankly, sir?”
“Were you planning to lie? Say whatever comes to mind.”
I believe that no matter how much you offer, the Bukcheon Sword Family and Wind God Dragon have little chance of joining Sadoryeon.”
“Your reasoning?”
“They have already forged deep ties with the Orthodox Faction. Why would the Bukcheon Sword Family, already called the greatest clan of Sanseo, ever wish to join us?”
“Hmm.”
Dok Go Moon nodded as if in agreement with those words.
“Honestly, even I can see it’s not ideal. And I can hardly resort to threats either.”
“If you did, the Martial Alliance would not stand idle.”
“Not just the Martial Alliance. The Sichuan Sword Gate and the Namgung Clan would also cause us trouble. That would mean at least four of the Thirteen Venerables would stand against us.”
No matter how formidable Sadoryeon’s power was, that burden was considerable.
Unless one was prepared to wage outright war.
‘But that boy does not yet possess such value.’
To obtain Jin Muyeol while waging war against the entire Orthodox Faction?
It made no sense. To gain a future Venerable by opposing the current Thirteen Venerables was a calculation that did not add up.
“Then is there no way to make him crawl over to our side on his own?”
“Even if you say that….”
Mak Ri-hyeon muttered uncertainly, then suddenly made a sound of realization.
“Now that I think about it, Master. You have a disciple, do you not?”
“You mean Yeon?”
“Yes. Hong Yeon is not much different in age from Wind God Dragon, is she? What if we were to propose a marriage alliance?”
“Hmm.”
Dok Go Moon’s eyes gleamed as if the suggestion was not without merit.
He tapped the table thoughtfully, as if calculating something.
“It is true that using Yeon could establish good relations with them. But that only applies if the two are actually betrothed.”
“If you propose the marriage first, they would not refuse, would they?”
“Perhaps our own faction members would not. But the Orthodox Faction would be another matter entirely. And as you know… that boy’s temperament is quite difficult to deal with, is it not?”
“That is… true enough.”
Mak Ri-hyeon could not bring himself to deny it and nodded in agreement.
Dok Go Moon gazed at Mak Ri-hyeon and let out a sigh.
“If I force her to go, I’ll only earn resentment. Besides, he might already have someone else.”
“There are rumors that the Sichuan First Sword and the daughter of the Northern Region’s Phantom God have shown interest in the Wind God Dragon.”
“Right. With talent like that, other men won’t let him slip away. If I meddle halfway, I’ll lose my investment entirely.”
“But couldn’t they be unexpectedly well-suited? These matters between men and women are unpredictable, after all.”
“A boy who hasn’t even reached adulthood is lecturing me about romance. Tsk tsk.”
Dok Go Moon regarded Mak Ri-hyeon with eyes full of disdain.
Mak Ri-hyeon flinched at that gaze and spoke defensively.
“I, I also have someone I care for. To that extent at least….”
“Oh? So now unrequited love counts as love? The world has certainly become kinder.”
“Master Yeon, didn’t you also fail to marry?!”
“You impudent brat.”
Thwack!
Crash!
Mak Ri-hyeon’s body, struck by the flick to his forehead, crashed into the wall behind him.
Dok Go Moon clicked his tongue and spoke to him.
“What kind of tone is that to use with the heavenly Master Yeon? Do you want to die?”
“I, I apologize….”
“And I didn’t fail to marry—I chose not to. Since there seems to be a misunderstanding, let me make this clear.”
“….”
Mak Ri-hyeon forced down the words rising in his throat.
If he spoke them, this wouldn’t end with just a beating—something would break.
As Mak Ri-hyeon trembled, Dok Go Moon rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought.
“Hmm. Actually, attempting it doesn’t seem like a bad idea. Who knows? Perhaps fate will make Jin Muyeol catch her eye.”
“What are you planning to do, then?”
“We’ll orchestrate a natural meeting. You said you promised to give the Sichuan First Sword a reward, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll send that girl as the person responsible for it. Her personality is rough, but my disciple has outstanding looks, doesn’t she? If Jin Muyeol is a man, he won’t be able to look away.”
“That may be true, but….”
Mak Ri-hyeon nodded reluctantly.
Indeed, Hong Yeon, Dok Go Moon’s disciple, was beautiful.
Within Sadoryeon, more than ten people had proposed marriage to her.
‘Though they all left after failing to endure her difficult personality.’
Hong Yeon didn’t treat anyone as human unless they were a strong warrior she acknowledged.
And her standards were so high that even late-stage masters couldn’t meet them.
Therefore, all men of similar age had to endure her sharp ridicule, with only a rare few—like Mak Ri-hyeon himself, who possessed considerable skill—being exceptions.
“My dear Mak Ri-hyeon. Go with her and create the right atmosphere. You said you were confident in matters of romance, didn’t you?”
“Me? When did I ever….”
“Quiet. Even if you didn’t, you’re going. If I send that girl alone to the Bukcheon Sword Family, who knows what trouble she’ll cause? I’m not leaving everything to chance.”
“….”
“Besides, you and Jin Muyeol have at least met before. It’s better to send you than someone he doesn’t know at all.”
“But I have matters of my own to attend to….”
“Tsk. When the Master commands, you go. No more talk—do you want another beating?”
“Y-yes, I’ll prepare at once.”
“Good. That’s how it should be.”
Dok Go Moon nodded with satisfaction at last.
Mak Ri-hyeon barely suppressed the curses rising from his throat as he left the Master’s Administrative Office.
He recalled Hong Yeon’s temperament, which had been decided upon as his travel companion, and let out a deep sigh.
“Sigh… Please, just don’t cause any trouble.”
He began preparing for his visit to the Bukcheon Sword Family, praying for peaceful days ahead.
He despised the task, but as it was his duty, he had no choice but to comply.

* * *

After several days of travel, I finally returned to the Bukcheon Sword Family.
The clan had anticipated my arrival and sent several members to welcome me.
Among them were my Father and Great-Uncle.
I bowed respectfully.
“I have returned.”
I greeted them with a formal fist salute, announcing my homecoming.
The two of them smiled warmly and welcomed me back.
“Welcome home.”
“I hear you endured much hardship in Sichuan.”
“There were many matters to handle. Has anything significant occurred during my absence?”
I spoke while observing their expressions carefully.
Fortunately, they both shook their heads, indicating that nothing of consequence had happened.
“Nothing at all.”
“In fact, it has been remarkably peaceful.”
“That is fortunate indeed.”
I smiled contentedly as I spoke.
Certainly, this tranquility was far preferable to the constant turmoil and conflict that had plagued my days.
After greeting them, I bathed briefly and emerged once more.
A lavish feast had been prepared to welcome my return.
At the dining table sat not only my Father and Great-Uncle, but also our guest Gye Wol-hyang and my disciple So Hye-rim.
“It has been a long time since we’ve all gathered like this, hasn’t it?”
“Indeed. Hye-rim, have you been well?”
“Yes. Thanks to the help of many, I’ve made considerable progress.”
So Hye-rim’s cultivation aura did indeed seem far more stable than before my departure.
Her mastery of the Vajra Asura Divine Art had advanced significantly.
At this level, I doubted that Cheon Sal-seong’s instincts would resurface again.
“Take this.”
I retrieved the Restoration Sword I had prepared beforehand and handed it to her.
“It’s a Restoration Sword I received from the Ami Sect. With this alone, you should find it much easier to maintain control of your mind.”
“Y-you’re giving this to me?”
“Yes. Until now, I couldn’t let you wield a blade with a sharp edge. But a Restoration Sword should be fine.”
The aura emanating from the Restoration Sword itself would help suppress Cheon Sal-seong’s nature somewhat.
So Hye-rim gazed at me with trembling eyes, visibly moved.
She bowed her head respectfully.
Her demeanor conveyed genuine gratitude.
Meanwhile, Gye Wol-hyang smacked her lips.
“I’m envious of Miss So. She even receives gifts like that.”
“You know Hye-rim’s constitution is special, don’t you?”
“Well, I suppose that’s true.”
Gye Wol-hyang grumbled.
I smiled gently and coaxed her.
“If I obtain something next time, I’ll make sure to bring something for you as well.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
After all, I was personally grateful to her.
At my words, Gye Wol-hyang’s mood finally lifted.
The meal that followed was filled with warmth and laughter.
“But Muyeol, it seems you’ve made further breakthroughs in Sichuan.”
“Great-Uncle, is that truly the case?”
Father exclaimed in surprise at Great-Uncle’s words, his eyes gleaming.
Great-Uncle nodded calmly.
“Yes. You’ve achieved unity of the Spiritual Qi and Divine Will. Did you receive help from the Sichuan First Sword?”
“How did you perceive it?”
“To achieve such dramatic progress in such a short time, one typically needs assistance from someone of considerable attainment. She would certainly have been capable of that.”
“Yes. Thanks to the guidance of the Sword Spirit, I was fortunate enough to reach the Johwa Realm. Though I still have much to learn.”
“Hmph. If you’re still inexperienced, then other martial artists should bury their heads in the ground and perish.”
Great-Uncle spoke as if it were absurd.
In truth, it was.
How many people at my age had reached the Johwa Realm?
Even searching through the history of the martial world, there would be precious few.
To that extent, I was advancing far ahead of others.
“At this rate, I’m genuinely curious how strong you’ll become in the future.”
“I wish to become strong enough to take responsibility for the Bukcheon Sword Family.”
“Haha. You already carry the name of the Bukcheon Sword Family on your shoulders. At this point, you’re doing more than well enough.”
Great-Uncle spoke thus and smiled warmly.
His eyes already held boundless trust.
It was because I had proven myself through deeds rather than mere words.
And that trust would become unwavering support for me.
“I will strive harder to live up to your expectations.”
“Hehe. Yes. But Muyeol, there have been some changes in the family while I was away.”
“Changes?”
“Indeed. First, I expanded the number of martial warriors. I used the recently increased funds to recruit more skilled fighters.”
“That is a wise decision. To expand the main family’s influence, we need more martial warriors in our ranks.”
I nodded in agreement as I spoke.
No matter how much the Bukcheon Sword Family positioned itself as the foremost clan of Sanseo, compared to the great powers like the Five Great Families or the Nine Great Sects and One Hundred Clans, our scale remained modest.
Therefore, it was necessary to first increase the number of martial warriors belonging to the family.
The number of masters was important, but so too was the number of ordinary martial artists beneath them.
“In the meantime, we have also accepted many retainers. Of course, we verify them thoroughly since some could be enemy spies. But among them, there is one who wishes to meet you.”
“Someone who wishes to meet me?”
“Yes. A fellow with quite an unusual background.”
I could not help but widen my eyes at what came next.
“I hear he is a disciple of the Thunder God.”
The Thunder God.
He was none other than one of the Thirteen Venerables.

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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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