The Patriarch of the Northern Heavens - Chapter 99

—————
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 99

“A disciple of the Thunder God.”
I asked as if I didn’t quite understand.
“Why would such a person’s disciple come here?”
“Who knows. He said he came to make you some sort of proposal.”
“A proposal?”
“He insisted on telling you directly and refused to reveal what it was.”
I wore a peculiar expression for a moment.
A proposal brought personally by a disciple of the Thirteen Venerables.
What could it possibly be?
“Could he possibly be a spy for the Black Night Fortress?”
“It’s not impossible, but I doubt he would operate so openly if that were the case. If discovered, he would become a wanted criminal across the martial world.”
“That’s true enough.”
After finishing my meal, I spoke to Father.
“I should meet him in person.”
I wanted to understand what someone of the Thunder God’s caliber could possibly want here.

* * *

Before meeting the Thunder God’s disciple, I decided to handle some pending matters first.
First, I would assess my disciple So Hye-rim’s progress.
Shhhhhhh…
As she stood before me in the Training Grounds and released her energy, an unmistakable killing intent surged forth.
The killing intent that Cheon Sal-seong herself emanated.
A terrifying aura that made all things under heaven tremble in fear.
Yet I sensed something different from before.
“It’s refined.”
The killing intent was directed solely at me, not at everything surrounding us.
She had gained control over her killing intent.
This meant her cultivation had finally reached a stable trajectory.
As her master, I could only offer praise.
Clang!
I parried her sword strike and smiled warmly as I spoke.
“You’ve worked incredibly hard. Well done.”
“Master!”
So Hye-rim called out to me with a slightly excited voice.
“It was truly exhausting.”
“I’m sure it was. You’ve been training against your very nature all this time.”
“There were many times I wanted to give up. I felt like I was going to lose my mind.”
“I’m sorry for leaving you alone all this time despite everything.”
“No, it’s fine. In the end, I managed to come this far.”
Resisting one’s very nature.
Anyone could claim such a thing in words, but it was far from easy in practice.
After all, humans seek food when hungry and sleep when tired—such was our fundamental nature.
For Cheon Sal-seong, murderous intent was that very instinct.
Just as naturally as a person ate rice, she would harbor killing intent toward others.
Yet through disciplined cultivation, she had suppressed it. Her mental fortitude was nothing short of extraordinary.
“If not for the incantation you taught me, Master, it would have been impossible.”
“That much is certain.”
The power of the Vajra Yaksha Divine Art—to vanquish evil and protect the dharma.
Without it, her murderous aura could never have been controlled.
“But even so, without your own will, you could not have mastered your killing intent to this degree. You have done remarkably well.”
At my praise, So Hye-rim’s face brightened with satisfaction.
She felt a profound sense of accomplishment at having endured such grueling spiritual training.
I spoke to her carefully.
“From now on, you won’t be consumed by unnecessary murderous intent. As you continue to refine the Vajra Yaksha Divine Art, controlling even that will become easier.”
“And I have the Bokho Sword you gave me, Master.”
“Yes, that will help as well. So listen—if you wish to return home, you may do so whenever you please. In my judgment, you are now capable of living a normal life among others.”
“….”
At my suggestion, So Hye-rim’s expression wavered with conflict.
But only for a moment.
“I don’t want to go back yet.”
“Why? Don’t you miss Jinwon Sect?”
“Of course I miss Jinwon Sect, and I want to see Father again. But….”
She gazed at me and smiled softly.
“If I leave the Bukcheon Sword Family, I won’t be able to see you often, Master. I don’t want that.”
So Hye-rim’s eyes sparkled with sincerity. I couldn’t help but smile at the sight.
“Well, we’d hardly be ready to part ways—I’ve taught you so little.”
In truth, since teaching her the Vajra Yaksha Divine Art, I had given her no formal instruction.
I’d been far too occupied with other matters.
“Very well then. I shall teach you a means or two of protecting yourself going forward.”
I had wanted to teach her swordplay for some time anyway.
With her aptitude born of Cheon Sal-seong’s power, she absorbed any martial technique effortlessly.
Whatever I taught her, she would master beyond my expectations.
‘If all goes well, she might even surpass the Blood Witch in her prime.’
Should that come to pass, the Bukcheon Sword Family would gain a formidable ally indeed.
I parted ways with So Hye-rim, looking forward to our next meeting.
Though I wished to linger longer, I had pressing matters demanding my attention.
Next, I made my way to Namgung Seung.
“Family Head So?”
“It has been a while. Have you been well?”
Namgung Seung, who had been resting, immediately rose to greet me.
“What brings you here…?”
“I returned from Sichuan and thought I would pay a visit. I was also curious about Young Master Namgung’s progress.”
Namgung Seung.
In many ways, his situation resembled that of So Hye-rim.
A single moment of carelessness had led him to master a demonic technique, and its corruption gnawed at his spirit.
But those days were behind him now.
“It appears you have completely freed yourself from the temptation of the demonic path.”
The Namgung Seung before me was no longer a demon-hearted warrior consumed by murderous intent.
Thanks to his repeated practice of the purification method I had taught him, he seemed to have entirely escaped the corrupting influence of the demonic technique.
Namgung Seung, aware of this himself, bowed respectfully to me.
“It is all thanks to your grace, Family Head So. I cannot imagine what would have become of me without your aid.”
“You seized the opportunity yourself—that is your fortune. Besides, it pleases me to see Young Master Namgung grow stronger.”
He was, after all, a member of the Wind Cloud Unit.
In essence, one of my direct subordinates.
There was no reason to regret his advancement.
Especially not when threats to the Bukcheon Sword Family still remained unresolved.
“By the way, I heard that you were the first to bring in a disciple of the Thunder God.”
I recalled what I had heard during the meal earlier and posed the question to him.
Namgung Seung seemed somewhat taken aback.
“Well, to be precise, I did not bring him in myself. Rather, when he expressed his desire to join the Bukcheon Sword Family, I listened to his request and introduced him.”
“Had you known him beforehand?”
“We were drinking companions. He was a good friend who did not care even when he saw me being oppressed by my clan. I hope he has not caused any trouble…?”
“Not at all. I was merely curious why someone of his caliber came here.”
“He told me he came because he was interested in you, Family Head So.”
“Interested in me? For what reason, precisely?”
“That… honestly, I am not entirely sure myself.”
Namgung Seung shook his head.
“He is quite an eccentric fellow. His temperament is unpredictable, he is not bound by convention, and he lives as he pleases. I have known him to be this way since long ago, so I did not press him further.”
“I see.”
“However, he is certainly not a wicked person. I can vouch for that much.”
“Understood. If Young Master Namgung speaks thus, it is worth taking his word for it.”
“F-Family Head So…”
Namgung Seung’s voice trembled with emotion.
After exchanging a few more words with him, I took my leave.
‘Seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times.’
Now I intended to seek him out and meet him directly.

* * *

The Thunder God’s disciple was staying in a separate residence located north of the Bukcheon Sword Family.
A place where he and various other retainers had gathered.
The moment I entered, all eyes turned toward me.
Both the servants and retainers seemed to recognize me immediately.
“We greet the Family Head!”
They bowed to me in unison.
“Family Head. What brings you here?”
The man managing the retainers approached and asked.
I smiled gently at him and replied.
“I heard there was someone I’m looking for here, so I came to find them.”
“Someone you’re looking for, Family Head?”
“Yes. I’m searching for a man named Gong Ya-wol. Is he here at the moment?”
At the mention of Gong Ya-wol’s name, he seemed somewhat flustered.
“He is here, but….”
“But?”
“Well, he’s not in the best condition right now.”
“Is he ill?”
“No, it’s not quite that….”
“Then please guide me. I merely wish to meet him briefly, so there’s no need for concern.”
The man managing the retainers hesitated for a moment before nodding.
“Very well then. Please follow me.”
He led me toward a room deep within the residence.
With my heightened senses, I could detect a certain smell emanating from within.
It was….
‘The smell of alcohol?’
A thick, pungent smell of alcohol.
By this point, it seemed he had been drinking straight from a barrel not long ago.
“This is the place.”
“From here, I’ll enter alone.”
I left Jungjin outside and stepped in.
Whoosh!
The moment I entered, the smell of alcohol grew even more intense.
And there, sprawled out like some idle vagabond, was a lean-looking man.
He appeared to be in his mid-to-late twenties.
Though he possessed a handsome face, his unkempt hair hung in wild tangles, making him look like a vagabond.
He seemed to have known of my arrival and slowly raised himself, grinning wickedly.
“You’ve finally come. *Hic!*”
“A pleasure to meet you, Gong Ya-wol. I am Jin Muyeol, the Young Family Head of the Bukcheon Sword Family.”
“Hehe. I already knew that much. Hiccup! At your age, I doubt there’s another monster who’s reached the same realm as me.”
“….”
I examined him using my heightened senses.
‘He’s certainly formidable.’
The reputation of being the Thunder God’s disciple was no mere exaggeration.
His cultivation had transcended the peak level and reached the Johwa Realm itself.
It meant his level was too high to spend time as an ordinary guest.
“Why have you sought me out, Gong Ya-wol?”
Rather than engage in pleasantries, I cut straight to the heart of the matter.
At that, Gong Ya-wol broke into a grin.
“Didn’t you hear? I came because I have a proposal for you.”
“But I haven’t heard the details. Others were told you would speak with me directly, yet you’ve kept the reason hidden.”
“Haha. True enough.”
“So now I wish to hear that reason. Since I’ve come here myself, there’s no need to hide anything, is there?”
“Fair point. In truth, I’ve come here to invite you to a certain organization.”
My eyes narrowed at Gong Ya-wol’s words.
“What sort of organization?”
“Haha. A fellowship hidden behind the scenes of the martial world. We gather regardless of sect or faction, united by a single common purpose to deepen our bonds.”
“Could you explain what organization this is more clearly?”
“Of course.”
Gong Ya-wol nodded, as if he had planned to do so from the start.
“Our organization is called the Chukji Society. It is an association of lightness-of-foot masters who share the goal of reaching the legendary Shrinking Ground technique.”
“…!”
“And it will hold special meaning for you.”
Gong Ya-wol smiled knowingly as he spoke.
“Because the founder of our Chukji Society is none other than Pungsin, your ancestor.”
“…!”
I was momentarily taken aback by this unexpected revelation.

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