Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Gokbu
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Two bags were tucked into the second pouch: a map and a roster of names. It was a fair trade, all things considered. Heretics were a far graver threat than the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
While the group was reasonably satisfied, their opponents reacted quite differently.
The woman, freed from her acupoint strike, glared up at her superior in reproach. She seemed unable to accept her allies' defeat.
"Senior Brother, why didn't you just abandon me? Now it looks like all my efforts burning those provisions were for nothing."
"Your life is worth far more. If I'd let you die, my own head wouldn't stay on my shoulders for long."
"Is that supposed to be funny?"
"Can't a man joke around? Anyway, the report's already been sent. It's not a bad deal for either side."
"You think the higher-ups will see it that way?"
Yun Kang let out a deep sigh.
"At the very least, your father would praise me for it."
"Even Father knows how to separate personal feelings from duty."
"He acts that way most of the time, but people's hearts aren't always so straightforward."
The indignant woman whipped her head around and fixed Yuk Jin-yang with a fierce glare. The fire had returned to her eyes.
"My name is Kwak Min. Remember it well. Especially you—we're bound to cross paths again someday."
"I'd rather not run into the Embroidered Uniform Guard again."
"Hmph, you think it's up to you? You're still so naive. Grudges and fates in the jianghu are tenacious things; they don't snap so easily."
Her words carried a haughty edge even as she snapped at him, yet there was surprisingly little outright hostility. It was unexpected. Her personality suggested she wouldn't forget a grudge so lightly.
Wearing a cheeky expression, the woman declared:
"Be ready when we meet again. I always settle my debts. I won't go down as easily as this time."
"Duly noted."
Yuk Jin-yang replied indifferently. The woman clicked her tongue and turned on her heel without hesitation, followed by Yun Kang and Yun Hyu.
Suddenly, Yuk Jin-yang realized how eerily quiet their surroundings had become. Turning his gaze, he saw his uncle, unable to hide his shock. Yuk Ryul muttered to himself.
"Kwak Min... Kwak Min...? If it's the Kwak family—could it be?!"
"What's wrong, Uncle?"
Slapping his forehead, Yuk Ryul explained.
"Do you know of General Kwak Young, the Marquis of Martial Peace?"
"A relative of King Chuyang, Kwak Ja-hung? I hear he's both an in-law to the throne and a founding hero—a capable general, no less."
Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang's ties to the Kwak family ran deep.
The Grand Empress Dowager had originally been a dragon, cast down to the human realm by Yuan sorcery. It was Kwak Ja-hung who had taken her in as a foster daughter and taught her human customs. In essence, he was Taizu's closest kin by marriage.
Kwak Young was Kwak Ja-hung's cousin's son. He had sworn brotherhood with Zhu Yuanzhang in private and earned countless merits on the battlefield. His sister had become one of Taizu's consorts, making him imperial kin as well.
"Word was going around that Kwak Young had sent his daughter to join the Embroidered Uniform Guard. I thought it was just a rumor, unconfirmed... but it seems it was true."
Her attitude of utter fearlessness made sense if she was the daughter of a founding hero. Even her superior would struggle to rein her in. Still, a question lingered.
"Does the daughter of a founding hero really need to go undercover for dirty work like this? Even for the Guard?"
"It's the duty of a noble house. Have you forgotten? You're a descendant of a founding hero yourself."
It was the same thing he'd said when explaining the Five Harmony Alliance to him before.
"People think jianghu folk live free lives, but blood ties bind tighter than any martial world's wild freedoms. It's hard to ignore the obligations etched in your veins. Look at your own father—he ended up returning to the clan after all."
"I see."
"Besides, a hero like Kwak Young doesn't need to prioritize political marriages anymore. The world's changed a lot from the old days. Encouraging her to serve in office could even expand the family's influence."
In this Great Ming world, men and women were no longer kept strictly apart.
It was a change born from the Yuan's oppression.
The deaths of countless masters had left voids in both the military and the jianghu. Filling them was the utmost priority. The state had no luxury to impose restrictions when seeking talent.
Even the old conservative schools, longest in clinging to tradition, couldn't resist the tide. These days, several sects were led by women—not just nunneries like Mount Emei.
"We nearly made a powerful enemy."
"Indeed. Could've been a real headache. Our clan isn't cowed by the Kwaks' glory, but it's best to avoid clashes with big shots when possible."
"Though it seems I've already gotten under that daughter's skin."
Yuk Ryul chuckled and patted his nephew's shoulder.
"Who knows? To me, it looked more like interest than enmity. You might've caught her eye."
"Interest? What do you mean?"
Yuk Jin-yang recoiled in horror. He wanted nothing more to do with the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Yuk Ryul teased him as if he found the reaction endearing.
"Interest comes in many forms. It doesn't always mean romance between man and woman. Sometimes it's just curiosity toward a peer of similar skill—a desire to make a friend, like finding a kindred spirit."
"Spare me."
Yuk Jin-yang waved him off. He had no desire to cross paths with her again. And yet, a vague premonition told him they would someday.
Shaking off the uneasy encounter, the two pressed through the forest. They wandered for quite some time. The path had long been swallowed by mud, and no markers remained to guide them.
It felt less like the relentless rain's doing and more like deliberate sabotage. Yuk Jin-yang asked his uncle,
"The Hwangbo clan's handiwork, I'd wager?"
"Likely. But no traps or formations in sight. They must've been short on time to prepare properly."
By the time they emerged from the woods and reached Gokbu County, evening had fallen.
The sun sank behind the winding ridges, staining the horizon with crimson twilight. It was a landscape more eerie than beautiful.
The surrounding fields stood ripe for harvest, yet not a soul was in sight. Even at dusk, they should have been bustling to bring in the grain.
The pair kept their guard up as they walked on. Roofs of village homes shimmered faintly beyond the horizon.
A sharp tang of blood rode the breeze, stinging their nostrils.
Faint echoes of shouts reached their ears.
Yuk Jin-yang frowned. His honed senses picked up the presence of a massive group. Waves of clashing true energy made his skin prickle.
His uncle hadn't noticed yet. It was a difference in innate perception.
"Uncle."
"Hm?"
"I'll scout ahead."
Without waiting for a reply, Yuk Jin-yang dashed forward. Yuk Ryul blinked in confusion but followed.
Gokbu County's streets were deserted. The hometown of a sage and home to his descendants felt hollow, ghostly as a graveyard.
Yuk Jin-yang sped past the market district. In the distance loomed a grand shrine with golden tiled eaves. Before it, two factions clashed in a frenzy of blades.
"Hold the line!"
"Kill them!"
"The cornered rats are lashing out!"
"How dare heretics encroach here!"
Both sides bellowed curses in the chaos. The din made their ears ring.
"What in the world?!"
Running parallel, Yuk Ryul finally grasped the situation and drew his sword with a shout signaling reinforcements' arrival.
Yuk Jin-yang was already charging into the fray.
Distinguishing friend from foe was simple. Those wearing alliance medallions around their necks or waists were Alliance warriors. Their opponents mostly donned White Lotus Cult hoods.
The Alliance fighters had formed a defensive perimeter around a carriage, hinting that its passenger was the Immortal Sage.
Yuk Jin-yang circulated his Moon Maiden Divine Art. The inner energy coursing through him sharpened his senses to a razor's edge.
He opened his spirit sense fully, taking in every detail from all directions—even blind spots beyond sight.
"Who the hell are you?!"
"Reinforcements?"
The sudden intrusion caused a stir at first, but they quickly adapted. Yuk Jin-yang's sword struck only at the cultists. Some laughed uproariously or sneered.
"What can two men do?"
"You've walked right into the trap!"
"We'll cut off your head as an offering to the Vacant Palace."
Yuk Jin-yang ignored them, channeling his energy. His muscles swelled taut in an instant. He lunged boldly, regripping his sword with both hands. Surging true energy flooded his arms like a torrent.
Boom!
The shockwave of his Sword Wave Thunderclap Technique upheaved the earth, pulverizing everything in its path.
The heads of those who'd spoken rashly flew one after another. Shattered weapons littered the ground.
The moment he unleashed his exquisite technique, the battlefield's mood shifted. The young swordsman's brilliance reverberated through the ranks.
Some recognized him and pointed.
"The one the Hwangbo clan put a bounty on?"
"Delicate features, young age, and exceptional skill. No doubt—it's him."
"The Shandong branch chief declared it: die fighting him, or bring his head, and you'll ascend to the Vacant Palace."
"No time to spare our lives. This is our chance for transcendence."
The cultists' eyes gleamed with fanaticism. A chilling madness shone in their sunken gazes. They feared no death, only exalted their twisted faith. The epitome of heresy.
Yuk Jin-yang struck first, without waiting.
Gliding on Moon Stream Subtle Steps, he wrapped his left arm in the true energy of Ten Thousand Rivers Single Source Art. The arm traced a lazy arc before thrusting straight ahead.
Bang!
His wide-open palm shoved the air aside. Backlash winds whipped his sleeves wildly.
From the center of his palm erupted an invisible force, warping the atmosphere and ravaging forward. The second form of Ten Thousand Rivers Single Source Art: Ascending Horse Dance.
As the foes before him crumpled dead from the technique, Yuk Jin-yang sensed killing intent from all sides.
Silver Dew Sword flowed gracefully through the air. Each glint of its tip in the fading light sent blood spraying. His left hand, unburdened by the sword, danced in tandem to cover any gaps.
The principles of Twin Arms Unfettered Forest Technique were now fully ingrained in his body. Yet Yuk Jin-yang couldn't rejoice.
'More enemies than I thought.'
And beyond the White Lotus cultists, there were others demanding attention. Amid the surging crowd, he felt scrutinizing gazes upon him.
Just two figures, unhooded unlike the cultists. They dressed like young nobles from a martial clan. Their auras were on another level entirely—enough to register even in the heat of battle.
Their eyes met. In that instant, Yuk Jin-yang guessed their identities.
The Hwangbo clan's direct bloodline had finally revealed themselves.