The Clouds of Yunmeng Stir — The Final Battle Begins

The thick, fishy scent of Lake Honghu rode the lake wind that swept across the battlefield. On both sides stood hundreds of martial artists from the Murim world. In total, well over a thousand—nearly two thousand—warriors faced one another, radiating razor-sharp killing intent and fighting spirit.

The spreading waves of energy caused ripples to race across the surface of Lake Honghu. The morning mist that had risen at dawn was pushed back and scattered by the collective aura of the gathered fighters. Even the natural energy veins of the entire region trembled chaotically in response to the warriors’ breathing.

Namgung Woo stood at the center of the formation, where the leaders had gathered. Even Jegal Chong, whose internal injuries had only received temporary treatment, was present. Given the importance of this battle, his absence was simply not an option.

And there was one more person whose seniority and reputation rivaled that of Jegal Chong. In Hunan’s Murim, where the influence of the Evil Faction ran deep, the Hyeongsan Sect of the Namak Sword Faction stood like a beacon of the Righteous Faction. Its sect leader was none other than Tae-mun Jin-in, the First Sword of Hyeongsan.

While being a sect leader did not always mean one was the strongest expert in the faction, that rule certainly applied to the Hyeongsan Sect. The reputation of Go Won Jin-in of the Wudang Sect standing beside him was certainly worthy of Wudang’s name, yet even he had to yield a step before Tae-mun Jin-in.

The others were no less impressive. The leader of the Ssanggeukmun, which held the greatest power in Yangyang. Baekhakgeom Yu Won, one of the Ten Great Sword Masters of Hubei and Guang, who had come to lend a hand as a close friend of the Iron Cloud Lord of the Jegal Family. The gathering was filled with renowned figures whose names alone would elicit reactions of recognition anywhere across the Nine Provinces.

Yet not a single person among them questioned Namgung Woo’s presence. Everyone already knew of his martial prowess and achievements.

Since the start of the Yunmeng Great War, the local skirmishes that followed had seen Namgung Woo and the Changcheon Squad shine brilliantly. In the Battle of Mount Hengmun, where even Tae-mun Jin-in had been on the verge of defeat against an unidentified expert from the Banunbang, Namgung Woo had fought a fierce, even battle. In the end, he and Tae-mun Jin-in had joined forces to drive the enemy back. That battle was still spoken of often.

A young supreme expert who had not even reached twenty years of age, standing on equal footing with Tae-mun Jin-in—one of the strongest among Transcendent Realm masters. It was only natural that the Righteous Faction’s Murim had erupted in cheers at his emergence.

More than that, the fact that he was constantly accompanied by Paeng Ha-ryeong of the Hebei Paeng Family and Jegal Seon-a of the Jegal Family meant rumors were bound to spread. In fact, Namgung Woo had become far more famous for the scandalous tales involving the two women than for his military exploits.

Had Namgung Woo failed to prove his strength on the battlefield, those very rumors might have invited all sorts of criticism and challenges. Even now, he received gazes filled with both admiration and envy. If admiration were to vanish, it was obvious what would fill its place.

But today will be the end of that as well.

Straight ahead of Namgung Woo—close enough that he didn’t even need to turn his head or eyes—stood the leader ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of the Banunbang, Dongbang Hwa. The moment he activated Changnyeongmanan, their gazes met. The enemy was also looking directly at him. With clear, unmistakable murderous intent.

Tap.

Namgung Woo turned his head at the weight of the hand that settled on his shoulder. Tae-mun Jin-in had approached.

“No need to be nervous, Lord Nam.”

“Tae-mun Jin-in.”

When had he stepped forward? Namgung Woo belatedly realized that his own feet had advanced half a step.

“You’ve gained an arm.”

“…It is not fully recovered.”

Through Changnyeongmanan, Namgung Woo could see that Dongbang Hwa’s new right arm did not have meridians properly connected from the torso.

“Still, it doesn’t appear to be a simple prosthetic.”

“The Banunbang. Those detestable bastards dabble in every forbidden field. They are even said to practice the corpse refinement techniques that the Great Ming Code has designated as sorcery.”

“We will need to remain cautious.”

As Namgung Woo and Tae-mun Jin-in exchanged opinions about Dongbang Hwa, the sun rose, pushing aside the dawn light. The east had brightened. It was the appointed time.

Jegal Chong, who had been seated in a simple chair to conserve his strength and manage his internal injuries, slowly rose to his feet.

“As we discussed before, both of you should…”

“Father!”

“…Jun-ah.”

Namgung Woo’s eyes deepened as he watched Jegal Jun approach the command center. He had expected this might happen.

It was about time we faced each other once.

The Jegal Family had deliberately tried to prevent the two from meeting, but this battle had gathered everyone in one place. If Jegal Jun approached the leadership under the pretext of raising a specific agenda, there was no longer any way to stop him.

Even as he called for the representative Jegal Chong, Jegal Jun’s eyes sought out Namgung Woo. From that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠gaze, Namgung Woo read a clear will: Watch me closely.

“Before the battle begins, please grant this junior the opportunity to step forward for a single duel.”

Single duel. As the term implied, it meant a one-on-one frontal confrontation. Normally in the Murim world, one-on-one fights were called duels or sparring matches, but this was a battlefield. The word used in war felt more appropriate.

Namgung Woo instantly saw through the fierce competitive spirit Jegal Jun directed at him.

If you won’t let me meet her, then at least let her see me like this.

His lingering feelings for Paeng Ha-ryeong. Jegal Jun was still sincere. Even after his family had made the cold decision to prioritize the outsider Namgung Woo, Jegal Jun had not yielded.

“That is…”

Before Jegal Chong could make a decision, others spoke first.

“Truly the spirit befitting a direct descendant of the Jegal Family.”

“One of the Seven Dragons. It suits his reputation.”

“Family Head, please grant him permission.”

Jegal Chong’s brows lowered. No matter who he was, he could not decide every matter unilaterally. Although he represented the Righteous Faction’s Murim, he stood in a position that relied on the help of many fellow warriors of the Jianghu. To ignore their opinions, he needed proper justification and alternatives.

And at this moment, the proposal Jegal Jun had put forward lacked sufficient justification. He had deliberately waited for this exact moment and held his breath. It was a judgment worthy of someone who would inherit the Jegal Family’s name.

Under normal circumstances, Jegal Chong would have been delighted by his son’s growth. But right now, he could not feel any joy.

Reluctantly, Jegal Chong gave his permission.

“…Very well. I permit it.”

Jegal Jun did not smile. With a hardened expression, he turned toward the gathered heroes, cupped his fist in respect, and walked away.

On the opposite side, waves of energy were also beginning to spread. There was no time to hesitate. Jegal Jun strode straight toward the enemy camp, brushing past Namgung Woo.

“I will not avoid it. I will clash with you head-on. Because I… do not turn my eyes away.”

Jegal Jun passed by before Namgung Woo could even respond. Watching the young man’s broad strides as he marched toward the Evil Faction warriors, Namgung Woo mulled over the words he had left behind.

He was ready to fight. Even if the Namgung name were revealed to the world and he had to wage a war against the Dokgo Family without any personal grudge, he had resolved not to run anymore.

But that was not what Jegal Jun had meant. He was not asking how to navigate this world. He was asking about something smaller—perhaps something ridiculously trivial. A single connection.

Now… I understand everything.

No matter how slow one might be, failing to notice at this point would be deliberate ignorance. He now understood the meaning behind the title “Gaga.” In truth, he had already known Paeng Ha-ryeong’s feelings long before that. He had simply turned a blind eye.

Because he had been afraid. Afraid of whether he had the right to leave such deep scars on this world when he might one ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠day disappear from it.

Perhaps that fear was the starting point of it all.

Because he hesitated to form connections, even setting goals for living in this world had been difficult.

In that sense, I am grateful to you.

Consciously or unconsciously, you forced me to turn and face the connections I had been avoiding.

After this fight ends… I will give you my answer then.

Namgung Woo glanced toward where the Changcheon Squad stood. Was it coincidence? Or had she been watching him the entire time? His eyes met Paeng Ha-ryeong’s.

When she smiled brightly and waved, Namgung Woo smiled back and waved in return.

“Lord Nam, eyes forward. It has begun.”

At Tae-mun Jin-in’s words, Namgung Woo shifted his attention toward the spreading waves of energy.

“That man is…?”

A duel had broken out between the two camps. It seemed Jegal Jun’s request for a single duel had been accepted. It made sense. It was practically an offer they could not refuse. If they backed down, their morale would plummet. No matter how different martial artists were from regular armies in terms of group mentality, the importance of morale in group battles remained the same.

Since a member of the younger generation like Jegal Jun had stepped forward, the other side had also sent out one of their own young experts.

“The Banunbang does not have a separate group of young experts. It is a place where those who have already established their own paths gather in pursuit of eternal life. That man is said to be the eldest son sent by the Guangxi Wan Family.”

“The Guangxi Wan Family. One of the Four Evil Families of the Black Martial Alliance.”

Namgung Woo had heard that the Guangxi Wan Family had provided support, but this was the first time he had seen one of their members in person. He recalled that the Wan Family, based in Guilin of Guangxi Province, was often compared to the Jegal Family due to many similarities. The family head’s title was even Ghost Martial ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Marquis, taken from Zhuge Liang’s posthumous name. He remembered hearing that the Guangxi Wan Family harbored quite unfavorable feelings toward the Jegal Family.

“They must be planning to thoroughly crush the Jegal Family on this occasion…”

While Tae-mun Jin-in analyzed the Wan Family’s intentions, the duel between the two young experts grew increasingly fierce.

Jegal Jun wielded iron fans, while the eldest son of the Wan Family used judge’s brushes. Both were using rather uncommon weapons, and as a result, they displayed extremely unique and colorful styles of combat.

His footwork is clearly superior, but the difference isn’t overwhelming.

It was less that Jegal Jun’s achievement was overwhelmingly higher and more that he was relying heavily on the ability of Cheongi Miribo. Still, he was undoubtedly ahead. The moment Jegal Jun recognized this advantage and pressed the attack—

That is…!

The footsteps that should have followed the Eight Trigrams path at the core of Cheongi Miribo suddenly stopped short of their intended position.

A mistake? No. Jegal Jun’s concentration had reached the highest point of his life in this moment. A mistake was impossible.

This was the result of deliberate malice.

Dongbang Hwa.

No one else had noticed. Only Namgung Woo’s eyes had caught it. An extremely subtle and delicate interference visible only through Changnyeongmanan. It was a sinister technique possible only for Dongbang Hwa, who might be an even greater spellcaster than Lee Ja-ryong.

Jegal Jun’s footwork collapsed in an instant. And that tiny error created a butterfly effect that brought about a fatal result.

The Wan Family eldest son’s judge’s brush pierced the lower leg meridian of Jegal Jun, whose Cheongi Miribo had lost its effectiveness. His legs froze in place. Before he could even attempt to step again, the judge’s brush aimed for his vital points.

I’ve been had… I can’t dodge…

There was no time to shout, no time to evade the iron tip of the judge’s brush. Jegal Jun could only perceive the approaching death.

I haven’t even said it properly yet…

He wanted to squeeze his eyes shut. He wanted to run from the death carried by the approaching brush. But in the end, Jegal Jun did not close his eyes—and because of that, he saw it.

And the back of Namgung Woo, who had suddenly intervened between him and the Wan Family eldest son.

“I, too, no longer intend to turn my eyes away.”

Namgung Woo’s gaze remained fixed forward. Accepting the path he had walked. His blue pupils had finally begun to fully embrace this world exactly as it was.

“The single duel is over. Dongbang Hwa, instead of resorting to such pathetic tricks, come out and fight me yourself.”

At Namgung Woo’s declaration, Dongbang Hwa twisted the corner of his mouth in clear mockery. Then he lowered his hand.

“Kill them all.”

The final act of the war.

The Battle of Yunmeng.

War has begun.