Chapter 222: Sword Sect (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 222: Sword Sect (1)
"Good heavens, the lad's aura is terrifying."
Peng Chu-san shuddered. Even though the youth wasn't actively projecting his pressure, Peng Chu-san felt his skin prickle all over.
"It seems he has fully entered the Transcendent Realm," Jegal Tong remarked.
Peng Chu-san nodded. "From what I heard, it hasn't been that long since he reached the Absolute Peak Realm... This is absurd."
A guided spar against a monster like that? Peng Chu-san felt profoundly grateful he hadn't let his mouth run wild earlier.
"But for someone of his caliber, he doesn't seem to know much about the Murim."
"Is that so?"
"Indeed. Didn't you also intentionally avoid going into detail?"
The reason Transcendent Realm martial artists rarely committed fully to war was actually quite simple. Their sects were important, yes, but they had no real reason to throw themselves into the meat grinder. Both the Black Lotus Union and the Murim Alliance boasted Profound Realm martial artists at their absolute peaks. No matter how fiercely the lower ranks raged, completely annihilating the opposing faction was an impossible feat.
So, what could a Transcendent Realm master possibly lack that would drive them to risk their lives on the battlefield? At most, this was a war that would end only after decades—or perhaps centuries—of endless clashing.
"No, I... I was just worried that bringing it up might provoke his anger..."
"Ah, that makes sense." Peng Chu-san clicked his tongue. "It's a pity. For someone so young, his wounds seem to run deep."
Even if he didn't share the surname, in Peng Chu-san's eyes, Seo-jun was a man of the Namgung Clan. His affection for the family was plain to see.
'To have gone through such a tragedy...'
He wanted to offer words of comfort, but even that wasn't easy. Peng Chu-san simply prayed that the tip of the youth's blade would never turn toward the Murim Alliance. The Alliance might be full of ugly, aging fools, but it was still a place filled with those who truly followed righteousness and chivalry.
"I wonder how this war will turn out."
Jegal Tong nodded silently.
* * *
Sama Hyeon's office was a disaster zone. Broken furniture lay scattered across the floor, and crumpled, torn pieces of maps were tangled in the dust.
"Nothing in this world goes as planned..."
Sama Hyeon leaned back in his chair, staring blankly into space.
Wasn't there a saying: Man proposes, Heaven disposes? What was the point of a commoner like him spitting blood to set the stage? He didn't even need to look to the literal heavens. Before the martial artists of the Transcendent Realm—the 'heavens' of the Central Plains—no strategy held any real meaning. In the end, they were the ones who dictated reality through their martial arts.
'It's over.'
Sama Hyeon's eyes drifted toward the map. The Giryeon Sect had vanished without a trace, and the other front lines had been pushed back significantly. At this rate, the Sword Sect wouldn't be able to avoid extinction either. If the Giryeon Sect, the Sword Sect, and the North Sea Ice Palace were entirely removed from the Seven Evil Black Sects, only four would remain.
Even Je Cheon-hyeok, the Family Head of the Heaven-Breaking Je Clan, had met his end...
'The best I can do is preserve the remaining sects.'
Sama Hyeon let out a hollow, half-crazed laugh.
Clack!
A subordinate rushed into the room.
"...What is it?"
"The former Sect Leader of the Sword Sect has returned!"
"What?" Sama Hyeon lurched upright. "The Heavenly Sword Lord?"
"Yes. He appeared out of nowhere and has currently taken charge of the sect..."
Sama Hyeon's eyes shifted slowly. So, Heavenly Sword Lord Geom-hyeon had returned...
"And that guy?"
"Pardon?"
"That Jin Gi-jae-cheon fellow. No, was it the Evil-Annihilating Heavenly Lord?"
"He is still on a rampage. The damage he's causing is substantial."
Looking at the map, Sama Hyeon dragged his finger across the parchment. "From here to here—pull everything back."
"Sir?"
"Give up the minor sects that don't matter. If he gets cocky and pushes too deep, we'll take his head along with the Heavenly Sword Lord's."
The subordinate's eyes wavered. "Will the Heavenly Sword Lord cooperate?"
"Who knows. Regardless, that brat is targeting the Sword Sect. A collision is inevitable." Heh... Sama Hyeon let out a weak laugh. "Or, well. Whatever happens, happens."
He didn't know when his own head might roll anyway. In fact, it was a miracle it was still attached to his neck.
"This damn Murim. What can a mere commoner do against those bastards who call themselves martial artists and soar through the skies?"
Sama Hyeon resented the heavens. Why did the heavens have to give birth to him, Sama Hyeon, in a world like this?! If not for martial arts—that cursed discipline—Sama Hyeon would have already unified the Central Plains with his own two hands.
'What a wretched world.'
Only a futile sigh scattered into the air.
* * *
[Namgung Jin-cheon is dead?]
[Yes. Instead, a fellow called the Evil-Annihilating Heavenly Lord is running wild.]
[I heard the Corpse-Blood Filling Heaven died by his hand?]
[That is correct. It seems he was hiding his strength.]
[How is the Great Plan proceeding?]
[...It is not going smoothly. I hear the Successor-to-be is getting restless?]
[Manage him properly. We have already poured five hundred years into this.]
[I know. I have been managing it for three hundred years already. Nothing will go wrong now.]
[Good. Is he not the Savior who will purify the Central Plains with blood? Humor him accordingly.]
A cackling laugh echoed.
[Enough, I shall take my leave. Be careful. You must have seen the sun being cut last time.]
[That cursed Divine Blood.]
[The Righteous and Evil factions are wavering. The time is near.]
Snap. One connection was severed.
[How cold.]
One by one, the connections were cut, and the crystal ball lost its light.
"The God-Destroying Association... Is it truly almost time?"
A languid voice drifted quietly into the silence.
* * *
Seo-jun looked around the desolate plateau. It was so quiet it felt as though the earlier screams had been a lie. He kicked off the ground, now muddy with fresh blood, and took to the air.
There were no martial artists of the Black Lotus Union left on this battlefield. They were all dead. All they had left behind was the blood soaking into the earth and the remains that had yet to sink in.
'Is the next battlefield this way?'
While exerting his influence across the battlefields, Seo-jun also helped the busy Namgung Clan. Physical distance no longer held much meaning for him. Since he could travel to even the most distant front lines in no time, he would roam the battlefields and usually return to the clan estate before dinner.
Then, one day.
"If you are comfortable with it, Brother... would you be willing to take the position of Grand Master?"
Grand Master? Seo-jun raised an eyebrow at Namgung Myeong's words. He knew the title of Grand Master was usually reserved for someone of a status similar to the Emperor's teacher. A teacher to the sovereign.
"Was there such a position?"
"Yes. In the Namgung Clan, that is what we call the teacher of the Family Head. Usually, it is a position with little meaning, but..."
"Normally, the Family Head of Namgung learns his martial arts from his father." Namgung Su-ah set down her brush and looked at Seo-jun. There were dark circles under her eyes. "Since the direct descendant of the previous Family Head almost always inherits the position, the title of Grand Master is usually just a formality."
"That's right. It carries no real practical authority," Namgung Myeong added. "However," he continued, "if you were to take the position, Brother, the story changes."
Currently, the Namgung Clan had no masters in the Transcendent Realm. While Seo-jun and Pae Jin-gwang were present, they were technically outsiders. This was especially true since he and Namgung Su-ah had not yet held their wedding ceremony.
But if Seo-jun took the position of Grand Master, things would be different. Seo-jun, a Transcendent Realm master, would officially become a member of the Namgung Clan.
"To be honest... for now, this is a proposal that only benefits the Namgung Clan."
"Let's do it."
"Pardon?"
"That Grand Master thing—it's a good thing, isn't it?"
If it could lighten the burden on Namgung Myeong and Namgung Su-ah, that was enough for him. Seo-jun nodded readily.
"Brother..." Namgung Myeong bit his lip hard. "However, things will surely be different in the future."
"Hmm?"
"Right now, the Namgung Clan is benefiting from your grace, but in the future, the Namgung Clan will surely stand tall as the World's Greatest Clan and become a source of strength for you."
His eyes were filled with determination. Seo-jun stared into Namgung Myeong's eyes for a moment, then let out a chuckle.
"You don't have to do that."
Benefiting, being a source of strength—there was no need to strive for such things.
"We're family."
He had already received so much. Even if he were to repay everything he'd received from his late father-in-law, he would have to serve as Grand Master ten times over.
"I haven't lived that long, but after spending some time in the Jianghu, I've realized that titles like the 'World's Greatest Clan' or the 'Sixteen Major Sects' are all meaningless."
They were all just empty shells. If you already held your precious ones in your arms, you only needed one thing.
The power to protect them.
However, Seo-jun knew an even easier path than protecting.
'I just have to pull out all the fangs of the surrounding beasts before they can even target us.'
Acting rashly might normally cause a backlash, but that didn't apply to Seo-jun. If there was a backlash, Baek Seo-jun would simply crush it.
"Don't overdo it; take it easy. I'll help with whatever I can." Seo-jun grinned and suddenly scooped Namgung Su-ah up into his arms.
"Kyaa...!?"
"Myeong, you should get some rest too."
Namgung Myeong stared blankly at Seo-jun's back as he strode away, carrying Namgung Su-ah.
"...Yes, Brother."
A thin groan escaped his tightly shut lips. Namgung Myeong's vision blurred as he stared up at the ceiling.
* * *
"I told you to take breaks."
Seo-jun sat Namgung Su-ah down on the bed after effectively kidnapping her to her room. Then, he popped a piece of Chun-bong's Tanghulu—which was always kept prepared on the table—into her mouth.
"Get some sugar in you and rest here for a bit."
Crunch. The sugar coating of the Tanghulu shattered in Namgung Su-ah's mouth. The aggressive sweetness made her tongue tingle. Namgung Su-ah gave a wry smile.
"I am taking it easy in my own way."
"It doesn't look like it to anyone else."
He sat behind her and hugged her tightly so she couldn't escape, leaving Namgung Su-ah to silently chew the fruit one piece at a time. Seo-jun closed his eyes, resting his chin on her shoulder. The crunching sound of her eating the Tanghulu echoed pleasantly in his ears.
After some time had passed, Namgung Su-ah suddenly asked, "Where is Geum Mae?"
"Chun-bong? She's training."
"Ah..." Namgung Su-ah's body flinched slightly.
'I see.'
Sensing her shifting mood, Seo-jun picked her up again. "Well, since you're resting anyway, do you want to swing a sword for a bit?"
He didn't really wait for an answer. He immediately carried her out to the training grounds. Namgung Su-ah let out a weary laugh.
"Really..."
"Hah!"
Detecting her brother's presence, Chun-bong snapped her head around, breaking her concentration. "What's this? What are you two doing without me?"
Her tone was strangely exaggerated. At the sight of Chun-bong acting even more clingy than usual, Namgung Su-ah finally burst into a genuine laugh.
"Alright. I told you, I'm really fine."
She wobbled over and gripped the long greatsword resting on one side of the training ground.
"Try using that sword too," Seo-jun said.
Namgung Su-ah's body shuddered. She stroked the sword she always carried at her waist, then bit her lip and drew it.
Sring—
A blade significantly shorter than her usual greatsword was revealed.
Wuuu—
The sword hummed. Namgung Su-ah stood still and closed her eyes. Whenever she heard this resonance, she was reminded of her father, who would often converse with his blade.
"Whew..."
She took a long, deep breath. She held her father's sword in her left hand and the greatsword she always used in her right. The emotions knotted tightly in her chest. As if vomiting them out, she swung both swords with sudden, raw irritation.
Swaaaaak!
The blades tore violently through the air and struck the training ground.
BOOOOOOOOM!!
A massive cloud of dust erupted.
Seo-jun watched the scene quietly.
'It would be good if she could release it bit by bit like that...'
Smashing things was always an effective way to relieve stress. Just then, he heard Chun-bong's whispering voice.
"Hey, hey. Did you do something wrong to Big Sis? She looks a little angry."
Chun-bong, who had been giggling, suddenly widened her eyes.
Gasp, no way!?
Realizing something, Chun-bong's jaw dropped in shock.