Chapter 120
Chapter 120
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 120
Chapter Title: Chaos Begins (2)
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"By now, they should have arrived, right?"
Namgung Hu turned his head and asked.
"Yes. Since they hurried along the road, they must have gotten there by now."
Namgung Seon spoke, recalling how devastated Namgung Kyung had been upon hearing the news of Ha Hu Gok's death.
"I should have gone myself. My heart just isn't at ease."
Namgung Hu let out a sigh as he spoke.
Regardless of age, Namgung Hu had built a long friendship with Ha Hu Gok, and the news of his passing had left him so heartbroken that he hadn't touched food for days.
"There's no helping it. The situation is unfolding more urgently than we expected."
"I heard the sacrifices were heavy."
For a moment, Namgung Seon's expression stiffened slightly.
"Yes. We've already received five reports today alone of agents who've lost contact. Over the past fortnight, more than thirty of our children have been lost."
"That many?"
Namgung Hu asked in surprise.
The agents of the Azure Cloud Pavilion, which managed all of Namgung Clan intelligence, numbered around a hundred in total. Thirty meant three-tenths of them were gone.
"In return, we've eliminated more than twice that number of Heavenly Demon Cult spies."
"The number eliminated doesn't matter. It's the blood we've shed that counts."
Namgung Hu's chest ached as he thought of the retainers who had sacrificed themselves for the Namgung Clan.
"The Heavenly Demon Cult's main force has begun to move. Brother, it's time for us to make a decision."
"The Beggars' Gang is watching them too. What's their take?"
Since the death of the Divine Dragon Iron Beggar, the Beggars' Gang had declared vengeance and was independently gathering intelligence on the Heavenly Demon Cult, regardless of the Murim Alliance's intentions. However, since their individual skills were inferior to the Azure Cloud Pavilion agents, they had suffered several times more casualties.
"The Beggars' Gang agrees with us. Their attack is imminent."
"Let's be clear. Exactly where is their target?"
Namgung Seon couldn't answer Namgung Hu's question easily. Namgung Hu waited without pressing him.
"The Beggars' Gang believes they're aiming for the Ha Hu Clan, but I see it differently."
Namgung Seon stood and moved to the large map hanging on the wall.
"The routes we've tracked so far split into three main paths. One here, another here, and the last one here."
With each point Namgung Seon tapped on the map, Namgung Hu's gaze deepened.
"If you extend those three paths, they all converge on one point."
Namgung Seon slammed his fist down on a spot on the map as he spoke.
"Right here. Their real target isn't the Ha Hu Clan—it's our main house."
"They're coming up from the bottom?"
Namgung Hu asked, recalling the sects along the Heavenly Demon Cult's routes.
"It seems that way. They'll clear the way in advance to make attacking our main house easier. We need to move first, before they arrive."
"Is the Murim Alliance showing no signs of action?"
"Yes. They're being far too complacent. Most think it's just pressure on the Ha Hu Clan. Some lunatics are even sympathizing, calling it justified revenge even if they do attack."
"They have no sense of the gravity of this at all."
"Or perhaps they're turning a blind eye despite knowing."
"What do you mean?"
"It means the Heavenly Demon Cult has spread money everywhere. Far more than last time, from what we've heard. Plus, didn't we make enemies of many sects during the last Alliance Leader election? This seems to be the payback."
"Rotten to the core! What is the Alliance Leader doing? The Elder Master Cheongsan Ilhyeon I knew wouldn't sit idly by through something like this."
A sneer tugged at Namgung Seon's lips at Namgung Hu's lament.
"They forced a retiring man to stay, one who suits their tastes. The Leader is just a figurehead now—everything happens below him. With no faction supporting him, he seems to have washed his hands of it entirely."
"So we can't expect any help from the Murim Alliance right now."
"Yes. Not unless we have ironclad proof or the fire's at their feet."
"Hm."
As Namgung Hu tapped the table with his finger, lost in thought, Namgung Seon spoke firmly.
"We must issue the Blue Sword Command."
The Blue Sword Command.
As the Alliance Leader of Jiangnan, it granted the authority to summon all sects in the region.
Long ago, the Namgung Clan had fought to the end against the Heavenly Demon who ignited the Great War of Righteousness and Evil. Though they suffered near annihilation, they were credited as one key reason the Heavenly Demon failed to unify the murim.
Later, the many sects of Jiangnan created the Blue Sword Command to honor the Namgung Clan for defending the pride of Jiangnan murim. It was a vow to unite under the Namgung Clan against any great threat like the Great War.
Not mandatory, it had been seen as merely symbolic—until it first proved its power a hundred fifty years ago in the war against the Blood Cult.
United by the Blue Sword Command, Jiangnan murim triumphed over the Blood Cult with far fewer losses than other regions.
And now, Namgung Seon was requesting the second issuance.
"The Blue Sword Command cannot be issued lightly."
"The situation is that serious. We need it to force the Murim Alliance to rethink. No matter how much the Heavenly Demon Cult schemes, once Jiangnan murim mobilizes under the Blue Sword Command, the Alliance won't be able to ignore it."
Namgung Hu couldn't outright dismiss Namgung Seon's fervent plea. Merely mentioning it proved how gravely he viewed the crisis.
"Convene a meeting. I can't decide on the Blue Sword Command alone. We need to gather the consensus."
"Understood."
Namgung Seon shot to his feet and hurried out the door.
Left alone, Namgung Hu gazed at the moon peeking through the clouds beyond the window.
"Is a storm of blood upon us?"
The moonlight glowed an ominous red, as if foretelling a dire future.
"How did you know I'm the Sword Empress?"
The middle-aged woman, Sword Empress Baek Ok Sang—proudly listed first in the Record of the Powerless—smiled as she asked.
"One doesn't often sense such aura. And since you came with Neung Sojeo, how could I not know?"
"I see. Nice to meet you. I know it's rude to drop in unannounced, but with all the rumors flying around, I couldn't hold back."
"It's fine."
Unlike Sima Geon, who smiled calmly, Cheol Woo wore a distinctly displeased expression.
"Hmph! You call it rude, then provoke us—what's that about?"
Jin Lim shot him a frantic glance, but didn't dare speak up or step forward.
"My aura leaked out without thinking. It's a habit that flares up around strong opponents. A stubborn one I haven't shaken even at my age. Not provocation—just a light greeting."
With her roundabout apology, Cheol Woo couldn't argue further.
As the tension eased, the anxiously watching Neung So Hwa and Jin Lim sighed in relief.
"Please forgive him. He's been caught up in pointless rivalry lately and isn't himself."
Sima Geon glared subtly at Cheol Woo before bowing politely in apology. The Sword Empress smiled again.
"Rivalry is essential for any martial artist with ambition. Of course, excess can lead to ruin."
Cheol Woo turned away with a sour expression at the advice directed at him.
"Please, sit. As guests ourselves, we have nothing to offer but tea."
Sima Geon gestured to seats, but the Sword Empress shook her head.
"Might we speak privately for a moment?"
Sima Geon paused, studied her eyes briefly, then nodded readily.
"I was feeling cooped up anyway."
Sima Geon signaled Cheol Woo—who was fidgeting restlessly—to stay put, then left the room.
"You two wait here as well."
At the Sword Empress's words, Neung So Hwa and Jin Lim awkwardly remained.
"Any idea what this is about?"
Noe Jeon couldn't contain his curiosity and whispered.
"Who knows... I have no clue."
Neung So Hwa shook her head with a troubled look.
"Frustrating, isn't it? It's obvious."
"Do you know the reason, Deputy Leader?"
"They want a spar."
"What?"
"She provoked us the moment we arrived. A master like the Sword Empress would size up the boss at a glance. And hold back? No way. Especially someone as competitive as her."
"How would you know she's competitive?"
Jin Lim shrieked.
"Doesn't it show from that Sword Empress title? You can't earn it without a drive to win."
Cheol Woo's gaze shifted to Neung So Hwa.
"Even meddling at the old man's funeral procession shows the current Sword Empress isn't one to take lightly."
"The Heavenly Demon Cult is on the move."
The Sword Empress watched Sima Geon's reaction as she spoke.
"Did you know?"
"I heard they're pressuring the Ha Hu Clan."
"It's more than pressure."
Sima Geon's expression hardened at her serious tone.
"Does that mean they could strike here directly?"
"I told you—they're already moving."
"Manchu—no, the guy in the Beggars' Gang. Anyway, I haven't heard anything unusual from him."
"No. The Beggars' Gang knows by now too."
"How do you know, Sword Empress?"
She countered Sima Geon's question with one of her own.
"Do you know the history of Sword Pavilion?"
"Not really."
"It's quite old. Far older than people think. And with that history, even staying still brings much to one's ears."
"That could be."
Her faint smile at his bland response faded back to gravity.
"The problem is, this isn't just about the Ha Hu Clan."
"I've heard the Jiangnan Alliance Leader won't stand by."
"Do you grasp what that means?"
Sima Geon hesitated briefly, then nodded.
"The Great War of Righteousness and Evil is coming."
"Exactly. The bloodbath the Heavenly Demon unleashed before will repeat."
"Won't the Murim Alliance step in to mediate beforehand?"
"Who knows. Their recent actions don't inspire confidence. But let me ask you, Sima."
"Speak."
"Even if the Alliance mediates—or the Ha Hu Clan apologizes as they demand—will the Heavenly Demon Cult stop?"
Sima Geon couldn't answer easily. He calmly reviewed recent events, then shook his head.
"No. The Ha Hu Clan is just an excuse from the start."
"Why do you think that?"
"I was there. The demonic paths, scattered for centuries, unified under the Heavenly Demon Cult. Much blood was spilled in the process, but paradoxically, demonic power grew unprecedentedly strong. And now a new figure has seized control of the Cult—vastly different in nature from the former leader. There must be followers and sympathizers, but surely dissenters too. To quell discontent and solidify his position, he'll vent that pent-up power outward."
"I think the same. War is inevitable for those reasons. The issue is another dark cloud looming over murim."
"Dark cloud...?"
"Do you know of the Blood Cult?"
Sima Geon's face stiffened at her question.