Chapter 146: Trade Caravan (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 146: Trade Caravan (1)
"Halt!"
A shout suddenly echoed from beyond the thickets.
From all directions, martial artists with their faces concealed by masks, veils, and bamboo hats sprang out from the woods. They seemed to have numbers on their side, appearing one after another in a seemingly endless stream until they had completely surrounded the area.
This was a trade caravan composed of three merchant groups traveling together. Naturally, its overall scale was massive. Under normal circumstances, even bandits who blocked the roads to extort tolls would have quietly hidden themselves away.
But the enemies appearing before them now were different.
They openly radiated killing intent, their greedy eyes scanning the wagons laden with goods.
"We've hit the jackpot this time! Attack!"
"Take everything!"
"Did you think you'd be safe just because you traveled in a pack?!"
There was no sign of them wanting to negotiate like ordinary thieves or bandits. They brandished their blades without hesitation, their intent to slaughter everyone in the caravan crystal clear.
Namgung Jun kept his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, closely observing the unfolding situation.
The bandits showed meticulous coordination, blocking the front, both flanks, and even the rear to cut off any path of retreat. Although the combined escort force of the three merchant groups was quite large, they were no match for the sheer number of martial artists who had just appeared.
"How are there so many of them?!"
"There are too many!"
"Damn it! Our retreat is cut off!"
The escort warriors hired by the other merchant groups immediately lost their nerve. They had been feeling complacent due to the sheer size of the caravan, but now, confronted by a force that outnumbered them, their spirits broke all too easily.
Though most of the escort warriors drew their weapons, they hesitated. It was obvious their collective morale had plummeted.
Amidst the panic, a group of martial artists stepped forward from the caravan's ranks. Unlike the others, they showed not a shred of panic. Instead, they calmly surveyed their surroundings, their eyes flashing with confidence.
These were the Clouds of the Azure Firmament Hall, who had been interspersed throughout the caravan.
Taking a refreshing swig of alcohol from his gourd, Heo Il brought his scar-covered right hand to the hilt of his sword.
"Judging by their aura, they're definitely from the unorthodox sects."
"I don't see anyone from the Venerable Spear Sect, though. Since this is a pretty large-scale operation, I assumed they'd be involved," Yu Geun-su muttered after a quick scan of the area.
Heo Il shook his head. "You never know. They might have mobilized their subordinate sects from behind the scenes. We won't know for sure until we make them talk."
Namgung Jun did not draw his Eternal Righteous Sword. He simply kept his hand on the cold hilt and gave the order.
"Subdue them."
The Azure Firmament Hall Master's command was given.
As they watched the unorthodox martial artists rapidly approach, the members of the Azure Firmament Hall channeled their internal energy and shot forward in unison.
Whoosh!
In an instant, a pale blue Qi Wave shimmered above the thick clouds of dust kicked up all around them. Shrouded in the Qi of the Azure Firmament Martial Canon, the warriors of the Azure Firmament Hall unleashed their strikes in all directions.
Boom! Crash!
Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Azure Firmament Hall warriors did not yield an inch. Instead, they displayed overwhelming martial prowess, pushing the unorthodox martial artists backward. The encirclement, which had been rapidly closing in on the caravan, was instantly broken.
"Everyone's looking a bit sluggish!"
Standing atop a wagon of the Yeongjun Merchant Group, Sa Yeon-u began to enthusiastically pluck the strings of the guqin resting on her lap. As a cheerful melody erupted, so too did a wave of sound qi. Bathed in its energy, the movements of the Azure Firmament Hall members grew visibly swifter. The sound wave qi resonated with the qi of their Lightness Movement Art, boosting their strength.
"Uncle Geun-su! On your left!" Man Ye-won shouted as she unleashed a heavy gust of sword wind, blowing away a man approaching from her right.
"Hah!"
Letting out a spirited shout, Yu Geun-su lunged to the left and saved a caravan escort who was on the verge of death.
"Ah! Thank you, you saved my life."
"Fall back. It's dangerous here."
As Yu Geun-su ushered the escort back, a shadow fell over his own back. An unorthodox martial artist, who had been watching for an opening, suddenly closed the distance and thrust a hook-sword toward him.
Clang!
Though the enemy had aimed precisely at a momentary opening, Yu Geun-su blocked it with ease. He calmly twisted his blade, parrying the blow and launching a counterattack.
Damn it. None of these bastards are easy targets. I need to retreat—
The ambusher's thought was cut short. Slipping in from the side, Dan So-hye conjured four sword shadows, slicing the man's throat.
"Thank you, Lady Dan."
"We Second Clouds have to look out for each other."
"Hey, what about me? Don't leave me out," Man Ye-won said, joining them.
The three Second Clouds fought shoulder-to-shoulder against the unorthodox martial artists. The sheer number of enemies before them could have been overwhelming, but the three of them didn't seem to care in the least.
Dan So-hye darted forward with nimble footwork, using her versatile Illusion Sword to dazzle and confuse their opponents. While their attention was focused on her, Man Ye-won would unleash a heavy sword wind to deliver the decisive blow. As the two women took turns pressing the attack, Yu Geun-su supported them with his characteristically solid swordsmanship, ensuring their coordination flowed seamlessly.
"Argh!"
"These bastards! They're nothing like the other escort warriors!"
The unorthodox martial artists who had underestimated Man Ye-won and Dan So-hye for their youthful appearances paid a bitter price.
Their time together as Second Clouds has forged impressive teamwork.
Namgung Jun watched them fight from a distance. There was no need to watch the Third Clouds; despite being outnumbered, they were absolutely crushing the enemy with overwhelming martial prowess.
It wasn't that the Second Clouds were being pushed back, either. Each of them displayed excellent mastery of the Azure Firmament Martial Canon as they pressed their foes. Their performance was just slightly less flashy than that of the Third Clouds.
Even so, they are far stronger than ordinary Second Clouds.
These three had naturally received intensive personal instruction from Namgung Jun. Since they were among the few Second Clouds in the Azure Firmament Hall, promoting them all to Third Clouds was one of his short-term goals.
Fortunately, they were growing steadily, never failing to meet his expectations. Once they fully mastered the Azure Firmament Martial Canon and became Third Clouds, the Azure Firmament Hall's identity as an elite force would be set in stone.
After watching the Second Clouds' battle to the end, Namgung Jun turned his head.
Before he knew it, the battlefield had been cleared. There were casualties, but many enemies had also been subdued. The ones who appeared to be the leaders had all been bound and captured.
Watching the process in a daze, Jang Il-su clicked his tongue in amazement.
"Truly magnificent. I've never seen such an exhilarating and overwhelming battle."
Just moments ago, when the masked martial artists were pouring out endlessly from all directions, his breath had caught in his throat. Although he trusted Namgung Jun and the Azure Firmament Hall, the difference in numbers had been too vast.
Yet, the Clouds of the Azure Firmament Hall had displayed astonishing martial arts, utterly crushing the unorthodox martial artists attacking from all four directions. And this was despite the fact that their Hall Master, Namgung Jun, hadn't even drawn his sword.
Jang Il-su felt his heart pounding, just as it had the first time he met Namgung Jun. Calming his heightened emotions, he surveyed the surroundings.
It seems the merchant groups suffered minimal damage. No one died, and there are only a few injured.
Nodding in satisfaction, Jang Il-su observed the reactions of the others. Not only the two accompanying merchant guild leaders but also the merchants and escort warriors under them had looks of sheer shock on their faces. The martial prowess displayed by the Azure Firmament Hall had been that overwhelming.
Checking the reactions of everyone around him, Jang Il-su felt a wave of pride wash over him. He wanted to praise his past self for recognizing a star like Namgung Jun and choosing to support the Azure Firmament Hall from behind the scenes.
"They're truly amazing, Master."
"Indeed. They are truly worthy of being called masters."
Steadfast Blade and Un-chan were equally astonished.
Steadfast Blade lightly patted the shoulder of Un-chan, who couldn't take his eyes off the Clouds.
"Un-chan. Remember what they showed you today. Do not be satisfied with merely surpassing me; you must aim higher. The Jianghu is vast."
"I will keep that in mind, Master!" Un-chan's energetic response was filled with passion.
Looking at Un-chan's profile, Steadfast Blade nodded. A complex mix of emotions flickered in his eyes, but they ultimately settled into a bright, determined light. It was easy to see that watching the Clouds of the Azure Firmament Hall had filled him with both admiration and motivation.
Watching him, Steadfast Blade smiled.
Unlike your master, you will surely go beyond a first-rate warrior and become a peak expert.
And that wasn't all. He had no doubt that Un-chan would one day leave Hefei to traverse the wider Jianghu, performing the righteous deeds he had always dreamed of. Steadfast Blade could foresee Un-chan spreading his wings, leaving his master's side to soar into the vast world.
*
The trade caravan came to a temporary halt. While they needed to reorganize after the fierce battle, they also required time to extract information from their captives.
The task of gathering information was handled by Heo Il and Hong Jun. Watching the two of them casually wipe blood from their hands, Namgung Jun handed them a cotton cloth and asked, "What did you find out?"
"We got some information, but it's not what we'd hoped for," Heo Il said.
"I agree," Hong Jun added.
As Namgung Jun nodded, the two took turns reporting what they had discovered.
"First, we secured a list of the unorthodox sects mobilized for this raid. Their sizes and locations vary wildly, so there doesn't seem to be any common thread."
"For these minor unorthodox sects to band together and move as one, there must be a mastermind. But the ones we captured don't seem to know anything. Or perhaps we just couldn't squeeze it out of them..."
Namgung Jun stroked the hilt of his Eternal Righteous Sword. "If the unorthodox sects moved so systematically, the Mount Tai Sect must have noticed."
Heo Il shook his head. "It seems the Mount Tai Sect is currently feigning ignorance about what's happening in Shandong Province. I thought that was strange, so I pressed them. Apparently, these unorthodox bastards don't touch anything related to the Mount Tai Sect."
"Since the Mount Tai Sect isn't suffering any direct losses, they have no reason to step in," Hong Jun concluded.
Hearing this, Namgung Jun added, "Or perhaps they know who is behind this and are simply keeping their heads down."
Namgung Jun thought of the two great powers established in Shandong Province: the Mount Tai Sect of the Five Great Mountains Sword Sects and the Venerable Spear Sect of the Eight Great Unorthodox Powers.
If any faction had enough influence to mobilize the unorthodox sects of Shandong Province like this, it was naturally the Venerable Spear Sect. Ever since receiving their mission and departing from the main castle, Namgung Jun and the Azure Firmament Hall had suspected the Venerable Spear Sect first and foremost. However, they couldn't clash with a great sect belonging to the Eight Great Unorthodox Powers based on mere speculation. They needed concrete evidence.
Although the eyes and ears of the Bright Affinity Pavilion and the Lower Filthy Heaven were investigating, it seemed results would be slow to come. Naturally, the Azure Firmament Hall had to take action themselves, resolving issues while gathering clues to save time.
"Now that I've seen it firsthand, this doesn't seem to be a problem limited to just the Venerable Spear Sect."
"Hall Master, then...?"
"First, we will clean up the unorthodox sects running rampant here, and..." Namgung Jun trailed off, his eyes growing deep and dark. It was a gaze that grew colder every time he looked at the captured martial artists who had bared their blades.
"We must also pay a visit to the Mount Tai Sect."