Chapter 180: Wandering Hero (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 180: Wandering Hero (1)
Shiquan, Shaanxi Province.
Located in the Qinling Mountains of southern Shaanxi, the surrounding terrain was rich in various high-quality ores. Naturally, people skilled in metalworking gathered there, leading to the creation of numerous iron workshops. The people of Shaanxi Province considered the goods produced in Shiquan to be the absolute best.
I heard it was around here.
The reason Namgung Jun had come to Shiquan was for a place considered the very best among its many iron workshops.
The Hua Family Iron Workshop.
It was a lay sect of the Mount Hua Sect and the number one iron workshop in Shiquan. Its fame had begun to spread beyond Shaanxi Province and throughout the entire Jianghu.
In particular, the Hua Family Iron Workshop was famous as the sole producer of the Mount Hua Sect's Plum Blossom Swords. It was said that without the Hua Family Iron Workshop's secret casting method, one could never craft a Plum Blossom Sword that released the scent of plum blossoms when swung.
Namgung Jun caressed the scabbard at his waist. The Eternal Righteous Sword had been heavily damaged during his life-and-death battle with the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor, and he planned to leave it with the Hua Family Iron Workshop for maintenance.
As Namgung Jun spotted the workshop and walked toward it, his eyes narrowed slightly.
"How noisy."
He slipped inside through the wide-open front gates. Quite a few people had gathered within, but none of them noticed Namgung Jun's presence, as he was mimicking the Return to Simplicity and Truth of the Heaven-Reliant Sword Lord.
Inside the Hua Family Iron Workshop, two factions stood in confrontation.
One side appeared to be the blacksmiths and martial artists of the workshop. The other, with their diverse attire and distinct, rugged auras, looked like Wandering Warriors who made their living by the blade.
"Look here, Workshop Master. Asking you to forge a single saber isn't such a difficult request, is it? We're offering to provide the materials and pay you handsomely, so what's the problem?"
"The Hua Family Iron Workshop does not forge weaponry for just anyone."
"Ha! I don't think the Wandering Hero is someone you can dismiss as 'just anyone.' Are you looking down on us because we're Wandering Warriors?"
As the Wandering Warrior spat on the ground in irritation, Seong Yun-su, the owner of the Hua Family Iron Workshop, let out a hollow laugh.
"I am well aware of how you lot have been committing atrocities against commoners and weak sects in the south while the Mount Hua Sect is busy blocking the Demonic Cult invading from northern Shaanxi. The thought of a blade from our workshop being used for such deeds only strengthens my refusal."
Overhearing the conversation, Namgung Jun recognized a familiar alias.
Wandering Hero.
He was the most famous Wandering Warrior in the current Jianghu. The prevailing opinion was that he would achieve the Five Qis Converging at the Origin within ten years and be hailed as the King of Wandering Warriors.
Countless Wandering Warriors pinned their hopes on the Wandering Hero, as no peerless expert of their kind had emerged in the last century. Just as many followed him, acting as his hands and feet.
The mission Namgung Jun was to carry out in Shaanxi Province was none other than the slaying of the Wandering Hero.
Are those guys the Wandering Hero's lackeys?
As Seong Yun-su maintained his stubborn stance, the Wandering Warriors reached for their weapons. As their killing intent rose, the martial artists of the Hua Family Iron Workshop, including Seong Yun-su, drew swords instead of hammers.
"The Wandering Hero told us to be polite, but you're crossing the line."
"So you insist on using force? No matter how great the Wandering Hero is, he cannot possibly withstand the Mount Hua Sect!"
"Well, looking at the current situation, it seems more likely that the Mount Hua Sect will fall to the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult first."
Just as the two sides were about to clash, the Eternal Righteous Sword hanging at Namgung Jun's waist vibrated subtly.
Rumble!
In an instant, a crushing sword pressure bore down on the Wandering Warriors. The pressure was so immense it sank the very ground beneath the thirty-odd men. Lacking the martial strength to withstand it, they were forced to their knees, their bodies on the verge of being crushed.
"Ugh!"
"Argh! What is this?!"
"Save me!"
Their eyes wide at the sudden turn of events, the martial artists of the Hua Family Iron Workshop finally noticed a man walking toward them. Although they were unaffected by the mysterious pressure, simply looking at the man made it difficult to breathe. It was clear that all of this emanated from him as he walked forward with steady, unwavering steps.
"Who might you be, esteemed master?" Seong Yun-su asked, his voice tight with tension.
Namgung Jun lowered the bamboo hat he was wearing. "I am Namgung Jun, the Azure Firmament Hall Master of the Azure Heaven Association."
"The Azure Star Sword? It is an honor to meet you, Hall Master Namgung." Seong Yun-su's eyes widened, his demeanor a complete reversal from how he had treated the Wandering Warriors.
Returning the courtesy, Namgung Jun withdrew the sword pressure crushing the warriors. Even so, none of them stood back up. They had all fainted on the spot.
"It would be best to bind them before they regain consciousness."
"Yes, we shall," Seong Yun-su replied blankly before snapping out of it and gesturing hurriedly toward the interior. "I have left our guest standing outside. Please, come inside."
*
Guided to the reception room, Namgung Jun sipped the tea Seong Yun-su brought him.
"My apologies for the delayed greeting; things were quite chaotic. Thank you for your assistance."
"I only lent a hand. Please, think nothing of it."
Observing Namgung Jun's expression, Seong Yun-su asked cautiously, "May I ask what brings Hall Master Namgung to our workshop?"
Namgung Jun nodded and unfastened the Eternal Righteous Sword from his waist. "I would like to request maintenance for this sword."
"May I draw the sword?"
"Of course."
Seong Yun-su carefully received the Eternal Righteous Sword and soon let out an exclamation of admiration.
"Oh. This is quite a masterpiece. Was it crafted by a blacksmith of the Azure Heaven Association?"
"I believe so."
"I have heard much of the outstanding skills of the blacksmiths from the Azure Heaven Association's Iron Forge Pavilion. Seeing this sword, I can tell their reputation is well-earned."
His eyes sparkling like a child with a new toy, Seong Yun-su examined the Eternal Righteous Sword for a long time before nodding.
"The blade is heavily damaged, with slight warps and fractures throughout. It is fortunate this sword was built so sturdily; any other would have shattered long ago."
"Yes. The axe strikes of the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor were quite heavy and brutal."
"The Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor! His Mountain-Ringing Axe is also a famed divine weapon."
He had heard the news that three Hall Masters of the Azure Heaven Association had defeated the Grand Stronghold Leader of the Great-Axe Green Forest. Meeting the very subject of those rumors filled him with a fresh sense of awe.
"I will personally take responsibility for the Eternal Righteous Sword and restore it to a brand-new state."
"Thank you. How long will it take?"
"Normally, it would take about three to four days... but I will finish it in a single day."
"Please do. Seeing the tyranny of those Wandering Warriors just now, it seems I must move quickly."
"Hmm? If it is not rude to ask, is the reason you visited Shaanxi Province...?"
Namgung Jun did not elaborate, merely nodding. Deducing the general situation from that alone, Seong Yun-su stood up with a determined expression.
"I must hurry. Please excuse me."
"Yes. I leave it in your hands."
Although the Hua Family Iron Workshop had prepared a room for Namgung Jun, he did not rest. First, he spoke with the blacksmiths of the workshop, and finally, he went to see the bound Wandering Warriors.
"Raise your heads."
The Wandering Warriors looked up at Namgung Jun with terrified faces. He slowly scanned them before speaking.
"Before coming to see you, I heard all about the atrocities you committed from the blacksmiths of the Hua Family Iron Workshop."
The low timbre of his voice alone made the Wandering Warriors flinch. Even though there was no sword at Namgung Jun's waist, they felt a stinging sensation on the napes of their necks, as if a sharp blade were aimed directly at their throats.
"Where is your leader right now?"
*
After obtaining information about the Wandering Hero from his men, Namgung Jun repeatedly performed Qi Circulation inside his room.
"Whew."
Having finished, Namgung Jun looked around. Starting from the bed, all the furniture in the room was frozen solid.
Do I need to attempt the fifth meridian opening soon?
Until now, he had managed to soothe his Nine Yin Severed Meridian by borrowing the power of three different heart methods. Since acquiring the Taiji Taoyuan Technique, he had been able to moderately suppress the Yin Cold Qi and prevent seizures, but lately, even that was proving difficult.
As he opened more meridians, the Yin Cold Qi grew more concentrated in the ones that remained severed, strengthening at a rapid pace. With each passing day, the rate at which the Nine Yin Severed Meridian grew stronger became increasingly steep. The speed of its growth was gradually surpassing his own cultivation achievements; he was nearing his limit.
Even now, though he had suppressed the Yin Cold Qi through a long session of Qi Circulation, if his internal energy were to be suddenly depleted or if an external force stimulated the Nine Yin Severed Meridian, it would likely flare up instantly—a new and dangerous development.
"I can't delay this any longer."
Crackle!
Namgung Jun lightly channeled internal energy into his right hand. A hazy, sky-blue energy swirled around a core of blue Thunder Qi. The energies coexisted in an exquisite balance, on the verge of blending but never quite merging. However, they had only achieved a certain degree of harmony; they had not been forged into a single, complete energy.
To overcome the Nine Yin Severed Meridian, I must breathe through a divine art.
To do that, he had to weave the three heart methods into one. He had succeeded in guiding their principles and insights into a single flow, but that was as far as he had gotten. He had yet to attain a proper intent, so progress on creating a new heart method was slow.
Furthermore, the three heart methods Namgung Jun had learned were all superior peerless arts. Naturally, forging them into one could not be an easy process.
If I can obtain a new heart method, or achieve the Five Qis Converging at the Origin to directly commune with Natural Qi, I can buy enough time to endure the Nine Yin Severed Meridian.
Steadying his breath, Namgung Jun closed his eyes again and began to meditate, intending to submerge himself in his mindscape once more to create the new heart method.
*
Carrying the Eternal Righteous Sword, now fully restored and gleaming as if brand new, Namgung Jun immediately began to track the Wandering Hero using the information he had obtained.
Four days after he began his pursuit, he finally found him.
A nameless village was burning, raided by the Wandering Hero and his band. Having helped the surviving villagers escape, Namgung Jun stood alone, blocking the warriors' retreat. The ground beneath his feet was a muddy mire of blood they had spilled.
Now, the only one left standing unharmed was a middle-aged man holding a long, straight blade diagonally across his chest.
Namgung Jun compared the man's face with the wanted poster provided by the Bright Affinity Pavilion, then conjured Samadhi True Fire.
Whoosh!
Even as he watched the paper bearing his own face instantly turn to ash, the middle-aged man merely curled the corner of his mouth.
"I hear you are plundering and murdering in southern Shaanxi at the behest of the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult."
"That's right. I was paid quite a hefty sum. It's a request related to the Mount Hua Sect, after all."
To draw part of the Mount Hua Sect's attention to southern Shaanxi and force them to disperse their forces—that was the task the Wandering Hero had received. The Sun-Moon Demonic Cult had judged that causing disturbances in the south would be far more effective than simply deploying him to the northern front. Unlike the other Five Great Mountains Sword Sects, the Mount Hua Sect prioritized the livelihoods of the common people and possessed a deep sense of righteousness.
"Do you have no hesitation swinging your blade as long as you are paid?"
"That is what it means to be a Wandering Warrior. To think a man who was once a Wandering Warrior's sword attendant would ask such a foolish question." The Wandering Hero slowly drew his blade, observing Namgung Jun's frosty gaze. "Don't glare at me like that. Next time, I might even help the Azure Heaven Association strike down the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult. Of course, you would have to pay a fitting price. Is the Azure Heaven Association's financial situation good?"
Splash!
Drops of blood pooled on the ground splashed against Namgung Jun's leather boots.
"I am not accustomed to bargaining. I think I will just take your head instead."
"That's not bad either. Shall I take this opportunity to raise my price?" Tossing aside the scabbard, the Wandering Hero gripped his blade. "If I take your head, my price will rise. And if I happen to gain enlightenment during our life-and-death battle, that would be the icing on the cake. To me, you are nothing less than a walking, breathing fortuitous encounter."
Namgung Jun smiled coldly.
"A fortuitous encounter... I am curious. I wonder what you will actually obtain."
The Eternal Righteous Sword, freshly maintained by the Hua Family Iron Workshop, gleamed with an exceptionally cold light.