Chapter 48: The Azure Heaven Association Leader (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 48: The Azure Heaven Association Leader (2)
Namgung Jun stared intently at Hahu Seon.
He couldn't sense any aura from the man—which was only natural. The man before him was a peerless expert of a far higher caliber.
Even so, he could clearly feel the transcendence unique to such masters.
‘A vast, boundless expanse. And so clear.’
The feeling was all too familiar to Namgung Jun.
The Sword Emperor of his past life, who had mastered the Spear King Mental Method, had felt exactly the same.
‘I can't be absolutely certain since I can't sense his aura, but the Spear King Mental Method is undoubtedly at the root of his martial arts.’
Furthermore, his surname was Hahu.
The Hahu name, combined with the Spear King Mental Method…
There was someone in his past life who possessed both.
Hahu Ryeong.
The last rising star of the Namcheon Palace.
Her mission had been to evacuate the women and children who had not yet learned martial arts.
He had never learned whether that mission succeeded or failed. The Sword Emperor and the entire fighting force of the Namcheon Palace had clashed with the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult and perished on the spot.
However, looking at Hahu Seon, Namgung Jun had an intuitive realization.
Hahu Ryeong had successfully carried out her final mission.
It explained everything. The Azure Heaven Association being founded on the former grounds of the Namcheon Palace, their use of the Heaven-Reliant Sword and its martial arts, even the banner they carried… All the questions that had plagued him were finally answered.
– "Palace Master. Is it truly alright for me to learn the Spear King Mental Method already?"
– "At such a young age, you lost an eye to prove your chivalry. I hope the Spear King Mental Method will serve as your new eye."
– "With this new eye you have given me, Palace Master, I will uphold my chivalry to the very end."
‘Hahu Ryeong. You kept your promise.’
Recalling the conversation he had shared with Hahu Ryeong in his past life, Namgung Jun lowered his head slightly. He could not let Hahu Seon and Yun Gyeong-jong see his eyes welling with tears.
"You seem lost in thought," Hahu Seon said.
Despite the sudden question, Namgung Jun's voice did not waver.
"Yes. Meeting you, Association Leader, brought the name of our association to mind."
"You thought of the azure heaven?"
As Hahu Seon's beard trembled slightly, the eyes of Yun Gyeong-jong, who stood beside him, gradually widened.
Those weren't words a boy who had just reached the Peak Realm should be able to say.
Sensing the transcendence of a peerless expert wasn't particularly difficult in itself. Even ordinary people often felt an immense presence, like facing a giant, when they encountered one.
However, to go beyond that vague feeling, to delve deep into the expert's very essence and describe it so accurately… that was an entirely different matter.
‘Even supreme experts who have achieved the Three Flowers Gather at the Crown would find this difficult. How did this child…?’
Yet, Namgung Jun had accurately pierced through to the essence of Hahu Seon's transcendence.
Such acute perception, rivaling that of a supreme expert, and an intuition that saw beyond normal comprehension… It was impossible without innate, peerless talent.
Hahu Seon and Yun Gyeong-jong exchanged glances, arriving at the same conclusion.
"Marvelous. The Ink Lord did not exaggerate."
"Even I did not realize his talent was of this caliber," Yun Gyeong-jong murmured.
Hahu Seon set down the tree branch he had been holding, while Yun Gyeong-jong could only let out a dry laugh as he looked at Namgung Jun.
"Heaven has bestowed a divine dragon upon our association."
After uttering this brief exclamation, Hahu Seon's gaze remained fixed on Namgung Jun—as if, despite having lost both eyes, he could see the boy clearly.
"This old man remembers every Cloud of our association. Since I cannot see, I tend to keep my other senses highly honed."
Footsteps, voice, aura, Qi Waves, breathing.
And that was not all.
A person's innate primordial qi always carried their unique temperament. With the sensory perception of a peerless expert who communed with Natural Qi, one could catch a glimpse of this, allowing them to draw close to an opponent's true essence.
In particular, Hahu Seon, who had lost his sight in his youth, possessed a sensory perception that was exceptionally sharp, even compared to other peerless experts.
‘How truly strange.’
Hahu Seon felt a deep sense of intrigue as he observed Namgung Jun.
Usually, a person's physical form would be mapped out directly in his mind, but with Namgung Jun, he perceived only a vast, clear blueness.
‘It is just like the sky.’
An entity possessing a transcendent form that surpassed a mere human image could only be a peerless expert, or someone with an extraordinary mindscape.
‘My word.’
Sensing Namgung Jun, Hahu Seon smiled faintly and asked, "A major event is approaching."
"An event, you say?"
"A gathering of the Three Sects and One Gang, the Five Great Mountains Sword Sects, and our association."
Even as the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult's influence grew increasingly formidable, the great sects of the Righteous Faction had merely defended their respective territories and responded individually.
However, the Three Sects and One Gang felt the need for the great sects scattered across the land to cooperate and confront the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult on a grand scale. Thus, they had taken the lead in organizing this gathering, inviting the Five Great Mountains Sword Sects and the Azure Heaven Association.
Through this gathering, they intended to solicit the opinions of each sect to forge an alliance and build trust among them.
"No matter how righteous they claim to be, they are martial artists in the end. A comparison of martial arts is inevitable."
The supreme experts representing each sect could not easily step forward. Their strength had to be preserved and unleashed against the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult. Furthermore, the situation was not so leisurely that they could afford to indulge in such contests.
"Instead, we will gauge each other's martial prowess through the rising stars who represent the future of each sect. Of course, that process may not be entirely smooth."
"Why is that?"
Hahu Seon clicked his tongue and replied, "Of the Five Great Mountains Sword Sects, the four aside from the Mount Hua Sect look upon this gathering with displeasure. They believe that every sect for itself is the best course of action. They have no interest in the chaotic state of the Jianghu or the plight of the common people."
Yet, they could not simply ignore the power of the Five Great Mountains Sword Sects and confront the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult without them. They were five great sects, after all. In facing the Demonic Cult, their assistance was essential. Without it, the chances of emerging victorious were extremely slim.
This was the very reason the Three Sects and One Gang were going to the trouble of holding a gathering in such turbulent times.
"Though it is called a gathering, in essence, it will be a grand arena to determine the future of the Righteous Faction's response."
"Indeed," Yun Gyeong-jong added. "Our association shares the same view as the Three Sects and One Gang, so depending on the circumstances, we may have to suppress the Five Great Mountains Sword Sects with sheer force."
Hahu Seon let out a soft sigh.
"The situation is complicated... but in any case, this old man is placing his expectations on you."
Hahu Seon looked toward Namgung Jun.
"Am I to represent the Azure Heaven Association at that gathering?"
"We will select the representatives through a competition. However, you should have no trouble securing a spot."
Namgung Jun nodded.
Hahu Seon was speaking of fairness. Representing the Azure Heaven Association was undoubtedly an honorable position, and there would be no shortage of those who desired it. No matter how much fame Namgung Jun had recently garnered, the others would not accept it blindly. To prevent any complaints, holding a competition was the only right way.
"Everyone will find out in two days anyway, but since we were meeting face-to-face, I decided to give you a little advance notice."
"I will live up to your expectations."
"Good."
Thus, his first meeting with the Azure Heaven Association Leader came to an end.
*
Namgung Jun immersed himself in Qi Circulation.
Ever since meeting Hahu Seon, he had been reviewing the martial arts of his past life.
The Spear King Mental Method.
The Namcheon Guiding-to-the-End Sword.
They were the signature techniques of the Sword Emperor.
He had not yet begun practicing them, keeping only their mnemonic formulas and principles stored in his mind. This was to avoid merely repeating the martial arts of his past life and instead surpass them. In the future, they would be of immense help when he created new divine arts and peerless techniques.
‘These martial arts weren't even in the Self-Reflection Martial Repository.’
Perhaps they had been passed down as the exclusive martial arts of the Azure Heaven Association Leader, or maybe they had been lost entirely.
‘The Heavenly Thunder True Yang Formula is an excellent, superior martial art, but it falls short of being a divine art.’
The same went for the martial arts Namgung Jun was currently practicing. All of them held the potential to advance even further. In times like this, he had to broaden his horizons and keep all possibilities open.
As he reviewed his past, a sudden thought occurred to him.
‘Something from my past life did remain.’
Until now, his past life had been defined only by regret and guilt. But seeing Hahu Seon, he realized something.
The spirit and martial arts of the Namcheon Palace had been passed down through the Jianghu and had reached him once more.
The sacrifices of the Sword Emperor and his disciples had not been in vain. He could feel it now, so tangibly.
Suddenly, Namgung Jun recalled a conversation from his past life.
– "Palace Master. I find it truly regrettable."
– "What is it?"
– "I do not fear death, but I fear being forgotten. If we all die, no one will remember us."
– "Heh. That is a natural worry. I once felt that way too."
The Sword Emperor of his past life had replied while looking up at the sky.
– "The sky will always be blue, just as it is now. We are the same. If our chivalry remains unwavering, someone in the future will surely remember and carry it on."
– "Like the sky..."
– "Even if our individual names are not remembered, we will surely be remembered by another name. By the names of Chivalry and Chivalrous Heroes."
It was a story he had told to comfort one of his disciples.
‘How is it, my disciple? It was not a hollow story, was it?’
Although the names of the Sword Emperor, Nam Young-shin, and the Namcheon Palace had vanished, they had clearly been passed down to the Azure Heaven Association in the form of Chivalry and Chivalrous Heroes.
Just as the blue sky was endless, the will of the Namcheon Palace remained endlessly in the Jianghu.
‘Though the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult remains as well.’
This was something Namgung Jun had to resolve. Since it was the Sword Emperor who had failed to finish it properly in his past life, it was only right for Namgung Jun to bring it to an end in this one.
"Stubbornly and uprightly."
If he continued to forge ahead in this life just as he had in his past, he would eventually reach the end.
Having finished his contemplation, Namgung Jun opened his eyes. To prepare for the upcoming competition, it was crucial to remain vigilant and refine his Sword Qi.
‘I heard that not only the Second Cloud, but most of the Third Cloud will be participating as well.’
It was said that almost every Cloud within the age range of a rising star would participate. Not only was it a matter of representing the Azure Heaven Association, but the separate rewards promised were also magnificent.
Namgung Jun had no intention of yielding this opportunity. With the rewards and merits, he would be able to grow stronger even faster.
"Hmm."
As he stepped out of his quarters, he saw Heo Il swinging his sword alone.
The moment Heo Il spotted Namgung Jun, he lightly waved his weapon.
"Young Master Namgung. Why don't we clash swords? It's been a while."
"I plan to go somewhere else today."
"Somewhere else? Where?"
"Mokryun Hall."
Heo Il's expression turned peculiar. He seemed to have guessed Namgung Jun's purpose.
"Are you really going there?"
"Yes. I heard the Mokryun Hall Master has returned from his mission."
"Sigh. I can't stop you. Young Master Namgung, if Master finds out, he'll hit the roof."
"That's why I must go secretly now, while Master is away."
At Namgung Jun's bright smile, Heo Il could only scratch the back of his head.
"If you're so worried, you go too," Gong Jun-am, who had been leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, spoke up nonchalantly.
Seizing the opportunity, Man Ye-won, who had been practicing the Great Derivation Sword Technique nearby, cried out, "Namgung Jun! Can't I come along and watch?"
"Hmm. Young Master Namgung, in that case, I shall go with you as well," Heo Il chimed in. "Those fellows are incredibly rough, after all."
Seeing that Heo Il and Man Ye-won looked ready to follow him all the way to Mokryun Hall, Namgung Jun quickened his pace slightly.
"I will be back shortly."
"Go on."
Only Gong Jun-am stood silently, letting Namgung Jun go on his own.
While Gong Jun-am held Heo Il and Man Ye-won back, Namgung Jun headed straight for Mokryun Hall.