A Tool for the Murim Alliance
Was she dreaming?
She was clearly in the middle of a spar, so why was she seeing such an absurd illusion?
Namgung Hayeon could not believe her own eyes.
A massive turtle with the head and tail of a serpent had appeared before her.
Namgung Hayeon knew the identity of this colossal beast.
It was the Black Tortoise, the divine guardian of the north that heralded the end of life and the arrival of death.
Yet why did its form overlap with Baekri Hyeong?
Namgung Hayeon could not trust her eyes.
The moment the Black Tortoise took a single step forward, she instinctively raised her Imperial Sword Form to its absolute limit, driven by the certainty that she would die if she did not react.
Kugugugugung.
As Namgung Hayeon assumed the stance of the Imperial Sword Form, the pressure bearing down on Baekri Hyeong intensified.
However, to Baekri Hyeong, who had chosen to wield the Black Tortoise Sword, such gravity was no obstacle at all.
Unless it was the Imperial Sword Form used by the head of the Namgung Clan, it would not be a match for him.
“Haaah!”
When Baekri Hyeong swung his sword, a wave of dark inner energy surged toward Namgung Hayeon with the force to cleave her apart.
It was the first form of the Black Tortoise Sword: the Death-Blood Northern Wall.
‘So fast!’
Namgung Hayeon swallowed dryly as she watched the sword energy approach with terrifying speed, belying its immense weight.
Since it carried no killing intent, he had likely formed the energy using the flat of his blade.
Yet even if it would not kill her, she would lose if she did not fight with the resolve to end the match.
If she were defeated here in such an unsightly manner—not even by sword sheath, but by his younger brother—her pride would hit rock bottom.
“I absolutely refuse to let that happen!!”
Namgung Hayeon poured every ounce of her strength into bringing her sword down upon the black sword energy that had closed to point-blank range.
Kaang!
‘What?!’
Her blade was sent flying without even cutting through or deflecting the energy.
Baekri Hyeong smiled in satisfaction at her bewildered expression.
This was why the Black Tortoise Sword was called the greatest among the Four Guardian Deities Sword techniques.
It was because of the Black Tortoise’s defining trait.
‘The Black Tortoise possesses a defense so absolute that it can repel all physical harm.’
If one created a protective aura with Black Tortoise energy, it could be considered comparable to the Indestructible Diamond Body.
Then what of its offense?
The Black Tortoise Sword, which embodied the Black Tortoise’s characteristics, possessed an unparalleled hardness that could never be broken unless its sword energy was swallowed or avoided.
That was why the Heavenly Demon was called a monster.
No one had ever been able to so much as scratch the sword energy or aura of the Black Tortoise Sword, yet the Heavenly Demon possessed the insane strength to shatter every attack from it.
Namgung Hayeon was shocked to see her own attack repelled.
Yet the thought of dodging the sword strike never occurred to her.
The Death-Blood Northern Wall, which had deflected the Imperial Sword Form, struck her abdomen directly.
“Kuhack! Haaah! Haaah…”
Gasping for breath, she collapsed to the ground.
Baekri Hyeong moved in to deliver the finishing blow.
“I have won. As promised, I would appreciate it if you kept this spar a secret from everyone.”
“Haaah… Wait! Just now—what was that sword technique?!”
As Baekri Hyeong turned to leave without a second glance, Namgung Hayeon, still catching her breath, called out to him.
Even if her body was screaming in protest, she had to ask what needed asking.
“It received the Imperial Sword Form yet didn’t even get a scratch… Just what is that sword technique?”
“Hmm. Let’s just call it the Indestructible Sword. I cannot say any more than that.”
“…”
Even if Namgung Hayeon kept it secret, no one was ever meant to know about the Four Guardian Deities Sword.
The problem was that her father seemed to have noticed something unusual.
Still, to prevent any information leaks, she intended to keep the Black Tortoise Sword hidden until the very end.
She could have ended this spar with the White Heaven First Form alone.
She had only used the Black Tortoise Sword to test it, so she would never draw it again.
All the rising stars participating in the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering would be defeated using only the White Heaven First Form.
She did not have to use it, but she needed to show it to the Murim Alliance officials.
While they had been suppressing the Baekri Clan, the Sword Sovereign had been grinding his teeth and researching transcendent sword arts.
If they planned to do anything strange to the clan in the future, they had better think twice.
That was the warning she intended to deliver.
Of course, since the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering was a year away, the warning would come then as well.
“I should head back now.”
Father would be returning from his outing soon, and she could not let him find out she had left.
Honestly, the chances of being caught were high, but she still had to at least pretend she had never gone out.
Contrary to Baekri Hyeong’s hopes, however, Baekri Hyeok had been watching him from the very beginning of the spar to the very end.
“Indestructible Sword… Truly an absurd sword art.”
Baekri Hyeok, who had observed his son’s spar, was captivated by the sword technique Baekri Hyeong had displayed at the end.
The Indestructible Sword.
Judging from how he had hidden his training from others, that was clearly not its true name.
Moreover, Baekri Hyeong was clearly training in four distinct types of sword arts.
What was remarkable was that these four styles were each subtly connected to one another.
“You are opening a new path for me.”
One for recovery, one for killing, one for destructive power, and one for indestructibility.
What a perfectly balanced sword art.
He had never imagined he would gain new insight from his young son.
“I suppose I should pretend not to know. Since you kept it a secret from me, I will keep it a secret from you as well, my son.”
Indeed.
Even Baekri Hyeok, who was considering stealing his son’s sword techniques, was ultimately a martial artist at heart.
“Yes…?”
“Did you not hear me? I said you should have a spar with the young master of the Baekri Clan.”
“Ah, no. I heard you clearly. But why are you suddenly suggesting that?”
“You are well aware that the Hubei Alliance has been formed, are you not?”
“Yes. I also know that Grandfather has been very busy because of it.”
Namgung Suryeon spoke with a puzzled expression as she conversed with Namgung Yeong.
She had been summoned out of nowhere to the Murim Alliance Lord’s office while she was minding her own business, only to receive a proposal to spar with the young master of the Baekri Clan.
“As you know, the Murim Alliance is a coalition formed by the combined strength of various orthodox sects.”
“Yes. I also know that it operates on a merit-based system.”
“Correct. The position of Murim Alliance Lord commands the respect of all, yet it is also subject to the scrutiny of all. However, if that scrutiny were to disappear, dictatorship would inevitably follow, laying the foundation for the alliance to evolve into a single nation.”
“G-Grandfather!”
“There is no need to worry. That will not happen. The example I gave was regarding the future of the Hubei Alliance.”
“…Ah!”
The quick-witted Namgung Suryeon immediately understood what Namgung Yeong was implying.
The Murim Alliance had various laws in place to counterbalance the Alliance Lord’s power.
But the newly formed Hubei Alliance had the Sword Sovereign as its lord, and even if they established laws to suppress him, they lacked the military strength to enforce them.
It could lead to a dictatorial regime.
However, Namgung Suryeon’s thoughts differed.
The Baekri Clan was harboring a monster named Baekri Hyeong.
Even if they established various checks and balances, once Baekri Hyeong reached the Sword Sovereign’s age, no other martial artist would be able to stand against him.
She even wondered if Baekri Hyeong might one day claim a seat among the Five Sovereigns of Murim.
That had been her first impression of him.
“That is why this old man intends to make a proposal to the Sword Sovereign.”
“A proposal?”
“Whether he would be willing to step down if the alliance were to stray from the right path.”
“What?”
“You may not understand, but he will. However, simply applying pressure like this would be meaningless. Therefore, to formally recognize the Hubei Alliance, how about holding a spar between the most promising rising stars of both alliances?”
Namgung Yeong’s plan was as follows.
Since the Hubei Alliance had already been formed and could not be undone, they might as well hold a simple spar to gauge the martial prowess of the rising stars from both alliances.
By having Baekri Hyeong and Namgung Suryeon spar, they could maintain an amicable relationship going forward—a form of political maneuvering.
“But Grandfather! Young Master Baekri Hyeong is…!”
“I know. He is a monster. He is likely far more advanced than even the Sword Princess was at eleven years old.”
“That is exactly why I cannot go!”
“No. I believe in you, Suryeon. I believe in Namgung Suryeon, who will one day claim the title of the next Sword Princess. I believe you can defeat Baekri Hyeong.”
“…”
Namgung Suryeon could not find the words to respond to Namgung Yeong’s trust in her.
Of course, she had already proposed a spar to Baekri Hyeong just past noon, but she had never expected things to escalate to this scale.
She had arranged to spar in the evening, and now, while she was feeling uneasy about being ignored, this proposal had arrived.
And not from her grandfather Namgung Yeong, but from the Murim Alliance Lord Namgung Yeong.
Could a mere rising star refuse such an offer?
“I… I will do it.”
“Good thinking, Suryeon. I will arrange the date myself, so be careful until then.”
“Yes…”
Despite Namgung Yeong’s kindly smiling face, shadows had fallen over Namgung Suryeon’s expression, darkening it.
She had just realized that her grandfather saw her—his own granddaughter—as nothing more than a tool to serve the Murim Alliance.
