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Heavenly Realm

For seven consecutive nights, I diligently practiced the Heavenly Secret Technique. Normally, mastering such a technique would require years of training, but with Mangnyang’s foundational knowledge and my substantial reserves of energy, I managed to use it practically within a short span of practice.

Mangnyang said,

“Baek Woong, I’ve received news from the Sword Demon.”

“What did they say?”

“We’ve officially decided at the Five Great Families Council to expel the Namgung Clan after their financial resources were cut off. The Sword Demon is currently mobilizing the Black Dao forces in Anhui Province to reduce the Namgung Clan’s masters.”

“Hmm.”

This was the expected development.

Under normal circumstances, none of the Five Great Families would ever consider losing even one member. Each family held a power that surpassed the might of a lone clan, making their dominance unquestionable. However, with the head and young master of the Namgung Clan missing and the elders losing their martial prowess, it was only natural for this sequence of events to follow, especially after the Transformation School abandoned them. The Namgung Clan was already halfway toward ruin.

Lost in thought, I spoke,

“Isn’t it enough to leave it all to the Sword Demon? Why should Jin So-cheong or I get our hands dirty?”

“I agree. The current level of the Namgung Clan should be a piece of cake for the Sword Demon. However, there’s one reason we must intervene directly.”

What could that reason be?

Gazing intently at Mangnyang, he continued,

“The Imperial Palace is already watching this movement. They never let their guard down in the martial world, and now that the Namgung Clan is facing such a major upheaval, they will get involved sooner or later.”

“Hmm, could this be related to the slave market?”

At my question, Mangnyang expressed admiration.

“Quick on the uptake, I see. Well done.”

“I obtained information that the Namgung Clan had dealings in the slave market through Namgung Hwan.”

“Exactly.”

He spoke, while tracing his finger along the Five Elements on the table.

“It’s already known that the Imperial Palace is involved in the slave market. With the departure of the significant investor, the Namgung Clan, they will undoubtedly be eager to snatch up the benefits or uncover confidential information from the ensuing chaos. And there is one organization that will inevitably act during this process.”

“The Golden Eagle Guard!”

“With only the power of the Shadowless Gate, it’s insufficient to track the movements of the Golden Eagle Guard. We must take the initiative to confront them ourselves. The Sword Demon Sect Leader might be able to capture the Golden Eagle Guard alive, but directly opposing the Imperial Palace will only weigh him down, which is why we, as outsiders, need to take on this task.”

“I see.”

I nodded in agreement with Mangnyang’s plan.

“Have you conveyed this to Jin So-cheong and the Sword Demon?”

“Not yet. But I assume they will share my thoughts.”

Responding, Mangnyang slowly added,

“Now, let’s get going.”

Paat!

I, along with Jin So-cheong and Mangnyang, made a stop at the Shadowless Gate to relay the message to the Sword Demon. He responded with great enthusiasm.

“Excellent idea! Leave the Golden Eagle Guard to you.”

“But, Sect Leader, was it the Golden Eagle Guard that you found hard to deal with in the slave market?”

“Hmm… I can’t say I know the details about that. After all, those events transpired during your last life.”

The Sword Demon stroked his beard thoughtfully.

“However, I think the Golden Eagle Guard’s power might not be sufficient.”

“Not sufficient?”

“No matter how expert the Golden Eagle Guard’s elite are, we have equal or better masters within our Shadowless Gate. I don’t believe the current Golden Eagle Guard is strong enough to give me a hard time. It’s highly likely a more powerful faction or a corresponding master is involved.”

“Could it be the Commander of the Golden Eagle Guard?”

“I’ve thought of that too, but he’s merely a peak expert who isn’t that formidable. If he were capable of intimidating me, I wouldn’t have made it this far.”

“……”

“Anyway, I’ll count on you. I’ll continue pressuring the Namgung Clan.”

“Understood.”

After our conversation concluded, we moved closer to the remnants of the Namgung Clan. The people of the Namgung Clan, marked with a massive scar from a non-human, abandoned their buildings and returned to their old stronghold. They realized that Jin So-cheong’s warning was not a mere threat. Currently, they were quite far from Anhui Province.

From a distance, Jin So-cheong looked at the Namgung Clan area and murmured coldly,

“They’ve ignored my warning.”

“I suppose no one can casually abandon their home and family. They must be prepared to give up their lives by now.”

In response, Mangnyang added,

“We should lay in ambush nearby. We need to observe their movements closely.”

“Aren’t we going to strike?”

“The Namgung Clan is currently trapped. They’ll likely utilize all means possible to survive, perhaps even leveraging their connections to the slave market. We need to catch their movements to reach the puppet master of the slave market.”

Jin So-cheong crossed his arms and said,

“Must we really track down the puppet master of the slave market? We already know the Imperial Palace is involved.”

“Knowing and confirming are two different things. And as the Sword Demon mentioned, the power of the Golden Eagle Guard alone isn’t enough to control a massive slave market. There must be a faction or master allied with them. Identifying that individual will ease future endeavors.”

“Hmm…”

Hearing the phrase “future endeavors” from Mangnyang made my heart feel a bit heavy. It was clear that he was crafting strategies based on the premise of my death. In the past, I might have let things be, but now, getting directly involved to gather information was exactly why. He wanted me to witness and experience things firsthand to compile information.

Jin So-cheong inquired,

“What should we do if we encounter the Commander of the Golden Eagle Guard later?”

Mangnyang responded firmly,

“Capture him if possible, but if not, don’t hesitate to kill him.”

“Is it okay to kill him?”

“There’s something the Sword Demon overlooked. Although the Commander of the Golden Eagle Guard is a lower-tier master among peak experts, he has received a demonic implantation from the Imperial Palace’s Spirit Repository. And it’s a gigantic seed of evil that could summon peril to the Heavenly Realm. Trying to capture him carelessly might lead to our demise.”

“Hmm.”

I found Mangnyang’s words to be true. When the Commander of the Golden Eagle Guard fully awakened as a demon, Yeodong-bin had unleashed extreme sword energy to ensure his death. This implied he could be a dangerously reawakened demon. No matter how skilled Jin So-cheong was, there was no good to be gained from recklessly antagonizing the demon.

After devising our plan, we began to keep watch over the Namgung Clan and set up camp nearby. Since it was inefficient for all three of us to monitor, we took turns, allowing the others to rest. After observing for about four days from around five miles away, something unexpected occurred.

Mangnyang, who was on guard, suddenly zipped over to the campsite using his spatial movement technique.

“They’ve moved!”

Jin So-cheong and I quickly got up from our resting positions at Mangnyang’s words and ascended the mountain. Just as he said, a cart was rumbling out in the middle of the night. Even more surprisingly, there were several Namgung Clan masters with considerable martial prowess trailing behind. Observing from a distance, Mangnyang spoke gravely,

“If they are moving under the cover of night, it suggests a secret meeting.”

“Then should we just track the cart?”

“No, let’s wait a bit longer.”

“……?”

“Knowing the Namgung Clan, they probably realize that the martial world is watching them closely. That cart is likely a decoy. It doesn’t matter if we delay pursuing for now; let’s keep an eye on their movements.”

“Are you saying the real deal is coming?”

Mangnyang glanced toward a nearby hill.

“If other opportunistic factions gather around, then something will definitely unfold.”

Sure enough, we weren’t the only ones watching the Namgung Clan. Subtle hints of masters moving stealthily were felt in various directions. They were likely the grudge-holding masters of clans who sought revenge during the Namgung Clan’s weakened state, or experts from the Heretical Sect. They began moving through the hills as they chased after the cart that had departed under the cover of night.

Jin So-cheong remarked,

“Quite a number, it seems. The Namgung Clan has likely accumulated many grievances.”

“It’s only natural if they amassed wealth through tyrannical means. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Namgung Clan faces destruction without any intervention.”

“How long will we wait?”

“For three hours!”

Jin So-cheong and I were taken aback. There was no mistaking that he meant we should wait until the next morning! Jin So-cheong looked perplexed and said,

“If we wait that long, I doubt we’ll keep up with the cart.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve already sent out tracking subordinates.”

“Ah.”

“The Namgung Clan members aren’t fools; they’ll surely send out additional men on a secondary route.”

As per Mangnyang’s words, about an hour later, a faint presence emerged. Four to five figures dressed in dark clothes stealthily exited the Namgung Clan and quickly moved away from their stronghold. Seeing their technique, I couldn’t help but murmur,

“They’re quite capable.”

From what I could infer just by their movement technique, they seemed to possess skills comparable to the Namgung Eight Swords. They were people who would gain a decent reputation even in the martial world, far stronger than those who had been escorting the cart earlier. Realizing that the ones who just moved were the “real deal,” we stealthily began to track them from about a hundred paces back.

After some time, we began to notice the sun rising in the sky. Soon enough, a vast river came into view. Jin So-cheong cast a glance at it and remarked,

“It’s the Yangtze River.”

“Indeed…”

“What could they want coming all the way to Dangtu? They’ve already covered over one hundred fifty li.”

As Jin So-cheong noted, we were now at a considerable distance. Arriving at the Yangtze River area meant they had traveled a substantial distance, even on horseback. Plus, the Namgung Clan masters had climbed mountains without riding horses, which surely exhausted them. The Namgung Clan seemed tired, taking a break nearby.

It appeared they were ready to depart again, but that was not the case. The Namgung Clan members crossed over a mountain and ventured into a desolate area along the Yangtze River, filled with jagged stones and rugged terrain.

As they arrived at the location, several figures emerged to greet them. It seemed that they had prearranged to meet near the Yangtze River all along. Observing from a hundred paces away, Jin So-cheong asked,

“Should we strike now?”

Mangnyang shook his head.

“Let’s watch for now. Can you use the Eavesdropping Technique?”

“I can.”

“If you notice anything suspicious while listening to their conversation, we strike.”

“Got it.”

For a while, Jin So-cheong concentrated his energies, keeping watch over their meeting.

“Haa!”

Suddenly, he dashed forward like lightning and launched an attack on them. I had been watching alongside him when I had no choice but to join in Jin So-cheong’s unexpected maneuver. Moments later, I felt Mangnyang using his spatial movement technique a beat late.

The one hundred paces were compressed into mere strides, and we arrived by the riverbank, immediately realizing why Jin So-cheong had acted so abruptly.

‘They’re done for!’

Despite appearing to be in good condition, three of the Namgung Clan masters had already met their demise. It seemed they were ambushed during their conversation. Jin So-cheong, sensing the impending fight from afar, recognized the moment combat broke out and rushed in.

Cha-ching!

Clang!

The masters of the Golden Eagle Guard, clad in gold robes, displayed dazzling swordplay, intimidating two remaining Namgung Clan members.

‘Golden Eagle Guard!’

Jin So-cheong dove into the fray, unleashing a booming thunderous shout.

Boom!

“Aaargh!”

As several were sent flying, Jin So-cheong landed elegantly. Before he could take another step, he charged toward the enemy leader. I arrived slightly late, beginning to engage in battle with the Golden Eagle Guard to save the surviving members of the Namgung Clan.

Swoosh!

In no time, I dispatched three of the Golden Eagle Guard masters with my sword strike. They had some degree of skill, but it was insufficient to stand against me. Believing I had extinguished an urgent fire, I turned my attention back to where Jin So-cheong was fighting, only for my pupils to dilate in shock.

“Wait?!”

Jin So-cheong drew his spear!

The opponent was on par with a peerless master?

Jin So-cheong maneuvered to strike at the enemy leader, who deftly evaded the attack and countered with three strikes. Jin So-cheong shifted back, attempting to parry, but he couldn’t push forward for further attacks.

Describing it simply made it sound easy, but the reality was anything but. Within that exchange, I sensed dozens or even hundreds of intricacies spinning within each of their moves, entangled in a complex web of intent.

The opponent, momentarily repelling Jin So-cheong’s advance, gestured for the Golden Eagle Guard to quickly surround him. After surveying Jin So-cheong coolly, the master said,

“Jin So-cheong, you truly have formidable skills, as rumored. But why did you choose to interfere here?”

Jin So-cheong looked heavily upon the three Namgung Clan masters who had met their demise. They all appeared to have fallen victim to a sinister scheme. He replied,

“I am indeed curious. What brings you here?”

At Jin So-cheong’s words, I felt an immense disbelief wash over me.

“You are the leader of the Huangshan Sect, aren’t you?”

The leader of the Nine Great Sects, Huangshan Sect—the Slayer of Dragons Sword wielding Yong Zhong-Il!

In truth, the son of the formidable protector of the Transformation School, Yong Bi-cheon, a prominent master representing the Transformation School, stood right here before us.