The Legend of the Northern Blade-Chapter 197: Where There is Light, There Must Be Shadow (1)

Chapter 197: Where There is Light, There Must Be Shadow (1)

Jin Mu-Won returned to the manor carrying Cheong-In on his back.

Tang Gi-Mun rushed out to meet them. "What happened?"

"There's no time to explain," Jin Mu-Won said urgently. "Please save him."

"I understand." Tang Gi-Mun had Jin Mu-Won lay Cheong-In down gently but swiftly and checked his pulse. "He's lost too much blood. Mi-Ryeo, bring the Jade Emperor Pill at once!"

"Yes, Uncle." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

The Jade Emperor Pill was one of the Tang Clan's legendary elixirs, a life-saving medicine said to rival the Shaolin Temple's Great Cycle Pill. While Mi-Ryeo hurried to retrieve it, Gi-Mun performed acupuncture on Cheong-In, turning him into a human pincushion. Still, every breath was a struggle.

Jin Mu-Won watched the procedure, his face etched with regret.

Ha Jin-Wol rushed over. "What happened?"

"He was doing me a favor..."

Jin Mu-Won described what had happened, and Ha Jin-Wol's expression grew serious as he listened.

"If Cheong-In's tracks were discovered, then their surveillance team must be formidable. Did you go to the manor he infiltrated?"

"I stopped by on the way back, but there was nothing left. Not a scrap of paper, nor any trace of anyone having stayed there."

"They're frighteningly meticulous," Ha Jin-Wol noted grimly. "They abandoned a base they must have worked hard to establish simply because they were discovered once."

"That's right," Jin Mu-Won concurred. The people Cheong-In tracked were terrifyingly decisive. The moment they realized they had been followed, they cut their losses without hesitation.

"They are truly dangerous," Ha Jin-Wol muttered, his eyes fixed on Cheong-In, whose body was covered with silver needles like a hedgehog's quills.

Tang Mi-Ryeo returned with the Jade Emperor Pill, and Tang Gi-Mun dissolved the pill in water and poured the mixture into Cheong-In's mouth. Slowly, a bit of color returned to the spy's pale face.

"Phew! It seems he's past the worst of it," Tang Gi-Mun sighed, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. The unexpected crisis had made him incredibly tense. "He needs to rest, so everyone should leave. Mi-Ryeo and I will watch over him."

"Thank you for your hard work, Hyung-nim."

"It was nothing. He should regain consciousness after resting for a day or two."

"I'll leave him in your care."

"Don't concern yourself too much. You look like you've been through a lot, so get some sleep too."

"Yes." Jin Mu-Won bowed to Tang Gi-Mun and stepped outside, Ha Jin-Wol following close behind him.

Once they were alone, he asked, "Who do you think they are?"

"It's hard to say," Ha Jin-Wol replied. "I don't have enough information to give you a definitive answer. One thing is certain, though. They're a much older and more established organization than we assumed."

"They must have lured Un-Kyung-hyung with the Demonic Cross of Blood."

"Providing incentives to those dissatisfied with their situation is an effective tactic, isn't it?" Ha Jin-Wol mused.

"Seeing as they have infiltrated the Mount Hua Sect, their agents must be planted all over the jianghu."

"For now, it's best to assume so. We must always plan for the worst-case scenario."

Jin Mu-Won stopped walking and looked east, where the sun was already rising. The long night was ending as dawn broke across the sky. He watched the rising sun for a long time, his face bathed in a red glow.

Ha Jin-Wol stood beside him, silently observing.

After a long silence, Jin Mu-Won declared, "The Northern Army... I must rebuild it."

"Have you finally made up your mind?" Excitement flashed across Ha Jin-Wol's face. He had waited so long to hear those words, but he knew he couldn't force the decision, so he had simply waited for Jin Mu-Won to decide for himself.

Anyone could establish a new sect by gathering two or more people and putting up a sign. However, could such a sect last? Countless sects were born in the jianghu every day, yet not many survived even a year. For a sect to endure for hundreds of years, the leader's martial prowess and resolve were paramount. They needed a strength that everyone could acknowledge and an unshakable will.

The Jin Mu-Won that Ha Jin-Wol knew was stronger than anyone, yet he was also indecisive. He had powerful martial arts, but felt burdened by his power. He couldn't come up with a reason to rebuild the Northern Army, partly because his father wished for him to live freely and partly because he disliked being tied down.

Other stars naturally gather around one great, brightly shining star.

Talented people naturally gathered around Jin Mu-Won. Ha Jin-Wol was one of them, as were Cheong-In and Seo Mu-Sang. Most of all, Jin Mu-Won had the compelling background of being the last heir of the Northern Army.

Having a interesting background that draws people's attention and support is a powerful weapon.

On top of that, he had the White Dragon Merchant Association's promised support, which meant that he had a solid financial foundation. Ha Jin-Wol felt his blood run hot. Finally, the moment he had been waiting for had arrived.

"I need the power of the Northern Army," Jin Mu-Won asserted.

"A wise decision."

"I'll be counting on you."

"You don't need to ask me for anything. If there's something you need, just give the order." Ha Jin-Wol met Jin Mu-Won's gaze. He then knelt on one knee, clasping his hands in a sign of respect. "Strategist Ha Jin-Wol greets the true Lord of the Northern Army, Master Jin Mu-Won."

"......"

"I, Ha Jin-Wol, pledge to act according to your will and intent. My mind and will exist only to follow your command," Ha Jin-Wol swore, his expression more reverent than ever before.

The Jin Mu-Won before him today was different. He was a powerful man who had found his purpose. Most imoportantly, he had decided on his path forward, a path that coincided with Ha Jin-Wol's own. Since a man with the martial prowess to break through any obstacles had made up his mind, he was now his true liege lord.

Jin Mu-Won was taken aback by the sudden formality, but Ha Jin-Wol's firm resolve made him realize he had to make his stance clear. It was time to end their ambiguous relationship. If he was to re-establish the Northern Army and become its Lord, there had to be a corresponding change in their relationship, and right now, Ha Jin-Wol was illustrating this very fact.

Seo Mu-Sang stepped forward and knelt beside Ha Jin-Wol. "I, Seo Mu-Sang, will also lend my strength to my Liege!" he said firmly, his eyes burning with resolve.

After looking back and forth between them for a moment, Jin Mu-Won said, "Please rise. You two will be the brain and sword of the new Northern Army."

"Thank you, Liege."

"Liege!"

Only then did the two men rise to their feet.

Jin Mu-Won looked at Ha Jin-Wol. "Strategist, please formulate the plan necessary to rebuild the Northern Army."

"Hehehe! I've already prepared it."

A strategist was someone who prepared and anticipated for every possible scenario, and Ha Jin-Wol fit that role better than anyone. He had planned for this moment, waiting only for Jin Mu-Won's command.

Jin Mu-Won then looked at Seo Mu-Sang. "Mu-Sang-hyungnim, from now on, you will be a new pillar of the Northern Army. Please accept the position of the Sword Pillar."

"It will be the honor of three lifetimes," Seo Mu-Sang replied, pounding his chest with a flushed face. "I, Seo Mu-Sang, will become the Sword Pillar of the Northern Army and face your enemies."

The inauguration ceremony was simple and intimate, with just the three of them in attendance. Although it was an unassuming beginning that went unwitnessed, they believed that their united will could change the world.

Meanwhile, Myeong Ryu-San was lurking nearby, eavesdropping. "The Northern Army..."

The strong scent of alcohol and traces of a long night still lingered on him, but he had forgotten his drunkenness. He watched Jin Mu-Won and the other two, a storm of complex emotions swirling in his eyes.

sep

Gwan Dae-Seung surveyed the scorched clearing, his gaze sweeping over the countless shattered and torn corpses. Gruesome as it was, the sight didn't faze him.

"Are you telling me that these were my Heavenly Hunters?"

The Heavenly Hunters were one of his many disposable pawns, but they weren't weak enough to be taken down so easily. If they were, he wouldn't have used them so often.

The coachman who always accompanied him stepped forward and examined the bodies. Looking at the horribly dismembered corpses, he said, "A very skilled martial artist did this."

"What kind of martial art did he use?"

"Hard to say. There are no distinctive traits, but that person definitely used enhanced qi."

"Enhanced qi?"

"Yes, and a highly concentrated version at that. Based on this, I'd say they're among the strongest in the transcendent realm."

For the first time, a look of annoyance appeared on Gwan Dae-Seung's face. "So you're saying someone that powerful has taken an interest in us? Can you track them?"

"It will be difficult. They've erased all signs of their presence."

"Hmph! What should we do then?"

"Erase all traces of the fight here. There's no reason to attract the attention of the other Nine Skies."

"Understood."

Despite the coachman's reassurance, Gwan Dae-Seung remained tense. The existence of an unknown entity and the unfamiliar feeling of being watched displeased him.

He boarded the carriage. "It seems I'll have to report this to the Patriarch. I'm returning to the clan."

"Understood," the coachman replied and drove the carriage away.

Right after they left, a mysterious group of people appeared out of nowhere and began collecting the scattered corpses.

The carriage left the clearing and arrived in the Heavenly Peach Village, a small, isolated town located a few dozen miles from Hunan. It passed through the town and headed for the outskirts, finally stopping before a large, antique manor. The old roof tiles and walls seemed to preserve hundreds of years of history, and the grand pavilions cast a heavy shadow.

Emblazoned on the manor's plaque were four characters written in powerful script—The Undefeated Clan.

Unlike typical manors, the Undefeated Clan's gate was made of iron. The three-inch-thick steel gate opened, and the carriage entered. Immediately after, the main gate closed firmly, as if nothing had happened.