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I spent a week masterfully honing the Heavenly Secret Technique. Normally, one would need at least several years of training for such a skill, but with my basic knowledge from Ji-seon Mang-nyang, along with my considerable spirit power, it’s safe to say I made the most of my limited time.

“Baek Woong, we just got word from the Sword Demon,” Mang-nyang said.

“What’s the news?”

“The Great Five have officially decided to oust the Namgung Clan after their funds were cut off. The Sword Demon is using the Black Dao forces in Anhui Province to diminish the experts of the Namgung Clan.”

“Hmm.”

Just as I’d expected. Under normal circumstances, none of the Great Five would step back. Each of them wielded power that would make anyone wonder if they were merely a clan. But with the head of the Namgung Clan and Young Master missing and even the elders losing their martial prowess, paired with the Fire Spirit Techniques abandoning them, this outcome was predictable. The Namgung Clan was practically on its last legs already.

Lost in thought, I replied, “Why don’t we just leave it all to the Sword Demon? There’s really no need for me or Jin So-cheong to get our hands dirty…”

“I think so too. The current state of the Namgung Clan is easy pickings for the Sword Demon. But there’s one reason we have to get involved ourselves.”

What reason? I stared at Mang-nyang blankly, and he continued, “The Imperial Palace is already keeping an eye on this movement. They never slacken their surveillance over the Martial Arts World, especially when something big like the fall of the Namgung Clan happens. Sooner or later, they’ll inevitably get involved.”

“Hmm, is it about the Slave Market?”

Upon hearing my question, Mang-nyang looked impressed. “You’re quick to get to the point. Well done.”

“We got intel that the Namgung Clan is mixed up with the Slave Market.”

“Exactly.” He gestured while mentioning the Seven Fires, Seven Golds Line.

“We’ve known that the Imperial Palace has ties to the Slave Market. With the Namgung Clan, their main investor disappearing, they’re bound to be on the lookout to scoop up any crumbs from the fallout or dig up confidential information. And there will definitely be a group that gets involved in that process.”

“The Golden Eagle Guard!”

“The Shadowless Gate alone cannot catch the movements of the Golden Eagle Guard. We need to take matters into our own hands. The Sword Demon may be able to capture them alive, but going against the Imperial Palace directly would be too much for him, so it’ll fall to us, the outlaws.”

“Right.” I agreed with Mang-nyang’s plan. “Have you relayed this to Jin So-cheong and the Sword Demon?”

“Not yet. But I think they’ll have similar thoughts.”

With that, Mang-nyang slowly added, “Let’s get going.”

Whoosh!

I, along with Jin So-cheong and Mang-nyang, stopped by the Shadowless Gate to relay the news to the Sword Demon. He grinned and said, “Good idea. You’ll handle the Golden Eagle Guard.”

“But Sect Leader, was it really the Golden Eagle Guard that was too much to handle in the Slave Market?”

“Hmm… I don’t really know the details. After all, what happened during your previous life, well…” The Sword Demon stroked his beard. “But I don’t think they were strong enough to claim the title of Golden Eagle Guard.”

“Not strong enough?”

“No matter how supreme the Golden Eagle’s experts are, we have those of a similar caliber in the Shadowless Gate as well. I don’t see the current Golden Eagle Guard being strong enough to pose a threat. A much more powerful faction or corresponding super-expert must be involved.”

“What about the Lord of the Golden Eagle Guard?”

“I thought of that too, but he’s only just stepped into the realm of peak experts, so he’s not really that strong. If I were intimidated by someone like that, I wouldn’t have gotten this far.”

“……”

“Anyhow, I’d appreciate your help. I’ll keep applying pressure on the Namgung Clan.”

“Understood.”

Once the discussion wrapped up, we moved closer to the remnants of the Namgung Clan. After the great scar had been etched into the Namgung’s legacy, its members abandoned their structures and returned to their old base. They were fully aware that Jin So-cheong’s warning wasn’t just a simple threat. Currently, they were quite far from Anhui Province.

Jin So-cheong, gazing across the distant mountains, mumbled coldly, “They ignored my warning.”

“Who would easily abandon their stronghold and clan? They must have already resigned themselves to death,” Mang-nyang replied.

“Let’s set up an ambush here. We need to watch their movements closely.”

“Without striking to eliminate?”

“The Namgung Clan is currently backed into a corner. To survive, they’ll resort to every tactic, probably trying to reach out to the Slave Market. If we catch that movement, we’ll be able to trace it back to the shadow forces in the Slave Market.”

Jin So-cheong crossed his arms and remarked, “Must we really trace it all the way to the Slave Market’s shadow forces? We already know the Imperial Palace is involved.”

“Knowing and confirming are worlds apart. And as the Sword Demon said, the capabilities of the Golden Eagle Guard alone won’t be enough to control a massive Slave Market. There must be allied forces or super-experts involved. Finding them will make future dealings easier.”

“Hmm…”

When I heard the term “future,” my heart felt a bit heavy. Mang-nyang was clearly plotting with my demise in mind. If it were the old days, I would have left things as they were, but getting directly involved to gather information was exactly why Mang-nyang wanted me to see everything firsthand.

“What do we do if we run into the Lord of the Golden Eagle Guard later?” Jin So-cheong asked.

“Capture him if possible; if not, don’t hesitate to kill him.” Mang-nyang replied decisively.

“Is it okay to kill him?”

“The Sword Demon overlooked one thing: while the Lord of the Golden Eagle Guard’s martial arts might be on the lower end among peak experts, he has already assimilated demonic energies from the Imperial Palace’s Demon Subduing Hall. That’s a seed of magic that could pose a great threat to the Heavenly Realm. We’d be risking our lives if we attempted to capture him now.”

“Hmm.”

I thought Mang-nyang’s words were valid. When the Lord of the Golden Eagle Guard fully awakens as a demon, Jin Dong-bin had to summon the Fire Dragon just to kill him with extreme sword qi. That meant there was a real danger of him being reborn as a hazardous demon beast. No matter how powerful Jin So-cheong was, it wouldn’t be wise to come into contact with such magic recklessly.

We devised a plan and decided to keep watch over the Namgung Clan while camping nearby. Since having all three of us on watch wasn’t efficient, we took turns keeping an eye out while the others rested. After about four days of surveillance from roughly five miles away, it happened.

Mang-nyang, who was on watch, dashed over to our campsite in a flash.

“They moved!”

Jin So-cheong and I sprang to our feet, following Mang-nyang up the mountain. Just as he had said, a cart was rumbling out in the dead of night, with several Namgung Clan experts of considerable martial prowess escorting it.

Mang-nyang observed from a distance and said solemnly, “If they’re moving in the dark, it suggests a secret meeting.”

“Should we chase after that cart?”

“No, let’s wait a bit longer.”

“……?”

“The Namgung Clan is aware that the powerful factions in the Jianghu are watching them. That cart is likely a decoy. There’s no need to rush; let’s keep our distance for now.”

“Are you saying the real deal will appear?”

Mang-nyang glanced at the nearby hills. “Once other opportunists converge, that’s when something will happen.”

As expected, it seemed we weren’t the only ones keeping an eye on the Namgung Clan. I sensed movements from hidden experts scattered in various directions. They were likely vengeful factions capitalizing on the Namgung Clan’s weakened state or rogue martial artists. They all began moving to follow the cart that had set off into the night.

Jin So-cheong noted, “That’s a significant number. The Namgung Clan must have built up a lot of enmity over time.”

“It’s only natural given how harshly they accumulated wealth. If I’m not mistaken, they’ll crumble without anyone needing to lift a finger.”

“How long will we wait?”

“For three half-moments!”

Jin So-cheong and I were taken aback. Did he mean we should wait until the next morning? Jin So-cheong hesitated, saying, “If we wait that long to pursue, I doubt we’ll catch up to that cart.”

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

“Ah.”

“If the Namgung Clan isn’t full of idiots, they’ll definitely send out a second group.”

Just as Mang-nyang predicted, about an hour later, I caught wind of a subtle movement. A group of four to five experts dressed for night travel stealthily emerged from the Namgung Clan’s vicinity and quickly began moving away. As I observed their martial arts closely, I let out a low sound of surprise.

“They’re quite skilled.”

Just from assessing their techniques, they appeared to be on par with the Eight Swords of Namgung. They were likely to earn a respectable name on the Jianghu, making them a cut above those who had escorted the cart earlier. Realizing we were now trailing the ‘real’ target, we began our stealthy pursuit from a hundred paces away.

How long had we been moving? The sun had already risen high in the sky, and soon we found ourselves facing a large river. Jin So-cheong glanced at the riverbanks and remarked, “It’s the Yangtze River.”

“Indeed…”

“What could they want here at Dangtu? They’ve already traveled a hundred and fifty miles.”

As Jin So-cheong noted, we had come quite a distance. Arriving at the Yangtze River would still require a substantial ride, and considering the Namgung Clan experts had ascended the mountain on foot, they must have exhausted a lot of energy. Seemingly fatigued, the Namgung experts rested momentarily nearby.

But just as they appeared ready to depart again, something strange happened. The Namgung experts crossed a mountain, heading towards the desolate banks of the Yangtze River, where rocky terrain covered in pebbles and peculiar boulders awaited them.

Upon reaching this remote location, a few figures awaited them, clearly intending to meet at the Yangtze River. Watching from a hundred paces away, Jin So-cheong asked, “Shall we strike now?”

Mang-nyang shook his head. “For now, let’s just observe. Can you eavesdrop?”

“I can.”

“Listen for any suspicious movements and strike if necessary.”

“Understood.”

Jin So-cheong concentrated his energy to eavesdrop on their meeting.

Suddenly, he burst forth like lightning with incredible speed, charging at them. Taken by surprise, I had no choice but to follow suit, realizing I had delayed a moment too long to use my spatial technique.

The hundred-paces distance collapsed in an instant as my soul-removal technique took effect. Arriving at the riverbank, the reason for Jin So-cheong’s sudden action became clear.

‘They’re dead!’

Although they looked okay at first glance, three of the Namgung Clan experts had already met their end. It seemed they had been attacked mid-conversation. Jin So-cheong had sensed that something was amiss from a distance and rushed in as soon as the battle began.

Clang! Clang!

The Golden Eagle Guard, clad in their armor, dazzled as they cornered two surviving Namgung Clan experts, wielding their swords.

‘The Golden Eagle Guard!’

As Jin So-cheong vaulted into the fray, he unleashed a Thunder Spirit Seal.

“Aaaah!”

As a few were blasted away, Jin So-cheong landed deftly, immediately charging into the enemy leader. I arrived a moment behind and began battling the Golden Eagle Guard to save the remaining survivors of the Namgung Clan.

In an instant, I dispatched three members of the Golden Eagle Guard with my sword strength. Although they were somewhat skilled, they were no match for me. Satisfied that I had put out that fire, I turned my gaze towards where Jin So-cheong was fighting, and at that moment, my pupils dilated.

“Huh?!”

Jin So-cheong drew his spear!

Was the enemy that strong?

Jin So-cheong twirled his spear with grace, launching an attack on the enemy leader. The latter naturally evaded and retaliated with three strikes of his own. Jin So-cheong countered skillfully, but to his dismay, he couldn’t strike back any further.

While it may seem simplistic, the actual engagement was intricately layered. I felt the nuances of countless hidden techniques thrumming with intent, intertwined in a complex web between them.

After temporarily repelling Jin So-cheong’s charge, that opponent waved, signaling the Golden Eagle Guard to regroup behind him. He then gazed at Jin So-cheong and said, “Jin So-cheong. Your reputation certainly precedes you, but what’s your business here?”

Jin So-cheong grimly surveyed the lifeless forms of the fallen Namgung experts, all of whom seemed to have met a terrifying end. He replied, “I’m rather curious myself. Why are you present here?”

After those words, I felt utterly flabbergasted.

“You’re the leader of the Huashan Sect, are you not?”

Indeed, the leader of the Huashan Sect, wielder of the Azure Dragon Sword, Yong Junil!

In truth, he was the son of the Fire Spirit’s Dharma Guardian, and one of the most formidable experts representing the Fire Spirit Techniques, standing right there!

 

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