Chapter 310: Martial Talents Spreading Their Wings
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A luxurious palace room.
On a high-class couch wide enough for three grown men to sit side by side, a man was lying down.
Presumed to be in his late forties, he was the ronin’s subordinate called Master Bung-ya.
After some time had passed, a faint presence was heard.
SEURUREUK-
A middle-aged man who appeared to be a servant opened the door and appeared.
“Master, I have a report.”
However, he was no ordinary servant.
Just from his sharp gaze alone, one could tell he was a martial artist.
But Master Bung-ya gave no response whatsoever.
“…”
The man checked the mood for a moment, then approached his side.
“An express message from Central Heaven Tower has arrived.”
Master Bung-ya remained silent.
No.
Far from that, he even closed his eyes…
With the situation like this, the man didn’t know what to do and quietly waited.
Some time passed from then.
SEUK.
Only then did Master Bung-ya open his eyes and sit up.
“Never mind the express message – you summarize and tell me.”
“Ah… yes. Unexpected damage has occurred to Eastern Heaven Division and Southern Heaven Division. According to the contents of the express message…”
Thus the man briefly reported the news of the total annihilation of Eastern Heaven Division’s Ninth Great General’s group, Southern Heaven Division’s Grand General’s group, and so on.
After that, he brought up talk of the Detached Three Army Corps.
When the series of explanations was complete.
“Hoo…”
Master Bung-ya, having laughed softly, let his eyes sink deep.
“Cheol Ryu-heun again, you say?”
At that, the man carefully received his words.
“What should… we do?”
“What do you mean, what do we do? Corps Commander Danmok, who suffered a setback, is firm in his resolve. It’s difficult for me to restrain him with my authority at the moment. Since Our Lord has specifically permitted that part.”
“That’s true, but…”
“It’s fine. Just leave him alone to have his fun. We’ve already laid out all the pieces anyway.”
“Understood.”
“Hmph, while I’m at it, I should add my support too.”
“Pardon?”
“Send reinforcements.”
“…!”
“Our original purpose was a war of attrition, wasn’t it?”
“Ah, then…”
“Go tell them to dispatch Eastern Heaven Division.”
“What? A-all of them… you mean?”
“Then they can have even more fun. Whether someone lives or dies there, we just need to do what we need to do.”
At Master Bung-ya’s words, the man bowed his head and answered respectfully.
“Yes, I will receive and implement the order.”
“And.”
Master Bung-ya pointed at the desk with a chin gesture.
“Deliver that to Central Heaven Tower’s Grand General.”
When the man turned his head, a single scroll came into view.
As he quickly picked it up, Master Bung-ya spoke again in a soft voice.
“I too am paying attention to White Peak Sword Sect’s growth trajectory. That’s why I’m going to assign a separate task. Hoo hoo, that fellow will also have a use. You may leave now.”
Who did “that fellow” refer to?
The man set aside his questions and moved his feet.
TAK.
As the presence of the man who had closed the door and left quickly faded.
‘Jianghu, consider yourselves lucky that the Four Divine Generals aren’t moving.’
Having sent off a brief thought inwardly, Master Bung-ya lay back down on the couch again.
* * *
“Thank heavens! Ha ha ha!”
An old Taoist burst into joyful laughter.
The owner of that soft voice was the Mount Heng Sect Leader, White Cloud Sword Duke Taoist Cheon Mu.
Currently, this place was inside Taeheo Palace.
Two people were seated in front of him.
One was Cloud Sea Sword Elder, a famous elder and master.
And the other was a young man of twenty-two years.
Baek Lim.
A rising talent who had used the Taoist name Gong-wol before being promoted to first-rank disciple.
Within Mount Heng Sect, he had today finally passed the special training space called “Mystic Cliff Great Eight Secret Gates,” referred to as the gates of hell.
That was why Taoist Cheon Mu had been smiling and saying what a relief it was.
A smile also hung on Baek Lim’s face.
With his martial prowess having rapidly risen, he was now a proper young dragon of Mount Heng Sect.
“Thanks to you, Master, I passed safely. Thank you.”
“No. Give that thanks to Sect Master Cheol. Without the essence of One Origin Illuminating Yang Golden Needle Great Technique that he taught me in the past… it would probably have been difficult.”
At Taoist Cheon Mu’s words, Cheon Gwoeng nodded and thought.
‘Sect Leader’s insight was correct. Honestly, I didn’t expect this level of growth in such a short period…’
Along with that, a conversation he had exchanged with him before came to mind.
-Sect Leader, are you planning to start properly cultivating that child now?
-Hmm, I should. Since his potential is excellent. As you well know, each of the Nine Great Sects is carefully nurturing young dragons who will be responsible for our sect’s future. It would be troublesome if our sect fell behind in that.
Cheol Ryu-heun had come here and gifted ten roots of Hundred-Year Snow Ginseng.
Baek Lim had consumed one of them.
But that wasn’t all.
Taoist Cheon Mu, having predicted his development potential, had used his privilege as Sect Leader to also have him consume various precious medicines the sect had been keeping.
As a result, the youngest first-rank disciple Baek Lim grew to become a proper upper-tier sword genius within the sect.
Of course, Cheol Ryu-heun’s One Origin Illuminating Yang Golden Needle Great Technique had been decisive.
‘Ho ho, is not the very existence of Sect Master Cheol itself a fortune?’
Cheon Gwoeng, having smiled inwardly, erased his thoughts and spoke.
“Sect Leader, shall we begin preparing to receive the guests?”
At that, Taoist Cheon Mu changed his expression.
“Four are coming first, you said?”
“Yes, I just received the letter. The young dragons of Shaolin Temple, Wudang Sect, Mount Hua Sect, and Mount Huang Sect will arrive this afternoon.”
“And Sect Master Cheol’s letter…?”
“I also received that through the Beggar Sect branch. He says he’ll come within a few days.”
“Hmm, I see. Understood. Go tell the cook. To prepare a grand feast. Everyone fights better when well-fed before being sent off.”
* * *
A young man standing on a gray cliff where waves crashed against.
He was a swordsman with strong-featured looks.
Was his age around twenty-four or twenty-five?
With long hair and a hero’s scarf wrapped around his head, his bearing was like a crane among chickens.
Everything from head to toe and all his attire was black.
Even the sword at his waist.
The scabbard even had a pitch-black dragon exquisitely carved into it.
Perhaps because of that.
It felt as if a tyrannical energy was being emitted like a storm from his entire body.
The identity of this heroic young man in black was none other than the Family Head of Zhejiang Son Family, one of the Seven Great Families – Son Ja-ryong.
Owner of the Dragon Throne Sword, one of the Ten Great Heavenly Weapons, and a martial arts genius representing the Jiangnan Jianghu.
Moreover, he was also a man who had recently taken the highest rank among the supreme masters representing the Zhejiang region – the “Four Great Thrones of Zhejiang” – and thus spread his martial fame.
Due to his unparalleled achievements, he had even obtained the epithet Young Sword King.
That meant the second coming of Great Sword King Son Zhang-ryo, the family’s ancestor who had conquered the Orthodox and Unorthodox Jianghu of the Zhejiang region over a hundred years ago.
PEOLLEOKPEOLLEOK-
The rough sea wind shook Son Ja-ryong’s clothes.
But he showed no movement.
Was he lost in deep thought?
He merely gazed quietly at the horizon.
Then at a certain moment, Son Ja-ryong opened his mouth.
“You came.”
He was speaking to a man approaching from behind.
A young man who appeared to be the same age.
His appearance was delicate but somehow gave a cold feeling, and his attire was like that of a scholar.
However.
Like Son Ja-ryong, he wore a sword at his waist.
That’s right.
He too was a Jianghu person.
He stopped beside him, then cast his gaze at the distant sea and let out a soft voice.
“Do you also believe that rumor about the Divine Martial Sword?”
At those words, Son Ja-ryong shrugged.
“I’m half-believing, half-doubting.”
“Hmm…”
“Anyway, I have to confirm. My dream is to rise as the greatest martial artist of this era, after all.”
“There must be quite a few who dream such dreams.”
“I know. Countless masters of the Jianghu will probably flock to the Shiwan Mountains. To claim the Divine Martial Sword.”
“What if the Divine Martial Sword actually exists there…?”
“I must put it in this hand, no matter what. If anyone interferes… I won’t hesitate to clash.”
“Regardless of Orthodox or Unorthodox?”
At that, Son Ja-ryong nodded slightly and finally turned his gaze to the side.
“Indeed, even if that opponent is the White Peak Sword Sect Master who’s the talk of the capital. I will cut down everyone who blocks me.”
“Hmm… how resolute.”
“I’ve heard news about him. They say he overwhelmed the Sun Moon Demon Cult Leader with force. Even wielding Heavenly Demon Divine Art…”
“I know too. But is that true?”
“Who knows. We’ll find out when we meet. I don’t know if he’ll come or not though.”
“Rumor has it he’s someone who consistently shows an indifferent attitude toward everything. But even such a Sect Master Cheol would show interest in the Divine Martial Sword, the greatest divine weapon.”
“I think similarly. Even I, who already own the Dragon Throne Sword, feel desire stirring…”
“Human greed is truly endless. Like that sea.”
At that moment, Son Ja-ryong spoke in a grave tone.
“Friend, I need your help.”
The man called friend wore a faint smile and responded.
“Between us, at this point… can’t you tell from the fact that I came all the way here?”
At this, Son Ja-ryong smiled back and let his eyes gleam.
“You’ve finally achieved mastery in your family’s supreme arts?”
At that, the man nodded and said.
“About eighty or ninety percent. Quite coincidentally at this time.”
“Hoot. Just as you say, coincidentally…”
“My cultivation is at a level almost equivalent to perfection. Let’s go together. The deadly formations of the Shiwan Mountains – I’ll protect you from that danger.”
“That’s reassuring just to hear. Befitting a formation genius who inherited the legacy of the Zhuge Family. When this matter is over, I’ll help your family rise again. Bi.”
The name of the friend Son Ja-ryong mentioned.
Zhuge Bi.
In the distant past, he was the descendant of Zhuge Family, one of the Seven Great Orthodox faction families, which had then fallen due to rapid decline.
Zhuge Bi spoke with a surprised expression.
“What, that was a promise from childhood… you didn’t forget.”
“Of course. I always thought Zhuge Family would surely rise again. Because there’s you, a genius I admired early on.”
Son Ja-ryong’s words were sincere.
At this, Zhuge Bi quietly turned around and gestured lightly.
“Shall we go?”
“Yes.”
The moment Son Ja-ryong followed behind.
CHEOK, CHEOK, CHEOK, CHEOK, CHEOK…
The personnel who had been lined up on the flat ground behind the cliff also moved along.
Numbering as many as three hundred, they were the elite swordsmen of Zhejiang Son Family.
* * *
The spacious garden of Heavenly Flower Tower.
Mun Bin, looking at Gongse Dan-yeong standing beside him, smiled gently.
“Your internal power level has changed greatly in just one night.”
“It’s thanks to Sect Master Cheol. This feeling is the first time. It’s like my body keeps wanting to float away. But that arduous process of enlightenment… I don’t want to go through it again. It’s not a lie – I really almost died.”
“Haha. I understand. I was the same before.”
Right at that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun appeared leading his beloved horse Divine Wind.
“Have you packed all your luggage?”
At his expressionless question, the two answered in unison.
“Yes.”
At that, Cheol Ryu-heun swiftly mounted the saddle.
“Get on behind.”
Hearing those words, Mun Bin and Gongse Dan-yeong also took their places on Divine Wind’s back.
Cheol Ryu-heun, holding the reins, muttered with an indifferent face.
“Now let’s go and firmly teach the enemy. The fact that all the geniuses in this world are in our region.”
Simultaneously, Divine Wind emitted white current and leaped into the air.
KKWANG-!
Meanwhile, Cheol Ryu-heun recalled in his mind the Sound Transmission from the enemy who had supported Great Sword Tyrant Lord Danmok Cheon and fled.
-If we claim the Divine Martial Sword of the Shiwan Mountains, you won’t be safe either! Wash your neck and wait!
He soon smiled wryly inwardly and muttered.
‘Hoo, how stupid… the price of pathetic scheming is only death. Try using all your means and methods. I’ll crush them all with my power.’