Chapter 024. The Sword Dragon Has Returned.
The Martial Sovereign's assurance that everyone in this Castle would know that the Sword Dragon had returned.
It was by no means an exaggeration.
After the series of incidents at the Iron Blood Woo Clan concluded, a short proclamation was issued in the name of the Heavenly Martial Hall, where the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle resided.
[Second Young Master Woo Seo-gwang, Iron Blood Family Head Woo Gi-tae. The aforementioned two committed grave sins by violating the Castle Lord's decree; all positions and merits are stripped, and their lives are taken.]
There was no further explanation beyond that.
But because the proclamation bore the Martial Sovereign's official seal, no one raised an objection.
Only rumors circulated discreetly that this matter was deeply involved with Dam Jeok-san.
And rumors, by their very nature of having neither truth nor substance, spread even faster.
All the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle did was not deliberately stop the rumors.
Dam Jeok-san's exploits, spread by word of mouth, quickly permeated throughout the entire Martial Sovereign Castle.
Thus, several days passed.
* * *
The Imperial Dragon Battle Group, stationed in the Martial Sovereign Castle's main castle, is one of the premier military organizations within the castle. Although they are evaluated as lacking experience in dealing with monsters compared to the Northern Wind Sword Corps of the Northern Branch or the Monster Extermination Scarlet Blood Corps of the Western Region Branch, the Imperial Dragon Battle Group can certainly claim to be the strongest when it comes to human-to-human combat.
Because they have always waged war against humans who opposed the will of the Martial Sovereign Castle.
Moreover, due to the Imperial Dragon Battle Group's characteristic of consistently remaining in the main castle rather than remote areas, it was filled with members from prestigious families, including the Five Great Families. It was, in fact, a military group where the Martial Sovereign Castle's top prospects entered.
However, Gu Un-pyeong, a low-ranking martial artist of the Imperial Dragon Battle Group, felt no pride in his affiliation.
Because it was a place he entered as compensation for betraying the lord he once swore loyalty to.
But now―
The entire Imperial Dragon Battle Group was filled with stories about that lord.
“Did you hear that rumor?”
“You mean the story about the Third Young Master who was treated as scrap?”
“Yes, they say that Third Young Master led the downfall of the Iron Blood Woo Clan this time.”
The voices of the Imperial Dragon Battle Group martial artists conversing were filled with disbelief.
There are quite a few martial artists who lost an arm and succeeded in making a comeback.
A martial artist who lost a leg and stood on the battlefield again? Yes, again, this is not entirely absent.
However, recovering a crushed dantian is a different story altogether.
It is at a level where it would barely be found if one searched through legends or myths, not actual cases.
However, Gu Un-pyeong was accepting those words with an unusual composure.
‘Because I always thought that if it was the Young Master, it could happen someday.’
It is not a story to be gossiped about from the position of having betrayed his lord. But it meant that Dam Jeok-san's appearance, as Gu Un-pyeong remembered it, was that special. He sighed and listened intently to the stories of the Imperial Dragon Battle Group martial artists.
During the conversation, a middle-aged martial artist, who was considered quite influential within the Battle Group, suddenly approached and spoke.
“Oh, they were talking about that here too. Do you remember the Third Young Master of the past?”
He asked, stroking his rough chin with a wild beard.
“……Sword Dragon.”
Someone softly recited the alias that once symbolized the Third Young Master.
“Yes, Sword Dragon……. The Third Young Master in those days was a man like a storm.”
At that time, Dam Jeok-san not only defeated many prominent martial artists in the position of a rising star.
He even made the Young Family Head of the Namgung Clan, who was the head of the Five Great Families of the Orthodox Murim and called the Number One Sword Family under Heaven, kneel. As a result, his reputation ultimately spread beyond the Martial Sovereign Castle and shook the world. Even the Eldest Young Master, who was solidifying his position as the successor to the Castle, began to feel threatened by his actions.
The middle-aged man was an orphan who rose through the ranks after dedicating himself to the Martial Sovereign Castle. Just like Dam Jeok-san.
A rare case in the Imperial Dragon Battle Group.
Thus, the man had respected Dam Jeok-san ever since he started creating a whirlwind.
Although he was deeply considering serving him as his lord, Dam Jeok-san fell into an abyss from which he could not return.
‘If he really returned…….’
The man was willing to offer his sword to Dam Jeok-san.
“S-Sir, how about we stop talking about the Third Young Master? The Battle Group Commander will surely be angry.”
A martial artist said, looking at the middle-aged man's expression.
It was understandable, as the Battle Group Commander of the Imperial Dragon Battle Group was thoroughly the Eldest Young Master's man from the roots.
“Worrying too much for your own good. While we obey the Commander's orders, there is no need to blindly follow his ideology.”
The middle-aged man retorted with a cold sneer on his lips.
At that story, Gu Un-pyeong felt his heart inexplicably pound.
‘Can I go back? To the Young Master?’
It is Dam Jeok-san who decides whether to accept him or not, but it is Gu Un-pyeong himself who chooses whether to go back.
He must make up his mind. Until the Third Young Master returns from the north.
The Imperial Dragon Battle Group, the heart of the Martial Sovereign Castle.
Something was changing even there.
That was the weight of the Sword Dragon's name.
* * *
“To have such a terrible fate, to take care of a child.”
Mu-yeong adjusted his mask and sighed deeply.
In front of him was Lee Hyang.
The Martial Sovereign's Personal Guard and the Chief Commander who commands the Hidden Heaven Guard. It's not that he's in a position to show off, but Mu-yeong is certainly one of the top skilled personnel in the Castle.
Well, that doesn't mean he can disobey orders.
Because the one who gave him the order was none other than the Martial Sovereign.
“I don't really like you either, Mister.”
Lee Hyang pouted slightly, defiantly retorted, and grumbled.
“I wanted to follow the Young Master…….”
Dam Jeok-san's intentions were admirable, but he flatly said that unfortunately, she would not be helpful. However, in that cold refusal, the girl contradictorily felt warmth. Because the desire for the girl to grow up without getting hurt cannot help but be warm, no matter what language it is refined into.
“Still, since it has come to this, please take care of me.”
The girl bowed politely and said.
“Hahaha…….”
Mu-yeong let out a hollow laugh, watching the girl prattling like that.
The command was given by the Castle Lord, but does she know that the Young Master practically dumped her on me?
Of course, she probably knows.
Because this child seemed very intelligent for her age.
She was probably just grumbling earlier.
It had been over 10 years since he had seen someone dare to grumble at him like that, so he even felt a refreshing sensation.
But strangely, he was not displeased.
However, there is a little more room for thought regarding Dam Jeok-san. There are quite a few individuals within the Hidden Heaven Guard who are keenly observing the Third Young Master's martial prowess. Of course, due to the Hidden Heaven Guard's characteristic as the Martial Sovereign's personal guard, they cannot meddle in political strife.
But where in the world is there absolute neutrality? Those guys also have hearts. The position of the next Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle is that significant.
‘Perhaps the Third Young Master thought this far.’
No, he definitely would have thought so.
Just looking at how he handed Lee Hyang over to Mu-yeong as he left for the north shows that. If the Third Young Master directly protected the girl, she could become a weakness in future political strife with the Eldest Young Master.
However, if he, the Martial Sovereign's Personal Guard, takes care of her?
No matter how much the Eldest Young Master, he cannot easily touch her. Lee Hyang's safety is secured.
He felt that such meticulous planning might be the true weapon the Third Young Master gained through repeated determination after losing his dantian.
Separately from that.
‘What to do with that child?’
Mu-yeong pressed his mask firmly while looking at Lee Hyang.
After pondering for a while.
“Um…… I want to be helpful.”
Lee Hyang said, looking up at Mu-yeong with eyes filled with a certain resolve.
“Hoo.”
At that moment, a strange light flickered in Mu-yeong's eyes beyond the mask. Lee Hyang's age is around twelve; it is a bit late to begin martial arts. Her physical constitution is also difficult to call excellent. Because it is the slender body of a child.
‘That's not to say it's bad.’
The very fact that she walks around so calmly despite having undergone a long period of confinement is proof of that.
It's just that Mu-yeong's standards are very high, but Lee Hyang's physical constitution was quite decent.
Moreover, her comprehension is definitely outstanding.
To the point where she can use a speaking style unfitting her age and status.
However, the most important thing is that resolve in her eyes.
The burning anger and desire for revenge against the world. That transformed into admiration for Dam Jeok-san the moment he saved her and killed Woo Seo-gwang. However, even though the type of emotion changed, its intensity seemed to remain the same.
Emotions of such density and intensity are, in themselves, qualities and talents.
Mu-yeong coveted that quite a bit.
“Then, would you like to learn martial arts?”
Mu-yeong lowered his gaze toward the girl and asked.
“…….”
“It will be helpful to the Third Young Master.”
Seeing her confused by the sudden offer, Mu-yeong drove the point home.
That day, Lee Hyang became an apprentice martial artist under the Hidden Heaven Guard.
* * *
The path out of the Martial Sovereign Castle's main castle to go north was extremely noisy.
Everywhere, he heard talk about the Sword Dragon, and
Some even cheered.
And still others turned their heads, unable to meet Dam Jeok-san's eyes. They were mostly the betrayers who had turned their backs on him. However, Dam Jeok-san harbored no particular ill will towards them. They were the ones who once swore loyalty and served him as their lord. It was he himself who failed to present them with any certain future.
Of course, he had no intention of forgiving those who took the lead in spreading rumors or who held their swords reversed and threatened him.
They would pay a desperate price.
‘The Sword Dragon has returned…….’
Dam Jeok-san repeated the words uttered by those who enjoyed gossiping in the Martial Sovereign Castle.
It happened as his Master said. Everyone in the main castle was speaking of his astonishing achievements.
But Dam Jeok-san felt a thirst.
Sword Dragon?
That alone was not enough.
The alias Sword Dragon means clearly.
A swordsman worthy of being called the best among rising stars.
However, the world is ruthless.
Monsters would not care whether Dam Jeok-san was a rising star or not before biting his neck and killing him, would they? Immediately, his most powerful competitor, the Eldest Young Master, is already a monster who has far surpassed the level of a rising star.
If he indulged in complacency, he would only be played into the Eldest Young Master's hands and suffer a futile defeat.
He must become strong.
He must become terribly strong.
Dam Jeok-san recovered his dantian and, after defeating Woo Seo-gwang, renewed his resolve.
The resolve to willingly face the world, no matter how vast.
But Dam Jeok-san also knows.
That he is still incredibly weak. And that the world is absurdly dangerous.
That is why he is trying to become strong.
‘The amount of accumulated qi is not a big problem.’
Because he has the ability to grow through Predation.
Perhaps when he heads north, monsters of a different dimension than Shanxi Province will swarm.
Furthermore…….
‘Perhaps I can enter even the deep parts of the Demonic Realm.’
After gaining the power of Predation, his reason was never clouded, no matter how severe and dense the demonic energy he encountered. No, rather, the more powerful demonic energy he faced, the more acutely his peripheral senses were honed. It felt as if an instinct that had been dormant for a long time was awakening. Because a Predator is a hunter. How could one's mind become muddled in a paradise where prey abounds?
However, what is important is not the amount of internal energy stored in the dantian.
Enlightenment regarding the essence of martial arts, and the skill to manifest that enlightenment at the tip of his sword.
For that, he must fully assimilate the fortuitous encounter he gained by killing Woo Seo-gwang.
Countless Fighting Paths unfolded like a star cluster.
It is the cradle of martial arts compiled by an existence who once reached the pinnacle of the world.
What Dam Jeok-san read that day was only a tiny fraction of the myriad stars engraved in that cradle.
‘It would be good if I could see that again.’
Since he peeked once, it would not be impossible a second time.
No, rather, it would be much easier than the first time.
Dam Jeok-san intuitively guessed how to see that star cluster again.
‘……I will have to predate a monster that has cultivated martial arts.’
Considering the characteristics of the demonic energy he predated before seeing the star cluster, the answer was clear.
The demonic energy of the monkey monster that obsessively practiced fast sword forms,
And the demonic energy containing Woo Seo-gwang's will and sentiments, although it was merely a residual trace.
He predated those two.
But monsters that follow the martial path like the monkey monster are rare.
No, even if they exist, most of them are transcendent beings dwelling deep within the Demonic Realm.
The Six-Armed Asura, a monster that once turned the northern Central Plains into a sea of blood and then vanished abruptly, was an example.
That monster was a deformed creature with six arms, but it was practicing the Reverse Blood Asura Great Art, one of the Ten Great Demonic Arts of the Heavenly Demon Sect.
‘Three masters who reached the Entering Transformation Realm also died by his hands.’
It is an enemy that the current Dam Jeok-san cannot contend with.
Then, he has only one target he can aim for.
Traitors who chose to transform into monsters even though they were human…… monsters commonly known as Half-Demons. Half-Demons are a group commonly seen not only in the borderlands close to the Demonic Realm but also in the Central Plains.
Even if they transgress taboos, even if they eventually lose their reason.
It is human nature to seek greater power.
It was just such an era.
Dam Jeok-san and his companions, having left the Martial Sovereign Castle, traveled continuously for several days and arrived north of Shanxi Province.
* * *
Dam Jeok-san and his party settled down at the Mirihyang inn, located in the north of Shanxi Province.
Mirihyang was one of the inns renowned as the most luxurious in the vicinity.
From savory marinated pork to steaming noodle dishes. A feast of exotic delicacies was set on the table. But Dam Jeok-san himself paid them no mind, pouring alcohol into a cup and opening his mouth. It was cheap grain liquor, unfitting the luxurious dishes.
“Will you two have a drink as well?”
“……Young Master, your body isn't well, is it?”
Gyeong-won dissuaded Dam Jeok-san with a worried voice. He said this because he knew that Dam Jeok-san had fought a fierce battle with Woo Seo-gwang, even suffering internal injuries.
But Dam Jeok-san only let out a chuckle.
“Me?”
It was true that he had suffered internal injuries. But his body condition was now close to its peak. As his Predation ability grew, most internal and external injuries had recovered, and vitality surged. But Dam Jeok-san did not explain this fact in detail.
“Aren't you the one who's not well, Gyeong-won? You blocked that Iron Blood Family Head's single sword strike head-on.”
He simply chided Gyeong-won.
“…….”
At Dam Jeok-san's words, Gyeong-won could only close his mouth tightly.
“Of course, I'm not scolding you. You got like that protecting me.”
Dam Jeok-san added, shrugging his shoulders at Gyeong-won.
“No, on the contrary, I'm truly grateful. Risking one's life for someone without a moment's hesitation isn't achieved through formal vows.”
Dam Jeok-san's eyes briefly swept over Black Panther Spear Jang Woo-ryang as he spoke.
“…….”
He lowered his head as if embarrassed by their conversation.
Unlike Gyeong-won, he had once left Dam Jeok-san's side.
Ah, I seem to have been scolding him this way.
Dam Jeok-san, who belatedly realized his mistake, waved his hand.
“I wasn't trying to say anything to Martial Artist Jang. The past is just the past. Let's all just have a drink together.”
Only then did both of them close their mouths tightly and offer their cups.
As the cheap grain liquor went down their throats, a warm sensation, like swallowing fire, was felt. Perhaps because it was the first time he had alcohol since losing his dantian, the feeling was quite special.
“Ah, Young Master, did you happen to hear about that?”
Gyeong-won asked cautiously, looking at Dam Jeok-san.
“They say swordsmen dressed in blue martial robes passed through the nearby villages.”
“Blue martial robes?”
In the Central Plains Murim, there are many sects that use blue martial robes as their symbol.
But among them, there was only one that Dam Jeok-san needed to be concerned about: the Namgung Clan.
“Yes, from the circumstances, it seemed like the Namgung Clan. They said a young woman was leading the group, so I think it might have been the Young Family Head herself.”
Gyeong-won said, taking a very small sip of alcohol and setting it aside. The internal injuries he sustained from the Iron Blood Family Head had already recovered. However, as he was carrying out his escort mission, he could not drink excessively.
“Namgung, and even the Young Family Head…….”
Dam Jeok-san muttered somewhat troubled by Gyeong-won's words.
He had not committed any crime against the Namgung Clan. Although it was rumored that he had brutally trampled on the Young Family Head, from his perspective, it was simply…… a spar.
Of course, there was an objective to prove that he was superior to the rising stars of the Five Great Families, but.
‘The Young Family Head was not of a nature to harbor unnecessary grudges.’
Although she was aloof due to the heavy responsibility of being the Young Family Head of one of the Five Great Families, her true nature was very passionate.
There was only one problem.
Dam Jeok-san had become weaker.
If the Namgung Young Family Head requested another spar, he was not confident he could win as he did then. Because her martial prowess was at least on par with or even superior to Woo Seo-gwang's.
He could just avoid meeting her, but the probability of their paths overlapping was very high.
If the Namgung Clan, located south of the Yangtze River, had come all the way up here, they must certainly be heading for the Northern Demonic Realm.