The Legend of the Northern Blade

Chapter 152: Into the Tigers Den (2)

As soon as Jin Mu-Won stepped into the room, the musty smell of old paper hit him. The walls were lined with countless books, crammed together without a single inch of space left, while a faint light glowed from a phosphorescent pearl hanging from the ceiling.

Beneath the phosphorescent pearl sat a woman. The moment he saw her face, a flicker of surprise crossed Jin Mu-Won’s eyes. She had a curvaceous, voluptuous figure, and her face was half-hidden by a veil, but her clear, bright eyes shone through.

Mae Wol-Ryung. Despite the veil, Jin Mu-Won recognized her instantly.

Mae Wol-Ryung seemed to recognize him too, her eyes gleaming with a hint of a smile as she greeted, “Long time no see, Master Jin.”

“Miss Mae, what brings you here?” Jin Mu-Won asked. He knew her as the head of the Sichuan branch of the Black Moon, so it puzzled him to see her here in Wuhan, far from Sichuan.

“I was reassigned to Wuhan right after we parted ways, Master Jin. Now, I’m the head of the Hubei branch.”

“Ah!”

“And you, Master Jin, have changed quite a bit.”

“Me?”

“You’ve made quite a name for yourself, so much so that no one would dare call you a newcomer to the jianghu anymore. Huhu, I’ve been hearing about your exploits through Cheong-In.” The laughter in Mae Wol-Ryung’s eyes deepened. Jin Mu-Won might not have realized it, but as the only legitimate heir to the Northern Army and the most prominent prodigy in the current jianghu, his actions were a major point of interest for the Black Moon.

Regardless, being the legitimate heir of the Northern Army is a double-edged sword. Depending on how it’s used, it could be a great boon or a terrible bane, she thought.

“What about Cheong-In?”

“He should arrive in Wuhan soon. He’s been very busy catching up on work at Headquarters.”

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“What kind of work?”

“Report-writing. He has to detail every single event without missing a word to be assigned new tasks, but Cheong-In is terrible at writing, and his communication skills aren’t great… I always told him to practice writing, but he hasn’t improved.”

Mae Wol-Ryung’s tone was expressionless, but for some reason, Jin Mu-Won felt as if she was gloating and imagined a wicked smirk lurking behind her veil.

“But why are you here, Master Jin? You’re not thinking of joining the Demon Hunters, are you?”

“You seem to have a negative view of the Demon Hunters?”

“Hoho! Are you testing me? Anyone with even a little knowledge of the current state of the jianghu knows the Demon Hunters are not looked upon kindly. Many young martial artists enter Heaven’s Summit with high hopes, but how many are actually chosen for the Demon Hunters? The number of positions is limited, and most are already reserved by prestigious jianghu sects like the Nine Great Sects and the Five Major Clans. The remaining positions are scarce and highly competitive. Even for someone like you, Master Jin, would find it nearly impossible to secure a spot without a recommendation.”

“So, nine out of ten positions are already pre-determined?”

“Exactly. In the end, Heaven’s Summit is an alliance of major powers including the Nine Great Sects and the Five Major Clans. The remaining positions are officially filled through selection events, but the competition is so fierce among the smaller sects that vagabonds like you, Master Jin, can’t even dream of winning, no matter how outstanding your skills are.”

Without a solid background, it was impossible to enter Heaven’s Summit, and even if you got in, you couldn’t rise to the top. That was the harsh reality of the current jianghu.

Jin Mu-Won’s expression darkened after hearing Mae Wol-Ryung’s explanation. He had suspected as much, but hearing it from her made it even more disheartening. The world that Heaven’s Summit created for themselves was a literal hell for him and the other young martial artists who weren’t born to privilege.

As Jin Mu-Won’s gaze sank deeper, he unconsciously released an indescribable pressure, inadvertently immobilizing Mae Wol-Ryung.

He’s just as Cheong-In reported. Mae Wol-Ryung swallowed dryly. She had initially thought that Cheong-In had exaggerated, but from experience, she knew Cheong-In would rather understate rather than overstate.

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A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth behind the veil. So this is why Cheong-In didn’t want to part with Master Jin.

After staring at Jin Mu-Won for a while, she changed the subject, asking, “Still, I doubt you came just to ask about Cheong-In. What brings you here, Master Jin?”

“I’m looking for someone.”

“Oh? I’m curious who it is.” Mae Wol-Ryung was truly intrigued. She knew that Jin Mu-Won had little contact with the jianghu and knew few people, so it piqued her curiosity that he was searching for someone.

“His name is Seo Mu-Sang.”

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“Seo Mu-Sang?” Mae Wol-Ryung frowned slightly, not recognizing the name. That could only mean that Seo Mu-Sang was a person outside the Black Moon’s radar.

“About ten years ago, he was dispatched to the Northern Army Fortress as an external affiliate. When it was destroyed, he returned to Heaven’s Summit.”

“So that’s how you know him. Well, I’ve never heard of him, but if he’s alive, it won’t be hard to find him,” Mae Wol-Ryung readily agreed.

“I appreciate it.”

Until now, Jin Mu-Won hadn’t contacted Seo Mu-Sang out of concern for his safety, but with his imminent entry into Heaven’s Summit, he needed to find his first sword.

“It’s not a difficult request,” Mae Wol-Ryung admitted.

Jin Mu-Won gazed at her. Han-Seol… He wanted to ask Mae Wol-Ryung to find Eun Han-Seol’s whereabouts, but he couldn’t. Though closely connected to Cheong-In, the Black Moon was fundamentally a group of information brokers. Revealing Eun Han-Seol’s information to them was too dangerous.

Anyway, with the Silent Night reappearing, she would eventually show herself. It was only a matter of time.

“So, just Seo Mu-Sang, then?”

“Yes.”

“Are you not curious about the Four Northern Pillars?”

At this unexpected question, Jin Mu-Won’s eyebrows twitched, and Mae Wol-Ryung seemed to enjoy his reaction, knowing from Cheong-In’s report that one of the Four Northern Pillars, Jo Cheon-Woo, had died at Jin Mu-Won’s hands.

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“Yeon Cheon-Hwa of the Greatsword Fortress has already entered Heaven’s Summit,” she remarked temptingly.

“Tsk!” A low click of the tongue escaped Jin Mu-Won’s lips. No matter how much he tried to remain calm, the mention of the Four Northern Pillars affected him greatly, especially Yeon Cheon-Hwa, who had played a key role in the betrayal of the Northern Army, and whose obsession with the ultimate martial art surpassed even Jo Cheon-Woo.

Damn it. No matter how hard I try, the sinking sand of persistent grudges clings to my ankles, as if trying to drag me down to the bottom.

“Why is he there?”

“Shall I find out?”

“No.”

“Why not? This is a trivial task for the Black Moon,” Mae Wol-Ryung persisted, a hint of regret in her voice evident.

“If he’s here, I’ll definitely run into him eventually,” Jin Mu-Won declared with certainly. He and Yeon Cheon-Hwa would inevitably clash someday. It was unavoidable.

Whatever the outcome, I will confront it.

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He rose to leave.

Taken aback by his unexpected answer, Mae Wol-Ryung seemed momentarily at a loss for words. When she saw him leaving, though, she quickly asked, “Leaving already?”

“I have a lot to do, and very little time.” Jin Mu-Won gave Mae Wol-Ryung a farewell greeting and left.

Mae Wol-Ryung stared at the closed door for a long time, before finally sighing, “As Cheong-In said, he’s truly not an easy man.”

At that moment, a section of the wall opened, and an elderly man in a black martial arts attire appeared. His face was crisscrossed with scars, making him look gruesome, but his eyes, as he gazed at Mae Wol-Ryung, were filled with loyalty.

“Heuk-No, you heard everything?”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Find that Seo Mu-Sang person as your top priority.”

“But, Miss…”

“He’s worth it. Cheong-In has already proven that.”

“I understand, Miss. I’ll handle it.” Heuk-No bowed deeply.

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Jin Mu-Won left the building and wandered through the streets alone. The sun had already set and lanterns illuminated the streets. The laughter of courtesans grew louder, and there were even more people out than during the day.

Countless people passed by Jin Mu-Won as he walked aimlessly, like a raft floating on the sea. Eventually, his gaze fell on a large lake in the distance known as East Lake.

If there was West Lake in Hangzhou, then there was East Lake in Wuhan. It was six times larger than West Lake and famous for its orchids in spring, lotus flowers in summer, osmanthus in fall, and plum blossoms in winter.

The most notable landmark of the East Lake was the Yellow Crane Tower, one of the three famous towers of Jiangnan. Offering a panoramic view of Wuhan and the entire lake, its majestic and refined structure attracted many tourists throughout the year.

As if enchanted, Jin Mu-Won found himself walking toward East Lake. The vast expanse of the East Lake in the darkness was reminiscent of a great sea, with countless boats with lit lanterns floating on the dark water, mingled with the laughter of men and women.

Nobles and martial artists frolicked with courtesans on the boats, while merchants set up stalls along the lakeshore to attract people. Even though the Demon Hunter Selection had not yet begun, the place was already festive. The excited atmosphere seeped into Jin Mu-Won, but his mood only grew more somber.

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He walked past the busy lakeshore and headed towards the Yellow Crane Tower.

Father.

His father, Jin Kwan-Ho, had once mentioned it in passing. If he ever had the chance, he wanted to have a drink with the heroes of the world at the Yellow Crane Tower.

Now, his son stood in his place.

Suddenly reminded of the times long past, Jin Mu-Won couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness.

After staring at the Yellow Crane Tower for a moment, he began to climb. The tower was less crowded than expected, with only a few visitors gazing absentmindedly at the East Lake.

Jin Mu-Won ascended to the top floor. Strangely, it was deserted, except for one person. An elderly man, looking to be in his late sixties, stood there, holding a cane in one hand and a bottle of liquor in the other.

“Ah! Isn’t this great! Who needs immortals? Who needs emperors? When you let go of everything, you become both an immortal and an emperor!” the old man rambled drunkenly at the top of his lungs.

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It was probably him who chased away all the other visitors, Jin Mu-Won thought.

Then, the old man turned around and looked at Jin Mu-Won.

Jin Mu-Won’s eyes flickered with recognition. The old man from the Black Moon.

“Care for a drink?” the old man offered.