**Chapter 18: Head of the Northern Heavens Clan**
Gale Chain Sword.
Third Form: Dance of Chaos.
*Swish-swish-swish-swish-slash!*
The sudden, razor-sharp wind blades engulfed the bandits.
"Argh!"
"Ugh!"
Those who had been surrounding me without any defense were struck down, their lives extinguished with screams. Four bandits fell in an instant. The expressions of everyone watching were stained with shock. They had never imagined I would launch an attack so abruptly.
"Y-you crazy bastard, how dare you!"
Was he the leader? The only one who had managed to block my attack, the Red Wolf Band leader, wore a look of pure fury. His face was twisted with a desperate desire to kill me. I gave him a wide, mocking grin. It was to erode his composure as much as possible.
"I'll kill you!"
"If you kill me, you won't be able to collect the ransom, will you? Take it easy."
*Boom!*
I parried his downward axe strike with Returning Heaven. My wrists throbbed, but it was bearable. The energy of the Vajra Yaksha Divine Art, blooming throughout my body, had reinforced my physique to be as hard as steel. Judging by the impact, the enemy’s cultivation level was roughly early to mid-Harmony Realm.
"Guard Sa-gong!"
"Yes!"
"I’ll hold this guy down, so you take care of the rest!"
"As you command!"
Since the path to victory was clear, there was no reason to avoid it. I slashed through two incoming grunts and kicked them away. At the same time, the Red Wolf Band leader lunged at me. I raised my sword and blocked his powerful, downward strike.
*Boom!*
"Brother! We’ll help too!"
Just then, Jin Cheon-hwi and Im Ho-gyeong joined the fray, following Sa-gong Cheon. Their skills were indeed quite impressive—so much so that I wondered why they had tried to run away without fighting earlier. Perhaps they hadn't properly gauged the enemy's strength and had simply been intimidated by the sheer numbers, even though there was only one true expert among them.
"Do you think you’ll get away with this!"
"You talk as if you’re the one who was unfairly attacked."
I retorted with a look of disbelief and shoved his axe away. The Red Wolf Band leader swung his massive axe once more. I kept my eyes on the trajectory and parried his attacks repeatedly.
*Clang! Clang-clang! Clang!*
"I'll split your skull open!"
"You smell, so keep your mouth shut when you're this close."
I jeered and executed the Stealing King Footwork.
*Slide.*
I retreated like a ghost, evading his attack. The Red Wolf Band leader seemed flustered as his axe carved through empty air. At that moment, I channeled all my strength into the Yongcheon Point on the soles of my feet.
*Boom!*
My body, having kicked off the ground, accelerated with terrifying speed. What followed was the Gale Strike form. Realizing that blocking was impossible, the leader threw his body to the ground. It was a desperate, ungraceful maneuver that ignored all dignity, but it saved his life. Had he tried to defend, I would have pierced his heart.
"You fight quite well for a Harmony Realm expert."
"You bastard, how dare you..."
He spat out curses to keep from losing his momentum, but I could see his eyes wavering. He must have been flustered because my skill was far beyond his expectations. But I had no intention of going easy on him. I coated my body in Vajra Yaksha Energy and lunged at him once more.
Gale Slash.
*Boom!*
The Red Wolf Band leader’s body was pushed back two steps as he blocked the attack. Even while being shoved back, he swung his axe, trying to counter. I twisted my body to the side, dodged the attack, and unleashed another Gale Slash.
*Kwoooong!*
It was an attack with enough power to dismember a man if it landed on his bare flesh.
*Cr-crack.*
I saw a fissure appear on the axe he was holding. It seemed that, true to being a broke Green Forest Bandit, he wasn't using a very good weapon. It was time to finish this.
"Hoo."
I inhaled and braced my lower body. Explosive power surged from my firmly planted feet, traveling up through my thighs. That power was transferred to my waist and upper body, finally settling into my sword.
Gale Chain Slash.
*Swish-swish-swish-swish-swish-slash!*
A series of strikes, similar to the Dance of Chaos but far more powerful, unfolded. I had shattered his defense by continuously unleashing Gale Slashes, each of which could fell a small tree in a single blow. He seemed to block the first few attacks, but...
*Snap!*
"I-impossible!"
In the end, his axe shattered. Almost simultaneously, a fountain of blood erupted.
*Splat-splat-splat-splat!*
The Red Wolf Band leader, his entire body shredded, stared at me with an expression of disbelief. I didn't even give him the chance to utter his final words.
*Slash!*
His head went flying into the sky. It was a definitive end.
"Whew."
As I caught my breath and steadied my breathing, my companions approached. The grunts had already been dealt with. Most were dead, and a few had fled. There was no need to chase them.
"Brother. That just now was... what was that?"
Jin Cheon-hwi looked at me as if he couldn't believe his eyes. Im Ho-gyeong was the same. They were clearly shocked that I, who had been estimated to be at most a first-rate fighter, possessed such martial prowess. I gave them a wide grin. Sometimes, showing through action conveys a greater meaning than a hundred words. They could figure out for themselves why I was this strong. Instead, I told them one important fact.
"Cheon-hwi. Did you notice?"
"Yes? Notice what, exactly..."
"What those Green Forest Bandits said earlier. They clearly said they heard from someone that we were coming, didn't they?"
"……!"
Realizing the implication belatedly, Jin Cheon-hwi’s expression turned grave. I spoke to him in a calm voice.
"It seems there are people within the clan who look upon us with disfavor. As if they wanted to prevent us from reaching the Shanxi Yu Clan."
"C-couldn't it be someone else? It might be the work of another faction hostile to our Northern Sky Sword Clan..."
"Of course, that's a possibility. But could people outside the clan have known the exact date of our departure? It’s information that even most of our servants don't know, let alone those outside the clan."
"……!"
"Even if someone else is the culprit, it is certain that someone within the clan is colluding with them. I don't know who it is yet, though."
Jin Cheon-hwi was no fool. He could grasp the situation well enough with just this much. And he would soon realize that the culprit behind this incident was one of the senior figures who disliked me. As that thought reached him, his expression darkened.
"Brother, this is..."
"Enough."
I cut him off with a gentle voice.
"Since we've already resolved the matter, there's no need to dwell on it for now. Let's focus on our business at the Shanxi Yu Clan."
"Yes. I understand."
He seemed to have much more to say, but he deferred to my opinion for the time being. I turned to Im Ho-gyeong and said, "Guard Im. Could I ask you to continue with the carriage? I will take over in a little while."
"No, there is no need for that. I can continue to drive the carriage. Please, get some rest."
He spoke with a tone much more respectful than how he had treated me before. It seemed my performance had changed his assessment of me. I smiled gratefully and headed back to the carriage.
A short while later, the carriage began to move again.
Our destination was Gu County in Shanxi Province.
The home of the Shanxi Yu Clan.
* * *
Fortunately, nothing else happened until we arrived at the Shanxi Yu Clan. I had wondered what I would do if a squad of assassins came, but it seemed those who wanted me dead hadn't prepared to that extent. Or perhaps they thought the bandits were enough?
'A laughable thought.'
Of course, since the people in the clan didn't know about my transformation, it was natural for them to think so... but seeing as they did this even with my companions present, it seemed I was quite underestimated.
"So this is the Shanxi Yu Clan."
Jin Cheon-hwi exclaimed, looking at the massive estate visible in the distance. In terms of size, it was even larger than the Northern Sky Sword Clan. That was the Shanxi Yu Clan. People were lined up in a long queue, waiting to have their pulses read by the clan.
"Brother, you don't seem surprised. Have you been here before?"
"No, this is my first time too."
In truth, I had. The problem was that it wasn't an experience from this life. Back then, I had visited this place to gather people to fight against Black Night City. The result was... well, not very successful. The Shanxi Yu Clan and their leader, the Medicine King, had no intention of joining hands with the Northern Sky Sword Clan, which had allowed their own precious kin to be harmed. They hadn't even listened to me properly and had issued an order to expel me. I had been forced to leave without gaining anything. That was the memory from my first life.
'I won't let that happen this time.'
After successfully completing the escort mission, I would build a good relationship with the Shanxi Yu Clan. If I did, I might be able to receive their help later. It would be an ideal outcome for the Northern Sky Sword Clan. No, I would make sure it happened.
Thinking this, I approached the guards standing at the main gate.
"Greetings. I am Jin Mu-yeol, the Young Master of the Northern Sky Sword Clan. These are my companions. Could you send word inside that we have arrived?"
"Yes. Please wait a moment."
Perhaps they had already been notified, as the guard quickly disappeared inside. After waiting a short while, a woman with a faint scent of medicinal herbs emerged with her guards.
"I didn't expect the Young Master of the Northern Sky Sword Clan to come in person. It's a pleasure. I am Yu Cheong-ah. I am in charge of this matter."
"You must be the granddaughter of the Medicine King. A pleasure. I am Jin Mu-yeol."
We exchanged brief greetings and looked at each other. Yu Cheong-ah. In the original history, she was the one who suffered grave injuries due to the failure of the Northern Sky Sword Clan's escort and was driven to the brink of death. But this time, that would not happen.
"Shall we discuss the details while we head inside?"
"Of course. There were a few things I wanted to ask as well."
We entered and made our way deep into the Shanxi Yu Clan. Yu Cheong-ah guided us to a reception room and served us tea. After the warm tea was distributed to everyone, she began to speak.
"As you know, we requested help from the Northern Sky Sword Clan because a certain faction threatened us."
"What exactly is the identity of this faction, and what were the contents of their threat?"
"We haven't confirmed their identity for certain yet. They simply sent a letter threatening us to stop creating the Medicine King Divine Pill."
"So, you don't know the exact culprit or the reason for their threats."
Of course, I knew the reason. Through the information I possessed from the past, I knew the culprit and their motives quite clearly. However, I could not speak of it now. It was certain that if I mentioned it without cause, I would only invite suspicion.
"I understand. In that case, I shall begin the escort mission immediately. Though, we do need to discuss a few details regarding this matter..."
I stopped mid-sentence and closed my mouth.
Perhaps finding my sudden silence strange, Yu Cheong-a asked, "Young Master, is something the matter?"
"It is nothing of consequence."
I rose from my seat quietly and spoke.
"It is just that there is a rat eavesdropping on our conversation."
"……!"
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