The Sword Emperor's Way of Establishing the Namgung Clan

Chapter 44 - Severed Meridians (3)

As Tang Ye-jin’s faint voice was heard, Tang Bo-seon urgently got up and ran over.

“Ye-jin, ah. Are you conscious? How is your body?”

“Yes. I think it’s been a long time since my body felt this light.”

“Is that so? What a relief. There was no time to give you your decoction.”

“Huh? But why is my body in such good condition?”

Tang Ye-jin, who had sat up with support, discovered Namgung Jun and Lee Se-ha, who were a distance away, and asked.

“Who are those people?”

“They are our benefactors.”

Tang Bo-seon calmly continued his explanation. The eyes of Tang Ye-jin, who heard the story, widened.

She especially could not take her eyes off Namgung Jun, who she heard was suffering from the same severed meridians as her.

“It seems I have incurred a great debt of gratitude.”

Tang Ye-jin, who had slowly stood up, bowed her head deeply.

“It is the precept of our main family to repay a favor two-fold, and a grudge ten-fold. I will never forget your names.”

At the surprisingly bloodthirsty family precept, Namgung Jun let out a bitter smile and then asked about their future plans.

“Young Hero Tang. What do you intend to do now?”

“If we go just a little south from here, Anqing will appear. We intend to use the waterway there to cross over to Hubei Province.”

Lee Se-ha, who was listening to the story, took his words.

“If you switch boats in Wuhan, Hubei Province, you should be able to go straight to Sichuan Province.”

As if he had had the same thought, Tang Bo-seon also nodded his head. Tang Bo-seon, who had glanced at Tang Ye-jin once, cautiously asked.

“A moment ago, I heard the story the martial artists were telling at the inn. Are you truly the Wandering Princess of the Black Cloud, my lady?”

“Do you know of me?”

“How could I not? The fame of the Wandering Princess of the Black Cloud has spread even to Sichuan Province.”

Lee Se-ha jabbed Namgung Jun with her elbow. Along with a subtle, boastful-looking smile.

Could it be her desire to show off in front of her disciple? Namgung Jun also let out a smirk and nodded his head.

“You are truly great, Master.”

“My disciple. Your words have no soul.”

Tang Bo-seon, who was listening to the master and disciple’s conversation, muttered in a low voice.

“So it was really true. We have met the righteous warriors of the Azure Sky Society by a stroke of heavenly luck.”

Tang Bo-seon bowed his head deeply and made a request.

“The reason the Martial Strike Sect is chasing us so desperately is because it will be difficult to pursue us once we leave Anhui Province by boat. Could you help us to reach Anqing safely?”

Namgung Jun turned his gaze toward Lee Se-ha.

“Master. What will you do?”

“Of course, we must help.”

As if he had had the same thought, Namgung Jun stroked his scabbard.

“The Martial Strike Sect will not leave us alone either. Since we have interfered with their event.”

“That’s right. For being one of the Eight Great Unorthodox Powers, they’re just needlessly full of pride. They’ll clash with us one way or another. Maybe they’ll even be aiming for my neck?”

“Why is that?”

Lee Se-ha showed a cold smile.

“Because the Second Young Master recently suffered an immense loss in the succession struggle. To the extent that he lost all the elites under his command. His attempt to obtain the Fire Ginseng must also be for the purpose of creating a foothold for a comeback.”

“Are you saying that if he cannot obtain the Fire Ginseng, he will try to take your head for meritorious deeds instead, Master?”

As Lee Se-ha tossed her head back, her pure white nape was revealed. Even a master craftsman, counted among the best in the world, would have found it difficult to create such a smooth curve.

Namgung Jun’s eyes grew endlessly cold. A sharp aura pulsed along his eyelashes, as if blades had been stood on end there.

“It is a question whether the Second Young Master even has the ability to do so, but even if that were the case, I will not let it happen.”

“Jun-ah, so you knew how to open your eyes like that, too. It’s quite scary.”

Namgung Jun, who had realized that Lee Se-ha was teasing him again, naturally changed the subject.

“Young Hero Tang. But would it not be possible for Young Lady Tang to consume the Red-Veined Fire Ginseng right now?”

If they did that, there would be no need to worry about the Red-Veined Fire Ginseng being stolen. Tang Bo-seon shook his head without a moment’s hesitation.

“The Three Yin Severed Meridians cannot be cured with only the Red-Veined Fire Ginseng. We are gathering several spiritual medicines of extreme yang at our main family, and the Red-Veined Fire Ginseng is merely one among them.”

It seemed that though it was lesser than the Nine Yin Severed Meridians, the Three Yin Severed Meridians was also a condition that was considerably difficult to cure.

As Namgung Jun looked at Tang Ye-jin, she merely showed a faint smile. It was a sorrowful smile that held a sense of kinship from one who suffered the same pain.

There was no room for choice or compromise.

The master and disciple exchanged glances. With just that, their future course of action was decided.

“Jun-ah. How is your body’s condition?”

“I am in perfect condition.”

“Then shall we set off.”

The Tang siblings once again performed a fist-and-palm salute.

“We are truly grateful for your help.”

“Thank you so much.”

……

Namgung Jun’s party moved with Lee Se-ha in the lead.

They moved by unfolding their Lightness Skill at a high speed, and that speed was extraordinary.

To say nothing of the Lightness Skill of Lee Se-ha, a supreme master, the body movements of the Tang siblings also went beyond the level of the younger generation.

Among the party, the one whose accomplishment in Lightness Skill was the most lacking was Namgung Jun.

Namgung Jun felt as if his accomplishment in Lightness Skill was increasing just by moving his feet so as not to fall behind the party.

Namgung Jun looked at the backs of the Tang siblings, who were shooting straight forward before his eyes.

‘Her Lightness Skill is extraordinary. It is partly that her personal accomplishment is outstanding, but it is also an advanced martial art that is not easily seen. It is not the martial art of a nameless sect.’

By the looks of it, Tang Ye-jin’s martial arts accomplishment was higher than Tang Bo-seon’s. It was said that she also possessed a much more profound knowledge of medicine and herbology, so it was understandable that she had come to find the Red-Veined Fire Ginseng herself, despite suffering from severed meridians.

“Young Lady Tang. I can feel the principles of a rarely seen advanced martial art from your body movements.”

“It is said that the first generation head of our main family was called the Swiftest Under Heaven.”

Tang Bo-seon, who was listening to Tang Ye-jin’s words, added in a proud voice.

“You two will know of him as well. The Roaming Sword God of Kunlun. The first generation family head was a close friend of the Roaming Sword God. They were companions who shared their studies of Lightness Skills together.”

The Roaming Sword God, Yong Myeong.

It was a name that Namgung Jun, of course, also knew.

One of the Martial Gods who is mentioned when one discusses the greatest of all time, past and present.

The reason the Kunlun Sect had been able to possess the lofty reputation of the Revered Western Kunlun was also because it had produced the Roaming Sword God.

“So the first generation head of the Tang family had a connection with the Roaming Sword God. That is an interesting story.”

Lee Se-ha also showed an interest, as if she were hearing it for the first time.

In the middle of that, Namgung Jun suddenly brought his hand to his sword hilt. Then, he displayed a sword draw in the exact posture he had been in while performing his Lightness Skill.

A thick sword wind, rising up along the longly drawn sword path. It was a single move from the Heavenly Wind Sword Style.

The sword wind, which had flown horizontally, swept away the entire thicket to their immediate side as it passed.

FWAAAAK!

As the thicket was blown away, the martial artists who had been hiding behind it revealed themselves.

Two of them, who had not been able to react in time, were sent flying backward with their chests split open, and the remaining three leaped into the air.

“Strike!”

“Hand over the Fire Ginseng!”

Crackle!

It was before the ones who had shouted and leaped up could even properly make their move. As the sleeve of Lee Se-ha’s robe fluttered, seven streaks of lightning bolts shot up in reverse.

The cerulean sword strikes cut and grazed the martial artists who were suspended in the air, soaring up endlessly before disappearing.

While a fountain of blood was scattered in all directions, Lee Se-ha’s party did not stop their steps and ran on until the very end.

“There are presences approaching from the southeast as well.”

“Jun-ah. The range of your Qi Sense has gotten quite wide.”

“I will take care of the ones coming from the west.”

Simultaneously with their movement, a series of clashes with the martial artists who were aiming for the Red-Veined Fire Ginseng occurred. As they did, traces and noise were also bound to be created.

All the martial artists in the vicinity swarmed in.

Tang Bo-seon, who had heard the groans of the martial artists from behind, threw a hidden weapon and opened his mouth.

“Miss Lee! May I ask why you are not killing them?”

“Because I want many people to know that I am here.”

“I see!”

Among the martial artists who had gathered to seize the Red-Veined Fire Ginseng, there were none who could handle Lee Se-ha.

The name of the supreme master of the Trinity Bloom, the Wandering Princess of the Black Cloud, was more than enough to strike fear into the martial artists.

Lee Se-ha was intentionally letting the enemies go alive to purposefully let many know of the Wandering Princess of the Black Cloud’s participation in the battle.

“Jun-ah. I’m thinking of picking up the pace a bit more, is that okay?”

Lee Se-ha, who had pressed down on the collarbone of a martial artist who had popped out with her Heavenly Thunder Palm Style, raised her voice.

“I am fine.”

Lee Se-ha, who did not miss the rough breath that was minutely mixed in his answer, smiled.

“We’ll have to work on your Lightness Skill training when we get back to the main fortress!”

Namgung Jun could not refute it. Though he had not been neglecting his Lightness Skill training, if one were to pick out his only weak point, his Lightness Skill was always the first to come to the fore.

Thump! RUMBLE!

A deafening roar was heard from over the mountain ridge, and several boulders came rolling down.

If they came down as they were, they would crash into the party’s flank and crush them. To avoid the boulders, they would have to change their path and make a detour.

But that must have been the very stratagem the others were aiming for.

The moment the expressions of the Tang siblings, who had grasped the situation from the continuously echoing roar, hardened.

“Do not be alarmed and keep moving as you are.”

Namgung Jun, in the middle of fiercely unfolding his Lightness Skill, raised his sword high into an upper stance.

The Heavenly Wind Sword Style.

Horizon Sweep.

A thin and longly extending blue streak of light, riding the tip of his sword, extended with a stoop.

The sword wind that extended out in that way cut through all the rolling boulders as it passed.

RUMBLE!

Namgung Jun, who had cut the large boulders in two.

But the cut boulders did not stop right away. The split fragments shot up here and there and plunged down from above their heads.

“Young Hero Namgung! We will handle the cleanup.”

“Catch your breath!”

The Tang siblings, who had been blankly watching Namgung Jun’s terrifying sword power, snapped to their senses and poured their hands forward.

Hidden weapons that shot out from their green sleeves intercepted all the boulder fragments. Thanks to that, Namgung Jun’s party was able to run on without changing their path.

The Tang siblings, who had thrown their hidden weapons once again and cleared away the fragments, could not help but marvel as they watched the master and disciple who were running ahead and extending their swords.

Lee Se-ha, who was showing off a martial prowess befitting her epithet of the Wandering Princess of the Black Cloud, was incredible, but her disciple, Namgung Jun, was also in the middle of displaying a sword strike that was beyond his age group.

‘They are both incredible.’

‘Perhaps we can even defeat the Martial Strike Sect?’

The hope that the Tang siblings held in their chests swelled up. The two swordsmen protecting their front were laden with just that much power.

……

The pursuit by the martial artists, which had lasted for four days, was also beginning to mostly die down. The martial artists of the Martial Strike Sect themselves had hardly even appeared.

Even when they did encounter them, they were busy withdrawing before the distance could be closed. They stopped at the level of confirming their travel path, rather than directly starting a fight.

It must have been for the purpose of reducing the loss of the martial artists under his command and concentrating his forces. For even if he obtained the Red-Veined Fire Ginseng, if all his subordinates were annihilated, he would be in a situation where he could not take part in the succession struggle.

The martial artists who had jumped in like wolves had been used for the purpose of draining the strength of Namgung Jun’s party.

“It’s quiet.”

“Be wary of a trap or an ambush.”

At some point, Namgung Jun’s party had been able to reach the docks of Anqing. But the docks were deserted.

The docks of Anqing were one of the main waterways of Anhui Province, so there were a great many people who used it.

But now, there was no one.

A situation where even the boats, which should have been busily moving, were all anchored at the docks.

Except for the sound of the current lapping and the sound of Namgung Jun’s party moving their feet, it was very quiet.

Despite this, Namgung Jun’s party did not stop their steps. They had fully expected this much.

As they entered the inner part of the docks, a middle-aged martial artist clad in the uniform of the Martial Strike Sect was standing alone.

The middle-aged martial artist, who had discovered Namgung Jun’s party, approached with a slightly tense face.

“Wandering Princess of the Black Cloud. The Second Young Master is waiting for you.”

Lee Se-ha let out a cold smile.

“I knew it would be like this.”

Lee Se-ha immediately gripped her sword hilt with a hand cloaked in lightning energy. In an instant, the atmosphere of the grounds grew heavy and constricted.