The Legend of the Northern Blade - Chapter 174: A Swordsman Decides Fate With Their Sword (3)
Chapter 174: A Swordsman Decides Fate With Their Sword (3)
Jin Mu-Won’s unexpected retort wiped the scorn from Nam Seon-Woo’s face, replacing it first with surprise and then with curdling fury. “How dare you!” he growled.
He ground his teeth and glared at the young man. In front of the crowd that had gathered to see him, Jin Mu-Won’s insolence was an attack on his pride.
Jin Mu-Won snorted in disdain. A glance at Nam Seon-Woo’s eyes was enough to see through his vanity and bloated self-importance.
If I remember right, Jin-Wol said that men like this thrive on the envy of others and can only enjoy that feeling from a position of superiority.
A small smirk touched his lips. Ha Jin-Wol had predicted several scenarios he might encounter, including who would take the stage and how they would attempt to steer the narrative.
Nam Seon-Woo’s reaction followed that script perfectly. He was a man who thought nothing of humiliating others but could not tolerate even the slightest insult to himself.
Seeing Jin Mu-Won’s defiance, Nam Seon-Woo lost his temper, certain that he was being mocked. Clenching his jaw, he snarled, “Do you truly believe you’re not a criminal?”
“Yes.”
“And you deny colluding with the Silent Night?”
“Of course. I cannot confess to a crime I did not commit.”
“You cannot confess?” Nam Seon-Woo raised his voice, sending it ringing across the grounds. “Then do you deny being the successor of the Northern Army?”
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Jin Mu-Won averted his gaze from Nam Seon-Woo and scanned the massive crowd, which radiated a strange, feverish energy as they stared fixatedly at him and Nam Seon-Woo.
He could see a collective madness in those eyes. For them, the truth was likely no longer important. Simply watching another’s misfortune from a safe distance as part of a righteous mob had robbed them of their ability to see reason.
Suddenly, he spotted familiar faces within the sea of people. Ha Jin-Wol was in the front row, along with Tang Mi-Ryeo, Myeong Ryu-San, and Nam Soo-Ryun. Further back, he saw Yong Mu-Sung and the warriors of the Iron Brigade.
Ha Jin-Wol was grinning from ear to ear, while the others watched the proceedings nervously.
Jin Mu-Won’s gaze drifted to the special seating area. There, he saw the leaders of Heaven’s Summit, including the Ten Great Elders as well as dignitaries from the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Clans. Some watched him with pity, while others observed him with the detached interest of a spectator enjoying a show. The vast majority, though, wore looks of open hostility and disgust.
Two figures stood out among them. Yeon Cheon-Hwa glared at him with open enmity while Jo Un-Kyung gave him a faint, unreadable smile.
Finally, Jin Mu-Won’s eyes found Seomoon Hye-Ryung and Shim Won-Yi. Shim Won-Yi’s hatred was overwhelming, almost tangible. Seomoon Hye-Ryung, in contrast, seemed to be contemplating something deeply.
Behind them, he spotted the Monochrome Twins and Hyun Gong-Hwi, all of whom he had clashed with before.
So many eyes, all fixed on him alone. The sheer weight of their collective emotion pressed down on him, tightening its grip on his chest.
Did Father have to endure this, too? How utterly alone he must have felt.
He could finally begin to understand the crushing despair his father must have experienced. A man who had dedicated his entire life to protecting the Central Plains, only to be met with hatred from the very people he had defended.
A father who, to protect his son, had to bear the enmity of the entire world alone.
How ironic is it that I now find myself in the same position as Father?
Nam Seon-Woo pressed, “Why the silence? Can you not answer? Are you so ashamed that you cannot admit to being…”
“Shut up,” Jin Mu-Won commanded. Like an erupting storm, his voice blasted across the training ground.
Flinching, Nam Seon-Woo snapped his mouth shut.
Unleashing the full force of his aura, Jin Mu-Won’s piercing gaze swept over the crowd. “I am the Northern Blade, Jin Mu-Won, son of the Northern Wall, Jin Kwan-Ho.”
He neither denied nor felt ashamed of his past. Instead, he stood tall with his shoulders squared, facing the world’s animosity head on.
The dignified resonance of his voice sent a strange tremor through the audience’s hearts, causing a flicker of conflict to cross their eyes.
Eventually, Nam Seon-Woo found his voice again. “So, you don’t deny being the successor of the Northern Army.”
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“I have never once denied it.”
“Ho! At least you don’t deny facts. I suppose I can grant you that much, at least.”
“……” Jin Mu-Won’s gaze remained steady, unmoved by the taunt.
Because of that, it was Nam Seon-Woo who felt a twinge of panic.
How is he so unshakable, like a giant boulder? What gives him the right to be so defiant?
Thousands of people were watching. Anyone else would have shrunk under the weight of so many hostile stares, but Jin Mu-Won remained steadfast.
Still, Nam Seon-Woo had no intention of backing down. “Then do you also admit that your father colluded with the Silent Night?” he asked.
“No. My father never colluded with the Silent Night.”
“The Four Northern Pillars gave their testimony, and Heaven’s Summit itself verified their claims! You would deny it still? Your arrogance knows no bounds!”
“My father stood proudly before the world and never retreated from any threat. He considered his lifelong battle against the Silent Night to be his greatest honor.”
“What a convenient cover! Perfect for pretending to be honorable in public while secretly conspiring with the enemy in the shadows.”
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“The Sword-Tongued Scholar, was it? Tell me, have you ever actually wielded a sword for another person’s sake? Or do you only know how to wield your tongue?”
“What? How dare you slander me?”
“It is a simple question. I will ask again. Have you, even once, drawn your sword to protect someone else?”
“I-I…”
“I thought not. Someone once told me that you enjoy meddling and taking center stage, but are stingy with your deeds. They said that the only thing you know how to do is inflict wounds that never heal with your sharp tongue.”
“You insolent…!” Nam Seon-Woo’s mouth twitched violently as he fought to master his rage. “I have no reason to listen to your lies. I…”
“I have no reason to listen to yours, either. I was imprisoned under the charge of killing dozens of innocent martial artists in Wuhan. You seem to have conveniently forgotten that fact, focusing only on my father and the Northern Army.”
“Because that is the more important crime!”
“Ten years ago, my father offered no excuses. He chose death, and in return, the Central Plains and Heaven’s Summit agreed to consider the matter closed. Your accusations today openly defy that resolution.”
A figure seated among the Heaven’s Summit elite shot to his feet. “What utter nonsense!”
It was the Vajra Yaksha, Daeryeok Sim, the most impulsive of the Ten Great Elders. His face was flushed with uncontrollable rage as he jabbed a finger toward Jin Mu-Won.
Jin Mu-Won turned his calm gaze upon him. Meeting that gaze, Daeryeok Sim’s fury detonated.
“The son of a traitor is a traitor himself! How dare you hold your head so high?”
“Vajra Yaksha, Master Daeryeok Sim. You came to the Northern Army ten years ago as well. I still remember you smashing our pavilions to dust. You injured countless Northern Army warriors that day.”
“And what of it? They got what they deserved! Every last one of those Northern Army dogs was rotten from the start!”
“Those ‘rotten dogs’ bled for over a century to protect the Central Plains,” Jin Mu-Won said, his voice gaining a dangerous edge. “Generation after generation, they fought for the Central Plains. They never knew a moment of peace beneath the harsh northern sky, yet refused to leave that cursed land because of their stubborn pride. While you were playing your petty political games and squabbling over authority in the Central Plains, they were fighting and dying.”
Like a tempest, Jin Mu-Won’s voice thundered across the training ground.
A sudden silence fell over the arena as if it had been plunged into icy water. At the hint of his suppressed rage, the thousands of martial artists flinched as one.
The crowd held its breath, watching the standoff between Jin Mu-Won and Daeryeok Sim.
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Infusing his voice with such powerful inner qi that nearby drums and gongs resonated with a mournful cry, Daeryeok Sim bellowed, “Such clever words and feigned sincerity! However, no amount of eloquent trickery can change the truth. You came to the Central Plains and committed mass murder! We are here today to pass judgment on that atrocity!”
Many in the crowd quickly clapped their hands over their ears. Few in Heaven’s Summit could endure the sheer force of the Vajra Yaksha’s full-powered shout.
Daeryeok Sim turned on Geum Ju-Sang. “Chief Inspector, what are you doing? Disarm him at once!”
“His guilt has not yet been confirmed.”
“What? You dare take a criminal’s side?”
“That is not my intention. For the sake of justice, he is innocent until proven…”
“To hell with your justice! It is precisely that attitude that has kept you from advancing past the rank of a mere Chief Inspector.”
Geum Ju-Sang’s eyes flashed with anger. While Daeryeok Sim was an elder, he had no right to treat him with such contempt. Officially, his rank was lower, but he was the head of the Investigation Department, which oversaw law and order. This was his domain, where he wielded absolute authority.
Geum Ju-Sang shouted to his men. “All of you, maintain your positions! No evidence has been presented to prove that Jin Mu-Won is a criminal!”
“Yes, sir!” the Investigation Department warriors roared in unison.
The faces of the Ten Great Elders immediately warped in displeasure.
Seomoon Hye-Ryung sighed softly. I predicted that something like this might happen, but still, I held out hope that it wouldn’t…
Her gaze found Ha Jin-Wol in the front row. He was grinning from ear to ear, thoroughly amused by the chaos unfolding on the stage.
Suddenly, as if sensing her gaze, he looked up, and their eyes met. He gave her a casual little wave.
Seomoon Hye-Ryung bit her lip in chagrin. I will not let things go your way! I have a trump card of my own.
Her eyes scanned the crowd, searching.
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There he is!
Finding the one she was waiting for, her tense expression softened for a moment.
Meanwhile, Daeryeok Sim leaped onto the duel stage, his robes fluttering as if in a gale as he unveiled his aura. “Is the Investigation Department prepared to challenge the authority of an elder?” he boomed.
Geum Ju-Sang did not back down. “I am merely trying to ensure due process.”
Daeryeok Sim raised an eyebrow. “Due process? Are you implying that the proceedings of Heaven’s Summit are unjust?”
“That is not what I meant. I am saying we must handle this based on clear facts.”
“Silence! By my authority as an elder, I strip you of your rank! Geum Ju-Sang, surrender your sword and leave this stage at once!”
“I cannot do that. My position and authority were granted to me by the Nine Skies, not the Ten Great Elders. No one outside the Nine Skies can revoke my title. My apologies, but I will remain here.”
“How dare you?!”
Finally, Daeryeok Sim’s rage boiled over, and he unleashed a palm strike at Geum Ju-Sang.
Caught off guard, Geum Ju-Sang couldn’t react in time and took the blow square in the chest.
BOOM!
“Keuk!” Geum Ju-Sang coughed up a mouthful of blood as he tumbled across the stage.
“Chief Inspector!”
The Investigation Department warriors, who had been watching with pained expressions, rushed to their leader’s side and drew their swords on Daeryeok Sim.
Daeryeok Sim’s eyes flashed. “You dare raise your blades against me as well?”
Several other elders immediately shook their heads in dismay.
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That blasted wild boar finally did it. He’s finally succeeded in stirring up chaos.
Even they had not foreseen that Daeryeok Sim’s impulsive violence would send the situation spiraling out of control.
Only Ha Jin-Wol chuckled softly, “Fufu! Looks like everything’s going great!”
I knew it. The more Heaven’s Summit pretends to be noble, the less they can tolerate having their pride wounded. They were bound to overreact to even the slightest insult to their name!
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