The Legend of the Northern Blade - Chapter 184: The Butterfly Effect (3)

Chapter 184: The Butterfly Effect (3)

Wol Seong-Cheon, the Director of the Secret Pavilion, oversaw all of Heaven’s Summit’s information.

That made his influence within the organization powerful enough to be counted among the top ten, and he possessed the authority and strength to match. He had the power to easily erase a moderately sized sect from existence at his discretion. His martial prowess was formidable as well, and aside from the Ten Great Elders, few could match him.

Consequently, he was accustomed to gazing down at countless martial artists as they looked up at him with reverence. Right now, however, Jin Mu-Won was looking him straight in the eye, regarding him as an equal.

This made Wol Seong-Cheon extremely uncomfortable. Worse yet, the simple fact that his opponent was the successor of the Northern Army filled him with revulsion.

He gritted his teeth. We should have wiped out the Northern Army completely back then.

Jin Mu-Won could sense the fury and killing intent in Wol Seong-Cheon’s and his subordinates’ eyes. An ordinary person would have been intimidated, but not him. He had crossed the line between life and death countless times to become who he was today. His nerves, forged in adversity and hardship, were not weak enough to be shaken by this level of killing intent.

“What are you doing here? You were colluding with Head Inquisitor Seo, weren’t you?” Wol Seong-Cheon pressed.

Jin Mu-Won snorted. “The word ‘colluding’ does not seem appropriate.”

“Hmph! He concealed your information from me completely. That would be impossible if he wasn’t colluding with you. On top of that, he deceived us by giving us false intel. Such a crime can never be forgiven!”

Seo Mu-Sang stepped forward again. “I have never deceived you, Director. I reported that Young Lord Jin was present when the Northern Army Fortress burned down, and Heaven’s Summit verified it. Ultimately, it was Heaven’s Summit that concluded he was dead. How exactly have I deceived you?”

“How dare you use such sophistry…”

Have you forgotten? I was under house arrest for the entire time that Heaven’s Summit was conducting their investigation. It’s absurd to suggest that I colluded with Young Lord Jin all those years ago. I only met him after he entered Heaven’s Summit.”

Seo Mu-Sang remained unruffled despite his superior’s accusations. As Head Inquisitor, he had learned that the one who lost his cool first always lost.

While it was true that Wol Seong-Cheon had appointed him Head Inquisitor, he hadn’t done so out of friendship. Wol Seong-Cheon had simply judged him to be useful, and in turn, he faithfully carried out his duties. They were not bound by loyalty or emotion.

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“If you think this is sophistry, then by all means, arrest me,” Seo Mu-Sang added confidently. “No matter how much you investigate, however, you will find it difficult to back up your accusations.”

Wol Seong-Cheon felt the blood in his veins run cold.

He has surely destroyed all the evidence. If I’m not careful, I could be the one framed for fabricating all the charges.

He knew better than anyone how meticulous Seo Mu-Sang was. Furthermore, tensions were still high due to Jin Mu-Won’s surge in popularity. If he acted rashly, there was no telling what the consequences might be.

This bastard Seo Mu-Sang must know that as well.

Wol Seong-Cheon bit his lip. He had to admit that he had made a mistake out of haste, but he could not turn around and return empty-handed.

In the end, he settled for a compromise. “Fine, I won’t arrest you. However, I will strip you of your position as Head Inquisitor. Step down from all your duties immediately and hand them over to your successor.”

“Understood. Thank you for everything until now,” Seo Mu-Sang replied, smiling. This was what he had been hoping for. Now, his shackles had been removed, and he was free to follow Jin Mu-Won.

“Be mindful of the company you keep, Head Inquisitor Seo. No, you’re not an inquisitor anymore, are you? Warrior Seo.”

“I will take your advice to heart, Director Wol.”

Seo Mu-Sang returned the identity badge that signified his position as Head Inquisitor to Wol Seong-Cheon.

A faint tremor ran through Wol Seong-Cheon’s shoulders as he took the badge. The humiliation was difficult to bear. If he could, he wanted to kill Seo Mu-Sang right then and there, but Jin Mu-Won was standing by his side.

The Northern Blade was a sword far too sharp to touch barehanded. One wrong move, and all his fingers could be sliced off. Even if he were to engage Jin Mu-Won, it would have to be after preparing a solid plan.

I have no reason to act now, so I will watch you, Jin Mu-Won. Don’t think you can stay arrogant forever.

Wol Seong-Cheon turned around abruptly and left, followed by the martial artists who had come with him.

When they were all gone, Seo Mu-Sang spun around. The fake innkeeper and the waiter were looking at him.

“You all heard that, right? The Green Flower Inn is now closed for business,” he said jokingly.

“Does that mean we’re out of a job now?!” the waiter wailed, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye.

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Seo Mu-Sang clicked his tongue. “You sly dog! Stop making that face. Anyone would think you really have nowhere to go.”

“Hehe!” The waiter broke into a wide smile, as if he had never been close to tears.

“Roughly hand things over to the Secret Pavilion and withdraw to the safehouse we prepared.”

“Understood.”

The waiter went to the kitchen with the innkeeper.

Seo Mu-Sang looked back at Jin Mu-Won. “Those two are the core of the Inquisition. Without them, the Inquisition is just an ordinary organization.”

Anyone could gather information. However, there were not many who could sift through the flood of information to find what was truly valuable and use it to achieve their goals. The waiter and the fake innkeeper were two of the few people with that ability.

Seo Mu-Sang picked up his sword, which lay next to his seat. Jin Mu-Won recognized it immediately. This was the sword he had given Seo Mu-Sang seven years ago.

“You still use that sword,” he remarked.

“It’s become so familiar to me that I can’t part with it.”

“May I see it for a moment?”

“Of course.” Seo Mu-Sang willingly handed the sword to Jin Mu-Won.

Jin Mu-Won unsheathed it and examined the blade closely. Countless fine cracks ran along the length of the blade, which was longer and narrower than a typical sword. Its edge was chipped in several places, and it looked completely worn out.

The path Seo Mu-Sang had trod was apparent in every inch of the weapon. Jin Mu-Won could clearly see how hard Seo Mu-Sang must have trained and fought.

“When I return to the manor, I will take a look at it for you.”

Seo Mu-Sang smiled brightly. “Thank you, My Liege.”

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He had recently felt that the sword’s lifespan was coming to an end. With a master blacksmith like Jin Mu-Won working on it, though, his sword would be reborn.

The two men left the Green Flower Inn, walking shoulder to shoulder.

Although Seo Mu-Sang was leaving a place he had been a part of for a long time, there was not a hint of hesitation on his face. On the contrary, he smiled constantly, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

“You suddenly lost your job. Are you not upset? Jin Mu-Won asked.

“Haha! Why should I be disappointed when you’ll be feeding and housing me, My Liege?”

“I have many other responsibilities, so I must work hard to earn money.”

“Please earn a lot. I want to get rich, too.”

“Hahaha!” Jin Mu-Won burst out laughing. It had been a long time since he had laughed so heartily. Looking back, he realized he hadn’t had many reasons to laugh until now.

Suddenly, people up ahead began to murmur and quickly parted to either side of the road.

Jin Mu-Won peered ahead and saw a group of martial artists on horseback escorting a large carriage.

“Who are they?” he asked.

“Martial artists from the Wudang Sect,” Seo Mu-Sang answered immediately, recognizing the large flag on the roof of the carriage.

The Taoists on horseback all had chillingly cold gazes. They did not rush, but rode their horses slowly. Although countless people watched them enviously, not one of them showed any sign of excitement. Their firm and resolute atmosphere overwhelmed the crowd.

They were the Wudang Sect, one of the leaders of the Nine Great Sects alongside the Shaolin Temple.

If Shaolin was known for its hard and powerful style, Wudang was known for its soft, fluid style. Whereas Shaolin’s martial arts were grand and immovable like a mountain, Wudang’s techniques were flexible and unpredictable like the clouds.

Originally, Hubei, where Heaven’s Summit was located, was as good as the Wudang Sect’s front yard. Without the Wudang Sect’s permission, Heaven’s Summit would never have been able to establish itself there, niy the Wudang Sect permitted it for the greater good.

After Heaven’s Summit was established, however, the Wudang Sect closed its gates and refrained from external contact. They claimed it was to focus on training, but not many people believed them.

Regardless, since that day, few Wudang Sect Taoists were seen, even in Hubei. In fact, a large-scale procession like today’s had not been seen in decades.

The only visibly excited person in the procession was a young boy sitting on the roof of the carriage. He looked to be only eight or nine years old, and was constantly looking around with a curious expression. His big black eyes and cute face exuded innocence.

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The boy’s gaze suddenly met Jin Mu-Won’s.

Jin Mu-Won frowned.

The boy, however, smiled brightly and tapped on the roof of the carriage. The carriage window opened slightly, revealing a pair of intense eyes.

Immediately, Jin Mu-Won felt his mind go dizzy from a powerful shock. A pure white light, as if a bolt of lightning had exploded before his eyes, tore through his mind. He felt as if a terrifyingly sharp blade were rummaging through his brain, mercilessly shredding his nervous system. The world turned completely red, and objects appeared to blur together.

“Ugh!” Groaning, he quickly circulated the Art of Ten Thousand Shadows.

Fortunately, the world that had been dyed red returned to normal as the shadow qi moved.

“My Liege?” Seo Mu-Sang asked, his expression a mix of confusion and concern.

Jin Mu-Won could not answer. The opponent inside the carriage had initiated an invisible battle of wills with him. To an uninformed observer, it was merely an exchange of glances, but to a master like Jin Mu-Won, it was a battle more dangerous than swordfighting.

Time seemed to stretch out, transforming a fleeting moment into an eternity.

Suddenly, the opponent’s gaze faded, and the carriage window clicked shut.

“My Liege?” Seo Mu-Sang called out once more.

“I’m fine,” Jin Mu-Won reassured, relaxing his tense posture and looking around.

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Seo Mu-Sang, who was beside him, did not seem to have felt the gaze from the carriage, and neither did anyone else. Of all the people on this street, he was the only one who had felt the gaze of the person in the carriage.

Who could that be?

The carriage continued on its way as if nothing had happened. The boy sitting on the roof waved at Jin Mu-Won.

Jin Mu-Won stared blankly at the disappearing carriage. During the silent battle, he had unconsciously grabbed Snow Flower, and his hand was now soaked with sweat.

If it’s the Wudang Sect, then could it be the Scarlet Leaf Sage?

The Wudang Sect had a sky of its own. A sky of the sword which countless swordsmen around the world aspired to reach.

The world called him the Scarlet Leaf Sage.

If I’m right, then this is the moment one of the Nine Skies finally descends upon the world after only ever existing above the clouds.

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