The Sword Emperor's Way of Establishing the Namgung Clan Chapter 81 : Support for the Eakan Branch (1)

Chapter 81 - Support for the Eakan Branch (1)

Mount Okhwa.

A mountain that could only be encountered by passing Lake Poyang and Nanchang in northern Jiangxi Province and traveling a long way to the south.

From Anhui Province to Jiangxi Province, the Heavenly Sword Hall displayed incredibly rapid lightness skill mobility.

Although various ranks from One-Cloud to Four-Cloud were mixed together, not a single Cloud lagged behind. Their stamina was thoroughly managed so that they could respond to unexpected situations at any mont.

While this was partly thanks to Lee Se-ha’s seasoned managent, it was also proof that everyone in the Heavenly Sword Hall maintained the minimum standard required of the Ten Halls.

The title of being the elite of the Azure Sky Society suited them perfectly.

Fwoosh!

Darting through the wilderness, the Heavenly Sword Hall arrived near Mount Okhwa, making the sultry wind their companion.

"Halt."

Even at Lee Se-ha’s quiet voice, which was close to a murmur to herself, the Heavenly Sword Hall reacted alertly and planted their feet firmly into the ground.

Thump!

The parched dirt ground shook minutely. The dust stirred up by the shockwave of their lightness skill billowed low like a wave, but it did nothing more than tickle the hems of their pants.

Namgung Jun raised his head and gazed at the mountain foothills visible in the distance. That mountain must be Mount Okhwa, their mission location.

'It should take roughly two koks (about 30 minutes) to arrive.'

Gauging the Heavenly Sword Hall’s movent speed and distance, Namgung Jun lightly tapped the ground with his toe.

'The current lightness skill is usable, but...'

He was mixing the lightness skill available in the Martial Repository of Self-Reflection with the techniques of Namcheon Palace as needed, but it was not entirely satisfactory.

Unlike when he had just entered the Azure Sky Society, he had now achieved a harmony of his Jing, Qi, and Shen, and his attainnt in the lightness skill itself had progressed dazzlingly.

[TL/N: The "Three Treasures" (Essence/Jing, Energy/Qi, Spirit/Shen), fundantal components of a martial artist's being.]

There was no longer any worry of lagging behind the other Heavenly Sword Hall mbers like before. However, Namgung Jun was not satisfied with the current situation and felt it was sowhat lacking.

The lightness skill he was currently using was a considerably good martial art, but it was not deep enough to dedicate a lifeti to digging into.

He needed a martial art that could root itself deeply within his mind's eye and completely lt into his physical body, just like the Infinite Steps Footwork and Crimson Body of the Heavenly Lord.

Only then would the lightness skill naturally intertwine and transform into a single cohesive movent. Only after creating a lightness skill that truly suited him would he be able to unconsciously display a satisfactory movent.

'Lightness skills. If it were a sword style, my mind would be at ease, but this approaches as a difficult task.'

As he reflected on footwork, body movent, and lightness skills, Namgung Jun’s gaze slowly shifted. It was because an unfamiliar presence was gradually drawing closer.

Whether Lee Se-ha already knew, she had already turned her gaze away from Mount Okhwa and toward the thicket on the opposite side.

The other Clouds also detected the presence one after another, but none reacted rashly. Everyone rely waited for Lee Se-ha’s command first.

Rustle!

The sound of dry leaves crushing beneath footsteps drew gradually closer. Soon, parting the thicket, a middle-aged man stealthily revealed himself.

Looking at his bearing and footwork, he was a commoner who had not learned martial arts.

"Greetings."

It was only natural to be startled upon seeing dozens of swordsn deep in a secluded mountain. However, as if the middle-aged man already knew of the Heavenly Sword Hall’s presence, he moved his steps forward naturally.

It was clear that though he had not learned martial arts, he was a commoner who stood close to the fringes of the Martial World.

"Here it is."

"The information arrived without any setbacks. Thank you."

Approaching Lee Se-ha directly, the middle-aged man handed over a rolled-up piece of paper.

As Lee Se-ha accepted the paper and showed her courtesy, the middle-aged man imdiately turned his back as if he had fulfilled his duty.

Namgung Jun stared at the middle-aged man's receding back.

'He is not affiliated with our society.'

Yet, seeing him provide assistance like this, it appeared he was connected in so way.

'They did say there is a secret organization cooperating with our society. Is he an individual belonging to that group?'

Having montarily taken an interest in the middle-aged man, Namgung Jun turned his head back.

Unrolling the paper and scanning it quickly, Lee Se-ha murmured.

"Fortunately, it seems the Eakan Branch trapped on Mount Okhwa is still safe."

Incinerating the paper with Samadhi True Fire, Lee Se-ha looked around at the hall mbers.

"I will summarize the mission details again."

The secret branch that was in Eakan, Jiangxi Province, had been discovered and raided by the Sun and Moon Demonic Cult.

The Eakan Branch had imdiately chosen to abandon the secret branch and flee.

A secret branch not only loses its utility the mont it is exposed to the outside, but they also possessed information that absolutely had to be delivered to the Azure Sky Society main fortress.

"The Eakan Branch continued to flee until they reached Mount Okhwa, and they are currently in a situation where they are buying ti and holding out there."

To prepare for cases where a branch collapses due to an attack by the Unorthodox and Demonic Paths, the Azure Sky Society usually prepared secret refuges in various places where they could hide and hold out.

Mount Okhwa was also one of these secret refuges of the Azure Sky Society.

That was the reason the Eakan Branch, which had been caught up to by the Sun and Moon Demonic Cult, was still able to hold out on Mount Okhwa.

It was clear that the Sun and Moon Demonic Cult had not yet found the secret refuge on Mount Okhwa.

"The Sun and Moon Demonic Cult occupying Mount Okhwa is divided into two forces."

Lee Se-ha picked up a tree branch, wrote the characters for “Okhwa”, and drew a large circle around them.

"The majority of the Sun and Moon Demonic Cult's combat power is blocking the paths around Mount Okhwa. Based on this encirclent, so demonic beings are in the middle of tracking the Eakan Branch."

The main force of the Sun and Moon Demonic Cult had constructed an encirclent around the Mount Okhwa area, and a separately organized detachnt was searching Mount Okhwa to find the Eakan Branch.

"Since the number of enemies is large, blindly attacking and moving up from the bottom would not be wise."

"Correct. The first priority is to create an appropriate diversion to disperse their attention."

As Namgung Jun spoke, Lee Se-ha asked:

"How about it? Does my disciple want to give it a try?"

After thinking for a mont, Namgung Jun shook his head.

"The Master would be more suitable than I."

"Why?"

"Your martial prowess and fa as the Heavenly Sword Hall Master and the ‘Wandering Princess of the Black Cloud’ would be more impactful to the Sun and Moon Demonic Cult. If the Master reveals yourself directly, the reaction of the main force at the base of Mount Okhwa will be even more alert."

Lee Se-ha nodded as if that were the correct answer.

"The next part is also important. If we cannot crush the detachnt that is scouring the mountain, we will not be able to save the Eakan Branch. I will leave that side to you, Jun."

"Yes, Master."

Namgung Jun was entrusted with a role second only to Lee Se-ha. No one refuted or questioned the Hall Master's selection.

In the current Heavenly Sword Hall, excluding Lee Se-ha, there was no swordsman who could best Namgung Jun. Furthermore, since he had been promoted to Three-Cloud this ti, his qualifications were also more than sufficient.

"I am curious about the youngest's command ability."

"Moving alone and leading subordinates are strictly different fields."

The senior mbers seed to be getting excited about what kind of performance Namgung Jun would show.

"We won't need that many people to climb the mountain."

Based on the information she received from the middle-aged man, Lee Se-ha distributed the combat power swiftly, as if it were a smooth operation.

Familiar with their respective missions, the Heavenly Sword Hall swordsn revealed a strong aura, as if they could sortie at any mont. Lee Se-ha nodded.

"Let's go."

Having achieved a state of readiness through a brief rest, the Heavenly Sword Hall imdiately charged toward Mount Okhwa.

……

"Is there still no news?"

"Yes."

"Mount Okhwa isn't even that large of a mountain, so why is it taking this long?"

"It seems they have dug a rabbit hole secretly. Still, there isn't much left now."

The Radiant Vindicator who was listening to the cult mber’s report let out a sigh.

"In the first place, this was not sothing that should have dragged on for this long. We should not have given those Eakan Branch bastards a chance to flee. The Azure Sky Society will surely show a reaction as well."

"Yes. I will handle it quickly so that the situation does not beco complicated.”

Sa Haeng-do, a Radiant Vindicator in charge of wiping out the Eakan Branch this ti, clicked his tongue.

The Eakan Branch was estimated to be the largest scale Azure Sky Society secret branch in Jiangxi Province. Furthermore, the item that the Eakan Branch had intercepted midway this ti was a considerably important item.

Therefore, as many as five Radiant Vindicators were mobilized for this cleanup. The forces that could be directly mobilized from Jiangsu Province had moved all at once.

'Tsk. Since those bastards took the core mission of the detachnt.'

Sa Haeng-do gazed at the peak of Mount Okhwa and clicked his tongue. Even among the sa Radiant Vindicators, there was bound to be a difference in martial prowess and standing.

Among the five Radiant Vindicators, Jeokmun-geom and Ho Gong-no, who belonged to the strongest side, had taken charge of the detachnt's mission and were currently moving.

From Sa Haeng-do's perspective, he only hoped that the Eakan Branch would shake off the detachnt and attempt to descend the mountain. Only then would he be able to intercept a greater rit.

'Since I am stuck just idling at the base of the mountain.'

Boom!

Sa Haeng-do, who did not like the current situation, had leaned back into his chair but stood up in surprise.

It was because a trendous roar had erupted out of nowhere from outside.

This was despite it being the encirclent at the base of the mountain, where a commotion would rarely occur under normal circumstances. It was certain that so trouble had clearly broken out.

'Could it be that the Eakan Branch, whom the detachnt missed, has appeared?'

Sa Haeng-do, who rushed out of the tent with a slightly flushed face, quickly had his expression crumpled.

Swordsn were indiscriminately slaughtering the cult mbers. The cult mbers were also resisting in their own way, but they were being pushed back helplessly.

It was only natural. For their opponent was one of the Ten Halls proudly boasted by the Azure Sky Society.

"The Heavenly Sword Hall!"

It was when Sa Haeng-do, recognizing the Heavenly Sword Hall, let out a cry of shock.

"You, you're a Radiant Vindicator, aren't you?"

At the voice suddenly coming from above his head, Sa Haeng-do raised his gaze. Then, a beautiful face drew extrely close.

Under normal circumstances, it was a beauty he would have stared at absentmindedly, but now was not the situation for that.

Sa Haeng-do instinctively drew up his internal energy and raised both hands to block. Unlike the sword that was rapidly driving toward his neck, the movent of Sa Haeng-do's two hands was far too slow.

That was Sa Haeng-do's final mory.

Spurt!

Lee Se-ha, having severed the Radiant Vindicator's neck with a single sword strike through a surprise attack, landed smoothly on the ground.

"Keu-euk!"

"The Heavenly Sword Hall! It's the Heavenly Sword Hall!"

"Request support from the other side!"

Despite taking the initiative with a surprise attack, the demonic beings showed no signs of backing down easily. On the contrary, they unleashed all sorts of Demonic Arts, trying to push back the Heavenly Sword Hall.

But Lee Se-ha welcod that situation instead.

The more rowdily they rampaged like this, the more their attention would be dispersed, making it even easier for Namgung Jun, who had climbed the mountain, to move.

Crackle!

Dense lightning energy sparked up on Lee Se-ha’s sword.

"I wonder if there is anyone who can withstand my sword?"

Lee Se-ha began to search for the presence of another Radiant Vindicator responsible for the main force at the base of Mount Okhwa.

……

While the Heavenly Sword Hall was shaking up the main force at the base of Mount Okhwa, Namgung Jun moved separately.

Behind Namgung Jun, who was directly breaking through the foothills of Mount Okhwa, Gong Jun-am, Heo Il, and Man Ye-won followed.

It was a team organized to deal with the detachnt on Mount Okhwa.

"This way."

At the unhesitating command of Namgung Jun, who had taken the role of team leader, the remaining team mbers quietly followed. His energy sense had beco wider and more alert as he achieved the harmony of Jing, Qi, and Shen.

Based on his advanced energy sense, Namgung Jun thoroughly scoured the entire area of Mount Okhwa and finally discovered it.

A small presence being pursued by a cluster of foul demonic energy that fouled his mood.

It was clearly a Cloud belonging to the Eakan Branch.

"Let us increase our speed."

As Namgung Jun’s lightness skill grew even faster, the streams of wind parting against the edge of his bamboo hat grew stronger. As they crossed a low hill in a single breath like that, the figure of a woman ca into view.

The woman, who appeared to be a mber of the younger generation, was covered in blood. Various parts of her yellow martial arts uniform were stained a dark red, but the single cloud embroidered on the hem of her sleeve was distinct.

Led by the woman, there were others around her, and all appeared to be Clouds of the Azure Sky Society.

'The survivors of the Eakan Branch.'

Confirming the cloud embroidery of the Azure Sky Society, Namgung Jun’s hand naturally ca to rest on his sword hilt. This was because he could feel several presences pursuing the woman just twenty steps behind.

Thud!

Advancing at maximum speed, Namgung Jun’s two feet landed on the ground as if sliding. His left hand was softly grasping the end of his scabbard, while his right hand held the sword hilt.

"Stop!"

Soone's voice echoed from afar.

Namgung Jun could tell with certainty. The voice was not directed at the urgently fleeing woman, but was piercing straight toward himself as he prepared to draw his sword.

But Namgung Jun paid it no mind. He even made the rebound force generated through his body from abruptly stopping his lightness skill into a part of his sword power.

—Duck.

At the sa ti he sent a sound transmission ssage to the Clouds of the Eakan Branch, including the woman, Namgung Jun drew his sword.

Heavenly Wind Sword Style.

First Form. One Reed Wind.

A sword wind that was lengthily unleashed simultaneously with the drawing of the sword.

The sword wind, curved like a reed, stretched out endlessly in a horizontal line, splitting the atmosphere above and below. It was a bold slash without a shred of hesitation.

"Heup!"

Hearing the sound transmission, the woman crouched down, her eyes wide open. A few strands of her hair, which had not settled in ti and were narrowly cut off, fluttered helplessly.

Swooooosh!

A bleak sound of wind, as flesh and trees were severed entirely, filled the forest.

Namgung Jun, who had simultaneously sliced through the seven demonic beings pursuing the woman along with several surrounding trees. But Namgung Jun did not sheathe his sword.

Letting the sword that had unleashed the sword wind hang in a low stance, he kept his attention fixed between the slowly tilting trees.

"Who the hell are you?"

The voice that had restrained Namgung Jun a mont ago could be heard once again.

However, the answer ca from elsewhere.

"Namgung Jun?"

The woman, who had crouched down to evade “One Reed Wind”, blankly murmured as she looked at Namgung Jun.

Hearing the woman's muttering, Namgung Jun also turned his gaze.

But Namgung Jun could not tell who the woman before his eyes was. Therefore, he asked back.

"Who are you?"

At Namgung Jun’s question, the woman's lips parted slightly.