The Sword Emperor's Way of Establishing the Namgung Clan

Chapter 36 - The First Solo Mission (1)

Namgung Jun, who had set out on his first solo mission, quietly infiltrated a merchant group in Hefei based on the information from the Ink Scent Division.

The Bright Talisman Caravan.

It was a small to medium-sized caravan in Hefei, which was recently suffering great difficulties because it had failed in its trade journeys in succession.

It was to the point where a subtle malice could be felt in the consecutive failures, making it difficult to say that their luck had simply not been good.

Though the Bright Talisman Caravan was on guard for this, they had not found any particular solution.

In the end, the Bright Talisman Caravan was in the middle of preparing for its final trade journey, squeezing out its last remaining resources. Because the caravan would be finished if even this trade journey failed, the preparations were very thorough.

As Namgung Jun stood for a moment and confirmed the scale of the trade journey, a middle-aged man beside him hurried him.

“Hey, Mr. Nam. Hurry up and carry this box.”

“…I will do so.”

Namgung Jun, who had become a porter for the Bright Talisman Caravan, carried the caravan’s goods.

‘I could have revealed my identity and formally requested their cooperation, but.’

Information could leak, and the opponent, feeling suspicious, might not reveal themselves. Then the mission would drag on, which would be troublesome.

In Namgung Jun’s judgment, this mission should not be dragged out for long. Solving it as quickly as possible would be the way to give the Bright Talisman Caravan some breathing room.

The merchants of the Bright Talisman Caravan looked on with pride at Namgung Jun, who was diligently moving the boxes and goods.

“He’s very diligent. He didn’t look that way from his appearance alone.”

“That’s right. He has the face of an unmistakable young nobleman, so I doubted if he could properly do any rough work.”

Lately, it had been too difficult for the Bright Talisman Caravan to hire workers. It was because an unforeseen accident would occur whenever they went out on a trade journey, resulting in casualties.

As the damage was especially great among the workers who were in charge of menial tasks, it was difficult to find people even after raising the wages.

In the middle of that, the existence of Namgung Jun, who was doing the work of more than three people by himself, was like a welcome rain.

But the merchants’ expressions soon darkened.

“I am worried this time as well, Caravan Leader.”

“Don’t worry. This time, we have hired a reliable wandering warrior, have we not.”

Recently, the Bright Talisman Caravan had had too many difficulties.

To explain it as simply being bad luck or a lack of preparation, the sequence of the accidents that had occurred was too exquisite.

‘Could it be the Heavy Punishment Gate?’

The expression of the Caravan Leader, Jang Il-su, hardened.

Ever since he had refused the proposal of the Heavy Punishment Gate, the affairs of the caravan had begun to go strangely.

To call it a coincidence, the timing was too perfect, and the rumors he was hearing were not good either.

As Jang Il-su was worrying to himself, the other merchants asked.

“Caravan Leader. Are you going to refuse this proposal as well?”

“That’s right. If we accept the proposal, we are finished. To think they would tell us to hand over the rights to the tea leaves we bring from Henan at a dirt-cheap price!”

“There is that, but the demand that we form our escort personnel with only martial artists from the Heavy Punishment Gate is also absurd. It’s not as if their price is cheap, either.”

“The Heavy Punishment Gate has no intention of opening a path to survival for us. They have nothing but the greed to swallow our caravan whole.”

The surrounding merchants could not refute him and could only let out sighs. It was because everything Jang Il-su said was true.

“Caravan Leader. It might be better to try and get a line to the Unorthodox Faction…”

“We cannot go to a tiger to avoid a wolf, can we. No, it seems the two of them are the same thing.”

“It is a true dilemma.”

Jang Il-su hardened his heart.

If he could succeed in this trade journey, he would be able to create a foundation from which to negotiate with, or resist, the Heavy Punishment Gate.

Because this was an important trade journey on which the lifeline of the Bright Talisman Caravan hung, a sense of grim resolve could be felt from the expressions of the caravan members.

“Then let us depart.”

“Yes, Caravan Leader.”

Namgung Jun, who had been carrying luggage from afar, was listening to the conversation of the Caravan Leader and the merchants without missing a single word.

‘The Heavy Punishment Gate.’

Namgung Jun did not let anything show and quietly moved to the back of the carriage.

……

‘No problems yet, I see.’

As Namgung Jun was quietly following the back of the carriage, a wandering warrior approached.

He was a figure with the epithet The Virtuous Saber, and among the escort personnel, he possessed the most outstanding martial arts.

Though the overall level of the wandering warriors hired by the Bright Talisman Caravan was decent, it was not to the extent that they could be compared to The Virtuous Saber.

For that reason, the presence of the The Virtuous Saber was quite large. It was to the point where even the eyes of Jang Il-su, who was overseeing the entire caravan procession, followed The Virtuous Saber and landed on Namgung Jun.

“You there, Younger Brother.”

“Yes, Great Hero.”

The lips of the The Virtuous Saber twitched as Namgung Jun called him Great Hero and praised him. But he tried his best to hold back his smile and maintained a stern expression.

“Looking at you, your physique and body seem decent. Do you train separately?”

“Not at all. It is that the excess fat has naturally fallen from my body as I have been doing manual labor.”

“Hmm. Is that so.”

The Virtuous Saber made a doubtful expression and then asked again. All while looking Namgung Jun up and down.

“By any chance, are you interested in martial arts?”

“If you speak of martial arts?”

“Do you have any thoughts of becoming my Sword Page? It would be fine to think of it as being my disciple. I am not just trying to assign you menial tasks, but will teach you martial arts.”

The current Namgung Jun was intentionally controlling not only his bearing, but also the movements of his physical body. Because he had the experience of the Sword Emperor from his past life, it was a very easy thing to do, regardless of his realm.

It was only natural that the The Virtuous Saber would think that Namgung Jun had not learned martial arts. Namgung Jun pretended to think for a moment, then performed a fist-and-palm salute.

“Thank you for the good offer, Great Hero. But as it is quite sudden, would it be alright if I think about it until this trade journey is over?”

For a moment, The Virtuous Saber licked his lips as if in disappointment.

But thinking that Namgung Jun was halfway won over, he readily nodded his head.

“Of course. Take your time to think about it.”

It was the moment the The Virtuous Saber was about to return to his position with a satisfied look.

Spurt!

The heads of a wandering warrior and a caravan martial artist, who had been standing at the head of the trade journey, soared into the sky. The escorts of the Bright Talisman Caravan, who had suddenly seen blood, urgently drew their weapons.

“Heuk! What is this!”

But in an instant, three people collapsed from the swordplay of a middle-aged man who had pierced through their ranks in a surprise attack from the side.

A vermilion Sword Qi flickered on the body of the sword of the middle-aged man, who was lightly shaking his blade.

“A Peak Realm master!”

The Virtuous Saber let out a groan-mixed voice and then made a face of dismay.

The reason he was showing off his Sword Qi from the very beginning must have been to seize the initiative through intimidation.

Since he, the strongest in the caravan procession, had shown such a reaction, it must have come across as even more fatal to the others.

“Huh!”

“We cannot face that man!”

In truth, the martial artists at the front were stepping backward with darkened complexions every time the vermilion Sword Qi pulsed.

Since their formation was slowly crumbling without him even having to do anything, the middle-aged man’s sword slashes became even bolder.

The middle-aged man, who had cut down seven people in a single breath, lightly shook his sword when there was no one left rushing at him.

The middle-aged man, who had flicked the blood off, raised his head and looked at Jang Il-su and the other merchants.

As the gaze of the Peak Realm master, filled with killing intent, reached them, Jang Il-su and the merchants froze like ice.

“Caravan Leader. You should have just accepted the proposal. Why must you make things so troublesome.”

“The proposal? Don’t tell me!”

“Enough. You bastards will all die here.”

As the middle-aged man took a stance as if he would advance on Jang Il-su right away, the The Virtuous Saber bit his lip.

“Damn it.”

The Virtuous Saber, who had urgently thrown his body forward, spat out a curse and blocked the path in front of Jang Il-su and the merchants.

He knew that he would die.

His own martial prowess was, at best, at the threshold of the First-Class realm.

It was not a level of martial skill that could be compared to a Peak Realm master. Despite this, he had to step forward.

Not only had his younger brother died at the hands of that assailant, but from his position of being responsible for escorting the caravan, he could not run away alone.

“Huu.”

As the The Virtuous Saber was about to take a step with trembling feet, the middle-aged man laughed with a preposterous look on his face.

“And what do you intend to do by stepping forward, you bastard?”

“I have to earn my keep. You damn bastard.”

“Ha.”

A killing intent erupted and flowed from the entire body of the middle-aged man who had snorted. The killing intent, which sharply pricked at the skin, made one’s nerves stand on end.

The Virtuous Saber brought his hand to the scabbard at his waist. Perhaps because his hand was damp with sweat, the hilt of his saber felt exceptionally cold today.

The Virtuous Saber, who had powerfully drawn his saber, extended a step forward.

‘You only live once. There should be no regrets.’

The Virtuous Saber took a deep breath and was about to rush at the middle-aged man.

“Great Hero.”

A low voice coming from behind bound the feet of The Virtuous Saber. It was Namgung Jun’s calm voice.

“You?”

While the killing intent that the middle-aged man was emitting covered the surroundings, the boy was moving as if he could not feel a thing.

At that composure, the gazes of all were drawn to Namgung Jun. At the sight of the only one who was moving without his body being frozen, the middle-aged man’s gaze also turned toward Namgung Jun.

‘A sword?’

The Virtuous Saber discovered something strange about Namgung Jun. At some point he must have gotten a sword, as one was now fastened at his waist.

Even if he was wearing a sword, did he intend to face him with a body that had not learned martial arts?

His courage and vigor were commendable, but it was an impossible task. A needless young life would only be lost.

It was when The Virtuous Saber was about to dissuade him.

As Namgung Jun slowly shed the worn-out clothes that the workers wore, a radiant, cerulean blue martial arts uniform was revealed. On the sleeve that was smoothly unfurled, a white cloud was embroidered.

The eyes of The Virtuous Saber, as he took in the sight of the cloud embroidery, trembled minutely.

“Could it be? The Azure Sky Society?”

Namgung Jun placed a hand on the shoulder of The Virtuous Saber and gently pushed him back.

“It is my turn to step in. Please retreat.”

“You are?”

Namgung Jun gave The Virtuous Saber a smile and then stopped to face the middle-aged man.

“You’re the Blood Master Sword, right? I finally get to see you.”

Even though Namgung Jun had seen right through his identity in a single breath, the Blood Master Sword maintained a confident attitude.

“The Azure Sky Society. Did you come looking for me?”

“You’ve been quite active lately. I see you’ve seen a fair bit of blood.”

Namgung Jun recalled the information that the Ink Scent Division had handed him. Among the Unorthodox Faction martial artists and wandering warriors that the Ink Scent Division was watching, the epithet Blood Master Sword was also specified.

“Hmph. Is it so strange for a martial artist to see blood?”

The Blood Master Sword, who was slowly looking Namgung Jun up and down, saw the two clouds embroidered on his sleeve and let out a dry laugh.

“But are you intending to face me alone? The Azure Sky Society’s intelligence network is sorely lacking.”

The martial skill level of an Azure Sky Society Two-Cloud member was, at its highest, at the threshold of the Peak Realm. To face him, who had reached the perfection of the Peak Realm, a Three-Cloud member at the very least would have to step forward.

But the boy before him was young and appeared to have only just received his two clouds.

‘Still, it would be more comfortable not to drag this out.’

The Blood Master Sword unexpectedly extended his sword.

It was a thrust that carried a strong will to pierce through Namgung Jun’s chest in a single strike.

Namgung Jun did not block or evade. He grasped his hilt and leaned his body slightly forward.

Even though he was a single breath late, the way he drew his sword up was perfectly natural.

FLARE!

A cerulean flash of light that fiercely cut through the atmosphere rushed out diagonally.

‘Huh?’

The eyes of the Blood Master Sword, who had been in the middle of thrusting his sword, widened in an instant.

An incredible Swift Sword. It was truly like a flash of lightning. The sword path, which seemed to cut a lightning bolt itself, made his body flinch just by being reflected in his vision.

He had sensed the threat of death.

‘Even though I was the one who struck first!’

The Blood Master Sword intuited it.

At this rate, it would not be a mutual destruction, but his own heart that would be pierced first.

“Kugh.”

The Blood Master Sword urgently twisted his left waist and raised his sword to the side.

Was it because his posture was unbalanced, or was it because the brat’s sword slash was so fierce?

GONG!

His right shoulder was shaken violently by the heavy shock that spread through the blade.

The Blood Master Sword, who had barely managed to block Namgung Jun’s thrust, felt a cold sweat form on his forehead.

He had felt that for a moment, he had almost crossed the line of death.

‘A young bastard can unfold a sword like this?’

Unlike the bewildered Blood Master Sword, Namgung Jun, despite having displayed such a Swift Sword, lightly shook out his hand as if he had only extended a simple sword strike.

At that light hand movement, the cold sweat that had formed on the Blood Master Sword’s forehead was now, at some point, trickling down his neck.

The Blood Master Sword felt it.

That something was going very wrong.

As the Blood Master Sword showed a moment of hesitation for the first time since he had revealed himself in this place, Namgung Jun brought his sword to a middle stance.

“Is it not your discerning eye and your judgment that are lacking?”

A silence flowed at Namgung Jun’s sharp criticism.