The Legend of the Northern Blade

Chapter 170: Stirring up a Storm (2)

The event to select the Demon Hunters was fast approaching.

According to the original schedule, Heaven's Summit should have already swung open its main gate and welcomed the young martial artists residing in Wuhan or Heaven's Village. However, for reasons unknown, Heaven's Summit kept postponing the opening.

Consequently, the young martial artists nearby reached the peak of their dissatisfaction and began demanding that Heaven's Summit open its gates, placing the leadership in a challenging position.

The reason for the continued delay was Jin Mu-Won.@@novelbin@@

For now, as a result of Heaven's Summit's tight control over information, his existence remained concealed. Only the leadership of Heaven's Summit and the martial artists dispatched from the Nine Great Sects were aware of him.

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Still, the secret couldn't remain hidden for much longer. Observers with keen senses or swift judgment were already detecting the unusual atmosphere inside Heaven's Summit and discreetly making inquiries.

In other words, it was merely a matter of time before Jin Mu-Won's existence came to light. At the same time, it was also painfully clear what effect his presence would have on the young martial artists who desired to fight the Silent Night.

That troubled the leadership of Heaven's Summit deeply.

Seop Yo-Cheon, one of the Ten Great Elders, kicked off the meeting. "We can no longer delay our decision regarding Jin Mu-Won. It is time to decide what to do with him."

"Who here doesn't know that? The problem is that we have no appropriate way to deal with him," Gal Mun-Hong, another of the Ten Great Elders, replied irritably.

"Then propose a method."

"I'm saying this because there is no method available to us."

"Come now, let us all keep our composure and think calmly."

With this exchange, the debate flared anew.

The Chief Inspector, Geum Ju-Sang, simply observed in silence as the discussion dragged on with no conclusion in sight, only serving to heighten the tension.

These were the people who essentially led Heaven's Summit, yet their conversation echoed that of common street thugs.

Because of that one boy, Jin Mu-Won, Heaven's Summit's shameful secrets might soon be exposed to the entire world.

The flames of discord were intensifying. Even among the Ten Great Elders, opinions diverged. If news of Jin Mu-Won being alive spread, the ensuing consequences were unpredictable.

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Everything served to emphasize just how much of a symbol his existence was.

He is shaking Heaven's Summit to its core despite doing nothing but sitting quietly inside a prison.

Geum Ju-Sang shook his head. This situation was unprecedented in the history of Heaven's Summit.

If Jin Mu-Won had instead taken up a sword and challenged them, they would have responded in kind, and the problem would be easily solved. Unfortunately for them, he had chosen the confines of prison over the sword, plunging the leadership into turmoil.

Finally, the Ruling Hall Director, Yuk Ji-Mun, rose from his seat. "There is something all you Elders should be aware of."

"What is it, Director Yuk?"

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"We have noticed that news of Jin Mu-Won's imprisonment at Heaven's Summit is slowly leaking to the outside world."

"What? Who would dare leak such classified information? Could it have been the Outer Hall?"

"It's possible that the leak came from the Outer Hall, but we can't be completely sure. The more pressing fact we need to be concerned with is that outsiders are beginning to take notice of Jin Mu-Won." ȒÃ𝐍Օ₿ËŠ

"Hmm!"

The Ten Great Elders' expressions soured. The situation was deteriorating faster than anticipated.

"We should have taken care of him ten years ago," one elder said wistfully.

Most of the Ten Great Elders nodded in agreement, their faces filled with regret.

"The key point is that we can no longer put off dealing with him. We have to choose: either we kill him and suffer the consequences, or we release him."

"I have a suggestion," Yoo Cheong-Wol, yet another member of the Ten Great Elders, said.

"Go on."

"We all know that we cannot delay the Demon Hunters Selection any longer. Though it is merely a formality, we cannot ignore the gaze of the jianghu."

"That much is obvious. Get to the point."

"Why don't we invite the Northern Blade to the event?"

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"What do you mean?"

"We'll let the jianghu judge and dispose of him."

"Is that even possible? Many in the jianghu still reminisce about the Northern Army and long for it."

"Why would it not be? You all know how easily nostalgia can be tainted. Stirring up the masses requires little effort, especially when our targets are young martial artists who are easily swayed by emotion…"

Yuk Ji-Mun trailed off, but no one in the room failed to grasp his intent. The Ten Great Elders exchanged knowing smiles.

Gal Mun-Hong spoke on behalf of the group, "What about those who oppose us like the Mount Hua Sect, the Kongtong Sect, and the Tang Clan?"

"In this situation, what choice do they really have? Ten years ago, they stayed silent at the most crucial moment. No matter how much they preach about upholding justice, in the end, they will always put their own interests above those of others. Such is the nature of the world."

"Fufu!"

"If it still troubles you, we can use Lord Yeon Cheon-Hwa. He likely sees Jin Mu-Won as a thorn in his side as well."

"Indeed! That's a brilliant idea."

Everyone broke into laughter… except Geum Ju-Sang.

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Are those fools going to close their eyes and cover their ears yet again? Geum Ju-Sang sighed, closing his eyes.

The sound of footsteps echoed in the deathly silent prison, but Jin Mu-Won did not open his eyes.

Geum Ju-Sang and the martial artists of the Investigation Department paused in front of Jin Mu-Won.

The lack of sunlight had rendered his complexion pale, and stubble had grown on his face. His unkempt hair obscured his eyes, and a thin layer of dust covered his shoulders.

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Looking at Jin Mu-Won, who was now in his mid-twenties, Geum Ju-Sang was reminded of the young Jin Kwan-Ho.

Does the son inevitably follow in his father's footsteps, reliving the same history?

Suddenly, Jin Mu-Won opened his eyes and met Geum Ju-Sang's gaze.

His eyes have even greater depth than before. Clearing his throat, Geum Ju-Sang said bluntly, "You can come out now."

"Am I being released?"

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"No, you are being transferred to the Investigation Department's prison. We will officially process your case there."

"What do you mean, officially process?"

"You'll find out soon enough. Now, come out."

The martial artists of the Investigation Department opened the prison door.

As Jin Mu-Won rose, they approached to take his sword, as was standard procedure.

However, they could not bring themselves to lay a hand on him. The moment they met Jin Mu-Won's gaze, an overwhelming sensation gripped them. A deep, primal instinct warned them that touching him would lead to doom.

Their bodies reacted before their minds, instinctively refusing to move forward, and their eyes wavered in confusion at the bizarre experience.

Thankfully, a voice came to their rescue.

"There's no need to take his sword. He is the last Lord of the Northern Army. We need to show him at least the minimum amount of respect."

"Yes, sir!"

Geum Ju-Sang turned to Jin Mu-Won and said politely, "Lord Jin, please step outside."

Jin Mu-Won looked at Geum Ju-Sang curiously. The man's tone had changed.

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Geum Ju-Sang smiled bitterly. This was the least respect he could offer the current Lord of the Northern Army.

Jin Mu-Won quietly followed Geum Ju-Sang out of the prison. The intense sunlight, which he hadn't seen for so long, made him squint for a moment, but his shadow qi soon rose naturally to shield his eyes.

As he adjusted to the light, he noticed the Outer Hall martial artists standing guard outside the prison.

When they spotted him, they immediately began whispering among themselves. Even among them, Jin Mu-Won was the hottest topic of discussion.

"Let's go," Geum Ju-Sang said, continuing to lead the way.

The martial artists of the Investigation Department followed behind him, escorting Jin Mu-Won.

If the Outer Hall was on the outskirts of Heaven's Summit, then the Investigation Department occupied a key location within Heaven's Summit itself. The warriors intended to transport him discreetly, but his presence was quickly noticed.

"Who's that?"

"For the Investigation Department to mobilize so many martial artists, he must be someone important."

"He looks young, though…"

Murmurs spread as people watched Jin Mu-Won being escorted. The fact that dozens of martial artists had been mobilized for him showed that he was no ordinary figure.

It wasn't just the voices, too. Jin Mu-Won could also sense the countless gazes that were directed at him. His All-Encompassing Awareness could even pick up and distinguish the subtle emotions behind them.

While most of them were simply curious, some were not. His gaze naturally turned to the source of these unusual emotions.

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Some distance away, a group of seemingly ordinary people were talking. They acted indifferently, but he could tell that they were secretly observing him while trying to remain unnoticed.

And they weren't the only ones.

Those by the bookstore and behind the left wing belong to different factions. Including the one hiding behind the tree and those observing from the rooftop, there are four different groups.

That meant four entirely separate factions had been dispatched to monitor him.

So the power structure within Heaven's Summit is divided into at least four factions.

A faint smile appeared on Jin Mu-Won's lips. They would never realize that, through them, he was actually studying the internal divisions and power struggles within Heaven's Summit.

Despite being imprisoned for only a few days, Jin Mu-Won's All-Encompassing Cognizance had sharpened remarkably. Even without consciously focusing, he could now read the emotions hidden within others' gazes.

His physical condition was also exceptional. His muscles were brimming with strength, and his qi flowed smoothly through meridians.

He was in peak fighting condition.

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Jin Mu-Won took this as a positive sign.

Geum Ju-Sang, who was leading the way, suddenly froze in his footsteps. Needless to say, Jin Mu-Won and the martial artists of the Investigation Department following him also stopped.

Geum Ju-Sang's expression hardened. A young martial artist stood in his path. He usually paid little attention to young upstarts, but he recognized this one.

"Master Shim…?" he asked.

The young man respectfully clasped his hands together, greeting, "Good afternoon, Hall Leader Geum. I am Shim Won-Yi."

"Why are you here?"

"I humbly request your permission to speak with the prisoner for a moment," Shim Won-Yi said, his gaze fixed on Jin Mu-Won.