Becoming the Swordmaster Rank Young Lord of the Sichuan Tang Family Chapter 277

Episode 276. Jongnam (1)

There are many swordsmen in the world who are famous for their skill in using the sword.

If you ask people to name just three places, most of them will mention Mudang, Hwasan, and Jongnam.

Of course, there are military families like Namgung Se-ga who produced the King of Swordsmen of their time, or schools that served as the background for swordsmen who dominated an era, but in those cases, there are many cases where individuals achieved great success and gained great fame due to their outstanding individual qualities, regardless of their martial school of origin.

In contrast, what about the three sects listed above – Mudang, Hwasan, and Jongnam?

They are a true and great sect, possessing a martial arts that has been revised and modified for hundreds of years. They do not care much about bloodlines or qualifications, and accept various people as disciples, but the fact that they have maintained their power despite this is proof that their martial arts and teaching system itself are excellent.

Nowadays, it is known that the power of the three shamans is a bit weaker, and that Hwasan and Jongnam are competing for the top spot. This evaluation was based on the difference in the number of peerless swordsmen possessed by the three factions. In the case of shamans, there was only one swordsman who reached the level of Jo Hwa-gyeong, Geomjon Song Cheong. In addition, after Ma Gwang-cheon settled in the Hubei region, the shamans’ territory was clearly reduced.

Anyway, even if the old faction was reduced to the six factions by Yu Gil-jun of the Black Lotus, the power of Hwasan and Jongnam was still high. It couldn’t be otherwise. They had suffered no direct damage from the Black Lotus. Furthermore, according to what is known, Hwasan and Jongnam each had two peerless swordsmen who had reached the level of Jo Hwa-gyeong. This is far greater than the average ability of the Daebang factions. Only Shaolin could be said to be superior to them.

Someone with great knowledge of Shaanxi martial arts world says:

The reason why Hwasan and Jongnam were able to become the best swordsmen in the world today is because they developed their skills through friendly combat. It is not wrong to say that the relationship between the two schools became strained because of this, which gave room for Shaanxi painters to grow, but if it weren’t for the history of developing skills through competition, Shaanxi would have long ago become a domain of the Demonic Way.

* * *

Shaanxi, Zhongnan Mountain ━

As the name suggests, this is where the Jongnam faction, which has long competed with the Hwasan faction for the title of the best swordsmanship faction in Shaanxi, is located. On each mountain peak, there are pavilions built high as if to testify to the power built up over hundreds of years in the name of Jongnam, and large trees that have grown even taller are beautifully arranged. This scenery sometimes exerts a sense of solemnity on visitors, making them even be careful about their breathing.

This was the reason why Jongnam Mountain usually had a noble yet tranquil atmosphere.

however.

It’s different now.

Kwaang━!

Wow ━

Hurrah!

Here and there, doors are violently smashed and walls are collapsing as if bursting apart. Not only that, but flames are rising from old trees and several pavilions that must have stood there for many years, and soon they are spitting out ugly, black smoke.

And there were many who were just blankly staring at the smoke. No, strictly speaking, the expression ‘staring’ is not correct. The current scene was just coincidentally reflected in the pupils of those who were lying around, their eyes wide open, dead.

“… … .”

For those who were barely able to breathe, leaning on the doorposts, the expression “looking” would still be acceptable. However, it was clear that the light in their eyes would soon go out. They had not died instantly, but their major organs had been pierced or their limbs had been cut off. The amount of blood that had already poured out from their mouths and the cut surfaces of their bodies was considerable.

What was surprising was that their sleeves had a common pattern embroidered on them that looked like water drops. Needless to say, it was the mark of the disciples of the Jongnampa headquarters. Who on earth could have so cruelly harmed the disciples of the Bangpa, who had swordsmanship skills that were second to none even in Shaanxi?

Ugh━!

Suddenly, someone let out a sound that was hard to tell if it was a cough or a death scream. It was immediately obvious that it was the latter. A man wearing a gray-white uniform with the character ‘金’ embroidered in yellow thread was stepping on the chest of a man wearing a Jongnam-pa uniform.

It looks like he was just swinging his sword. The natural movement of shaking off the blood supports the guess.

Strange, strange━ The gray-white-robed man muttered as he absentmindedly kicked the head of the Jongnampa Taoist monk he had just cut off. It was clear that he was a Taoist monk of considerable skill. The neck of a person was protected by bones that were placed closely together, making it sturdier than expected. Most people would not be able to cut it off in one go, but this was not a matter of brute force, but rather a matter of experience and technique.

If you had studied medicine separately, you would know, but you should have a lot of experience with beheadings to know how the human cervical spine is structured, and you would need the skill and technique to accurately aim between the bone fragments to be able to cut off a head with a single stroke like you just did.

“If you learn the Jongnampa method, will your lifeline become stronger? Judging by the amount of blood loss, you should have died long ago, but why are there so many of you who still have your eyes wide open?”

“The sight unfolding before their eyes must have been unbelievable. Could they have ever imagined that Jongnam would be wiped out today?”

The one who received the words was another man who came out of the burning temple with a swaying stride. He, too, was wearing a gray-white uniform with the character ‘gold’ embroidered on it, and with every step he took, black magic energy waves surged from his body. He, too, approached the Jongnam sect disciples who were still breathing and stabbed them with his sword.

That’s right. The two people wearing gray-white uniforms were magicians who had studied magic deeply.

This was also a great surprise. It is said that since the Hwasisega settled down, it has become easy to see minions in the Shaanxi region, but that was only in the area of Shangnan, which was the territory of the Hwasisega. Zhongnan Mountain – and the minions were brazenly walking around in the middle of Zhongnan Sect, not on the side of a mountain?

The two men soon took the lives of all the Jongnampa disciples who were lying around or leaning on the ground. They had no power to resist, and they would have died soon anyway if left alone. Was it really necessary to do this? However, their master, the person called Geumryeong (金鈴), did not like to finish them off haphazardly. It was inevitable that they let go of those who fled in all directions, but it was a good idea to properly kill those who could be finished off here, so as not to leave room for future reprimands.

“It’s the end. Did you burn Cheongyeon and Muhak all?”

A man with a sword slung over his shoulder, with a rough demeanor like a scoundrel, said as he looked at the burning temple. Both the books and the temple are old, so they burn well, yes.

The man called Cheongyeon answered calmly.

“Now that we’ve set it on fire, it’ll soon turn to ash.”

“What a pity. Didn’t you take care of it separately? It’s none other than Jongnam. Even if it wasn’t passed down to Jangmun, there must have been several swordsmanship skills that were passed down to Sangseung.”

“Take care of it? There’s no need for that. It’s not like I’m going to learn the martial arts of the pilgrimage again. Besides, this is a matter that the King himself has ordered. If you get greedy at a time like this, you’ll most likely get your lifeline cut off.”

“They say that the swordsmanship that has been refined for hundreds of years is so exquisite that it is eye-opening just by looking at it. To just burn the secret book that contains the essence of such swordsmanship in detail… Even if there was a royal order, isn’t it a shame? If you had handed it over to the Man Geum Sang Dan, you would have definitely received a thousand gold coins.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. Stop it.”

Cheongyeon laughed as he called the Taoist priest’s name. He knew why his old friend, Jaksam, was saying that. On the surface, it seemed like he was trying to stimulate his greed, but Jaksam was a blunt guy by nature. He was not used to worrying, so he was probably trying to get his feelings out in this way.

Cheongyeon opened her mouth again.

“If you hand it over to the Mangeum Sangdan and take a large sum of money, wouldn’t the Geumryung know about it? While the Lord of Heaven was in hiding, the ones who took charge of the events of the main heaven were the Geumryung and the Eunryung. Not only the Madosamga, but also the Mangeum Sangdan’s affairs could never escape their attention. It would be wise to just follow the order and wait for the promised reward.”

“hmm…….”

“Jaksam. I know what you’re worried about. There were cases where our previous seniors from Geumryeongdae died while pursuing the ascending martial arts of the Five Great Sages. Of course, I also have a burning desire to overcome the wall and be free from the demonic possession right away. I want to grab onto anything that could be a small clue to reaching the ultimate demon. However, if we think about it calmly, there won’t be much we can gain by looking at the martial arts of the Six Sects. The qualities that martial arts require are different in the first place. In the martial arts of Sunhaeng, you have to study the mysterious principles to attain the ultimate. In other words, enlightenment is extremely important. Didn’t you and I hear a review when we first entered the main world? If we had learned the martial arts of Sunhaeng, we would have been third-rate for the rest of our lives.”

“Okay, okay. I’m starting to get annoyed all of a sudden, so let’s not talk about that anymore.”

“By the way, I have a new feeling. I have been calling for a world of magic ever since I first entered the Magwangcheon, but I never thought that a day like this would really come.”

“That’s right. I was half-doubting until the Namgung family was destroyed, but now I’m convinced. The Battle of Jeongma will definitely end with Boncheon’s victory. If Jongnam and Hwasan fall at the same time, the entirety of Shaanxi will fall into our hands. It will be much easier to obtain supplies, so the longer the war goes on, the more advantageous it will be for us.”

“There is no need to think about a long-term war. The Lord of Heaven has advanced to Sungsan. If Shaolin is destroyed, it will be the end of the world. In fact, the world of magic has already arrived.”

“Is the remaining Jeongcheon Alliance? The leader is the Sogaju of the Tang family. I heard he’s quite an expert.”

“Amdokgeomryong? Considering his age, he is certainly a great man. He is the one who destroyed the Black Lotus and made Sacheon a focal point, so you can’t just look down on him just because he is young. Furthermore, there is no way that the Six Sects didn’t covet the position of the first Jeongcheon Alliance Leader, but seeing that he ended up taking it himself, you have to see that he has some political acumen. He is someone who knows how to use his head.”

However, it would be difficult to make a wise decision in the current situation━ Cheongyeon said as she swung her sword gracefully, wiping away all the blood before she put the sword down and continued speaking.

“If they heard the news that Boncheon had advanced to Sungsan, there must have been deep discussions within the Jeongcheon Alliance about how to move the troops stationed at Juksan. The leader of the alliance has no answer. If they send them to Sungsan to rescue Shaolin, it will be too late, and if they don’t send them, they will be worried that Shaolin will be destroyed. Since the Namgung Family has just been destroyed, their anxiety will be even greater. The imperial family and the Hebei Peng Family have also decided not to intervene in the Jeongma War. On top of that, if they hear news of the dispatch of the Shaanxi Hwaga, the Huashan faction members will not be able to stay still. They will beg for support in any way, but would the young alliance leader have any justification to refuse?”

“If you refuse, it won’t be so bad. It will lead to internal strife.”

Jaksam nodded in agreement. He had heard the general story from Geumryeong, but after hearing Cheongyeon’s clear explanation, he felt like his mind was being opened up.

“If we move Juksan’s troops to Shaanxi to avoid internal strife, Guizhou Guojia will move immediately.”

“It may seem like there are many paths, but in reality, there are only one way.”

“Yes. The world of magic has already arrived. Now all we have to do is support the Golden Spirit and the Grand Duke and build up our achievements. If we don’t get too greedy, we will be able to receive the magic of rising.”

“is it.”

Jokjak-sam and Geum-geum-yeon━ The two looked at each other and smiled. They were friends who were born and raised in the same neighborhood, and entered the world with dreams of becoming famous, but they had suffered many setbacks. In particular, they had often encountered difficult situations at the hands of writers who were called martial artists. By chance, right after the establishment of Ma Gwang-cheon, they threw themselves into the world to earn a little money, and after making a small contribution, they were granted and learned demonic skills. They already knew that martial arts were something that you had to learn at a young age to expect success, so they didn’t have high expectations, but their innate physical qualities were perfectly suited to the martial arts of retrograde movement. As they quickly achieved success, Ma Gwang-cheon gave them increasingly important tasks, and as their achievements piled up, they were given martial arts of relatively higher levels.

After more than ten years of this – the two have now become full-fledged magic masters and have been assigned to the direct military unit of the Golden Spirit.

That was when.

Kwaang━

A loud noise and vibrations were coming from afar. I could guess the reason. It was because the peerless masters who had met on the other side of the mountain peak were still fighting.

“It looks like Jongnam Jangmun’s tantrum is getting quite long.”

“Shall we go? The King said there was no need for us to join, but I have already taken care of everything he ordered us to do.”

“That’s right. There’s nothing more captivating. Who knows? If you take in the swordsmanship of the Sword School, you might gain some insight.”

That was the end of the conversation between the two.

There was a light kicking of the ground, followed by long, drawn-out laughter that faded into the distance.

like that.

One of the many peaks of Jongnam Mountain gradually fell into complete silence.