Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 271

271. The Unqualified

Dang Seol-yeon frowned and asked the middle-aged martial artist,

“What are the reactions of the other families in the Alliance?”

“The families are worried about the impact on their young disciples. Rumors are rife that the Azure Dragon Sword Master stopped the Iron-Blooded Evil King and saved several sects, and there are many who are dissatisfied with the Alliance’s foreign policy…….”

The Taepyeong Alliance’s foreign policy is to avoid unnecessary friction with the Hero Alliance.

This policy greatly helped stabilize the Taepyeong Alliance, but it did not appease the resentment of the sects that suffered damage during the Hangzhou Bloodshed.

Some young disciples openly advocated for a battle with the Hero Alliance.

“Hah, daring…….”

Dang Seol-yeon let out a hollow laugh.

“They don’t even know who is preserving their sects.”

The sects that escaped the Hangzhou Martial Arts Alliance were currently suffering from severe internal strife.

From the election of a heavily injured acting head to the assignment of responsibility, the sects were divided and split along lines of interest and faction.

The aftermath of the deaths or injuries of key personnel and important figures could not be ignored.

As a result, the external activities and influence of the sects were inevitably severely curtailed.

However, the situation of the Taepyeong Alliance’s Seven Great Families was slightly different.

The four families that suffered similar damage also experienced internal divisions, but to a significantly lesser extent.

The name of the Taepyeong Alliance served as a shield, allowing them to at least maintain the status quo.

Therefore, Dang Seol-yeon’s statement that the Taepyeong Alliance was preserving the sects was by no means an exaggeration.

“Send letters to each family in the name of the Alliance.”

Dang Seol-yeon said in a cold voice.

“Any action that goes against the Alliance’s policy, regardless of its severity, will be thoroughly investigated, and if disciples are found to be involved in or protecting subversive forces, the sect will be held accountable.”

She didn’t know who the Azure Dragon Society was.

But Dang Seol-yeon was certain. They were inside the Taepyeong Alliance.

‘……In this situation, masters of sword energy manifestation, it’s obvious.’

Would sects undergoing internal strife have the *余裕* [leeway or capacity] to create something like the Azure Dragon Society?

Would Shaolin, Mount Hua, Emei, or Wudang wear masks and kill Hero Alliance warriors?

Absolutely not.

Therefore, what those calling themselves the Azure Dragon Society ultimately want is to shake the Taepyeong Alliance from within and strengthen their own position.

Instead of the Dang Clan and the Zhuge Family, which currently form the two pillars of the Taepyeong Alliance.

“Yes. I understand.”

The middle-aged martial artist bowed respectfully and went outside.

Click.

The door to the office closed, and Dang Seol-yeon, the chief strategist left alone, wore a sneer.

‘Hmph, no matter what you do, the Taepyeong Alliance belongs to the Dang Clan.’

Officially, the Taepyeong Alliance is a coalition of the Seven Great Families.

However, the core positions of the Alliance were dominated by the Dang Clan and the Zhuge Family.

The Dang Clan and the Zhuge Family were also rapidly swallowing up the vacant areas where the influence of existing large sects had diminished.

In particular, the Dang Clan is the beginning and center of the Taepyeong Alliance.

That was a fact that even the Zhuge Family could not deny.

‘Ah, now that I think about it…….’

Dang Seol-yeon suddenly realized.

Why the seasoned Iron-Blooded Evil King Yeom Jung-bu was lukewarm in responding to the Azure Dragon Society.

‘That cunning old fox.’

The real target of the Azure Dragon Society is not the Hero Alliance, but the Taepyeong Alliance.

The Iron-Blooded Evil King Yeom Jung-bu had also realized that fact.

“Haa.”

Dang Seol-yeon suddenly let out a light sigh.

“Really, you.”

Recalling the image of a gentle, soft, and even naive-looking scholar, Dang Seol-yeon bit her lip.

“……His dantian [energy center] was destroyed, but he’s still causing trouble even after disappearing.”

Dang Seol-yeon could never forget the sword that Un-hyun had shown against his grandfather, Dok-seon, that thrilling sight.

Because of that one person, Dok-seon was still not moving, and Blood Prince Mun-wang had to step down from the front lines after defeating the Martial Arts Alliance due to being reprimanded by the merchants.

Therefore, the person who was most concerned about the whereabouts of the Azure Dragon Sword Master was not the Azure Dragon Society, but Dang Seol-yeon herself.

Because of the anxiety that he, whose dantian was said to have been destroyed by the Three Supremes, might return, even if only by chance.

“Even until the very end.”

Dang Seol-yeon muttered quietly, biting her lip.

Her alluring red lips were brutally distorted, but Dang Seol-yeon didn’t care.

***

The main residence of the Hoam Merchant Guild in Changsha.

Lee Seo-yeon, who was reviewing regular reports in her office, suddenly stopped at one document.

Rustle.

It seemed like a report of little value at first glance.

Guizhou Province was not a major trading area for the Hoam Merchant Guild, and Junui was even further outside her interest.

If it hadn’t been for the matter related to the Hero Alliance’s Chongqing branch, this report would not have reached Lee Seo-yeon.

“Azure Dragon Society…….”

Lee Seo-yeon held the report with her long, white fingers and muttered quietly.

Lee Seo-yeon already knew the saying, ‘The only one who can stand against the Hero Alliance is the Azure Dragon Sword Master.’

How could the Hoam Merchant Guild, which traded along the Yangtze River, not hear the rumors circulating on the Yangtze River?

Moreover, it was even more so for merchant guilds like the Hoam Merchant Guild, which maintained a secret relationship with the Hero Alliance behind the scenes.

‘But there was no news that the Hero Alliance was moving in particular, right?’

The movements of the Hero Alliance are something that the Hoam Merchant Guild values very highly.

They didn’t miss anything, no matter how small, and they didn’t ignore anything that seemed completely meaningless.

The Hoam Merchant Guild was perhaps more knowledgeable about the Hero Alliance than the Hero Alliance itself.

Rustle.

After thinking for a moment, Lee Seo-yeon quietly put down the report.

‘……I still have to wait. The most important card has become impossible to track, and his dantian is said to be destroyed.’

Her investment seemed to have failed at first glance.

However, nothing is confirmed unless Lee Seo-yeon herself accepts that conclusion.

Even if that ‘card’ had its dantian destroyed and its whereabouts were unknown.

Therefore, only patience and waiting were the only measures now.

“Hehe.”

Lee Seo-yeon smiled, recalling that ‘card’ that would even change her destiny.

“Is there a good report?”

Lee Seo-yeon raised her head at the voice of the young woman.

“Yes.”

Lee Seo-yeon said with a smile.

“More than that, how is Ah-yeong? Are you getting along well with your fiancé?”

“……It’s just so-so these days. Somehow, even when we meet, it’s not the same as before. Was it wrong to postpone the marriage after all?”

Il Ah-yeong, a young lady with neat clothes and clear eyes, said.

“It’s okay.”

Lee Seo-yeon said consolingly.

“You can get married anytime. Actually, when I think about it, I wonder if marriage is that important. Because the effort to achieve your dreams can only be done right now.”

She didn’t say that Lee Seo-yeon herself was the one who instructed them to become estranged.

She had only made Il Ah-yeong very busy and introduced other women to her fiancé.

“Ah, how is your mother?”

“She’s much better.”

Il Ah-yeong said, trying to put on a bright expression.

“Thank you. For taking care of her in many ways…….”

“Don’t mention it.”

Lee Seo-yeon smiled.

“I’m the one who’s grateful. If it weren’t for Ah-yeong, I might have been so overwhelmed with work that I would have aged quickly.”

Lee Seo-yeon’s words were somewhat sincere.

Il Ah-yeong, the only daughter of the deceased *Geumgun Gyodu* [Golden Sword Leader] Il Chung-hyeon, and the one whom Azure Dragon Sword Master Un-hyun thought of as his own niece, was a very precious card that could not be left out of Lee Seo-yeon’s investment.

Lee Seo-yeon smiled as she looked at Il Ah-yeong.

It was a more radiant and beautiful smile.

***

“Cough!”

Un-hyun groaned and 벌떡 일어나다 [boltteok ireonada – abruptly got up].

Soaked in sweat, Un-hyun gasped for breath.

And he knew that he had had another nightmare.

“Hoo, hoo.”

He got up from where he was catching his breath and put on his clothes.

And he looked down at his soiled bedding.

‘The maid will grumble again.’

Still, there was nothing he could do.

With practiced skill, Un-hyun tidied up the soiled bedding.

And he drank the water on the table.

탁 [Tak – sound of placing something down].

Putting down the glass, Un-hyun thought.

‘……They must be resenting me.’

The nightmare was always the same.

It started with the time when he was training with a sword in the imperial palace and ended with Dok-go-rang’s bloody tears.

A terrible nightmare of blood that always covered his entire body, no matter how hard he tried to avoid it.

‘Dok-go-rang…….’

Just thinking about it made his heart clench.

He must be resenting me.

In a pool of blood splattered with blood, waiting for Un-hyun who wouldn’t come, resenting him.

Tears of blood flowing.

Woong [whooshing sound].

‘Ugh.’

A strange sound was heard in his ear, and suddenly he became dizzy.

Un-hyun staggered and grabbed the table.

Even though he had already woken up from the dream, his whole body felt like it was falling into an endless abyss.

“Hoo.”

When the dizziness subsided, Un-hyun straightened his clothes.

And he slowly opened the door.

Click.

The dim dawn air greeted him.

Un-hyun went outside.

Step by step.

Un-hyun turned to the back of the 숙소 [sukso – lodging], feeling the morning breeze.

It was a place where he put miscellaneous items.

As usual, Un-hyun reached for the broom, but he was startled by something that suddenly caught his eye.

‘That’s……, a wooden sword?’

A wooden sword was vaguely visible among the various 잡동사니 [japdongsaani – odds and ends].

There was no way a wooden sword would be in a place like this out of nowhere.

But what was visible between the objects was clearly a part of a wooden sword.

Un-hyun hesitated for a moment.

There is a simplest way to check what that is.

It is to remove the objects that are covering it and take it out.

But Un-hyun couldn’t move.

Even though it was just to find out if it was a wooden sword or not.

‘……Wooden sword.’

The wooden sword was the first properly shaped sword that Un-hyun had ever touched in the Forbidden City.

It was also the first gift from his sworn brother, Il Chung-hyeon, and it was the wooden sword that helped him endure the difficult Azure Dragon Hall academic life.

The wooden sword was also the one that showed him a new world, and the sword of the heart that he always thought of was also in the form of a wooden sword.

Therefore, the meaning of the wooden sword was by no means small to Un-hyun.

Was that why?

Un-hyun couldn’t easily reach out his hand.

‘It’s nothing. This is just…….’

I’m just curious, so I’m just checking it out.

If a strange object catches your eye, wouldn’t you naturally take a look at it?

Un-hyun tried to think that way. And he slowly raised his hand.

Un-hyun’s thinly trembling hand was just about to touch the object that looked like a wooden sword.

‘Ah!’

Un-hyun suddenly stopped his hand.

Even in the dream he had just woken up from, Un-hyun was holding a wooden sword.

Forgetting the complicated world and all kinds of worries, he was performing a sword dance that seemed like it would never end.

But that dream was changing.

His whole body was stained with blood, and Dok-go-rang’s tears of blood.

‘Dok-go-rang…….’

Un-hyun clenched his fist.

There was nothing in his hand.

In the end, Un-hyun couldn’t reach out his hand.

“I’m…….”

Un-hyun muttered quietly in a sunken voice.

“I’m not qualified.”

Un-hyun quietly turned his body.

Clutching a large broom tightly, Un-hyun walked out into the yard.

Step, step.

Un-hyun’s shoulders were unusually slumped as he walked, and his head was bowed deeply.

Like a sinner.

***

Guangzhou’s Yuexiu Mountain was always crowded with people.

The scenery, which is one of the Eight Views of Guangzhou, and the magnificent red pavilion built on the top of the mountain, elicited admiration from people.

The fact that it was close to downtown Guangzhou and not very high was also one of the main reasons why people gathered.

“It’s a beautiful place.”

Jo Gwan, a young man, said as he looked at the scenery of Guangzhou spread out below Yuexiu Mountain.

He was dressed like a *풍류 공자* [pungnyu gongja – refined nobleman] from a wealthy family, but he couldn’t hide his somewhat extraordinary aura.

After looking at Guangzhou for a while, Jo Gwan turned his head.

“Everyone’s here, so shall we hear the report?”

Three people were standing in front of Jo Gwan.

There was the short Dam So-ha, the large Hang Jang-ik, and the woman with slightly sharp eyes, Jin Ye-rim.

“There was nothing special about the Jin Family Merchant Guild.”

Hang Jang-ik opened his mouth first with a good-natured expression.

“They have some friendly relations with the government office, but it’s not something to worry about.”

“The same goes for the Hwanam Merchant Guild.”

Said the short Dam So-ha.

“They have been building relationships with the *관할 지역* [gwanhal jiyeok – jurisdictional area] government offices for a long time. Well, there are a few *비리* [biri – corruptions], but nothing serious.”

“The Hoam Merchant Guild is suspicious.”

Jin Ye-rim said in a clear voice.