Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 319

319. The Sword Has No Eyes

The lady Zhuge Giho was referring to was the Deputy Chief of the Outer Division, who led the Northern Sea Clan.

Despite days of travel, her cold gaze and stern expression remained unwavering.

‘The past?’

Moyong Mi looked puzzled, and Zhuge Giho continued.

“She gave a very brief, perfunctory greeting. Oh, now that I think about it, she’s now a Third Palace Lord, isn’t she? When I went to the Northern Sea with Lord Woon, she was a Twelfth Palace Lord.”

Moyong Mi’s eyes flickered slightly.

However, she soon said in a calm voice,

“Didn’t I hear that the Northern Sea Clan has been building its foundation in Shanxi Province for decades? How could the Twelfth Palace Lord of the Northern Sea…”

“People change. Just like the Zhuge Clan of a hundred years ago no longer exists, but it’s still called the Zhuge Clan.”

Moyong Mi quickly understood the meaning of those words.

In other words, even if the name of the Northern Sea Clan is the same as before, its members have completely changed.

‘In that case….’

Moyong Mi frowned and thought.

Can the Northern Sea Clan still be considered a clan from Shanxi Province? Or should it be considered a clan from the Northern Sea, an alien race?

“Aren’t you going to ask about Lord Woon?”

Zhuge Giho said with a grin.

“There were so many interesting things that happened.”

As if willing to tell her if she only asked, Zhuge Giho looked at Moyong Mi.

However, Moyong Mi refused.

“It’s okay.”

It wasn’t that she wasn’t curious.

However, she didn’t want to find out through Zhuge Giho.

She had already decided who she wanted to hear it from.

It was then.

Clatter, clatter.

The two warriors who had gone ahead to scout the road returned.

“Stop.”

As Dang Seol-yeon raised her hand, the procession slowly came to a halt.

The warriors bowed to Dang Seol-yeon and said something in a low voice.

A smile appeared on Dang Seol-yeon’s lips.

“Everyone.”

Dang Seol-yeon turned around and said,

“I’ve been told that the Emei Sect is already waiting for us in front of their gates.”

Her clear voice, filled with internal energy, was clearly audible even at the back of the procession.

Dang Seol-yeon smiled.

“I thought they were people who had cut ties with the world, but I didn’t know they were so quick to pick up on worldly rumors.”

Laughter rippled through the ranks.

They were mocking the Emei Sect for gathering information through pilgrims.

Dang Seol-yeon continued in a relaxed tone.

“I can’t expect a grand welcome. There are only about thirty of them out there.”

Confidence spread in people’s eyes.

“Well, we shouldn’t keep them waiting, should we?”

Dang Seol-yeon turned her head forward with a smile.

“Let’s go.”

No sooner had her clear words fallen than the procession began to move.

Clatter, clatter.

The flags of the Taepyeong Alliance and the Seven Great Families fluttered, and thick dust covered the mountain path.

The sight was like a giant beast crawling up Mount Emei.

***

The front of Emei’s gates was quiet.

Even though thirty or so monks were gathered together, only the occasional chanting of Buddha’s name could be heard softly. The sounds of birds and the wind shaking the branches were louder.

However, the tension was palpable.

“…They’re coming.”

A monk said quietly.

With him, dust rose on the road in front of the gates.

Clatter, clatter.

The sound of the group’s hooves shattered the silence of the deep mountain.

After a while, large flags appeared on the other side of the mountain path.

“Heo.”

Someone sighed and chanted the Buddha’s name.

The sight of those who were approaching on horseback, with flags in the lead, was very intimidating.

Clatter.

The cavalry stopped at a distance where they could see each other’s faces.

The flags of the Taepyeong Alliance and the Seven Great Families fluttered wildly in the wind.

Dang Seol-yeon looked back at the monks while still on her horse.

Everyone looked tense, but none of the monks were frightened or avoided eye contact.

“Heh.”

Dang Seol-yeon let out a light laugh and got off her horse.

The dozen or so leaders behind her also dismounted.

Step, step.

Dang Seol-yeon took a few steps forward and bowed politely.

“I am Dang Seol-yeon.”

Step, step.

The elderly Beop-yeong came forward.

She slowly put her hands together in a gesture of respect and said,

“I am Beop-yeong.”

Dang Seol-yeon smiled.

“It’s an honor. I’m honored to meet the second of the Twelve Masters of Emei and the one who is leading Emei in place of Hyewol Shinni.”

Beop-yeong smiled lightly with her wrinkled face.

“I’m glad too. I’m glad to meet the Snow Flower of the Dang Family, who is famous for her rumors.”

“Thank you.”

“But it’s not winter now, and Emei is not a snowy mountain.”

Beop-yeong said, her eyes shining.

“Wouldn’t it be better to realize that it’s not the right time and retreat now?”

Dang Seol-yeon smiled.

“Because you are in a deep mountain valley, you think you are the only ones who are clean and right. The world is covered in snow, so how can Emei be an exception?”

Dang Seol-yeon said in a clear voice.

“The atrocity of cutting off the arm of a family member without permission, even though they were welcomed as guests, must have stemmed from such delusion and arrogance.”

“Hah!”

Beop-hyeon, one of the Twelve Masters, shouted with anger.

“What a heinous sophistry! How can it not be an evil deed to mock Emei with words and threaten with swords! Will you only realize it after losing everything!”

Her voice echoed through the mountains, and the horses were startled and neighed.

However, Dang Seol-yeon said with cold eyes,

“My realization is none of your business. Nor is it something to be discussed here.”

Dang Seol-yeon looked at the elderly Beop-yeong.

“If the Zen [a school of Mahayana Buddhism] question-and-answer is over, shall we talk about business now?”

Her eyes were as cold as ice.

After chanting the Buddha’s name quietly, Beop-yeong said,

“What do you want?”

“It’s simple. Ji-sim cut off Gongson-yeon’s arm, so cut off her arm, abolish her martial arts, and make her leave the Jianghu [the martial arts world] world. The Emei Sect must provide reasonable compensation for the damage suffered by the Taepyeong Alliance and close its gates for ten years, taking responsibility for the lack of supervision.”

Dang Seol-yeon, who had blurted it out without hesitation, smiled.

“It’s very simple and clear, isn’t it?”

“Heo.”

Beop-yeong let out a hollow laugh.

Cutting off Ji-sim’s arm and abolishing her martial arts was already absurd, but now they were demanding that Emei’s gates be closed for ten years.

“Impossible.”

Beop-yeong’s answer was simple.

“I can’t accept any of them. Rather, the Taepyeong Alliance should apologize.”

Beop-yeong’s eyes were overflowing with an extraordinary force as she spoke.

“That’s a pity.”

Dang Seol-yeon sighed quietly.

“Then we’ll have to go the hard way.”

“What difference does it make whether it’s easy or difficult? Originally, greed does not back down until it gets what it wants.”

“That greed is moving the world. And isn’t that the same for you?”

The Emei Sect was also a pillar of the Murim Alliance [another name for the martial arts world].

Although not as much as the aristocratic families, it was true that the Emei Sect enjoyed power.

“Well, what are you going to do now? Shall we draw our swords and see it to the end? I know that Emei has many ordinary monks, as well as young Saminis…”

‘Sami(沙彌尼)’ refers to young female monks.

Dang Seol-yeon smiled thinly.

“There will be a lot of blood flowing today.”

“Heo heo.”

Beop-yeong laughed quietly.

“There’s no need to provoke me with such violent words. I’m too old to get my blood boiling with such words.”

Dang Seol-yeon’s expression hardened slightly.

Beop-yeong said in a calm voice,

“Tell me what you want.”

“Let’s resolve it according to the laws of the Jianghu [martial arts world].”

Dang Seol-yeon’s voice was quite sharp.

“The winner of the duel will get what they want.”

Beop-yeong sighed.

She already knew that the Taepyeong Alliance would propose a duel.

‘The Dang Family challenging Emei to a duel….’

The head of Emei, Hyewol, is still seriously ill, and three of the Twelve Masters have lost their lives in Hangzhou.

However, it is by no means easy for the Dang Family to challenge Emei to a duel.

They must have something to believe in.

‘Did they bring an unknown master of poisonous energy?’

Perhaps that was the case.

However, Beop-yeong had already anticipated that much.

“So be it.”

Beop-yeong said.

If the Dang Family had a hidden card, Emei also had a secret weapon.

“If you defeat twelve of us, you win.”

“Twelve… You have a lot of lingering attachments. But that’s fine.”

Dang Seol-yeon nodded.

“If you defeat twelve of us, Emei will be the winner.”

“Good.”

The agreement was over.

Dang Seol-yeon turned around.

Then, as if she had suddenly remembered something, she asked,

“Oh, of course, life and death don’t matter, right?”

Beop-yeong said like a sigh,

“Do you want to see blood that much?”

“Because the sword has no eyes. All it has is…”

A smile appeared on Dang Seol-yeon’s red lips.

“Only cruel truth.”

Step.

Dang Seol-yeon, who had turned around, walked away with light steps.

Beop-yeong quietly repeated the Buddha’s name.

The thought that today could be a truly cruel day for Emei did not leave Beop-yeong’s mind.

Dang Seol-yeon and the leaders of each family gathered to discuss the duel.

The leader of the Gongson Family, who was the most active, asked,

“So, does that mean we’ll have twelve duels?”

“No.”

Dang Seol-yeon was about to say something, but Zhuge Giho spoke.

“If they said to defeat twelve, the duel itself will become much more numerous. It’s a way of continuing to fight until you lose or retreat on your own. Of course, the first person to step forward…”

The leaders’ expressions changed slightly.

Zhuge Giho smiled and continued,

“Will eventually lose or retreat. Unless you defeat all twelve of them.”

“Ahem, then we’ll go a little later…”

The Gongson Family representative cleared his throat.

The leaders of the other families were also reluctant to step forward.

Dang Seol-yeon gave a bitter smile.

“If that’s what everyone wants, then the Dang Family…”

“Can we do it?”

Dang Seol-yeon turned her head at the clear voice of a woman.

Step, step.

She was the Third Palace Lord, the Deputy Chief of the Outer Division of the Northern Sea Clan.

Although she looked a little young, her white martial uniform and cold eyes were just like the Clan Lord.

“Since we came from afar, I would like to take this opportunity to see Emei’s martial arts.”

The Third Palace Lord said in a rather cold voice.

In fact, there was no reason for the Northern Sea Clan, who came as observers, to step forward at all.

However, Dang Seol-yeon’s thoughts were different.

‘Not bad.’

If they said they voluntarily stepped forward out of sympathy for the Taepyeong Alliance’s cause, there would be enough justification.

The reputation of the Northern Sea Clan within the Alliance would also rise, and it would be a good image to promote externally.

Of course, it would also have the effect of slightly suppressing the Northern Sea Clan’s arrogance.

“I would be grateful for that. What do the others think?”

“Well, if you really want to…”

“Well, I don’t think it matters…”

The leaders’ reactions were similar.

They were rather welcoming the fact that they were taking on the first turn, which everyone was avoiding.

They could also take this opportunity to check the Northern Sea Clan’s skills.

“Good. Then, with my authority, I will allow the Northern Sea Clan to participate.”

At Dang Seol-yeon’s words, the Third Palace Lord bowed lightly.

“Thank you.”

The Third Palace Lord turned around and walked away.

The leaders were not very comfortable with her behavior, which seemed almost rude.

‘Hmph. A clan from the outskirts….’

Shanxi Province is adjacent to the northern border.

The influence of the northern foreign tribes is strong, and it has been treated as an outskirt for generations.

That deep-rooted prejudice has not changed even now.