Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 454

454. Joint Attack of the Later Seven Stars

The ones who arrived at the guest house in the dead of night were the young Taoists of the Joint Sect and their attendants.

The pupils in their eyes, as they stood before the door, were all sparkling with excitement.

Yunhyun asked, a puzzled expression on his face.

“What brings you here?”

“Are you perhaps the Azure Dragon Sword Lord?”

The handsome young Taoist at the very front inquired.

Yunhyun nodded.

“Yes, I am the Azure Dragon Sword Lord, but…”

At those words, the young man’s face lit up with a bright smile.

The other Taoists and attendants behind him couldn’t hide their delighted expressions.

They immediately paid their respects.

“It is an honor to meet the Azure Dragon Sword Lord!”

“Y-yes, it’s an honor!”

“It’s an honor!”

Yunhyun was taken aback.

The flood of sparkling eyes was overwhelming; he hadn’t received such an enthusiastic welcome upon a first meeting very often.

The young man in front spoke in an excited tone.

“We are the Later Seven Stars of the Joint Sect. We have long admired the Azure Dragon Sword Lord, whose fame is renowned throughout the Jianghu [the martial arts world]…”

“Ah, hold on.”

Yunhyun interrupted him with an awkward smile.

“Instead of standing out here, why don’t you come inside first?”

“Ah, thank you.”

The young man bowed his head.

Yunhyun didn’t miss the extraordinary energy dwelling in his sparkling eyes.

The young Taoists and attendants entered the guest house.

Yunhyun waited for them to enter before closing the door.

Clack.

They sat at the table, following Yunhyun’s suggestion.

With seven more people added to the already small table, it instantly felt cramped.

Yunhyun introduced his companions first.

“This gentleman here is Guest Elder, who is traveling with me.”

A flicker of tension passed through the young people’s eyes.

Everyone recognized that Guest Elder was no ordinary person.

“And this lady is Madam Neung, who formerly held the title of Thousand Day Sword, and this lady is the new Thousand Day Sword, Madam Geum.”

“Oh, you mean the Thousand Day Sword herself?”

The young man said with a bright expression.

The expressions of the other Taoists and attendants also brightened considerably.

“And I am Yunhyun.”

As Yunhyun introduced himself, the atmosphere changed instantly.

They didn’t hide their admiring gazes.

Thump.

The seven young people rose from their seats.

The young Taoist who had greeted him first spoke in a respectful tone.

“We are deeply sorry for visiting so late at night. We have long heard of the Azure Dragon Sword Lord’s heroic deeds and admired you. Upon hearing that you had come to the Joint Sect, we were overjoyed and committed this rudeness.”

Yunhyun smiled.

“Rudeness? Not at all. It’s fine.”

Even with just that, the attendants immediately sparkled their eyes.

Yunhyun cleared his throat at the burdensome gaze.

“I am Mujin of the Later Seven Stars.”

“I am Musong of the Later Seven Stars.”

“I am Jihyun.”

The young people announced their Taoist names in turn.

Once the seven introductions were complete, they all bowed in unison as if they had agreed to it beforehand.

“The Later Seven Stars of the Joint Sect pay our respects to you all.”

Snap.

The seven young people’s bows were perfectly synchronized.

It was reminiscent of the Golden Guard of the imperial palace.

“I see. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”

As Yunhyun returned their greeting, the Later Seven Stars’ expressions brightened.

Their inability to hide their excitement made them seem like ordinary young people of their age.

“…Are you that happy?”

Yunhyun turned his head at the sudden voice of the old woman, Neung Se-yeong.

Neung Se-yeong was looking at Yunhyun with a gentle smile.

Only then did Yunhyun realize that he had been smiling the whole time.

“Ahem. Please, everyone, sit down.”

After the Later Seven Stars sat down, Yunhyun noticed Geum Hwa-yeong staring intently at them.

Geum Hwa-yeong widened her eyes and looked back at Yunhyun.

“Young Master Yun, you’re looking better than before?”

It was an unexpected remark, but Yunhyun could understand it.

No, Yunhyun was thinking the same thing as Geum Hwa-yeong.

The energy of these young people, the Later Seven Stars, was superior to that of the Joint Sect elders he had met earlier.

“First, some tea…”

“I’ll do it.”

At Yunhyun’s words, Geum Hwa-yeong jumped up and grabbed the teapot.

Then, she poured tea for the seven young people.

They didn’t seem wary or hostile toward Geum Hwa-yeong.

However, it was clear that they were subtly tense as Geum Hwa-yeong approached.

‘Amazing.’

Yunhyun was impressed.

These young people, the Later Seven Stars, were instinctively aware of Geum Hwa-yeong’s level.

Something that the disciples of other sects wouldn’t even be able to guess.

Pour.

Geum Hwa-yeong refilled Yunhyun’s cup with fresh tea as well.

The old woman, Neung Se-yeong, who was next to him, asked the young Taoists of the Joint Sect.

“I understand that the Joint Sect doesn’t have much interaction with the outside world, so how did you come to know about Young Master Yun?”

The young Taoist who introduced himself as Mujin replied.

“We hear rumors from the outside world through pilgrims. However, we heard the story of the Azure Dragon Sword Lord while on a Subduing Demons Journey.”

“The Subduing Demons Journey is a training similar to a chivalrous journey [a journey where one rights wrongs and helps those in need].”

The attendant with the Taoist name Jihyun added.

“It’s about traveling the world to grasp the state of the Jianghu martial world and detect the movements of the Blood Cult or the Demonic Cult. We recently went on a Subduing Demons Journey, and that’s when we heard the heroic tales of the Azure Dragon Sword Lord.”

“At first, we couldn’t believe it.”

The young man who revealed his Taoist name as Musong said in a serious voice.

“We were skeptical of the rumor that he was the only one who could stand against the Hero Alliance, but he stood against the Great Peace Alliance and saved Mount Emei alone.”

“That’s right!”

Another attendant said in an excited voice.

“He raised the banner of the Anti-Hero Alliance and brought together Shaolin, Wudang, Emei, and Mount Hua to form a great righteous alliance, and eventually burned down the Hero Alliance. The Hero Alliance that no one dared to touch!”

“That’s right. He repaid the sins of the Hero Alliance as they deserved. Isn’t the Azure Dragon Sword Lord a hero of the world?”

“I was surprised when I met the Azure Dragon Sword Lord. Actually, all sorts of rumors were circulating about the Azure Dragon Sword Lord’s appearance. But he’s actually quite gentle-looking…”

Yunhyun had been listening with an awkward expression, but he couldn’t just let the last remark pass.

“Rumors about my appearance?”

“Ah, well…”

The attendant smiled sheepishly.

“Some say he looks like Guan Yu [a famous general from the Three Kingdoms period, known for his red face and long beard], while others say he’s an old, venerable monk. Some said he looked like a terrifying Yaksha [a fierce, demon-like being], or a giant eight feet tall, but surely the Divine Monk wouldn’t have such a disciple?”

Yunhyun gave an awkward smile.

Yaksha or a giant, when he was perfectly normal?

“It’s because no one has seen the Azure Dragon Sword Lord properly. Since he drove out the Great Peace Alliance single-handedly, they speculate that he might have a Yaksha-like or giant-like appearance.”

The young Taoist named Mujin, who had greeted him first, said.

Yunhyun nodded, finding some truth in those words.

Mujin continued with a fervent gaze.

“The heroic deeds you have shown have moved us all. You fought alone against injustice, so you must be an example for all of us.”

Was it because of the Joint Sect’s situation of facing the Blood Cult and the Demonic Cult alone?

They seemed overly absorbed in Yunhyun’s actions.

However, Yunhyun didn’t dislike their pure appearance, so he smiled and said.

“Then you all haven’t been back from the Subduing Demons Journey for very long.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Mujin’s expression darkened as he nodded.

“But we never imagined that our masters would suffer such misfortune while we were away from the Joint Sect…”

Mujin couldn’t continue speaking.

The other young people also had somber expressions.

Yunhyun asked them.

“Were the former Four Great Elders your masters?”

“Yes, we were receiving teachings from them. We were ashamed, but we were deemed worthy of being responsible for the Joint Sect’s Seven Stars Formation in the future, so we received the title of the Later Seven Stars.”

Yunhyun didn’t miss the pride flashing in their eyes.

“Then, if you don’t mind me asking, what is your level of martial arts in the Joint Sect?”

At those words, the young Taoists and attendants looked at each other.

The answer was once again given by the young Taoist named Mujin.

“Compared to you all, each of our martial arts is actually insignificant. However, our Seven Stars Formation is said to be something that even our masters cannot handle without forming the Three Extremes Formation.”

The word ‘insignificant’ was modesty.

In Yunhyun’s view, they were comparable to the top disciples of most sects.

At that moment, Geum Hwa-yeong suddenly asked.

“What’s the Seven Stars Formation? And what’s the Three Extremes Formation?”

“That is…”

Mujin showed hesitation for the first time.

After exchanging glances with the other young people, Mujin opened his mouth as if he had made up his mind.

“Why would we hide anything from the Azure Dragon Sword Lord? The Three Extremes Formation and the Seven Stars Formation are the Joint Sect’s formations.”

Mujin continued calmly.

“The Blood Cult and the Demonic Cult possess superhuman abilities. To subdue them, it is more efficient to form a formation rather than fight individually.”

Yunhyun agreed with those words.

The Blood Cult and the Demonic Cult would never engage in a fair fight, and to quickly subdue the opponent, it was naturally better to form a formation.

In other words, the Joint Sect had tactics closer to those of an army than a sect.

“All the disciples of the Joint Sect are skilled in formations. No, they basically form a formation to deal with any situation. The Three Extremes, Four Directions, Five Elements, and Seven Stars Formations are those.”

Yunhyun could understand why other sects called the Joint Sect ‘righteous among the unorthodox.’

Unlike the righteous sects that preferred fair fights, they took ambush for granted, and since they were basically assuming they would be fighting the Blood Cult or the Demonic Cult, they wouldn’t hold back in their swordsmanship.

Since they all aimed for vital points with deadly sword techniques and attacked all at once, the word ‘evil’ would naturally come out from the perspective of the righteous sects.

Geum Hwa-yeong, who was listening, asked.

“Then what happens when there are six or more than eight people?”

Mujin smiled.

“When there are six, we operate two Three Extremes Formations. No matter how many people there are, there is no problem if we combine the existing formations.”

“But if there are too many formations, doesn’t that end up dispersing the power?”

“No. For example, if we form three Five Elements Formations, we operate those three with the mysteries of the Three Extremes Formation. If we are proficient in only the four basic formations, we can subdue the enemy with the best power in any situation.”

It sounded easy, but it was by no means a simple task.

However, they were training only the four formations for not just a year or two, but for more than ten years.

If they were disciples of the Joint Sect, they could operate the formation even in their sleep, or even unconsciously.

Of course, like a military organization, there was also someone who oversaw the formations.

“But the Dark Sky Demon Emperor cowardly targeted our masters when they were alone. If our masters had been in the Five Elements Formation, this would never have happened…”

Mujin gritted his teeth as if he was in pain.

The expressions of the other Taoists and attendants were the same.

The meaning of ‘cowardly’ was a little different from the common sense of the world.

“What do you all think?”

Suddenly, the old woman Neung Se-yeong asked the young people.

“I heard that there are those who want to cooperate with external sects, and those who want to preserve tradition.”

“That is a difficult problem.”

Mujin said with a serious expression.

“We believe that the elders will make the wisest decision. We will simply obey it.”

“Hmm.”

Neung Se-yeong nodded.

It meant that these young people didn’t have any other reason or purpose for seeking out Yunhyun.

“However, if we could face the Blood Cult and the Demonic Cult together with the Azure Dragon Sword Lord, we would be truly happy.”

“Yes, that’s right!”

“That’s right.”

The young people nodded.

“I hope so too.”

Yunhyun said with a gentle expression.

“However, respecting the Joint Sect’s intentions is the priority, so I will simply wait for the elders’ decision.”

“Ohh.”

Even though it wasn’t a big deal, the Later Seven Stars exclaimed in admiration.

In their eyes, it was as if a great hero was acknowledging and respecting the Joint Sect, so it was understandable that they would be impressed.

“…Um.”

One of the attendants hesitated and opened her mouth towards Mujin.

“Could it be that the Azure Dragon Sword Lord can awaken the Subduing Demons Sword?”

“Junior Sister!”

Mujin turned to her with surprised eyes.

The other young people were the same.

“That’s not something you should mention so carelessly…”

“No, Jihyun’s words make sense.”

The young Taoist named Musong said.

“If the Azure Dragon Sword Lord awakens the Subduing Demons Sword, there will be no more strife. The chaos caused by the injuries of our masters will also subside in an instant.”

Mujin bit his lip.

“But…”

“Either way, there are no special qualifications required to awaken the Subduing Demons Sword. I clearly heard the sect leader say that once.”

Mujin hesitated.

But it wasn’t for long.

After exchanging glances with the other young people, Mujin turned his head and looked at Yunhyun.

“If the Azure Dragon Sword Lord’s will is firm, there is a way to overcome the current situation.”

Mujin said with an extremely serious gaze.

“Please awaken the Subduing Dragon and Subduing Demons Sword.”