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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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A fierce wind whipped through the air.
It felt like a typhoon was brewing, but this wasn’t a natural phenomenon.
It was the aftershock of a group of people moving at incredible speed.
They ran, kicking off the ground, sometimes using a single blade of grass as a springboard to propel themselves forward.
At the head of the group was Namgung-Woo.
Even among this group of skilled martial artists, each employing their own movement techniques, his speed and stability were unmatched.
His Thousand Li Courtyard technique, said to allow one to traverse a thousand li as if it were their own backyard, made him stand out like a crane among chickens.
“Benefactor! You’re too fast! The others can’t keep up!”
Peng Ha-ryeong, pushing her own movement technique, the Qi-Riding Divine Wind, to its limits, shouted as she caught up to him.
Unlike his Thousand Li Courtyard, which also provided defensive capabilities by creating a barrier of Qi, her Qi-Riding Divine Wind focused solely on speed and penetration.
That’s how she managed to keep her pace with him, despite the difference in their skill levels.
Even then, it was only possible because he was holding back.
“The horses?”
His voice was low, but it carried clearly to her ears on the wind, a testament to his improved Qi control.
“They’re exhausted!”
They hadn’t been running on foot the entire time. The Peng Family had provided horses, two for each person.
As a prominent family controlling Tianjin, one of Beijing’s gates, they had considerable resources.
They’d readily provided horses and warriors at his request.
But even horses had their limits.
While their endurance was greater than most animals, they couldn’t match a trained martial artist.
Humans, despite their physical limitations, were among the most enduring creatures.
The placement of relay stations, typically every 100 li, was a testament to this. [T/N: 40-50 km]
Even a horse at full gallop couldn’t run much further than 50 km.
Legendary steeds like Ochu, Red Hare, and Pyaewol might be able to exceed that distance, but the horses provided by the Peng Family weren’t in that league.
“…Let’s rest.”
Beijing was close.
He sensed a disturbance in the air, something that was amiss in the city.
There were no visible signs of danger yet, but the intuition he’d gained from his brief connection to the Heavenly Profound Realm was sending warning signals.
‘Entering the city exhausted would be suicide.’
He approached the Yang brothers, who were practically collapsing from exhaustion, and sat behind them.
He placed his palms on their backs, over their vital acupoints.
“B-Boss…?”
“Boss…?”
“I’ll transfer some energy. Sit in meditation and circulate your Qi.”
His Heavenly Thunder Qi was compatible with, if not superior to, their Lightning Qi. It was the quickest way to replenish their depleted reserves.
As he stood up, Peng Ha-ryeong approached him.
“Benefactor.”
“Yes?”
“Is there a reason you’re in such a hurry? When you first spoke with Ye-ryeong you said we had ten days… and it’s only been half a day since we left Tianjin.”
“I have a bad feeling. It’s happening soon. We don’t have much time.”
He had no personal obligation to protect Beijing.
He wasn’t a citizen of the Ming Dynasty, and he had no intention of sacrificing himself for strangers.
Perhaps the only reason he was going was the opportunity to unleash his full power.
But it was different if his acquaintances were in danger. The Yo-Pyeong Escort Agency was still in Beijing.
They had skilled warriors, but only their leader was a Peak Realm expert. They wouldn’t stand a chance against the catastrophe he’d foreseen.
‘They helped me.’
They had treated him with respect, solely based on Song Chae-ji’s introduction.
He couldn’t just abandon them.
“Mother sent a message to the Muyong Family for reinforcements. They should arrive in seven days and nights…”
“Seven days is too late.”
His intuition wasn’t always accurate. Intuition, by its very nature, lacked concrete evidence.
But he was certain it wouldn’t be seven days. It might not happen tomorrow, but it would surely happen within seven days
“You should rest as well, Miss Peng.”
“Alright. If you’re tired, Benefactor, please take the medicine.”
The medicine she offered wasn’t an ordinary healing potion.
It was an elixir. The Peng Family, having traveled throughout the Central Plains destroying Ghost Gates and collecting rare treasures, had a vast stockpile of elixirs. They’d readily opened their vaults when he’d told them about the impending danger in Beijing.
He currently carried three of their most prized elixirs.
‘They’ve been incredibly helpful.’
Peng Mu-ho, the deputy commander of the Northern Sky Unit, the Peng Family’s elite force, Peng Ha-ryeong, and fifteen other Peak Realm experts.
Along with him and the Yang brothers, a total of twenty warriors, each with two horses. Forty steeds in total.
And that wasn’t all.
They had even provided new clothes and weapons.
Silk robes and outer garments woven with Spirit Threads, said to be able to deflect ordinary blades.
Swords forged with White Lotus Refined Steel, infused with a small amount of Black Iron, weapons usually reserved for high-ranking members of the Peng Family.
Including the elixirs, the resources they’d expended on this expedition probably exceeded the annual budget of a mid-sized sect.
They repaid kindness in kind.
‘I’m grateful.’
Thinking about their generosity reminded him of the conversation he’d had the previous day.
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The Peng Family’s joy at Peng Ye-ryeong’s breakthrough was short-lived.
Namgung-Woo’s announcement struck them like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky.
“Beijing?”
Beijing was in danger.
Muyong Hye was so stunned that she could only repeat the name of the city.
Before he could clarify, Ye-ryeong spoke.
“It’s true, Mother. I saw it too.”
Without her confirmation, even with his status as their benefactor, Muyong Hye would have questioned his claim.
“Beijing… but the Imperial Court is there?”
The strongest power in the world.
The Great Ming Dynasty.
They weren’t just politically powerful. They possessed immense martial might.
The Hongwu Emperor had decreed that every emperor must cultivate martial arts to at least the Peak Realm, such was their emphasis on strength.
Muyong Hye wasn’t just surprised.
She was shocked.
The Imperial Court had four Dao Lords.
Two were semi-involved in the Jianghu, recognized as members of the Three Extremes and Twelve Lords.
The other two were completely detached from the martial world and served as officials.
Three of them were currently outside Beijing, but attacking the capital was tantamount to declaring war on the entire Imperial Court.
‘And the Imperial Court hides its true strength. They might have other Dao Lords in secret…’
Could anyone challenge five or six Dao Lords?
It seemed impossible, but Ye-ryeong and Namgung-Woo’s words carried weight.
Ye-ryeong had demonstrated precognitive abilities before.
The visions were limited in scope, but her ability to see the future was undeniable.
As she pondered the situation, Peng Ja-ryeong’s words tipped the scales.
“…There have been rumors. That he didn’t disappear, that he didn’t return to the Imperial Court, but ascended to immortality… Everyone dismissed it as a fairy tale, but if it’s true…”
There had been someone who’d tilted the balance of power in favor of the Imperial Court.
He’d been a member of the Imperial Court, but he’d entered the Jianghu, claiming he wanted to test his skills.
He’d defeated every Dao Lord, one after another, all while sparing their lives.
His appearance had transformed the Two Extremes into the Three Extremes, and the Jianghu had trembled before him, acknowledging him as the strongest in the world.
“If he’s truly gone, then the Imperial Court is vulnerable… If that’s the case, then there might be some truth to the vision.”
Namgung-Woo didn’t understand everything they were saying, but he understood one thing.
The Peng Family leaders were starting to believe him.
“If the benefactor is pursuing righteousness, how can the Peng Family stand by idly? We will offer our full support.”
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‘They kept their word.’
Namgung-Woo touched the clothes he was wearing and the sword at his waist, his reminiscence ending.
The clothes were surprisingly comfortable, and the sword felt perfectly balanced in his hand. Even he, accustomed to the clothing of centuries later, was impressed.
“Benefactor, we can depart now.”
They resumed their run.
As dusk approached, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple, they finally saw Beijing in the distance.
“Oh my god…”
“It’s… true?”
They stared in horror.
Above Beijing, black smoke billowed into the sky, staining the twilight.
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Thanks Chaos