The Legend of the Northern Blade

If one were to capture the essence of the Hubei Province's current state, the phrase "eye of the storm" would be most fitting. Countless sects had entered Wuhan and Heaven's Summit, to the point where some even claimed that a quarter of the jianghu's martial artists had gathered here.

Those words were by no means an exaggeration. While the actual number of individuals might have been relatively small, those assembled either represented the very pinnacle of their respective sects, or were warriors who had recently proven their mettle in the murim.

As the geniuses and top experts of the jianghu gathered, it was only natural that all the intelligence organizations in the murim moved to identify them.

Among them was the Illusionary Killers, an assassination guild that, like its competitors, thrived on contract killings. For them, the Demon Hunters' Selection at Heaven's Summit was a golden opportunity to identity the rising stars of the jianghu and gather information that might be useful to them when they received assassination contracts in the future.

Recognizing the importance of this event, Go San-Wol, the Sect leader of the Illusionary Killers, had set up a temporary base of operations in Wuhan. Whenever a person of interest appeared, his assassins would closely monitor them, compile a registry, and classify them according to their martial prowess.

Go San-Wol, also known as the Black Butterfly, was a legend among assassins, having carried out 142 successful assassinations in his lifetime, including taking down more than twenty famous martial artists and even a supreme peak expert. This made him not only a legend among assassins, but also a figure of fear for the people. In the jianghu, it was an accepted fact that once someone appeared on the assassination list of the Illusionary Killers, they wouldn't survive for more than three days.

Currently, though, Go San-Wol was entertaining an unexpected guest at his residence. As he stared at the unwelcome visitor, a look of puzzlement crossed his face. He recognized this young martial artist.

Jwa Moon-Ho of the Three Rings Sword Sect.

The Three Rings Sword Sect was a prestigious sect in the Shandong region, and its influence was by no means small. Jwa Moon-Ho was known to be an exceptionally talented disciple of the sect leader of the Three Rings Sword Sect. However, this fact wasn't particularly important, as the Illusionary Killers already knew this information.

What truly perplexed Go San-Wol was how Jwa Moon-Ho had managed to pinpoint their secret base and boldly walk through its front door. The Wuhan location was meant to be completely clandestine. For an assassination guild that relied on secrecy and surprise, such a breach was unthinkable. It could only mean one thing: the Illusionary Killers had been compromised.

This base was an interim location established just ten days ago. Could our movements have been detected in such a short time?

A flash of killing intent appeared in Go San-Wol's eyes as he considered murdering Jwa Moon-Ho and relocating the base.

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However, Jwa Moon-Ho seemed to read his thoughts and spoke first, "Don't bother. It won't make any difference."

Go San-Wol frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Even if you kill me and move your base, we'll find it again soon enough. We have the smartest person in the world in our group, and with her abilities, tracking your guild's movements is a trivial matter."

"Oh? I'm curious about this group you speak of," Go San-Wol said threateningly.

Assassination guilds were at their most powerful when they hid in the shadows and struck by surprise. From the moment their naked faces were exposed in broad daylight, they were no longer a threat.

Jwa Moon-Ho smiled. Of course, he wasn't the one who had discovered the Illusionary Killers' base, but Seomoon Hye-Ryung. True to her reputation as the smartest woman in the world, Seomoon Hye-Ryung had gathered information on numerous sects in the jianghu, including the Illusionary Killers. Go San-Wol may have thought that he had secretly established a base in Wuhan, but in reality, their movements were being closely monitored by Seomoon Hye-Ryung's intelligence network.

Jwa Moon-Ho did his best to keep from laughing, although frankly, he was enjoying the sight of Go San-Wol's discomfort.

"Even if I told you, you wouldn't know. It's not a group that has revealed itself to the world yet," he said.

Go San-Wol snorted. "Hmph! So it's a secret society?"

"Well, if you insist on putting it that way, I guess so. In any case, our group has already grasped the Illusionary Killers' every move."

"Do you think you know everything about the Illusionary Killers just by finding out about one temporary base?"

"The Jade Mountains in Jiangxi Province."

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"……"

"That's where the Illusionary Killers' headquarters is, right?"

Go San-Wol glared at Jwa Moon-Ho with a terrifying gaze. The fact that the young man's group had located his guild's headquarters was synonymous with them having a blade at his neck.

Given the nature of an assassination guild whose main business was contract killing, they had numerous enemies, including many of the jianghu's prestigious sects. If their location was leaked, it could lead to the destruction of the Illusionary Killers.

Jwa Moon-Ho leaned back in his chair, confident that he had the initiative now.

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Go San-Wol glared at Jwa Moon-Ho for a long time with eyes filled with murderous intent, but eventually, he relented, asking, "What do you want from us?"

"What else could a person want from an assassins' guild?"

"You want to make a deal with us?"

"Yes, please kill one person for us. In return, we'll make sure that the Illusionary Killers can operate with ease."

Jwa Moon-Ho smiled. He knew that Go San-Wol could not possibly refuse his offer.

"Hmm… Who is the target?"

"Jin Mu-Won."

"The Northern Blade?"

Go San-Wol's eyebrows twitched.

Jin Mu-Won opened his eyes, dusted off his clothes and stood up.

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Ha Jin-Wol approached him as if he had been waiting for him. "Did you have an epiphany last night?" he asked.

Jin Mu-Won shook his head.

"Then?"

"I just organized my thoughts a bit."

"So, did you manage to sort things out?"

"At least, I don't feel confused anymore."

"That's good."

There was a saying that when all things reached their pinnacle, they would be connected. Since Ha Jin-Wol had reached the peak of scholarship, and Jin Mu-Won the peak of swordsmanship, he could easily guess what Jin Mu-Won's words meant.

"Where are the others?" Jin Mu-Won asked.

"Ryu-San went to the training ground, saying he wanted to train."

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"Him? Training? Voluntarily?"

"He seems to be inspired, so leave him alone. He'll probably hole himself up in there all day," Ha Jin-Wol laughed. Jin Mu-Won didn't seem to have noticed that Myeong Ryu-San was motivated just by watching him train.

"What about Master Tang?"

"Hyung-nim went out with Mi-Ryeo, saying that he had to meet someone. I'm thinking of going out too. If you have nothing else to do, why don't you come with me?"

Jin Mu-Won nodded. "Sure."

The two of them left the mansion and headed towards Wuhan City. Ha Jin-Wol walked on without specifying a destination, and Jin Mu-Won didn't bother to ask.

Soon they arrived at a slum on the outskirts of Wuhan.

"Do you know someone here?" Jin Mu-Won asked.

Ha Jin-Wol grinned. "Fufu! You'll see when we get there."

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Jin Mu-Won furrowed his brow at Ha Jin-Wol's vague answer, but knowing that he wouldn't get any more details by asking further, he kept quiet.

After winding through the alleys, Ha Jin-Wol arrived at a small bookstore in the slums.

A bookstore in a slum? Jin Mu-Won's mouth twitched in shock.

Slums and bookstores were unlikely partners. The impoverished residents, busy earning their daily bread, had no reason to visit such a shop, and scholars who wanted to buy books had no reason to venture into the slums.

Still, Ha Jin-Wol entered the bookstore without any explanation.

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As they entered, the musty smell of books greeted them. Ha Jin-Wol smiled faintly. He loved this scent that could only be found in old books.

A clerk who was arranging books stared at Ha Jin-Wol, puzzled. "How can I help you?"

Ha Jin-Wol glared at the clerk as if he was mad. "Why would I come to a bookstore if not to buy books?"

"Well, that's true, but…"

Even as he answered, the clerk couldn't wipe the skeptical look off his face. This was a slum. Ordinary people or scholars would never come to the slums to buy books. Moreover, Ha Jin-Wol's clothes didn't match the environment, and this incongruity made the clerk question him.

"I'll buy some books before I leave, but could you call the owner first?" Ha Jin-Wol asked.

"The owner?"

"Yes. Tell him that the Triune Scholar has arrived. He'll understand."

After giving him a doubtful look, the clerk hurried inside.

Shortly after, a middle-aged scholar who seemed to be the same age as Ha Jin-Wol came out, his face showing a hint of annoyance. However, when he saw Ha Jin-Wol, he stopped in his tracks and stared blankly, as if he couldn't believe his eyes.

Ha Jin-Wol greeted cheerfully, "Long time no see, Dae-So."

"What brings you here, Jin-Wol?"

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"You don't seem happy to see an old friend."

"Cut the crap and tell me why you're here."

Despite his blunt words, the middle-aged scholar's eyes were smiling, and Ha Jin-Wol was smiling as well. After looking at each other for a moment, they both burst out laughing at the same time and embraced each other.

"Hahaha!

How have you been? Are you still doing crazy stuff?"

"And you? Are you still buried in those musty old tomes?"

After their brief reunion, the middle-aged scholar turned toward Jin Mu-Won, who was standing nearby.

Ha Jin-Wol introduced, "This is my friend, Jin Mu-Won. You must have heard of him, right?"

"The Northern Blade?" The middle-aged scholar's eyes sparkled with curiosity.

Jin Mu-Won greeted politely, "Greetings, I am Jin Mu-Won."

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"Nice to meet you. I'm Jang Dae-So. This rascal and I studied under the same master. As you can see, I've inherited the family business and run this old bookstore."

Contrary to his first impression, Jang Dae-So smiled warmly. Entrusting the shop to the clerk, he took Jin Mu-Won and Ha Jin-Wol by the hand and led them to the basement of the bookstore.

The moment they entered the basement, Jin Mu-Won's jaw dropped in shock. An immense space, unimaginable under such a small bookstore, greeted him. The huge underground area was filled with bookshelves, each one filled with an enormous number of books.

Ha Jin-Wol looked around, deeply touched. "Being here brings back old memories. When I was young, I practically ate and slept here."

Jang Dae-So groaned, "Do you remember how much I got scolded by my father because of you? He kept comparing me to you, saying, 'Why don't you read as much as him when we have so many books collected over generations'?"

"Did that happen?"

"That's why I disliked you so much as a child. You were so smart and even devoured books relentlessly. How was I supposed to compete with you?"

Jang Dae-So's ancestors had run this bookstore for generations, collecting any old books they could find and storing them in this underground space. After many decades, the number of books they accumulated easily exceeded a hundred thousand.

With the products of at least several centuries of history, culture, and knowledge all gathered here, this place was basically the utopia dreamed of by all the scholars of the world.

In his youth, Ha Jin-Wol practically lived here, immersing himself in the books. Most of his vast knowledge was systematically acquired here. As he took out a book from the shelf, he murmured, "This place is like the origin, where everything of mine began.

"Anyway, what happened? I heard that you were pulling some crazy stunts in Yunnan. Have you come to your senses now?"

"When was I ever crazy?"

"When were you ever sane?"

Jin Mu-Won quietly listened to their conversation. The combination of Ha Jin-Wol, who prided himself on being the smartest in the world, and the owner of an old bookstore seemed incongruous, but strangely, the two matched in a strange way.

"By the way, what brings you here? You didn't come all this way just for a chat, did you?"

"I need strategic maps of Hubei Province centered around Wuhan, the blueprints for Heaven's Summit, and data on key personnel in the Northern Army from ten years ago."

"What do you need all that for?"

Ha Jin-Wol beamed. "I plan on sharpening my blade against the world."