Chapter 80

In the Chasing Deer Murim, as the head of the Namgung Family, there was undoubtedly a strong attachment to the name.

However, he had no intention of inheriting enmity with strangers for the sake of it.

“Yes, that’s how it is… It’s been a long time… So, trying to gain the power of the Paeng Family and the main family is ultimately to protect yourself, right?”

“It’s not something I gained to achieve any particular goal. I just followed my heart, and it led me here.”

“…A wise answer. It would be rude of me to further comment on the Namgung Family. I will comply with your request, Great Hero.”

The cooperation of the Jegal Family, without any conditions.

Though it was a verbal agreement, and one could later deny it, Namgung Woo believed that Jegal Chong was not that kind of person.

If Jegal Chong were to go back on his word, contrary to Namgung Woo’s expectations, it would be Namgung Woo’s own mistake for misjudging him.

But Namgung Woo believed he was right. The subtle changes in Jegal Chong’s facial muscles, the trembling of his pupils, and the beating of his heart revealed his true feelings.

Even a supreme martial artist couldn’t perfectly fake all those things in an instant.

After all, pupils and the heart are not things one can control at will. Even if one could control involuntary muscles through martial arts, the difficulty is on a completely different level compared to voluntary muscles.

And Jegal Chong didn’t just rely on non-verbal expressions; he also left undeniable evidence through his words.

“I promise. The Jegal Family will not forget your help and will surely repay it in kind. And this will be the proof of that.”

With those words, Jegal Chong took out a bead. The intricately crafted white bead was called the “Tranquil Intent Pearl.”

Made of white jade, the Tranquil Intent Pearl was valuable as a decoration, but its true significance lay in the fact that it was the key to the Jegal Family’s secret formations.

“Whoever possesses this can find the path of life and death in any of our family’s formations. It should never be taken outside, but the family head can exceptionally gift it to someone outside the family.”

By giving the Tranquil Intent Pearl, it meant that the Jegal Family, known for their formations, would welcome Namgung Woo at any time, even if he visited unannounced.

“…I could misuse this, you know.”

“The Tranquil Intent Pearl only shows the path of life and death. While that alone is valuable, even if something unfortunate were to happen and it were misused, our family has more than just formations, so there’s no need to worry.”

There were a few notable points in Jegal Chong’s words.

The use of the term “Great Hero,” which had become more respectful. And the fact that he didn’t consider the possibility of Namgung Woo misusing it, only thinking of the scenarios where Namgung Woo might lose it or have it stolen.

Unlike the grand and sweeping gestures of the Hapbuk Paeng Family, the Jegal Family was subtly reminding Namgung Woo that they would remember his kindness.

“I will accept it gratefully.”

Namgung Woo took the Tranquil Intent Pearl and securely tucked it away.

As Jegal Chong’s condition wasn’t good, the private meeting came to an end.

As Namgung Woo stood to leave, Jegal Chong, with a hint of apology, made one last request.

“Please don’t hate Jun too much.”

“What do you mean?”

“The youngest daughter of the Paeng Family, it seems she tried to fix herself. I saw traces of her studying the Resonance Star Sky Diagram to see if it could help. The Resonance Star Sky Diagram, which amplifies mental energy and spreads it outward, was incompatible with the youngest daughter of the Paeng Family, so she stopped soon after. But Jun’s achievements were still too shallow to meddle with the Upper Dantian.”

Jegal Chong knew Jegal Jun’s true intentions but let it be.

Because it was serving as a stepping stone for Jegal Jun’s growth.

“Even the Blade Sovereign couldn’t fix the Heavenly Punishment, so it’s laughable to think that a child who just reached the peak could fix it. But he tried. He even visited the Ghost Gate to find a way… Thanks to that, he earned the nickname ‘Dragon of the Abyss,’ so it’s not entirely without merit, but in the end, it was all for naught.”

Then Namgung Woo appeared. If he had been much older than Jegal Jun, it might have been different. But he was a young man not much older than Jegal Jun.

“I’ll talk to Jun properly. So, please let today’s rudeness slide with your magnanimity.”

Jegal Chong expressed his sincere gratitude to Namgung Woo. Feeling the paternal love in Jegal Chong’s request, Namgung Woo reluctantly agreed to let it go.

“Will this one time be enough?”

“That will suffice.”

Their conversation ended there.

And the next day.

The Orthodox Martial World, having regrouped, began their counterattack against the Unorthodox Martial World encroaching on Hubei Province.

The full-scale war between the Jegal Family and the Banunbang Faction had begun.

§

In the central and southern regions of Hubei Province, the clashing of weapons never ceased.

Even within the province where the government’s power reached, it was the same. Outside, it was even worse.

In the forests, mountains, riversides, and fields.

The sound of steel clashing, blood splattering, people injuring each other.

Advancing and retreating.

Despite the initial success of Banunbang’s surprise attack on the main camp, the war turned into a fierce stalemate.

The forces of the Unorthodox Martial World allied with Banunbang were vast, but the counterattack of the Orthodox Martial World was no less formidable.

All those living in the martial world across the land turned their attention to Hubei Province.

This war was a smaller version of the Jeongsa Great War.

Just looking at the list of masters participating in this war was enough to evoke awe.

From Banunbang, the Fallen Immortal Dongbang Hwa, Hallyong Mado, Black Sword Ghost, Myeolseomma, and others, the number of Supreme Peak Masters reached ten.

The Orthodox Martial World was no less impressive. Jegal Chong, the third head of the Jegal Family, Jegal Wi, the Great Master of the Jegal Family’s elite force, the Nengyun Unit, Gowon Jinin of the Wudang Sect, the leader of the Hyeong Mountain Sect who came down from the main mountain seeking revenge for his disciple’s death, and the three great wanderers known as Hwang Ryong-ho and Yi Ho-yeong.

The number of Supreme Peak Masters on both sides was close to twenty.

The moment one becomes a Supreme Peak Master, they are called one of the top hundred martial artists in the martial world. Considering that the average number of Supreme Peak Masters in a province is around ten, this was truly the entire martial world of Huguang mobilized.

This war was no longer just about the grudge between the Jegal Family and Banunbang. It was a struggle for supremacy in the martial world of Huguang. That’s why they couldn’t afford to lose.

Those who joined the war lightly, wandering warriors and third-rate martial artists chasing wealth and fame, began to realize the weight of this war.

Finally, the war earned its name.

The Unmong Great War.

Named after the Unmong Wetlands in Hubei Province, which became the main battlefield, it also symbolized the two main forces of the war: the Jegal Family, who used clouds as their symbol, and Banunbang, who chased after illusory dreams.

The intensity of the war meant that neither side had gained a clear advantage. As signs of a prolonged conflict began to appear, both sides grew anxious.

The common fear of the unseen threat of the Ghost Gate, which could appear anywhere at any time.

The Orthodox Martial World was even more concerned about this.

The Wudang Sect couldn’t fully commit to this war because they were preparing for the Ghost Gate. Prioritizing the safety of the common people over the elimination of the Fallen Immortal Dongbang Hwa, the Wudang Sect’s greatest enemy, was truly fitting for the Wudang Sect.

Both sides also faced one or two difficult problems that made it hard to prolong the war.

For the Unorthodox side, the unpredictable intervention of the Imperial Family was a source of anxiety. While it was known to the upper echelons of the Unorthodox Martial World that Banunbang had recruited Man Gwibi, the use of gunpowder still made them uneasy.

The less they knew about how much favor Man Gwibi enjoyed, the greater their anxiety.

Ironically, the Orthodox Martial World shared similar anxieties. They worried that Man Gwibi might persuade the Imperial Family to side with Banunbang, making the Orthodox leadership restless.

So when Banunbang proposed a decisive battle to end the war, the Jegal Family readily accepted.

“This decisive battle will determine the outcome of the war.”

After receiving the news of the decisive battle, Paeng Ha-ryeong said.

Namgung Woo looked at Paeng Ha-ryeong’s face and recalled the incident with Jegal Jun.

Perhaps out of consideration for Namgung Woo, or to prevent Jegal Jun from causing trouble, the Jegal Family arranged for Jegal Jun’s movements to not overlap with those of the Changcheon Pavilion.

The Changcheon Pavilion, where Jegal Seon-a roamed freely with the Resonance Star Sky Diagram, was kept separate from Jegal Jun.

But if a decisive battle were to occur, that would be impossible.

It might be possible to send him out as a separate unit to block the enemy’s retreat in case of victory, but that would risk accusations of favoring direct blood relatives.

Moreover, someone of Jegal Jun’s level was a significant force. Not mobilizing him in a decisive battle that determined the fate of the family and the Orthodox Martial World of Huguang was unthinkable from the start.

‘We’ll have to face each other at some point.’

Paeng Ha-ryeong probably knew that Jegal Jun was around. She wasn’t oblivious.

But did she know that Jegal Jun still had feelings for her?

“Namgung Woo?”

“Ah, sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment. What were we talking about?”

“We were discussing the location of the decisive battle.”

“It’s been decided to hold the decisive battle on the western plains of Lake Hahong.”

“It would be difficult to hold a decisive battle in the Unmong Wetlands.”

“But isn’t this really bad? If they block the north, we’ll be surrounded and annihilated.”

As they exchanged thoughts about the decisive battle.

Perhaps because the recent stalemate showed a slight disadvantage for the Orthodox side.

Or maybe it was the pressure of experiencing a large-scale group battle for the first time.

Namgung Woo gave them the best encouragement he could.

“Don’t worry. We’ll win.”

And so, the day of the decisive battle that would conclude the Unmong Great War arrived.