Chapter 4

At the training hall, Baek Mu-Gun held a sword in his hand for the first time since he reincarnated.

"This weapon feels great."

Mu-Gun closed his eyes, then recalled a sword technique of the Baek Sword Sect.

The 36 Phantom Moon Blades. Baek Chu-Kyung, founder of the Baek Sword Sect, developed it when he saw moonlight pouring down from the moon hanging in the sky. This sword technique overpowered the opponent with fancy moves.

Its strength revolved around its flashy sword movements that made it difficult to distinguish between real and fake. On the contrary, its weakness was its power, whichwas significantly lower than other ascension realm sword techniques since it focused on flamboyance. If he were to go against a master skilled enough to distinguish between real and fake, he’d be in a precarious situation. It would be difficult to win with just the power of the sword itself, after all.

To compensate for the shortcomings of the Baek Sword Sect's sword technique, it had different variations to prevent the opponent from seeing through the real blades. However, that ultimately proved lacking to serve as a fundamental solution. Apart from the fancy techniques, its sword force’s power also needed to be heightened in order to overpower opponents.

Naturally, it wasn’t as easy as it sounded, but it was easily achievable for Mu-Gun. After all, he had the Heavenly Thunder Constellation Divine Art, which was based on thunder qi—the fastest and most powerful qi in the world.

Imbuing the 36 Phantom Moon Blades with the Heavenly Thunder Constellation Divine Art’s thunder qi would lead to a rise in its sword force’s power. However, Mu-Gun was the only one capable of doing it.

Other Baek Sword Sect members would find it impossible to achieve since they didn’t have the Heavenly Thunder Constellation Divine Art. Fundamentally, in order to improve the 36 Phantom Moon Blades’ power, the sword technique itself had to be remedied, which wasn’t as simple as it sounded. Mu-Gun had high enlightenment when it came to the way of the sword, but it wouldn’t have been any different even for him.

Mu-Gun decided to gradually study the remediation of the 36 Phantom Moon Blades and focused on harmonizing the Heavenly Thunder Constellation Divine Art and the 36 Phantom Moon Blades for now.

Among the sword techniques he had learned in his previous lives, there were many sword techniques superior to the 36 Phantom Moon Blades. Among them was the Heavenly Descent Thunder God Sect’s Heavenly Descent Thunder God Sword, which was strong enough to be considered one of the five greatest techniques under the heavens. In fact, it would have been more convenient for him to just use the martial arts he had learned in his previous lives.

However, since he reincarnated as the Baek Sword Sect’s first son and didn’t have plans to cut all ties with them, he couldn’t disregard their martial arts. That was why he deliberately wanted to learn the 36 Phantom Moon Blades.

The 36 Phantom Moon Blades was originally paired with the Phantom Moon Cultivation Method, a type of internal energy cultivation method. As such, it could be performed most naturally when used with the Phantom Moon Cultivation Method.

The balance between one’s internal energy and the 36 Phantom Moon Blades could be broken if other internal energy cultivation methods were used to execute the technique.

If the compatibility of the internal energy and the sword technique didn’t match wouldn’t just diminish its original power. It could also lead to qi deviation if things went wrong.

However, using the Heavenly Thunder Constellation Divine Art with it was a different story.

The Heavenly Thunder Constellation Divine Art, one of the greatest internal energy cultivation methods, was capable of assimilating with any type of martial arts. The same applied to the 36 Phantom Moon Blades.

Mu-Gun opened his eyes after mentally observing the harmony between the Heavenly Thunder Constellation Divine Art and the 36 Phantom Moon Blades. He then started to wave his sword around.

***

Meanwhile, Baek Cheon-Sang regularly received reports about Mu-Gun’s movements from Lee Jin-Chung, his steward. He also heard from the same person that Mu-Gun had begun training at the training hall fifteen days ago.

Cheon-Sang wondered what his son was up to when he stopped visiting the brothel and started going to the training hall, but he thought it would only last a few days at most. However, when his son still stuck to the same routine even after a month, he started to take interest in his eldest.

"Is my eldest son at the training hall today too?"

"Yes, sir. According to the servants, beyond just recuperation, his physique has become sturdier. It’s as if he had learned some martial arts," replied Steward Jin-Chung.

"Do you think that’s possible in just a month?"

"I think it would certainly be difficult to achieve using normal methods."

"Are you saying the First Young Master is learning a special technique?"

"I think it would be better for you to check on him personally, Patriarch Baek."

"Hmm..."

"With all due respect, it seems to me that the First Young Master has made up his mind. Showing that you are interested in him would encourage him greatly, Patriarch Baek."

"You said he’s going to train in the afternoon, right?"

"Yes. As per what I know, he goes to the training hall at

mishi

[1] and only comes out around

sinshi

[2].”

"It's going to be

mishi

soon. I'll go and confirm it myself."

"Are you planning on visiting him yourself?"

"Wouldn't it be better to check on him myself than call my eldest son over and hear it from him?"

"That is true."

"I'll go there on my own. Focus on your work."

After sending the steward away, Baek Cheon-Sang drank a cup of tea. And when the time had come, he went to Mu-Gun's residence.

"Greetings, Patriarch Baek."

The servant at Mu-Gun's residence was taken by surprise and greeted Cheong-Sang when she saw him.

"Is Mu-Gun in the training hall?"

"Yes."

Upon hearing the affirmative, Cheon-Sang immediately headed toward the training hall.

"Patriarch Baek! With all due respect, the First Young Master has ordered me to not let anyone in," said the servant as she hurriedly rushed in front of Cheon-Sang and stopped him.

Dumbfounded, Cheon-Sang asked, "Are you implying that the orders of the First Young Master is above mine as the sect leader?"

"I-I'm sorry. I have committed a great sin. Please forgive me."

Realizing her mistake, the servant quickly bowed her head.

"Keep in mind that I am the master of the Baek Sword Sect. No one can go against my will."

"I shall."

After lecturing the servant, Cheon-Sang proceeded to the training hall, which was next to the residence. Upon entering it, Cheon-Sang saw Mu-Gun executing a sword technique.

'36 Phantom Moon Blades!'

Cheon-Sang immediately recognized the sword technique that Mu-Gun was practicing. What surprised him was that Mu-Gun performed the 36 Phantom Moon Blades as naturally as flowing water. That was impossible to achieve without internal energy.

Additionally, Mu-Gun had become so physically sturdy that he couldn't recognize him. It was as if he was looking at the body of a martial artist who had been training for a long time. It was completely unbelievable that his son suffered from qi deviation and his eight major meridians were tangled.

'Don't tell me he regained his internal energy?'

How? The Baek Sword Sect tried all possible means, but they couldn’t fix his qi deviation. How did he manage to do it?

"You're here?"

As Cheon-Sang’s doubt deepened, Mu-Gun stopped training, having sensed his father's presence. He greeted him politely.

”Did you recover your martial arts?" Cheon-Sang asked head-on.

"Yes."

"How?"

"I met a stranger at the brothel. When he heard about my situation, he taught me the Qi Transfer Healing Technique, which could heal my qi deviation and internal energy."

Mu-Gun answered with a response he had thought of in advance. He couldn’t tell his father that he awakened his reincarnation from the Nine Lives Reincarnation Spell.

"A stranger?" Cheon-Sang frowned.

"He immediately left after passing down the Qi Transfer Healing Technique and internal energy."

"He even gave you his internal energy?"

"Yes."

"How much did he give?"

"Thirty years."

"Huh, who in the world was that person? How could he generously give you thirty years' worth of internal energy when he had never met you before? Is that person perhaps harboring a scheme?"

"I don't think that’s the case. He said that he was just carrying out heaven's will and that there was no need to thank him at all."

Mu-Gun lied without any changes in his expression. It was an absurd story. However, Cheon-Sang had no choice but to believe Mu-Gun's words. Otherwise, there was no way to explain how Mu-Gun recovered his martial arts.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"I was planning to heal my qi deviation completely before telling you."

"You still haven't learned your lesson even after going through it once. What would you do if an accident happened while you were overdoing it alone?"

"Don’t worry, making that mistake once is enough. It will not happen again."

"Never do anything rash from now on."

"Understood."

"Put your arms out."

Mu-Gun gently extended his arms out as per Cheon-Sang's instructions. Cheon-Sang placed his hand on Mu-Gun's brachial vein and checked on the latter's internal body. Swiftly locating the eight major meridians, he confirmed that there was thirty years' worth of internal energy imbued in his son's dantian[3].

Cheon-Sang closely examined Mu-Gun, fearingt that the stranger injected his internal energy into Mu-Gun for another purpose. Fortunately, he didn’t sense the presence of any qi resembling demonic energy or toxic energy.

"Looking at the internal energy in your dantian now, it seems you have a pretty strong disposition."

"Thunder qi is used as the internal energy’s foundation."

"If there is thunder qi imbued in his internal energy, then that stranger was no ordinary human."

There was no way internal energy could contain thunder qi through ordinary internal energy cultivation methods. Given the fact that he cultivated internal energy that possessed the properties of thunder qi, the stranger was no simple martial artist.

It bothered Cheon-Sang that Mu-Gun couldn’t learn the unique internal energy of the Baek Sword Sect, but it was way better than living like a cripple after suffering from qi deviation.

"That's what I thought too."

"This is a chance of a lifetime for you. It’s late, but congratulations on regaining your martial arts."

"Thank you."

"Please forget everything that this father of yours had done all this while. Those probably upset you."

"No. It's my fault for giving up on myself and showing you such an ugly side of me."

He wasn’t just saying that for show. Mu-Gun really didn’t resent his father, but not because he awakened his reincarnation. Cheon-Sang made every effort he could to raise Mu-Gun's spirit. However, Mu-Gun himself refused his help and chose to live like a cripple.

Therefore, there was no reason to resent Cheon-Sang. Of course, he could resent him for giving up on him in the end, but Mu-Gun wasn’t such a narrow-minded person.

"Thank you for thinking that way. That aside, what’s your plan going forward?"

"My priority is establishing myself as the successor to the Baek Sword Sect."

"You most certainly should, but it won't be easy. I don't know if you’re aware of this, but more and more people within the sect are supporting your uncle and Yong-Hwan."

"I heard from Mu-Ok, and I have been well-informed. Be that as it may, if I prove that I have the right to establish myself as the successor through my martial prowess, no one would dare covet the position of the successor from me ."

"Are you confident?"

"You seem to have forgotten, but I, your son, was once called the greatest talent in all of the Baek Sword Sect’s history. I'm not looking down on Yong-Hwan, but he’s incapable of becoming an obstacle for me."

"As you said, showing off your martial prowess will definitely be beneficial, but you have to win the Baek Sword Corps’ favor to nab the position of Baek Sword Sect’s successor. Yong-Hwan recently stood out as an heir candidate because he gained the Baek Sword Corps’ trust when he fought against the Sea Dragon Gang."

During the three years Mu-Gun lived like a cripple, Baek Yong-Hwan fought against the Sea Dragon Gang alongside the Baek Sword Corps, the Baek Sword Sect’s military force. He put his life on the line every time he fought, and he also protected numerous martial artists of the Baek Sword Corps. While doing so, he cut down countless Sea Dragon Gang pirates.

Yong-Hwan risked his life on the battlefield with them. As a result, the Baek Sword Corps acknowledged and supported him as the successor candidate from the bottom of their hearts. Even if Mu-Gun proved himself through martial prowess, it wouldn’t be easy for him to win over the favor that the Baek Sword Corps had for Yong-Hwan in one fell swoop.

"That's not a big problem. I just need to subdue Yong-Hwan and put him under my wings, then the Baek Sword Corps wouldn’t oppose me either."

"That child directly inherited your uncle's ambition. It won't be easy to make him submit to you."

"If I can’t even win Yong-Hwan over, how can I claim I’m qualified to be the Baek Sword Sect’s successor?"

"That's because I, your father,did not win over your uncle's heart either."

"However, you exhibited such dignity that he couldn't dare plot against you, which I believe is the same as winning over Uncle's heart."

"Since you’re so confident, I’ll trust you and watch from the side."

"Understood. And I’m also thinking of going to the Maritime Defense Base in Dongtou as soon as possible."

It took two days by boat from Wenzhou, where the Baek Sword Sect was based, to reach the island of Dongtou. It was an advanced base that prevented the elusive Sea Dragon Gang from going rampant.

Preventing the pirates’ invasion was originally the nation’s responsibility. However, the military administration was thrown into disorder, and the pirates’ invasion got stronger when they colluded with the people of murim, ultimately resulting in the nation being helplessly invaded by pirates.

However, they couldn’t completely keep their hands off this matter due to the principle that the problems of murim were to be resolved by the people of murim. For that reason, they issued an edict that ordered the murim forces to stop the invasion of the Sea Dragon Gang and other pirates.

The Baek Sword Sect was one of the murim forces that received that order from the Imperial Court. In accordance with it, they established a maritime base at Dongtou and had been fighting against the Sea Dragon Gang for more than a decade since then.

However, it was not just due to the royal decree of the Imperial Court that the Baek Sword Sect devoted themselves to their battle with the Sea Dragon Gang. Wenzhou, where the Baek Sword Sect was based, was a trading port frequented by foreign merchants, providing the Baek Sword Sect considerable profits. In order for them to maintain this profit, they had to eliminate the threat of the Sea Dragon Gang. Doing so would allow the foreign merchants to continue using Wenzhou's trading port.

Therefore, they had to pour all their energy into preventing the Sea Dragon Gang from gaining power. Mu-Gun visiting their Maritime Defense Base at Dongtou would mean he intended to participate in the battle against the Sea Dragon Gang.

"You want to go to the Maritime Defense Base?"

"Yes, partly because I am worried about Mu-Ok."

Mu-Ok, Mu-Gun’s younger brother, was currently among the people deployed at the Dongtou Maritime Defense Base to fight the Sea Dragon Gang.

"Isn’t it too early to be pushing yourself this much? Further refining your martial arts before going there shouldn’t pose a problem.”

"Dealing with the Sea Dragon Gang pirates in my current state won’t be an issue, so don't worry."

"If you say so. The White Wolf Squad will be heading to Dongtou for shift rotation in ten days. You should go with them."

The Baek Sword Corps was composed of five squads, namely: White Dragon, White Tiger, White Wolf, White Leopard, and White Bear. There would always be two squads staying at the Maritime Defense Base to defend against the Sea Dragon Gang.

The five squads rotated shifts once every two months, and each squad's shift was a month apart from the other squads. Hence, every month, there would be one squad rotating their shifts. In ten days, the White Wolf Squad and the White Dragon Squad would change shifts.

"Understood."

1. mishi is between 1-3pm. ?

2. sinshi is between 3-5pm. ?

3. Dantian refers to the region in the body where a person's qi is concentrated. ?