NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4: A Small Leaf is Easily Shaken Even by the Faintest Wind (1)
Light Novel: Volume 1 Chapter 4
Manhwa: Chapters 3
Episode 2: A Small Leaf is Easily Shaken Even by the Faintest Wind (1)
Han Socheon buried her face in Lee Gwak’s chest and sobbed uncontrollably. Lee Gwak’s chest was soon stained with Han Socheon’s tears.
Unable to push Han Socheon away, Lee Gwak simply patted her back. Although he had many questions, he waited for her to calm down.
How much time had passed? Lee Gwak didn’t know, but Han Socheon’s sobs gradually subsided. The trembling in her shoulders also began to disappear when she felt more or less stable. Only then did Lee Gwak release her from his embrace.
“Wha… what happened? Everyone is dead, you say?”
“Brother!”
“Tell me calmly. What happened?”
“I’m not sure either. It was the middle of the night… and then all of a sudden, I heard really loud laughter. My head hurt as if it was going to split apart, and then my eyes became blurry–”
Han Socheon couldn’t finish her words and sobbed again. Lee Gwak comforted her by patting her shoulder.
“Calm down first. You don’t have to tell me if it’s too hard.”
“No, it’s fine. I want to tell you so I’ll talk.”
Han Socheon rested her forehead on Lee Gwak’s chest and took a few moments to catch her breath. After a while, when her breathing finally became more relaxed, she spoke again,
“As my vision became blurry, people dressed in black stormed into the village.”
“People in black?”
“And they were riding black horses… I saw them coming in and then I blacked out. When I finally woke up, everyone was already dead. My mom, dad, everyone else.”
“Everyone died?”
“I was the only survivor. Everyone else died. Huuk!”
Han Socheon’s face contorted as she felt her emotions rise once again. But she tried to hold it together and continued to speak.
Han Socheon was only seventeen years old. As a girl who had not yet become an adult, her mental strength was not yet strong enough to withstand the misfortune that had suddenly befallen her.
If the Blue Dragon Squad hadn’t come to the village at that time and helped her, she would surely have wandered the world and died miserably.
Lee Gwak’s gaze turned towards the other children.
“Are they also…?”
“It wasn’t just our village that was attacked.”
More than two dozen villages had suffered the same fate. Although no village had been completely wiped out like Snow Valley Village, many people were killed or injured.
The children who came with Han Socheon were all orphans who had lost their parents. With nowhere else to go, the Blue Dragon Squad had brought them to the Jade Heaven Alliance.
‘People dressed in black?’
Lee Gwak recalled the warriors who had entered the Jade Heaven Alliance in the morning.
They too were dressed in black and rode black horses. Perhaps they were the ones Han Socheon was talking about.
‘What on earth happened?’
His chest felt tight, as if a massive boulder had been placed on his chest. Although he had left long ago and had no remaining connections, it didn’t change the fact that Snow Valley Village was his hometown.
Wiping away her tears, Han Socheon asked,
“But what happened to you, brother? When did you join the Jade Heaven Alliance? You just left without a word.”
“Hoo!”
Lee Gwak let out a sigh as he looked at Han Socheon.
For some reason, he felt embarrassed looking at Han Socheon. It had been five years since he had left his hometown, but his appearance was still shabby and pathetic.
When he had left his hometown after losing his father and mother to the plague, he had grand ambitions.
He wanted to join the Jade Heaven Alliance and become a martial artist who could make the world tremble.
It was the kind of ambition that any young and spirited boy would have dreamed of at least once.
Lee Gwak believed himself to be exceptionally gifted. He was confident that his talents would allow him to master martial arts at a high level.
It didn’t take him long to realize that he was mistaken. After much hardship, he managed to arrive at the Jade Heaven Alliance and fortunately had the opportunity to undergo the initiation evaluation.
If his talent was recognized, he could learn high-level martial arts and be assigned to a better organization than the Outer Hall. But, such luck was not granted to him.
A bitter smile tugged at the corners of Lee Gwak’s mouth.
His talent, as judged by the entrance examination, was only average. While his intelligence was quite high, his physical ability was lacking.
The judges had concluded that he was capable of learning martial arts to an average level, but reaching the Constant Victory Realm1 would be difficult.
Lee Gwak didn’t agree with their opinions, so he rebelled. However, the Jade Heaven Alliance was not a lenient place for his rebellion to work.
As befitting its reputation as the world’s greatest, the Jade Heaven Alliance attracted numerous talents, and the talents of these individuals were beyond Lee Gwak’s comprehension.
Some had the talent to hear one and know ten2 while others carried the prestige of renowned families. Even if their talents were slightly inferior, there was no way Lee Gwak could catch up when those people could ask for the help of their families and take enhancing elixirs.
Against the walls of status, the walls of talent, and subtle discriminations that he was unaware of, Lee Gwak was torn apart, causing his heart to be wounded. With him being chipped away, shattered, and broken, the initial pride and firmness of his heart remained only as a mere trace.
The Lee Gwak now was not the proud Lee Gwak who left Snow Valley Village.
He was nothing more than a defeated person who couldn’t overcome the walls of reality.
Therefore, he couldn’t easily answer.
“You must be tired, get some rest.”
“Brother?”
“Let me know if you need anything.”
At Lee Gwak’s words, Han Socheon looked anxious.
She had lost everyone in her life and came to arrive at the Jade Heaven. The only living person she knew left in the world was Lee Gwak. That’s why she couldn’t help but feel uneasy at the thought of him disappearing from her sight.
Lee Gwak flashed Han Socheon a smile.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be outside guarding this place. If you need or want anything, tell me anytime.”
“Thank you, big brother!”
“Get some rest, you look very tired.”
“Yes!”
Han Socheon finally nodded.
Lee Gwak left Han Socheon behind and came out of the White Sage Pavilion. As soon as he exited the pavilion’s main entrance, Seok Yi-cheon was waiting for him.
“What took you so long?”
“I just ran into someone I know.”
“A person you know? Among them?”
“Yes!”
“Really? What a strange coincidence. Meeting someone you know here of all places. I don’t know who it is, but be careful.”
“Why?”
“They are involved with the Blue Dragon Squad. I’m not sure what’s going on, but we can only stand by and observe. If you get involved with them unnecessarily, you might find yourself in a headache, so be careful.”
Lee Gwak silently nodded his head, seeing the sense in Seok Yi-cheon’s words.
The best way for a low-ranking warrior like him to survive on a great ground like the Jade Heaven Alliance was to exist without standing out, to be neither present nor absent.
He was more likely to bring misfortune than good fortune if he unnecessarily caught the eyes of the higher-ups. It was not for nothing that their leader, Oh Guhong, was living inconspicuously as if he did not exist.
It was a heavy night in many ways. His gaze wandered to the inner fortress in the distance.
* * *
The Jade Heaven Alliance’s inner city was like a giant fortress. High walls meticulously isolated each sector, ensuring their autonomy, and numerous traps and mechanisms were laid out throughout.
Even the members of the respective organizations within the fortress couldn’t fathom the full expanse of the inner fortress. After over a century of continuous expansions, there were hardly any who fully understood its overall structure.
The roads were reminiscent of a labyrinth, with guards stationed at every corner, keeping watch around the clock.
Amongst these places, the most heavily guarded was naturally the leader’s residence, where the head of the alliance resided.
The Jade Dragon Palace Hall, the largest hall within the leader’s residence, was the dwelling place of the leader.
Inside the Jade Dragon Palace Hall stood a grand throne made from stone infused with a blue aura. Seated upon this throne was an elderly man whose age was indeterminable at first glance.
At first sight, he appeared like any ordinary old man. There was nothing particularly outstanding about his gaze or demeanor. Yet, everyone inside the Jade Dragon Palace Hall held their breath in his presence.
That was because this seemingly ordinary old man was none other than Ja Hong-cheon, the leader of the Jade Heaven Alliance.
The Supreme Sword Emperor, Ja Hong-cheon.4
The third-generation leader of the Jade Heaven Alliance and the legendary martial artist currently hailed as the strongest in the world of Jianghu. That was none other than Ja Hong-cheon.
Quietly standing by Ja Hong-cheon’s side was the Inner Court’s Leader, Joo Shin-yoon.
Both Ja Hong-cheon and Joo Shin-yoon’s attention was fixed on a man who had just entered the Jade Dragon Palace Hall.
A man in his mid-twenties, dressed entirely in black, from head to toe.
He was the same man who had entered the Jade Heaven Alliance yesterday morning with a hundred horsemen.
Without hesitation, the man walked directly towards Ja Hong-cheon.
Even with the world’s greatest martial artist before him, the man showed no signs of intimidation. On the contrary, he had a faint smile on his lips that seemed almost arrogant.
At the sight of the man’s demeanor, Joo Shin-yoon’s eyebrows twitched.
He was annoyed by the man’s audacity not to bow his head when facing the alliance’s leader. However, Ja Hong-cheon himself seemed completely unbothered, his expression calm.
Finally, the man stopped in front of the throne where Ja Hong-cheon was seated.
Cupping his fist, the man spoke,
“I, Gwan Il-hyeon of the Celestial Demon Union, pay my respects to the esteemed leader of the Jade Heaven Alliance, Grandmaster Ja Hong-cheon.”
“It’s good to see you, Junior Gwan. How is your master doing?”
“Thank you for your concern. He’s doing well. He once mentioned that you should visit the Celestial Demon Union sometime.”
“Haha! While it might not be hard to get there, I’m not sure I’ll make it out alive. I appreciate the invitation, but this old man prefers to stay put in the Jade Heaven Alliance. Now that I’m getting old, I don’t want to do anything even remotely dangerous. I can’t bear to leave the comfort of my home and travel all the way to the Celestial Demon Union.”
“You are too modest. Who would dare harm you, the world’s strongest, the Supreme Sword Emperor?”
“Nothing’s impossible with your master, the Solitary Celestial Demon.”5
“Even though he’s far away, my master regards you as a close friend. You need not have such concerns.”
“Thank you for your kind words. I also hold your master in high regard. Solitary Celestial Demon Jin Gwang-hon truly deserves the title of the world’s best.”
“Just hearing you say that fills me with gratitude.”
A faint smile appeared at the corners of Gwan Il-hyeon’s mouth. In contrast, Joo Shin-yoon looked at him with cold eyes. Such was his caution towards Gwan Il-hyeon.
Gwan Il-hyeon was no ordinary person.
He was the direct disciple of the Solitary Celestial Demon, Jin Gwang-hon. And the Solitary Celestial Demon Jin Gwang-hon was the current leader of the Celestial Demon Union.
The Celestial Demon Union.6
It was a name that had been forgotten in Jianghu for a while after the Great Heavenly Blood War a hundred years ago. Or rather, it was a name people tried hard to forget.
There was a time when they ruled the world as a demonic cult, becoming a name associated with mystery and fear. But after the Great Heavenly Blood War, they disappeared into the southern parts of Jianghu where the gaze of ordinary people didn’t reach.
Even now, the older martial artists would get agitated just hearing the word Celestial Demon Union. That’s how synonymous it was with fear.
For the past hundred years, the Celestial Demon Union rarely showed itself in Jianghu. However, the Jade Heaven Alliance had never once stopped keeping an eye on them. After all, the Celestial Demon Union was the biggest enemy of both the Jade Heaven Alliance and Jianghu.
Gwan Il-hyeon was the first member of the Celestial Demon Union to enter the Jade Heaven Alliance in over a century. That’s why the martial artists of the Jade Heaven Alliance, including Joo Shin-yoon, were watching him with wary and vigilant eyes.
Ja Hong-cheon offered Gwan Il-hyeon a seat.
“It’s been over a hundred years since someone from the Celestial Demon Union visited the Jade Heaven Alliance. I fear our hospitality has been lacking. Please, take a seat.”
“I’m comfortable as I am.”
“Youth is truly wonderful. As you wish.”
“Thank you.”
“So, what brings a disciple of the Solitary Celestial Demon to our alliance? It doesn’t seem you’ve taken this significant journey just to inquire about this old man’s well-being.”
“Actually, I’ve come this far to seek the cooperation of the Jade Heaven Alliance.”
“Cooperation? Since when were the Jade Heaven Alliance and the Celestial Demon Union on good terms to discuss cooperation?”
Jang Hong-cheon’s voice turned slightly cold, causing the temperature inside the Jade Dragon Palace Hall to instantly drop significantly as well.
Gwan Il-hyeon flinched at the sudden change.
‘They say this old man’s martial arts has reached the Harmonization Realm.7 It looks like it’s not just a rumor.’
A few goosebumps crawled over the skin exposed from between his clothes, but Gwan Il-hyun did his best to hide his discomfort.
Although he was overwhelmed by Ja Hong-cheon’s martial prowess, he was an envoy carrying the message of the Solitary Celestial Demon, Jin Gwang-hon. He knew that Ja Hong-cheon wouldn’t dare harm him, so he continued to speak confidently,
“More than a hundred years have passed since the Great Heavenly Blood War. Even the deepest grudges would have faded over such a period. I don’t believe that the Jade Heaven Alliance remains so bogged down by past grievances that it can’t look forward to the future.”
“You’ve got some nerve, young one. Truly worthy of being the Solitary Celestial Demon’s disciple. Impressive! Tell me, what do you want?”
Ja Hong-cheon leaned in slightly to get a closer look at Gwan Il-hyun, increasing the pressure on him.
Licking his dry lips with his tongue, Gwan Il-hyun continued,
“I would like the Jade Heaven Alliance’s assistance in hunting down the Lunatic Pugilist.”8
“Did you just say Lunatic Pugilist?”
“That’s right.”
Upon hearing Gwan Il-hyun’s response, Ja Hong-cheon’s gaze deepened.
A storm seemed to be raging within his deeply sunken pupils.
SoundlessWind21’s Notes:
Here are some differences from the manhwa:
- Supreme Sword Empress → Supreme Sword Emperor. The Jade Heaven Alliance leader is male based on the Hanja used for his title, 皇 which is emperor vs. 后 empress.
- Celestial Demon Troupe → Celestial Demon Union. This one also appears in Reaper of the Drifting Moon so I used the same translation for consistency.
I’m not sure whether the different realms will be expounded on later in the novel but so far two realms have been mentioned: Constant Victory Realm and Harmonization Realm.
Anyway, thank you for reading!
- Constant Victory Realm. Raws: 상승지경(常勝之境).
- 常 cháng – always / ever / often / frequently / common / general / constant
- 勝 shèng – victory / success / to beat / to defeat / to surpass / victorious / superior to / to get the better of / better than / surpassing / superb (of vista) / beautiful (scenery) / wonderful (view) / (Taiwan pr. [sheng1]) able to bear / equal to (a task)
- 之 zhī – (possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的) / him / her / it
- 境 jìng – border / place / condition / boundary / circumstances / territory
- Hear one know ten. Raws: 문일지십(聞一知十). The original meaning of this idiom is that you can understand a lot after hearing a little, and it describes a person who is endowed with intelligence, comprehension, and strong analogy.
- Jade Dragon Palace Hall. Raws: 창룡전(蒼龍殿).
- 蒼龍 Cānglóng – Blue Dragon, other name of the Azure Dragon
- 殿 diàn – palace hall
- Supreme Sword Emperor. Raws: 무극검황(無極劍皇). I used the same translation in the manwha.
- 無極 wújí – everlasting / unbounded
- 劍 jiàn – double-edged sword
- 皇 huáng – emperor
- Solitary Celestial Demon. Raws: 고독신마(孤獨神魔).
- 孤獨 gūdú – lonely / solitary
- 神 shén – deity / soul / spirit / unusual / mysterious / lively / expressive / expression / look / CL: 個｜个 / (slang) awesome / amazing
- 魔 mó – (bound form) evil spirit; devil / (prefix) supernatural; magical
- Celestial Demon Union. Raws: 신마련(神魔聯).
- 神 shén – deity / soul / spirit / unusual / mysterious / lively / expressive / expression / look
- 魔 mó – (bound form) evil spirit; devil / (prefix) supernatural; magical
- 聯 lián – to ally / to unite / to join / (poetry) antithetical couplet
- Harmonization Realm. Raws: 조화지경(造化之境).
- 造化 zàohuà – Nature; the Creator
- 之 zhī – (possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的) / him / her / it
- 境 jìng – border / place / condition / boundary / circumstances / territory
- Lunatic Pugilist. Raws: 광노야(狂老爺). This is translated in the manhwa as Gwang Noya, but I would keep referring to him as Lunatic Pugilist.
- 狂 kuáng – mad / wild / violent
- 老 lǎo – old, aged; experienced
- 爺 yé – father, grandfather
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