Chapter 11: Public Duel
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 11: Public Duel
Unity of Body and Sword—a state where one could sense even the faintest breeze brushing against the blade. Even now, the sensation of that moment remained vivid.
Through his sword, he had been able to read Cheong-myeong's technique, something his eyes alone had failed to fully capture.
Internal energy. True Qi was a mysterious thing.
Even without seeing it with one's eyes or feeling it against one's skin, it revealed the realm of true mastery.
'The essence of True Qi is Mother Nature. Perhaps it is enough to simply follow where it leads.'
The cold touch of the Desolate Fortress Sword's hilt began to grow warm.
Following the mnemonic of the Demonlight Formula, the True Qi rising throughout his body began to radiate outward.
It felt like a faint, gentle breeze.
Riding that breeze, he surveyed another brick pagoda standing tall beside the collapsed rubble.
Just by glancing at the joints of the brick pagoda, a translucent mental image formed in his mind, as if he could see right through the structure.
Where to strike, with how much force, and at what angle.
Force, environment, and target aligned in perfect harmony, creating a single trajectory. This was what they called a Form.
His breathing settled.
His right hand, holding the Desolate Fortress Sword still in its scabbard, rose.
He didn't summon even a single ounce of internal energy to bolster his physical strength.
He simply swung lazily, following the first form guided by his True Qi.
In that instant, the world lost its color to his consciousness.
The twisting of his muscles—starting from the pectoralis major, passing through the deltoid and brachialis, and reaching the flexor digitorum profundus—forged a path of force. It converged into a single sword trajectory, striking toward the pagoda.
Just before impact, the joints of his entire body locked in an instant. The optimal moment. The perfect strike.
Thud! Rumble—
The collapsed bricks mirrored the pile Ma Jin had destroyed right beside them.
He had grasped the Demonlight Formula. All that was left was to master it for real combat.
Jeong Yeon-shin suppressed his rising excitement.
As he sheathed his sword at his waist, he glanced at Ma Jin. The man wore an expression even more stunned than when Yeon-shin had sparred with Cheong-myeong. Honestly, it wasn't even surprising anymore.
"What... on earth..."
"I think I need to gain a lot of real combat experience. To unleash the Demonlight Formula when life and death hang in the balance of a split second, ordinary training won't cut it."
"..."
"I understand now what it means to engrave it onto my body. Thank you for the lesson."
Ma Jin, the man hailed as the strongest in the 17th Unit of the Divine Sword Corps, said nothing for a long while.
* * *
"That kid. He's weird."
One of the experts of the Demonlight Wing muttered.
He was a man clad in blue robes, with the character for 'Desolate' (荒) from the Desolate Fortress embroidered across his shoulders and back.
Everyone at the table wore the same martial uniform.
The dozen or so martial artists drinking in the luxurious tavern all nodded in immediate understanding.
There was no one else he could be talking about but the boy who had recently monopolized all the gossip within the Demonlight Wing.
"I used to hear that kind of talk a lot too. Before I came here, that is."
"A peerless genius? That's nothing new."
"How many martial artists in the Desolate Fortress weren't called geniuses before passing the Desolate Fortress Entrance Exam?"
"I grew up in the Desolate Fortress, so I wouldn't know."
A faint scent of alcohol drifted from their breath with every word.
They were in one of the finest taverns on the streets of Xiangyang, a city bustling with crowds drawn by the presence of the Desolate Fortress.
No one bothered to circulate their internal energy to dispel the alcohol. It was a night meant for enjoyment.
Those who practiced asceticism and focused solely on training hadn't bothered to come out in the first place.
The Demonlight Wing expert who had spoken first continued, "Right. It's what ordinary, ignorant people usually say about geniuses and prodigies. They call them 'weird.'"
"Exactly. We all became ordinary once we got here. Looking back, it's not a great feeling."
The man sitting opposite him, his face flushed red, chuckled as he emptied his cup. "But the thing is, even to us, that kid is weird, right?"
The experts let out dry chuckles.
"Has anyone ever seen the Unit Commander make a face like that?"
"I heard he's already using the Demonlight Formula proficiently."
"Can't you tell just by watching him swing his sword? He's completely changed; his form is set. When he fought Cheong-myeong, he was like an orphaned wild beast."
"I watched it myself, and I still couldn't believe it."
As they chatted, using the absent boy as their drinking snack, a relatively young-faced man spoke up.
"I like Flash Art's character. He isn't arrogant, despite having that kind of talent."
"Sometimes he's so bold it's almost baffling. Well, we'll find out his true character once he goes on a major mission."
"In any case, with talent like that, wouldn't the Castle Lord have his eye on him?"
"He must have met the Castle Lord during the final stage of the Desolate Fortress Entrance Exam. With the Castle Lord's eyes, he would have seen right through him instantly. There might already be some arrangement in place."
"If nothing goes wrong, he'll eventually become one of the first experts people mention when they talk about the Desolate Fortress. Won't he rise from White Rank to Blue Rank in no time?"
"Perhaps. If he survives."
Several experts nodded in agreement.
"But... what those bastards are saying is quite amusing."
As they talked, one of the Demonlight Wing warriors turned his head toward the adjacent wall.
The woman sitting next to him smirked, letting her aura flare.
"They're probably just bitter. I heard they threw a fit, telling their Unit Commander they absolutely had to bring in either Flash Art or the White Qilin, but they ended up with neither."
A burst of boisterous laughter erupted from the table.
At that exact moment—
Crash!
The adjacent wall shattered.
The Demonlight Wing experts casually deflected the debris using their chopsticks and cups. The wooden splinters and plaster flew in all directions like exploding shrapnel infused with True Qi.
They chuckled as if this were a common occurrence. Their relaxed gestures effortlessly contained the profound principles of high-level martial arts.
"Apologies for interrupting the experts of the Demonlight Wing while you're enjoying yourselves."
The intruders were also warriors wearing the blue martial uniforms of the Desolate Fortress.
One man stepped forward to speak, but contrary to his polite words, his clothes fluttered wildly.
He was channeling his True Qi to its absolute limit.
"If you know you're interrupting, why don't you leave quietly? We were just getting into the mood. Our youngest has such incredible talent, you see."
The woman, who was already radiating a powerful aura and asserting her presence, spoke with a smirk.
Her sharp features and cold eyes formed a mocking smile.
It was a face clearly meant to provoke—the kind of taunt that would make even a pacifist draw their sword.
"Sun Lotus Sword Enchantress. Are you looking for a fight?"
"I thought your Azure Sky Unit was the one asking for it. 'No matter how talented he is, his limits are obvious in the Demonlight Wing'? Isn't that practically begging for a fight? You bastards spouted that unlucky trash talk knowing full well we were sitting right next to you."
As she finished speaking, her tone grew increasingly fierce, her words grinding through her teeth.
With every syllable, her aura intensified.
Unable to contain her temper, she leaped to her feet and glared at the Azure Sky Unit warriors.
"Draw your swords. Let's see those eighteen forms of your precious Azure Sky Unit's Clear Sky Sword Art."
"Sun Lotus Sword Enchantress Baek Mi-ryeo! Watch your mouth!"
"Who are you to order me around? Come at me! I'll crush you within ten forms!"
Xiangyang's Number One Tavern descended into utter chaos.
* * *
"Did you hear that the seniors had a massive clash with the Azure Sky Unit warriors?!"
It was Heonwon Chang, bursting into the room first thing in the morning and making a huge fuss.
Jeong Yeon-shin tilted his head. "Isn't the Desolate Fortress governed by strict laws? I thought martial artists of the main fortress fighting outside the training grounds was grounds for disciplinary action."
"When did you even find the time to read the fortress's code of laws? Well, you're right. A confinement order was issued, and everyone looks absolutely miserable."
"What was the reason for the fight?"
"Well, apparently, while they were drinking at the tavern, an Azure Sky Unit warrior picked a fight. He said that Young Master Jeong's talent would never bloom in the Demonlight Wing."
"...They drew swords over something like that?"
"You still don't know the Murim very well, Young Master. That is the very essence of the Jianghu! A single careless word returns as a cold blade, and it is through blocking and overcoming such things that one wins fame and traverses the Jianghu. Shouldn't you be happy instead? The seniors of the Desolate Fortress got angry on behalf of a newcomer! If it were me, I would be overwhelmed with gratitude!"
The Divine Hero of the Desolate Fortress looked at him with an expression of pure envy.
'Didn't they just get angry because they insulted the Demonlight Wing?'
Baffled by this incomprehensible logic, Jeong Yeon-shin fell silent. Then, his eyes widened slightly.
'Wait, isn't this an opportunity?'
How great of an achievement would he need to make to obtain the fruit of the World Tree, which all the Brightfolk of the world worshiped?
There was no way he could do it without the help of allies.
While the deepest trust among Jianghu people was forged through life-and-death debts, it wouldn't hurt to build up some goodwill in advance.
'Calculating trust like this is a bit embarrassing, but...'
He had to survive first.
He hadn't shown it much to the Lord of the Desolate Fortress, but he truly did not want to die young.
He absolutely had to eat the fruit of the World Tree.
"Now that I hear it, Brother Heonwon, you are right. It makes me angry. To think the seniors had to clash swords in anger because of me."
Jeong Yeon-shin stood up abruptly.
"Exactly! That's it! As expected, you are a chivalrous hero who understands propriety, Young Master!"
'Is "chivalrous hero" really the right word for this?'
Heonwon Chang's enthusiastic clapping almost made him feel self-conscious, but he forced a look of calm anger onto his face and left the room.
The palpable expectation radiating from the footsteps following behind him was definitely not his imagination.
He headed straight for the Demonlight Wing's training ground.
The seniors lounging around here and there looked even more deflated than usual.
It seemed the confinement order was a much harsher punishment than he had thought.
For Jeong Yeon-shin, who had never tasted a single drop of alcohol out of fear it might disrupt the circulation of his Jeong Family Dynamic Art, their misery was hard to comprehend.
"It's the rookies."
"There are no lessons today. Did you come all this way just to train?"
"You don't have to push yourselves so hard when you're still White Ranks."
"No, White Ranks should do exactly that. It's a commendable attitude."
The seniors welcomed the two rookies. Jeong Yeon-shin returned the greeting with a cupped-fist salute and walked straight over to stand before Ma Jin, the Unit Commander of the Demonlight Wing.
"Are you stuck on something? Ask away."
Ma Jin, who had previously left saying he needed to think about how to teach him, spoke with a tired face.
Since an ultra-powerful expert like him wouldn't easily feel physical fatigue, it seemed he had truly exhausted his mental energy worrying over Jeong Yeon-shin, just as he had claimed.
'Seeing this, I feel like I should really put my heart into this.'
Jeong Yeon-shin thought. As he opened his mouth, his mind felt a bit lighter.
"I want to have a duel."
"Sure. Pick anyone. Anyone here will spar with you."
Ma Jin replied, rubbing his forehead. Yeon-shin shook his head.
"Not with the Demonlight Wing. I want to challenge the Azure Sky Unit."
In an instant, the training ground fell silent. Everyone knew exactly why he had mentioned the Azure Sky Unit.
"...You must have heard about yesterday. There's no need to get worked up over something like that. Calm down."
'I'm not even excited.'
The look Ma Jin gave Jeong Yeon-shin as he stared down at him was a mix of bewilderment and pride.
"What do you mean? I simply wish to experience the Clear Sky Sword Art, which I have long admired."
"You aren't calm at all. Having too much hot blood is a problem in itself."
However, the faces of the Demonlight Wing seniors behind him didn't look like they saw a problem at all.
Many of them looked incredibly proud.
These battle-hardened warriors, men and women said to hold their own against the experts of the Nine Sects, were radiating pride like bursts of Fa Jin.
The reaction was so much greater than he had intended that it almost gave him goosebumps.
He spoke up again.
"I want to test the Demonlight Formula against a renowned sword art. Please grant your permission, Unit Commander."
'I'll gain real combat experience with the Demonlight Formula, witness a high-level sword art, and win the seniors' favor.'
It was killing three birds with one stone. In fact, it seemed he had already achieved the last one.
"Are you serious? Even though we are under the same umbrella of the Desolate Fortress's Divine Sword Corps, they are not the Demonlight Wing. You haven't learned the same martial arts as the Azure Sky Unit, nor have you fought alongside them. They won't go easy on you."
"That is exactly what I want."
At Jeong Yeon-shin's brief reply, whistles erupted from the surroundings.
"Now that's a spirit worthy of representing the Desolate Fortress!"
"I can't wait to see him grow."
"If he can just hold his own, he'll be worthy of leading the next generation of the Demonlight Wing."
Among them, Ma Jin also nodded slightly. The Desolate Fortress was the center of the Jianghu Murim. It was a world where martial artists expressed themselves through strength and spirit. No expert would look down on a fifteen-year-old swordsman who showed such grit for the honor of the Demonlight Wing.
"Very well. I will convey this to the Commander of the Azure Sky Unit."
One day later.
A duel between Flash Art of the Demonlight Wing and a warrior of the Azure Sky Unit was finalized. On paper, it was a friendly sparring match.