Chapter 132: Blue Flame (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 132: Blue Flame (5)
"The Myriad Blossoms Rain! Stop throwing your hidden weapons!"
"We have to eliminate him quietly—Aaargh!"
Abrupt groans and screams echoed through the banquet hall.
The deflected blades tore through the room like a typhoon.
A devastating shockwave engulfed the massive chamber.
Amidst the spray of blood, no one could properly execute their techniques.
Having mastered the Myriad Blossoms Rain, Jeong Yeon-shin had become the natural enemy of hidden weapon masters. None could get near him.
He didn't even glance back. The Supreme Elder's condition was the real spectacle.
His internal meridians felt as if they'd been scorched by the dharma power of the Law-Transcending Halo Qi. He slumped in his chair, groaning.
Jeong Yeon-shin grabbed the old man by the scruff of his neck and hauled him up to meet his gaze.
"Where is our Elder Council Head?" the boy asked bluntly.
The moment he became certain of the spy's identity, a strange sensation brushed past his Upper Dantian. The closer death loomed, the more receptive the Baihui Point at the crown of his head became. While the spiritual insights it conveyed were still erratic, their frequency and relevance were steadily improving.
"Hehe."
The Supreme Elder chuckled. Though his eyes were locked with Yeon-shin's, his gaze seemed fixed on some far-off distance.
"Do you know… why the Tang Clan refines hidden weapons and Poison Arts?"
His voice was remarkably clear for his condition. He didn't seem to expect an answer.
The old man slowly continued, "Because it demands fewer sacrifices than clashing blades head-on. The essence of the Tang Clan's martial arts is to avoid direct collision. It was the foresight of our ancestors, who feared their family's bloodline would be severed by a stray blade. The variables in swordplay are as unpredictable as fluttering petals. Even a master swordsman can fall to a lucky strike from a weaker foe."
"So you're admitting it. You were involved with the Elder Council Head and the Thunderbolt Bombs."
Jeong Yeon-shin didn't indulge the Supreme Elder's speech. He had already pressed his fingers against the back of the old man's neck, sealing his acupoints. He had to be wary of the Poison Arts the old man spoke of. Now, the Supreme Elder could only move his mouth.
The old man seemed not to care. He simply kept snickering as he went on.
"The heart that cherishes one's family is like a farmer preserving his last seed. It is a warmth that allows one to endure being called cowardly for refining such methods. Abandoning any desire for honor among the Orthodox Factions, our ancestors wished only for the safety and prosperity of their descendants—and that wish became the martial arts of the Tang Clan."
It was a long-winded way of saying he would use any means necessary to achieve his goals. They were the typical noble clan Jeong Yeon-shin had encountered all too often—masters at cloaking their actions in plausible justifications.
"You have no shame. My dharma power has burned away your heterodox energy. I can prove the efficacy of my True Qi at any moment, so you have only two choices left."
The boy spoke calmly. There was no need to spell out the rest.
Suicide or confession. Those were the only ends befitting a martial artist of an orthodox sect who had plotted a conspiracy.
The corners of the Supreme Elder's wrinkled mouth curled upward. Finally, his eyes locked with Jeong Yeon-shin's.
"You do not seem like a foolish child, yet you appear to be in a hurry. There is no composure in your eyes. What is chasing you? You have caught the culprit, and my son is a splendid man who would choose loyalty over the clan's reputation."
"……."
"Ah… of course. A once-in-a-millennium child. You have no time. Heaven is indeed fair."
It wasn't sarcasm. It felt like the monologue of an old martial artist, dulled by the passage of time. The moment the Myriad Blossoms Rain was returned to the Tang Clan, the Supreme Elder, Tang Tae-dok, lost his will to live. With his ultimate goal achieved, his strength suddenly drained away.
His lifelong wish had been fulfilled by a boy from outside the clan, one with whom he had no connection. And that secret technique had been passed down to the very son he had so resolutely cast aside.
How must he feel? Jeong Yeon-shin wasn't curious. He had simply realized a startling fact.
The old man knew. He knew about this body's constitution.
Yeon-shin's grip tightened on Tang Tae-dok's wrinkled neck. The boy's calm eyes sharpened.
'It was the Blood Flame Cult.'
The Head of the Main Fortress Elder Council was a Purple Rank peerless swordsman, an old master said to be on par with the Sect Leaders of the Nine Sects. A man of his caliber couldn't simply vanish from the Jianghu unless it was by his own will.
Now he understood. The Blood Flame Cult Leader was alive and had joined hands with Tang Tae-dok.
The inspiration from his Upper Dantian, the disappearance of the Elder Council Head, the heterodox energy Tang Tae-dok had refined, the suspicions about the Tang Clan manufacturing Thunderbolt Bombs—everything clicked into place.
Meanwhile, the storm of the Myriad Blossoms Rain that had been raging through the banquet hall subsided.
No one was left standing.
Confronted by the divine art of their natural enemy, the Tang Clan masters lay sprawled across the floor, each of them seriously injured. A few managed to struggle to one knee, but they were in no condition to move. The dancers and musicians in the center, also Tang Clan martial artists, lay fallen, struck down by the very hidden weapons they had unleashed.
Glancing past Jeong Yeon-shin's shoulder from his seat of honor, Tang Tae-dok's smile deepened.
"A once-in-a-millennium talent…! Child of the Desolate Fortress. You are truly like a comet."
"You've lost your mind."
The boy's quiet retort didn't stop Tang Tae-dok's muttering. His identity as a spy had been exposed, and his lifelong desire had been fulfilled in vain. His aimless voice echoed with an aged rasp.
"To shine so brilliantly through martial arts, only to fade away with time—that is your heavenly mandate. Facing you this closely makes it even clearer. The Original Three Yang Art distinguishes medicine from poison across distances. That Human Body Diagram of yours is wrong. Since yours is a body that walks two hundred years of life in a mere twenty, the impartial laws of Heaven are clearly manifested through you. What a truly beautiful martial talent."
"……."
"I see why the followers of that wicked cult covet you. Anyone who leads a sect would do the same. The Lord of the Desolate Fortress—that woman who is like the nine-tailed fox from the Classic of Mountains and Seas—must coddle you immensely. How soft must her embrace be?"
"She is my master. Do not speak of her."
Tang Tae-dok chuckled.
"It is the way of the world that a child like you rarely grows up so well-adjusted. A true wonder. In any case, you are right. There aren't many options left for me. If I am to think of the main family, I suppose I must beg for mercy. It would be disastrous if rumors spread that the Tang Clan colluded with the Blood Flame Cult, would it not?"
"Speak. Where is he?"
"To ask for his location without even questioning if he is alive or dead… Your tone is so certain, filled with absolute conviction. Fascinating, truly fascinating. Is that, too, a function of your Upper Dantian? I would love to crack open your skull. I sorely need to study your acupoints."
Madness gleamed in his aged eyes. He had indeed lost his mind. This was no longer something Jeong Yeon-shin could handle on his own. He could hardly torture the Supreme Elder of a noble clan in the middle of their own estate.
"Fine. Don't speak."
Without hesitation, the boy began to drag the old man by the scruff of his neck. Neutralized after taking the Law-Transcending Halo Qi head-on, Tang Tae-dok was pulled along helplessly.
Step.
He walked past the groaning, fallen masters who served the Supreme Elder. No one stood in his way. He carried himself with the bearing of a Black Rank expert, someone who could face the leader of a clan's elite masters. Tang Tae-dok's golden robes dragged along the floor.
Still, it was not a situation where he could act with complete abandon.
Jeong Yeon-shin propped Tang Tae-dok up against a pillar of the banquet hall pavilion.
The old man chuckled and looked up at the boy. "Your hands are decisive, yet you know how to conduct yourself. You are no fool who relies solely on martial talent."
"Quiet," he replied flatly.
Jeong Yeon-shin had cared about his reputation ever since entering the Desolate Fortress. It was all to rise to the rank of Commander of the Divine Sword Corps. The old man was right; he knew how to conduct himself. The boy had no intention of creating an unfavorable situation with his own hands.
Creeeak.
He opened the door and stepped out alone. Servants holding wine bottles and dishes looked at him in shock. They seemed to have been hovering outside, drawn by the sounds of the fierce battle.
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke calmly. "Please call the Clan Leader. An unfortunate incident has occurred."
"Y-Yes, right away!"
No one dared to peer inside.
The Tang Clan Leader, who had been taught the introductory techniques of the Myriad Blossoms Rain, had declared that the wielder of the Flash Art of the Desolate Fortress was a master to the Sichuan Tang Clan. This meant he was no longer an outsider. The Tang Clan's motto was to return favors twofold and vengeance tenfold, drawing a clear line between gratitude and resentment.
Having attained such high status within the Tang Clan, Jeong Yeon-shin was an intimidating presence to the retainers. His special status as a warrior of the Desolate Fortress had become almost irrelevant.
Two servants scurried away.
Slide.
Jeong Yeon-shin leaned his back against the doorpost. He didn't move for nearly ten minutes, his head tilted slightly back. The boy stared blankly as the summer sun sank into twilight. With the dusk came a faint, whitish halo of light. It draped over his body like a translucent blanket, dyeing his hair a light chestnut brown. Shadows fell across the high bridge of his nose.
The three remaining servants stood politely, stealing glances at the boy. While maintaining the elegant demeanor of servants from a prestigious clan, they couldn't help but let their eyes wander to him.
"……."
Having integrated the halo into his body, Jeong Yeon-shin's aura was different than before. Day by day, his presence grew more distinct. His features were no exception. He was a growing boy. The bloodline of his father, the master of the Jeong Family Manor known as Ban-ak, and his mother, Ma Yeon-sang—the woman such a man had fallen for—was becoming more prominent in his features.
Jeong Yeon-shin knew his appearance was quite decent. Even if it was of little interest to him, it was a simple fact. If it would help him ascend to the seat of Commander of the Divine Sword Corps, he was willing to make use of this face of his, just as he had learned to leverage hospitality during the Sword Discussion.
'She told me to try growing my hair out once I became an expert.'
Perhaps because of the servants' lingering glances, the words of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress drifted into his mind before fading away. The boy shook his head inwardly, dispersing the idle thoughts. He kept them in his heart, but for now, they were nothing but distractions.
Just then.
'Ah.'
He sensed a presence in the distance. Jeong Yeon-shin immediately lowered his gaze.
Three small figures were approaching. They seemed to have intentionally dismissed their attendants.
It was the Clan Leader and the Dragon-Phoenix Twin Poisons siblings. They seemed quite close now. With rumors circulating that the siblings were beginning their competition for succession, the clan was returning to normal. One could tell just by looking at the expressions of the Tang siblings. Their delicate faces were peaceful and full of life.
"Benefactor, is there something you need…?"
Glancing at Tang Ryeo-ryeo, who asked demurely, Jeong Yeon-shin clasped his hands in salute to the Clan Leader. He had to cast a stone into the tranquil waters of their lives. It was a pity.
—The Supreme Elder was a spy for the Blood Flame Cult.
He sent a telepathic transmission. The eyes of the Poison Lord, Tang Un-hwang, widened so much it seemed they might tear.
* * *
The Supreme Elder, Tang Tae-dok, was an exceptionally powerful martial artist. To neutralize him with a single clash of palms, without relying on the principles of mutual incompatibility, was something that should only be possible for someone in the Purple Rank. Such was the common sense of martial arts.
The dharma power of the Law-Transcending Halo Qi.
Tang Un-hwang had placed his hand directly on Jeong Yeon-shin's palm to receive the technique. He knew the divine sensation inherent in the energy of the Halo Qi. Having the shockwave demonstrated right before his eyes made the matter even clearer.
"Confine the Supreme Elder… and prepare to punish his grave crime with execution."
The Poison Lord's command was absolute. He made no attempt to hide the truth, exposing his own father's crime and the clan's shame. While expressing gratitude for Jeong Yeon-shin's consideration in informing him via telepathy, he did his utmost to uncover the full scope of the incident.
Poison Lord. It meant a gentleman skilled in Poison Arts. True to his title, he was a great hero.
Instead of causing a rift, the Clan Leader's conduct rallied the Tang Clan's martial artists to his side. The Supreme Elder's power crumbled, and the Clan Leader once again ruled the household.
Everything proceeded with lightning speed.
The masters of the Tang Clan obeyed the Clan Leader's command. Dozens of elite martial artists scoured the vicinity to find the cavern where the Head of the Main Fortress Elder Council was being held captive. The swift, elusive movements of the Heavenly Step Nine Palaces Movement Technique could be seen everywhere. These were experts who had refined the Tang Clan's secret eye techniques. Even the unique sensory Qi from the Original Three Yang Art was mobilized.
Now that the Clan Leader was no longer hiding the incident, the hiding place of the tight-lipped Supreme Elder seemed likely to be discovered in no time.
During this period, Jeong Yeon-shin was gifted various medicinal pills via servants—Tang Un-hwang's way of returning the favor. The boy immediately had Namgung Hwa-shin and Heonwon Chang transport the medicines. They were for the seniors lying in the sickbeds at the Desolate Fortress's Giju Branch.
"Take care of yourself until we return. Even if the Lord of the Tenth Sect doesn't know yet, there's no telling what the Leader of the Pure Demon Alliance might do, is there? I'll go and quickly unlock seventy percent of my true strength."
This was the farewell from Heonwon Chang, with whom he was temporarily parting. His words were correct. Now that Ma Yeon-jeok's whereabouts were unknown, there was no expert in the Tang Clan who could handle a Lord of the Thirteen Heavens. It had to be assumed that the Leader of the Pure Demon Alliance and the Blood Flame Cult Leader would appear in one way or another.
An atmosphere of both vitality and tension settled over the Tang Family Pagoda. Even the sunlight that brushed lightly against the rafters weighed heavily on the shoulders of the clan members.
'I must become stronger.'
During this time, Jeong Yeon-shin focused on accumulating Qi while rotating his halo in the center of a training ground, where stone steps extended in all directions.
The wind, whipping up dirt and leaves, converged into the boy's body. The stability of the Law-Transcending Halo Qi, which possessed the functions of a dynamic art, was incomparable to ordinary mental methods.
Whoooosh!
Just by rotating the halo, an energy far greater than before gathered within him.
Meanwhile, Jeong Yeon-shin's mind dissected the martial arts of the three great sects piece by piece: the Blood Flame Cult, the Pure Demon Alliance, and the Tenth Sect. He had already experienced them enough. He had a precedent of gambling on a single move of a Hegemon Sword Sect elder and successfully executing a counter-formula.
Then, what if he prepared for them from the very beginning?
Never in his life had he taken a stance in advance and dedicated himself solely to dismantling martial arts. There was no telling how well it would work against peerless experts like the Lords of the Thirteen Heavens. Yet, Jeong Yeon-shin did his best.
'Even if I meet an opponent who is two or three steps ahead of me, if I catch them off guard, I can keep up for at least one exchange.'
He segmented the shockwaves of their Qigong, the movements of their Body Protection Scriptures, and the stances of their fist, palm, and sword techniques one by one. It was a process of establishing the correct Fa Jin to tear through their openings and synthesizing the ideal flow for unleashing the shockwaves of the Law-Transcending Halo Qi against each one.
In his mind, the Upper Dantian frequently flared white, sensing an impending, decisive battle.