Chapter 153: Contact (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 153: Contact (4)
The office of the Commander of the Demonlight Wing was a peculiar place.
The scents of ink, iron, and oil mingled in the air. A strange fragrance drifted over the furniture, settling around a table carved from solid stone.
The wall where several of Ma Jin's sabers had once hung was now lined with the precious swords of the Desolate Ma Clan.
There were over ten of them in total, filling the precious stone weapon racks to the brim.
Swords were ultimately consumables destined to chip and break. The letter from the Ma Clan that accompanied the gift explicitly acknowledged this point.
It stated that they were presenting these blades for the new Unit Commander to use during his training duels.
It also declared their unconditional support for Jeong Yeon-shin. The names of Ju Yeon-jeong—Ma Se-in's mother—and the main clan's Elder Council were all signed at the bottom.
Those who had once been so overwhelmingly prideful had now pledged their backing as if signing a joint petition. They claimed they wanted absolutely nothing in return.
'Connections and status really are everything.'
To think it would be resolved so easily.
Sitting in his seat, the boy could think of two reasons for this sudden shift.
The first was, of course, his new position as Commander of the Demonlight Wing. The Commander of the 17th Unit of the Divine Sword Corps was a master of such caliber that he would be considered a heavyweight in any great sect.
As part of the main fortress's upper echelon, the martial artists of the Jianghu now treated him as one of the true leaders of the Desolate Fortress.
Since his status had skyrocketed so drastically, no one could use his origins against him or carelessly plot against him anymore.
Now, every clan had to adopt one of two stances: unless they were prepared to risk everything to oppose him, they had no choice but to treat him as an honored guest.
Jeong Yeon-shin, Commander of the Demonlight Wing, had become just that imposing of a presence.
“...Well done. This is how you handle approvals. Since your handwriting is quite elegant, Yeon-shin, I won't have to worry about you writing official letters.”
The second reason was the inauguration of the man sitting before him, Ma Jin, as the new Clan Head. He was currently in the middle of handing over the duties of the Commander of the Demonlight Wing to Jeong Yeon-shin.
Ma Yeon-jeok's situation was practically equivalent to washing his hands in a golden basin to retire from the martial world. He desperately needed to recuperate.
However, Ma Se-in, who was being groomed as the next Clan Head, was still far too young to take the mantle.
For Jeong Yeon-shin—a peer of Se-in's who was already a fully realized martial artist—to take the seat of Unit Commander was completely unprecedented.
He had to be considered in a league of his own, standing shoulder to shoulder with figures like the Young Sect Leader of the Ming Cult, who was said to have recently risen as a grandmaster of sorcery martial arts.
'Se-in must be under immense pressure as well. The drive to grow must be intense.'
Ma Jin would take over as Clan Head, at least until Jeong Yeon-shin's friend came of age.
It was said that the Ironfolk of the City of Master Craftsmen would soon complete his internal power prosthetic arm. Though his left arm had been blown off, leaving a glaring flaw in his entire meridian system, this would finally remedy it.
By the time Ma Jin stepped down from the position of Clan Head, he would surely have recovered enough skill to return to the ranks of the Divine Sword Corps.
Having felt the shadow of his impending end once again during the Unit Commanders' meeting, the boy felt a renewed sense of relief.
He often imagined what would happen if he collapsed, unable to overcome his Heavenly Punishment.
The more he thought about it, the stronger his attachment to his comrades and blood relatives grew. He simply tried his best not to let it show.
They would all remember him even after his death. They were incredibly precious to him.
'I'm glad.'
Suddenly, a soft warmth flickered in the boy's eyes. The corners of his mouth twitched upward slightly.
It was a rare sight, but Ma Jin, with his practiced eye technique, easily caught it.
“You rascal.”
His scarred face softened surprisingly. It was an expression completely uncharacteristic of the next Ma Clan Head, a man infamous for his moniker: the Naraka Reaper.
It was not the expression of an undefeated master, but simply that of an uncle looking fondly at his nephew.
With a faint smile, Ma Jin continued his advice.
“No matter where you go, the higher you climb, the more they value a balance of literary and martial arts. You don't need to cultivate scholarship to a profound level, but there are those who will judge you entirely by your grasp of common sense and the elegance of your writing. It's mostly people from prestigious, ancient families or the imperial court. They are the ones you will have to clash with to the point of exhaustion in the future.”
“The imperial court?”
“The Unit Commanders of our main fortress possess a special authority. If a corrupt official obstructs your mission, you can execute them on the spot using your authority as a Black Rank.”
It was an immense privilege. It was an authority that directly contradicted the Great Ming Code and the current policy direction of the imperial court.
Jeong Yeon-shin recalled the Brightfolk County Magistrate who had caused a scene at the Hwangbo branch family.
As the husband of the branch family head, he had actively tried to obstruct the boy's mission.
If Cheong-myeong, who belonged to the same clan, hadn't been there, it would have been a deeply troublesome situation.
'So there's nothing holding me back now.'
It was a refreshing realization. Jeong Yeon-shin silently listened as Ma Jin continued his explanation.
“You only need to satisfy two conditions. There must be plausible circumstances, and it must happen in an environment with few witnesses. After that, a cause and effect that never existed will simply be fabricated. Terrifyingly naturally, at that. Whichever side is easier to deploy in that region—either the Eastern Depot or the Embroidered Uniform Guard, both directly under the imperial court—will conduct a covert operation. They will make it look like the target died of causes completely unrelated to the Desolate Fortress.”
It was a truly terrifying concept. He had known of it vaguely before, but hearing it laid out so directly exceeded his imagination.
The Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard. They were organizations that reigned as grim reapers even in Beijing, right under the shadow of the Forbidden City.
They exercised extrajudicial authority that entirely bypassed the Great Ming Code. Jeong Yeon-shin had heard the whispers.
Even high-ranking officials referred to them as the Kings of Hell.
The Emperor's own swords cooperating to cover up the tracks of a Unit Commander of the Desolate Fortress. It was a privilege rare under the heavens.
However, Ma Jin's expression was somewhat solemn. The scar on his forehead furrowed slightly, his face carrying a hint of worry.
“I mentioned handwriting earlier, didn't I? Yeon-shin, you must never let those imperial bastards look down on you. If you do, you'll end up being led around by the nose.”
“What do you mean by being led around?”
“They are human too. They prioritize their own convenience. If you execute a high-ranking official during a mission, it places a highly troublesome burden on them. Just think about how exhausting it is to manufacture evidence completely unrelated to our fortress and publicly announce a fake cause of death. Depending on the situation, those bastards might even have to take the blame for what we did, so they won't always be favorable to us. It's a heavy political burden.”
“I understand.”
Jeong Yeon-shin nodded slowly.
Ma Jin continued.
“They might be loyal to the Son of Heaven, but they possess immense discretion. They might try to restrict your missions to suit their own tastes to avoid extra work. It's not an uncommon occurrence. After all, there aren't many people above the Black Rank. It would be embarrassing for someone of a Unit Commander's status to run crying to the Corps Commander or the Lord of the Desolate Fortress over bureaucratic bullying. So, many new Unit Commanders just swallow their pride and let their insides rot. It was the exact same for the Commander of the Heaven-Aligned Wing when he first started.”
“How was it for you, Uncle?”
The boy asked suddenly. The corners of Ma Jin's mouth curled up into a smirk.
“The eunuchs of the Eastern Depot came to see me. Back then, the power of the Chief Eunuch pierced the heavens, yet they didn't dare try to pick a fight with me. I suppose it's because your uncle's aura was far more tyrannical than that of the Commander of the Heaven-Aligned Wing. I set the tone from the very beginning.”
“……”
“Seizing the upper hand is simple. You just need to be strong in speech or martial arts. If push comes to shove, just suppress them with your martial arts.”
“...Is that really allowed?”
“Both we and they have clearly defined duties, so there's no need to worry that a little battle of nerves will lead to the failure of a mission. And you, Yeon-shin, have even less reason to bow your head.”
“……?”
“The current Emperor studied under our Lord. Our Lord is the Emperor's teacher and a prince of the Ming Dynasty. The precious sword of such a Lord is the 17th Unit Commander of our main fortress. Furthermore, since you learned martial arts directly from the Lord just like the Son of Heaven did, your status is by no means inferior to the Eastern Depot or the Embroidered Uniform Guard.”
Ma Jin tapped a finger against a section of the document on the desk. At the bottom, the official seal of the 'Commander of the Demonlight Wing' was stamped in stark red ink.
It was proof of Jeong Yeon-shin's approval regarding the supplies requisitioned for the Demonlight Wing.
If he sent a nameless disciple like the Lazy Flame Dragon or a White-Ranked Warrior to the Chief Steward's Office with this document, the funds and goods corresponding to the listed items would be delivered directly to Jeong Yeon-shin.
“Your background, Yeon-shin, is the greatest among all the newly appointed Unit Commanders in history. However, the pride and arrogance of those imperial bastards spans the entire world, so a clash is inevitable. It will be a struggle for dominance.”
There was a specific reason Ma Jin was giving him this advice right now.
A message had arrived earlier telling him to clear today's schedule. He had been ordered to have an audience with the Imperial Grandson currently residing in the main fortress.
The Imperial Grandson of the Ming Dynasty.
As a direct imperial descendant, he was someone who had also learned martial arts from the Lord of the Desolate Fortress. He was said to be the ultimate authority on matters concerning the main fortress and the government of the Ming imperial family.
He was the one who had given Jeong Yeon-shin the clue to the Sword House back when the boy had just reached the Blue Rank. He hadn't seen him since.
His mission departure was tomorrow.
To gallop through the Jianghu without hesitation as a Black Rank of the Desolate Fortress, one had to possess the authority to cut down even the imperial officials who dared block their path.
This meeting was meant to introduce the person Jeong Yeon-shin would be cooperating with in the future.
“It's actually for the best. It's much better than meeting an agent from the Eastern Depot or the Embroidered Uniform Guard alone for the first time. Especially since rumors are circulating that the Imperial Grandson favors you.”
“Favors...? Me?”
He had barely seen the man a few times. His eyebrows rose slightly in bewilderment.
Ma Jin smiled faintly.
“The Imperial Grandson has few pleasures in life. Anyone who can play a melody with a sword wins his favor, regardless of their status. It's a profound art that even the masters of internal qigong in the imperial palace cannot easily display.”
“Ah.”
Jeong Yeon-shin recalled the Sword House.
It was an ultimate technique he actively avoided using. It ate away at his lifespan.
Until he reached the state of the Unity of Essence, Qi, and Spirit, and achieved the Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak, he knew he wouldn't be able to ease the immense burden it placed on his Baihui Point. Thus, he had set it aside.
Perhaps it was fortunate that he had caught the Imperial Grandson's eye before realizing that limitation.
“It's a condition that must be met before you head out into the Jianghu. Only after establishing a cooperative system with the imperial court can you fully perform your duties as a Unit Commander of the Desolate Fortress.”
Ma Jin didn't seem particularly worried.
Was it because he had witnessed Jeong Yeon-shin slay the Sword Scorpion Demon and the Pure Demon God Hand one after another in the City of Master Craftsmen? He concluded his advice calmly.
“Establish a relationship with them, in whatever way you can. It is the most important prerequisite.”
“Yes.”
The boy stood up.
*
He arrived at an extremely magnificent pavilion, accompanied by an attendant dressed in luxurious silk robes.
When he had been promoted to the Blue Rank, he had come with several other warriors. Now, he was alone. The attendant kept casting sideways glances at the boy clad in a pitch-black robe.
It was a strange look. The attendant seemed highly bothered by the mismatched black sleeves of his uniform.
“Unit Commander, please ensure your manners are impeccable,” the attendant whispered.
Jeong Yeon-shin nodded silently.
This was the residence of the Imperial Grandson. The grand rafters seemed to bear both the deep blue of the sky and the brilliant sunlight.
As a place where such a dignified personage resided, it was incredibly quiet. Even the soft sound of the gentle breeze sweeping across the polished floor was distinct.
“The Commander of the Demonlight Wing of the Desolate Fortress has arrived,” the attendant announced upon reaching the entrance.
Soon, a quiet reply echoed from within. “Let him enter.”
At those words, the heavy bronze doors swung open on both sides. There was no sign of anyone touching the handles.
They moved entirely on their own, much like the Lord of the Desolate Fortress's Void Grab.
As his field of vision slowly expanded, Jeong Yeon-shin crossed the threshold with measured steps.
Two pairs of eyes immediately locked onto the boy.
“It has been a long time,” a peerlessly handsome young master spoke slowly. He was seated deeply in a grandmaster's chair.
The Imperial Grandson. The third sky of the Ming Dynasty.
He had ears sharply shaped like the tip of a precious sword. He was physically shorter than Jeong Yeon-shin. However, he was the one who had been invested as the Imperial Grandson, even though the Crown Prince was perfectly alive and well.
The energy gathered between his thick eyebrows was extraordinary. It wasn't merely a matter of his martial arts level; rather, it felt as though the true depths of the man himself were impossible to fathom.
He possessed a cool, indifferent demeanor. The way he looked down at Jeong Yeon-shin felt entirely natural, an inherent right of birth.
It was a strange gaze. His eyes flashed, seemingly harboring arcs of pitch-black lightning within their depths.
“Jeong Yeon-shin, Commander of the Demonlight Wing, pays his respects to the Imperial Grandson.”
The boy offered a simple, respectful salute.
“A Unit Commander already. Incredibly fast, especially at your age,” the Imperial Grandson spoke amidst the sunlight slanting down from the high windows.
“Congratulations on becoming a wing of those who govern the world. Since we have no particular private matters to discuss, you may speak with Myeong-yeo. He is the right hand of the Chief Eunuch.”
He closed his eyes, signaling that he would only listen from here on out. The man who had been standing silently beside the Imperial Grandson with his hands clasped stepped forward.
“Your Highness's words are overwhelmingly gracious. Though I dare not claim to be the right hand of the Chief Eunuch, I shall take it as encouragement to devote myself even further to state affairs.”
The elegant, archaic speech characteristic of the imperial court flowed from his lips like water.
His ears, sharp as sword tips, immediately caught the eye. He was a Brightfolk eunuch.
The boy felt an unusual aura radiating from him. The eunuch standing on the dais was clearly a master.
'He must have trained in the Virgin Boy Art, which eunuchs are said to cultivate, right? They say it's a tremendous martial art because the price of practicing it is so steep. I wonder how profound his skill is.'
Just as he felt this faint curiosity spark within him, the man moved.
Myeong-yeo's eyes narrowed slightly, curving upward into gentle crescents as he stared intently at Jeong Yeon-shin.
The eunuch of the Eastern Depot, the feared intelligence agency of the Ming imperial family, smiled with his eyes at the boy.
“Seeing such a young hero feels like a breath of fresh air.”
“I am the Commander of the Demonlight Wing.”
Jeong Yeon-shin calmly clasped his hands in a martial salute. He did not bow deeply as he had done for the Imperial Grandson.
The corners of Myeong-yeo's mouth curved into a peculiar arc.
“Since your departure is tomorrow, we should attend to urgent business first. This official dares to test the Unit Commander.”
“A test?”
“I wish to understand the Unit Commander's capabilities a bit more precisely. Of course, I watched your promotion duel. However, it was far from enough to accurately analyze the new Commander of the Demonlight Wing—both as a Unit Commander and as a martial artist.”
Myeong-yeo's tone was gentle, his voice leaning on the thinner, higher side.
It was a clear hallmark of having been castrated since childhood.
“This is an extremely important matter. After all, one cannot judge a person by a single test. In what situations are you weak, and against which martial arts? What is the mobility of your heavy strikes, variation techniques, feints, and Body Protection Scripture? This official must know everything.”
“……”
“It is purely for the efficiency of deployment. Our Eastern Depot must expend a great deal of effort for each and every Commander of the 17th Unit of the Divine Sword Corps, so I hope the Commander of the Demonlight Wing will understand.”
“Are you, perhaps, denying the validity of the imperial court's civil service examinations?” Jeong Yeon-shin calmly retorted.
“Oh dear,” Myeong-yeo laughed softly.
“Even within the imperial examination system, there are three stages: the Provincial Examination, the Metropolitan Examination, and the Palace Examination. If we consider the Unit Commander's promotion duel as passing the Provincial Examination, it would be best to think of this moment as the Metropolitan Examination. Of course... a mere provincial graduate is naturally incomparable to a Unit Commander of the Desolate Fortress.”
“Is there a Palace Examination as well?”
“That would be real combat. This official is quite curious to see how much the young Unit Commander will contribute to the people's livelihood.”
His eloquence was formidable. He was truly a eunuch who had survived the most treacherous political arena under the heavens.
'As expected. They were only favorable to my uncle.'
The atmosphere was completely different from when Ma Jin had first started. While the boy understood this internally, he couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for his uncle.
Even at that moment, Myeong-yeo's words continued without pause.
“The Sect Founding Ceremony. A boy who has just risen to the Black Rank is entrusted with such a major affair...? The reactions of those who do not take records at face value are quite similar. They all say the exact same thing. ...That it is bewildering.”
Bewildering.
It meant that something was chaotic and highly suspicious.
While it carried a strong connotation of being troublesome, it was a word rarely used so openly.
It was proof of the underlying attitude that the Eastern Depot—an organization that aimed for absolute perfection—held toward a mere teenage Unit Commander.
“The Commander of the Demonlight Wing's duel was certainly impressive. However, this official's eyes are dim, so there were things I found difficult to discern,” Myeong-yeo said, looking down at Jeong Yeon-shin.
“That sword strike that concluded the duel... It was truly confusing. Was it merely the result of pouring out internal power obtained for free through spirit medicine, or did you draw a profound sword path through a momentary flash of enlightenment?”
“Does it matter?”
“Of course it matters. It is a question of stability. The density of the aura possessed by the young Unit Commander is exceptionally high. If you obtained your rank simply because you are particularly skilled in a single-use martial art, it will require a great deal of effort for this official and the Eastern Depot to cover for you. If you can unleash such a sword strike at any time, however, that would be an entirely different story.”
At the same time, Myeong-yeo casually made a hand gesture.
Whooooosh!
A hazy wind whipped up within the room. In an instant, the immense internal power unleashed into the air caused the very atmosphere to violently vibrate.
Spreading out in multiple thread-like strands, the hazy wind began to toy with the surroundings.
The gales were so dense they seemed to possess a physical form as they swept over the furniture. Such a blatant display of martial arts could hardly happen unless he had already obtained the Imperial Grandson's permission.
"A request for the Commander of the Demonlight Wing," Myeong-yeo said, parting his lips into a smile. "Please try to reach me as if you yourself were a sword blade. Any method is fine. Whether you evade my winds or crush them, this official shall analyze the Unit Commander's true martial prowess."
"How absurd."
"What did you say?"
Myeong-yeo’s expression shifted, turning peculiar. The boy, however, did not bother to take back the words he had so casually uttered.
'There's no need for that.'
He simply glanced at the strands of wind materializing before his eyes.
Eunuch Myeong-yeo. He seemed to be a master who had primarily trained in the Fa Jin of internal power. This was a rare sight for Jeong Yeon-shin. His senior, Cheong-myeong, was a master of swordplay, and the Lord of the Desolate Fortress was far too supreme of an existence to casually ask for guidance.
'An idea is coming to mind. This seems like a good opportunity.'
The boy did not hesitate to take a step forward. His Upper Dantian burned a brilliant white.
His Baihui Point, which had been acting up frequently of late, tingled refreshingly at the crown of his head.
Whoosh.
It happened before a single strand of wind could even brush past his chest. He flung open the Jianliao Point below his right shoulder. At the exact same time, he tensed his deltoid muscle in the same position.
The minute movements of his muscles and fine meridians triggered a burst of Fa Jin.
The solid internal power of his Law-Transcending Halo Qi erupted briefly, gently pushing Jeong Yeon-shin's shoulder.
Swoosh.
With a single step, a perfectly natural evasion occurred. It was as if the oncoming wind itself was showing him the path to bypass it. It was a reaction speed on a completely different level.
The moment Myeong-yeo's eyes widened, Jeong Yeon-shin took another step.
Whoosh—
In that instant, he faced two strands of wind converging from the front and the side. The moment he relaxed the tension in the erector spinae muscles along his spine and the psoas major in his lower back, the Shenshu Point on the right side of his waist flared with Halo Qi.
It was a Fa Jin executed in a state of complete relaxation. His body, tempered by the Jeong Family Dynamic Art, perfectly coordinated the fine muscles around his acupoints.
Swish.
His entire body spun twice, slipping effortlessly through the gap. His movements were akin to a fluttering leaf.
The movement technique mnemonics he had been pondering for so long finally began to take concrete shape. Once, twice—he stepped lightly across the ground, moving as if possessed.
His pitch-black robe fluttered only in response to his own bodily movements. The shockwaves unleashed by Myeong-yeo, who had so confidently spoken of sword blades, could not even graze the boy's collar.
Whoosh.
The movements that had once merely imitated Cheong-myeong's teachings began to transform. The boy's unique reaction speed, precise muscle control, and mastery over his internal power gave rise to an incredibly elegant footwork.
The unified mnemonics flashed within his Upper Dantian. It was as if continuous strikes of lightning were brilliantly illuminating his mind.
The inspiration granted by the properties of the wind shockwaves was immense. It was the final push he needed to transform his un-systematized martial arts.
'Wind Body.'
Two characters drifted into his mind on the breeze. It was the name of his new movement technique.
The nameless movements he had relied on until now were woven into clear, distinct mnemonics. A martial system meant solely for Jeong Yeon-shin had been structured.
This was the moment the Wind God Movement Technique of his Body Protection Scripture was born.
Step.
Before anyone could react, he appeared right in front of Myeong-yeo. Dust erupted from beneath the boy's final step.
A vortex of shockwaves wrapped around his trouser cuffs, rising briefly before completely unraveling all of Myeong-yeo's wind strands in a small explosion.
Whoosh!
Myeong-yeo staggered backward. As the original caster of the martial art, he bore the brunt of the backlash.
"What is the matter?" the Imperial Grandson asked, staring up at Jeong Yeon-shin from his seat.
His posture was peculiar—elbow resting on the armrest, chin propped lazily on his hand. He didn't seem to mind the boy's sudden approach in the slightest.
"That... cough...!"
Myeong-yeo could not answer the question. His pale Adam's apple bobbed continuously as he desperately swallowed back blood.
'Did he suffer an internal injury?' Jeong Yeon-shin thought.
The Wind God Movement Technique. He had received a great gift right before heading out. A faint trace of goodwill appeared on the boy's face.
It was genuine gratitude toward Eunuch Myeong-yeo. The man had essentially gifted him a new martial art. The eyes of the new Commander of the Demonlight Wing softened considerably.
"It seems his true qi has grown bewildered," the boy answered on the eunuch's behalf.
They were in the presence of the Imperial Grandson, a direct descendant of the emperor. He figured this sounded much better than bluntly stating the man had suffered an 'internal injury.'
Taking his hand off his chin, the Imperial Grandson threw his head back and began to laugh out loud.