Chapter 161: Commander of the Demonlight Wing (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 161: Commander of the Demonlight Wing (4)
"I hail from the Verdant Overflow Sect of Fujian. I have heard much of your renown. They say you are also known as the Hidden King Amidst Flowers. I, Mr. Hyeon, have taken the liberty of coming here today to open my eyes. I hope to broaden my horizons by witnessing the Commander's rumored Divine Ultimate Technique."
A middle-aged man with a clean, scholarly appearance clasped his hands in greeting. Five disciples stood behind him.
"Out of respect for the great name of the Commander of the Demonlight Wing, would you care to share a friendly exchange of swords with this Mr. Hyeon today?"
His words and demeanor were perfectly relaxed. His voice carried a profound gravity, making him the sort of person who easily won the trust of others.
Was this the kind of aura a gentle scholar would project after taking up martial arts late in life?
If he fully understood how to weaponize his appearance, voice, and conduct, he could easily become a terrifying individual.
'And indeed, he is.'
Jeong Yeon-shin stared blankly at the Lord of the Verdant Overflow Sect. He had heard about this man from Heonwon Chang.
Heonwon Chang had mentioned that there were many sociable figures in the Martial World Alliance, and more than a few who wielded their personal connections like a divine sword. In truth, such people might be even more dangerous than those with supreme martial prowess.
'Not that I ever intended to treat him lightly.'
Just as the boy was thinking this—
"What a load of lies. What kind of respect does someone show by showing up entirely unannounced?"
Lazy Flame Dragon spoke with a faint smile. He was reclining sideways on a rock jutting out from a corner of the Rhyme-Fragrance Court.
The scenery of this courtyard, assigned by the Martial World Alliance as the quarters for the Demonlight Wing, served as little more than a side dish for Heonwon Chang and Lazy Flame Dragon's drinking sessions.
Regardless of whether the Alliance members who had begun visiting one by one frowned at him, Lazy Flame Dragon looked as comfortable as if he were in his own home.
"Fujian is on the eastern edge of the world. The Commander's new moniker, 'Hidden King' or whatever, originated in Sichuan. How could someone from Fujian know a moniker that is only just starting to spread from the western edge? It's one of two things. Either the Alliance martial artists, who pretend to keep quiet about the Desolate Fortress, are gossiping like crazy behind our backs, or our Lord of the Verdant Overflow Sect here personally investigated our Commander..."
Lazy Flame Dragon's smile widened.
"Either way, it's not very pleasant, is it? Look here, Lord of the Verdant Overflow Sect. Our temperament is different from the Alliance's, so it's better to just be honest. Say it. You came to poke around because you're greedy for our Commander's fame and position. Honestly, the reputation of some kid you heard about in a corner of Fujian didn't feel very real to you, did it?"
"...I have come to converse with your superior."
"Since we are in the heart of the Martial World Alliance, you figure there's no need to worry about the aftermath of harming someone from the Desolate Fortress, nor is there any fear of getting hurt yourself. What a golden opportunity! Just receiving a few of the Commander of the Demonlight Wing's techniques would be something to boast about, and if you somehow win, you'll achieve instant fame. Isn't that right? Isn't that why you came? And mind you, I'm not just asking this out of annoyance because you're already the fourth person to try this."
Lazy Flame Dragon was, in fact, completely annoyed.
Reclining languidly and chewing on poppy, his voice sounded like a Thunderbolt Bomb on the verge of exploding.
He must have been exactly like this when he beat Yu-hyeon at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering. Because his aura was so tyrannical, the Verdant Overflow Sect's side could not even point out his rudeness.
Even Heonwon Chang was sitting in the distant main hall, silently laying out the four treasures of the study.
"Why don't you just go inside and sleep?" Jeong Yeon-shin asked.
Instantly, Lazy Flame Dragon's expression changed.
"Now, what a disappointing thing to say."
He sat up abruptly and rubbed his hands together vigorously. Rather than looking servile, he looked like a back-alley thug searching for trouble.
"Am I not holding my ground here to protect the Commander as your loyal subordinate? Our Commander need not worry. This Lazy Flame Dragon is thoroughly sick of the stuffy, honey-tongued and dagger-hearted ways of the Orthodox Factions. My protection does not discriminate between martial force and politics."
He was the very picture of a boisterous, treacherous courtier, even though his anger was boiling over.
'If one more person comes, he'll definitely make a move.'
To Jeong Yeon-shin, it was clear.
Lazy Flame Dragon liked to savor the atmosphere. It was uncharacteristic for someone who lived with alcohol and poppy practically glued to his body.
The boy knew the reason. Unlike Jeong Yeon-shin, the Hwangbo Young Master wanted to fully enjoy his short remaining life. Since he was going to die anyway, he meant to leisurely savor his own existence before passing on.
That, too, was a good way to live. He could relate. Nature was a strange thing.
When one closed their eyes to feel the air mixed with bright sunlight, it gently nudged them to savor their own inner self instead. To those living on borrowed time, their closest companion was not their kin, but the gentle breeze.
That was probably why he seemed to feel so little emotion over the destruction of the Hwangbo Clan.
'I'd rather have a proper, scheduled fight. How many unannounced visits has this been?'
The boy, who lived fiercely to escape death, understood Lazy Flame Dragon's opposing stance better than anyone.
That was why he sometimes felt annoyed. Seeing the guy's characteristic languid attitude made him feel skeptical about his own frantic way of living. If he ran himself ragged like this and failed to reach a good end, he would ultimately envy Lazy Flame Dragon for having enjoyed his life.
'I'll accumulate achievements this time too... and get my hands on it within three years.'
And then he would tease Lazy Flame Dragon. By then, he could afford to loosen up a bit himself. Maybe he would even chew poppy next to the guy's grave.
It would be good to make a list of things he wanted to do after surviving. He would make that the very first item.
Just as the boy's thoughts were drifting—
Lazy Flame Dragon tilted his head to the side, pressing the Lord of the Verdant Overflow Sect.
"Sect Leader, why are you silent?"
"……"
The Lord of the Verdant Overflow Sect did not answer. Was he feeling a sense of humiliation he had never experienced as the leader of an Orthodox Sect? The intermittent trembling of his mustache supported this suspicion.
"Hwangbo Young Master! Your words go too far!"
The five disciples standing behind him spoke up, their faces flushed with anger. The distinct style of the Verdant Overflow Sect was evident in their appearance.
All five were dressed as scholars and wore swords at their waists. In stark contrast to their neatly trimmed mustaches, they were enveloped in a surging aura, looking as if they would draw their blades at any moment.
Considering Lazy Flame Dragon's words and actions, it was an extremely natural reaction.
"We have heard much of the scoundrel from the ruined clan, but this is simply—"
"Do you have no sense of hierarchy? Control yourself and step back! We must hear an apology from the Commander of the Demonlight Wing!"
"How can such insolence be permitted within the Alliance..."
One of them abruptly stopped speaking.
Step.
Jeong Yeon-shin had suddenly taken a step forward, planting his foot firmly on the ground. An instantaneous wave of internal power rippled out in all directions.
It was calm, yet utterly overwhelming. A martial artist's conflict was, fundamentally, meant to be ended by force.
The boy parted his lips, addressing the experts of the Verdant Overflow Sect.
"You said you wanted to share a friendly exchange of swords. I apologize. This Commander will unleash the core principles of my martial arts."
"What does that...? Are you saying you will teach us your martial arts mnemonics?" one of the Verdant Overflow Sect's experts asked in bewilderment.
From the distant main hall, Heonwon Chang, who was pulling out a blank book, shook his head.
"It means he will fulfill his courtesy. He means he will accommodate you even if he has to reveal his true martial arts. He is saying it is fine for all of you to attack at once."
"What did you just say?"
"Only one person getting to experience the profound martial arts of the Commander of the Demonlight Wing? Wouldn't that be truly unfair? He is saying he will prevent any discord among you in advance."
Heonwon Chang was truly shameless.
Seeing him lay out the four treasures of the study with some scheme in mind was strangely reassuring. Jeong Yeon-shin cheered him on inwardly. You're doing well, my right hand.
"What kind of insolent nonsense...!"
"Insolence? How is it insolent to do one's best in a place that might become enemy territory? You are interpreting his words in the exact opposite way. Can you not guess what it means for the Commander of the Demonlight Wing of the Desolate Fortress to reveal his martial arts in the middle of the Jianghu?"
"……"
"He is someone who must constantly go around arresting Jianghu figures. Yet, he is willing to show you the martial arts that he should keep strictly confidential."
It was quite a persuasive argument.
It was different from merely spouting plausible sophistry. Heonwon Chang's words were logically sound.
In truth, the martial artists of the Desolate Fortress were reluctant to leave survivors who had witnessed their martial arts. This was because the entire world was filled with enemies. Merely revealing the form of one's martial arts would give birth to countless counter-strategies.
No martial artist counters an opponent's horizontal strike with the exact same horizontal strike.
The formation of the Martial World Alliance was a self-defense measure by the Orthodox Factions. Since it was launched using the incidents involving the Hwangbo and Namgung Clans as a pretext, they could very well be considered potential enemies of the Desolate Fortress.
Naturally, the primary martial arts of a Black Rank Unit Commander of the Desolate Fortress were a matter of great interest.
If a horizontal ultimate technique were revealed, people would prepare vertical sword strikes to counter it. Or they might devise an ultimate technique that slips underneath to cleanly sever the waist in two.
"It goes without saying what happens if you experience his Fa Jin and aura directly before your eyes. Is there a reason why people say to always hide a portion of your strength in the Jianghu? Since our Commander is revealing his true martial arts as an apology, consider it a golden opportunity. Actually, Commander, how about we just send them back as they are? The Sect Founding Ceremony is not far off, so there is no need to reveal your martial arts again..."
Heonwon Chang's words were enough.
"I will gratefully accept the Commander's guidance."
The Lord of the Verdant Overflow Sect stepped forward. Was it not of his own free will? He looked urgent, almost as if he had received some sort of hidden instruction.
While a strange light gleamed in Lazy Flame Dragon's eyes, Jeong Yeon-shin and the experts of the Verdant Overflow Sect stood facing each other. The Sect Leader remained at the very back.
His eyes shone as if he were trying to survey a battlefield. A gleam of energy flashed in his pupils, suggesting he had activated a fairly profound Eye Technique.
'Why do they keep trying to watch? Just like Seon-ryong Jegal Hyeon.'
Did they think they could understand his martial arts just by watching? Was the Martial World Alliance, a collective of over a hundred sects, actually aiming for something with a unified movement?
Jeong Yeon-shin felt a lingering sense of doubt as he drew the Divine Sword: Northern Light.
Sshring—
The refreshing sunlight seemed to gather on the blade. A pure white brilliance flashed from its wavy patterns.
Reborn as a divine sword during his journey to Sichuan, Northern Light held the absolute essence of the Sichuan Tang Clan's forging arts. Tang Clan Leader Tang Un-hwang had once said that their unparalleled skill in crafting bizarre hidden weapons had been entirely concentrated into this single blade.
"Oh...!"
The admiration of the Verdant Overflow Sect disciples did not last long. Jeong Yeon-shin did not yield the initiative; he struck first.
'I am the representative of the Desolate Fortress. I must leave an overwhelming impression on the Martial World Alliance. Whether through my martial arts or my character.'
Showing mercy in a many-on-one martial duel?
In the heart of the Alliance, where rumors traveled faster than any Fast Sword, doing so would make it hard to expect a good reputation. Even if no one liked the Desolate Fortress, the recognition of the Commander of the Demonlight Wing as an individual had to be entirely different.
Human psychology was a strange thing. The sense of inferiority they felt toward the Commander of the Demonlight Wing would soon burn outward toward the Desolate Fortress as a whole.
That was the true purpose of this mission.
Slash!
As he instilled an acute sense of alertness with a feint, the Verdant Overflow Sect disciples drew their swords in rapid succession.
"Come," Jeong Yeon-shin commanded.
As they each adjusted their grip on their hilts, the martial duel officially began.
Slash!
Clad in a black robe with the golden character for 'Hwang' shining upon it, the boy exchanged blows with the five swordsmen of the Verdant Overflow Sect. Sword light flashed through the gaps of swirling sleeves, and battle cries scattered into the wind.
The transparent air shimmered visibly from the sheer force of the occasional shockwaves.
One exchange, ten exchanges, twenty exchanges... The expressions of those who had previously shown displeasure gradually began to change.
The Verdant Overflow Sect disciples gaped. There were two men and two women among them, but they paid absolutely no heed to their appearances.
It felt as if they had rehearsed their moves with the young Commander of the Demonlight Wing beforehand. They thrust and parried sword strikes so smoothly that it felt like a mere practice session, and strangely, they didn't feel bad about it at all.
Rather, it was to the point of being refreshing. The trajectory of the Commander of the Demonlight Wing's divine sword carved a smooth white arc of light, as if predicting the exact sword path they would follow.
It even felt as if he were actively guiding his opponents' sword paths to a higher level.
It was a completely novel sensation. Did a swordsman with this kind of profound intuition truly exist in the world?
'He is definitely no mere Rising Star. Is he not already a fully realized master of the sword?'
The Lord of the Verdant Overflow Sect grew anxious, wanting to enter the battlefield right away. The Commander of the Demonlight Wing's sword path was being etched clearly before his eyes.
Anyone could see how profound it was. It was exactly as he had heard from the Alliance's military department. Shouldn't he experience it for himself from within the formation?
A swordsman who was so sensorially profound was bound to lead his opponent into a new realm of understanding.
'To show such goodwill to those who might become enemies? How could the caliber of the new Commander of the Demonlight Wing be so vast...?'
He did not notice the truth.
As the exchanges repeated, the trajectory of Jeong Yeon-shin's sword strikes was being finely, imperceptibly adjusted.
In the spot Namgung Hwa-shin had left empty for personal business, only Lazy Flame Dragon watched the boy's hand movements with intent, unblinking eyes.