Chapter 164: Commander of the Demonlight Wing (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 164: Commander of the Demonlight Wing (7)
Just what kind of person was the Commander of the Demonlight Wing?
Within the Martial World Alliance, this was one of the most hotly debated topics. He was a top-tier expert, a prominent figure in any discussion of who might conquer the upcoming Sect Founding Ceremony.
As the most influential figure among the envoys gathered at the Alliance headquarters, everyone was desperate to gauge both his martial arts and his character.
"I think it might be a good idea to speak with the White Qilin."
"Namgung Hwa-shin? His upright character was famous, but he's a warrior of the Desolate Fortress now."
"He serves the very man who killed his brother. All that talk about his integrity, or how the Blue and White Twin Qilins were the greatest brothers in the Jianghu… it must have been nothing but rumors. Anyone can maintain appearances at an event like the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering."
"Perhaps he simply holds no grudges? I heard the fight between Flash Art and the Azure Qilin was a fair life-and-death duel. That’s why the White Qilin was seen as a symbol of the Orthodox factions…"
"Young Hero Gongson, you should learn to distinguish friend from foe."
A group of six young martial artists, including Moyong Myeong-jun and Ak Ye-rim, walked together. With only two days left until the banquet, their destination was clear.
They were headed to the residence of the blind expert who had captured the hearts of countless Alliance warriors in just a few short months.
Miss Ye.
She was the niece of the Ye Family Sword Sect’s Leader and the young master of the Ye Merchant Group. The fact that her merchant group had supported the establishment of the Alliance headquarters with an immense fortune gave her an extraordinary standing.
She had a cheerful personality, a beautiful appearance, and a level of martial prowess that made one forget her eyes were covered.
Warriors from noble families were different from rogue wanderers. They understood that sometimes, money held more power than the sword. They knew all too well how formidable someone who possessed both martial might and financial power could be.
She was someone anyone could fall for, regardless of gender. It was said that many warriors were lovesick over her, to the point where it was common for the young lords of the great families to secretly keep tabs on her movements.
"Since it's the Ye Merchant Group, the quality of their information must be top-notch. I wonder what her assessment of Flash Art is."
"What I'm most curious about is Miss Ye's actual name."
"Didn't they say her family has a unique custom where she can only reveal her name to her betrothed? Are you revealing your dark intentions?"
"It was just a figure of speech. Why are you so sensitive?"
They chatted as they strolled along the beautifully paved stone path.
The title 'Miss' was an honorific used to show respect to a young woman from a prestigious family. For the young lords of the Eight Families, including the Moyong and Jegal Clans, to address her so sincerely as 'Miss Ye' was a testament to her unusual status. It was a sign of respect from those who behaved like royalty in their own territories—proof of Miss Ye's immense influence.
"We've arrived."
Moyong Myeong-jun looked ahead at a pavilion that was exceptionally luxurious, even by the standards of the main headquarters. The elegant curves of the roof flowing down to the rafters were exquisite, rivaling even the Commander of the Demonlight Wing's Rhyme-Fragrance Court. It was in no way inferior to the residence the Alliance leadership had provided to capture everyone’s attention.
"I have sent word to Miss Ye," Moyong Myeong-jun said to the man standing guard before the door.
For a servant, the man was unusually robust and sturdy. He stood like a disciplined gatekeeper. After a moment of silent observation, the servant turned his head slightly.
"May I let them in?"
"Yes."
The reply was concise, delivered in a smooth voice that washed away any discomfort one might have felt about the stern servant. The true qi that tickled their ears along with her voice was strangely overbearing yet not grating—a bizarre form of inner power.
This isn't the inner power of the Ye Family Sword Sect, Moyong Myeong-jun thought. The rumor that she studied under a hermit must be true.
Clack.
Without a word, the servant gripped the doorknob and slid the door open. Moyong Myeong-jun’s eyes were drawn to the man's hands. They were covered in calluses.
He’s a martial artist, and a considerably skilled one at that. To act as a servant without even carrying a weapon means he’s one of Miss Ye's trusted confidants… This is highly peculiar.
The group crossed the threshold. Guided by the servant, they passed through the main hall and entered a spacious office. A silk curtain hung before the seat of honor, obscuring the host from the guests.
"I thought you weren't shy around strangers," Moyong Myeong-jun said with a lighthearted laugh.
The silhouette of Miss Ye behind the curtain took his breath away. She was leaning back in her chair with her long legs crossed. The waves of true qi rippling from her relaxed posture struck him with a terrifying allure. If her inner power had carried even a trace of demonic energy, he would have mistaken her for a noble of the Blood Flame Cult.
"Can't we meet face-to-face? This single sheet of silk is rather bothersome."
"I have no desire to look at ugly faces, even in my own home," Miss Ye replied, making it clear she had no intention of raising the curtain.
Her unconventional words and demeanor suited her perfectly. Coming from her, even words that bordered on verbal abuse sounded like the playful banter of a cheerful hero. Her appearance, aura, and background—which the group knew all too well—made it so.
"Sister Ye, I'm pretty, so it's fine for me, right? Can I come inside? I missed you," Ak Ye-rim said, tilting her head and acting cute.
The response was indifferent. "Just state your business."
"Aw…" Ak Ye-rim lowered her head, crestfallen.
They had gone on an outing together once before. During a year of famine, when the great sects of the Thirteen Heavens were running rampant, Miss Ye had slain the Blood Master Sword, who had nearly taken Ak Ye-rim's head. With a single strike from the back of her hand, she had smashed the Master Sword's skull. It had been an astonishing display.
The Shandong Ak Clan was a long-standing Orthodox sect, and Ak Ye-rim knew how to show gratitude. She wished to repay the favor, but Miss Ye kept everyone at a certain distance, an invisible line clearly drawn between them. This was why the young warriors of the Alliance were so captivated; she possessed an unprecedented charm, yet they could never get close. Ak Ye-rim, Moyong Myeong-jun, and Jegal Hyeon, all experts of the Eight Families, were no exception.
They couldn't use force, either. The Martial World Alliance was a newly formed coalition with no standardized source of income. Its budget was a complicated mess, making continuous support from a major financial power like the Ye Merchant Group essential.
We're tracking the flow, but we can't find the source of her financial power. How long has it been since I gave the order to my family? I wonder when we'll see results.
Moyong Myeong-jun pushed the thought aside and spoke. "We've come to seek your wisdom, Miss Ye. We need an unconventional idea, the kind that rigid martial artists like myself or Ak Ye-rim could never conceive."
"Wisdom?" Miss Ye's silhouette tilted slightly, her tone rising at the end as if she found the notion absurd.
Moyong Myeong-jun's lips curved into a smile. "The new Commander of the Demonlight Wing has arrived as the envoy of the Desolate Fortress. I'm sure you've heard of him."
"..."
"He's quite a headache. The very justification for our Alliance's formation is to oppose the Desolate Fortress, so we can't simply let him return in peace. We must humiliate him somehow, but we can't find an opening. On the contrary, he's building a reputation by offering guidance to those who visit him. He is certainly an extraordinary fellow."
"Do you want to die?"
"Hmm? Are you referring to the Commander of the Demonlight Wing?" Moyong Myeong-jun asked with a smirk.
"..."
No answer came. Only the translucent curtain fluttered slightly. By the door, the servant flinched for no apparent reason, his indifferent expression toward the young lords finally wavering.
"Your words always exceed my imagination, Miss Ye. However, we cannot take the envoy's head. A Black Rank expert won't go down easily, and if he decides to flee, he won't be easily caught. Humiliating him is enough."
"Sister," Ak Ye-rim chimed in, "he's the man who killed my betrothed. I told you about him last time, remember? The Azure Qilin, Namgung Se-jin. He likely fell victim to the Desolate Fortress's characteristically ruthless methods. I can't just let my enemy go. He must be an utterly heinous person."
The young man from the Gongson Clan beside her sighed, but no one paid him any mind.
"The Azure Qilin?" Miss Ye asked. A strange hint of interest seeped into her voice.
Ak Ye-rim's face brightened. "Yes, that's right! To Flash Art, Jeong Yeon-shin…"
"It must have meant a great deal," Miss Ye cut in, her voice rippling with a strange sense of anticipation. "The summer of his sixteenth year. That was when the Commander of the Demonlight Wing took part in the Namgung Clan's duel. Isn't that an age when one takes everything to heart? Also, according to my… secret sources, the young Commander is a captivatingly cruel and chillingly arrogant person. Try mentioning the Azure Qilin to him yourself. Because I cannot."
"You mean he's like someone from the Blood Flame Cult? As expected… the Ye Merchant Group's information network must be vast. Surely your spies aren't on par with the Beggar Sect, are they? But… what do you mean, you cannot?"
"It means get lost. I have something to lie down and savor."
* * *
"I am Ak Ye-rim of the Shandong Ak Clan."
Her heart pounded with hatred as she spoke to the Commander of the Demonlight Wing, who possessed a rather handsome face. She had lost the lover she adored to this boy. After hearing the news of Namgung Se-jin's death, she had refused all food and drink for a long time. Paradoxically, the reason she began to eat again and train in martial arts was her resolve to one day meet Flash Art, Jeong Yeon-shin.
"Commander of the Demonlight Wing, Jeong Yeon-shin," the boy replied.
She knew him. She knew him all too well, having long ago engraved his portrait in her mind. He even appeared in her dreams. The rising star who had slain the Azure Qilin, Namgung Se-jin. She had always believed they would meet again at the upper echelons of the Jianghu, and her prediction had been correct. But now, he had risen to a position where she couldn't even point her sword at him.
She resented the heavens. If only the Alliance had declared war on the Desolate Fortress the moment it was founded, she would have mobilized all the resources of the Ak Clan to avenge her lover.
"I understand you witnessed the Azure Qilin's final moments," Ak Ye-rim said slowly. "I was his betrothed."
A sadistic urge sprouted within her as she looked at the boy sitting so elegantly.
Do you even know the value of the man you killed? His noble character and outstanding appearance were worthy of making him a symbol for the Orthodox factions.
You probably don't know the sorrow in his touch as he wept in my arms after sending his younger brother, Namgung Hwa-shin, to the Desolate Fortress.
"The man I knew was a hypocrite. He was too busy covering up his family's shame with his seemingly fair and upright behavior."
The man who would have become a great hero became a lonely ghost by your hand. What do you think of him now? Was it merely a grand achievement celebrated by your Desolate Fortress? How satisfied were you after killing him? The Desolate Fortress, which treats the murder of a righteous hero as a meritorious deed, is laughable.
"I wonder what you think, Young Hero. As a lofty martial artist who shared a life-and-death duel with him, you must have felt Namgung Se-jin's true character most deeply."
Her emotions threatened to overwhelm her as she spoke, forcing her to whisper the last words.
If you agree with what I just said, I, Ak Ye-rim of the Shandong Ak Clan, will look down on you and your kind forever.
It was the powerless revenge of an Orthodox martial artist on the Righteous Path. You are nothing but a rogue wanderer who happens to have strong martial arts. This was how a prestigious family took revenge, always beginning by chipping away at the opponent's dignity.
All the Alliance warriors present understood. Ak Ye-rim wasn't sincerely disparaging the Azure Qilin; she was testing the Commander, giving him an excuse to rationalize the outcome of their duel.
Meanwhile, some warriors, including Moyong Myeong-jun, watched with keen interest.
"You speak of the Azure Qilin so carelessly," unbelievable words flowed from the Commander's mouth. "You are tarnishing his dignity."
Ak Ye-rim looked up at the boy's face. His dark, sharp eyebrows were furrowed, his expression filled with no small amount of anger.
"I have no interest in the inner thoughts of underlings."
The Commander of the Demonlight Wing slowly rose from his seat. Waves of inner power began to surge with unparalleled sharpness. Though he hadn't touched his sword, it felt as if he were unleashing a sword wave without a blade.
"Why you invited me here, what you find so amusing to watch—it is all utterly trivial compared to the Azure Qilin. Even if I reach the Purple Rank, he will remain my equal. Let me make this absolutely clear."
The jet-black hem of the new Commander's robe fluttered, an aura that forced everyone to remember the significance of the black robe that only Unit Commanders in the Desolate Fortress were permitted to wear.
"As of today, let no rising stars speak to me. It is beneath me."
The moment the boy finished speaking, Whoosh!
A sword seared itself into Ak Ye-rim's vision, plunging directly toward her. How close was it? She hadn't even seen him draw his sword. The razor-sharp line blurred all color from the world around it, her entire vision filled with a single blade.
Her heart pounded violently. Every sense in her body screamed that this was real. Even the sword wind brushing coldly against her skin was real. For a moment, she couldn't believe it. He's going to kill me? Here?
Whoosh!
Ak Ye-rim collapsed to the floor, the worst possible reaction for a martial artist. That was how overwhelmingly dominant the sword strike had felt.
However, nothing happened.
Only a gentle breeze slipping through a window caressed the silence of the banquet hall.
She blankly raised her head. Her eyes met those of the boy, who stood with his hands clasped behind his back, having never drawn his sword at all. His posture was haughty, enough to make her understand Sister Ye's words.
Captivatingly cruel and chillingly arrogant. It was exactly as the secret report had described.
"The Azure Qilin remained standing," the Commander said, uncrossing his hands. He stroked his sleeve and lowered his gaze slightly, as if reflecting on something. Was it his memory of the Azure Qilin? Or was he reviewing the technique he had just unleashed?
Ak Ye-rim's eyes widened.
That was a feint? That?!
Suddenly, she became aware of her surroundings. She wasn't the only one who had fallen for it. Several others were in a similar state. Even Moyong Myeong-jun was crouched low, his sword half-drawn. He seemed to have realized the truth a moment later than Ak Ye-rim, who had been locking eyes with the Commander.
"What in the…?"
"How many people did that just catch? Could it be the Heart Sword?"
The banquet hall belatedly erupted into a commotion. The Commander of the Demonlight Wing continued to defy all expectations. Both his defense of the Azure Qilin and the technique he had just displayed were testament to that—a reality the geniuses of the Orthodox sects found hard to accept.
It simply did not feel real, even when a swordsman of outstanding appearance opened the door and walked in.
"Commander."
The White Qilin, Namgung Hwa-shin, strode over with a dignified and imposing air, perhaps out of respect for his leader. He immediately dropped to one knee before the Commander of the Demonlight Wing and clasped his hands in a formal greeting, paying no mind to the many familiar faces around him. He behaved like the noblest young man in the room.
"He looks so much like the Azure Qilin. Their appearances are a perfect match."
"More than that, look at that flawless etiquette… Is the White Qilin truly the Commander's sword?" the unaligned warriors whispered among themselves.
The White Qilin, an expert from a prestigious family and highly regarded among his peers, did not mind lowering himself. The sight dealt yet another blow to those who were still hesitantly getting back to their feet. Across from them, Moyong Myeong-jun, who had just straightened his back, furrowed his brow.
Namgung Hwa-shin didn't even spare him a glance. He parted his lips.
"I waited until matters were settled."
"There was no need for that." The boy's cold eyes softened considerably, a world of difference from how he treated the noble family warriors.
Namgung Hwa-shin smiled faintly. "The Sword Saint has requested a meeting."
"The Sword Saint? Do you mean the Leader of the Martial World Alliance?" the boy asked.
"Yes."
It was then that Heonwon Chang suddenly rose from his seat. He glanced around, walked over to his young Commander, and lightly dusted off the character for 'Hwang' embroidered on his shoulder.
Then, looking back and forth between Ak Ye-rim and Moyong Myeong-jun, he grinned.
"Have fun, everyone."