Chapter 170: Manifestation (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 170: Manifestation (6)
Reports indicated that the forces of the Deep Martial Alliance had split into two groups, heading for West Peak Road and Seven Crowds Gorge.
The locations weren't far apart. Traveling by Lightness Skill, the journey would take about three days.
Combining the information from the Sword Saint with the rumors, the Yeongcheon Sword Ghost definitely possesses the martial power of a Great Sect elder. I have to face her myself, Jeong Yeon-shin thought.
If the Lazy Flame Dragon were to face her, he might stand a chance with a stroke of luck, but he'd have to risk his life.
Yeon-shin had no choice but to be careful with the distribution of their forces.
The Lazy Flame Dragon had to be separated from him. The man's Accumulated Qi Amount, stemming from his Solar Divine Pulse, was immense. Setting aside the density of his internal energy, his sheer volume of qi was superior to Jeong Yeon-shin's. Naturally, the detection range of his qi waves was incredibly vast.
If the group without Jeong Yeon-shin were to discover the Yeongcheon Sword Ghost, the Lazy Flame Dragon would serve as their detection tool, guiding them back to safety without a fight.
"I understand," the Lazy Flame Dragon said, nodding half-heartedly after hearing Yeon-shin's explanation. He wore a smirk, apparently thinking he'd been given a task that would save face for the young master of the Hwangbo Clan.
Yeon-shin wanted to correct that assumption. The man was irritating just by breathing. While Yeon-shin was desperately struggling to survive, the Lazy Flame Dragon was enjoying his remaining days to the fullest. A tiny pang of envy pricked at him.
"Remember the hierarchy," Jeong Yeon-shin said.
"Ah, so a nameless nobody shouldn't step out of line in front of a White-Ranked expert, is that it?"
Glancing at Heonwon Chang, the Lazy Flame Dragon chuckled. Standing beside them, the Hero of the Desolate Fortress puffed out his chest and cleared his throat unnecessarily.
Around that time, the dispute between Gongson Min and Moyong Myeong-jun was resolved.
"I'll hang it in my room and show it off to Sister Eon," Gongson Min muttered, almost humming.
He grinned, staring at the sword still hanging at Moyong Myeong-jun's waist as if it were already his. It seemed they had agreed he would receive it upon their return. They were noble young masters of prestigious clans; some sort of deal must have been struck between them.
Jeong Yeon-shin didn't care to know the details.
Collecting a sword simply because it was used in a single attack... While different in nature from the habits of the Seventh Apostle, it was just as bizarre.
"We will split up like this," Yeon-shin explained calmly. He began by grouping himself with Jegal Hyeon and the Small Sword Empress.
Then, he suggested that Heonwon Chang and the Lazy Flame Dragon lead Moyong Myeong-jun, Gongson Min, and Ak Ye-rim.
Jeong Yeon-shin's pitch-black eyes swept over them.
The Alliance warriors, Gongson Min included, met his gaze, but their weapon hands twitched instinctively.
"At the end of my life, I'm seeing all sorts of things," the Lazy Flame Dragon sneered. The scoundrel of a young master from the Hwangbo Clan seemed to guess what was on their minds.
They were self-conscious. How did they appear to this incomprehensible young expert? The gaze of an acknowledged genius always intimidated those of lesser skill, making them question everything from the mastery of footwork revealed in their stride to the depth of their breathing. This held true even for these rising stars, who had been praised as the greatest geniuses of their generation back home.
But the young man in the black robe had no interest in such things.
"Do not engage the Yeongcheon Sword Ghost," the young Commander of the Demonlight Wing said, his words a clear warning not to recklessly swing their swords for glory.
His tone wasn't condescending; his expression and voice were completely flat. His calm was so absolute that the young warriors, who had bristled moments before, found themselves unable to argue.
Amidst the silence, a long arm rose. Ak Ye-rim raised her hand and stared intently at Jeong Yeon-shin.
"I don't understand. We're already outnumbered, facing a massive force with just a handful of people. Why split our forces...?"
"We need to strike down the Sword Ghost quickly to minimize civilian casualties. It'll also make it easier to mop up the Deep Martial Alliance bastards once they're a leaderless rabble," Heonwon Chang replied with a shake of his head.
His behavior was just as irritating as the Lazy Flame Dragon's. Ak Ye-rim raised her eyebrows and parted her lips.
"I doubt that's the only reason."
"You catch on quick."
"What? Speak plainly. Stop being sarcastic."
"There are barely ten days left until the Sect Founding Ceremony. It's a tight schedule to be running all over the place dealing with top-tier experts. And spending too much time out here in the wilderness leaves a bad taste in my mouth."
Frowning, Heonwon Chang pointed a finger directly at her.
"Your acting Chief Strategist pulled some cheap tricks during the audience with our Commander! And that's not all. You told us to stay in the middle of the Alliance and gave us the Rhyme-Fragrance Court as our quarters, but that location was so exposed we couldn't even perform Qi Meditation in peace at night. We had to worry some crazy Orthodox bastard would launch a sneak attack. The malice was palpable!"
"...It was a petty move. I admit it. But what of it?" Ak Ye-rim asked in a much calmer tone, her eyelashes lowered slightly.
The corners of Heonwon Chang's mouth curled upward.
"I'm saying we can't afford to remain isolated for long. Who knows what tricks you people back at headquarters might pull? Frankly, you could just change the rules of the Sect Founding Ceremony, couldn't you? For instance, by abruptly moving up the schedule."
"What?"
"I can guess how your Alliance feels. What wouldn't you do to stop the powerful and hostile Commander of the Demonlight Wing from winning?"
"The Martial World Alliance would never resort to such underhanded tricks. Everyone knows it would make us the laughingstock of the world!"
"Is that so? I'd say it's still better than the alternative—watching all of your Alliance's experts get utterly crushed by a young, peerless master from our Fortress."
"..."
"That is why we cannot afford to drag this out. Has the young lady—no, the young hero of the Ak Family—understood? And don't complain about the title. Our Commander calls the Cloud Sword Dragon, Wiji Myo-hwa, a Great Hero. By any measure, your standing falls far short of the Sword Dragon's."
Thus spoke the Eloquent Speaker of the Desolate Fortress, a minor nickname Heonwon Chang was known by within the Demonlight Wing—though he himself insisted on being called the Divine Hero of the Desolate Fortress. In Jeong Yeon-shin's eyes, both titles suited him.
I wonder if the Lazy Flame Dragon and Young Hero Heonwon Chang can reach the Blue Rank at the same time. Young Hero Heonwon Chang's martial arts have improved significantly as well.
Stepping forward with light, silent strides, Yeon-shin tapped Heonwon Chang on the shoulder, preventing Ak Ye-rim, who had just been insulted, from rashly drawing her spear.
"I have said my piece, Commander," Heonwon Chang said, clasping his hands in a disciplined salute, his posture exceptionally polite. He seemed eager to tease the Alliance warriors just a bit more.
Yeon-shin slowly parted his lips. "We split up here."
"From what I've seen, you have a rather strong streak of bad luck, Commander," the Lazy Flame Dragon said, slinging his travel pack over one shoulder. "You might run into the Yeongcheon Sword Ghost the moment you arrive. You, Commander, not me. Given the rumors about her Sword Kinesis, she must be an incredibly powerful old monster. Don't rashly think of launching a solo charge. To walk the Jianghu alone, you must always hold some strength in reserve. If you're trapped in an encirclement while facing a hostile, peerless expert, there's no way out."
"That is advice a novice should heed," Jeong Yeon-shin replied, acknowledging the warning.
The Lazy Flame Dragon, who had lived at the pinnacle of the Jianghu since birth, smirked. "As long as I don't die, I'll come find you. If West Peak Road is to the west, Seven Crowds Gorge is roughly northwest."
"You have a roundabout way of asking me to come help you," Yeon-shin replied. "The Sword Ghost is my responsibility. Don't overextend yourself."
It was the hour when sunlight pierced through the smoke rising from all directions. Outside the ruined village, the group split onto two paths. They set off to track down the members of the Heterodox Sects fanning the flames of this chaotic age.
Surely, no one was watching. And yet, it was an affair upon which every leader of the Martial World Alliance had their senses keenly focused.
Whoosh!
A cloud of dust kicked up as the young experts propelled themselves off the ground with their Lightness Skills. The resentment of the common people ran deep.
Leaving the bleakly silent, dead village behind, a vigorous gust of wind swept outward. It was the dash of chivalrous heroes, carrying the spears and swords of vengeance at their waists and on their backs.
* * *
The main headquarters of the Martial World Alliance was in a festive mood day after day. The public notices posted across nearly the entire Central Plains were proving highly effective.
It seemed as though martial artists from all over the Jianghu had caught wind of the Alliance's formation. The number of people flocking to the area was staggering.
"What a pity. To think a peerless expert from the Desolate Fortress fought the Seon-ryong of the Jegal Clan. If only I had arrived a month earlier."
"Don't speak of that so carelessly. There are rumors that the Alliance's experts are everywhere in the marketplace. One wrong word, and you could find yourself in serious trouble."
"Why is that?"
"The young expert from the Desolate Fortress wore a black robe. Didn't you say you were from Southern Zhili? You must have heard of the moniker 'Flash Art'?"
"Of course. Could it be...?"
Wealthy merchants and commoners alike, drawn by such rare information, kept arriving in an endless stream. As food grew scarcer, the value of martial power only rose. Mighty strength naturally attracted gold and provisions. Soon, the Martial World Alliance would become undeniably more powerful than the Desolate Fortress. Having drawn in half of the entire Jianghu, the Alliance was a spirit beast that laid golden eggs.
Heroes and figures of all kinds filled the land of Hanzhong. The inns and private residences surrounding the main headquarters were packed to the brim. Day and night blurred together in the taverns.
Gossipmongers with their own monikers, martial chroniclers who recorded the duels of various martial artists, and warriors who had not yet earned enough renown to enter the Alliance's main headquarters all gathered here. Voices debating the state of the Jianghu rang out loud and clear.
The scale of it all surpassed even the Desolate Fortress. Dozens of merchant groups had reportedly brought caravans of carriages to settle in Hanzhong. Hardly anyone was not looking forward to the Sect Founding Ceremony. It was a year of famine, a time when martial power was desperately needed to protect even a single grain of rice.
The conversations among the merchants, who had rented out entire taverns, went on without end.
"Can people like us really watch the Sect Founding Ceremony?"
"I can read quite well, unlike a strange merchant like you who does calculations without even knowing the Thousand Character Classic. If the public notice on the wall is true, we will indeed be able to observe the Martial World Alliance."
"Oh! Then we might be able to hire some decent martial artists. We'll get to see their skills with our own eyes. Of course, we couldn't dream of hiring the top experts who will play major roles in the Sect Founding Ceremony..."
"More than that, I want to see how the experts wield their swords. If we familiarize ourselves with their starting stances or their general aura, we won't get ripped off when hiring rogue mercenaries in the future."
"I should keep that in mind as well."
"I heard an expert from the Desolate Fortress is also participating as an envoy. That is either the first or second most important thing to watch. If the Desolate Fortress saves face here, there's no telling how the balance of power might shift. People tend to follow striking spectacles. Logistics and goods might flock to Xiangyang, where the Desolate Fortress is located, rather than here in Hanzhong."
"Well, isn't it the Martial World Alliance that set up such a massive stage? I heard the Jegal Clan, which was originally based here in Hanzhong, is the main driving force. Would they really have invited the Desolate Fortress without being confident in their victory? They must have made their calculations."
"That's true, but... the rumors about the young, peerless expert from the Desolate Fortress are quite extraordinary."
"I know. I've gathered information all the way from Sichuan. Since we need to predict the outcome to establish connections early by spending money, let's share what we know. There's the most talk about the Hidden King Amidst Flowers, Flash Art, the Eon Family's Number One Fist, and the Hwasan Sword Excellence. In my view, they are the most promising contenders, since the elders won't be participating."
"The leader of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen has descended from Mount Hua? That noble swordsman? I had no idea! Is he trying to stop the monopoly of the noble clans...?"
"If you were to invest, which side would you bet on? In my opinion, Eon Hwa-ryeon of the Eon Family is the safest bet. The Jegal Clan will probably pit Flash Art and the Hwasan Sword Excellence against each other first."
"Indeed... it is a difficult choice."
It was the epicenter of a great upheaval. A new order in the Jianghu was beginning to sprout.
* * *
Four days passed.
Jeong Yeon-shin was accompanied by a man and a woman: the Seon-ryong, Jegal Hyeon, and the Spear Phoenix, Ak Ye-rim.
The Small Sword Empress, whom he had initially planned to take with him, had joined Heonwon Chang and the Lazy Flame Dragon's group instead. Yeon-shin had altered the composition of the teams right before they split up, concerned about the martial strength of the other group.
The Small Sword Empress will be of more help than the Ak Family spearwoman. Young Hero Heonwon Chang and the Lazy Flame Dragon must remain safe.
He had made this decision in his capacity as the Commander of the Demonlight Wing. The Black Rank was a position that required command. He had carefully considered the balance of power between the two groups. With the Small Sword Empress in their ranks, the Lazy Flame Dragon's martial prowess would shine even brighter.
Before he created the Law-Transcending Halo Qi, even Jeong Yeon-shin couldn't have guaranteed a sixty percent chance of victory against the Lazy Flame Dragon. Thus, the group heading to Seven Crowds Gorge should be more than capable of handling experts from a Great Sect.
The Nameless Disciple, Lazy Flame Dragon.
While their talents were both peerless, the difference in their years of experience was significant. During the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, they had competed purely on sensory perception, which had allowed Jeong Yeon-shin to gain the upper hand. Even after growing stronger since then, the Lazy Flame Dragon remained a formidable opponent. It would not be surprising if Yeon-shin lost three or four out of ten matches against him.
Combat was filled with countless variables.
The clash of styles determined by the sequence of stances, the flow of internal energy on a given day, the minute physical changes depending on the state of one's meridians... the world of top-tier experts was incredibly complex.
The Lazy Flame Dragon has a rotten personality and is skilled at provocation. If I fall for it, I'll have to start the fight at a disadvantage.
Yeon-shin thought, casting a brief glance at Ak Ye-rim, his replacement for the Small Sword Empress. It had been the right decision for Heonwon Chang's group. The Small Sword Empress was said to be a swordsman comparable to Wiji Myo-hwa, and rumors claimed she had mastered the Diancang Shooting Sun Sword Technique to its absolute limit. If she coordinated well with the other warriors, including the Lazy Flame Dragon and Heonwon Chang, they could reasonably expect to survive an encounter with even a peerless expert of the Black Rank.
"What is it?" Ak Ye-rim glared at the Commander of the Demonlight Wing as he stared at her.
Jeong Yeon-shin replied nonchalantly, "I'm glad you came."
"What a strange thing to say...!"
Yeon-shin pressed forward in silence, ignoring Ak Ye-rim's startled reaction.
They had just reached their destination: West Peak Road in Hanzhong Prefecture.
It was wide.
The thickets on both sides of the vast, sprawling road had been cleared away, revealing the mountain ranges stretching out on either side. Rather than a public highway, it looked more like a temporary encampment, the kind used by armies, merchant groups, and escort agencies on long journeys to rest for the night.
The tents pitched upon the evenly leveled ground exuded a grim, heavily guarded atmosphere. Sentries stood guard here and there. Uncharacteristically for Jianghu martial artists, they wore leather armor. This was the mark of a specific organization.
Jeong Yeon-shin's eyes narrowed.
He didn't even need to guess. It was the martial army of the Deep Martial Alliance.
"It seems they've turned this into an outpost," Jegal Hyeon remarked from beside him. He slightly drew the iron fan at his waist as his eyes flashed.
He seemed to have activated a secret technique of the Jegal Clan. An extraordinary aura emanated from him as he observed the camp. Was he peering through the tents? A mystical wave of energy pulsed from behind Jegal Hyeon's handsome eyes. He had channeled his internal energy into the Tongziliao Point—the Pupil Crevice acupoint near his eyes.
It was a profound Eye Technique, a level of mastery that bordered on sorcery.
An Eye Technique, huh.
The young Commander of the Demonlight Wing's eyes gleamed with interest. He slowly opened his mouth.
"Give me the gist of it. We're ending this with a swift, decisive battle."