Chapter 176: The Sword of Autumn (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 176: The Sword of Autumn (4)
Heonwon Chang, Jeong Yeon-shin's companions, and the warriors of the Deep Martial Alliance stared at the pair.
Every hand rested firmly on a weapon. In the distance, the sun hid itself between the crevices of the canyon.
Before they knew it, the faint rays of twilight filtered in, brushing their faces like a curtain closing on the day.
Jeong Yeon-shin received the first cup. Baek Seo-gun smiled as she poured the liquor with one hand.
"You may consider this an honor. Even the Alliance Leader has never received a drink poured by my own hand."
The boy felt a sense of fullness from the baptism of the sword stimulating his mind.
Just before taking a sip, he calmly parted his lips.
"I accept with thanks."
Baek Seo-gun paused, though only for a moment. Soon, the corners of her lips curled upward once more.
"So you truly do carry Ban-ak's blood."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Just talking to myself."
After draining his cup, Jeong Yeon-shin casually turned his head. Lazy Flame Dragon came into view, wearing a peculiar expression.
Did he realize her words sounded similar to his own usual remarks? When their eyes met, he smirked subtly. It was an annoying smile.
I should send him away first.
Tactically, it was the correct choice.
Since there might be an ambush on the way back, it made sense to send Lazy Flame Dragon, the second strongest in the group, ahead as a scout.
Next would be Heonwon Chang. After him, the Small Sword Empress, Gongson Min, and Moyong Myeong-jun. He would have to drink at least five cups.
An agreement made by a master of the Heterodox Paths... yet it doesn't sound like an empty promise.
He turned his gaze back.
His eyes met Baek Seo-gun's; she was staring intently at him. He could sense a shade of gray in her eyes.
It was a deep fatigue that resonated with the spirituality of his Upper Dantian.
If she was someone deeply connected to the Jeong Family Manor, she wouldn't have started her life at the upper echelons of the Jianghu.
In Henan Province, a region boasting a size comparable to a distant country, her path to being titled a Sword Venerable as a woman must have been fraught with unimaginable hardships.
He processed this with calm reason, feeling it through the Upper Dantian in his mind.
"You have worked hard."
He blurted it out without thinking. It was an absurd thing to say. The person before him was a Sword Venerable of the Heterodox Paths.
Was this not an absurdly inappropriate compliment? It was only because his Upper Dantian, which had recently grown extremely sensitive, had resonated with her life and goodwill.
As he lowered his cup and furrowed his brow, Baek Seo-gun's expression turned peculiar.
"It is my turn to receive."
Without another word, she snatched the boy's cup. It was astonishingly fast.
For an instant, her fingers blurred into a haze, moving like a Grappling Technique.
In contrast, Jeong Yeon-shin, holding the gourd, slowly tilted the bottle. He was mentally retracing Baek Seo-gun's technique.
She had clearly achieved the Unity of Essence, Qi, and Spirit. Even her smallest gestures were infused with martial arts. Perhaps she was indeed capable of trading blows with Ak Su-rim, the Divine Spear of the Desolate Fortress.
Just now, it was as if she unfolded an Illusion Sword with her bare hand.
A technique to deceive the opponent's eyes. It was a subtle principle Jeong Yeon-shin had never experienced before.
The tricks employed by most third-rate martial artists were mere feints that couldn't even graze the true realm of the Illusion Sword. The boy's eyes gleamed.
Her Qigong has merged with her swordplay. And that swordplay has melted back into her body.
At that moment, the sharp look in Baek Seo-gun's eyes softened. How had she interpreted Jeong Yeon-shin's gaze?
Bringing the cup to her lips, she spoke slowly.
"Your face is a feast for the eyes. Now I understand how the noble ladies felt when they faced Ban-ak."
"Did you have me sit down just to spout nonsense?"
"I did it because I have something to tell you that will be of help. With such martial prowess at your age, and having trained so relentlessly, your goal must be clear. Needless to say, it is the head of the Lord of the Hegemon Sword Sect, is it not?"
"……"
"When one lives long as a mainstay of a Great Sect of the Thirteen Heavens, the caliber of rumors one encounters naturally elevates. I know your enemy well."
Jeong Yeon-shin fell silent for a moment.
The Lord of the Hegemon Sword Sect.
With the same mindset he held when creating the Jeong Family Dynamic Art, even though he hated the Jeong Family Manor, he still considered it his home.
The one who destroyed his clan was naturally his sworn enemy. It was said that this person had even assisted in suppressing the Elder Council Head of the main fortress.
Yet, it was a name he had kept buried deep in his heart.
His martial prowess still fell short of the unrivaled mastery needed to seek revenge, and the shortened lifespan heaven had granted him was already an overwhelming burden.
He had thought he would seek out his enemy only when the day came for him to wear the purple robe.
But even the Black Rank was a position of great reverence.
It was a rank that allowed one to gallop freely across the world. He never knew when or where he might cross paths with a master of the Thirteen Heavens.
The background of the Lord of the Hegemon Sword Sect was a topic of immense value, quite apart from the fact that he was a sworn enemy.
"Tell me," the boy muttered, his voice deep.
A look of satisfaction played on Baek Seo-gun's lips.
"He is of mixed blood, born of the Yunnan Bai People and the Brightfolk. He was the fruit of the Dali royal family welcoming a Brightfolk consort. He was the crown prince."
"Dali..."
It was a royal family destroyed by the Lord of the Desolate Fortress.
She was the divine sword of the imperial family. There had been several occasions where she erased small royal courts and Great Sects that showed signs of rebellion.
This was why the Lord of the Desolate Fortress was never left out when gossips debated who was the greatest under heaven.
She had displayed a divine might capable of holding off ten thousand men back then. It was said to be truly absolute martial power.
And the sole survivor of the Dali royal bloodline from that time was the Lord of the Hegemon Sword Sect.
"He, too, possesses the eyes of the Brightfolk. Since he must have mastered the high-level Eye Technique of the Hegemon Sword Sect, there is no way he failed to recognize the talent of your body and comprehension."
"……"
"Since your maternal family is the Desolate Ma Clan, he would have also considered the possibility of you entering the Desolate Fortress. Why on earth did he spare you, when it was obvious his enemy's strength would grow? Because he was moved by a young child's character? Absurd. I think it would be wise for you to ponder this."
"Do you have any guesses?"
"Well, even I do not know beyond that. One thing is certain: your entry into the Desolate Fortress cannot be entirely good news for the Lord of the Desolate Fortress. If one were to compare the Lord of the Hegemon Sword Sect to an animal, he would be a clever bear."
She then locked eyes with Jeong Yeon-shin.
"Do you know why I am telling you this?"
"No."
"It is in the hope that your horizons might broaden a little more."
"I have already been enticed by the Thirteen Heavens before."
"I am saying that good and evil are blurred in the Jianghu. If you embark on your family's revenge in the future, the information I have given you will not go to waste. This Sword Venerable of the Heterodox Paths has handed useful intelligence to a Unit Commander of the Desolate Fortress. Do not blindly reject someone just because they are an unorthodox martial artist; if they do a good deed, look upon them kindly."
"Are you giving me advice right now?"
"There is no other way to survive long in the Jianghu. Above all, you must prioritize favors and grudges. If you do, people will gather around you, and one day, they will save your life. Even I, the divine sword of the Deep Martial Alliance, count the Hao Sect Leader among my close friends."
"…I will keep that in mind."
The strangely gentle attitude of the Yeongcheon Sword Ghost felt unfamiliar. Was she trying to play nanny? What exactly had she been to the Jeong Family Manor?
The boy tilted his head slightly to the side.
Baek Seo-gun found this son of Jeong Pan-ak quite endearing.
He possessed outstanding looks, a seemingly upright character, and an unbelievable sword, all at such a young age.
His somewhat arrogant demeanor actually came across as charming.
If not for the fated encounter of the Eight Illusion Divine Art, she would have taken him in and raised him herself—a prospect she thought would have been quite amusing in its own right.
"You have grown up upright. I am glad your family fulfilled its duty before disappearing. Even if I had been there, I would not have been able to recommend the path of the Heterodox Sects to you."
"……You received my cup. Send one of them away."
"Ah."
She let out a soft exclamation, engraving Jeong Yeon-shin's brief silence into her mind.
"Indeed. I did make a promise. Very well, one person may leave."
"Lazy Flame Dragon," the son of Jeong Pan-ak called out softly.
On one side of the perimeter surrounding the drinking table, a young man with bare arms due to his burnt sleeves sat crouched, pretending to look elsewhere.
A handsome young man with deep shadows under his eyes, he was the Hwangbo Young Master of a destroyed clan.
"I am not particularly fond of this idea. Why not send the dead weight first? Either that Moyong fellow or the Gongson brat."
"You are dead weight too."
"Honestly, that is not true. Don't I at least last ten exchanges against you, Unit Commander? As the third strongest expert here, I believe I am qualified to watch our young Unit Commander's back."
"Ten exchanges, my foot. That was only because I went easy on you during our sparring."
"How unlike you to be so stubborn. Haven't we even gone up to twenty forms before? My martial arts are constantly improving as well."
"That was before I acquired my new swordplay. And I didn't even use Brilliant River."
"Indeed, that unfamiliar swordplay of yours was highly intriguing. At any rate, stop talking about ominous things like Brilliant River and send that Moyong fellow over there first."
"Moyong Myeong-jun?"
"His gaze has been unusual for a while now; it looks like he intends to report every detail of your martial arts to the Alliance. Wasn't our main mission to conquer the Sect Founding Ceremony? We cannot leave someone like him here. Judging by the atmosphere, it seems you might have a light clash with the Sword Ghost."
His words were gentle, but the fellow dressed in pink martial robes flinched.
Glancing at him, the son of Jeong Pan-ak argued no further with the Hwangbo Young Master.
"I will send him."
"An excellent choice."
They got along famously. Jeong Pan-ak had never had a friend like that.
Perhaps the closest thing to it was when he taught Baek Seo-gun the Ten Commandments of Go.
She gestured to her subordinates.
The martial soldiers of the Deep Martial Alliance immediately stood up and dragged the Moyong Young Master away.
Held on both sides as he was led down the canyon, the fellow said nothing. He merely closed his eyes slightly, as if in deep humiliation.
Once he disappeared, the Hwangbo Young Master spoke.
"Even if he gets ambushed and dies, that is entirely the Sword Saint's burden. There is no reason for us to care. It's not like we belong to the Alliance."
"I made a promise on my title. Do not tarnish my honor."
Baek Seo-gun's voice was thick with killing intent. It was a realm where one's intent manifested directly through internal power.
While the Hwangbo Young Master's body stiffened, she turned her head back.
When her eyes met the son of Jeong Pan-ak, she was smiling once more. The boy carried the scent of a quiet, long-ago manor.
He drank four more cups.
The children of the Gongson Clan and the Diancang Sect went down first. From then on, the rest were reluctant to leave.
Along with the warriors of the Desolate Fortress, they wished to maintain their loyalty to the Commander of the Demonlight Wing.
At least, until they were scolded by the son of Jeong Pan-ak for being dead weight.
"I have never felt as powerless as I do today. I shall seriously consider improving my martial arts."
The boy with the Hero's Headband also took reluctant steps away. Only the Hwangbo Young Master remained stubborn.
"Ah, do whatever you want. My life doesn't have many interesting things in it anyway."
"……"
The subordinates of the Deep Martial Alliance stared in disbelief at the fellow lying spread-eagled on the ground.
The son of Jeong Pan-ak seemed slightly tipsy. Perhaps his body, before he began training in martial arts, had been weak to alcohol.
Shaking his head, he muttered, "Either way, we'll die around the same time."
What?
His words sparked a question in Baek Seo-gun's mind.
She gently loosened her grip on the liquor bottle.
"If I pour any more, I will only appear unsightly to you. Sharing a drink is supposed to taste best when two minds are in harmony."
"Then?"
The young Commander of the Demonlight Wing raised an eyebrow.
"Shall we settle this like people of the Jianghu? If you can seize the upper hand for even a single exchange, I shall withdraw to Henan. Consider this my own way of showing respect to a direct descendant of the Jeong Family Manor."
"I accept. You must also save face before the Leader of the Deep Martial Alliance," the son of Jeong Pan-ak replied calmly.
She shook her head.
"Do not take this lightly. You are of the Desolate Fortress's Black Rank. That is a level where it is difficult to hold back. If the two of us clash swords, the outcome is hard to predict. Losing a limb would be a minor injury. You could truly die."
"I know."
"I wonder. I have seen many geniuses rumored to be promising. Not a single one of them ever seriously contemplated their own death. Every last one of them believed they would eventually become the greatest under heaven."
Baek Seo-gun spoke calmly, her arms crossed.
She was staring intently at the young master of the Jeong Family Manor. Her words were by no means a provocation.
The Yeongcheon Sword Ghost was a supreme master of the Heterodox Paths. She lived her life returning favors in moderation and engraving grudges into her very bones.
Even if her opponent was the son of Jeong Pan-ak, it was difficult for her to go against her duty as an Elder of the Deep Martial Alliance.
She hoped the boy would not regret anything at the end of a duel between supreme masters.
"……This Unit Commander," the boy slowly parted his lips, "has never taken life and death lightly."
"Your tone is heavy. Very well. I have babbled on too much."
Baek Seo-gun, scanning the young master thoroughly, replied softly.
She thought to herself that once she returned, she would have to properly investigate Jeong Yeon-shin, the Flash Art.
"……"
A brief silence fell.
With the table between them, the two sat facing each other, staring in silence. The sudden quietness ran deep.
A gust of strong wind swept past the two hundred warriors of the Deep Martial Alliance and Lazy Flame Dragon, swirling around the cups.
A whistling sound echoed as the wind wandered over the rims where Jeong Yeon-shin's and Baek Seo-gun's lips had touched.
Shring!
In that instant, a sword ring vibrated from Baek Seo-gun's waist. A sharp beam of light slipped out of its scabbard on its own.
It happened in a split second. Jeong Yeon-shin gripped his sword hilt in reverse with his left hand and drew it straight up.
The Sword Venerable's Sword Kinesis, which was fractionally faster, surged forward relentlessly and clashed with the Divine Sword: Northern Light.
Clang!
Along with the shockwave, the young Commander of the Demonlight Wing's figure was blown backward.
His movement as he immediately flipped in midair to right himself was exceedingly graceful.
It was a peculiar movement technique, as if he had refined the power of the Brightfolk in his own way.
With just a bit more refinement, it seemed it could even rival the Kunlun Sect's Cloud Dragon Eight Forms.
I wonder who raised him.
Baek Seo-gun felt a sense of gratification and gestured once more. The mnemonic of the Eight Illusion Divine Art manifested the function of Sword Kinesis.
The sword wailed under the internal power that flowed cleanly across the empty space.
Hand-Controlled Sword.
With her left hand tucked behind her back, she swept her right hand through the air.
Clang! Cl-cl-clang!
The long trajectory of the flying sword and the short paths of Jeong Yeon-shin's swings tangled together. Streaks of pure white repeatedly obscured the setting sun.
True Qi and force clashed. The impact, bursting with explosive roars, battered the surrounding space.
The shockwaves of the sword strikes, scattering from the collision of internal forces, left fine cracks in the earth.
She dominated the combat interval.
The range of Sword Kinesis far surpassed that of a spear, extending to that of a fired arrow. It was not something that could be approached by ordinary methods.
Baek Seo-gun stood proudly, staring ahead.
The boy, unleashing his strong sword, fluttered his pitch-black sleeves.
The elegant Commander of the Demonlight Wing could not reach her. It was only natural.
"Fuuuu—"
At least, until the boy took a long, deep breath.
Baek Seo-gun's eyes widened. She witnessed an inhalation that remained perfectly undisturbed despite his relentless movement.
It was as if it operated entirely separate from his intense Body Protection Scripture. This was an utterly impossible feat—unless he was breathing through a Divine Art.
Could it be?
The breath was not the end of it.
The black hem of the boy's robe fluttered long behind his back. An aura resonating with the autumn wind began to sprout.
The sword, raised above his head before she knew it, let out a bizarre vibration. It sounded like a gale sweeping through a cavern.
A familiar quality spread from his body, which had now become one with the sword.
A wave rushed in like the wind.
A mysterious aura emanated from the young Commander of the Demonlight Wing's starting stance.
It was no different from what Baek Seo-gun had received from the Brightfolk. It was a spirituality that elevated martial arts into the realm of a Divine Ultimate Technique.
