Chapter 201: Demonlight Wing (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 201: Demonlight Wing (2)
Jegal Hyeon's Taoist arts were fascinating.
It was a kind of amusement he had never experienced before, the movements feeling entirely novel.
The sensation of his body moving on its own, guided by an external force, was deeply unfamiliar to Jeong Yeon-shin. He had always relied solely on himself.
In the past, he had only ever watched from afar as the brothers of the Jeong Family Manor mingled with the children of Xinye County. Now, the profound Taoist arts of the Jegal Clan managed to fill a small fraction of the loneliness he had felt back then. It was a strange realization, even to himself.
He had once coveted the swings ridden during the Dano Festival, used to pray for a bountiful harvest to the Brightfolk earth deity. Now, that childhood envy finally began to fade.
Back then, he hadn't even been allowed near the playthings. They said he would bring bad luck.
But what he had truly wanted wasn't the swing itself—it was affection.
'I received help from the Fan Dragon in so many ways.'
Jegal Hyeon was the one who had unlocked the clue to the Lightning-Flash Sword Ridge Style. He was a true gentleman, utterly incomparable to the Lazy Flame Dragon.
Among everyone he had befriended within the Alliance, Jegal Hyeon was arguably his most precious connection.
"When you return to Hanzhong, I will show you a changed Jegal Clan," Jegal Hyeon said.
His younger sister, Jegal Cheong-a, had relinquished her right to succeed as clan head. She was different from Ak Ye-rim.
Because she had focused so intensively on training her eye technique, the Serene Deep Eye, her overall martial prowess was lacking.
To act as a clan head required a formidable level of martial arts. The heads of noble clans were superhumans who managed family affairs while wielding peerless martial power.
Thus, Jegal Hyeon was chosen to succeed.
With his talent and comprehension, he would easily reach the level of a clan head in the long run.
The Fan Dragon's reputation had always been stellar. He simply hadn't met the Jegal Clan Leader's strict standards before. Now, however, the term "Reincarnated Crouching Dragon" was practically taboo within the clan, and he was smoothly undergoing his training to succeed as its head.
Jeong Yeon-shin nodded silently. He had just been thanked for shouldering Jegal Cheong-a's burden.
He had finished saying all his goodbyes inside. He would see Perfected Heavenly Pillar, Yu-hyeon, and even the Tang Clan Leader, Tang Un-hwang, again someday. Now, only the journey back remained.
"We will meet again."
"There are plenty of unorthodox sects in Liaodong too! If you ever come to subjugate them, please stop by our family!"
The speakers were a woman with an impassive face but sharp energy, and a boy with sparkling, pitch-black eyes.
The Small Sword Empress and Gongson Min.
His connection with them was not light either. The sense of qi in his upper dantian seemed to tell him so, gently pricking his mind with a refreshing coolness.
He hadn't had the chance to experience Small Sword Empress Chwi So-ok's Shooting Sun Sword Technique due to the chaotic circumstances, but he had a premonition that he would eventually broaden his horizons through the thrusts of the Diancang Sect.
It was likely a trustworthy feeling, considering his Baihui point had expanded to the size of an autumn chestnut.
'Will the day ever come when I can use this premonition in battle?'
No answer came to the sudden question. Jeong Yeon-shin slowly turned around.
In the distance, the two who had been leading the way and watching their Black Rank junior nodded.
They were Ak Su-rim and Hahu Wi-jin. Their posture clearly conveyed their reluctance to associate with the Alliance.
Jeong Yeon-shin took a slow step forward. The pitch-black robe trailing around his feet rustled.
Rustle.
Jegal Cheong-a and Miss Ye followed.
The blue and white hems of their trousers gently brushed the ground. They would be walking together all the way back to the Desolate Fortress.
They were acting as an envoy of courtesy, sent because the Alliance Leader wished to promote peace with the Desolate Fortress.
Jegal Cheong-a had spoken of returning a personal favor. She hoped to become a guest warrior of the Demonlight Wing under Jeong Yeon-shin.
According to Heonwon Chang's speculation, she was a girl who had noticed Jeong Yeon-shin's unique constitution.
He remarked that since she was walking into the fortress on her own two feet, she clearly knew the value of her own life.
'Is it pity?'
He felt no insidious motives from her. Jegal Cheong-a's disposition was clear and transparent.
It had been that way ever since she first asked to join him. It was just that her innermost thoughts were difficult to read.
If so, he would leave the final decision to the Desolate Fortress's Grand Steward's office.
She would be a great asset to the Demonlight Wing, which was currently short on manpower. An expert in eye techniques would certainly help them navigate a variety of situations.
"Do not approach the Unit Commander carelessly," Heonwon Chang warned.
"He's right. You two had better keep your distance. It only gets tiring otherwise," the Lazy Flame Dragon added as he and Heonwon Chang walked past Jegal Cheong-a and Miss Ye.
Namgung Hwa-shin silently overtook them as well, taking his place behind Jeong Yeon-shin.
The sound of footsteps slowly crushed the dirt. His escort was quite formidable.
Jeong Yeon-shin felt the gazes of Miss Ye and Jegal Cheong-a. They seemed to be staring intently at his back.
Their dispositions were quite different from that of the Sword Saint, who had refused to make a fuss by seeing him off.
'What I gained from the Alliance was swordsmanship and people.'
Those who had originally accompanied him, and those who were newly joining him.
The fallen leaves piled thickly along the road, cushioning the soles of his feet as softly as cotton.
It was said that the dry leaves scattered across the Jianghu represented the relationships and time accumulated as they layered over one another.
As he undertook more missions, his life, much like his Baihui point, grew richer and more profound.
The name Jeong Yeon-shin would endure, even if he failed to assimilate the fruit of the World Tree.
'Where will the next mission be?'
He left the main gates of the Alliance behind. It was truly the end.
*
The Chief Steward's Office of the Desolate Fortress.
The long desks, arranged in neat horizontal and vertical rows, were exceedingly elegant. Crafted from red sandalwood, they gleamed with a deep bronze luster.
Scholars, seated far apart from one another, meticulously wrote down characters with their brushes. A thick scent of ink drifted through the air.
The scholars filling the seats easily numbered in the dozens, carrying an aura of solemnity that was no less imposing than that of the warriors.
The seat of honor was located at the very end of the room.
A burly man in a brown robe sat there. He was a middle-aged man with a thick, pitch-black beard, and an aura like solid steel radiated from his entire body.
He was the Grand Steward of the Desolate Fortress. The young man in a black robe standing before his desk looked almost fragile in comparison.
"Isn't that from the Eastern Depot? I wondered what it was, seeing it tossed aside like that," said the Black Rank expert facing the Grand Steward.
He was Jin Myeong-jo, the Commander of the Bloodkeeper Unit of the Desolate Fortress.
He had pale skin and slender facial features. The energy surrounding his body gave his black robe a chilling texture.
He gestured briefly with his chin toward a corner of the Grand Steward's desk—a small action that carried a strangely sinister quality. It was simply his natural aura.
The Grand Steward glanced at the letter carelessly strewn on the corner of his desk. Then, he spoke slowly.
"The eunuch Myeong-yeo protested. Since a branch head's head rolled right from the start, his future must have looked quite bleak. To be honest, even I didn't expect things to go that far."
He curled the corners of his mouth into a smirk and continued.
"That eunuch fellow was pressing me since he couldn't say anything directly to Young Master Jeong. I could feel the sorrow of the Eastern Depot eunuchs in his handwriting. Personally, I find it highly gratifying to see those who used to vie for power with our Unit Commanders groveling the moment the imperial family is even slightly involved."
Grand Steward Im Jin-myeong was a man who would scold even Black Rank experts over matters of personnel and budget. His own martial prowess was of an exceptionally high caliber.
Thus, he spoke informally to the Unit Commanders who were younger than him.
The only exception was the Commander of the Demonlight Wing, who had been bestowed with the martial arts of the Fortress Lord.
Jin Myeong-jo, the Commander of the Bloodkeeper Unit, accepted the Grand Steward's informal speech naturally.
"I have heard plenty about the new Commander of the Demonlight Wing. I was actually acquainted with the Yunyang Branch Head," Jin Myeong-jo said.
"Her greed was excessive," the Grand Steward replied. "It would have ended in ruin one way or another. She was simply unfortunate enough to run into Young Master Jeong's sword—and far too early at that."
"I heard he took her head in a single stroke."
"Young Master Jeong's decisiveness has been a perfect fit for our fortress ever since he entered. One could even call him the incarnation of the Desolate Fortress. His swordplay is truly noble. Is a swift, unhesitating strike not the very virtue of our fortress's warriors?" the Grand Steward said with a satisfied smile.
Jin Myeong-jo tilted his head slightly to the side, narrowing his eyes languidly.
"There are rumors that the new Commander of the Demonlight Wing is favored by the Imperial Grandson. It seems it might not be entirely groundless, then? I thought it was just idle gossip."
"I wouldn't know. Who would?"
"In any case, I hope that fellow doesn't return."
"Hmm? Why is that?"
"Isn't the Demonlight Wing's strength depleted? To make up for their numbers, several martial units will have to make sacrifices. Our Bloodkeeper Unit alone has four or five members of the Flash Art lineage. It's a massive headache."
"I believe they are distributed fairly evenly among the seventeen units."
"I don't want to give them up."
"Who would want to? Just accept it. It's not like this is the first or second time."
"Doesn't that mean we have to engage in a martial duel again?"
"Isn't it just that you don't want to hand over your subordinates so easily? You should be grateful for the duel festival. If not for that, we would have allocated personnel like the military does—by force."
"Don't bring up the military. I've always thought this system goes against the times. It's not a martial arts tournament for marriage, so why must we hand over our own subordinates just because we lose a bet?"
"You really are something. You don't want to lose your subordinates, yet you're too lazy to step up for a duel."
"Am I the only one?"
"You probably are. The other Unit Commanders are practically itching to go. Not because they hate losing their subordinates, but purely because they view it as an opportunity to trade blows with the newcomer."
"..."
"Aren't you curious about the new Commander of the Demonlight Wing? He is the grandmaster of the Demon-Quelling Azure Steel Hand, which you detest so much. The Commander of the Forest-Treading Unit and the Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit are practically waiting for him. To think someone who isn't even of the Brightfolk can wield such an auspicious technique."
"They aren't waiting to pick a fight; they are looking forward to it. Aren't they of noble clans, after all?"
"You really are hopeless."
"I'm bound to run into them again because of this. I've been avoiding them because I didn't want to see them look down on me, as if telling me to just go join the Blood Flame Cult."
Jin Myeong-jo, the Commander of the Bloodkeeper Unit, spoke bitterly. He made no effort to hide his sarcastic tone, but the Grand Steward did not bother to point it out.
A Black Rank expert of the Desolate Fortress was not subordinate to the head of the Chief Steward's Office. This remained true regardless of Im Jin-myeong's informal speech.
"How annoying. I really should have just taken any mission and run away..."
His disgust was genuine. The pale-faced young man roughly ruffled his hair, which was even whiter than his complexion.
An irregular wave rippled between his long, slender fingers—a sinister yet sophisticated energy.
Watching him with a blank expression, the Grand Steward curled his lips.
"Don't worry. The world is in chaos, so you'll have to head out soon anyway."
"After the duel with the Commander of the Demonlight Wing, that is," Jin Myeong-jo muttered weakly.
The Grand Steward nodded with a sly grin.
"You've only just returned, haven't you? The missions assigned to the Black Ranks are determined by the meticulous calculations of the Chief Steward's Office. The state of the Jianghu, the flow of events, the martial prowess of both the opponent and the Unit Commander, the composition of the martial unit... Even when we issue a mission after considering absolutely everything, something always goes awry. That is the Jianghu. It naturally takes time."
"Yes, well, I understand your salary was docked because of the incident with the Demonlight Wing in Sichuan. I heard you were harshly scolded by the Elder Council Head?"
"Enough about that. In any case, a clash of divine arts..."
The Grand Steward smiled as he pulled tea leaves from his desk drawer.
"It will be a feast for the eyes."
*
Jeong Yeon-shin had to separate from his three subordinates.
"Flash Art. Over here."
"It is only right for the newcomer to lead the way."
Ak Su-rim and Hahu Wi-jin called out to the new Commander of the Demonlight Wing.
They were the Black Rank seniors who had rescued Jeong Yeon-shin from the Jegal Clan Leader. He had no choice but to comply.
Leaving behind the Blue Rank experts of the Forest-Treading Unit, he walked under the curious gazes of the peerless masters.
The three of them fell into step along the wide public road.
Jeong Yeon-shin first had to endure Ak Su-rim's chattering. She tilted her head up to look at her junior, pitch-black lightning flashing in her eyes.
Her gaze alone revealed a terrifying mastery of internal energy.
"You called it the Lightning-Flash Sword Ridge Style, right? Are there any unnamed forms among its components? Any left over?"
"The ones I received from the Sword Saint were the last," he replied.
"How many forms?"
"Three sword forms."
"There will be more, right? It can't possibly end with just three. Since your swordsmanship will grow alongside your achievements, once you've laid the foundation, the next ones are bound to follow."
"I have a question."
"Oh? Ask me anything," Ak Su-rim replied with a grin.
Jeong Yeon-shin, who had offered a polite greeting with his eyes, slowly parted his lips.
He was thinking of his maternal grandfather, who was lying in bed like a half-corpse.
"Does rejuvenation also affect the Baihui point?"
"Hmm? Why are you curious about that?"
"If my grandfather takes the Great Restoration Pill, his internal energy is likely to be reborn... Since he recently learned a decent dynamic cultivation art, if he is lucky, he might even be able to hope for the state of Pure Blue Fire. However, this junior does not fully understand the state of the Unity of Essence, Qi, and Spirit. I wonder if the purified true qi also interferes with the mind."
"Huh?"
"I am curious if Senior Ak's speech and behavior were similar to how they are now, even before you regained your youthful appearance. This question has no hidden meaning, so I hope you will not misunderstand it."
It was a genuine question.
The current Divine Spear of the Desolate Fortress suited her lighthearted way of speaking well. She was a peerless master who had reversed the physical time of her body.
She possessed a highly unique aura. Her appearance, which contrasted sharply with her immense martial power, created an exotic atmosphere.
However, the Ak Su-rim from before her rejuvenation surely wouldn't have maintained the same speech and behavior as she did now.
The people of the Jianghu valued face and honor above all else.
Even the experts of the heterodox sects carried themselves in a manner that matched their energy.
Ma Yeon-jeok was his only grandfather.
If the Jeong Family Dynamic Art, the Great Restoration Pill, and heaven's luck came together to reverse his age, that would be well and good.
But if he were to become someone other than the Ma Yeon-jeok of old, it would be somewhat saddening. That was why he asked.
Ak Su-rim's small lips pressed shut.
"Bwahahaha—!"
"What an incredibly audacious brat! To say such a thing to the Divine Spear of the Desolate Fortress, no less!"
The laughter burst from the mouth of the Thousand-Fist Dragon-Strength Retainer, Hahu Wi-jin.
He had been looking down at the two of them with a grumpy expression, only to burst into roaring laughter the moment he saw Ak Su-rim's reaction.
Perhaps because of his massive build and deep, abyss-like internal power, his booming laughter sounded like rolling thunder.
"He's telling you to act your age! For a Han, you certainly have a silver tongue! You must have quite a knack for provocation!"
"No. I do not know much about provocation either," Jeong Yeon-shin replied calmly.
From behind, there was the sound of someone choking. It was a presence he could feel clearly without even having to turn around.
The Lazy Flame Dragon, who had been walking with his hands clasped behind his back, spat out the poppy he was chewing. It was accompanied by a breath mixed with stifled laughter.
The Commander of the Demonlight Wing furrowed his brows.
'What.'