Chapter 203: Demonlight Wing (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 203: Demonlight Wing (4)
“How ridiculous.”
The Lord of the Desolate Fortress slowly parted her lips.
“Ignorant of her own impending ruin.”
She was reclined against the lustrous brown trunk of an ancient tree, using it as a bed. Her hair cascaded from her neck to her lower back, spread out like long blades of grass. Yet, she did not seem the slightest bit defenseless.
This was true even though she was in a posture ill-suited for combat.
A serene aura clung to her face as she turned her head slightly, her gaze alone commanding silence. Her green eyes remained fixed on a point beyond the shoulders of the three unit commanders, and in an instant, a terrifying tension erupted.
It was as if the silence itself held weight, the surrounding atmosphere tightening like a bowstring.
Ruin?
Jeong Yeon-shin echoed the word in his mind.
She was a master who seemed to be the most tranquil existence in the entire Murim. He believed her perspective as a peerless expert was akin to that of the World Tree—looking down upon all creation.
The aura of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress was both pure and lofty. It was almost impossible to imagine her harboring hostility toward anyone. Even when she had swung her sword at the Blood Flame Cult Leader and the Pure Demon Alliance Leader, it had been no different.
It had felt as though she were simply doing what must be done, moving through a world entirely her own.
Thus, her mention of "ruin" was puzzling.
Had the Alliance envoy displeased her? Or did she share some ill fate with the Ye Family?
“I’ll have to demand answers from the family head,” Miss Ye muttered. Just protecting the kids isn't going to cut it.
She stood slightly behind and to the side of Jeong Yeon-shin. Her tone was lower than usual; even Miss Ye, who was always so brazenly self-centered, seemed to feel the tension of the moment. It was only natural.
“I greet the noble Lord of the Desolate Fortress.”
Rustle.
The sound of rustling fabric followed as Miss Ye bowed respectfully to the Lord. Her presence felt light as she raised her clasped hands in a salute, her movements imbued with her unique Body Protection Scripture.
Despite hearing the word "ruin," she maintained her composure. It was a remarkably resilient mindset, especially considering that if the Lord chose to strike, escaping death would be nearly impossible.
“Thanks to my fortunate birth, I have heard many things,” Miss Ye said. “I wanted to see what was on your mind. I was deeply curious about how you would cherish the treasure you managed to embrace through sheer, miraculous luck.”
“...”
Sunlight seemed to dissolve in the eyes of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress. The light streaming from the window infused them with a leaf-green brilliance.
Is she seeing right through the Alliance envoy's inner thoughts? Jeong Yeon-shin sensed it through his Qi. Her eyes held an overwhelming abyss.
Under that gaze, the very air seemed to turn transparent.
She parted her lips.
“Speak.”
“If I die by your hand now, it means there is wickedness in me. If I leave here alive, it means my heart is pure. The Lord's eyes are particularly famous on our side—said to pierce through both people and time.”
“You dare to measure me.”
“Seeing them in person, I know it to be true. If there is no way for me to be of help to the treasure you hold, my life will end here. If I survive, I will be able to watch over you.”
“How bold. Do you wish to use these eyes as your mirror?”
“To me, that proof is worth my life.”
Miss Ye's words were refined. The sheer dignity of a prestigious family could be felt in her speech and behavior. Her smooth voice was no longer light; even Jeong Yeon-shin, who was listening, was slightly surprised.
The Lord of the Desolate Fortress tilted her head slightly.
“I feel the remnants of your adoptive father on those hands. What became of him?”
“He has vanished from this world. He will never lay a hand on my treasure again.”
“I command you: do not call it yours.”
“It is not yours either.”
Miss Ye's voice was sharp. Having spoken back in defiance, she fell silent. Such words were not to be uttered to a peerless expert, one who stood closest to being the greatest under heaven. Silence spread like a sheet of ice.
What is this?
The conversation planted a seed of doubt in Jeong Yeon-shin. Miss Ye's speech and behavior had felt familiar for some time. Even with her different voice and appearance, a certain thought came to mind. An assumption had formed in his mind, but he’d dismissed it as too absurd.
The Seventh Apostle of the Blood Flame Cult was the Grand Military Counselor of the Martial World Alliance's Imperial Procession Agency? How could she hide her true nature and even evade the eyes of the Sword Saint?
Jeong Yeon-shin, who possessed the Law-Transcending Halo Qi, had felt nothing. It had been the same even when their hands touched.
Could it be?
Just as Jeong Yeon-shin's eyes narrowed, Miss Ye spoke again.
“Since I have destroyed the one who showed me grace with these very hands, there is only one meaning left in my life. I... I hope to survive here. I hope my desire to refine this precious gem is pure.”
Her voice hung in the air, no longer carrying its usual confidence. A certain longing and yearning could be felt within it. She sounded as detached as someone who had placed their neck on an executioner's block. Just hearing her voice made it easy to picture her expression, lips pursed tightly.
At that moment, a young woman's voice, boiling with True Qi, rang out.
“Listening to you talk, you’re incredibly insolent, aren't you?”
Swoosh.
A terrifying shockwave cut through the space. Scattered silver light brushed against the sunlight pouring in from the window. In the brief moment it took Jeong Yeon-shin to turn, a spearhead was already resting against Miss Ye's neck.
Ak Su-rim, the Divine Spear of the Desolate Fortress, had struck. The lingering force of her movement sent the hair of both women fluttering.
“Don’t be insolent,” Ak Su-rim continued, holding her long spear with one hand.
The Vice Commander of the Divine Sword Corps' Divine Sword Squad. The sharp edge radiating from her weapon was formidable. The pure white spear-light glowed as if it had compressed the sunlight itself.
Drawing a weapon in the presence of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress was not considered disrespectful. Unlike ordinary rulers, no weapon could pose a threat to the Lord. It was said to be an ancient custom, a testament to the vast discretion granted to Black Rank experts. Their rank allowed them to judge situations for themselves and wield their weapons accordingly.
“Your manner of speech is vulgar. Quite fitting for a servant of our clan.”
Hahu Wi-jin, Commander of the Forest-Treading Unit, now stood behind Miss Ye. His massive fist was slightly raised, looking ready to crush her head at any moment. The colorless waves of energy leaking from between his fingers seemed to be a warning: he had only refrained from executing her on the spot because the Lord had deigned to converse with her.
The scene laid bare the power of the Desolate Fortress.
Even Jeong Yeon-shin would find it difficult to survive in that position. If he were in Miss Ye's place, he would have to prepare for death. Three Black Ranks, plus the Lord of the Desolate Fortress.
It was no exaggeration to call this the most dangerous space under heaven. The favor Ak Su-rim had shown him, casually calling him "Seomye, Seomye," suddenly felt incredibly heavy.
Step.
Jegal Cheong-a, who was behind him, took a small step closer to Jeong Yeon-shin, clearly frightened by the unfolding situation. It was understandable. Even he hadn't anticipated such a turn of events.
Amidst the tension, the voice of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress rang out.
“You overrate my eyes. My Extinction Sword is fickle. It is wielded according to my whim, so you must prove your worth.”
“I will do anything,” Miss Ye said. “Anything, as long as I can remain by his side.”
Immediately, the Lord’s clear, resonant voice returned.
“Remain within the main fortress. You must not harm anyone. Your treatment will be decided later.”
It meant she would not be executed immediately.
“Then, in your eyes, I am...” Miss Ye parted her lips, the corners of her mouth curling upward. “...not a wicked existence, at least not to myself or your treasure? That is enough for now. I am very, very glad. To think I would feel joy from you.”
“I told you not to be insolent,” Ak Su-rim said, furrowing her brow. She still held her spear, and the force gathered at its tip drew a thin line of blood on Miss Ye's neck. It was a technique different from the full-body Fa Jin of the new Commander of the Demonlight Wing. The True Qi, rising in tandem with her intent, had sharpened itself—a sight that proved her realm was the Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak.
Miss Ye paid it no mind. Even as the sharp contrast of white skin and red blood appeared beneath her slender chin, she said what she needed to say in an exceedingly gentle tone.
“I have learned two things: how short-handed the Desolate Fortress is these days, and how dearly you cherish the treasure held in your embrace. My heart is both at ease and uneasy, but I must be satisfied with this for now.”
She smiled brightly.
“I am deeply grateful for your leniency. I shall behave myself during my stay.”
“Go down with the child of the Jegal clan,” the Lord of the Desolate Fortress commanded, her face expressionless. This was her decision regarding the Alliance envoys, permitting them entry into the Desolate Fortress.
Ak Su-rim's spear swept back in a magnificent arc.
“You, try to stay out of sight as much as possible,” she spat.
Smiling silently, Miss Ye glanced at Jeong Yeon-shin and turned to leave. The edge of her white eyepatch, cascading down with her ebony hair, fluttered. The more he watched, the more her familiar behavior caught his eye.
Could it be?
In the mind of the new Commander of the Demonlight Wing, a single thread of suspicion began to sprout.
Tug.
Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly felt a tug on his sleeve. He was pulled by a small hand. Turning, he saw Jegal Cheong-a. The girl, who had unconsciously grabbed his sleeve, parted her lips anxiously. At this rate, the audience with the Lord would end without her uttering a single word.
“I greet the Lord of the Desolate Fortress! I am Cheong-a of the Jegal clan, and I beg you to let me serve as a guest warrior of the Demonlight Wing...!”
“Granted.”
Her face brightening, Jegal Cheong-a followed Miss Ye down. She let go of Jeong Yeon-shin's sleeve, startled at her own boldness. It seemed she intended to wait below. That she would obey after hearing only a single word was a testament to the absolute influence of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress.
A single word from the Lord stood above all laws of the Fortress. She was supported by absolute trust. Such was the power of the Lord's eyes. Under her gaze, all deliberations and procedures became meaningless—a fact that seemed to be well-known even to the Alliance.
“What a chaotic mind,” Hahu Wi-jin muttered.
Only the Lord and the Black Ranks were left.
Ak Su-rim and Hahu Wi-jin did not ask about what had just transpired. This was the way of the Desolate Fortress's peak experts. If an order was to be given, the Lord would give it; if not, as subordinates, they had no reason to pry.
Jeong Yeon-shin also decided to clear his mind of his doubts for now.
The new Commander of the Demonlight Wing finally stepped closer to the Lord of the Desolate Fortress.
Rustle.
Jeong Yeon-shin slowly knelt on his left knee, joined by his two seniors. With one knee on the ground, they clasped their hands in a formal salute—the etiquette reserved solely for the Lord.
“Vice Commander of the Divine Sword Corps Ak Su-rim reports to the Lord. Along with the Commander of the Forest-Treading Unit, I have escorted the Commander of the Demonlight Wing to the main fortress. There are three lightly wounded in the Forest-Treading Unit, but no casualties.”
“The Commander of the Forest-Treading Unit greets the Lord. All is well,” the two unit commanders reported.
The Desolate Fortress was essentially a sect situated between the government and the Murim, meaning it possessed characteristics of both the military and a martial arts clan. While laws existed as in the military, there was no fixed format for reports. One could tell just by the words the Commander of the Forest-Treading Unit spat out, which perfectly matched his personality. That was likely the highest level of respect Hahu Wi-jin could muster.
In contrast, Ak Su-rim's professional demeanor was a refreshing sight to Jeong Yeon-shin. With her pitch-black short hair and flowing black robe, she urged him with a glance to make the next report.
If she were to become the next Commander of the Divine Sword Corps, perhaps the spirit of the Corps would become more lively.
Senior Ak is surely my strongest rival, Jeong Yeon-shin thought as he opened his mouth.
“...The Commander of the Demonlight Wing reports his return. I have returned victorious from the Sect Founding Ceremony of the Martial World Alliance. White Qilin Namgung Hwa-shin, drafted as a guest warrior from the Heaven-Aligned Wing, and two others have also returned safely.”
“You may raise your head.”
The sunlight shining from ahead was dazzling. A voice that seemed dappled with sunlight tickled his ears.
“Commander of the Demonlight Wing, look into my eyes.”
Finally.
Jeong Yeon-shin faced the pale countenance of the Lord.
She slowly raised her upper body, drawing in her long, outstretched legs. Her light-green, wide-sleeved robes, like those of a court dress, brushed against the bark with a soft rustle as she sat cross-legged.
The Lord of the Desolate Fortress slowly parted her lips.
“You have achieved a merit worthy of praise. You may choose your reward.”
Jeong Yeon-shin fell silent for a moment. Though he had grown accustomed to her face and her now-familiar lips, he naturally became cautious. Even without any pressure from her, he found himself paying close attention to his every word and action. Her features and aura, which seemed to have descended from a realm beyond the mortal world, created such an atmosphere.
However, he had to say what needed to be said. That was what he had learned from the Hero of the Desolate Fortress and the Lazy Flame Dragon, and from Jegal Hyeon and Jegal Cheong-a as well.
Gazing up at the Lord of the Desolate Fortress, the new Commander of the Demonlight Wing slowly spoke.
“I do not wish to choose. Would it be possible to give me everything?”
“...!”
Ak Su-rim silently parted her lips, her mouth forming the words, Are you crazy?
Hahu Wi-jin turned to stare at his rookie junior with wide eyes.
Yet Jeong Yeon-shin remained bold.
With a small movement, he pulled a book from his breast pocket. In the silence, only the sound of paper brushing against his black robe echoed.
The gaze of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress swept over the words Compendium of Crushing the Righteous. It was only for a fleeting moment.
Soon after, she let out a small laugh.