Chapter 21: Middle Dantian
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 21: Middle Dantian
"I believe I mentioned it when I assigned you the Blood Flame Cultist case. The Mount Hua Sect has lost their Purple Grace Pill."
"You said the Shaanxi branch had no hands to spare because of it. Thanks to that, I was able to capture the Blood Master Sword."
"Indeed. And the situation remains unresolved. The Purple Grace Pill is a treasure of that caliber—a spirit medicine akin to a supreme artifact of the martial world. The factions under suspicion, the sects taking the lead in interrogations to curry favor with Mount Hua, and the myriad martial artists seizing this perfect opportunity to settle old grudges... every sect in Shaanxi Province has become entangled in this mess."
"...Martial artists must be running rampant, then."
His face betrayed no gravity. The Shaanxi martial world, an expanse vaster than most small nations, was entirely embroiled in this chaos. He couldn't help but feel a thrill of anticipation.
He already understood what this meant. Those who claimed to walk the world with their swords were currently swarming all over Shaanxi Province.
Every single one of them was a martial artist who could help him refine his Infinite Flower of Time Fist.
Did his inner thoughts show on his face? Ma Jin, who had brought the proposal, couldn't hide a sour expression.
"You will accompany the Mount Hua Sect. You are to assist them in their search for the Purple Grace Pill until the conflict settles down."
"A martial artist from an outside organization helping them find their own sect's spirit elixir...?"
"It also serves as a form of surveillance. Mount Hua is well aware of this. There has already been a major clash with the Unorthodox Factions, resulting in the complete demolition of one of the largest inns in Xi'an. The casualties were immense. The role of the Demonlight Wing is to keep the Mount Hua Sect—the very center of this storm—from exercising their martial force too recklessly."
"Will Mount Hua accept that?"
"The Mount Hua Sect wishes to become a second Shaolin. As representatives of the Taoist sects, they desire the imperial family's official recognition. Even if you were to go alone, you would be treated with considerable respect. Though, of course, they will also try to keep you in check."
"..."
Jeong Yeon-shin fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly.
"A conflict of this scale doesn't happen often in the Jianghu. Since the justification is already set, it sounds like a position where I can swing my sword to my heart's content in real combat."
"Yes. Given the nature of your talent, I believe you will achieve gains incomparable to mere training. It is an opportunity to freely trade blows with all kinds of renowned martial artists under the banner of the Desolate Fortress."
He had already agreed in his heart. Martial arts that had not tasted real combat were no different from mere theory.
Since the Infinite Flower of Time Fist was a fist technique he had only just created, it still lacked proper forms, but he felt he could flesh them out during this mission.
Furthermore, opportunities to witness the martial arts of the Nine Sects firsthand would not come often.
"You have already successfully completed one mission. This time, the choice is at your discretion."
"I will go."
He did not hesitate for long. He also felt the need to distance himself from the Desolate Ma Clan for a while.
There was no telling how his mad maternal grandfather might try to win him over. The moment they exchanged anything as blood relatives, he would be firmly entangled. It could end up holding him back just when he needed to move forward.
I should accumulate merits and stay out in the field as much as possible without taking any breaks.
Having made up his mind, Jeong Yeon-shin raised his head.
"Who will be in the group?"
"The same team as the Blood Flame Cult mission. Heonwon Chang is a newcomer, and Cheong-myeong and Baek Mi-ryeo's disciplinary period for the incident with the Azure Sky Unit at the tavern hasn't ended yet. They volunteered very enthusiastically. And I will be going with you."
"You are going, Commander?"
"If we are dealing with the Nine Sects, someone of a Divine Sword Corps Unit Commander's rank must go to match their status."
"When do we depart?"
"Now that the team is assembled, we intend to set out first thing tomorrow. Pack your bags as soon as you return."
Jeong Yeon-shin nodded slowly. It seemed studying under the Lord of the Desolate Fortress would have to wait until he returned.
Right now, he needed to consolidate his Infinite Flower of Time Fist. The experience from this mission would be of immense help.
* * *
A few brilliantly falling plum blossoms shimmered in the sunlight, casting a soft pink hue.
The wind, flowing in elegant cursive strokes like a master scholar's calligraphy, swept past the five warriors of the Demonlight Wing along with a flurry of petals.
I hope the next mission is somewhere with a proper post station road, Jeong Yeon-shin thought.
He felt that the time slipping away during travel was a waste.
The rows of fully bloomed plum blossoms pressed upon him with a sense of urgency unlike before. Time simply refused to stop.
"It's a shame. This is the heart of the Shaanxi martial world, isn't it? To think we can't even wear our Desolate Fortress uniforms," Heonwon Chang grumbled.
Instead of their conspicuous Desolate Fortress uniforms, they wore ordinary clothes. This was out of consideration for the Mount Hua Sect's face.
"It doesn't seem as bustling as Xiangyang is right now," Jeong Yeon-shin remarked.
He had grown accustomed to brushing off Heonwon Chang's idle chatter. The way Heonwon Chang immediately grinned, as if he hadn't just been grumbling a moment ago, was proof enough.
"They say Shaanxi's Xi'an is a metropolis where all kinds of experts gather and interact. And that's even excluding Mount Hua and Zhongnan."
"I see."
Responding calmly, Jeong Yeon-shin looked around. It was certainly different.
Unlike Xiangyang, where large merchant groups and all sorts of street vendors crowded the streets in chaotic harmony, this place possessed a much more orderly elegance.
It was likely because the city had flourished for a very long time, long before the founding of the current dynasty.
The group dismounted in front of a massive inn boasting a two-hundred-year tradition. In appearance, it was practically a grand pavilion.
Whenever they passed through a city, they never stayed in shabby places. Such was the wealth of the Desolate Fortress.
Dismounting his horse, Ma Jin spoke.
"Xi'an is the territory of the Zhongnan Sect. It is not a place where Mount Hua can just stir up trouble as they please. We must be cautious as well."
"Ugh... Before entering the main fortress, I never thought I'd become closer friends with a horse than my own sword."
Heonwon Chang patted his aching waist and thighs.
It was then.
The doors of the inn suddenly swung open. At the same moment, Jeong Yeon-shin sensed a dense gathering of powerful energy.
"The experts of the Desolate Fortress have arrived. We have been waiting."
A group of Taoist priests and priestesses filed out in perfect, orderly unison. Though they numbered well over a dozen, there was no clutter or noise.
The approaching crowd felt like a single, massive blade.
The most striking feature was the plum blossom embroidery adorning the hems of their white martial robes.
The Mount Hua Sect!
The middle-aged swordsman leading them exuded a formidable aura that matched his sharp features. It was a pressure comparable to when Jeong Yeon-shin had first faced Ma Jin.
"Perfected Heavenly Pillar. You must have been waiting long. The road was rough, so we barely managed to arrive on schedule."
Ma Jin clasped his hands in a brief salute.
Beside him, Jeong Yeon-shin felt Heonwon Chang flinch slightly. Should he praise the man for not opening his mouth to make a fuss?
The leader of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen.
He was known as the Hwasan Sword Excellence, Heavenly Pillar. It was a famous Taoist name. His reputation was far from confined to Shaanxi Province alone.
An extremely powerful master who led the absolute elite swordsmen of the Mount Hua Sect had personally descended the mountain.
"Commander of the Demonlight Wing, Sun Lotus Sword Enchantress, and Blue-Eyed Demon Sword. All familiar faces."
Perfected Heavenly Pillar swept his gaze over the three with an expressionless face.
Demon Sword?
The Blue-Eyed Demon Sword, Cheong-myeong. It was the first time Jeong Yeon-shin had heard that moniker. It was highly unexpected. Just how did he fight his enemies to earn such a title?
When Jeong Yeon-shin glanced back at Cheong-myeong, the man merely offered a faint smirk.
In Zhenping County, he had only seen Cheong-myeong lightly trade blows with a Blood Flame Cultist. He couldn't help but be curious.
"No introductions are necessary. The swords we crossed in the past should suffice."
The clash between the entire Demonlight Wing and the Plum Blossom Swordsmen was an incredibly famous incident. Jeong Yeon-shin had heard that the Desolate Fortress suffered not a single casualty, but there was no telling how the Mount Hua Sect had fared.
"I see how the Desolate Fortress regards this matter. To think even the Demonlight Wing would bring along a mere disciple."
Perfected Heavenly Pillar's blade-like gaze seemed poised to pierce right through Jeong Yeon-shin, but he brushed it off with nonchalance.
He had just come from facing the Lord of the Desolate Fortress and the former Commander of the Divine Sword Corps. Even if the Hwasan Sword Excellence was a great master, he could not compare to them.
Hmm?
Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly noticed a swordsman of a similar age standing among the Mount Hua experts.
He had a languid look about him. He even let out a small yawn, as if everything in the world were trivial.
When their eyes met, the young Taoist smirked and looked up at the sky.
Ma Jin, who had remained quiet for a moment, finally spoke.
"That is..."
"The Desolate Fortress disciple over there seems rather unusual as well. Why don't we let him exchange pointers with our Sect Leader's disciple? Though we have acknowledged each other, traveling together is bound to be awkward. This could serve as a little entertainment," Heavenly Pillar said, turning his gaze to Ma Jin.
He wants to break our spirits.
He had been told that the Mount Hua Sect knew this accompaniment was a form of surveillance. They were one of the preeminent sword sects in the world. Even if they had permitted this due to the imperial family, there was no way they were pleased about it.
Since it would be awkward for the core experts to clash when they were supposed to travel together, they sought to determine superiority through the future of their respective organizations.
"A Desolate Fortress disciple?" Heonwon Chang muttered blankly.
It referred to the trainees of the Desolate Fortress who had not yet become White-Ranked Warriors. The Demonlight Wing children who had come to watch when Jeong Yeon-shin fought the Azure Sky Unit's Blue-Ranked Expert were exactly that.
It was not an officially recognized status, as master-disciple relationships were not formally acknowledged within the main fortress. It was merely a customary term used to refer to those who had trained since childhood but had not yet donned the white robes.
While Jeong Yeon-shin's face remained unchanged, the expressions of the other four members of the Demonlight Wing turned peculiar.
Unless one is an absolute master of the Purple Rank, it must be difficult to read someone's true strength through their aura alone. Or perhaps it's because the volume of my True Qi is relatively small, making my aura appear weak.
Gaining a small realization, Jeong Yeon-shin spoke.
"Commander."
"Hmm?"
As Ma Jin turned around, Jeong Yeon-shin tapped the hilt of the Desolate Fortress Sword hanging at his waist. It was a sign that he would step forward.
"Martial Uncle is making things troublesome again... Will about five moves be enough?"
The young Taoist, looking up at Heavenly Pillar from the front, asked in a languid tone. It was by no means a quiet voice.
Did he believe he was permitted this level of insolence? For someone holding the status of the Mount Hua Sect Leader's disciple, he seemed remarkably thoughtless.
"There will be something for you to learn. Give it your all."
"I wonder what there is to learn. I heard the Demonlight Formula of the Demonlight Wing is a martial art of the senses."
The boy sighed and stepped forward. Instantly, the space in front of the inn transformed into an impromptu dueling stage.
It was said that fights in the martial world often erupted out of nowhere like this.
Interesting.
Jeong Yeon-shin recalled the Zhongnan Sect experts who had inspired his Fast Sword formula back at the Jeong Family Manor. He hadn't been able to witness Zhongnan's martial arts back then. Just how deep would the Mount Hua Sect's martial studies be?
The experts of the Demonlight Wing and the Mount Hua Sect formed a wide circle.
Xi'an was no small city. Passersby who had been peering over to see what was happening began to fuss, gathering as spectators. Whispers of the Mount Hua Sect rippled from all directions.
"What's going on over there?"
"Keep your voice down. It's the Mount Hua Sect!"
"The Sword Immortals of Mount Hua have come to our Xi'an?"
"It looks like they're about to have a duel. What a rare sight to behold. Look at that extraordinary young Taoist. His aura is practically divine."
"It seems martial artists are exchanging pointers. As expected of the Taoist Mount Hua. Truly magnanimous!"
Jeong Yeon-shin smiled inwardly. Taking a starting stance amidst the common folk was a fresh experience. It was the first time since his Desolate Fortress Entrance Exam, where the fast sword form had been his test.
The two stood facing each other. Jeong Yeon-shin spoke slowly.
"You mentioned five moves."
"Did I offend you? My apologies. I didn't mean to look down on you. It's just that my training this morning was rather grueling." The young Taoist offered a faint smile. "I am Yu-hyeon of the Mount Hua Sect."
"Jeong Yeon-shin."
He replied briefly. Since he was wearing plain clothes, he could not mention the Demonlight Wing.
From the crowd, murmurs arose about how rude he was for someone supposedly receiving instruction. Some in the crowd gasped in shock at the name Yu-hyeon. There were local Xi'an martial artists among them.
"The Hidden Dragon of Mount Hua!"
"The disciple of the Mount Hua Sect Leader is a peerless genius. To think I'd see him in person!"
"I heard rumors that he has achieved great completion in the Falling Petal Palm Technique and the Six Harmonies Divine Sword. Seeing him now, his reputation is indeed well-deserved. He's even younger than I thought."
"They say he is the future of Mount Hua's next generation. There were even rumors that he has already begun studying the Purple Mist Divine Art."
His titles were grand. Jeong Yeon-shin's smile deepened. There was no need for a long talk.
When two martial artists stand face-to-face, they speak only through their martial arts.
Just as he was about to take a step forward, Yu-hyeon's figure seemed to expand soundlessly.
He closed the distance with footwork that resembled the movements of the Brightfolk. It was likely the Mount Hua Dark Fragrance Drift he had only heard about.
Whoosh!
Along with his forward step, his raised hand struck downward. His wide-open palm fanned out like a blooming flower.
Witnessing the martial arts of the Nine Sects firsthand, they were so profound and brilliant they almost seemed like sorcery.
Is this the Falling Petal Palm Technique? It's not that there's wasted movement; rather, there are countless variations. It's designed so that the form cannot be countered.
His heart swelled with interest. If he broke them down one by one, wouldn't he acquire those very same variations?
Thud!
He deflected it with the back of his clenched fist. The palm force that collided in that instant felt light.
Jeong Yeon-shin's internal force extended without losing its momentum, whipping up like a whirlwind. It was the first form of the Infinite Flower of Time Fist: 'Spiral'.
Roar!
"Ugh?!"
Had he not expected a response? Yu-hyeon's face, painted with bewilderment, whipped to the side. This was the result of merely being grazed by the shockwave of the force.
"What in the...!"
His dumbfounded expression, looking as if he had encountered a force beyond common sense, was puzzling.
Had Jeong Yeon-shin possessed as much internal power as Yu-hyeon, that single blow would have snapped the boy's neck.
Thump.
Now, it was his turn to advance. Following the stumbling Yu-hyeon, Jeong Yeon-shin took a single step forward.
The straight punch thrown from his hip was like a steel arrow released from a bowstring. The foot stomp of the second form, Advancing Thunder, summoned thunder from his fist.
Boom!
The surface of the earth was overturned by the scattering fragments of force. The halo of the sun high in the sky grew hazy through the rising dust.
Jeong Yeon-shin's eyes stared straight ahead.
Through the dust, he could see a dirt-covered Yu-hyeon using dazzling hand movements to neutralize the residual shockwave.
It possessed the same nature as the palm technique shown at the start. The Mount Hua Sect's Falling Petal Palm Technique.
It seemed more than sufficient to serve as inspiration for the third form of his Infinite Flower of Time Fist.
Jeong Yeon-shin smiled with delight and spoke.
"Let's make this a bit longer. Personally, I'd like to go for about ten moves."
"...!"