Chapter 212: Turbulence (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 212: Turbulence (6)
The Blue-Ranked Experts of the Demonlight Wing frowned.
"Terrifying."
"Looks like she brought everyone she could," one expert muttered. "From Lady Ju's perspective, at least."
"Is she trying to start a war, laws be damned?"
"Well, our Commander gave her the pretext. It's not like they had anything holding them back."
Behind Ju Yeon-jeong stood about thirty experts, all of whom exuded the noble aura characteristic of a prestigious clan. These were not martial artists who had taken the Desolate Fortress Entrance Exam; they were the Desolate Ma Clan's private forces, not members of the Divine Sword Corps.
Their silk martial robes, in a myriad of colors, shimmered in the light of the setting sun. Not a single one among them was ordinary.
Their ages varied as well.
The young martial artists with flushed, healthy complexions posed no great threat to the Demonlight Wing. The problem lay with the middle-aged experts, whose eyes held a cold, colorless glint.
Each of them stared down the Demonlight Wing with a heavy gaze. They were at an age where their mastery of the Desolate Ma Clan's Harmonious Bloom Divine Art would have reached its peak.
At the very least, they were all worthy of being called Blue Ranks—and they couldn't be treated as ordinary Blue Ranks, either.
It was said that the explosive power of the Ma Clan's martial arts was dangerous no matter how cautious one was. Their martial prowess was honed to a razor's edge.
"They even dragged out the veterans. The former Commander is going to have a hard time," Cheong-myeong said with a chuckle, perched on the roof of the pavilion.
The wind coiling around his body, however, told a different story.
A sharp, biting wind scraped against the blue roof tiles, leaving a trail of fine, thread-like scratches that spread continuously in its wake.
Screeech.
The energy radiating from him was as sharp as a honed blade. It was a sight reminiscent of the movement technique used by Flash Art, Commander of the Demonlight Wing.
This was terrifying because of a famous anecdote.
The story went that the Blue-Eyed Demon Sword Cheong-myeong had taught his Commander the movements of the Brightfolk, which the Commander of the Demonlight Wing then developed into a proper martial art, creating an ultimate technique.
Many in the main fortress's Gold-Piercing Martial Library were waiting for this martial art to be archived. This had been the case ever since the Commander of the Demonlight Wing duelled the Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit. A duel between Unit Commanders was a major event, and many from the Desolate Ma Clan had been there to spectate.
This meant quite a few of them recognized the technique now.
"...It certainly looks similar. No wonder there are rumors that he helped improve the Commander of the Demonlight Wing's martial arts."
"That's because you're young. He was the original. He was even talked about as the next Commander of the Demonlight Wing."
"Listen up, juniors. That Brightfolk swordsman's blade is notoriously sharp. Do not let your guard down for a second."
"Let's test him with our Harmonious Bloom Divine Sword."
With the crowd of young and middle-aged experts at her back, Ju Yeon-jeong's expression turned solemn.
"The Supreme Elder must rest in the main residence. Stop shielding the sins of the former Clan Head. This offense is more than enough to be reported to the Chief Steward's Office. While today's incident will not end with a light disciplinary action, if you stand down now, I will show you special leniency."
"Do you even know why we're here?" Cheong-myeong asked with a smirk.
Ju Yeon-jeong fell silent for a moment before speaking.
"...I hear the Commander of the Demonlight Wing has obtained a Great Restoration Pill. It seems he intends to attempt something extremely reckless, without going through the Medicine Hall. Both of them could be crippled. You must open the way. If only for your Commander's sake, you should stand aside."
"That's a matter of trust. You have no right to doubt our Commander's capabilities. For someone from a prestigious clan, you seem to have little faith in a Black Rank of the Desolate Fortress."
"No one in the main fortress underestimates Flash Art. Neither do I. You know this."
"Then what?"
"This concerns the well-being of a Purple-Ranked Expert. Don't you understand this isn't a matter for two Black Ranks to decide? Just because Flash Art's martial attainment is profound, there is no guarantee the Supreme Elder's condition will improve. Rather than letting him recklessly handle an immense amount of energy, isn't it right to entrust this to the fortress's Medicine Hall?"
"Our Commander warned us about this. Useless interference and convictions born of ignorance. Authoritarian figures like you are clever, yet trapped by your own limitations."
"Watch your tongue," Ju Yeon-jeong said in a low voice. She spoke with the natural authority of a superior, a commanding presence that betrayed her imperial lineage.
Cheong-myeong's heel tapped the roof lightly as he floated down.
"I'm saying there's no need to beat around the bush. We can end this quickly."
Ju Yeon-jeong did not reply. She merely turned her head slightly and gave a brief nod to a young martial artist.
"Go to the Chief Steward's Office and report this matter in detail. Omit nothing. You must report everything, from the insolence of the Demonlight Wing and their violation of the law by attacking our clan's martial artists, to the arbitrary actions of the Clan Head and the Commander of the Demonlight Wing."
"I obey your command."
The youth in green silk martial robes replied.
Tap!
He immediately used his lightness skill and shot back the way he came.
None of the Demonlight Wing's martial artists moved to stop him. Aside from Cheong-myeong, all fifteen of them stood impassively, watching his receding back with indifference. The hems of their blue robes, worn in various styles, fluttered in an unseen wind.
Cheong-myeong was right.
Their behavior was proof of their absolute trust in their Commander.
Ju Yeon-jeong's eyes darkened.
This is no simple matter, she thought.
Every martial artist in the Desolate Fortress had been hailed as a prodigy in their hometown. Anyone who had cultivated their internal energy enough to reach the Blue Rank could not be a complete fool.
She could tell that today's events were highly unusual.
Perhaps, thanks to the Commander of the Demonlight Wing's qi transfer, the Supreme Elder might actually be able to move again.
That must not happen.
It would be difficult for him to recover his martial arts; she had already received word to that effect from the physicians of the Medicine Hall. However, even the Supreme Elder simply becoming mobile again was a problem. A political storm would inevitably sweep through the Desolate Ma Clan, and the faction Ju Yeon-jeong had spent years painstakingly building would be shaken.
Such was the colossal symbolic power of the Hegemon Hero, Ma Yeon-jeok.
She could not let this happen.
I can't break through the Demonlight Wing by force in a short amount of time.
She calmly assessed their strength. The majority of the Desolate Ma Clan's experts were already dispersed throughout the 17th Unit of the Divine Sword Corps, which was why they received immense support and budget from the Chief Steward's Office. The people standing behind her now constituted only about half of the minimum force required to maintain the clan.
This was not a force that could confidently overwhelm the Blue-Ranked Experts before them, even if the Demonlight Wing had been weakened by the incident at the City of Master Craftsmen in Sichuan.
They were still one of the seventeen precious swords of the Divine Sword Corps. Even weakened, their underlying strength could not be underestimated.
She needed a scheme.
"Your mind is churning with schemes. I suppose a compromise is out of the question?" Cheong-myeong said. Sitting on the edge of the roof with one knee pulled up, he stared down at Ju Yeon-jeong, his chillingly deep blue eyes carrying the weight of a noble lineage.
"How long will it take?" he asked, almost as if to himself.
The answer came from below.
—We should expect at least several hours. The Great Restoration Pill is no ordinary spirit medicine. We'll need to buy a lot of time for the Commander to carefully dissolve it using his Jeong Family Dynamic Art.
It was Baek Mi-ryeo's voice transmission.
She was already stepping forward.
Step.
Wisps of pitch-black energy rose from the soles of her feet, a precursor to the manifestation of her internal cultivation. With each step she took, another strand of the bizarre black haze was added.
The materialization of true qi was a sign of an extremely rare level of attainment. It was a martial art of unfathomable origin. In an instant, all eyes were drawn to her.
"That pure, ink-black aura... It's the Sun Lotus Sword Enchantress."
"It's just as the rumors say. It looks almost like a demonic art."
The martial artists of the Desolate Ma Clan began to close in.
Ju Yeon-jeong did not stop them. Standing tall and noble, she watched the experts of the Demonlight Wing with her hands clasped behind her back.
"Do not spare your strength," she said, her face indifferent. "If he senses the commotion, the Commander of the Demonlight Wing will have to come out himself."
Inwardly, she hoped that Flash Art's qi circulation would be disrupted. The clash of auras from experts of this caliber would be immense, and the walls of this modest pavilion couldn't possibly block it. This was exactly what Ju Yeon-jeong was aiming for.
"What cheap tricks," Baek Mi-ryeo muttered coldly.
Heavenly Demon Divine Art, Bare-Hand Demonic Art.
Sssss—
Baek Mi-ryeo's hands turned as white as fresh snow, a stark contrast to the pitch-black currents now flowing all over her body.
The Sun Lotus Sword Enchantress was not the only one taking a stance.
"Keep your auras to a minimum. If you have any skill in the Internal Heavy Hand Technique, try to strike as quietly as possible."
"Don't bother giving advice if you're still clumsy with the Harmony Realm. Have you still not mastered the principle of Softness Overcomes Hardness?"
"A single-strike, sure-kill sword would be perfect for this. We should have brought Heonwon Chang."
"The same goes for Fervent Yang Energy. If only that Hwangbo scoundrel weren't preparing for his promotion test..."
One by one, the Blue-Ranked Experts of the Demonlight Wing drew their swords.
Soon, they began to move in silence.
* * *
The stone gate, engraved with images of trees, opened silently.
Figures clad in pitch-black robes slowly walked inside. Each figure differed in height and build, and their subtle auras were just as distinct.
Ak Su-rim, Divine Spear of the Desolate Fortress; Hahu Wi-jin, Commander of the Forest-Treading Unit; Jin Myeong-jo, Commander of the Bloodkeeper Unit; Cheon So-so, Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit; Un So-yu, Commander of the Law Enforcement Unit...
Behind them, each was accompanied by an expert in either white or blue martial robes—warriors escorting their Unit Commanders.
They moved slowly to take their seats around a massive table that looked as if it were made from several raw logs fused together. Each chair was as large and imposing as a sect master's throne, with grayish-white backrests that rose nearly to Hahu Wi-jin's head. In total, there were eighteen chairs.
This was the Wish-for-Peace One Sword Hall, the meeting place for the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps, the Vice Commander, and the other sixteen Unit Commanders.
As the Unit Commanders filled the seats surrounding the stone table, their escort warriors stood beside the marble-carved chairs, their postures immaculate.
Five Black Ranks of the Desolate Fortress had gathered.
Hummm.
Their immense internal powers naturally resonated with one another, and a heavy pressure began to build. It was a gathering that felt as if nothing under heaven could oppose them. Though it was just their natural auras, invisible waves of internal power swelled so thickly they seemed to take physical form.
The breaths of the escort warriors grew long and deep; it was impossible to endure this pressure without carefully regulating one's internal energy.
"Where is the Commander of the Demonlight Wing?" Hahu Wi-jin asked in his deep, booming voice.
"He is absent due to personal business."
The answer came from the entrance of the Wish-for-Peace One Sword Hall. Heavy footsteps echoed as a middle-aged man of massive build pushed open the stone gate and entered.
"You have all arrived. I was wondering if I would have to go drag the Commander of the Forest-Treading Unit here again."
He was a robust man who looked well-suited to his brown robe. He had a thick, pitch-black beard and large eyes, and his gaze held a mixture of affection and exasperation as he scanned the Unit Commanders.
He muttered softly under his breath, "What a reliable bunch of troublemakers."
It was Grand Steward Im Jin-myeong.
Hahu Wi-jin, Commander of the Forest-Treading Unit, laughed fiercely. "Personal business? Is anything more important than a meeting of the Unit Commanders?"
"There are a couple of things. You'll find out soon enough, for better or for worse," the Grand Steward replied nonchalantly. Then, he slowly continued. "You must already be aware that the formation of the Martial World Alliance has given our Chief Steward's Office quite a headache. Even if you Unit Commanders are notoriously indifferent to our affairs."
"Are you referring to the rumors of orthodox sects gathering and dispersing all over, not just the alliance in Shaanxi?" the Brightfolk woman sitting with an upright posture asked. Above her flowing black hair, ears as sharp as blades protruded. Her calm expression suited her beautiful features. It was Un So-yu, Commander of the Law Enforcement Unit.
The Grand Steward chuckled. "Commander Un makes things easy for this old man. Indeed. Those flies have realized the power of unity. Even sects that once formed the alliance are leaving it to seek their own survival. It seems they grew tired of the Sword Saint's reign."
"So the fortress's enemies have grown stronger? You mean the arrows we used to snap one by one are now bundling together by the fives and tens? How troublesome," Ak Su-rim said grumpily.
"Why act surprised now?" Jin Myeong-jo, Commander of the Bloodkeeper Unit, parted his crimson lips. "Since you called us here for that, do you have a plan? There's nothing to do but clash to the death. After all, getting stabbed on some random hill is just the way of us Desolate Fortress martial artists."
"The words of a prospective Blood Ghost are always so vulgar. Do be quiet for a moment, so the Grand Steward can get to the point," Cheon So-so, Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit, said dismissively.
It was a familiar sight.
The Grand Steward let out a sigh and reached into his robes.
Slide.
He drew out a book. The characters for Crushing the Righteous (破白) slowly came into view.