Chapter 217: Flash (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 217: Flash (4)
Was there a standard format for writing a martial arts manual?
He hadn't known. He barely had enough time to reorganize his unit as it was, but it seemed he really needed to add annotations.
Right... all the manuals in the Gold-Piercing Martial Library were kind.
Before creating his own sect-exclusive martial arts, he had studied the techniques stored in the main fortress's Gold-Piercing Martial Library. Looking back, it made sense.
The texts felt as though a parent were personally guiding him, explaining the core principles step by step. Every single line in those books was meticulous. It felt almost warm.
It was just like the Jeong Family Dynamic Art he had written as a child through trial and error.
The martial arts he had gifted to others thus far were the same. They left plenty of margin space for understanding. They were entirely different from this counter-strategy document—a cold, clinical compilation of various martial studies.
I was careless this time. There's no rule saying only mid-level experts can learn it.
Jeong Yeon-shin slowly nodded.
He spoke before his seniors, who were wearing rather bizarre expressions, could say a word.
"That is my oversight. Please hand it here."
He reached out toward the Compendium of Crushing the Righteous held by Hahu Wi-jin. There was no need to snatch it away with a grappling technique.
The moment his fingertips brushed the book, he retrieved it with utmost naturalness.
The manual was returned to its rightful owner. No one could object.
Rustle.
Jeong Yeon-shin slipped a letter and the manual into his breast robes. They were the message from the Commander of the Bloodkeeper Unit and the sole copy of the Compendium of Crushing the Righteous.
He could tell it was a manuscript copy from its unfamiliar texture; the cover was slightly stiffer.
The Grand Steward had said he would copy only a single volume, and he had already completed it. It seemed to have been delicately dried using wind generated by internal energy shockwaves.
Among the experts of the Divine Sword Corps, this information was shared only with Jeong Yeon-shin. He had been told that the Lord of the Desolate Fortress had taken the original.
Did he see some shortcomings in it?
Jeong Yeon-shin wondered, only letting his thoughts wander after the two documents were safely tucked away inside his black robes.
"Wait, uh...?"
Hahu Wi-jin blinked.
It had happened in a daze. His grip had loosened even more easily than when he had resisted Ak Su-rim's grappling technique.
It was because the Commander of the Demonlight Wing hadn't used any martial arts at all. His junior had simply taken it back as was proper. Resisting would have been stranger.
"I will add the annotations separately and return it. I assume sending it to the Grand Steward will suffice?"
"……Yes."
Hahu Wi-jin's reply was delayed.
Behind her dark pupils, Un So-yu's gaze grew sharp. She couldn't blame Jeong Yeon-shin.
Instead, it was a silent reprimand directed at the Commander of the Forest-Treading Unit, who had caused this mess. Ak Su-rim merely burst into giggles.
"The big guy will get whatever disciplinary action or punishment he deserves. Flash Art, take your time. To me, your condition seems far more important than the Compendium of Crushing the Righteous. You've just returned from a fairly major mission, so you deserve some rest."
"You flatter me."
Ak Su-rim waved her hand dismissively at Jeong Yeon-shin's polite bow.
"Still, you'll need to prepare quite a bit for the Commanders' meeting. It's tomorrow at the Hour of the Rooster, right around dinner time, so make sure to eat a hearty meal before you come. The meeting at the Wish-for-Peace One Sword Hall is practically a duel. The only difference is that no one draws their swords. This is your first time attending properly as a Commander, right?"
"What is tomorrow's agenda?"
Jeong Yeon-shin asked quietly.
Ak Su-rim rolled her eyes upward, lost in thought for a moment, before answering.
"Mission allocation, promotion evaluations for subordinates, and receiving reports on the current state of the Jianghu. The psychological warfare will be fierce when it comes to securing desired missions and promoting the kids under you. You have to choose not only your personal missions, but also the ones to assign to your subordinates. You need to select the right people for the situation. If you send a subordinate with a slow Body Protection Scripture against an enemy who uses archery, it'll be the end of them."
"……Understood."
"Ah, let me tell you in advance: if you lower your voice at the Wish-for-Peace One Sword Hall, you lose. Don't show manners just because the Black Ranks sitting with you are your seniors. You must shout and assert yourself strongly, if only for the sake of your subordinates."
She smiled faintly and continued.
"None of us will say anything. Everyone does the same."
Hahu Wi-jin lowered his massive upper body slightly and chimed in.
"The Vice Commander of the Divine Sword Corps was especially severe. The former Commander of the Azure Sky Unit, who retired to the countryside, sent a letter saying he still eats all three meals as porridge. His masticatory muscles were shattered by a shockwave delivered from a spear shaft. He can barely move his jaw properly."
"That old man deserved it, though. I guess he forgot what nonsense he babbled to me."
Jeong Yeon-shin had no intention of watching his two seniors bicker.
"I will keep that in mind," he quickly concluded.
He meant exactly what he said. So there are no senior-junior relations inside the Wish-for-Peace One Sword Hall.
It meant he could behave just as casually as he did outside the main fortress.
This struck him as highly important. He had no intention of yielding, whether it came to missions or his subordinates. That was entirely separate from his respect for his Black Rank seniors.
I just need to act as I usually do.
Jeong Yeon-shin offered a faint smile. Ak Su-rim, glancing at her new junior, smiled a bit wider.
"How did such a cute kid end up sitting in one of our seats? The bleak atmosphere is going to clear up. I'm so excited."
"I will see you tomorrow."
He clasped his hands in a salute. There was nothing else to say in response.
Hum.
The energy barrier Hahu Wi-jin had deployed dissolved. The scenery, stretching from the yellow earth to the stone walls and shrubbery, instantly became clear.
It was an impressive display of internal energy control, no matter how many times he saw it.
"See you tomorrow! The current state of the Jianghu is extremely bleak, so it won't be a very pleasant meeting! Keep that in mind!"
"That robe of the Commander of the Demonlight Wing has its own charm, but... it looks like it needs an iron. Make sure to press it well before you come."
Ak Su-rim and Hahu Wi-jin turned around.
Un So-yu, Commander of the Law Enforcement Unit, parted her lips a few times but ultimately said nothing. Her gaze remained fixed on Jeong Yeon-shin's chest.
It seemed she had some business regarding the Compendium of Crushing the Righteous.
Come to think of it, she was said to be a supreme master of counter-strategies. Perhaps she had come with a specific purpose in mind.
I just need to submit the annotated version quickly.
Jeong Yeon-shin bid farewell to his seniors, wishing them a peaceful night.
* * *
It was an exceptionally magnificent pavilion.
It looked as if a palace from the depths of the Forbidden City had been moved there intact, starting with the grand stone pillars that stretched from the floor to the ceiling.
This was the residence of the Imperial Grandson, located within the Desolate Fortress. Moonlight streamed in, casting a blue glow upon the window frames. It was profoundly quiet.
This was because the master of the reception room wielded the power of the wind. Only the occasional, dreary chirping of insects broke the silence.
"Im Jin-myeong."
The peerlessly handsome young noble called out to the Grand Steward of the Desolate Fortress. He was seated on a grandmaster's chair carved from marble.
He possessed ears as sharp as the blade of a divine sword, and the light shining in his eyes was like black lightning.
His face, which revealed none of his inner thoughts, bore a cool and indifferent expression. It looked entirely natural for him to look down upon the kneeling, massive figure of the Grand Steward.
A noble being.
He was the Imperial Grandson of the Ming Dynasty.
"It is a hard story to believe."
"You must believe it," the Grand Steward replied calmly.
The Imperial Grandson spoke slowly amidst the moonlight that pierced diagonally through the window.
He spoke with the air of one who stood alone at the apex of the world.
"The Hegemon Hero has regained his youth? There was no such rumor in the main fortress. You know well that I have more than just two ears. The Hidden Swords permitted by the Grand Preceptor have reported nothing."
"We have strictly enforced silence. The loss of two Purple Ranks is a fact that has been spreading in secret, and many sects in the world are aware of our fortress's weakness. The movements of the gathering and dispersing Orthodox sects and the Thirteen Heavens are unusual. Our intention is to hide the rejuvenated Hegemon Hero for the time being and deliver a massive blow to those with impure motives. Is he not, after all, a Divine Sword?"
"It seems it is true."
"Yes."
The Imperial Grandson fell into silence for a moment.
He did not ask how it had happened. He accepted it because it had already occurred. The Grand Steward knew the Imperial Grandson very well.
He was of a temperament that immediately calculated future events. He possessed a distinct world of his own.
Only after a moment did the Imperial Grandson speak again.
"They were lamenting in the Forbidden City of Beijing. A Purple Rank has a Purple Rank's duties. They said the blow is painful, as the hands that should always be undertaking noble missions are now empty."
"Regarding the matter of Lady Ju of the Ma family..."
"Yes, that the Hegemon Hero destroyed two of Ju Yeon-jeong's dantians."
"That is correct."
"They will find that matter highly useful in the Forbidden City. Though they would not dare to do anything to a peerless expert of the Purple Rank, they will believe they have gained a card to hold and manipulate. The justification is clear, is it not? Harming a member of the imperial family."
"……"
"My junior brother, who has the Hegemon Hero as his grandfather, might find it regrettable. I heard his recent achievements have been great."
The Imperial Grandson's finger slowly tapped the armrest.
"I must submit a memorial to ensure the matter is handled as leniently as possible. Even so, the Hegemon Hero will have no choice but to reside in Beijing for the time being. He has left his duties as a Purple Rank of the Desolate Fortress vacant for too long. There was a time when he was desperately needed, yet no one could go."
"My apologies."
"It is regrettable. I know the world's Jianghu is in turmoil. In my humble opinion, in times like these, the role of the Black Ranks leading the 17th Unit is greater than that of the scarce Purple Ranks. This is why a rising star like my junior brother is so precious. After all, the Hegemon Hero is but one man, even if he has performed the miracle of rejuvenation."
He murmured his inner thoughts in an archaic tone, as if reciting to himself. It was an old habit.
My tongue is itching, the Grand Steward thought.
The Commander of the Demonlight Wing, the Flash Art, was the very protagonist of that miracle. Even if only temporarily, he had surpassed the level of a Black Rank.
Just as the Grand Steward was feeling dizzy yet overwhelmed with shock and happiness over how to reward the young man, he had been summoned here by the Imperial Grandson.
I must speak of this.
The Grand Steward organized his thoughts. This was not a matter to be skipped just because he hadn't been asked. If he stayed silent, a thunderous wrath would surely fall upon him someday.
He immediately opened his mouth.
"It is a matter that originated from the hands of the current Commander of the Demonlight Wing."
"What is? Speak with proper context."
"Your Highness's junior brother turned back the Hegemon Hero's time."
In a corner of the reception room, the moonlight framing the window shuddered.
* * *
The next day dawned.
The newborn season descended in transparent sunlight. A crisp chill drifted in through the square window of the Commander of the Demonlight Wing's office, sweeping coolly over his sleeves and the nape of his neck.
It was the wind of early winter.
Time flies.
Jeong Yeon-shin leaned back against his stone chair.
Standing opposite him were Pung-ran and Na Il-cheon, who had come from the Bloodkeeper Unit.
"As the Commander's hands and feet... we will seek much of your guidance in the future."
"We earnestly hope for the Commander's instruction and guidance."
Their words and actions were extremely polite. Their supple movements carried a sense of breathing precision.
Due to various circumstances, the Bloodkeeper Unit was a martial unit kept at a distance even within the Divine Sword Corps.
For that very reason, they were said to be exceptionally faithful to laws and etiquette—closer to a military force than any other martial unit.
The Law Enforcement Unit and the Bloodkeeper Unit. I heard they are the definitive units everyone avoids.
To Jeong Yeon-shin, however, they left a rather good impression.
Jin Myeong-jo, Commander of the Bloodkeeper Unit, had not held a duel. He had simply sent his subordinates without warning.
Jeong Yeon-shin had read the Commander's letter the previous evening.
At his bedside, where the cold night wind seeped through the gaps in the door, he had engraved the surprisingly touching words into his heart.
Now, it was neatly placed in the drawer of his office desk.
It was the place where he kept all the letters, orders, and messages from the Lord of the Desolate Fortress and his various seniors since he first entered the Desolate Fortress.
Jin Myeong-jo's letter was more than worthy of being placed among them.
[...I had the same experience. Right after the former Commander died suddenly in a foreign land, I had to take charge of the unit the moment I became a Black Rank. There was no one to help me except the Grand Steward.
Is it not a truly unfamiliar environment? A single word from the Commander decides the fate of the elite Blue Rank experts. Across the world, the common people, thrown into misery by the tyranny of various martial artists, desperately pray for our deployment.
Many things were confusing for me back then. Thus, the difficulties of my junior particularly caught my eye.
If one goes through the tedious procedures, there is no end to it. I was worried that the time needed for you to reorganize the Demonlight Wing as the new Commander would drag on. For that reason, I decided to send those who can be utilized as immediate assets.
The Blood Sword Ghost, Pung-ran, and the Asura Demon Soul, Na Il-cheon, are well-known experts even within our unit. Their Blue Rank robes actually feel somewhat insufficient for them, though I do not mean to say they are at the Black Rank.
In any case, Pung-ran's Blood-Using Saber Technique can be called peerless, and Na Il-cheon's Dark Night Iron Claw exerts terrifying power in field battles. They have also absorbed the arts of your martial lineage very well. They are individuals who grow endlessly stronger.
The two of them will easily do the work of three.
Pung-ran and Na Il-cheon have mastered ultimate techniques of Yin-Cold Energy. Their internal power becomes even more potent at night.
I believe you will find them highly useful. Please cherish them. I shall stop here.
Welcoming the most handsome and promising new junior in the main fortress, with boundless joy.
Commander of the Bloodkeeper Unit, Jin Myeong-jo.]
It was a letter written in a single, flowing stroke. It was still vivid in his mind.
Even the way the strokes of the characters trembled here and there—as if the man had been overcome with emotion while sending his subordinates out of concern for his junior—felt deeply human.
Senior Jin of the Bloodkeeper Unit is a truly great man.
He was deeply admirable.
He had readily sent two Blue Rank experts.
He might be the most exemplary figure among the Black Rank seniors.
Yeon-shin couldn't fathom the depth of the man's character. Had he been a member of another sect, Yeon-shin would have addressed him as a Great Hero.
Jeong Yeon-shin had once called Wiji Myo-hwa, the Sword Dragon of the Zhongnan Sect, by that title.
"Welcome to the family. Aside from your signature ultimate techniques, what other martial arts have you mastered?"
Jeong Yeon-shin asked, even though he already knew. It was something he had learned from Heonwon Chang and Baek Mi-ryeo.
They had told him that to build relationships with others, one must share casual conversations, even if they serve no particular purpose.
— You are now like the head of a sect. The status of leading a martial unit of the Divine Sword Corps is extremely solemn. Keep in mind that your rank is higher than most sect leaders, and I hope you will lead us well. At the end of it, your fruit will surely be waiting.
Those were Baek Mi-ryeo's words. She had told him to broaden his perspective a bit more, to adopt the mindset of a sect leader leading an entire school.
"I have trained in the Radiant Wing Step, and Pung-ran is currently practicing the Scripture of Initial Overcoming," Na Il-cheon said.
Beside him, Pung-ran nodded.
She had a slender jawline and a pale complexion. They looked as alike as siblings. The waves of energy radiating irregularly from their bodies were strangely eerie.
They also seemed accustomed to executing orders with military precision.
With this, there are twenty-three Blue Ranks.
Cheong-myeong and Baek Mi-ryeo had mentioned twenty-four. It was the same number as the Plum Blossom Sword-Masters of the Mount Hua Sect.
They had said that if the number of Blue Ranks reached that many, they could engage in battle with the elites of any great sect.
They were short by one, but he couldn't very well demand another from the Commander of the Bloodkeeper Unit, who had already shown such immense goodwill.
It's fine.
The strongest of all the poppy addicts in the world was currently lying on the roof.
The only issue was his plain clothes. Yeon-shin planned to propose a promotion test for him this time.
I have the minimum force required. Once I have them master the Compendium of Crushing the Righteous and teach them the improved Demonlight Formula, we will become a tremendous power.
It was time for internal reorganization.
He had heard there were conflicts and unique ambitions within the Demonlight Wing. They had experienced events in the Sichuan City of Master Craftsmen that warranted a change of Commander; there was no way they could be entirely harmonious.
Furthermore, since his White Rank junior, Shin So-bin, was currently detained by the Shin Clan, he had to get her out somehow.
Cheong-myeong's words were vivid in his mind.
— Regardless of her robe color, she could be called a pioneer of your martial lineage. She uses the Infinite Flower of Time Fist and the Radiant Wing Step exceptionally well. She practically worships you. I heard she beat her older sister in the Heaven-Aligned Wing to a pulp not long ago? A girl named Shin Bin-bin. Apparently, she complained that you were dragging White Qilin around like your own subordinate.
He intended to send word to the Shin Clan as soon as the Commanders' meeting ended, demanding they hand over his subordinate.
If they refuse, claiming it is a family matter...
Jeong Yeon-shin chose not to pursue that unpleasant hypothetical.
He could think about it when the time came.
He cleared his thoughts and rose from his seat, slowly parting his lips.
"We will look at your martial arts tomorrow. Stand by and hone your energy."
Pung-ran and Na Il-cheon silently bowed their heads in deep reverence. The weight of his previous words still hung in the air, a silent testament to the absolute authority he now wielded over them. Neither dared to meet his gaze, their postures stiff with the disciplined respect expected of martial artists in the presence of their superior.
"You may leave," Jeong Yeon-shin commanded, his voice calm but brooking no argument.
Without a single wasted movement, the two subordinates retreated, their footsteps light against the floorboards. As the heavy wooden doors clicked shut, the oppressive atmosphere of leadership momentarily lifted, leaving him alone in the quiet expanse of the room.
Jeong Yeon-shin exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He reached into his breast pocket and retrieved a carefully folded letter. The stationery was exquisite, lined with brilliant pink silk that caught the ambient light, a stark and almost comical contrast to the grim, blood-soaked realities of his martial world.
The moment he unfolded the delicate paper, the imposing calligraphy of his maternal grandfather, Ma Yeon-jeok, leaped out at him. The brushstrokes were masterful, radiating an overwhelming martial intent that practically bled from the ink. It was a perfect embodiment of the ancient idiom 'dragons soaring and tigers leaping.' The fierce, sweeping lines held such raw, unbridled power that they looked quite literally as though a majestic dragon were writhing, alive and moving across the parchment.
`[I hear the underlings are gathering at the Wish-for-Peace One Sword Hall.`
`This grandfather of yours must also show his face, so shall we go together? I will walk over to the Demonlight Wing pavilion.`
`Since the imperial court will surely summon this old body in utmost secrecy... I wish to spend as much time as possible with you, Yeon-shin. I also wish to witness your first Commanders' meeting with my own eyes.]`
Jeong Yeon-shin grimaced, a deep, involuntary frown marring his usually composed features. He let out a long, weary sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. This visceral reaction was entirely separate from his genuine affection and deep respect for Ma Yeon-jeok. He loved his grandfather dearly, but the sheer absurdity of the proposed situation was simply too much to bear.
A grown martial artist—a newly appointed Commander, no less—going to his first official gathering with his grandfather proudly marching in tow like a guardian on the first day of school.
It was the kind of mortifying spectacle that would haunt his reputation for years. It was the sort of deeply embarrassing memory that would make him violently kick his blankets in the dead of night, cringing at the sheer indignity of it all. And if he didn't intervene immediately, this humiliating procession was bound to happen this very evening, right in front of the other Commanders and his new subordinates.
‘Let's leave early.’
The decision was instantaneous. Survival instincts, honed through countless life-or-death battles, flared to life to protect his fragile dignity.
Step.
He didn't waste another second. Jeong Yeon-shin immediately set off, his strides long and purposeful as he moved to escape his impending fate. Behind him, the pitch-black robes of the new Commander of the Demonlight Wing fluttered wildly, a dark shadow slipping out of the pavilion before his doting grandfather could arrive.