Chapter 218: Flash (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 218: Flash (5)
—Where are the two little rabbits going?
A pair of voices—one male, one female—swept through the dense foliage, carried on a gust of wind laced with sound-art energy.
The green leaves of the evergreens trembled in succession, instantly shattering the silence of the quiet mountainside.
The voices were chillingly eerie.
—Is there even a place left for the disciples of a ruined sect to lay their heads?
The man and woman's voices blended into a singular, sing-song melody. The faint trace of laughter behind their shouts made them sound like wildcats toying with their prey.
It was a mockery repeated over and over.
This incredibly profound mastery of sound arts was being weaponized for both provocation and pursuit, echoing faintly behind the sword-bearing woman.
Her pitch-black hair, adorned with feather ornaments, whipped frantically in the wind—a stark contrast to her usual composed demeanor.
Tap.
Morning dew splashed beneath her feet.
A tree branch, struck by the shockwave of her Body Protection Scripture, bent like a drawn bow. The water droplets caught in the energy wave scattered into the thick mist.
The depressed green branch snapped back up, as if angry at the foot that had so suddenly stepped on it before vanishing.
But the owner of those blue-cloth leather shoes had already torn through the mist, soaring into the air.
It was a seamless, continuous display of lightness skill.
The evergreens, wrapped in hazy mist like silk, danced in a row to the rhythm of a rapid series of tapping sounds. The uninvited guest bounded forward, her toes wrapped in invisible shockwaves that shook the branches in her wake.
She was Shaanxi's number one rising star—the Cloud Sword Dragon, Wiji Myo-hwa.
They're getting closer.
She sprinted with Jeong Hye held tightly in her arms, cutting through the trees using the Cloud-Chasing Method, a secret lightness skill of the Zhongnan Sect.
Even with a young girl cradled against her chest, she seemed to walk on air. Yet, the frantic urgency in her movements betrayed her anxiety.
The morning's orange light seeped through the faint mist within a valley of Shaanxi Province's Qinling Mountains.
The ridge was endlessly long, and the pursuit had dragged on for just as much time. The mountain range extending from Mount Zhongnan was towering and overwhelmingly rugged. It was so rugged that the legends of Pangu—the mythical giant of ancient texts and oral traditions—lying face down to form the earth felt entirely literal.
Valleys with flowing water stretched in all directions like veins. Wiji Myo-hwa had already crossed the cliffs surrounding these streams multiple times.
Even so, she could not shake off her pursuers.
She was not of the Brightfolk. There was a limit to how much she could suppress the presence of her lightness skill. This remained true even though, as the Sword Dragon of the Zhongnan Sect, she was hailed as the strongest among Shaanxi's young swordsmen.
Besides, Wiji Myo-hwa's current enemies were no mere rising stars.
The Twin Demons of Chaneum.
They were experts of the Lingering Spirit, one of the Thirteen Heavens, currently lending their strength to the Hegemon Sword Sect's operations. A pair of vicious twin siblings, they were absolute masters at wielding sound arts through their voices.
Both had long reached the ranks of established experts. Although the Lingering Spirit was a great sect specializing in stealth, the Twin Demons of Chaneum were exceptionally famous. Their sound arts were flashy, possessing a certain deadly elegance. Like the vanguard commanders of an army, they frequently operated in the open.
—Where are the two little rabbits going!
Another blast of sound-art energy erupted. It approached like a sudden gale, barely brushing her blue robes, while the bushes behind her trembled violently.
The resonance gradually drilled into Wiji Myo-hwa's head. A sorcerous power was infused into their voices, making it feel as if a foreign, heavy mass was forcing its way into her mind.
It was a profound sorcery martial art.
Was it the kind of mind-controlling technique that assassins and hidden swordsmen so often fell victim to? There was an incredibly eerie, sinister quality to this sound art.
I must not let it touch me.
She had to get as far away as possible. The moment her body was fully struck by the shockwave of their voices, her position would be completely exposed.
Once her exact location was pinned down, she wouldn't stand a chance. Even the elders of the Nine Sects did not dare underestimate the combined sound-art attack of the Twin Demons of Chaneum.
Wiji Myo-hwa bit her lower lip until a sharp pain spread.
Jeong Hye, cradled tightly in her arms, kept her eyes squeezed shut. She was just a child. Her downy eyelashes trembled in fear. She was only holding onto her sanity because Wiji Myo-hwa's true qi was actively shielding her ears.
The granddaughter of the Jeong Family Head, and the niece of the current Commander of the Demonlight Wing.
At such a tender age, she had already suffered the destruction of her family and sect twice over. Even after entering the Zhongnan Sect, she was a child who sought out Jeong Yeon-shin more than Jeong Jung-san. She possessed such outstanding martial talent that she had been bestowed with the martial arts of the Sword Immortal himself, yet her heart remained incredibly gentle.
She was so deeply beloved by the Zhongnan disciples that no one envied her when she became the direct disciple of the Zhongnan Sword Immortal—a position that placed her in the same generational rank as the Sect Leader.
Jeong Hye respected them all so much that she even broke formal etiquette. She never spoke down to her martial nephews. Away from the prying eyes of the Sword Immortal, the Sect Leader, and the elders, she endearingly called them "Martial Nephew."
She had done the exact same for Wiji Myo-hwa.
I must protect my young Martial Aunt at all costs.
A fierce determination settled in her beautifully shaped eyes. It was a conviction as sharp as a precious sword.
Tap.
Wiji Myo-hwa steeled her resolve, kicking off a thick branch.
—They say the sword of the Zhongnan Sword Dragon is quite fierce, but it seems many haven't seen her running like a rabbit. She shouldn't be called the Sword Dragon, but the Running Dragon!
—We're slowly catching her scent now. You'd better throw away that child you're holding right now! Even if she's a disciple of that old Zhongnan geezer, she's of lowly birth!
—Wait, isn't she of noble blood? I heard she shares the same bloodline as the current Commander of the Demonlight Wing.
—Then that Commander of the Demonlight Wing must be lowly too. Don't talk back to your sister.
Wiji Myo-hwa did her utmost to ignore the mocking, echoing shouts of the Twin Demons of Chaneum.
I can't tell exactly where we are, she thought.
The nearest great sect was Mount Hua.
However, the great sects of the unorthodox factions plotting against Zhongnan would never just stand by and watch two of the Nine Sects cooperate.
Experts of the Lingering Spirit had secretly blockaded the paths and public roads leading to Mount Hua's Huayin County. This net had been cast even before the swordsmen of the Hegemon Sword Sect launched their surprise attack on Mount Zhongnan.
They had been caught utterly helpless.
The joint assault of two of the Thirteen Heavens was truly terrifying. The vengeful sword strikes of the Hegemon Sword Sect experts pushed back the Zhongnan disciples, while the martial artists of the Lingering Spirit formed an inescapable net of heaven and earth. It was a flawless encirclement.
Wiji Myo-hwa had no choice but to turn her steps southwest. She headed in the direction of Xiangyang, Huguang.
Huguang was the region where the Commander of the Demonlight Wing, Jeong Yeon-shin, resided.
If the niece of someone holding the rank of a Divine Sword Corps Unit Commander was in mortal danger, the Desolate Fortress—even as an imperial sect—would surely take action. Wiji Myo-hwa could only pray that the Desolate Fortress's secret intelligence network would catch wind of this incident and dispatch the Commander of the Demonlight Wing.
Even if I seek help from the lay sects, it will only increase the casualties.
It was not a distance that could be covered in a mere day or two of travel.
Still, she had to keep going.
Vwoom.
She channeled her inner power into the Yongquan Point on the soles of her feet, minimizing the outward flow of her true qi as much as possible.
Taking long strides, she accelerated. A strong headwind whipped violently against her. Jeong Hye, cradled tightly in her arms, weakly parted her lips.
Martial Nephew...
It will be alright.
Wiji Myo-hwa replied with a silent, reassuring smile.
Right at that moment.
—Huh? What's that? Sister, I've seen that before.
—A strong swordsman, a woman, and... hideous gray hair. It's the Sword Ghost of the Deep Martial Alliance.
The voices of the Twin Demons of Chaneum echoed through the forest, constantly laced with heavy inner power. The eccentric experts of the unorthodox factions often tried to establish their dominance in such childish ways.
—I came because the tune was so noisy... but did you just say 'low birth'?
Another voice boomed through the woods. It countered their loud shouting with an even more tremendous, overwhelming volume. It seemed the temper of the person who had suddenly blocked the Twin Demons of Chaneum was no less fierce than their own.
Wiji Myo-hwa also knew of the Sword Ghost of the Deep Martial Alliance. The Yeongcheon Sword Ghost, Baek Seo-gun. She was rumored to be a terrifying master of sword control.
Wiji Myo-hwa listened closely without slowing her sprint. Immediately, the words of the Sword Venerable of Henan followed.
—What is it that you bastards are chasing?
—Well, that's none of a sword ghost's business...
Replied Jin So-jun, the younger brother of the Twin Demons of Chaneum, also known as the Sound Demon.
—I don't know what your business is, but we're in a hurry. I'd appreciate it if you got out of the way right now. I'll gift you a fine tune someday. Up close, you look like someone worth befriending through melody.
—Befriending, my foot! Since time is pressing, we will bypass you! The moment you block us, we will consider it a declaration of war against the Lingering Spirit! You should also know that the Lord of the Hegemon Sword Sect has ascended Mount Zhongnan nearby!
Shouted his older sister, Jin So-ryeong, the Radiant Demon. Her voice was a sharp, ear-piercing shriek.
A calm, icy reply came back.
—That is none of my concern. Did I not already ask? Did you just say 'low birth'?
Baek Seo-gun's voice rumbled on.
—If you intend to pass without answering, prepare to have your bodies split in two.
In that instant, the sheer killing intent in her voice made even Wiji Myo-hwa halt her steps.
* * *
The Wish-for-Peace One Sword Hall.
Jeong Yeon-shin's gaze swept across the vast interior. This was only his second visit.
The first time was when he had taken over the duties of his maternal uncle, Ma Jin. Now, he crossed the threshold fully recognized as a Unit Commander.
The absolute highest echelon of the Desolate Fortress.
This was the exclusive domain of the Unit Commanders. A strange emotion washed over him.
Among the masters occupying the stone seats surrounding the circular table, there was not a single one who wasn't incredibly powerful. It was a sight truly fitting for the world's strongest great sect.
Each of them suppressed their overflowing energy waves into thin, hyper-dense layers. It created a suffocating atmosphere, as if the very air in the hall were stretched taut.
Vice Commander of the Divine Sword Corps—Ak Su-rim, Divine Spear of the Desolate Fortress.
Commander of the Forest-Treading Unit—Hahu Wi-jin, the Thousand-Fist Dragon-Strength Retainer.
Commander of the Bloodkeeper Unit—Jin Myeong-jo, the Divine Blood Ultimate Demon.
Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit—Cheon So-so, the Bingbaek.
Commander of the Law Enforcement Unit—Un So-yu, the Black Cloud Sword Absolute.
Commander of the Demonlight Wing—Jeong Yeon-shin, the Flash Art.
"It is a spectacle the likes of which has not been seen in recent times," the Grand Steward, standing respectfully at one side of the round table, murmured quietly.
Six Black Rank experts.
Unless they were the Lord of the Desolate Fortress himself, no peerless expert in the world would dare step into the space between them.
Grand Steward Im Jin-myeong had a long-held wish. It was an incredibly grand ambition. To gather all this power at a single point and crush every hostile sect in existence. If the world had been just a little smaller, he might have actually attempted it.
If only the Jianghu were not so vast, if only the holes in the jar called the Central Plains were not so countless...
There was absolutely no doubt about their strength.
A Black Rank ultimate expert was a decisive weapon in any great sect war. Unless massive powers like the Thirteen Heavens allied together against them, victory was practically guaranteed.
It was just that the Desolate Fortress could not attempt such a sweeping conquest. They had already experienced the backlash of doing so. Once, they had emptied several axes of the Jianghu and gathered five of the martial units under the Divine Sword Corps.
The result had been overwhelmingly victorious, but the subsequent backlash had been terrible.
But that was a very old story.
It is impossible now.
The Grand Steward recalled the past, shaking his head inwardly as he looked at the round table before him.
The six ultimate experts sat evenly spaced apart. The ambient energy waves that sharply pricked at the skin were simply magnificent.
Previously, five of them had gathered to first reveal the Compendium of Crushing the Righteous. Even then, a tremendous resonance of true qi waves had naturally occurred, but now it was entirely different. The density of the air was far thicker, all because of the addition of the new Unit Commander.
The Commander of the Demonlight Wing, the Flash Art.
His beautifully defined jawline was tilted downward. He sat with his head lowered as if lost in deep thought, his youthful face marked by an indifferent expression. The black robe, its left sleeve torn off, suited him strangely well.
One who breathes through a divine art.
The Grand Steward smiled with deep satisfaction.
Ultimate experts of the Unit Commander level were incredibly hard to find anywhere in the world. Strongmen possessing that level of martial prowess usually founded their own sects or acted as kings in their own right.
The departure of the former Commander of the Demonlight Wing had been a painful blow, but his nephew had filled the void without a moment's delay. It was admirable, astonishing, and deeply appreciated.
Just watching these titans converse among themselves made him feel a sense of profound reassurance.
"Hey, Commander of the Demonlight Wing. I'm not exactly rushing you. I'm just asking cautiously, but... what about the Compendium of Crushing the Righteous? Your pockets look a bit empty."
"It is far from ready."
At Jeong Yeon-shin's curt reply, one of Hahu Wi-jin's eyebrows shot up in a rare look of bewilderment.
The Grand Steward had also never seen a junior treat the Commander of the Forest-Treading Unit so bluntly. He couldn't help but wonder what had happened.
"Is there really that much to write?"
"There is much to be done."
Jeong Yeon-shin replied just as shortly once more.
He had just arrived after engraving Ak Su-rim's advice deep into his mind.
This place was a battlefield.
Drawing in as many new warriors who had passed the Desolate Fortress Entrance Exam as possible, looking after the promotions of his existing subordinates, securing suitable missions, and properly allocating them...
The annotated version of the Compendium of Crushing the Righteous was not a priority. In any case, the Lord of the Desolate Fortress held the original. The Black Rank seniors would have memorized all the mnemonics instantly anyway. He figured they wouldn't even need annotations. It was only natural.
She said there are no seniors or juniors in this place.
Ak Su-rim's advice lingered in Jeong Yeon-shin's mind. He only felt a bit sorry for his maternal grandfather, who would have undoubtedly heard of his grandson's departure upon visiting the Demonlight Wing pavilion.
He will arrive soon.
He forced the thought from his mind. He had to fulfill his duties as a Unit Commander first.
It was just like when he ventured out into the Jianghu. All expression vanished from his face.
However, Hahu Wi-jin and the other established Black Ranks interpreted his silence differently. To them, the bold behavior of the new Commander of the Demonlight Wing communicated only one thing:
If you want it, you'd better behave.
And so, the Desolate Fortress Unit Commanders' meeting officially began.