Chapter 242: Awakening (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 242: Awakening (6)
Sunlight dappled through the slowly settling dust.
It was a staggering entrance.
The remnants of the Exalted Remaining Lands Sect stumbled backward.
"What in the..." one of them muttered under his breath.
They were members of an unorthodox sect that ruled the great city of Xi'an. Unlike common back-alley thugs, they weren't blind. They immediately recognized the manifestation of a master far beyond their ability to handle.
A man with sharp eyes, wearing gray martial robes, stepped forward.
"May I ask which sect this senior belongs to...?"
Perhaps because the newcomer had struck Jeong Jung-san the moment he appeared, a faint mixture of anxiety and hope flickered on the man's face. This was a back alley untouched by the authorities or orthodox sects.
It was a realm of pure survival of the fittest—the very same logic by which they had treated Jeong Jung-san as they pleased.
Even after seeing Jeong Yeon-shin's face, the man did not hesitate to refer to him as a "senior." In the Jianghu, a "senior" simply meant a predecessor with profound martial arts. He assumed the youth was wearing a human skin mask.
It was a massive misunderstanding.
There is a technique known as Acupoint Clearing.
It was a method used to clear blocked qi and blood vessels caused by internal injuries or turbid qi. A master with deep internal cultivation would personally manipulate another's acupoints to expel the poison.
It was said to be an incredibly delicate process. One had to guard against qi deviation by carefully calculating the impact the technique would have on the body's entire meridian system.
But for Jeong Yeon-shin, Commander of the Demonlight Wing, such caution was unnecessary.
He was a grandmaster of the Jeong Family Dynamic Art.
His insight pierced through every acupoint and vessel in the human body. He had long reached the level of a true master.
Cough!
Sprawled in the distance, his second brother coughed up dark, stagnant blood.
His complexion improved slightly. The strike of Acupoint Clearing had hit its mark perfectly.
There was no telling where or how much his brother had suffered in the meantime, but a single kick was enough to clear his blocked meridians.
It was a technique that wove a shockwave of leg strength with intricate structures of internal power. His brother's entire body must feel refreshed now—even if the kicking technique had carried a bit of personal emotion.
"This humble one is of the Exalted Remaining Lands Sect..."
The man who had stepped forward adjusted his gray collar, attempting to formally introduce himself.
"Get back here! Get over here, you idiot!"
"Crazy... Could it be...?"
The man and woman behind him called out, their faces, marred by various scars, contorting strangely.
Though they gripped the hilts of the swords at their waists tightly, their heels were pointing backward. The way they shifted their weight backward suggested they were on the verge of executing retreat footwork. They were ready to transition into a lightness skill at any moment.
They had survived on the unorthodox path. This meant their wits were as sharp as ghosts. They were quick enough to guess the identity of the intruder.
His youthful appearance completely mismatched his overwhelming martial prowess. Combined with his exceptionally arrogant demeanor and the brief words he had exchanged with Jeong Jung-san, it all pointed to one person.
"It's the Commander of the Demonlight Wing... the Commander of the Demonlight Wing..."
"What?"
"You lunatic... the Flash Art! He's a Unit Commander of the Divine Sword Corps...!"
The Divine Sword Corps of the Desolate Fortress consisted of seventeen units.
Under the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps, the Unit Commanders galloped through the Jianghu, each wielding their own absolute authority.
They debated the fate of the world with their mortal bodies. They stood at the absolute peak of the martial world.
There was a joke among some of the unorthodox sects. Those who stood before a Black Rank Unit Commander of the Desolate Fortress felt two distinct emotions: Ah, so the heavens of the martial world are truly this high. And: Goddammit.
It was a martial world of madmen. They felt pride and desperation at the exact same time.
And that was only for those who were the targets of an official mission. For those who crossed paths with them by mere chance, it was nothing short of a natural disaster.
"What?"
The face of the man who had stepped forward twitched. Just moments ago, while kicking Jeong Jung-san, he had spoken lightly of the Commander of the Demonlight Wing. The panicked words of his sect members did not easily register as reality.
He couldn't even retreat properly, his toes merely twitching, when—
"I will only take your right arms, since I do not know the full extent of your crimes," Jeong Yeon-shin said calmly.
They hadn't participated in the battle of the Great Moon Gorge, nor had they come to kill him. Beating Jeong Jung-san half to death wasn't particularly shocking when viewed in the light of past memories.
Yet, the words of the Commander of the Demonlight Wing were an absolute sentence.
"..."
The prestigious disciples of the Exalted Remaining Lands Sect could not resist. Despair cast a heavy shadow over their faces.
A sudden, agonizing scream tore through the air.
* * *
On the way back.
They emerged from the back alley and stepped onto the main public road. All kinds of people bustled along the wide, paved street.
Some recognized Jeong Yeon-shin and whispered the title "Leader." They were extremely cautious.
The path parted naturally around him.
Even as they moved out of the way, they stole glances at the mysterious rising star, as if trying to engrave his every movement into their memories. Xi'an was no longer a great city indifferent to everything. By his very existence, Jeong Yeon-shin drew all the street's gossip to himself.
"Did that gentleman really take down six sect leaders at once...?"
"What? Is that true?"
"But won't things be settled once the Elder Council Head of the Hegemon Sword Sect appears? Who can stop the Ghost Soul Divine Sword, Yeo So-hyang? That demon who flies around riding a sword..."
"Lower your voice...! You might displease him."
"Then who do we pay the protection fee to now...?"
"Don't hesitate, just take it to the Vast Art Stronghold first! Have you only been in business for a day or two? Didn't they call him the Leader!"
The murmurs drifted past. It was whispering that laid bare the raw reality of Xi'an.
"..."
Until then, the brothers had not exchanged a single word.
Jeong Yeon-shin walked silently, slightly in the lead.
Jeong Jung-san stole glances at his younger brother. He wore heavily tattered clothes, with a roughly torn piece of gray cloth serving as a mask to cover the lower half of his face.
This was on Jeong Yeon-shin's orders. No one recognized him as the Zhongnan disciple, Jeong Jung-san.
Thus, they arrived at the inn where Jeong Yeon-shin was staying.
It was still devoid of customers. Jeong Yeon-shin occasionally thought about the compensation he would hand to the owner on the day his mission ended.
"Go inside and rest. Find a quiet room."
"Yeon-shin, Hye-ah is..."
"The Great Hero Sword Dragon's presence is in the annex. You will have much to hear from him. According to Jang Gi-il, Lord of the Burnt-White Sect, you have been wandering here and there to investigate... but I understand you had no significant results."
Among the Seven Great Sects of Xi'an, Jang Gi-il's Burnt-White Sect was different from the existing unorthodox sects. They had secretly taken in and protected a few survivors of the Zhongnan Sect.
As a Zhongnan Lay Sect, they had taken practical benefits while bearing the stigma of betraying their main sect. Jeong Jung-san had also been under their support.
When he hesitated and did not leave, Jeong Yeon-shin spoke quietly.
"Does the Zhongnan disciple, Jeong Jung-san, possess any information worthy of reporting to the Commander of the Demonlight Wing?"
At the Jeong Family Manor...
Under the protection of Ban-ak Jeong Dae-myung, even though the brothers were all of the direct line, there was a clear difference in status. Jeong Yeon-shin could not easily look up to his older brothers.
Their positions were different. Not only his eldest brother, Jeong Nam-san, but also Jeong Jung-san had treated the youngest as an inferior. It was closer to contempt.
Now, it was the opposite. An incomparable difference existed between them.
"..."
Just as Jeong Jung-san fell silent—
"Aha! The Leader's brother has arrived!"
Thud!
A handsome young man dropped down from the upper stairs, his hero's headband fluttering behind his forehead.
It was Heonwon Chang, who was in charge of the 'battle formation' of the Vast Art Stronghold. He walked straight toward the entrance, his arms spread wide in a highly exaggerated gesture.
Jeong Jung-san and Heonwon Chang were already acquainted. They had met when Jeong Yeon-shin, back when he was a White Rank, had climbed Mount Zhongnan alongside Heonwon Chang.
It was during the time when Yeon-shin had created the Radiant Brilliance Sword Style and fought the Hegemon Sword Sect. Back then, Jeong Jung-san and the Divine Hero of the Desolate Fortress had been awkward around each other.
While the relationship between the Jeong brothers was lukewarm, it was also because Heonwon Chang had not yet known the secret history of the Jeong Family Manor. It was only quite some time later that the Demonlight First Team, including Cheong-myeong and Baek Mi-ryeo, heard Jeong Yeon-shin's story.
The Divine Hero of the Desolate Fortress walked over with a bright, vicious smile.
"It is wonderful to see you! I have missed you terribly!"
"Me...?"
"I had no idea the guy I met back then was actually such a bastard! I couldn't rest until I gave that face of yours a good punch! I've been waiting a very long time for this!"
The other Demonlight Wing experts had already scattered to patrol the security of Xi'an.
The inn was being used by the Demonlight First Team, the Lazy Flame Dragon, and Jegal Cheong-a. Having descended one by one before anyone noticed, they approached from the surroundings.
The Lazy Flame Dragon looked puzzled.
"Why is he acting like that? What's going on?"
Except for Heonwon Chang, everyone was seeing their Unit Commander's relative for the first time. To them, it was quite a major event.
"They don't look alike. Thank goodness."
Baek Mi-ryeo brushed back her pitch-black hair. Her eyes, set in her beautiful face, were slightly narrowed.
Her role was usually to maintain discipline within the frequently bickering Demonlight Wing, but right now, she was gently flexing her pale fingers as if she might join in on the beating. These were hands that had trained in the Small Hand Demonic Art of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. They were beautiful enough to be called delicate, jade-like hands.
"So it was him?"
Cheong-myeong merely watched with a faint smile. A strange chill emanated from him as he blankly stared at Jeong Jung-san being pummeled by Heonwon Chang's rough fists. It was cold enough to make Jegal Cheong-a, who stood beside him, take a step back.
She looked up at Jeong Yeon-shin, who had approached her side before she knew it.
"Should you not stop them?"
"The Great Hero Sword Dragon must be waiting."
"Yes, he arrived just a moment ago, which surprised me."
"Let's go."
He won't kill him. Jeong Yeon-shin walked slowly toward the annex. Something warm was melting the tight knot in his chest.
* * *
In a cozy room in the annex, he met Wiji Myo-hwa.
She was as beautiful as ever, with her delicate features and clear eyes.
Though the feather ornament on her flowing, ebony hair was somewhat worn, the aura surrounding her entire body seemed stronger than before. As a genius famous for vying for the title of the best in Shaanxi, she was a swordsman who never stopped growing.
Jeong Yeon-shin first had to receive her bow.
Rustle.
Her sky-blue robes brushed against the floor. It was a polite, formal greeting.
"I have lost Young Master Jeong's niece, my little martial aunt. It is entirely due to my own shortcomings."
A martial aunt referred to a female elder of the same generation as one's master. Literally, she was like an aunt within the sect. Since the Sword Immortal of Zhongnan had taken Jeong Hye as his disciple in his later years, Jeong Yeon-shin's niece was indeed Wiji Myo-hwa's martial aunt.
"...She must be alive," Jeong Yeon-shin said, gently grasping her shoulders to help her up.
Though dharma power and Taoist internal energy were distinct, perhaps because she had refined the pure orthodox True Qi, her shoulders felt soft and warm to his touch.
"Hye-ah has inherited the martial lineage of the Sword Immortal. She is also my flesh and blood. She is a figure from whom they can extract much information, and her identity is highly exploitable. The unorthodox Thirteen Heavens are incredibly meticulous; they would never willingly throw away a card that could shake a Black Rank of the Desolate Fortress. No matter what I do, they will keep her alive."
"I agree with that assessment."
A clear voice chimed in. Jegal Hyeon, who was sitting at one side of the tea table, smiled faintly. He exchanged a nod with his younger sister, Jegal Cheong-a.
Seon-ryong Jegal Hyeon had filled the vacant position of the Alliance's Chief Strategist, left empty by Miss Ye. This meant he wielded great authority. He had expressed a desire to temporarily cooperate with the Demonlight Wing in Xi'an, and Jeong Yeon-shin had just accepted.
"We should sit first."
The Commander of the Demonlight Wing had both of the Jegal siblings sit as his strategists. Wiji Myo-hwa also took a seat. It was as if the Desolate Fortress had joined hands with the orthodox factions, yet there was no awkwardness in this room.
"The Ten Commandments of Go say Shin-mul-gyeong-sok—be cautious and do not act rashly or hastily. Let us carefully assess our enemies," Jegal Hyeon said.
"While the abduction is highly regrettable, the fact that the culprits can be narrowed down to the Hegemon Sword Sect or Lingering Spirit is good news. The Hegemon Sword Sect is among the most daring in the Thirteen Heavens, but they do not enjoy killing outside the battlefield. Lingering Spirit possesses deep patience, enough to contend with Wudang and Shaolin. It is just that their inner thoughts are incredibly insidious..."
He spread his folding fan wide. The pattern of a white crane engraved on the ribs of the fan was revealed.
"There is no need to worry about Lady Jeong Hye. At least, not as long as Leader Jeong is alive. That has always been the behavioral pattern of the Hegemon Sword Sect and Lingering Spirit. As unorthodox sects with deep histories, they thoroughly exploit whatever they can. My family's estate has countless documents recording their patterns of behavior."
Jeong Yeon-shin glanced briefly at Jegal Hyeon's folding fan. He had just brought his brother, Jeong Jung-san, here.
Dealing with the issues of his flesh and blood, the fan, which reminiscently evoked the swings of the Jeong Family Manor, felt strangely poignant.
Coincidentally, the Elder Council Head of the Hegemon Sword Sect, who was close to being the final target of his mission, was one of those who had contributed greatly to the destruction of the Jeong Family Manor.
The Ghost Soul Divine Sword, Yeo So-hyang. She still flew through the distant skies like an immortal, and everything Jeong Yeon-shin recalled in this place ultimately connected back to the Jeong Family Manor.
Jeong Yeon-shin slowly opened his mouth.
"...Then we just need to focus on making the next move. A person of the caliber of an Elder Council Head of the Thirteen Heavens wouldn't be ignorant of any information. The moment she dies, the martial world situation in Shaanxi will also settle down significantly."
He spoke in a manner that matched the Seon-ryong's way of talking.
Jegal Hyeon's smile deepened slightly.
"First, we must scatter the Vast Art Stronghold throughout Xi'an. Since the two great sects are slow to move, nothing has happened yet... but if things escalate into a Great Sect War, there will be no choice but to retreat. We must guard against that first, and then drag this thoroughly into a personal duel. The key lies in two things: whether you, Leader, can handle the Ghost Soul Divine Sword, and whether you can bring about a personal duel between individuals."
It was said that the Elder Council Head of the Hegemon Sword Sect was a figure who engaged with the secular world as the wet nurse of the Sect Lord.
She was a supreme master who remained indifferent to everything unless instructed by the Lord of the Hegemon Sword Sect. She was renowned for being incomparably noble and aloof.
As a member of the Brightfolk of the Dali Kingdom, which had been destroyed by the sword of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress, there were many rumors that she possessed a sword technique at the realm of immortals. Her appearance, soaring through the air on a blade via Sword Flight, was the epitome of mystery. Some people in Shaanxi, regardless of their martial affiliations, had even built shrines to worship her.
They did not treat her as a mere human. It was said that even speaking of her carelessly was viewed as sacrilege.
Wiji Myo-hwa, sitting beside Jeong Yeon-shin, spoke up.
"I would like to advise retreat. You have done more than enough, Young Master. Pacifying the Seven Great Sects of Xi'an alone is a tremendous achievement."
The worry in her eyes was clear.
"The Ghost Soul Divine Sword, Yeo So-hyang, possesses three absolute secret techniques, and not a single one of them falls short of being considered peerless under heaven. At one point, she almost clashed with the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps of the Desolate Fortress."
"There is another issue as well. In the Jianghu, a one-on-one duel is surprisingly difficult to bring about. It is even more so when one has a great sect backing them. Elder Council Head Yeo So-hyang is fundamentally indifferent to those below her... Unless you reveal your identity, Leader, she is highly likely to not even deign to face you. Drawing her out in the first place is the problem," Jegal Hyeon added slightly.
The Commander of the Demonlight Wing did not answer.
He merely glanced toward the main building of the inn. It was the direction where the Divine Hero of the Desolate Fortress was.
* * *
The next day.
Identical posters were plastered all over the streets of Xi'an.
[If one has properly learned the Four Books and Three Classics, one cannot help but look after the livelihoods of the people through filial piety.
Though lamentable events are occurring all over the world due to famine, chivalrous heroes still pity the needy, allowing their high ideals to blossom.
This is because they have engraved the teachings of their sects and parents into their hearts, which is precisely why the leader of the distant Hegemon Sword Sect is so pitiful.
What learning could there be in the heart of one who is only busy boasting of their own lofty martial arts?
Surely, it must be because they have no parents.
How truly regrettable. Is there anything more futile than wielding martial prowess without purpose? If those who raised them had taught them properly, they would have contributed to the people's livelihood with that mighty strength.
While all of this is an undeniable, well-known fact, if there is anyone who wishes to instruct me with a different opinion, I will gladly accept a Sword Discussion. I shall wait for nine days while enjoying the scenery of the Great Moon Gorge.
—On behalf of the Leader of the Vast Art Stronghold, Jin-hyeong]
Two sunsets passed.
As dawn cast its dim veil of light...
Whoooooosh!
A sound like a wailing ghost rent the air. It rapidly descended, the reverberations from high above growing monstrously loud.