Chapter 247: Punishment, Ties of Fate (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 247: Punishment, Ties of Fate (4)
"My Lord, we have arrived."
One of the mounted warriors escorting the carriage spoke. He was clad in a striking, deep blue martial uniform, and the ease with which he pulled the reins of his fine steed and signaled a subordinate with a nod spoke of long experience.
The subordinate, receiving the silent command, scanned the surroundings and projected his voice.
—Let all commoners nearby halt their passage for the next two hours. The Branch Head’s state affairs require his absolute focus. His mind, like a clear mirror and still water, must not be disturbed.
He spoke with true qi infused in his voice, clearing the path.
The carriage of the Xi'an Branch Head was magnificent. Its antique, curved roof, looking as if it had been taken straight from the rafters of a palace pavilion, was grand enough to draw every eye.
Those who had poked their heads out of roadside windows quickly withdrew them. Passersby who had slowed to a crawl hurried on their way.
Step.
A slender, scholar-like woman was the first to step down from the carriage. She wore formal green official robes, and at her waist hung a sword adorned with a red tassel. This was the symbol of the Judicial Officer, who, despite ranking fourth among the officials of the thousand-year-old city of Xi'an, wielded authority second only to the Branch Head herself. She was an official versed in both literary and martial arts, holding a position that oversaw the state's punishments.
A distinct aura of colorless internal power radiated from her body.
Judicial Officer. In a world where superhumans trained in martial arts existed, it was a government post that required one to know how to defend oneself.
Her gaze, exceptionally sharp, scanned the inn from beneath a neatly worn official hat.
"Please step down, My Lord. The ground is firm. The people of the Jianghu do not fight on the main roads," she said.
Step.
"Xi'an is truly comfortable," a broad-shouldered man said as he stepped out of the carriage. "The roads stretch straight out in all directions. Such wide official roads are rare. Being appointed here was a stroke of immense good fortune. I still think so, even after all these years."
"The Emperor's grace is indeed profound."
"The Lord of the Vast Art Stronghold must think the same. He has acquired a land as precious as a treasure, after all. The people of the Jianghu are essentially farmers who harvest with their blades, and how many prosperous metropolises like this exist in the world? He is a highly intelligent man."
"……."
"He lives in a decent place. The chief seems to have good taste."
He murmured, adjusting his wide blue sleeves.
Branch Head Wang Wi-su's political maneuvering had already begun. He was well-acquainted with the heightened senses of martial artists and spoke on the assumption that every word was already reaching the ears of the Lord of the Vast Art Stronghold. It was a calculated way to assert the government's authority while allowing the powerful Unorthodox chief to save face.
"Let us go," Wang Wi-su said.
*
Commoners had died.
The scale of the incident at the Great Moon Gorge was by no means small. Hundreds of people had fallen from the peak severed by the Ghost Soul Divine Sword's attack. Every single one had met a gruesome, instantaneous death.
This was different from the deaths of sword-wielding vagabonds. People who were not of the Jianghu had been massacred within it.
"It's not the Commander's fault, though," Cheong-myeong said, scratching the back of his head. "They weren't just caught in the aftermath of the fight. That senile demon did it on purpose."
He was perched casually before a tea table, surrounded by the rest of the Demonlight First Team. With Baek Mi-ryeo and Heonwon Chang also gathered in the inn's private annex, they could speak freely as seniors and juniors.
"I didn't say anything," Jeong Yeon-shin replied calmly. His breathing was deep, despite his entire upper body being bound in cotton cloth.
Wrapped tightly in white bandages with only a robe draped loosely over him, Jeong Yeon-shin was the focus of Baek Mi-ryeo's intense gaze. Everyone had seen the horrific wounds—the sharp, jagged lines crisscrossing his body, marks left by the shockwaves of the sword strikes.
He had never suffered an injury this severe, not since entering the Desolate Fortress.
"It must hurt terribly," Baek Mi-ryeo murmured, her eyes tracing the dark red bloodstains seeping through the bandages.
Her evident concern was enough to make Jeong Yeon-shin feel slightly embarrassed. It was different from when his maternal grandfather had crashed through the ceiling. He had simply never been in such a state before.
His internal injuries were just as severe as his external ones. Even after unleashing the Azure Flame First Form, he had forced his body to execute the Infinite Flower of Time Hand. Though he had successfully blocked the escape of the Hegemon Sword Sect's Elder Council Head, the acupoints in his upper body, which had absorbed the full recoil, were now dangerously weak.
The deterioration had only stopped after applying the Demonlight Wing's emergency golden salve and consuming internal injury pills. Despite the famine, countless Demonlight Wing experts had scattered in all directions, determined to find medicinal herbs for their Commander.
Jeong Yeon-shin had simply told the Lazy Flame Dragon to hand over some poppies, but the others had stopped him in sheer horror.
—Just focus on recuperating. We will bring back good herbs.
—They say you become like those you associate with. We should bury that scoundrel first. What do you mean, 'Dragon'? He's just a drug addict.
—Uh, wait? This young master had no intention of giving you any, anyway.
The inn was exceptionally peaceful, even as the surrounding area seethed with talk of the Ghost Soul Divine Sword's demise.
A day or two of rest won't be enough, Baek Mi-ryeo thought, biting her lower lip slightly.
Cheong-myeong, who had also been stealing glances at the Commander, let out a faint laugh.
"How old is our chief again? Already taking down a core figure of the Hegemon Sword Sect."
He asked despite already knowing the answer, his intention to change the subject transparent. Though the Blue-Eyed Demon Sword was rumored to be as cold as frost to his untalented peers, he was a senior who had shown the Flash Art much favor ever since he joined the fortress.
A faint smile touched the corners of Jeong Yeon-shin's lips.
"Seventeen..."
The answer slipped out like a sigh as he suppressed a wave of pain.
A look of confusion crossed Cheong-myeong's face. "Hmm? The year hasn't changed yet, though the Winter Solstice is near."
"Weren't you sixteen?" Heonwon Chang chimed in abruptly.
"Ah." A soft gasp escaped Jeong Yeon-shin's lips.
He had unconsciously been calculating his age based on his shortened lifespan. With only about two years and a few months left, he had naturally thought of himself as seventeen. He had lived that way from his days as a Blue Rank to now, wearing the black robe of a Black Rank.
It made it easier to measure his goals.
"……."
During the brief silence, a voice infused with internal power rang out.
—The Branch Head has arrived!
The booming shout struck the room like a physical blow, rattling the tea table. The eyes of Baek Mi-ryeo, Cheong-myeong, and Heonwon Chang instantly sharpened.
Jeong Yeon-shin murmured quietly, "The Branch Head...?"
*
"I am boundlessly pleased to meet a hero of the age. Rumors are circulating that you slew the Ghost Soul Divine Sword, which I found utterly hard to believe at first. Ah! I am Wang Wi-su, the Branch Head of the fourth official rank, governing the very heart of these eight prefectures of Shaanxi. In the terms of the Murim, you could say I am a supreme expert of the government."
Branch Head Wang Wi-su was a man who appeared upright at first glance. His words, too, sounded plausible on the surface. Indeed, his status was such that even if one wished to end the conversation quickly, the meeting was bound to drag on. In terms of sheer power, not even the leader of a great sect could compare to him.
"I know that a Branch Head is of the fourth official rank," Jeong Yeon-shin said.
"Indeed. You are different from the ignorant fools you swept away."
"Your flattery is excessive. I heard the Lord of the Exalted Remaining Lands Sect was a provincial graduate who passed the imperial examinations. Before he set foot among the Unorthodox factions, he was said to be a talent versed in both literary and martial arts. There is no way he was ignorant of a Branch Head's rank."
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke calmly, sitting opposite Wang Wi-su in the center of the inn. He hadn't revealed his identity, so a visit from the Branch Head was unexpected. It came even before Kang Chang-mu and Shin So-bin, whom he had sent to investigate the local officials, had returned.
The duty of a Desolate Fortress Commander had walked right through the door.
—Something smells fishy.
—Just give the word, and I will fetch the heads of these government dogs.
The voice transmissions of Cheong-myeong and Heonwon Chang reached him. Jeong Yeon-shin merely gave a microscopic nod.
Beside him stood Baek Mi-ryeo, while beside Wang Wi-su stood the Judicial Officer, both positioned like escorting guards.
Jeong Yeon-shin felt a gaze intently scanning the bandages wrapped around his abdomen and chest. It belonged to the woman who had introduced herself as the Judicial Officer. As one who oversaw property confiscation, imprisonment, and executions for all Ming subjects within this vast jurisdiction, she also had to be on the front lines, guarding against assassinations by martial artists. Her sharp jawline and tightly set lips seemed to exude an overbearing personality. A faint wave of energy emanated from her brow, hinting at her training in an eye technique.
She's sizing up my condition and martial prowess.
Jeong Yeon-shin realized it instantly. He raised his head and met her gaze. At that moment, as if seizing an opportunity, the Judicial Officer's eyes flashed, and her energy intensified.
Unbothered, Jeong Yeon-shin simply stared back.
In that instant, the faint blue light of the Sight of the Lowly activated, piercing her gaze and laying bare an unfathomably deep and complex level of martial attainment.
"Ugh...!"
The Judicial Officer quickly averted her eyes, unable to conceal the panic flooding her face. The sheer volume of information contained within his gaze—the very structure of his true qi—had pressed down on her so heavily it felt as if it would choke her. For a moment, sheer terror washed over her. She felt that if she had kept looking, she would have been turned into a drooling idiot.
That is not human, the Judicial Officer thought, inhaling sharply. I must run.
Yet she had no time to speak. The gaze of the Lord of the Vast Art Stronghold did not permit it, like a spider that had already lured a fly into its web.
"...You will gain nothing by treating me this way," Wang Wi-su said, having witnessed the silent clash and its outcome. He did not hide his displeasure. He knew when to assert himself; Branch Head Wang Wi-su was a man who knew how to wield power effectively.
He was different from the Branch Head of Yunyang Prefecture in Huguang Province, who had met a sudden death. Wang Wi-su openly coveted wealth and glory.
He was probably murdered by some lowly Jianghu vagrant playing the hero, Wang Wi-su thought.
The office of Branch Head had been referred to as Prefect since before the Song Dynasty. It was far more advantageous to exercise power openly in broad daylight than to handle matters underhandedly. The Branch Head of Yunyang had been a fool. If even a scrap of circumstantial evidence was left behind after murdering a Branch Head, no matter how formidable a Jianghu figure might be, they would have to fear the appearance of the Desolate Fortress's martial artists.
Accompanied by a Judicial Officer, a Vice Prefect, and an Associate Administrator, he was addressed as "My Lord." Any threat to his safety was no ordinary matter. Unlike the local government troops, it was difficult to rely on lightness skills in front of those who possessed transcendent ones.
It is like an invisible army. Think carefully. You cannot touch me.
The mere presence of the mounted warriors waiting outside the inn was enough to make one realize the weight of his position. Keeping fine steeds during a famine? That in itself was proof of immense power.
Wang Wi-su stared intently at the youthful supreme expert before him. "It seems you are not one to beat around the bush. If you keep just a few minor promises, I will recognize you as the Grand Lord of this vast land. With the martial prowess that slew the Ghost Soul Divine Sword, you are more than qualified."
"...Recognize me as the lord of this land?"
"You heard correctly. My authority is beyond your imagination. It is enough to prevent the higher-ups from interfering in our rule."
"……."
Jeong Yeon-shin quietly stared at the Branch Head before him, then parted his lips. "How do you plan to cover up the deaths of the commoners killed by the Ghost Soul Divine Sword? There is no way the Imperial Court will not look into this."
"You worry over nothing. Starvation is common in these times. The tax revenue from tributes won't change much either. As long as there is no change in the money sent to the capital, the rest is just connections and political maneuvering. Fortunately, the Censor is also someone who understands my intentions well."
"The Censor," Jeong Yeon-shin repeated briefly, then spoke again. "Are you saying you will fill the tribute taxes through extortion?"
"Do not worry. I will share it generously with you. As I said, as long as you keep those minor promises."
Branch Head Wang Wi-su continued with an indifferent expression. "The entire province of Shaanxi is turning into a land of the Wicked Way and Heterodox Sects, starting with the destruction of the Zhongnan Sect. While that in itself is not of great concern, the problem is that the Blood Ghosts of the Blood Flame Cult are gaining power alongside them. Bastards like the Blood Master Swords deceive various villages, turning the people into cultists before vanishing... and the low-life spirits possessed by them simply refuse to listen to reason. Commoners turned into Blood Ghosts only create more Blood Ghosts. Since they are out of their minds, they neither tend to the fields nor pay their tributes."
"……."
"Whenever you hear rumors of red hair being spotted, go and eliminate them. You must do so to maintain our interests. The moment I call, you must drop everything and come. If you do just this much, your position will be incomparable to that of the Seven Great Sects of Xi'an that were destroyed by your hands. I won't ask for more. I trust you will manage on your own to extort just enough protection money from the ignorant fools to make a living."
"The Blood Flame Cult. I have learned something useful."
"You are quite reasonable," Wang Wi-su said, stroking his pitch-black beard. "Those with transcendent martial arts are usually one of two types: either highly intelligent and literate, or eccentric, as befits a master. You are on the very wise side."
A faint smile played on his lips. But it only lasted until the Lord of the Vast Art Stronghold's next words, murmured as if to himself.
"There is no need to wait for Kang Chang-mu and Shin So-bin to bring back evidence."
"Hmm?"
"Arrest them. If they resist, take their heads."