Chapter 249: Punishment, Ties of Fate (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 249: Punishment, Ties of Fate (6)
The Demonlight First Team stood gathered around the blue silk bedding in the most luxurious and spacious room of the inn's annex.
A folding screen bearing the Ten Symbols of Longevity—brought by Baek Mi-ryeo and Heonwon Chang—depicted the sun, mountains, white cranes, and turtles in an elegant, antique style.
The team silently looked down at Jeong Yeon-shin, who was sleeping more deeply than ever before.
His face was peaceful.
His thick, neat eyebrows remained perfectly still. In stark contrast to the elegant slope of his nose, his lightly closed lips were pale and bloodless.
The sleeping boy looked exceptionally handsome, but the formidable, overbearing spirit of the Commander of the Demonlight Wing was nowhere to be found.
Only in unconsciousness did his face finally reflect his actual age. Such was the heavy toll exacted on an overwhelmingly powerful master.
Her eyes sharp, Baek Mi-ryeo broke the silence.
"He overexerted himself."
"Indeed," Cheong-myeong replied, his face expressionless.
Baek Mi-ryeo brushed a lock of hair behind her ear with long, elegant fingers.
"The Ghost Soul Divine Sword was an opponent of far too high a caliber. For a newly promoted Black Rank to defeat the Elder Council Head of the Hegemon Sword Sect is no ordinary feat. It is a monumental achievement."
"It's more than enough for a second Black Rank mission. The reward alone will be immense. It's quite a distance to Xiangyang, but once the news reaches the main fortress, everyone will lose their minds."
Listening to his two seniors, Heonwon Chang chimed in, adjusting the Hero's Headband on his forehead.
"I don't think he's even claimed the reward for his previous mission yet. I wonder what all this accumulated merit will bring him."
"Why are you all talking about something else? The Commander has collapsed."
A completely different tone cut through the conversation. It was Lazy Flame Dragon, standing off to the side with his arms crossed, muttering bluntly. The dark circles beneath his eyes were exceptionally heavy.
The Demonlight First Team offered no reply. They had all been struck by the same grim possibility.
The remaining lifespan their Commander had mentioned before... They couldn't help but harbor a dreadful suspicion that perhaps he had miscalculated.
Even factoring in the severe aftereffects typical of life-and-death battles between top-tier masters, this was different.
The Flash Art lived on borrowed time.
The heavens, having cursed him with a tragically short lifespan, had compensated by granting him boundless talent. Although Lazy Flame Dragon's physical condition was somewhat similar to Jeong Yeon-shin's, the sheer scale of their manifested talents and the nature of their aptitudes were entirely different.
But it wasn't something they could just ask him about. He was someone who acted as though he knew nothing of his own impending death.
"Isn't it better to talk about good things rather than moping around? Who knows, he might hear us and regain consciousness sooner," Cheong-myeong said with a faint, forced smile.
A brief silence fell over the room. Outside the window, the hooting of a winter scops owl echoed loudly in the night.
Had it failed to migrate south in time? It felt entirely too symbolic of the Demonlight Wing's current plight. The absence of their supreme master left a gaping void.
From the proud stance of conquerors, their situation had rapidly deteriorated into being surrounded deep within the territory of the Heterodox Sects.
Seon-ryong Jegal Hyeon had departed before the Branch Head even arrived, stating he needed to urgently report the situation's progress to the Hanzhong Martial World Alliance.
Sword Dragon Wiji Myo-hwa was staying at the Burnt-White Sect belonging to Jang Gi-il, a lay disciple of Zhongnan.
Only the Demonlight Wing remained here.
After a moment, Baek Mi-ryeo parted her lips.
"We will secure the Zhongnan disciple, Jeong Hye."
"Is that really the right move? Just us?" Lazy Flame Dragon asked listlessly, clasping his hands behind his neck. "Shouldn't we do something about the Commander first? We're not dealing with some local faction from the Seven Great Sects of Xi'an here; we're facing the actual Thirteen Heavens."
Glancing at Jeong Yeon-shin's pale face, Cheong-myeong stood up.
"It's exactly because we don't know when our Commander will wake up. There's no guarantee his niece will be held in Shaanxi forever. We have to at least try. We can't just throw away the only clue we barely managed to obtain."
"We'll have to hit and run somehow," Heonwon Chang muttered, his expression hardening.
* * *
A sprawling manor stood with its back against a massive mountain range.
On the plaque above the main gate, the words "Double-Brightness Escort Agency" were carved in powerful, sweeping calligraphy that resembled flying dragons and dancing snakes.
Countless people and goods moved in and out of the compound.
The ambient noise of labor was heavy. The grinding of cart and carriage wheels over stone floors, the rattling of wooden frames, and the footsteps of hundreds of warriors and laborers bustling about in well-crafted leather shoes made the ongoing famine outside seem like a complete lie.
"……"
Yet, not a single human voice could be heard. Everyone was dead silent.
In a quietness so absolute that it felt eerie, they moved cargo, filled out ledgers, and entered or exited the manor without even scuffing their shoes against the threshold.
This was the Shaanxi branch of Lingering Spirit, operating under the guise of an escort agency.
They handled the most sensitive intelligence within the Thirteen Heavens. It was widely accepted that they were essentially a Hao Sect that possessed the martial might of a great orthodox sect.
In total silence, they laid bare the deepest secrets of the Jianghu and manipulated the state of the Martial World to their whim.
There were even rumors whispering that it was the Yeoryeong Lord who had originally instigated the Lord of the Hegemon Sword Sect to annihilate the Zhongnan Sect.
Within the Double-Brightness Escort Agency, very few were permitted to speak.
Only the leader—who served as both the branch head and the agency master—and a few select subordinates held that privilege.
Deep within the agency was a room lit as brightly as if it were sitting under the midday sun.
Beneath the glow of a large lantern, five people sat around a map. Every single one of them exuded a faint, dangerously subtle aura.
These were masters who had perfected stealthy ultimate techniques, capable of unleashing silent sword Qi even in the chaotic midst of fierce combat. They were the true elite of Lingering Spirit.
"There is a rumor that a dragon ascended to heaven from the coast of Honghua Prefecture in Fujian Province," reported a subordinate clad in black robes.
"But isn't the story being passed around by the Jianghu people a bit different?"
"Yes. Though it is hard to believe it was the work of human hands, they claim it was the result of some form of Fa Jin. As if the strange, violent, chaotic, and supernatural truly exist."
"Think back to the founding era of the Ming Dynasty. Our Lord always says that there are no major exaggerations in the Compendium of the Great Ming. Anything is possible in this world."
"They say the government army has locked down the docks over there. It seems they are waiting for someone..."
"It must be a master from the Desolate Fortress. The imperial family's peerless masters do not meddle in such rough affairs. If it's an incident of that scale, it would require a Purple Rank... but isn't the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps the only Purple Rank left in the Desolate Fortress? But he is currently... well, in any case, the branch over there must be looking into it."
An elderly man dressed in a yellow merchant's robe rambled on. Yet, no one dared to take his words lightly. With every sentence he spoke, the tension in the room only thickened.
This man was Shaanxi's Number One Demon, Wi Geuk-sang.
He was the absolute leader of Lingering Spirit in Shaanxi.
After slaughtering hundreds of commoners who had merely left their villages in search of arable land, he had earned the moniker of the greatest demon of the fertile plains.
Thanks to his bizarre and unpredictable martial arts, he had easily evaded even the relentless pursuit of the Desolate Fortress.
He was a practitioner who had cultivated a Central Plains demonic art, a lineage entirely separate from the Ming Cult in Xinjiang. Even while simply standing still, a colorless, smoldering aura constantly flickered across his entire body.
This rolling wave of internal power, which he only allowed himself to unleash within the walls of the Double-Brightness Escort Agency, was undeniable proof of a strength bordering on that of a mountain god.
"By the way," he spoke again, shifting the topic. "I heard those sword idiots from the Hegemon Sword Sect are picking fights over something utterly trivial."
At his words, the woman beside him chuckled. Like Wi Geuk-sang, she wore a green-hued precious sword at her waist.
"Are you talking about the child you took in? The young one does have quite an outstanding appearance... What about her?"
"I took her under my wing because her talent and background are extraordinary."
At Shaanxi's Number One Demon's reply, the woman nodded in agreement.
"Well, of course. She is the disciple the Zhongnan Sword Immortal took in his later years. Why else would that terrifying old man mess up his sect's generational hierarchy so thoroughly? The child's comprehension must be exceptional. As long as you don't devour her, she will grow into a highly useful master in the future. Wasn't that your exact intention when you carried her out after breaking through the Plum Blossom Sword Formation?"
"That is not all."
"Then what is it?"
"Her uncle. There is a living embodiment of the strange, violent, chaotic, and supernatural currently residing in the Desolate Fortress. I was skeptical even after receiving the intelligence from headquarters, but he openly showed himself in the neighboring city of Hanzhong and completely dominated the Sect Founding Ceremony. And he did it at an age not even reaching twenty."
The woman shook her head dismissively.
"I'm getting tired of hearing about the Commander of the Demonlight Wing. It's not like he just became the talk of Shaanxi yesterday."
"He is fundamentally different, even compared to the Young Sect Leader of the Ming Cult. His level of growth is something that normally cannot happen. It's enough to make one wonder if there is some hidden secret in that bloodline. Even I think so, completely putting aside the fact that the Jeong Family Manor of Henan was a worthless, third-rate martial family. It's no wonder those sword idiots are belatedly trying to claim ownership over her. Before she is my disciple, she is a highly valuable prisoner, after all."
"But she is in the hands of Shaanxi's Number One Demon. Isn't that enough? There are few places in the world safer than here."
"You are right."
Suddenly, the yellow-robed Shaanxi's Number One Demon drew his sword. The orange light of the lantern hanging on the wall surged along the length of his blade, and in the next instant, the ceiling shattered, utterly crushed by the explosive shockwave of his sword strike.
Boom!
"I knew I'd get caught!"
A handsome young man leaped up through the collapsing ceiling. His footwork, which miraculously used the deadly shockwave of the sword strike as stepping stones, was extraordinary.
Hints of a prestigious family's teachings were evident in his posture; his free-flowing, erratic movements still bore the undeniable traces of refined, orthodox forms.
"The Beautiful Pattern Heavenly King Step. It's Hwangbo the Scoundrel. I thought I sensed a rat eavesdropping," Shaanxi's Number One Demon Wi Geuk-sang muttered coldly.
In an instant, the surrounding subordinates and the green-sword woman smashed through the walls and scattered in all directions. They had anticipated the devastating aftermath of the single step Wi Geuk-sang was about to take.
He calmly raised his foot and brought it down. From beneath his feet, streams of pitch-black currents began to flood outward.
Heavenly Tomb Demon Seal—Sovereign Reign.
Step.
The precise moment his leather shoe touched the floor, the entire surroundings were dyed pitch black.
There was no explosion. The structures in all directions simply turned to ash and crumbled away in an instant. The area of effect of his technique was monstrously vast.
Through the scattering gray dust, the mountain landscape outside was suddenly laid bare. It was a shockwave that felt closer to a natural disaster than a martial art. It was a true display of divine might.
Wi Geuk-sang looked up.
In the wide-open sky, Lazy Flame Dragon's figure was fully exposed. He had agreed with his Demonlight Wing comrades to act as bait to draw the attention of the enemy's supreme master.
His sole role was to hold out for just a moment while Cheong-myeong and Heonwon Chang, who were swift with their Body Protection Scripture, searched the compound for Jeong Hye.
He had intentionally made his presence known because he had spotted one of his comrades moving in the distance. If he couldn't keep Wi Geuk-sang pinned down right here, the entire mission would be over.
"Intruders! At least twenty of them!"
"They're strong! Don't clash swords with them recklessly!"
The other Demonlight Wing masters charged onto the grounds. The outer walls of the manor collapsed, and the sharp clashing of metal rang out into the night. The raid had unfolded in the blink of an eye.
"Some fairly strong bastards... have trespassed where they shouldn't have," Shaanxi's Number One Demon sneered, raising his sword.
"Die."
* * *
The moment Jeong Yeon-shin woke up, he immediately assessed his physical condition.
He had collapsed due to heavily overexerting his wide-open Upper Dantian. The Baihui Point at the crown of his head was directly connected to the blood flow in his brain.
Without giving himself any time to adapt to his newly created eye technique, he had forcefully analyzed every single movement of a cunning, veteran master like the Ghost Soul Divine Sword. It was only natural that his brain had suffered under the immense strain.
'Losing consciousness in the Jianghu truly makes time fly.'
He briefly recalled the memory of being carried by the Lord of the Desolate Fortress back at the Blood Flame Cult's headquarters.
Jeong Yeon-shin pushed himself up and stepped outside.
He brushed aside the frantic protests of Shin So-bin and Kang Chang-mu, who had been tending to him by his bedside. After hearing a brief summary of what had transpired, a single sharp glance from him was all it took to make them reveal the team's destination.
He immediately dashed out into the night.
Whoosh—!
A powerful gust of wind wrapped around his thighs. The colorless shockwave of his Wind God Movement Technique surged more violently than ever before.
Even though he had not yet created a proper Lightness Skill, the raw energy transformed into an immense propulsive force. He instinctively altered his body mechanics, converting the explosive power into a specialized running technique.
Crack!
The ground shattered as he pushed off firmly beneath his feet. Jeong Yeon-shin sprinted relentlessly, completely ignoring the agonizing pain accumulated throughout his body.
Even as his muscles began to spasm while scaling the steep mountain terrain, his speed did not falter for a second. Above him, the pale light of the dawn sun gradually grew brighter, illuminating his path.
They had said it was Mount Hwiryong in Fengxiang Prefecture. Thanks to his high-level privileges as a Black Rank of the Desolate Fortress, he had already memorized the detailed geography of this entire region.
'There it is.'
His field of view opened up widely as he crested the mountain ridge.
Several thick plumes of smoke were rising from a sprawling manor built deep in the valley.
It had to be the safehouse of Lingering Spirit. Unfamiliar warriors were locked in brutal, life-and-death duels with his comrades. Violent clashes erupted all over the compound.
Boom! Crash!
The very air trembled. It was the devastating collision of Fa Jin shockwaves. A bloodbath on par with a full-scale war between great sects was unfolding before his eyes. The distinct white shockwaves of the Vast Art Formula erupted everywhere.
It was already a chaotic battlefield. He needed to quickly prioritize his targets.
Jeong Yeon-shin's senses locked onto the single most overwhelmingly powerful aura in the area.
A swordsman in a yellow robe was relentlessly driving back the elite masters of the Demonlight Wing.
He was a tall man, standing over six feet. His pitch-black eyes were swimming with sheer arrogance.
He unleashed devastating sword strikes while casually fluttering his yellow sleeves as if he were merely playing a game. The shockwaves radiating from the tip of his blade carved deep, jagged furrows into the earth, tearing through the ground like a compressed typhoon.
Even though over a dozen Blue Rank experts—including Baek Mi-ryeo and Cheong-myeong—had surrounded him in a relentless, coordinated tag-team assault, they were continuously being pushed back. The ground rumbled violently beneath them as if struck by an earthquake.
Off to one side, Lazy Flame Dragon lay unconscious on the ground at the feet of two White Rank warriors. One of them was Jegal Cheong-a.
The moment he took in the scene.
Step.
Jeong Yeon-shin was already standing at Lazy Flame Dragon's head, forcefully enduring the sharp internal and external injuries that screamed in protest across his entire body.
He reached his left hand toward the collapsed Lazy Flame Dragon's chest. In an instant, his arm blurred out of sight. Moving at a speed only achievable in the realm of a supreme master, he snatched a bundle of flowers from the man's robes and pulled it back.
Jegal Cheong-a, standing guard nearby, wore a rare look of utter bewilderment.
"Commander...?"
Jeong Yeon-shin did not answer.
He held up a bright red poppy and bit into it. The crimson petals crushed wetly between his lips.
Glaring fiercely at the enemies who had suddenly rushed toward his position, he slowly chewed the flower, down to the very stem.
He used his internal energy to violently stimulate his stomach. The Dharma power of his Law-Transcending Halo Qi forcibly spread the drug's potent effects through his bloodstream in an instant. The euphoric sensation of his entire body being enveloped in soft clouds was intensely addictive.
Jeong Yeon-shin thought, So this is what it feels like.
"Spread out to the left and right. Once I break through the center, widen the path of penetration. Leave Lazy Flame Dragon be."
The Flash Art, Commander of the Demonlight Wing, spoke through gritted teeth. The violent trembling in his right hand, which firmly gripped his sword, gradually subsided into stillness.
Conversely, his pitch-black robes began to flutter wildly as the shockwave of the Wind God Movement Technique erupted, enveloping his entire body.
The sheer force streaming from his form swirled incessantly, sharp and dangerous like untamed sword Qi.
"It is but a single step to that man."
In an instant, the surrounding atmosphere surged with oppressive pressure. The enemies, who had been rushing forward to eliminate this new target, faltered and stumbled to a halt.
Jeong Yeon-shin placed another poppy petal between his lips, biting down hard. A brief, suffocating silence fell over the chaotic battlefield.
He looked utterly possessed. In the face of his overwhelming, demonic battle readiness, a heavy, terrifying stillness began to spread across the mountain.