Chapter 270: The Master of the Martial Book (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 270: The Master of the Martial Book (7)
Anxiety flickered in Jeong Yeon-shin's eyes. The words written on the page helped soothe the shock of his niece's sharp remark.
Even if the handwriting of Ak Su-rim, the Divine Spear of the Desolate Fortress, was somewhat playful, the contents were not to be taken lightly.
'The Commander of the Divine Sword Corps fought two Lords of the Thirteen Heavens...?'
If this became widely known, the entire Martial World would be thrown into chaos. A decisive battle between figures of such stature—the absolute leaders of great factions—was not something that happened every day.
It was evident just from how the duel between the Lord of the Hegemon Sword Sect and the Saint Flower Sword God carried just as much impact as the news of the supreme masters slain on Mount Taibai.
His heart had briefly warmed at Ak Su-rim's words saying she missed him, but that feeling quickly faded.
'Escorting her to a convalescent home.'
Yeon-shin thought calmly. It would be best to prioritize and wrap up his remaining tasks. He couldn't afford to spare a single glance for trivial matters.
He conjured the shockwave of the Wind God Movement Technique, isolating it entirely to his feet.
The wind of the Body Protection Scripture gently pushed out from the Yongquan points on his soles, sweeping across the dirt. At the same time, he took a step forward. He was moving toward his highest priority.
Whoosh.
In the distance, Jeong Hye's small back bobbed as she walked with light, pattering steps.
She rapidly grew larger in his blurred, distorted vision. A transparent breeze swept over his skin just as he caught up.
"Hye-ah."
"Huh?"
Jeong Hye turned around immediately. Their faces were close, his gaze meeting her wide, round eyes.
The child merely twitched her lips, showing no sign of agitation at his sudden appearance via the Body Protection Scripture. Having grown up in the Zhongnan Sect, it was no wonder she wasn't easily startled.
"Your uncle misspoke. I'm sorry for speaking so harshly."
Jeong Hye beamed. She moved her small mouth delicately, revealing a personality that, even at her young age, clearly distinguished between gratitude and resentment.
"Okay! I'm sorry for saying I wouldn't play with you, too."
"Right."
Bending down, Jeong Yeon-shin stroked the crown of his niece's head.
"Let's try again. Once you master the Jeong Family Dynamic Art, you'll be able to have fun playing even with Zhongnan martial arts."
As her soft hair brushed against his hand, the child nodded.
Yeon-shin felt a quiet sense of relief, letting go of his lingering doubts.
Had she been upset by the word 'monkey'? Or perhaps his behavior of looking down on certain people of the Jianghu was the problem.
'Whichever it is, I must refrain from it. Being born slow is not a sin.'
Through this brief reflection, Yeon-shin realized once more: the people of the world had long lifespans. Most of them were superior to him, while he was merely a pathetic fool who feared his prematurely destined death.
He had been inferior to others from birth. Far from being humble, he was in no position to disparage other martial artists. Yes, an adult had to be modest.
At that moment, his heart resonated.
Hummm—
The spiritual wheel of light spun even faster and larger, growing firmer in the process.
It was the halo directly connected to his mind, originating from the Spirit (神) of his Upper Dantian. As the core of his short-term decisive battle martial arts, it reacted to his mind shaking off its complacency.
The internal energy mastery of internal cultivation experts often deepened in this manner, adapting to the characteristics of the martial arts they practiced.
An even more robust wave of energy flowed from his fingertips. The experience forged by his battles against the supreme masters of the Thirteen Heavens and the enemies of Mount Taibai shone through.
"Hye-ah, you are teaching your uncle a lesson."
The weather was fine.
The lesson continued, with him showing her how to move her feet in all directions, utilize her arm muscles in various ways, and perceive her acupoints and fine meridians differently.
"It's hard..."
"When your Jeong Family Dynamic Art reaches the tenth stage and you feel your strength is lacking, recall this martial art."
"The name is weird."
"A cool hero named it."
The sunlight shattered brilliantly over the light, white snow falling around them. The young uncle and his niece put their heads together, softly reciting the words that would be passed down in the name of the Jeong family.
Watching them from afar, Yeon-shin's second brother wore a complex expression on his rugged face.
This continued until dusk fell.
Only after passing down the Jeong Family Dynamic Art and the Brilliant River to the Zhongnan disciple, Jeong Hye, did the current Commander of the Demonlight Wing retire to his quarters.
The room was empty. A pale darkness seeped through the paper window.
Rustle.
Leaning his back against the opposite wall, Jeong Yeon-shin lowered his gaze.
Even after returning from Mount Taibai, he hadn't been able to let his guard down. He had first examined Jeong Hye's body, which had absorbed the demonic art of Lingering Spirit.
She was a very young child. He didn't know what symptoms might manifest the moment he tried to expel the demonic qi using Dharma Power.
He had redesigned the energy circulation path of the Zhongnan Sect's Great Unity Divine Art. This was only possible thanks to the permission of the Sword Dragon, Wiji Myo-hwa.
He ensured that the demonic nature could not encroach upon his niece's mind.
By referencing the principles of the Brilliant River's magic formation, he stabilized her body. As a result, Jeong Hye came to possess a demonic qi that grew stronger in proportion to her cultivation of Taoist internal energy.
Wiji Myo-hwa had seemed immensely shocked by this outcome, but Yeon-shin did not bother to ask why.
Regardless, it was the best possible result. It was enough that his niece was healthy.
'It's done now.'
Suddenly, a deep weariness washed over his body. Perhaps his tension was finally dissipating. The pain he had endured from his encounter with the Ghost Soul Divine Sword up until now settled deep within his bones.
His overworked crown felt chilly. It felt as though the winter air was finally settling against his skin.
His eyes closed, his vision blurring behind his eyelashes.
"Benefactor."
The fragrant scent of tea suddenly wafted in, and a clear, melodious voice dispelled the silence of the room. It sounded as if she had been calling out to him from afar for quite some time.
In his half-asleep state, Yeon-shin felt a warm touch. Soon after, the soft texture of a thick mattress brushed against his skin.
'Right, I was supposed to enjoy tea with the Great Hero Sword Dragon.'
The one who had to fulfill the legacy of rebuilding the Zhongnan Sect.
She had formed a deep bond with him, and she was also the person who would guide his second brother and niece.
The Taoist principles of the Great Unity Divine Art she had shared possessed regenerative properties. It was obvious she had shared them not just for Jeong Hye's sake, but with him in mind as well.
Yeon-shin spoke through his hazy consciousness.
He murmured that although he had left a copy of the Compendium of Demon Extermination on the tea table, he was still worried about the Great Hero, Hye-ah, and his second brother.
He also told them they could seek refuge in the Desolate Fortress whenever they wished. Or, at least, he thought he did.
"It will be fine. Everything is fine."
For a while, a soft whisper tickled his ears.
* * *
The experts of the Demonlight Wing left Xi'an immediately. Numbering over twenty, they traveled alongside the carriage carrying their Unit Commander.
The sight of these experts, bearing the character 'Hwang' on their attire while surrounding a single carriage, drew the attention of many.
However, among the heterodox sects of Shaanxi, there were barely any groups left capable of attacking a gathering of the Desolate Fortress's Blue and White Ranks.
The void left by the supreme masters slain by the current Commander of the Demonlight Wing was immense.
Moreover, with ominous rumors circulating about the 'Compendium of Demon Extermination,' the vitality of the Shaanxi Martial World had shriveled like never before—a situation only compounded by the Mount Hua Sect sealing its gates.
"Is he really going to be okay?"
"His physical strength is completely depleted. It seems he has naturally entered a state of the Turtle Breathing Technique. Well, considering the feats he accomplished..."
"This is the second day now. Will he be alright?"
"Though his pulse has changed, his energy is perfectly fine. He is truly just asleep."
"In fact, his energy waves are gradually stabilizing, if only slightly."
A small cot had been prepared inside the carriage.
Lying upon it, Jeong Yeon-shin repeatedly drifted in and out of sleep.
His body, tempered by the Jeong Family Dynamic Art, had entered a self-recovery phase, though his physical regenerative power was not what it used to be.
The consecutive fierce battles had severely damaged his body's primordial qi.
"Isn't this strange, though? Why won't he wake up even when we call him?"
"It means he pushed himself to the absolute limit. Even the energy required to maintain consciousness is a luxury for him right now. I didn't bring up the Turtle Breathing Technique for nothing."
"I want to go inside and check on him for a moment..."
"White Cat. There is no need for a White Rank to worry. Our Unit Commander is a Black Rank. If he senses even a shred of killing intent, his body will react on its own. Right now, he's sleeping like a bear cub because he trusts us. It means the Demonlight Wing has found a place in his subconscious. Truly, we are deeply honored."
While White-Ranked warriors like Jegal Cheong-a and Shin So-bin wore worried expressions, the Blue-Ranked experts were moved by an entirely different aspect.
Desolate Fortress warriors experienced incomparably more real combat than the disciples of any other great sect.
Since their experience in the Jianghu was broader than that of their young Unit Commander, they didn't panic like their juniors.
They simply accepted it as a state occasionally shown by supreme masters of internal and external martial arts who had pushed their energy and physical limits to the absolute brink.
They merely quickened their pace as their Unit Commander's sleep dragged on.
Thus, the Demonlight Wing crossed the southeastern region of Shaanxi Province and headed straight for Xiangyang.
Even while pretending otherwise, they were all deeply concerned for their Unit Commander.
They gathered around a campfire on the snow-covered ground to share the meat of a wild boar they had luckily caught. Even then, Yeon-shin did not wake up for three whole days.
Even by the time they reached the outer city of Xiangyang, there was no sign of him opening his eyes.
"I recall the Lazy Flame Dragon was the one who lit the fire back then. Did you put something in the meat?"
"Maybe he used some wicked trick with his Samadhi True Fire, like that rumored Young Sect Leader of the Ming Cult."
"He's certainly capable of it. I knew it from the moment he fell asleep right next to a gravesite. Could he be holding a grudge against the Unit Commander for taking his precious poppy? Just wait until he wakes up after all this is over."
"Are you people serious right now...?"
They were in the middle of the official road entering Xiangyang Prefecture.
The thoroughfare was exceptionally wide, bustling with escort agencies, merchant groups, and commoners traveling to and from the city.
"There are so many of those esteemed Blue Rank lords..."
"They must be returning from a major mission. With a force of that size, we might even catch a glimpse of a black robe."
"That's why we're waiting, isn't it? Even those elusive figures show themselves here in Xiangyang."
The murmuring grew loud.
The crowd swelled by the minute.
Despite the vastness of the snow-covered plains, all eyes were drawn to the Demonlight Wing. Some in the crowd even recognized the faces of Cheong-myeong and Baek Mi-ryeo.
Amidst the whispering crowd, the Demonlight Wing faced a new dilemma.
Baek Mi-ryeo placed her hand on the side of the carriage.
"What should we do?"
It was only right for him to show himself here. If Yeon-shin aimed for a Purple Rank promotion, he had to. The Purple Rank of the Desolate Fortress was a position of immense symbolic weight.
It could not be achieved through martial prowess alone; one's name had to be widely renowned beforehand. This was especially true in Xiangyang, where the Main Fortress was located.
Heonwon Chang nodded vigorously.
"Just think of the achievements he's accumulated!"
"At this point, he's practically a returning hero. The rumors must have already spread far and wide. It's best to drive the point home."
Cheong-myeong, standing on the opposite side, muttered in agreement.
However, a Black Rank of the Desolate Fortress had to remain steadfast at all times. They were the precious swords of the Divine Sword Corps. They could break, but they must never appear rusted.
Such was the destiny of the supreme masters who bore the character 'Hwang.' Yet, the breath emanating from Yeon-shin inside the carriage remained steady and deep. He was still dead to the world.
"I have an idea," the Lazy Flame Dragon smirked. "How did they say that Young Lord carried himself? Let's pick four people who are skilled with the Body Protection Scripture."
* * *
They purchased a palanquin from one of the merchant groups present.
It was the very seat where a luxuriously dressed merchant group leader had been sitting.
Declining the offer to take it for free, they paid for it in the name of the Commander of the Demonlight Wing. The Lazy Flame Dragon, shifting from a junior to the leader of this operation, took charge of everything.
They seated Jeong Yeon-shin inside the splendid red sandalwood palanquin.
Then, they positioned his elbow on the armrest and rested his chin in his hand.
The current Commander of the Demonlight Wing did not wake even when his acupoints were sealed to lock his posture in place.
It was a stark contrast to how he had snapped awake earlier at the wild boar's fighting spirit. At this point, even the Lazy Flame Dragon hesitated for a moment.
"It's not that he can't sense killing intent; our Unit Commander is simply exhausted to the extreme," Baek Mi-ryeo remarked from nearby.
Wi Ye-ryeong, the Moon-Shooting Bow Ghost; Na Il-cheon, the Asura Demon Soul; the Lazy Flame Dragon; and Heonwon Chang shouldered the palanquin.
They glanced at their Unit Commander, who sat with his eyes closed and his chin resting in his hand, his features strikingly handsome. At a glance, he looked like a noble young master utterly indifferent to the world.
Wi Ye-ryeong, a member of the Brightfolk, and Na Il-cheon, who came from the Bloodkeeper Unit, wore somewhat uncomfortable expressions.
"He doesn't seem like the type of person who would enjoy this sort of thing."
"It's just one of life's little pleasures."
Answering Wi Ye-ryeong dismissively, the Lazy Flame Dragon took a step forward.
And so, the triumphal procession began. Heonwon Chang, who was in perfect sync with the Lazy Flame Dragon for once, bellowed with a broad grin.
"He who annihilated Shaanxi's Exalted Remaining Lands Sect, the Severing Pavilion, the Great Spirit Awe Sect, the Sword Demon Sect, the End-of-Heaven Saber Sect, and the Hwiwol Clan! He who slew the Elder Council Head of the Hegemon Sword Sect and Shaanxi's Number One Demon of Lingering Spirit! He who cut down Shaanxi's Wolf King, the Lord of the Beast King Sect, the former Chief Guardian of Lingering Spirit, and even the Young Lord of Lingering Spirit with a single stroke...!"
Just as even the senior members nearby looked astonished by the incredibly deep internal energy behind his voice, a shout like the Shaolin's Lion's Roar tore through the air.
"Make way for the Commander of the Demonlight Wing!"
The crowd, stretching all the way to the main gates, erupted in murmurs.
It felt as though the very air of the vast Xiangyang Prefecture vibrated.
"The Commander of the Demonlight Wing? Is it the Great Hero Naraka Reaper Ma Jin...?"
"How old is that news? It's the Flash Art! The current Commander of the Demonlight Wing!"
"So the rumors were true! They said he completely crushed Shaanxi!"
The crowd parted into two columns.
It was a rare triumphal return for a high-ranking warrior of the Desolate Fortress.
Such events usually only occurred after the precious swords of the Imperial Family accomplished a monumental feat, the last one being for the former Commander of the Divine Sword Corps who had once aimed for the position of the Desolate Fortress's Elder Council Head. In an instant, cheers thundered through the air.
Waaaaah—!
With expressions ranging from sheer embarrassment to disbelief, the Blue-Ranked experts moved forward, surrounding the Commander of the Demonlight Wing.
However, about half of them couldn't hide their amusement.
They had found a perfect excuse to tease their young, tempestuous Unit Commander. It was a rare source of entertainment for these esteemed, elite experts.
"This won't have any bad effect on the Unit Commander's body, will it?"
"Haven't you ever touched him during a duel? His muscles are like solid rock. Something like this won't affect him at all."
Such was the display put on by the experts of the world's greatest sect.
The palanquin, carried by Blue-Ranked experts highly skilled in the Body Protection Scripture, glided as smoothly as if they were using Grass-Gliding.
This meant his posture—resting his chin in his hand with his eyelashes lowered—remained perfectly undisturbed.
The posture of Jeong Yeon-shin, Commander of the Demonlight Wing, looked utterly arrogant.
His features, bearing a temperament closer to the Brightfolk than the Han people, drew admiration rather than complaints. Continuous cheers erupted. How could anyone look so majestic?
"He is truly reliable!"
"Look at that attitude, as if he has no equal under heaven! It's a demeanor perfectly suited for his pitch-black robe!"
"Xiangyang is bound to be the most peaceful place in the world during these troubled times! The precious swords of the Imperial Family will protect us!"
The procession continued even after passing through the gates of the Main Fortress of the Desolate Fortress.
They had no choice but to stop by the Chief Steward's Office first, where government officials and their representatives from all over the country were gathered with uneasy expressions.
It was said to be due to the recently disrupted public order. Official robes of all colors fluttered in the wind.
The path was flanked on both sides by lush green shrubbery, an unusual sight for winter.
A passing Blue-Ranked expert clasped his hands in respect toward Yeon-shin, then whispered to Cheong-myeong at the front.
"Welcome back safely. Once you report your return to the Grand Steward, you should head straight to the Castle Lord. There is an order for the Commander of the Demonlight Wing and his escorting warriors to ascend without delay."
"Hmm?"
The Lazy Flame Dragon, holding one corner of the palanquin, twitched his brow slightly.