Chapter 292: Lotus (11)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 292: Lotus (11)
"..."
A brief silence fell.
The expressions of the local aristocrats gathered at the ronin Geom Un-bi's quarters shifted in myriad ways.
Some raised their eyebrows, doubting their own ears, while others nodded, acknowledging that his martial prowess indeed warranted such arrogance.
There were also experts who displayed outright anger on behalf of the Gwi Clan Leader, eager to emphasize the insurmountable gap in status between a mere ronin and a local aristocrat.
All of them had lived like local mountain gods among the commoners, as befitted Martial World Local Aristocrats.
No matter who they provoked or how they reacted, they were beings whose actions were naturally tolerated within the Shanxi Jianghu.
"Surely he wasn't saying that to the Gwi Clan Leader? Calling him dust..."
"That's taking it too far. The real issue is his attitude—muttering to himself in response to the Gwi Clan Leader's polite words. He is far too insolent. No matter how strong a ronin may be, what can he possibly achieve alone?"
"Say what you will. I came here merely to exchange pleasantries."
Though there were disparities in martial arts levels among the regional factions, these local aristocrats were generally sharp-witted.
They hadn't rushed over blindly just because they sensed a massive eruption of energy.
Many of them had come only after assessing the location and the atmosphere, carefully calculating who they were dealing with and how they should carry themselves.
Recruitment, conciliation, sword discussions, forming connections...
Standing to one side of the crowd, the Gongya Siblings lost their usual composure.
The Grand Lady, Gongya Jeong, fidgeted with her neat sleeves, betraying her anxiety, while the Second Young Master, Gongya Su, lowered his sharp eyes in sheer admiration.
"Sect Master Geom has made an enemy. What should we do..."
"But that energy wave just now belonged to Brother Geom, right? How is that even possible? It's ridiculously powerful. I knew he was strong, but I never imagined he'd be that strong."
"Brother Geom?"
"He's vastly superior to me, and his manner of speaking and appearance are just so cool. He looks like he was raised as a noble in his childhood, yet he possesses this strangely wild temperament... Are all ronin like that? I never expected anyone to act like that in front of the Gwi Clan Leader!"
"Quiet. That kind of talk won't do Sect Master Geom any favors."
Gongya Jeong calmly rebuked her younger brother.
Worry pooled in her eyes. Since he was the one who had bestowed martial arts techniques upon her, she had hoped to repay his grace with worthy achievements.
She thought her own progress would be the only concern; she never expected trouble to arise on Geom Un-bi's end.
‘But it's understandable. How could anyone feel kindly after hearing Gwi Il-tae's verbal abuse...?’
Many had witnessed it at the banquet.
The Gwi Clan Leader's son had insulted Geom Un-bi's origins right to his face.
He had called him lowly. He told him that since he had come as a guest, he should focus on serving the Grand Lady well.
Having endured such words in a banquet hall filled with many of the very people present today, it was only natural that the Gwi Clan Leader's haughty attitude now felt like overbearing oppression.
It was then.
"Only the leaders remain."
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke abruptly.
This was a massive mission to be executed through the joint attack of three Black Ranks.
He intended to lay the groundwork far more thoroughly and boldly.
The ground he stood on felt less like the Gongya Clan's manor and more like the palm of Seon-ryong Jegal Hyeon's fan. To put an end to an absolute master of Sorcery Martial Arts, ordinary preparations would not suffice.
The leaders of the Shanxi local aristocrats standing at the forefront glanced back.
They had just experienced the terrifying energy of Hanging Jade Sect Master Geom Un-bi. None of them wanted to risk any needless casualties among their disciples.
The rising stars, including the Gongya Siblings, along with several servants, dispersed and withdrew.
Soon, Jeong Yeon-shin spoke again.
"Follow me."
His words sounded dangerously close to a command. Yet, they fit him as perfectly as a tailored robe.
At the same time, the massive frame of the Shanxi Gwi Clan Leader flinched violently. He looked utterly enraged, completely unable to contain his fury.
"I have tolerated this, but your insolence has crossed the line! Do you have any idea who you are speaking to with such reckless words?! Just because a mere ronin possesses high martial prowess does not mean he can behave so lawlessly!"
His voice was deafening, as if tearing through the very night air.
The inner power stored deeply beneath his navel, beneath his iron armor, was formidable—befitting the leader of a prestigious clan whose voice could shake an entire fortress.
Jeong Yeon-shin did not reply.
Whoosh!
As he silently reached out his hand, a sharp gust of wind brushed past the threshold.
Immediately after, a pitch-black robe flew up toward him of its own accord.
Amidst the soft rustle of fabric, the character 'Hwang' was faintly revealed on one of the sleeves drifting through the air.
"Do I still look like a ronin to you?"
Jeong Yeon-shin quietly asked as he caught the black fabric.
At that moment, behind the Shanxi local aristocrats, two more pitch-black robes appeared, fluttering grandly in the wind.
* * *
The Black Rank seniors had arrived after sensing their youngest member's eruption of energy.
The Vice Commander of the Divine Sword Corps, the Commander of the Demonlight Wing, and the Commander of the Bloodkeeper Unit.
Three masters of the Wish-for-Peace One Sword Hall had gathered in a foreign land. To the local aristocrats of the martial world, who were so far from Huguang, this was a terrifying revelation.
Indeed, they kept their mouths shut, warily reading the room under the heavy gaze of the three figures.
"Leave them be."
As soon as she sat around the table in the annex with Jeong Yeon-shin and Jin Myeong-jo, Ak Su-rim spoke. She cast a dense, colorless Energy Barrier around them like a shroud.
Ak Su-rim continued.
"It's a bust."
"Pardon?"
"I think the Jegal Clan Leader found out. No, it's more accurate to say he was prepared from the very beginning. Bloodkeeper found a Formation Art medium near the duel stage."
"I see."
"You aren't surprised? Flash Art, are you angry by any chance? Your demeanor is different from usual."
"It is a personal matter. Let us discuss the mission first."
"Hmm... very well."
Ak Su-rim shrugged.
Jin Myeong-jo, who was sitting close to her, felt his hand tremble slightly the moment he heard his junior's words.
That small gesture brought a measure of comfort to Jeong Yeon-shin. The senior Divine Blood Ultimate Demon truly cared for his junior's affairs as if they were his own.
"The synergy between the Duke of Eminent Fists and the Jegal Clan Leader is near invincible. There are martial artists who achieve a massive surge in combat power the moment they fight together because their martial arts complement each other perfectly. Those two are exactly like that. Horrifyingly so."
"Then we just need to separate them."
Jeong Yeon-shin calmly replied.
There was no other way.
It was said that the formations deployed by a grandmaster of Sorcery Martial Arts were comparable to divine arts.
The Jegal Clan Leader's goal was to separate the wheat from the chaff at the martial arts tournament.
He must have prepared measures to ensure no variables were tolerated. There was no reason to fight within the domain of such a peerless expert.
"Look at our Flash Art's confidence. Exactly! To face them properly, we have to deal with the Duke of Eminent Fists first."
"Then..."
"Bloodkeeper and I will block that Jegal bastard. Bloodkeeper's Sense of Qi is incredibly vast. We'll manage to buy time somehow. Well, maybe before you even arrive..."
She trailed off slightly, winking one eye.
"My spear might already be skewering his head."
"Understood."
"More importantly, what actually happened? Tell this big sister everything."
"Yes, Grandma."
As the night deepened, their quiet conversation murmured on.
It was a conversation that would soon turn the Shanxi martial world upside down.
* * *
The sun rose high in the sky.
Clear sunlight filled every strand of the crisp winter air.
"From this moment on, this place is the cradle of martial arts!"
True Qi infused the rough voice, carrying it far and wide.
The speaker exaggeratedly hyped up the young martial artists' tournament, but thanks to the dense crowd surrounding the stage, the grandiosity felt quite plausible.
He stood in the center of the stage.
"The distinguished figures of Shanxi have called for a fair duel! Countless young experts have thrown down their gauntlets to broaden our horizons, so witness today's brilliant duels clearly and spread the word to the entire world!"
A middle-aged man in white scholar's robes led the proceedings. A thunderous roar filled the surroundings.
"Waaaaaaah!"
They were gathered in the vast hills of Mount Hyeongpyeong in Noan Prefecture, Shanxi.
Even though the stage had been hastily constructed and the location and schedule had changed abruptly, hundreds of people had gathered.
Most of them appeared well-off despite the year's poor harvest. Silk garments, palanquins, carriages, and fine steeds were lined up in abundance.
For the wealthy, tracking the movements of the Martial World Local Aristocrats was of the utmost priority.
This was because the grudges and power dynamics among the strong directly influenced commercial rights, land, and shop ownership.
"The one who will open this tournament is..."
The man in scholar's robes trailed off. At that moment, the canopies surrounding the edges of the stage shook violently.
The local aristocrats, gathered to elevate their martial prowess and reputation through the vigor of the youth, had unleashed their momentum.
Blending with the strong wind blowing through the mountain crevices, it created a massive tremor.
Just as many in the crowd gasped in awe at the sight—
Whoosh! Thud!
The center of the stage dented inward. White light flickered over the cracks that splintered outward with a loud creak.
It was a wave of inner power that utterly shattered the surging energy of the greenhorns in all directions.
The moment the suddenly descended figure straightened her back, cries of shock erupted from everywhere.
"Great Hero Eon...!"
"The Duke of Eminent Fists has arrived!"
"The Duke of Eminent Fists, Great Hero Eon...? Surely..."
"The Eon Family's Number One Fist! It's the Eon Family's Number One Fist!"
The listening crowd let out wild cheers. It was far louder than when they had heard the opening declaration of the tournament.
Those gathered close to the stage even had to stop shouting and cover their ears.
Soon, Eon Hwa-ryeon spoke.
"I have come to avenge my defeat."
Her voice cut straight through the massive clamor. The caliber of the inner power infused within it was on an entirely different level.
As silence washed over the surroundings, she spoke once more.
"There is no trap. The Reincarnated Crouching Dragon is not coming. He had to go execute another operation to prevent the Martial World Alliance from coveting Shanxi. I am the only one here. I say this on the honor of the martial arts I have accumulated over a lifetime."
"Excuse me... Great Hero Eon...?"
Just as the scholar hosting the duel cautiously approached her—
The Gongya Clan Leader, who had been sitting under a canopy, leaped forward using a hasty Body Protection Scripture and grabbed the back of the scholar's neck, yanking him back.
Whoosh.
The backdraft of the Body Protection Scripture kicked up a brief gust of wind. Eon Hwa-ryeon's short black hair, brushing against the nape of her neck, fluttered.
"Gongya Clan Leader."
"Great Hero Eon."
"I owe you a debt of gratitude in Shanxi. I received much help after coming to this foreign land."
"It was my pleasure to have my horizons broadened."
"If possible, do not get involved with the Gwi Clan. It would also be wise not to form deep ties with the Reincarnated Crouching Dragon. A martial lineage that reaches out for external help inevitably loses its own soul... I realized this too late."
"..."
"A middling clan like the Gongya Clan must bow appropriately and walk alone appropriately. If you struggle to emulate those who walk the Jianghu alone, you will only tear yourself apart. Like that man, for instance."
Eon Hwa-ryeon turned her body slightly and gestured forward with her chin.
Step.
A black-clad figure stepped lightly onto the stage, walking with an elegant grace.
Standing on the boundary between boy and young man, his frame now quite tall, he exuded an indescribable aura.
He was the one she had to face.
"So that is the Hanging Jade Sect Master. The one who reached the realm of a master at such a young age despite being a ronin."
"Did Great Hero Eon actually lose to him?"
"I saw them exchange blows before. They seemed evenly matched at a glance, but..."
The murmurs surrounding them grew louder.
Yet, the peerless experts stood facing each other, completely indifferent to their surroundings.
The Gongya Clan Leader, who had been observing Hanging Jade Sect Master Geom Un-bi—Jeong Yeon-shin—with a complex gaze, led the scholar away and withdrew.
"The Jegal Clan Leader isn't coming?"
Jeong Yeon-shin asked.
Eon Hwa-ryeon nodded.
"Yes. Because I did not tell him about you. The current Reincarnated Crouching Dragon has laid his own stones along every path he might tread. Since he is fully prepared to crush whoever comes from the Desolate Fortress, he does not bother to bind himself to a schedule. It means he is a truly transcendent master. You must keep this in mind."
"...The Gwi Clan's retainers vanished. Could he really not suspect me?"
"They died without a whisper. It seems to be the work of the Midday Moon Great Slaughter Gate... but this is not my place to speak of it. I, too, have no idea what happened there."
It was the sect of the Slaying Hero, a name always mentioned whenever the potential winner of the martial arts tournament was discussed.
After a brief silence, Jeong Yeon-shin asked again.
"What is your purpose?"
"I wanted to stop. The Reincarnated Crouching Dragon has lost his dignity. The one I loved was a scholar drowning in grief after losing his wife, not a fallen absolute master who threw away his life for a grand cause."
Eon Hwa-ryeon's calm voice swept across the stage, carried by the winter wind.
Regret lingered in her words, accompanied by a fighting spirit that seemed to dryly slice against the skin.
‘She is sincere.’
Even without probing with his Upper Dantian, it was clear.
Now, his attention turned from her to their surroundings. This place was filled with powerful figures who looked down on ronin.
The Shanxi trash who kept dozens of disciples under their wings, wielding them like so many controlled swords.
There were many unfamiliar faces. Parasites of the Jianghu. They had bypassed the Gongya Clan entirely and come straight here.
‘Trivial dust.’
He sensed their presences from a perspective elevated to the level of Seon-ryong's fan.
Did they think only of the profits of a bad harvest rather than a martial artist's honor? The energies stirring beneath the canopies were itching to assist Eon Hwa-ryeon.
Since they were mere dust that had stuffed themselves with Spirit Medicine, they would likely leave an acrid taste if inhaled.
There were few in this place who did not have connections to the Jegal Clan Leader.
He had worried that his movements might be restricted, but now was the time to claim his freedom through his true identity. So that no one would dare to interfere.
Slide.
Jeong Yeon-shin placed his left hand, emerging from his sleeveless top, onto his right forearm.
He felt a smooth texture. It was a layer of fabric wrapped around his arm.
Rip!
He tore it away in one large motion. The fabric in his grip was instantly shredded by a shockwave, rapidly disintegrating.
At the same time, the stirring presences all around began to quiet down one by one. But that was only a fraction of them. Most of them actually leaped to their feet.
"What? What's going on?"
"It's the character 'Hwang'!"
"That! That's...!"
"Jeong Yeon-shin, Commander of the Demonlight Wing."
The fragments of silk scattered upward, shimmering with their characteristic smooth texture.
As the white light crumbled into tiny particles, Jeong Yeon-shin parted his lips amidst the shimmering haze.
"I accept the challenge of the Duke of Eminent Fists."