Chapter 3: Calamity of Clan Extermination (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 3: Calamity of Clan Extermination (2)
What was that?
He quickly lowered his head again. It was an incomprehensible gaze, but he didn't pay it much mind.
It's not like the experts of the Zhongnan Sect are going to show off their martial arts here anyway.
Just seeing them in person and feeling their presence was enough. The immortal qi of Mount Zhongnan—the birthplace of Taoism—was on an entirely different level from the martial artists of the Jeong Family Manor, who were stained with worldly grime.
He wondered just how profound their internal cultivation method had to be for such a refreshing sensation to physically brush against his skin.
"Raise your heads. We did not come here to flaunt our seniority," Yeo Il-shin said, her voice laced with amusement.
The people stood up one after another and straightened their postures. Quickly wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, the Family Head, Jeong Dae-myung, spoke up.
"You have traveled a long way, yet we have committed a grave discourtesy. To keep the Sword Immortals of Zhongnan standing like this... Please, allow me to guide you inside."
The experts of the Zhongnan Sect followed the Family Head. As she brushed past the family members, Yeo Il-shin cast another strange look at Jeong Yeon-shin.
"I think she was looking at me."
"It was probably me, not you."
The whispered bickering behind him was irritating. What did it matter who that renowned elder of the Zhongnan Sect looked at? It wasn't as if she was going to take any of them in as a disciple.
Jeong Yeon-shin turned around. Heading straight for the training ground, he fell deep into thought.
There is no higher level to reach in the Jeong Family Dynamic Art.
What should he cultivate now?
Having achieved great completion in his current martial art, facing the aura of the Zhongnan Sect's experts had shifted his perspective. His desire for achievement began to eclipse his usual reluctance.
The sword... Should I try cultivating the sword now?
What would it feel like to taste the stage of great completion with a proper sword art?
As he walked, Jeong Yeon-shin mentally dissected every single mnemonic of the Jeong Family Divine Sword he had witnessed in his childhood. His steps were light.
* * *
While the rest of the clan bustled with activity, the training ground where the lone boy stood remained utterly silent.
He held his sword at torso height in a mid-level stance. His breathing was perfectly calm. Deepened by the Jeong Family Dynamic Art, a single inhalation filled his lungs with a cloud-like fullness. As he exhaled, the breath leaving his body washed away all stray thoughts, like rainwater sweeping across the earth.
Jeong Yeon-shin slipped into a state of selflessness. With a single breath, he poured his entire being into the blade.
Jeong Family Divine Sword, Qi-Flower Overflowing Feather Style.
The sword moved.
Consisting of three sword intents and twenty-one forms, the Jeong Family Divine Sword was solemn and grand. Because it had shallowly imported the Zhongnan sword art, it carried the distinct flavor of an orthodox Taoist sect.
If it were the martial arts of the main sect, it would be both grand and profound. The Jeong Family Divine Sword, however, was merely grand. It felt unnatural. It was like a secular swordsman trying to mimic a Taoist priest.
Jeong Yeon-shin felt this instinctively, even before the thought fully formed. What did a secular swordsman descended from a Taoist sect pursue? Wealth and fame. It was enough to kill anyone blocking their path with a single strike.
What did a shallow swordsman need? Speed. The sword had to be swift.
Whoosh!
The flow of the sword changed. The blade, previously swung with heavy, deliberate weight, suddenly grew light. Energy surged through the acupoints of his entire body, following a new intent.
The Jeong Family Dynamic Art's true qi writhed violently, contracting the muscles across his entire body. The mnemonics of the fast sword infused into the sword art, naturally carving out an entirely new sword path.
Swoosh!
The night air scattered like startled birds as the iron sword tore through the atmosphere. It was a strike found nowhere in the Jeong Family Divine Sword. It was an entirely new sword formula.
"Haa."
He exhaled slowly, a surging sense of fulfillment washing over him. Jeong Yeon-shin looked down at his hand gripping the hilt.
When he began the stance, he had gripped it tightly with all five fingers according to the Jeong Family Divine Sword's method. Now, however, the tension in his thumb and index finger had naturally loosened.
So this is how it's done.
"So this is speed."
Having realized the mnemonics of the fast sword on his own and created a new sword move, the boy was elated. It was completely different from the Jeong Family Dynamic Art—a heart cultivation art he had completed with agonizing patience, like sewing a garment stitch by stitch.
Armed with just a single thought inspired by the experts of the Zhongnan Sect, he had instantly fashioned a new toy.
"This is fun. Truly."
After performing his newly acquired fast sword formula a few more times, Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly looked up. The sky was pitch-black, draped in ink-colored silk. Thick clouds covered the expanse, hiding both the stars and the moon.
I should sleep now if I want to practice the dynamic art at dawn.
Smiling with satisfaction, he headed straight to his bedchamber. Because his body had been refined by the Jeong Family Dynamic Art, he hadn't shed a single drop of sweat. Feeling no need to wash, the boy fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.
* * *
Waking up early and finishing his dawn training, Jeong Yeon-shin headed straight to the breakfast hall. Normally, he would have a servant bring his food to his room so he could eat alone, but today was different.
The Family Head was sure to dine with the Zhongnan experts, though how long they would be staying remained unknown.
Being a little shameless won't hurt.
Had he not gained inspiration just by looking at their clear and bright presence? Having tasted the sweetness of a great achievement, the boy put on a thick skin and attended the family breakfast. He paid no attention to the family members glaring at him with startled eyes.
Jeong Yeon-shin fixed his gaze on the Zhongnan Sect figures seated at the head table.
"Ahem. Sit down since you're here," the Family Head, Jeong Dae-myung, said, clearing his throat.
It would be unseemly for him to scold his own child in front of renowned martial artists. That was exactly what Jeong Yeon-shin had banked on.
The meal began.
The boy tried to be discreet as he stole glances at the Zhongnan disciples, particularly Yeo Il-shin. He wondered what level of martial attainment one had to reach to possess such an unwavering presence. Since a person's energy usually fluctuated depending on their emotions, he found their perfectly clear aura—which felt like it carried the very essence of Mount Zhongnan—utterly fascinating.
Then, his eyes met those of the Brightfolk Elder, Yeo Il-shin. She smiled warmly.
"Your son's eyes are remarkably clear, Family Head. He looks truly intelligent."
"Ahem...! I am terribly sorry. My third son's cultivation is still severely lacking..."
Startled, Jeong Dae-myung leaned back slightly and shot a glare at Jeong Yeon-shin. The boy simply lowered his head and picked up some vegetables to eat.
Strangely, Yeo Il-shin's gentle smile felt far more burdensome than Jeong Dae-myung's overt scowl. Something was different about her.
Clarity isn't everything. It's dense. Is that what they call supreme internal power?
It was his first time witnessing a realm where the true qi condensed inside the body naturally manifested outward. It was a strength that could be felt clearly, even though it was invisible. It felt as though the boundaries of his knowledge regarding internal energy had been shattered all over again.
The Jeong Family Dynamic Art isn't the end. It can develop further.
The vegetables on their way to his mouth stopped. He had just caught a glimpse of a clue to a new martial art.
Come to think of it, what Jeong Yeon-shin had refined with the Jeong Family Dynamic Art so far was merely his own physical body. Foolishly, he hadn't known there was a next step. Amidst the clan's indifference and subtle hostility, no one had ever bothered to tell him.
The body is a vessel. To possess such a presence, one must refine their energy.
What he had done wasn't wrong. Because of his ignorance, he had focused entirely on physical training, completely solidifying the pathways through which his true qi traveled.
Refine Essence then Qi. Polish the vessel first, then fill it with water.
Now, he just had to pour the energy in. Jeong Yeon-shin had finally realized this basic yet profound truth.
The Jeong Family Dynamic Art could go further. It could evolve once more and transform into a new martial art.
This time, it will be a real heart cultivation art.
He hummed to himself inwardly. All sorts of inspirational thoughts struck his mind like lightning. Countless methods of absorbing the energy of heaven and earth through breathing techniques tangled together, weaving a new framework.
What should I call the next stage of the Jeong Family Dynamic Art?
For a split second, the boy's eyes gleamed with an azure light. The only one who witnessed it was Yeo Il-shin of Zhongnan. A trace of doubt bloomed on her uniquely beautiful face.
* * *
"The land is better than I expected."
"Indeed. With earth qi of this caliber, it is no wonder the Hegemon Sword Sect covets it."
These were the two Zhongnan Sect disciples who had accompanied the elder to attend to her.
The three martial artists, including Yeo Il-shin, were drinking tea in the guest room provided by the Manor Master of the Jeong Family. Perhaps conscious of their status as members of the Nine Sects, the room had been neatly decorated, and the subtle aroma of tea lent a certain elegance to the atmosphere.
"It is certain that they will attack. The plan to launch a counter-offensive is sound, but... I still worry about the sacrifices this clan will have to make," Yeo Il-shin said.
"We are keeping our sense of qi open at all times."
"Can we not simply step forward and crush them before they even scale the walls?"
Confidence overflowed from the faces of the two disciples, both of whom were over thirty.
Sensing the fierce fighting spirit emanating from her sect's disciples, Yeo Il-shin said no more. They were the elites of Zhongnan, one of the Nine Sects of the world. Their words could not be dismissed as mere bravado. Instead, she changed the subject.
"What do you think of the child who will become your martial nephew?"
"I am not sure."
"Me neither..."
The two gave lukewarm responses.
Having lived for over two hundred years, she could surmise a person's character and talent from their demeanor and speech after a single meeting. In Yeo Il-shin's eyes as well, there was nothing particularly extraordinary about the second son of the Jeong Family Manor.
"Rather, it was the third child whose eyes were resolute."
"I saw it that way too."
"Even at a glance, I could tell he is no ordinary vessel. He may well shake the world in the future as the sword representing this clan. Since becoming a registered disciple of our main sect means he cannot inherit the family business, the Family Head must have purposely offered the second son instead."
Yeo Il-shin's words were conjecture, but her tone bordered on certainty. Surprise colored the faces of the two disciples.
"Is he truly that remarkable?"
"My word. Then perhaps we should bring the third son to the main sect instead..."
"That would go against our rules. Our sect has already decided on the registered disciple. Even if we were to reverse it now, the Family Head would not accept it, and the affairs of the Great Zhongnan Sect cannot be treated so lightly."
At the Grand Elder's quiet scolding, the disciples bowed their heads.
Leaving them to reflect on their thoughtless words, Yeo Il-shin tapped the table with her long fingers.
He is indeed a strange child.
She had sensed a peculiar disposition in him all along. It was not the kind of talent referred to among the Brightfolk as 'being loved by Mother Nature.' If it were, the phenomena visible only to Yeo Il-shin's eyes would have been enveloping the boy. This was of an entirely different nature.
Between heaven and earth, that child alone seemed exceptionally distinct.
Extreme internal experts like her communed with heaven. The true qi that had pierced through the Baihui point at the crown of the head was truly profound, often granting abilities akin to foresight through the Upper Dantian.
For Yeo Il-shin to feel such a strong sense of anomaly? The boy was undoubtedly extraordinary. But now was not the time to dwell on it.
"The Hegemon Sword Sect is a formidable enemy. Do not let your guard down, and hone your sword qi."
* * *
After finishing breakfast, Jeong Yeon-shin received a visit from the Chief Steward. His business was easy to guess. The man's gentle face wore an expression of deep embarrassment as he looked at the boy.
"Chief Steward."
"Third Young Master."
"I wonder if I've done something wrong. I've been thinking about that a lot lately."
"Third Young Master..."
"My mother's energy was exhausted when I was born? Is that a reason to forbid me from even showing my face to the clan's distinguished guests?"
"...It is the Manor Master's will," the Chief Steward replied softly.
Seeing the strained look on his face, Jeong Yeon-shin fell silent.
The Chief Steward was a good man. Regardless of his own feelings, he was merely the hands and feet that managed the household affairs according to the will of Jeong Dae-myung, the Manor Master and Family Head.
At times like this, Yeon-shin found himself missing his maternal family, whom he had never even met. But the Jeong Family Manor would never let him go. Jeong Yeon-shin's maternal family was connected to an extremely powerful force. Although they had never once sought out their grandson since his mother closed her eyes, the family members who mistreated Jeong Yeon-shin were always wary and uncomfortable about their existence.
"I'm sorry," the boy said.
A brief flash of pity crossed the Chief Steward's face.
"...I believe the training materials in your training ground are lacking, Young Master. I will have them replenished."
"Thank you. I'll be waiting."
Turning around, Jeong Yeon-shin reproached himself. Gaining enlightenment every time he saw the experts of the Zhongnan Sect had made him display a childish impatience. It was unlike him.
Let's just weave the heart cultivation art.
He calmed his mind, breathing according to the mnemonics of the Jeong Family Dynamic Art.