Chapter 335: Grandfather and Grandson (8)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 335: Grandfather and Grandson (8)
Jeong Yeon-shin opened his eyes as he lay on the ground.
Light filtered through the narrow slit of his parting eyelids. It was an incredibly subtle movement, yet he felt a distinct difference.
The muscles surrounding his eyes felt lighter and more elastic than ever before.
The scent of the grass brushing against his face seemed to drift away. That was how Jeong Yeon-shin perceived the wave of energy that had just rippled through his entire body.
Even when the effects of Marrow Cleansing and Bone Rebirth had inflicted excruciating pain throughout his body, his mind had remained as tranquil as a clear mirror and still water.
Amidst the blur of his surroundings, one presence brought him immense strength. A presence that embodied the ultimate aspiration of the martial artist Jeong Yeon-shin...
'The Lord of the Desolate Fortress.'
Discussing martial arts with her, even if only in a dream, had been delightful.
He had truly enjoyed conversing with her. She was the savior who protected the fruit of the World Tree, and a benefactor standing at the very pinnacle of the martial path.
Perhaps because he realized his body had changed, he found himself looking forward to the moment he would face her directly. He even felt a slight urge to show off his achievements with the Heart Sword.
"Yeon-shin."
A familiar voice brushed away the lingering warmth of his dream. It was an equally warm voice.
"……"
A large silhouette stood with its back to the sunlight.
In an instant, the image in Yeon-shin's vision rapidly took shape.
Even without actively invoking the Sight of the Lowly, the True Qi residing in his eyes reacted on its own. It brought a slightly awkward sensation.
There was only one person who could bolster his cultivation with the ultimate stage of the Jeong Family Dynamic Art.
It wasn't the Lord of the Desolate Fortress; it was his maternal grandfather. From the moment Yeon-shin's breathing shifted, his grandfather must have realized his grandson had regained consciousness.
Yeon-shin slowly parted his lips.
"...Grandfather."
His voice carried a deeper resonance than before.
He had definitely changed. To achieve the goal he needed to reach by his twenties, he had drawn out a body of that age.
It was a physical frame structured to manifest his sect-exclusive martial arts with even greater power.
Meanwhile, Ma Yeon-jeok's shoulders shook slightly as he looked down at his grandson.
"This old man must have misheard. Who did you just call?"
"Your grandson must still be half-asleep. I have caused you worry, Grandfather."
Yeon-shin calmly retracted his words and pressed his hands against the ground.
The soil beneath his palms was damp. A vast amount of blood had flowed from both his body and Moyong Jung-rak's.
'The sense of elevation is too intense. It feels like I'm still in a dream.'
A strange vortex swirled within the Upper Dantian in his head. It felt ready to spread throughout his entire body at any moment.
If he had to define its nature, it was similar to the spirituality dwelling within a Halo.
It repeatedly assimilated with and detached from his physical body and internal power—the bodily elements referred to as Essence and Qi.
It was Spirit.
Each time this unity and dissolution repeated, it felt as if poppy was seeping into his mind. He wondered if this was what it felt like to be pleasantly drunk.
It was then.
Rustle.
The tattered hem of his sleeve was gently tugged down his forearm.
It was a cautious touch, conveying both frantic worry and profound relief.
Yeon-shin, who had only raised his upper body, turned his head. The wave of energy brushing against his skin was familiar.
"Commander."
He saw a girl smiling with a face that looked on the verge of tears. It was the same expression she had worn when he first took her away from the Head of the Desolate Shin Clan.
Her shoulders, which possessed robust curves forged through the Infinite Flower of Time Fist, were always a satisfying sight. It was as if a cherished monkey was gradually taking on human form.
And all because of a martial art created by none other than himself.
The White Cat made him feel like an ancient sage passing down his legacy to a disciple.
Even if Yeon-shin were to die and vanish, she would carry on his martial lineage. As Shin So-bin's fame grew, the footprint he left upon the world would only deepen.
"You will surely become the Great Sage Equal to Heaven in the future. You are quite lovely."
A deep affection welled up in his heart for the successors of the Flash Art lineage. It was likely because he had just returned from the brink of death.
"Love... what?"
A small, disbelieving chuckle returned.
Shin So-bin's eyes widened into round circles, and the corners of her mouth twitched upward.
In Journey to the West, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven was regarded as the very incarnation of martial prowess. It was a rare, immense compliment from her commander.
Yeon-shin had preemptively cut off any worried remarks simply by speaking whatever came to mind.
"I don't even know where or how to begin. The Star-Brilliance Great Sword Lord... yes, you actually managed to... No, but first, your appearance right now... I mean, even though I watched it all happen with my own eyes, I still can't believe it!"
"……"
Standing side by side behind his chief disciple, his comrades looked down at him with various expressions.
Heonwon Chang had his eyebrows raised high, openly displaying his relief and deep emotion, while the Lazy Flame Dragon chewed on a poppy leaf, lost in his own thoughts.
"Yeon-shin."
"Yes, Grandfather."
Ma Yeon-jeok, sitting casually on the ground, met Yeon-shin's gaze. He wore a peculiar expression.
"Your shedding of the mortal coil was strange. Originally, this old man intended to guide your Qi using the Jeong Family Dynamic Art, but your body took control of the heavenly cycle's flow on its own. Even though the process was unnatural, I deemed it best to simply watch."
"So that was you, Grandfather."
"Hmm?"
"It is nothing."
"In any case... I understand what happened. Your body right now is truly..."
Ma Yeon-jeok trailed off. It was uncharacteristic behavior for him. Only the fierce, lightning-like gleam in his prominent eyes remained unchanged.
The power inherent within the Hegemon Hero of the Desolate Fortress surged in tandem with his emotions.
Only his maternal grandfather had realized exactly what form his grandson's Marrow Cleansing and Bone Rebirth had taken.
'Could he have also realized what I was thinking in my mental space...?'
Yeon-shin subtly observed his grandfather. Thick eyebrows and a smooth brow. There was no telling sign on Ma Yeon-jeok's face.
"Now, all that is left for you is to accumulate achievements," his grandfather said.
Yeon-shin, who had been needlessly tensing his legs, quickly spoke up.
"Yes. I am deeply grateful to you, Grandfather."
"Resting comes first. Shedding the mortal coil inevitably consumes a massive amount of internal power and energy throughout the entire body. Look at you, look how much weight you've lost here and there. Eating by the bowlful wouldn't be enough. This old man will go catch three or four wild boars right now—"
Boom!
The ground shook. Looking up, Yeon-shin saw a pink robe tearing through the distant sky.
Ma Yeon-jeok had leaped. Just as he seemed to be offering advice to his grandson, he had suddenly taken off.
He had instantly perceived Yeon-shin's starved state.
'I am indeed very hungry, but...'
Leaving his grandfather's eccentric behavior behind, he stood up.
His field of vision felt unfamiliar. He was looking down at the crown of Shin So-bin's pitch-black head, and when he shifted his gaze slightly, Heonwon Chang's Hero's Headband appeared below his eye level. His height was now roughly on par with the Lazy Flame Dragon's.
Hwangol—reconstructing the skeletal frame.
Taltae—transforming the physical body.
It was the most miraculous phenomenon he had experienced since entering the Jianghu.
Even the muscle fibers writhing like divine swords in his forearms as he lightly clenched his fists at this moment proved it. The sensation was entirely different. It felt as though his acupoints and muscles were woven from Black Iron.
Rustle.
Shin So-bin, who was the same age as him, straightened her back so sharply that her clothes rustled, but even then, she barely reached Yeon-shin's chest.
To one side, the Lazy Flame Dragon swallowed his poppy and curled his lips into a smirk.
"Unfamiliar... yet strangely familiar..." Heonwon Chang muttered, awkwardly rubbing his forehead.
"Commander of the Demonlight Wing."
The Slaying Hero, Geum Jon-hwi, wearing a Black Bamboo Hat, approached soundlessly.
Playfully tapping his younger brother Heonwon Chang on the shoulder, he clasped his hands in a polite fist salute toward Jeong Yeon-shin.
"One of our sect's greatest longings has been fulfilled. Though our grudge will not end until the Moyong Clan and Taemo Mountain Fortress are completely annihilated, the mere fact that the Star-Brilliance Great Sword Lord lies defeated like that... will grant our sect much greater freedom of movement."
To speak so casually of annihilating a Great Sect... Even with the leader dead, such words were not easily uttered. It was a testament to the power of the Killing Gate, which counted renowned figures hiding their identities among its disciples.
"You said you are Brother Heonwon's elder brother, correct?"
At Yeon-shin's polite inquiry, Geum Jon-hwi waved his hands dismissively.
"I find it burdensome to receive such respect from you. You have performed a miracle. From now on, the more you lower yourself, the more uncomfortable it will make others. For someone who has slain a peerless master, no one would fault you even if you behaved with a bit of arrogance."
"It is hard to change what has become second nature to me," Yeon-shin spoke calmly. Even to himself, his bearing felt more stable and composed than ever before.
"Ha."
The Slaying Hero slightly lifted the brim of his Black Bamboo Hat, revealing a face filled with admiration.
"Your conduct is truly noble. A martial artist who may very well become the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps in the future certainly knows his manners."
"You flatter me."
"My behavior earlier might have rubbed you the wrong way. I was simply overly excited to meet my brother. I ask for your understanding."
He had tried to recruit Heonwon Chang into the Killing Gate. This was his apology to the Commander of the Demonlight Wing.
Yeon-shin shook his head.
"It is enough if the Killing Gate keeps silent about today's events."
"Keep silent? About what...? Surely you do not mean to conceal the death of a peerless master, especially after the Leader of the Deep Martial Alliance himself made an appearance. Even for our sect, that would be difficult..."
"Not the outcome of the battle, but what happened to me."
"Ah, the Marrow Cleansing and Bone Rebirth...!"
Geum Jon-hwi nodded vigorously.
"The personal details and portraits of the Desolate Fortress's experts are worth a thousand pieces of gold. Those who look down on the common folk treat such information as their lifelines... I understand what you mean. Even if the name of the Lotus Nezha spreads far and wide across the world, no one will be able to recognize you on sight."
Yeon-shin bowed silently and turned away.
He needed to put some distance between himself and his grandfather. He had to ensure that the conversation he had shared with the Lord of the Desolate Fortress in his dream did not manifest as a kicking technique.
Just then, Geum Jon-hwi's voice continued from behind him.
"I hear a battle has broken out down in Gojin Village. Rumor has it that the Eldest Son of the Deep Martial Alliance was marching north with a martial arts army when they clashed with a supreme master who has a single red eye and long black hair. They say the Blade Sovereign, one of the Three Martial Venerables, is with him. I thought you should know if you wish to avoid any unnecessary trouble..."
Yeon-shin paused for a moment.
Then, he extended his right hand to the side.
Hummm—
A vibration arose from the direction of the Moyong Clan Head's corpse. It was the resonant hum of a blade.
A brilliant white light flowed radiantly along the sword as it flew straight into Yeon-shin's grasp. It was Moyong Jung-rak's Meteor Sword.
"Yes, you can't leave that behind! I'll fetch the scabbard for you!"
Heonwon Chang's excited shout rang out, accompanied by the sound of him slipping the scabbard from the Moyong Clan Head's belt.
"Commander, where are you going?"
The voice was tossed out casually. It was the Lazy Flame Dragon.
Yeon-shin calmly parted his lips.
"Gojin Village."
"...Go on ahead. I'll grab the Great Tongue Sword," the Lazy Flame Dragon said.
Nodding once, Yeon-shin set off. Behind him, the conversation between the Killing Gate brothers drifted over, as quiet and peaceful as the setting sun.
"So this is where we part. Why the Desolate Fortress?"
"My life is like drifting duckweed. I have no grand cause. I just couldn't stand bastards who make life miserable for others."
"Even your way of speaking has grown distant. You seem to follow the Commander of the Demonlight Wing quite closely."
"He is a comrade-in-arms with whom I've shared life and death. We all feel that way. In other words, he is close to a lord. One who passes down divine arts more precious than life itself..."
"Is your Heavenly Mandate truly not with our sect?"
"I have a goal."
"……?"
"To share a drink with a certain old man decades from now."
"Are you talking about the Commander of the Demonlight Wing?"
"That old man was once a country boy who entered the Desolate Fortress alongside me in our youth. Knowing absolutely nothing..."
Heonwon Chang slowly continued.
"I want to talk about how we roamed the Jianghu as comrades of the Yellow Bamboo Hat sect, created martial arts that didn't exist, turned the stomachs of wicked men with our three-inch tongues, and sometimes took their heads... I want to share those kinds of stories. We'll praise each other, boast about our children from our respective families, and reminisce about the past. All while passing cups of Bamboo Leaf Green liquor back and forth."
"...You will never take the name Geum, will you?"
"It's Heonwon."
"I understand completely. There is no need for further words... I wish you martial fortune, Great Hero Heonwon."
The voice offering an exaggeratedly polite farewell faded behind him.
Step.
The sound came from beside Yeon-shin as he silently walked down the slope. A small, light presence kept pace with him.
She was cradling the scabbard and the broken half-blade of the Northern Light sword in her arms. It was the White Cat, Shin So-bin.
Yeon-shin suddenly felt that his martial uniform pants, which now barely covered his calves, were far too small.
He glanced down.
The hem of his shortened robe was bathed in the light of the setting sun.
When he raised his head again, the hem of his sleeves, which barely reached his wrists, shimmered with a fleeting purple hue.