Chapter 34: Expert (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 34: Expert (3)
"What an absurd bastard. Saying that right to my face."
The corners of the Thieving Ghost's mouth curled into a smirk.
Jeong Yeon-shin paid him no mind and continued his steady advance.
He had heard of the Thieving Ghost. A supposed master of grappling techniques. His moniker didn't mean he fought like a possessed demon; it meant he stole like one.
"Do you know why they call me that?" the Thieving Ghost asked, smiling.
Talkative, Jeong Yeon-shin thought.
Though the distance between them closed without a reply, the Thieving Ghost's tongue didn't stop wagging.
"I'm called the Thieving Ghost because I take whatever I want. I even took your senior brother's eye."
"Senior brother?"
The man laughed heartily at Yeon-shin's questioning tone.
"Ah, perhaps not. The Desolate Fortress is a sect without roots, after all. A place where you can't even call your master 'Master.' The same must go for the Commander of the Demonlight Wing who taught you. That foolish bastard is probably wandering the wilderness in vain right now."
"What is your goal? Didn't you already take the Purple Grace Pill?" Jeong Yeon-shin asked, pausing briefly. They were now within arm's reach of each other.
Five paces, perhaps. He could even see the calluses on the Thieving Ghost's hands as they repeatedly clenched and unclenched. A single leap was more than enough to cleave the man in two.
"I'm talking about the one you can't even call your senior brother. The head of the Blue-Eyed Demon Sword."
An aura of energy wafted from the hem of the man's empty left sleeve. Jeong Yeon-shin couldn't comprehend his reasoning.
"You'd risk the Hwasan Sword Excellence and the Unit Commander returning early for this?"
"You don't understand what a hand means to a martial artist. Very well. I was willing to humor you, hearing you were promising, but you're just another fool."
This time, the Thieving Ghost was the one who stepped forward. It was a clear declaration that he would not yield Cheong-myeong's head to anyone.
The aura radiating from him was unusual. He could likely exchange a few blows with even a Blue-Ranked Expert.
Hummm!
Jeong Yeon-shin focused his mind on the Jeong Family Dynamic Art, which he had already activated. The mnemonics of the Radiant Brilliance Sword Style flowed through his mind as true qi bloomed in his palm like a miniature sun.
There was no need to wait. Jeong Yeon-shin immediately slashed upward with his Desolate Fortress Sword, a faint trail of light following the blade.
Swish!
The strike missed—the first time that had ever happened since he created his sword art. The Thieving Ghost's movement technique was truly phantom-like, befitting his name. The way he twisted his body and lunged forward was incredible.
His outstretched hand curved like a snake, accompanied by a grim, flowing aura. It looked as if it would wrap directly around the hand Jeong Yeon-shin used to hold his sword.
A grappling technique. Highly advanced.
He analyzed the Thieving Ghost's technique.
Grappling techniques infused with internal energy had a long history, supposedly created by a general from a long-fallen kingdom. What began as a way to show off martial prowess in military barracks had been passed down to constables, then to the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and finally to the martial world. Its entire philosophy lay in suppressing an opponent's arms to leave them defenseless.
Even now, with the advancement of true qi manipulation, its core essence remained unchanged.
Thud!
Jeong Yeon-shin twisted, ducked, and shoved his body forward. It was a simple body check, the kind of strike seen in any back alley.
A brief gust of wind erupted around him. The spiraling force infused into the movement crushed any opening an opponent might use to get behind him. It was the spiral technique of the Infinite Flower of Time Fist, harmonized with Cheong-myeong's teachings.
The Thieving Ghost, who had retreated a great distance, narrowed his eyes.
"A movement technique of the Brightfolk? No. That's a martial art the Han people can't replicate. The form is the same, but this is something new."
"You talk too much."
"I looked into you," the Thieving Ghost immediately continued. "The Blood Flame Cult is a terrifying force. They eliminate any potential threat before it can grow. They don't just send assassins; they dig up your past. They dug up everything. Even the fact that you're from the annihilated Jeong Family Manor of Xinye County, Henan. The Hao Sect couldn't withstand their methods and coughed up the information."
"..."
"Child of the Jeong family. I heard you buried your family on the mountain behind your home. What do you suppose has become of that site? Especially after you've shown such hostility toward the Blood Flame Cult."
"What?"
"You took the head of the Cult's sword master. Did you think they would leave your hometown alone? They dug up the entire mountain. And then they burned it all to ash."
Jeong Yeon-shin adjusted his grip on the hilt. He remembered the servant who used to call him for breakfast every morning. He remembered his father, who had finally acknowledged him at the very end. The family members who had once kept him at a distance now returned to his mind as a wave of love and hate.
"You. You have black hair, but you don't look like a cultist. Are you an apostle?"
"You think every member of the Blood Flame Cult practices Blood Arts? You really are a Jianghu novice."
"I see."
What does it matter what martial arts a dead man practices? Jeong Yeon-shin muttered to himself.
Once again, he roused his energy. True qi surged and circulated through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. Combined with the Scripture of Initial Overcoming, which operated on the principle of overlapping layers, the intensity of his aura began to fluctuate wildly.
In a life-and-death duel, a martial artist's senses transcend the ordinary. It's said they can read their opponent's intent more intimately than a lover. The corners of the Thieving Ghost's mouth twisted upward.
"A greenhorn like you thinks you can kill me? I'll bury you right alongside the Blue-Eyed Demon Sword's other eye."
The moment the man mentioned Cheong-myeong's eye, something shifted in Jeong Yeon-shin's mind.
When do people of the Jianghu despair?
First is when their master, their martial siblings, or they themselves face death.
Second is when their bodies become unable to practice martial arts.
What comes next? What situation could deliver a shock equivalent to the first two for martial artists so obsessed with their craft?
Severing their limbs wasn't enough. It was about revenge—the emotion that came right after the will to survive.
"Hup!"
The Thieving Ghost let out a short breath as his elusive movement technique unfolded once more. The hand that claimed to steal everything under the heavens unleashed the profound principles of his advanced grappling art.
Jeong Yeon-shin took a step forward and moved his right hand, the one holding the hilt. Like a dying flash of lightning, the Desolate Fortress Sword slid back into its scabbard. He now faced his enemy completely bare-handed.
He extended his right hand, mimicking his opponent's grappling technique.
The Thieving Ghost smirked, taking it for sheer arrogance, but his expression froze. The shadow of Jeong Yeon-shin's hand created a strange afterimage, obscuring his vision.
It was a small movement. With a single gesture, he deflected the Thieving Ghost's attack.
"...!"
The trajectory was clearly that of a high-level martial art. The form itself was on an entirely different level.
Striking second to prevail. Jeong Yeon-shin's hand, which had moved later, had somehow seized his enemy's wrist first.
At the same time, the monstrous strength of the Jeong Family Dynamic Art surged forth. It had been a long time since he'd used it like this. The crushing grip alone was enough to completely seal the man's movements, making acupoint sealing unnecessary.
"You... how did you...!"
Cold sweat broke out on the Thieving Ghost's face. He didn't even think to kick. It was hard to believe he had been so relaxed just moments ago.
"I found it works better this way. Your technique wasn't that advanced," Jeong Yeon-shin said nonchalantly.
The Thieving Ghost's face was a mask of panic and terror. He had just witnessed his own sect's exclusive martial art, stolen in an instant and perfected in the hands of his enemy.
"Shall I teach you the mnemonics?"
When Jeong Yeon-shin asked softly, the Thieving Ghost flinched. This time, Jeong Yeon-shin smiled.
As if I'd ever tell you. The man seemed to realize this quickly, his expression shifting from yearning to despair.
Jeong Yeon-shin had stolen his life's work and shattered it before his eyes.
This is it.
He had found his own way of casting the heretics of the martial world into the abyss. A Jianghu martial artist's techniques were the culmination of their entire life's effort.
Denying that legacy was enough. All he had to do was execute the man's own martial art—only better—right in front of him.
The Thieving Ghost's wrist, caught in his right palm, shattered.
Shring.
Listening to the man's screams, Jeong Yeon-shin drew the Desolate Fortress Sword from his waist with a reverse grip in his left hand.
* * *
He climbed up to the inn holding the Thieving Ghost's head.
The other Blood Flame Cult experts who had raided the inn had already been dealt with. Ma Jin had returned and, together with the experts from the Mount Hua Sect, had defeated them. All members of the Demonlight Wing, except for Jeong Yeon-shin, had joined the fight. Afterward, Ma Jin had apparently watched Jeong Yeon-shin's duel from a windowsill.
"You..."
The scar running across Ma Jin's face twitched. He opened his mouth several times, as if he'd seen something he shouldn't have, before letting out a sigh.
Jeong Yeon-shin paid no attention to his uncle's complex expression.
"I've accumulated significant merits. Please record them properly," he said, presenting the Thieving Ghost's head. In his other hand, he held a wooden box he had retrieved from the man's robes.
Inside was a spirit medicine possessing an energy unlike any he had felt before. The Purple Grace Pill. In terms of grade, it would surely count as a top-tier achievement.
Ma Jin opened his mouth, looking utterly dazed.
"...You're not far from the Blue Rank. You'll be able to request a promotion test soon. It will be the shortest time on record. And you'll be the youngest, of course."
"A promotion test... I've heard of it. I'd like you to tell me more next time. For now, there seems to be a more urgent matter."
"Yes. The Mount Hua Sect took a hit."
He followed Ma Jin to another guest room. The inn was nearly half-destroyed, yet the innkeeper's complexion was surprisingly bright. He had reportedly been promised compensation in the names of the Desolate Fortress and the Mount Hua Sect.
"Hmm."
Jeong Yeon-shin let out a low groan. The face of the boy lying on the bed as if dead was familiar.
Taoist Yu-hyeon, the first disciple of the Mount Hua Sect. He was the spirited young man who had promised to visit the Desolate Fortress after their spar.
"He used every last drop of his true qi to protect his senior brother."
The Perfected Heavenly Pillar, who had been standing by the bedside, spoke as he glanced at Jeong Yeon-shin. His sharp features, which had earned him the title of the Hwasan Sword Excellence, were now crumpled with worry.
Jeong Yeon-shin knew why. The dantian wasn't like a porcelain bowl. It was an organ that naturally harbored a tiny amount of energy from birth. If completely emptied, it would suffer damage. Some called this minimal energy "innate true energy." He recalled hearing that its nature was no different from internal energy, allowing it to be drawn out and replenished.
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke cautiously. "If it's a depletion of true qi, can't it simply be replenished? I understand that's a common occurrence."
"You are right. The other disciples with the same symptoms are already back on their feet."
"Then Yu-hyeon's internal energy..."
"We cannot help Yu-hyeon. As the Sect Leader's disciple, he practiced the Purple Mist Divine Art. Not all martial arts of the Mount Hua Sect are the same. Their internal cultivation methods are vastly different."
The Perfected Heavenly Pillar spoke solemnly. His expression didn't change even when he saw the Purple Grace Pill in Jeong Yeon-shin's hand. It meant they needed an expert who could dissolve the pill's energy and transfer it to the unconscious Yu-hyeon.
"It is true that you have done us a great favor by recovering it. The energy of the Purple Grace Pill could indeed substitute for the Purple Mist Divine Art. However, dissolving the energy of a spirit elixir must be done with extreme delicacy. With only an hour left for Yu-hyeon, it is simply impossible..."
The Perfected Heavenly Pillar's words trailed off. Beside him, Ma Jin's lips were moving. He seemed to be sending a telepathic transmission. The Perfected Heavenly Pillar's eyes widened as he looked at Jeong Yeon-shin.
"Did you get permission for me to do it?"
Ma Jin nodded at Jeong Yeon-shin's question.
"Yes. Swallow it now. This, too, will count as your achievement."
He didn't ask for details. He already understood. It was just like when he had won his duel against the Azure Sky Unit warrior. He had absorbed the Desolate Fortress's standard spirit medicine at an astonishing speed back then, finishing before Ma Jin could even place a hand on the Mingmen Point at the center of his lower back to assist.
Perhaps the Commander of the Demonlight Wing and the Hwasan Sword Excellence, said to be worthy rivals, shared a deep, unspoken trust. The Perfected Heavenly Pillar, having granted permission so quickly, also seemed to possess an extraordinary breadth of mind.
"Then..."
He had Yu-hyeon lie face down. After placing the boy's hands neatly at his sides, he sat cross-legged beside him. With the Perfected Heavenly Pillar's tacit approval, Jeong Yeon-shin took out the snow-white spirit elixir and swallowed it.
With a fragrant aroma, the Purple Grace Pill slid down his throat.
Is there really a spirit medicine that dissolves the moment you eat it?
The stray thought lasted only a moment. He began to move his true qi from the Shimen Point, where his lower dantian resided. As the Purple Grace Pill crumbled within the Great Heavenly Cycle circulating through the acupoints of his upper body, an equivalent amount of energy began to rise.
The moment his power swelled, he realized something. The Purple Grace Pill was a spirit medicine specialized for a specific method of true qi manipulation. He had heard that, along with martial arts, the art of refining spirit elixirs also grew by feeding on history.
One year. It would take a full year for anyone who hadn't mastered the Mount Hua Sect's internal arts to fully assimilate the true qi from the Purple Grace Pill. Extracting energy and refining it into one's own true qi were two entirely different matters. The higher the grade of the spirit medicine, the wider that gap became.
Without a year of closed-door cultivation... it would be no different from having someone else's true qi forced into me with an Internal Heavy Hand Technique.
That was likely why the Blood Flame Cultists and the Thieving Ghost hadn't consumed it immediately.
In that amount of time, it would be better to just practice my own martial arts. Still, I can make use of this while transferring the energy to Yu-hyeon.
It was a fated encounter.
It seemed the time had come to completely open his middle dantian, which was currently only faintly active. He recalled Baek Mi-ryeo's words.
He had to harbor a massive amount of energy within his body. The Purple Grace Pill would be more than enough.