Chapter 342: Ranking Battle (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 342: Ranking Battle (3)
A young man had breached the round table of the Desolate Fortress's leadership.
He was exceptionally handsome. His sword-like eyebrows and sharp eyes—looking as though they had been painted with a fine brush—drew the gaze of everyone present.
Sunlight poured over his striking features, casting a dreamlike aura around him. His high-bridged nose and the calm set of his lips stood out in sharp relief. Despite having just weathered a brief but fierce clash, his neatly flowing hair remained immaculate, deepening the impression he left.
Colorless lightning flickered incessantly at the tips of his black hair, which cascaded past his shoulder blades. It was the residual aftereffect of the techniques he had just deflected.
"......"
The onlookers, each an extraordinary presence in their own right, fell into a long silence. Had the clash been a direct, head-on collision, the outcome might have been different.
After all, there was a vast difference between escaping a Combined Attack Formation and truly withstanding it. But what if that formation had been composed of the Black Ranks of the Desolate Fortress?
A sharp light flashed in the eyes of Ju Cheol as he stood facing Jeong Yeon-shin.
Although the dignity that always accompanied his title as the Duke of Sword Might had just been trampled like straw in a famine year, his first priority was to examine the insolent fellow who had dared to exchange a blow with him.
How many in the Desolate Fortress could replicate what had just occurred?
Ju Cheol read the shifting atmosphere, quietly soothing his acupoints that had been rattled by the shockwave of their single exchange. He had seen it clearly. Neither the Divine Blood Ultimate Demon nor the Divine Spear of the Desolate Fortress had lifted a single finger against the intruder. Un So-yu, the Commander of the Law Enforcement Unit, had managed to draw her sword—unlike Ju Cheol—but even she had flinched strangely right after the brief exchange.
Even Grand Steward Im Jin-myeong, whose martial arts were equally formidable, was entirely focused on observing the young man.
It meant this intruder was not an enemy. And that carried heavy implications.
To think such a person existed in the Imperial Family's loyal armory?
The intruder carried himself with an incredibly natural arrogance, yet he looked to be twenty years old at most. This was someone who could not be measured by ordinary standards. His talent was on par with mystical wonders like Stalactite Fluid or a Flood Dragon.
Ju Cheol had heard of such a person.
"I heard the current Commander of the Demonlight Wing... was a young boy," Ju Cheol muttered, spitting out blood-stained saliva.
But the young man merely glanced at him once before turning away. The unfamiliar, handsome youth locked eyes with the girl who was staring up at him intently.
"Is your body holding up?"
He was asking after the physical well-being of the world-renowned Divine Spear of the Desolate Fortress.
He casually spoke of information that was incredibly hard to come by. Only a select few knew she had suffered severe internal injuries after falling victim to a counter-technique designed specifically to defeat the Ak Family Spear. The rumors circulating through the world only mentioned that three Black Ranks of the Desolate Fortress had slain the Jegal Clan Leader.
Ju Cheol was certain. The young man exuded the characteristic arrogance of the Black Ranks, the very same people who always kept him—the eldest son of the Palace of the King of Fathomless Light—at arm's length.
Having come from the royal palace, Ju Cheol knew the roster of the Desolate Fortress's high-ranking figures inside out. No one else but the Commander of the Demonlight Wing fit this description.
But how...?
He was utterly bewildered. Not only by the young man's martial prowess and appearance, which far exceeded his expectations, but also by the sight of Ak Su-rim. The Divine Spear of the Desolate Fortress—who had completely ignored Ju Cheol despite his royal blood—was now letting out an exclamation of surprise, her eyes shining like jade beads.
"You're Flash Art, right?! What happened to your voice?"
Rustle.
She took a step forward on her short legs. Her hair, which barely covered the nape of her neck, swayed slightly. It was the result of a sliver of her immense internal energy leaking out. Her state of Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak was not being properly controlled.
"Did it hurt? I felt like I was going to die."
Ak Su-rim reached out with her small hand, bringing it so close to the young man's face that they almost touched. Her hand traced the air along his jawline, carrying a sense of pride that bordered on astonishment. The Halo Qi, which had been shimmering around him like divine smoke, distorted slightly at her fingertips.
The surrounding crowd stirred. Anyone could read between the lines. Her reaction was as good as confirming his Marrow Cleansing and Bone Rebirth.
"I'm glad I don't see any trace of Grandpa Ma on your face anymore. If you just eat regular meals, won't you become even prettier than the Lord of the Golden Wing Sect, the greatest beauty of Sichuan? Though that woman only became like that because she ate an Imugi's inner core."
"My comrades said I've become more manly."
"How dare you compare those greenhorns to me? Are their eyes on the same level as your great senior's?"
Her bright, smiling chatter was heartwarming. Jeong Yeon-shin felt inwardly relieved to see his senior looking so well. The memory of her during the life-and-death duel with the Jegal Clan Leader was still vivid in his mind. The sight of her stepping in as his senior to take the ultimate strike of the Male-Female Divine Whip in his stead still occasionally woke him from his sleep.
"Commander Jeong! Commander Jeong has...!"
The Grand Steward let out an exclamation of wonder that sounded almost like a sigh, only to be pushed aside by Ak Su-rim's bustling hand gestures.
Soon, she began pouring out words like a chirping lark, acting exactly like someone of her apparent young age. How did you build your body like this when you were already like black iron even before you grew taller? I want to see you test yourself against the Shaolin Divine Monk. What happened after you left the Jegal Clan? If you leave with just a message again next time...
Senior Ak and my maternal grandfather. If the cultivation of mind and spirit follows the state of the body...
Jeong Yeon-shin was certain. He had truly become an adult. It was an unalterable fact, no matter who tried to deny it.
Gently brushing aside her long stories and answering her short questions one by one, he turned his head toward the Grand Steward. Now, Ak Su-rim's small head could no longer block his field of vision. Even her protests of "Hey, where are you looking?" could not hold back the gaze of an adult.
"I have come to report my return. All the Demonlight Wing warriors who accompanied me are safe, and the mission..."
"...Was a success, of course." The Grand Steward smiled and finished his sentence for him. "It has been some time since the Chief Steward's Office received the news. After all, the death of the Jegal Clan Leader is echoing throughout the entire Jianghu. Even though Shanxi is vast, the rumors are leaping from city wall to city wall."
"Has it reached Xiangyang already?"
"It is spreading at an unprecedented speed. Unlike the Hwangbo Clan Head, who was slain by mid-ranking Black Ranks, the one who took the head of the Jegal Clan Leader—even after he deployed his spell formation—was the youngest Black Rank. More than a few sects witnessed the sight. The rumor that Assistant Military Commander Kang Su-hwi wants to dispatch Flash Art, the Commander of the Demonlight Wing, to the Northern Region has also had a massive impact."
Jeong Yeon-shin did not reply. Although he was conscious of his seniors' gazes scanning his profile and back, it was time to move past the idle chatter and get to the main point.
"The laws of the main fortress can only stand firm if the proper procedures for recording achievements are followed. I heard the Lord of the Desolate Fortress is away, so I must properly report to the Grand Steward..."
"A written report will suffice. Since there are no casualties, there is no reason to keep you here. Please return to the Demonlight Wing pavilion first and rest. You may send the mission report through one of your subordinates."
Grand Steward Im Jin-myeong tended to treat Jeong Yeon-shin with excessive courtesy. This had been the case ever since Yeon-shin was appointed as the direct disciple of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress. Even now, in a room where several unit commanders were watching, the Grand Steward offered him these minor conveniences with practiced ease.
Jeong Yeon-shin was adept at reading the room through his Sense of Qi, a skill he had honed back at the Jeong Family Manor. After subtly scanning the reactions of his respected seniors, he opened his mouth.
"...Very well."
If he brought up the matter of the Moyong Clan Head here, he would likely be pestered by Ak Su-rim for a long time. The man known as the Duke of Sword Might, who exuded the heavy aura characteristic of Imperial martial arts, was also a bothersome presence.
Even if rumors traveled faster than feet, they still could not match the Lightness Skill of top-tier experts. The distance from Taiyuan in Shanxi to Xiangyang in Huguang was immense. It was highly probable that the news of the Moyong Clan Head's death had not yet arrived.
When Jeong Yeon-shin had faced a life-threatening crisis against the clan leader and achieved Marrow Cleansing and Bone Rebirth, the only outsiders nearby were members of the Killing Gate.
And my White Swallow was taken by the Commander's Divine Eagle.
Just as the unit commanders used swallows as messengers, the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps had a pure white hawk possessed of high intelligence. It was a spirit beast of prey known as the Divine Eagle. It had suddenly appeared in the sky, let out a long cry to call the White Swallow, and flown away with it.
This had happened while Jeong Yeon-shin was traveling down to Xiangyang with the Seventh Apostle. Sensing that something significant had occurred, he had left the matter alone for the time being.
"One thing before I go." Turning to leave, Jeong Yeon-shin looked back at the Grand Steward.
At the same time, he offered a polite nod to Senior Jin, the Commander of the Bloodkeeper Unit. The Divine Blood Ultimate Demon, who had been the first to recognize his identity, was standing some distance away with his back turned—perhaps concerned about the half-destroyed roof. It was exactly the kind of class the young man wished to emulate.
"The Commander's Divine Eagle came to me..."
"It came to us too. That's what we were discussing." With a bright smile, Ak Su-rim placed her hand on Jeong Yeon-shin's side and nudged him away. He did not resist, stepping toward the door. Having gone through so much, his mind was far more exhausted than his body. "Go back to your pavilion and rest for a bit. A unit commander returning from a mission shouldn't even come to the Wish-for-Peace One Sword Hall; they should focus on Qi Healing."
"There are still seniors I haven't greeted... Why are you coming out with me?"
"To watch you eat. The cooks of the Demonlight Wing are quite skilled, aren't they?"
"I can feed myself."
"Kids your age say that and then skip meals until they're nothing but skin and bones."
No one spoke until the backs of the young man and the girl disappeared from the meeting hall. The Grand Steward and the unit commanders each seemed to be digesting a shock that would not easily subside.
Ju Cheol, the Duke of Sword Might, was different.
"The Hegemon Hero's grandson," he muttered to himself, completely ignoring the gazes of those around him. "They said the next Purple Rank would be one of the Three Black Strengths."
He recalled the rumors circulating through the Imperial Court and the royal palaces. They said the bloodline of the Hegemon Hero had grown so strong in this generation that the boy might even surpass his grandfather.
What the Commander of the Demonlight Wing had done today...
With an extraordinary manifestation of power, he had engraved his presence upon the absolute peak of the Desolate Fortress. A figure who shouldn't have emerged for another two generations had displayed his martial prowess and authority before numerous seniors. He had even struck out against an Imperial expert without hesitation.
He had rapidly risen not only toward the Purple Rank but also toward the position of Commander of the Divine Sword Corps. After all, that noble rank was attained through various procedures alongside a majority vote from the unit commanders.
From now on, whenever the future of the Desolate Fortress was discussed, the name Jeong Yeon-shin would inevitably be mentioned. This was true even if the time he had spent accumulating achievements was absurdly short compared to the other Black Ranks of the Brightfolk.
Despite carrying the blood of the Ma Clan, he is remarkably calm. His cultivation of mind and spirit is truly astonishing, Ju Cheol thought to himself. He had to be chosen by that young man.
A unit commander of the Desolate Fortress held a position that allowed them to choose their desired missions from among various duties. High-ranking officials burdened with the troubles of the Jianghu would often offer immense wealth to anyone connected with the Black Ranks, pleading with them to put in a good word.
"It would be best to speak again tomorrow. I shall return to my quarters."
"As you wish, Duke of Sword Might." The Grand Steward raised his clasped hands with a rare smile. It was likely because he had just gained the newly reborn Commander of the Demonlight Wing as a powerful card.
Ju Cheol turned away, clicking his tongue inwardly.
Step.
A wind carrying the scent of spring swept across the floor. The dust in the hall scattered upward toward the wide-open sky.
*
The office of the Commander of the Demonlight Wing.
It was a place where the scent of iron and ink blended together. The smell of oil drifted from the wall racks filled with the precious swords of the Desolate Ma Clan.
As the young man seated at the marble table ground ink and wrote a letter, the Seventh Apostle lay reclining on the bed opposite him, engraving Jeong Yeon-shin's image into her crimson, venomous eyes. Whenever the young man raised his head, she would offer a sly smile and pretend to look away.
I need to figure out what to do with her as well.
A day had passed. The current Commander of the Demonlight Wing had heard many stories since his return.
While he had been undergoing fierce battles, many of the Desolate Fortress's warriors had endured grueling times practicing the Radiant Wing Step. He was told that the number of warriors dying in action during missions had increased exponentially.
It wasn't just the White-Ranked Warriors, who mainly hunted pillaging rogue martial artists. Many of the Blue-Ranked Experts dispatched on solo missions to minor and mid-sized sects were also failing to return.
The famine had stripped the people of the Jianghu of their fear. The dread of being punished and killed had lost out to the terror of starvation. This was an inevitable misfortune for the Desolate Fortress. They had been compensating for their lack of numbers with their prestige as the world's greatest sect, but now, martial artists across the land were beginning to look down on them.
Ha Do-un, Commander of the Heaven-Aligned Wing.
Cheon So-so, Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit.
Hahu Wi-jin, Commander of the Forest-Treading Unit.
There was reportedly no news from the three of them after they had gone to capture the Young Sect Leader of the Ming Cult. This was something he had first heard from the slurred tongue of a drunken Ak Su-rim.
It was highly likely that the strange fog spreading from Xinjiang through Qinghai and into Sichuan was involved. However, the fortress couldn't even spare forces to investigate. Some factions of the Thirteen Heavens were targeting the main fortress, acting as if they had realized the Lord of the Desolate Fortress was absent.
I must go and rescue them.
Jeong Yeon-shin pushed aside his worries about his seniors' survival and stood up.
In one hand, he held the report of his mission in Shanxi. It was a concisely written letter detailing the matters concerning the Jegal Clan Leader, Eon Hwa-ryeon, the Shanxi local aristocrats, and the Moyong Clan.
It was a document that would serve as his declaration of war.