Chapter 417: The Hem of the Western Heaven (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 417: The Hem of the Western Heaven (2)
A violent roar echoed through the night.
Crash!
Jeong Yeon-shin soared upward, bursting through the roof of the golden palace. In his hand, he held a single reed, its color blending with the fragments of shattered roof tiles scattering around him.
Thanks to the Fan Dragon Lotus Art, the simple stalk was imbued with the profound principles of Sword Control, allowing him to use it for Sword Flight.
Though its speed couldn't compare to his Lightness Skill, Ten-Mile Light Grace, while bearing the weight of a grown man, it still floated through the air at his command, far beyond the reach of anyone on the ground.
Whoosh—
The Forbidden City.
As the wind blew toward the heart of the nation, scattering moonlight through the dark air, the reed hummed like a sword. Imbued with Law-Transcending Halo Qi, it vibrated with a powerful resonance.
Raising the reed high as if assuming a high-guard stance, Jeong Yeon-shin scanned the ground below.
Golden pavilions stretched endlessly across his field of vision. Processions of palaces formed vast squares wherever his eyes landed. Yet, nowhere within that imposing and sophisticated cluster was there any sign of the Divine Sword: Lingering Thunder. He should have felt the warm spiritual presence of the Tang Clan siblings, but there was nothing.
It was just as he’d feared. The moment the doors to the Hall of Supreme Harmony had closed, his ability to sense Qi had been inexplicably suppressed. It was fitting for an imperial family that constantly had to guard against treason; a profound formation was laid across the entire city.
Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes narrowed.
'It will be difficult to find them quickly.'
What on earth was the Crown Prince up to? The Forbidden City, home to thousands of palace servants, was unnervingly silent. While he could sense countless human presences, they all seemed to be holding their breath under some strict order, even though the roof of the Hall of Supreme Harmony itself had just been shattered.
At this point, he couldn't help but wonder what the Crown Prince truly wanted. Had he perhaps intended for Jeong Yeon-shin to cause a commotion? To act with the spirit and conviction befitting a Purple Rank of the Desolate Fortress?
'Is this a test?'
But that was not his immediate concern.
Whoosh!
Thrusting the reed forward, Jeong Yeon-shin shot through the air. In the posture of the Unity of Body and Sword, his Sword Flight carried him over the Forbidden City and toward the streets of Beijing.
* * *
The Peng Clan.
Among the Eight Great Families of Jianghu, they were located closest to Beijing, and their hereditary martial arts centered on saber techniques. In the empire, they were also referred to as the ancestral home of blade-wielders, having produced countless high-ranking military officers with their peerless saber arts, which were a rarity under heaven.
Although the martial arts of the ruling imperial family were among the most profound in the world, not every imperial guard under the Ming could learn the Golden Immortal Eight Methods. Thus, the Peng Clan's divine ultimate techniques were famous in military circles, especially in Beijing, to the point where some of the clan's experts were invited to the Forbidden City to serve as martial arts instructors.
Thanks to this, the Peng Clan was able to establish its main estate in the southern part of Beizhili, the province surrounding Beijing. Naturally, they possessed immense influence. They had built walls as high as fortress ramparts on land directly ruled by the imperial family, and no one dared to interfere, even when thunderous martial shouts echoed from the training grounds within.
“…Do you really think our clan’s influence extends to the Eastern Depot? Someone like the Yeoryeong Lord should not be visiting so abruptly. Surely you know what the Ming imperial family is capable of.”
“Perhaps, if the imperial family were at its peak. But the Zhu imperial family has poured its strength into the north, practically abandoning public order in the Jianghu to the Desolate Fortress. How could they possibly come after me?”
The man wearing a bamboo hat laughed. Only the lower half of his face, with its neatly trimmed, pitch-black beard, was visible.
Separated by a beaded curtain of precious jade spheres, the Peng Family Head and the Yeoryeong Lord sat face-to-face. Yet, the shadow of the Peng Family Head cast behind the curtain did not budge. He showed no sign of moving, as if he utterly loathed his guest.
He merely spoke in a heavy, sharp voice. “If you truly did not fear the imperial family, you would be in Beijing by now. Isn’t it because nothing has gone your way lately that you’ve come to our main estate to request a private audience?”
“As expected of the Peng Family Head. The spirit you showed when you helped corner the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps with the Net of Heaven and Earth is still intact. It seems you still have some fight left in you, then?”
“You bastard…”
“I thought your entire clan would be trembling in fear by now… but when I glanced at your family members on my way in, some didn’t even recognize me and simply greeted me as your guest. Seeing that refined demeanor unique to a prestigious clan, I couldn’t help but admire your control. To think you kept the matter of the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps a top secret. How does it feel, holding a secret that’s bound to explode like a ticking Thunderbolt Bomb?”
“Shut your mouth! Was it not entirely your fault that the Net of Heaven and Earth failed? It’s laughable that you would threaten me with your own failure…!”
In an instant, the beaded curtain swayed. The lantern illuminating the dim room suddenly went out.
Soon after, the Yeoryeong Lord’s bamboo hat bobbed up and down in the darkness, a movement born of silent laughter.
“How terrifying. Are you planning to silence me to destroy the evidence?”
“I could do so easily.”
“Of course. As someone who once stood as an equal to the late Namgung Clan Head, I admit it would be worth a try. But shouldn’t weakening the Desolate Fortress be your priority? I am not trying to provoke you. I am merely reminding you of the facts.”
“Every word from your mouth is sophistry. It only hurts my ears.”
Even as the Peng Family Head growled, the Yeoryeong Lord’s bamboo hat remained still. He simply let his smooth voice flow through the darkness.
“I hear that the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps and the Commander of the Demonlight Wing have arrived in Beijing together, and public opinion isn’t exactly favorable. A few reputable military officers from the Peng Clan could easily fan those flames. Beijing is a place moved by rumors and justification, not raw force. At the very least, it should be possible to tie them down in Beijing. If we are lucky, we might even delay the Commander of the Demonlight Wing’s promotion to Purple Rank indefinitely.”
“How?”
“Isn’t your son-in-law a Deputy Commandant of the Embroidered Uniform Guard? Furthermore, I know that many of the military officers trained by the Peng Clan’s experts hold key positions.”
“A pointless proposal. The moment the Emperor learns we tried to slay the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps, our clan will face annihilation.”
“That is only because the Peng Clan is content with the scraps from Beijing’s table. The problem would be solved if you personally took charge and relocated the clan’s foundation. The Zhu experts are tied down in the north, and the furthest the Emperor can personally travel is Henan’s Shaolin Temple. That monster hasn’t ventured far in decades, not even when powerful Jianghu warlords rebelled in the provinces.”
“…”
“But you can’t accept that, can you? Your pride as a prestigious family won’t allow it. So, in the end, you intend to dominate the ‘World’s Greatest Martial Arts Tournament’ under the Peng Clan’s name and reach an agreement with the Desolate Fortress by settling your grudges?”
“There is no other way. If we lose, we will walk the path of annihilation.”
This was right after invitations from more than half of the Nine Sects that had signed the Mount Hua Agreement swept through the Jianghu. A Life-and-Death Duel tournament was not uncommon, but this one was different. It was said that whoever conquered this Great Sect War could make one request each to the Desolate Fortress and the Nine Sects—requests carrying enough weight to move a Purple Rank and a Sect Leader, respectively.
“It is indeed a proposal the Peng Clan has no choice but to accept.” The Yeoryeong Lord’s bamboo hat tilted slightly. “However, for a Life-and-Death Duel hosted by the Nine Sects, isn’t it excessively brutal? No matter how you look at it, it seems targeted at the Peng Clan. The Nine Sects do not wish for a bloodbath, and the Desolate Fortress has faced immense backlash for its reckless actions… It seems they want to execute you in accordance with the laws of the Jianghu, with minimal bloodshed.”
“I know.”
“Well, that is for you to handle.” Turning to leave, the Yeoryeong Lord paused and glanced back. The shadow beyond the beaded curtain remained motionless. “So, you truly do not intend to cooperate regarding the Commander of the Demonlight Wing?”
“My son is in Beijing. I have already delegated all authority to him. He will observe the Commander of the Demonlight Wing and act accordingly. Given time, he can accomplish anything.”
“Ah, the Blade Marquis of the Peng Family,” the Yeoryeong Lord said with a low exclamation. “He was a capable child. I look forward to it.”
* * *
Something was terribly wrong.
The Deputy Commandant of the Embroidered Uniform Guard thought to himself.
—A spirit beast with bizarre and unpredictable movements has entered. Ensure the citizens are not harmed and maintain a defensive posture. It does not matter how many pavilions are destroyed. If immense damage seems imminent, contact the imperial family without delay.
The order he received from the Crown Prince was extremely simple, but following it was proving incredibly difficult. The identity of the spirit beast that had invaded Beijing had already been revealed. Once the creature began its hunt, no matter how mysterious it was, it could not hide its massive body.
The human-faced spider.
It was the very definition of the Strange, Violent, Chaotic, and Supernatural. He had never known a beast could inflate and shrink its body at will. It shifted freely between the size of a human head and a body as large as a pavilion, and its elusive movements easily overwhelmed the Body Protection Scripture of even top-tier experts.
“Hurry and run! Not that way! Go over there, head that way!”
“Stop dawdling!”
The scene was one of utter ruin.
Amidst helplessly collapsed pavilions sending up plumes of gray dust, military officers and commoners in silk robes scrambled frantically. Their movements were born of desperation, not mere haste. A thick dread emanated from them all. They had suspected that the Great Commander’s disappearance was related to the spirit beast, and their suspicions had been correct.
It was impossible to fight.
Its outer shell, as hard as a fortress wall, was the first problem. The powerful Fa Jin of the Golden Immortal Eight Methods failed to even penetrate the spider’s legs. One Embroidered Uniform Guard, who had managed to leap onto its torso by a stroke of luck, was sliced in half by a sharp kick the moment he struck with his Internal Heavy Hand Technique. The spider, with its human face, merely laughed bizarrely, as if it possessed Body Protection Qi even on the inside.
And then, it vanished, employing a strategy of feinting east to strike west all on its own.
Creepily, the creature possessed human-like cunning and rarely gave the experts a chance to gather. Even when a few did assemble, they were hopelessly outmatched. To those who had mastered extraordinary martial arts, the human-faced spider was an abyss-like existence that no eye technique could measure.
The absence of the masters who had departed for the Northern Expedition was also deeply felt. They desperately needed the imperial court’s experts, including the Head Eunuch. Only when all the patrolling forces returned would they stand a chance at subjugation.
'But why…?'
Standing guard, the Deputy Commandant fell into deep thought. He had sent a messenger to the imperial palace a long time ago. Why hadn’t help arrived? Even if this was the edge of the Outer City, the message should have reached them by now.
As the Deputy Commandant carefully scanned his surroundings, his eyes widened.
“Gyeon-ok…!”
That was the name of the officer lying sprawled in a distant alley, only his head visible. Judging by his breathing, he seemed to have been subdued rather than killed, but the problem was that he was the very messenger the Deputy Commandant had sent.
Someone was interfering with the subjugation. What were they trying to achieve?
It was then.
“Uh, uh…!”
“What are you doing, spacing out! Look over there, look!” a high-born citizen shrieked, berating the Deputy Commandant. While frantically looking back and trying to flee, they had all witnessed a sight that defied nature.
Skitter, skitter, skitter!
It was the sound of thick hair constantly brushing against the ground. Something dark was rapidly drawing near. A silhouette as large as a house, stark against the moonlight, made the night air feel even heavier. Eight legs, shrouded in smoky, grayish-white hair, moved incessantly, leaving afterimages in their wake.
After turning the vicinity into a wasteland, it was returning. It bore the face of a massive, middle-aged man, its mouth stretched into a grotesque, wide grin.
“Form the Golden Protection Formation!” the Deputy Commandant barked. He felt a heavy wave of internal power from behind as his subordinates raised their spears and swords. However, even a combined attack formation designed by the imperial family to hunt spirit beasts was useless if not executed by powerful masters.
'Why is no one coming…?'
Dazed groans escaped from the commoners. Some let out choking sounds as if they had been struck in the throat. Even those who had acted like kings in the streets, the families of high-ranking officials, were no exception. They had already encountered the human-faced spider and had survived purely by luck.
The Deputy Commandant closed and opened his eyes. The grotesque face of the creature loomed even larger. Its approach had been astonishingly swift. Before he knew it, the beast had raised its two front legs high, while its remaining six legs left afterimages reminiscent of Transposition.
“It’s coming!”
The moment the two legs plunged down from the air—
Boom! Boom!
The Fa Jin of the highly skilled Embroidered Uniform Guard experts erupted. The ground shattered violently and surged upward, leaving deep scars from the collision. Everyone was blown backward as if flung. Had they not formed the combined attack formation, blood would have sprayed from the point of impact.
They had withstood the first strike. But that was all. The difference between a master and an amateur lay not in the force of an opening move, but in the presence of continuous techniques. For a master, taking the life of someone whose stance had crumbled was simple.
And for the human-faced spider, it would be no different.
Whoosh!
The Deputy Commandant’s body spun like a whirlwind. As he dodged, a dark blue leg brushed past his nose, as thick as the main pillar of a pavilion. The sheer size was enough to daunt anyone. Though he had luckily avoided the second strike, he knew facing it alone was impossible, no matter how long he held out.
His limit came with the third strike. Once again, the spider’s leg began to plunge down, moving so incredibly fast that it made no sound as it tore through the air.
Looking up, the Deputy Commandant saw the spider’s face, its head rattling as it laughed.
Just as darkness was about to fall over his vision, a faint, pale light gleamed on the creature's face, which had been blocking the moonlight.
—…?
Something rapidly filled its massive pupils.
It was long and slender like a sword, slicing through the air and leaving a trail of white light. In a mere instant, it raced in a straight line, a brilliant streak illuminating the pitch-black sky, and plunged directly into the human-faced spider’s eye.
KABOOM!
Only after the blow landed did the thunderous roar echo.
Dozens of shockwaves rippled outward in concentric circles from the reed, which now looked as ornate as a precious sword adorned with tassels.
A sharp cracking sound echoed from the human-faced spider’s skull.
Tap.
A young man in a black robe landed upon the reed. The faint moonlight cascaded down his pitch-black hair.