Chapter 42: Natural Enemy Martial Art (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 42: Natural Enemy Martial Art (3)
The middle-aged man exuded an aura sinister enough to mark him as a Blood Master Sword.
Jeong Yeon-shin took his back in an instant. Even exploiting a momentary lapse in vigilance, as was his habit, it was an astonishing feat.
His speed was on an entirely different level. He had anticipated the birth of a completely new system of power.
'But...'
The force wave emitted from his descending hand-blade was different than he expected.
Even as he delivered a fatal blow to the man's skull, he felt puzzled. The martial art he had envisioned hadn't manifested.
He had struck the man down with pure physical strength. That alone was a display of monstrous power.
Thud!
Struck squarely on the head, the man collapsed chin-first. His fallen body twitched violently.
He was already dead; these were merely his death throes.
"To take down such an expert in a single strike...!"
"Truly, an incredibly profound martial art!"
The exclamations of awe from Hyeon Yu-ryang and one of the Deep Martial Alliance greenhorns were meaningless to him.
The movement he thought had grown faster was simply the result of improved True Qi efficiency gained through repeated comprehension.
Jeong Yeon-shin's senses, honed to the level of pure intuition, dismantled the phenomenon piece by piece. He knew immediately.
The new mnemonic he was trying to unravel was still crude. The pieces hadn't locked together perfectly.
He needed an inspiration that would pierce through everything and unite it.
It was always like this. A single bolt of lightning to weave the scattered mnemonics into a single, cohesive martial art. That was all Jeong Yeon-shin needed.
'I will obtain it soon.'
He didn't grow impatient. It was said that when the Upper Dantian communed with heaven and earth, a realm of foresight would occasionally reveal itself.
He had a feeling he would soon be able to create a martial art utilizing Dharma Power. Perhaps even today.
Jeong Yeon-shin turned to Hyeon Yu-ryang.
"The Blood Flame Cult has infiltrated the escort agency. Can the Heavenly Sword House handle this?"
"Of course. The affairs of Mount Pingding are our affairs. We are simply grateful to the Flash Art for seeking us out."
Hyeon Yu-ryang clasped his hands in a martial salute once more. He, too, was the successor of a prestigious family.
His administrative tact and smooth handling of affairs were exactly what one would expect—qualities naturally possessed by the properly educated direct descendants of great clans.
It was something that Jeong Yeon-shin, once the black sheep of the Jeong Family Manor, lacked entirely.
However, the look Hyeon Yu-ryang cast him was peculiar. It didn't seem like mere admiration.
"If you don't mind my asking, how old are you?"
"...I am sixteen this year."
"A marriageable age, then. If you do not have a fiancée, would you mind if I introduced you to my younger sister? She is very beautiful and kind-hearted."
Hyeon Yu-ryang spoke in a remarkably casual tone.
What did he just say? Jeong Yeon-shin was uncharacteristically flustered, though he didn't let it show.
'Marriage...'
Wasn't that the furthest thing from his current life? A life of having children with someone and growing old together—it felt like a distant dream.
He politely declined.
"Thank you for the offer, but I barely have enough time to hold my sword. Besides, I can hardly be considered a good match. My family has suffered ruin."
"A promising expert of the Desolate Fortress is, in and of itself, an excellent match. I hope you will take some time to consider it."
Jeong Yeon-shin let the smiling Hyeon Yu-ryang's words slide by. He cast his gaze toward the north.
It was time for the temporarily scattered Demonlight Wing to gather once more.
* * *
"I knew you'd be safe! You did wonderfully, Young Hero Jeong!"
Heonwon Chang welcomed him from among a dozen large, pristine pavilions.
He bore quite a few wounds on his body. Perhaps because he had been struck by Blood Art True Qi, the bleeding hadn't fully stopped.
Even though crimson seeped through the cotton bandages wrapped around various parts of his body, he was grinning broadly.
After their brief reunion, Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly asked,
"Do you have any internal injuries?"
"Fortunately, no. You seem perfectly fine, Young Hero Jeong."
"Because I slipped out to the outskirts and took a boat."
"Ah! Come to think of it, I heard you captured those wicked greenhorns of the Deep Martial Alliance. That, too, was truly well done."
Heonwon Chang laughed heartily. Although he grimaced slightly as if his wounds had reopened, his smile never faded.
The reasons why the great sects of the Unorthodox Factions were grouped together under the name of the Thirteen Heavens varied for each.
Jeong Yeon-shin recalled Geomyehwa, who had tried to murder a woman without a second thought.
Although Heonwon Chang had shown an inexplicable hostility toward prestigious orthodox sects, Jeong Yeon-shin thought his current smile belonged entirely to someone walking the Righteous Path.
Jeong Yeon-shin walked alongside Heonwon Chang, passing through shafts of bright sunlight piercing between the pavilions.
He had just declined the Heavenly Sword House's offer to assign him a servant.
Heonwon Chang, who mentioned he had already eaten several meals, explained what had happened in the meantime.
The remaining members of the Demonlight Wing had broken through the encirclement and pushed straight into Mount Pingding.
Baek Mi-ryeo had worried about Jeong Yeon-shin, but she apparently put her mind at ease after hearing the confession of a tortured Blood Flame Cultist.
Everyone was certain that the half-baked rising stars of the Deep Martial Alliance could do nothing to the Flash Art.
Before long, Jeong Yeon-shin spotted Ma Jin and his seniors from the Demonlight Wing.
The scar on Ma Jin's chin twitched upward slightly.
"You managed to achieve merit even in that situation."
"How about you, Unit Commander? What of the Seventh Apostle's head...?"
Jeong Yeon-shin asked calmly. The Commander of the Demonlight Wing, known as the Naraka Reaper, averted his gaze.
"My compatibility with that wicked woman's movement technique is terrible. If Cheong-myeong had reached my level, we could have slain her."
"Are you calling that an excuse?"
Cheong-myeong grumbled with a grin.
As usual, Baek Mi-ryeo grabbed Jeong Yeon-shin's shoulders, scanned his body, and nodded.
"You are excessively healthy. Your aura seems to be changing once again. Even though you are at an age where one normally focuses on building their vessel, you are constantly advancing."
"...Thank you, Senior."
At some point, she had started acting like an older sister. He turned his body slightly to shrug off Baek Mi-ryeo's hands. While he was grateful, it was still awkward.
Jeong Yeon-shin shifted his gaze.
"Then what happens to the mission to hunt down the Blood Flame Cult? It seems the Seventh Apostle has information on their main headquarters."
"We wait. We intend to coordinate our response with the Heavenly Sword House."
Ma Jin spoke briefly before continuing.
"The Seventh Apostle's demeanor was strange. It seemed they, too, received orders to annihilate us. From the perspective of the Desolate Fortress's main fortress and the Blood Flame Cult's headquarters, this might be a localized skirmish, but for us, it is an all-out war."
"Do we know when they will strike?"
"Our ignorance of that is their greatest advantage. We must strike back. But we have a hidden card. With the Heavenly Sword House's Mechanism Formation, we won't be caught off guard by a surprise attack."
It was said that prestigious families in the Jianghu were usually pavilions built upon piles of corpses and blood.
They had many enemies. Thus, it was inevitable that they would develop ingenious methods to guard against intrusions.
'Mechanism Formation.'
He had heard of it. It was said to weave bizarre techniques with the principles of Mother Nature to produce mysterious phenomena.
Naturally, a third-rate martial family like the Jeong Family Manor possessed no such thing.
"They said the Ironfolk artisans from the main fortress came in person to construct it. Those Blood Ghost bastards won't know what hit them."
With Ma Jin's amused words, night fell over the estate.
Jeong Yeon-shin met and greeted the Demonlight Second Team. They, too, were relieved by their junior's safety.
Afterward, he reunited with the manager of the Jeong Family Manor and the Young Divine Monk Gakjeong before finally heading to his quarters.
Jeong Yeon-shin didn't fall asleep immediately. Instead, he sat upon his bed.
'Let's organize the mnemonics.'
Sitting cross-legged, he clothed himself in the moonlight. His meditation continued until dawn.
He didn't make a single movement until the blanket of light draped over him changed from silver moonbeams to golden sunlight.
* * *
After eating breakfast, he received an invitation from Hyeon Yu-ryang. The message was amusing.
It stated that since he would be accompanied by his younger sister, he would appreciate it if Jeong Yeon-shin minded his manners.
Along with the message, he had sent a splendid silk robe. It seemed the man was determined to keep his word.
Jeong Yeon-shin held the robe between his thumb and index finger. Just as he was staring at it with a peculiar expression—
"De-mon-light— Wing—!"
Ma Jin's voice, fully infused with True Qi, rang out. The door, crafted from fine hardwood, shook violently.
In an instant, the atmosphere boiled. It was a summons from the Commander of the Demonlight Wing. The signal of an enemy attack.
He immediately snatched up his Desolate Fortress Sword. The sunlight brushing against the pitch-black hilt and scabbard shimmered menacingly.
By the time Jeong Yeon-shin stepped out of his room, he was already fully prepared for battle.
His seniors were gathered in the courtyard. Heonwon Chang also came sprinting in.
Even before Ma Jin could explain the situation, Heonwon Chang snatched a hidden weapon out of the air as it flew straight toward his head.
The corners of his mouth curled into a smooth arc.
"Interesting."
Crushing the long flying needle in his grip, Heonwon Chang laughed.
"It will be different this time," he muttered, casting a glance at Jeong Yeon-shin.
Ma Jin lightly patted the approaching Heonwon Chang's shoulder and spat out his words.
"A fire bomb exploded at the south gate. They're completely insane. The formation must have been entirely crushed."
"They don't care about the imperial family or anything else."
"There were rumors, but did the Tang Clan really go mad and manufacture those? The one that just exploded must have been leaked."
Baek Mi-ryeo and Cheong-myeong chimed in.
Before they knew it, they were staring at the Apostle of the Blood Flame Cult, who had smashed through the back gate and was now approaching with graceful steps.
The number of Blood Master Swords and Blood Flame Cultists fanning out behind her was immense. There appeared to be at least two hundred of them.
"Surely not."
The Seventh Apostle's elegant stride strangely drew everyone's attention. Her lips parted slowly.
"The Tang Clan is supposed to be an orthodox sect."
Her laugh was alluring. Her smile was crimson.
Ma Jin stepped forward.
"You're trying to sow distrust, wicked woman. But you don't need to try so hard. The Desolate Fortress watches over every sect in the world. It has always been that way."
"All the martial sects and local aristocrats of the world, alongside the Desolate Fortress... It is all a hypocrisy that grips this world and refuses to let go."
"For a wicked woman of a heretical cult, you sure talk a lot."
"The blood flame of our cult shall cleanse the world. So even in death, behold the world of blood."
'Is this how all those obsessed with heretical cults speak?' Jeong Yeon-shin thought to himself.
The Seventh Apostle closed her mouth, a lingering smile on her lips, and gave an arrogant lift of her chin.
At that moment, the unique, oppressive aura of the Blood Flame Cult surged forward like a raised battle standard. It was the beginning of a fierce battle.
Boom—!
A materialized wave of energy gouged the dirt ground as Ma Jin clashed with the Seventh Apostle.
As the experts of the Heavenly Sword House rushed in, and the Shaolin monks and the Demonlight Wing clashed violently with the Blood Flame Cultists—Jeong Yeon-shin kept his eyes locked on the two peak experts from the very start. The momentum of the enemies, who had caught them off guard with the fire bombs, was fierce.
The sinisterly surging waves of True Qi pricked at his skin.
While Heonwon Chang blocked the blade of a Blood Master Sword, Baek Mi-ryeo swept past, severing the man's neck.
It was a life-and-death struggle. The pride of Jianghu martial artists, who valued righteousness and fairness, was a laughable concept in a mass melee.
Slash—!
Jeong Yeon-shin severed the arm of a Blood Flame Cultist.
With his Desolate Fortress Sword in hand, he drifted through the battlefield like a fluttering leaf.
Yet, he never took his eyes off Ma Jin and the Seventh Apostle.
The wind that gusted through the courtyard was thick with the copper scent of blood.
'Over there, too.'
Reinforcements had joined the Seventh Apostle. The eye techniques of the three Blood Master Swords surrounding her and Ma Jin were remarkable.
Their sword strikes, unleashed only in the exact moments when a decisive blow clashed, perfectly distracted Ma Jin's attention. They were outstanding, even among Blood Master Swords.
"Perfect," Jeong Yeon-shin muttered softly.
He took slow steps forward. At the same time, he twisted his body lightly this way and that.
An air of bewilderment seemed to emanate from the Blood Flame Cultists as their weapons harmlessly brushed past him.
His movement technique was gradually approaching perfection. Before he knew it, his martial prowess was reaching a level that could rival a Blue Rank.
Step. Step.
As he drew closer, the Seventh Apostle's energy wave intensely stimulated his entire body. Was it the voice of Bodhidharma?
A new intent that guided his True Qi arose in his mind.
The storm-like, sinister energy was transporting Jeong Yeon-shin into an entirely new realm.
Clang! Boom!
Within the combat interval where the force waves of peak experts swept through the surroundings, Jeong Yeon-shin stepped in calmly. It was entirely thanks to the Blood Master Swords, who had neutralized the force waves in their attempt to assist the Seventh Apostle.
Ma Jin's eyes widened as he caught sight of him, while the corners of the Seventh Apostle's mouth curled up in a sneer.
"Know your place."
The Seventh Apostle's long fingers gathered True Qi. Even as she exchanged blows with Ma Jin, an immense density of energy could be felt within her palm.
She had the leeway to casually strike out with her left hand while remaining focused on her primary opponent. It helped that the three Blood Master Swords were directing all their attacks at Ma Jin.
To Jeong Yeon-shin, this was actually welcome. To him, the Seventh Apostle's hand was already slow enough.
The Baihui Point of his Upper Dantian at the crown of his head burned white-hot.
Jeong Yeon-shin's mind grew ice-cold.
The fist and leg techniques of the Young Divine Monk Gakjeong, the teachings of the Shaolin monks, and all the mnemonics he possessed tangled together and erupted like lightning.
The brilliant light rising in his mind forged a mnemonic of light, and in an instant, the descending inspiration flared up, carving out five characters.
Demon-Quelling Azure Steel Hand (滅魔靑剛手).
Jeong Yeon-shin formed a hand-blade and thrust it forward. A divine energy coalesced within his force wave, manifesting as a very faint blue light.
Thud—!
The Seventh Apostle's casually extended hand was brutally deflected. It felt as though her force wave had been completely unraveled by its absolute natural enemy.
A storm-like wind gathered and distorted from all directions. As Jeong Yeon-shin's hand continued straight forward, it met a distinct resistance.
At the end of his straight force wave, carrying that soft blue light, was her left eye.
Squish—!
"Aaargh!"
It was said that practicing a Blood Art sharpened all the senses of the body. Was pain no exception?
The first Blood Master Sword Jeong Yeon-shin had killed had been exactly like that. When the sword pierced his abdomen, the pain had been so intense he couldn't even gather his senses.
The Seventh Apostle, clutching her ruined eye, seemed to be in the exact same state.
Blood seeped through the gaps of her pale white fingers. Her slender body trembled violently.
"You... you—!"
She could no longer handle Ma Jin. Using an incredible movement technique, she leaped back to create distance. It all happened in the blink of an eye.
It was an opening. Ma Jin cut down the three Blood Master Swords in a single stroke, but even he couldn't hide the sheer shock painted on his face.
The same went for everyone else on the battlefield, who began to turn their heads one by one.
Amidst the clamor of the battlefield, a heavy silence fell over the courtyard.
"A world of blood, was it? I suppose you'll only be able to see half of it now."
Speaking calmly, Jeong Yeon-shin flicked his left hand. The blood remaining on the back of his hand, even after most of it had splattered away, annoyed him.