Chapter 442: The Sunset Flag (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 442: The Sunset Flag (4)
Even in the thick darkness, the citadel of the Desolate Fortress stood out, its outline traced in a faint, white glow.
The stone walls stretched outward, swallowing the vast grounds to the left and right. The marble, imported from the far southwest, boasted an elegant, antique texture.
Yet, the interior of the main fortress was eerily quiet.
And it wasn't simply because the night had grown deep.
"……"
Jeong Yeon-shin hadn't seen a single warrior since entering the citadel. Not even a hint of bustling activity registered in his sense of Qi.
Normally, the warriors of the seventeen martial units and the clans under the main fortress never left the training grounds empty, even after midnight. For any expert returning to the main fortress after a long absence, this desolate sight was enough to leave them bewildered.
Indeed, the warriors of the Flash Art lineage who had followed him from the Green Jade Sword Manor were currently looking around with restless expressions.
To begin with, Jeong Yeon-shin hadn't expected a grand, triumphal welcome. This was especially true after receiving the silent hospitality of the commoners in Xiangyang.
But if the home one returned to after enduring so many hardships was completely empty, wouldn't anyone feel a sense of void? It seeped in like water slowly soaking into a dry cloth.
He didn't bother to let those feelings show. He was now a Purple Rank. It was a world of difference from the days when he had struggled to reveal his inner thoughts to the Demonlight First Team.
"Except for those on guard duty, everyone has gone out on missions," Hahu Wi-jin spoke respectfully, his voice deep and resonant.
Jeong Yeon-shin nodded awkwardly at his senior's unfamiliar, formal demeanor.
Hahu Wi-jin was not someone who looked down on those outside his own clan. As the Commander of the Forest-Treading Unit of the Desolate Fortress, he treated hierarchy like a strict blade. In the past, Hahu Wi-jin had only shown such extreme politeness to Jeong Yeon-shin's maternal grandfather, Ma Yeon-jeok. Even then, Jeong Yeon-shin had sought to emulate his senior's strict separation of public and private matters.
Most of the Black Ranks—with the notable exception of his maternal uncle—possessed such qualities.
'They are so reliable. I have much to learn from them,' Jeong Yeon-shin thought.
A situation where all personnel, save for the guards on duty, had scattered to all corners of the land... It meant that incidents requiring the heavy hand of the Desolate Fortress had surged.
Some of them might die lonely deaths on deserted mountain paths, ambushed by factions like the Six Kings Sect during the Mount Hua Agreement.
"Well..."
Ak Su-rim, who was walking with her spear shaft casually slung over her shoulder, glanced at Jeong Yeon-shin. The newly appointed Purple Rank sat in the palanquin, lost in thought with a calm expression.
Unlike the Commander of the Law Enforcement Unit, Un So-yu, whose conduct was without a single blemish, Ak Su-rim stole a few glances at him before speaking carefully.
"The organization of the Divine Sword Corps is going to change significantly. The Divine Sword Squad as well."
"……?"
Jeong Yeon-shin almost replied respectfully without a second thought.
Unlike his maternal uncle, who required a lot of careful handling in both character and behavior, he would never get used to speaking informally to Ak Su-rim, who had always been a reliable senior.
When their eyes met, the veteran senior offered a faint smile, her expression momentarily resembling a young girl's.
"By any chance, do you have someone in mind for the new Vice Commander...?"
A certain person came to mind at her question, but Jeong Yeon-shin didn't answer immediately. This was a matter of great importance. He believed it was something to be finalized only after careful consideration.
At this moment, he also solidified how he would treat his Black Rank seniors. Facing Ak Su-rim's dark eyes, which held the brilliant light of accumulated years, informal speech simply refused to leave his mouth.
Furthermore, anyone who held a seat at the Wish-for-Peace One Sword Hall, where the major affairs of the main fortress were decided, deserved to be respected.
"I am not sure about the Vice Commander yet. I intend to consider it after receiving guidance on the organization from the Chief Steward's Office."
He spoke calmly. Before they knew it, the palanquin was heading toward the inner castle of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress.
This was because the Grand Steward and the Elder Council Head were currently handling affairs in place of the absent Lord.
"Look at how sly he is. He's become just like that Dragon fellow," Ak Su-rim muttered as if to herself.
Hahu Wi-jin, walking on the other side, snorted loudly. "He is of a completely different caliber than the Commander. The new Purple Rank will do much better."
"Who said he wouldn't?" Ak Su-rim retorted to the words of the boisterous sycophant, before smiling gently at Jeong Yeon-shin. "If you get hungry, come to the Divine Sword Squad pavilion. A master of the Five-Rhyme Mountain Herb Dish is staying there."
"...Yes."
The newly appointed Purple Rank nodded awkwardly, moving forward as he listened to Hahu Wi-jin's mock-retching sounds.
In the meantime, the warriors of the Flash Art lineage who had accompanied Jeong Yeon-shin since the Green Jade Sword Manor bid their farewells one by one and dispersed.
Hearing that the pavilions of each martial unit were practically empty, they were worried about the Nameless Disciples. As young warriors who hadn't even reached the White Rank, they still needed care.
Jeong Yeon-shin conveyed his gratitude with a silent bow.
'The people who will remember me.'
Each farewell was brief, but in his heart, he remained bowed for a long time.
He stayed like that until the palanquin—now escorted only by the Demonlight Wing and the Black Ranks—finally arrived at the inner castle of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress.
*
"The future of our fortress has arrived!"
An elderly man with a massive build welcomed Jeong Yeon-shin. Beneath his robust frame, which completely belied his advanced age, the hem of his purple robe trailed long across the floor.
The Elder Council Head looked as if he truly wanted to pull Jeong Yeon-shin into a tight hug, but after catching a glimpse of Ak Su-rim staring up at him, he settled for heartily patting him on the shoulders.
"I intend to support you wholeheartedly until the day we drag that Dragon bastard down. Whatever path you choose, I shall back you. Let us walk together with the martial clans under the main fortress."
His temperament was clearly different from Ma Yeon-jeok's. Though his voice was deep and clear, it carried a certain elegance. There was a dignity in his bearing unique to those from prestigious families.
Elder Council Head Shin Byeok.
Ever since the gathering of the Divine Sword Corps Unit Commanders, he had taken a strong dislike to the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps, Yong Hee-myung. He looked as if he wouldn't be satisfied until the man was entirely removed from his sight.
As someone who had agreed to the mobilization order at the time, Jeong Yeon-shin could only nod in inward bewilderment.
'Achieving success and fame comes first.'
He had sworn to himself to exercise self-restraint. Until the day he held the Sword of Divine Attainment, it would be difficult to defend Yong Hee-myung. It was a regrettable reality.
Feeling a sense of pity for his own matured pragmatism, Jeong Yeon-shin spoke. "I feel reassured."
"Of course. Now that the Gentleman of the Ma family stands at the center of the main fortress, what is there to fear? It is as good as having that Dragon bastard's dismissal right before our eyes...! Thanks to your martial prowess and righteous spirit, the main fortress will once again raise the banner of protecting the people's livelihood across the world."
It felt like watching a theatrical play, especially given his archaic manner of speech. A man who had erected a sword of conviction within his own heart, the current Elder Council Head was like the living incarnation of the Desolate Fortress's history.
Jeong Yeon-shin nodded. "I will do my best."
"In that position, it is enough if you simply do as you have always done. I do not wish for anything more from you. Do not carry any special burden. The shoulders of our fortress's warriors are already heavy enough."
With that, Jeong Yeon-shin acknowledged Shin Byeok's warm welcome. Turning his head to the side, he saw the Grand Steward stroking his thick beard.
It was a smile he had never seen on the man before—a testament to how deeply troubled the leadership of the Desolate Fortress had been.
"From Sichuan to Beijing, and then to Dengfeng County. You have truly gone through much trouble."
"How could it compare to the hardships of the Chief Steward's Office? To oversee all incidents, big and small, across the land, assess the strength of the main fortress, and constantly decide the missions and whereabouts of our precious warriors... that is a truly heavy burden."
A natural compliment flowed from Jeong Yeon-shin's mouth. Ever since he was a White-Ranked warrior, his heart would shrink whenever he saw the scholars of the Chief Steward's Office, the ones who held the absolute power of personnel appointments.
This was even more true now that the Sword of Divine Attainment was within his sights.
"Ten Perfections... You are indeed the epitome of the Ten Perfections...!" The Grand Steward burst into laughter. Supreme satisfaction was evident in the way he continuously stroked his beard.
"Lord Jeong is truly worthy of being called a perfect Purple Rank," muttered Im Jin-myeong in a husky voice. He was a man who had assisted Ma Yeon-jeok and Yong Hee-myung in turn since his youth.
Jeong Yeon-shin fell silent once more.
"Since you have returned after such a long time, it would be right to give you time to rest. However, I took the liberty of inviting you here because there are a few things I must request of you."
"I am listening."
Only then did Jeong Yeon-shin have the leisure to take in his surroundings.
They stood in an area surrounded by ash-white stone walls. It was a place filled with a pure, elegant fragrance. Aside from a table and chairs that seemed to have been brought in temporarily, the space was entirely overrun with tree branches and lush foliage.
Incredibly long, thick tree trunks twisted and coiled around each other, evoking a dreamlike sense of transcendence in anyone who looked at them. These were branches of the World Tree, an entity whose roots spread across the entire world.
This was the office of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress. Only the faint scent of its master, who had been absent for a long time, still lingered in the air.
Jeong Yeon-shin's gaze swept down the tree trunks, as if searching for his master's warmth with his eyes alone. Seeing the gaze of the new Purple Rank, Im Jin-myeong smiled faintly.
"We do not worry about the Lord's safety. It is just that we are ashamed of our own shortcomings. Originally, the roots of the World Tree possess functions similar to those of a Divine Weapon, which greatly helps the Lord oversee the entire region of Xiangyang. I've heard that she can look down upon this land without even activating an Eye Technique."
Grand Steward Im Jin-myeong was an incredibly experienced man when it came to dealing with people. Even now, he skillfully changed the subject.
At the rare mention of his master, Jeong Yeon-shin's eyebrows raised slightly. "The roots have such a function?"
"The Guardian of Huguang, the Sovereign of the Jianghu Murim... these are all names she earned by looking down on Xiangyang at a glance and maintaining its peace. She became a true king by virtue of the roots of the World Tree. It is of a completely different caliber from the title of 'King' that the ruffians of the Jianghu often attach to their own aliases."
It was the reason why Xiangyang was the most peaceful land in the world.
It was the reason why the Lord of the Desolate Fortress was called the Jade Emperor in such a massive metropolis. A sprawling city without even common street brawls among Black Way ruffians shouldn't exist, but the power that made it possible lay within the roots of the World Tree.
"Resonating with the branches of the World Tree... within the Divine Sword Corps, perhaps only the Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit could attempt such a thing, and even then, she wouldn't be able to maintain contact for long. It is a branch connected to a mature tree, not a sapling, and it is a power granted only to the most noble clan among the Brightfolk..."
"Conversely, it means this city has lost the sovereign it held for so long. Even if her absence is but a brief instant compared to the long lifespan of the World Tree, to the commoners facing a year of famine, an instant is no different from an eternity."
Shin Byeok's words flowed out like a heavy sigh. He was an old warrior of the Desolate Fortress who couldn't let go of his concern for the people's livelihood, even after losing his martial arts. It was a responsibility that had become almost a habit.
In the old man's behavior—which might seem strange at first glance—one could see the deep passage of time that had permeated his life.
'He is a true gentleman.'
Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly thought that if he ever lived to become an old man one day, he would want to grow old like the Elder Council Head rather than his maternal grandfather.
"Is there a problem in Xiangyang?" At his question, Im Jin-myeong chimed in.
"Not long ago, an assassin of the Lingering Spirit was caught committing murder just outside the main fortress."
"They have begun to violate the city, as expected of the Heterodox Sects. Bastards who dare not step inside," Shin Byeok muttered with anger.
Im Jin-myeong nodded in agreement. "Xiangyang is inextricably connected to the Desolate Fortress in many ways. The family homes of many of our fortress's warriors are in this land. As our sect boasts the largest scale in the Jianghu, it is no exaggeration to say that Xiangyang and the Desolate Fortress are one body. Food, clothing, cooking, talent, swords, and all other supplies... these are logistical matters that warriors who only know how to swing swords can hardly manage. If enemies begin to secretly invade the city, the Desolate Fortress will also find itself in great trouble."
"The warriors of the main fortress are... Ah." Jeong Yeon-shin fell silent as he recalled the desolate interior of the fortress.
Im Jin-myeong shook his head bitterly. "It is only natural. Since the Lord's absence has been so prolonged, those who could be called enemies of the fortress have no choice but to gather. If even one of them sets foot in the inner castle of the Desolate Fortress, the dignity of the Divine Sword Corps will be greatly damaged. If we could just sweep them away once, they would quiet down again..."
"The Lightness Skills of those Jianghu bastards who exploit the people will only get faster," Shin Byeok muttered.
"……"
The silence in the Lord's office was heavy. It was because the breath of the old man, who had once traversed the wilderness of the world as a Purple Rank, lingered there.
A man so purely mad that he had dedicated his entire life to the banner of the Desolate Fortress. Not only Im Jin-myeong, but also Ak Su-rim and Hahu Wi-jin stood blankly for a moment.
Jeong Yeon-shin, who had been quietly watching him, finally took a step forward.
Step.
It was only a few steps. He silently looked down at the tree trunks woven wide like a bed.
"Could you stay and take your meals here for the time being?" From behind, Im Jin-myeong spoke cautiously. "Although it is unprecedented, for a Purple Rank of our fortress, it is perfectly fine to use the Lord's office day and night. If Lord Jeong does so, the public sentiment in Xiangyang will stabilize a little."
Brush.
Jeong Yeon-shin silently ran his fingertips down the wooden bed.
It was the spot where the Lord of the Desolate Fortress would lie askew whenever she entered the office. Unlike common tree bark, an extremely smooth texture pressed beneath his fingernails.
A gentle warmth radiated from it, accompanied by a soft, cloud-like sensation. He slowly parted his lips.
"Are you asking me to represent the Lord as a Purple Rank?"
"I do not dare to wish for something so grand. Just sitting here would be of immense help."
Jeong Yeon-shin let the Grand Steward's words wash over him. At the same time, he drew heavily upon the nature of the Moon Spirit Harmony Art inherent within the Law-Transcending Halo Qi of his heart.
He formed a mental image of drawing out the shadow of a lunar eclipse from within the bright moonlight.
'Just once...'
As if tracing the back of his absent master, he swept his fingertips here and there, then slowly pressed his palm flat against the wooden bed.
Rumble!
It happened in an instant.
A violent vibration, as if an earthquake had struck, surged up the walls, and a brilliant white light exploded like a blooming flower bud within Jeong Yeon-shin's eyes.