Chapter 449: Pandemonium (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 449: Pandemonium (2)
Perfected Clear Water slowly approached the blind man.
“You truly are a madman. Just as the rumors say.”
Before anyone realized it, the precious sword that symbolized the leader of the Qingcheng Sect appeared in his hand as if from an illusion. A blade shedding a milky-white light. With every step Perfected Clear Water took, dust began to rise from the ground like gathering clouds.
Ssshh—
Within the haze, flashes of blue light flickered. Sword Qi had permeated the dim dust, creating a transcendent sight. It was the Blue Cloud Sword Art, the secret technique of the Qingcheng Sect.
“Is it fitting for one unjustly named among the Thirteen Heavens of the Wicked Way to act as a guardian for the Master of Taemo Mountain Fortress? Why are you buying time for him to complete his sinister ritual?”
He continued to advance without hesitation.
For some unknown reason, his opponent had blocked the Qingcheng Sect’s path, lying in wait for them even before Saint Flower Sword God Yul Ha-nang-rang could arrive. If he didn’t risk a battle here, the lives of innocent commoners could be threatened. The scoundrels of the Thirteen Heavens of the Wicked Way were just that sort of people.
What were his chances of winning?
Even Perfected Clear Water didn’t know. It wasn’t a question worth debating in the first place.
“Ah, Great-Uncle! Aren’t you curious, Great-Uncle?!”
“Silence.”
Taoist Jinmu, who had been pestering the storyteller with questions, was once again dragged away by his great-uncle and vanished into a thicket.
At the same time, the commoners who had been hesitating and backing away finally turned and fled. The storyteller, Jianghu Roster in hand, was swept up in the crowd.
“Don’t push! I said, don’t push!”
“The immortal of Qingcheng is going to punish the Sword Ghost, so why… gasp!”
“You clueless fool! Just go! Hurry!”
Footsteps pounded urgently against the dirt. Before long, Qingcheng’s Taoist Jinmu and Taoist Cheong-eun quietly slipped into the crowd, helping up those who fell and aiding their escape as they drifted away.
Rustle.
Fortunately, the blind man, his bamboo hat pulled low, didn’t spare them a single glance. He merely toyed with the hilt of his sword.
“A madman. Well… how can you be so sure?”
“What?”
“I am no madman. On the contrary, isn’t the entire world—yourself included—insane for worshiping something like the World Tree? Personally, I would rather bow to a statue of the Heavenly Demon in meditation. Hmm? But did such a thing ever exist? A statue of the Heavenly Demon?”
Tilting his head in thought, the blind man slowly finished his sentence.
“Well… in Xinjiang, Buddha and the Heavenly Demon probably aren’t all that different.”
“You Sword Fanatic. You know nothing.”
“Ah, but the curse I just spat at the World Tree was sincere. After all, I am a man who bows only to blades.”
“I never heard that your speech was so foul.”
“Isn’t a single sword, imbued with profound truths, better than a monster that sucks the earth’s energy dry? Besides, I am an exceptionally clean swordsman.”
“Madman.”
Perfected Clear Water didn’t even bother to snort. He knew there was no truth to the blind man's words. Even the way he spoke, as if he acknowledged the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps, the Lord of the Martial Dragon Association, and the Lord of the Hegemon Sword Sect, was a lie.
That blind man held no one in high regard. When it came to the sword, he acknowledged no one.
The same went for his claim of being a clean swordsman.
Perfected Clear Water knew how the swordsmen of the Thirteen Heavens' Heaven's Bane were raised. Kidnapping, indoctrination, mutual slaughter, and survival in harsh environments. Take the Five Sword Masters of the Heavens, said to be the top five within their sect—their temperaments and fighting styles were notoriously no different from those who practiced demonic arts. There were even rumors that they wielded their extremely sharp Sword Qi as if it were demonic energy.
“Let us move elsewhere.”
“Hmm?”
“There are too many passersby. You wouldn’t want the Imperial Army chasing you, either.”
“Ah, too many passersby? Such exquisite Zen riddles. Indeed… in a world entirely white, I alone see black, so perhaps I am the one who is mad… Ha! As expected, the insight of a leader of the Nine Sects lives up to its reputation. A truly savory lesson.”
Screeech—!
The blind man drew his sword, spreading his arms wide. His behavior was exactly that of a swordsman of the Black Way. The blade, roughly unsheathed, rang out with a sound like a tolling bell.
Slowly, the corners of his mouth beneath the bamboo hat curved into a thin line, sharp as a blade.
“I wonder how your swordplay will be.”
Perfected Clear Water judged the truth of those words with his innate instincts.
“You…”
It meant he wasn’t curious at all.
* * *
Internal power repeatedly filled and emptied from Jeong Yeon-shin's dantian. In his heart, a double-layered ring of light spun endlessly, the fainter of the two layers flickering as if it might scatter at any moment.
It was the cost of his Sword Flight.
Jeong Yeon-shin did not ride a swift horse. Nor did he seek sleep. He simply stepped onto his Divine Sword, Lingering Thunder, and soared through the sky, landing only when his Law-Transcending Halo Qi was on the verge of complete exhaustion. Then, he would replenish his True Qi through Qi Meditation.
He repeated this cycle day and night.
The acupoints along the path of his Qi circulation burned as if on fire. Yet, he felt no pain. The moment he left the Desolate Fortress and found himself alone, he had fallen into a semi-conscious trance.
His maternal grandfather and the Commander had both departed on a long journey. Nor could he expect support from the main fortress. They were busy enough protecting themselves, and justifiably so. The Black-ranked seniors who remained in Xiangyang as a standing force could never leave the main fortress.
It's fine. It will be fine.
He focused solely on flying forward. In this manner, he managed to cross half of Zhejiang Province in less than seven days and nights.
Finally, he reached Hangzhou.
“Move out of the way.”
“What a filthy beggar…”
“A beggar? You, aren’t you just a merchant selling plows to the Great Thoroughfare Sect? Do you have any idea how much money I made on the Hangzhou battlefields?!”
“And didn’t you squander all of it on gambling anyway? You think you’re the only one like that in this city? Whoa, watch it. If you clench your fists here, you’ll find yourself in deep trouble.”
“Let us through. Yes, excuse me.”
Beggars bustled back and forth along the official road, merchants pulled carts while habitually ignoring the squeal of the wheels, and a few rogue martial artists busily eyed heaps of tea leaves and grain.
There was also a martial arts expert standing on the city wall with his hands behind his back, looking down at the entire scene. He was an elderly warrior with a dignified impression and a beard that reached his chest. At a glance, he seemed to be assisting the government soldiers.
A land of pleasure.
Amidst the clatter of horse hooves, the cheers and screams echoing from somewhere far away were trampled and muffled.
“Ugh…?”
“Argh!”
Jeong Yeon-shin flicked his finger, sending out gusts of Finger Wind to knock down several rogue martial artists by the roadside. They were the ones stealthily tailing some of the merchants. It was said that those who sold their swords for a few coins were now no different from common bandits. Jeong Yeon-shin observed the reality of Hangzhou's entrance with indifferent eyes.
“What in the… This is witchcraft!”
While the pedestrians stopped in sheer shock, Jeong Yeon-shin took a single step, bypassing the checkpoint in a single stride. Once inside the city, he tilted his head upward.
Buildings so tall it was difficult to count their floors lined the streets. It felt like entering another world. Beyond the crowds of people freely carrying swords, silks, writing brushes, and bundles, houses rising over ten stories high were a common sight. Their height was immense, comparable to the watchtowers and spires of the Desolate Fortress's main castle.
It was no exaggeration to say this was a place where the Ironfolk artisans had displayed their splendid craftsmanship without restraint. Unlike Beijing or Xiangyang, which were military strongholds, this city had no restrictions on erecting high-rise pavilions.
What should I do first? he thought.
He had already swept his senses across Hangzhou. Though he had searched as far as they could reach, he could not find any trace of Baek Mi-ryeo, let alone the Heaven-Smiling Invincible.
It was only natural.
It was a given that all peerless experts were masters of returning to simplicity. Unless one met them face-to-face, it was difficult to track their whereabouts. It was also natural that he couldn’t sense the energy of Baek Mi-ryeo, whose acupoints would have been sealed by the Heaven-Smiling Invincible.
Rustle.
Jeong Yeon-shin glanced at the note in his hand.
It was a report, a letter delivered by a White Swallow he had sent out when he first sat down for Qi Meditation. The narrow paper was densely packed with writing.
[The Lord of Heaven's Bane has appeared.
On the Opening Vista Road, one of the official roads leading to Hangzhou, traces were found where the heads of over two hundred commoners were severed all at once.
Reporting to Lord Jeong.
At the hour of the horse on the last full moon, the leader of the Qingcheng Sect fought a battle.
The opponent was the Lord of Heaven's Bane.
Traces of condensed Blue Cloud Sword Qi are scattered all over the Opening Vista Road.
Deep craters, almost like volcanic vents, have formed, making it difficult for people to pass.
Judging by the scale of one of them, it appears that Unified Martial Transcendence, the life-saving herb of peerless experts, was also unleashed. This was likewise the technique of Perfected Clear Water.
But there are no sword marks from the Lord of Heaven's Bane. Considering the unbelievable rumors surrounding the First Sword of the Outer Paths, this is deemed a noteworthy point.
According to intelligence from a White-Ranked Warrior of our fortress who infiltrated a Beggar Sect branch, Saint Flower Sword God Yul Ha-nang-rang and the Hwasan Sword Excellence Perfected Heavenly Pillar seem to have intervened at the end of the life-and-death duel to rescue Perfected Clear Water.
Regrettably, we have not been able to obtain more detailed information beyond this.
I beg for Lord Jeong's forgiveness. Please take care of yourself.
With respect,
Jeong Tae-gung, Blue-Ranked Warrior, Hangzhou Branch Head of the Desolate Fortress.]
“…”
Jeong Yeon-shin lowered his head. The end of the white blindfold covering his eyes brushed lightly against his nape. He had once imitated the Seventh Apostle, who was masquerading as someone else at the Martial World Alliance. Passersby stared at him strangely as he read a letter with his eyes covered.
Jeong Yeon-shin walked forward, activating his Eye Technique.
He headed toward the sect he had seen when he interfered with the Heaven-Smiling Invincible's Void Displacement.
Great Thoroughfare Sect.
It was said to be a strange place. There were rumors of a martial lineage that trained not in martial arts, but in momentum. Jeong Yeon-shin did not doubt those rumors. It was information he had heard from the current and former Vice Commanders of the Divine Sword Corps, whom he mentally acknowledged. There was no room for doubt.
Was it a sect related to the Heaven-Smiling Invincible?
Lost in thought, Jeong Yeon-shin walked toward his destination. Fortunately, the people of Hangzhou did not shun a strange blind man. Perhaps they were accustomed to foreigners. He arrived at the Great Thoroughfare Sect without even needing to look down from his Sword Flight.
The Lord of Heaven's Bane, the Master of Taemo Mountain Fortress, and the Ming Cult Leader.
They were all in this land.
This was a city where he could not afford to cause a commotion carelessly. Feeling grateful for the unconditional kindness of a passerby who had guided him, Jeong Yeon-shin reached into his robe.
“Since you offered to be my guide, please take this salt as a token of my gratitude.”
The woman immediately waved her hands in refusal.
“No, it’s fine. Besides, since it’s your first time here, you must be tired from your journey. If you insist on repaying me, how about pouring me a cup of Shaoxing wine instead…?”
“I do not drink.”
Answering firmly, Jeong Yeon-shin forced a small pouch of salt into her hand. It was a commodity more valuable than most coins.
“Thank you.”
Leaving the woman behind, he glanced up at the plaque of the Great Thoroughfare Sect.
大阡門 (Great Thoroughfare Sect).
The calligraphy was so vigorous it seemed as if dragons and snakes were leaping from the wood, each stroke brimming with life. It was incomparable to the handwriting of Ma Yeon-jeok or Yong Hee-myung.
It was then.
“Oh!”
Near the main gate of the Great Thoroughfare Sect, which was surrounded by a small wall that belied its grand reputation, a man in yellow robes suddenly let out an exclamation and strode toward Jeong Yeon-shin. Despite appearing to be a gatekeeper, his steps were bold. The arrogance on his face seemed to attest to the prestige of the Great Thoroughfare Sect, known as the greatest sect in Hangzhou.
“I can tell just by your appearance! A certain master told me to hand this over if someone dressed like you showed up!”
Handing a long bundle of cloth to Jeong Yeon-shin, the man looked around anxiously. He seemed terrified of the “master” he had mentioned.
“…”
The sect’s discipline was a mess. Normally, if something unusual occurred, a disciple would report to the elders first. However, Jeong Yeon-shin only focused on the object he had been handed.
The Heaven-Smiling Invincible.
The Ming Cult Leader's senses were undoubtedly no less sharp than his own. She must have realized earlier that he had observed the Great Thoroughfare Sect.
Glancing at him, the gatekeeper added, “He… what did he say? He said it’s the scabbard of a dagger used by our sect’s founding ancestor. There’s a message, too. He said if you want to touch it, you’d better brace yourself…”
The First Heavenly Demon.
In all likelihood, it was a Dharma Treasure. What was her scheme?
Rustle.
Jeong Yeon-shin silently pulled the scabbard out of the cloth. He had no intention of being dragged along by trying to guess the Heaven-Smiling Invincible's motives, but it was necessary to turn any clues left by his target against her.
An item of the Heavenly Demon…
There were no particular patterns on the scabbard. Only the scent of old wood wafted from it. Then, suddenly, a surge of demonic energy rose like a wildfire, burrowing into Jeong Yeon-shin’s palm.
Whoosh!
An intangible energy violently assailed his fingertips. Its momentum was like a blazing inferno, powerful enough to shred the meridians of even an expert confident in their internal cultivation. It truly seemed to be a Dharma Treasure imbued with a fragment of the Heavenly Demon's True Qi.
With an indifferent face, Jeong Yeon-shin blew a soft breath.
In that instant, a sound like shattering glass rang out. Immediately after, the semi-transparent, smoldering energy vanished without a trace.
The gatekeeper, who had been watching Jeong Yeon-shin with strangely greedy eyes, gasped in shock.
“Just now, what…?”
But Jeong Yeon-shin was not looking at him.
[I had only speculated about it.]
The moment the demonic energy of the scabbard was extinguished, a human figure suddenly rose from it. It was semi-transparent, like a ghost, and seemed invisible to the passersby walking nearby. It was a sorcery martial art, one of the true mysteries of the martial world.
Jeong Yeon-shin's eyes sharpened.
The problem lay in the ghost's appearance.
[This actually works…? Just what kind of internal power do you possess?]
A clear, resonant voice.
A woman wrapped entirely in an incredibly lavish white cloak looked down at her hands in turn. Her pitch-black hair billowed like the robes of a celestial maiden. She possessed features as distinct and dreamlike as Jeong Yeon-shin's, but the aura radiating from their harmony was closer to a demonic allure than mere beauty.
A crooked, subtle smile played on her lips.
A familiar smile. There was no mistake. It was the Ming Cult Leader, the Heaven-Smiling Invincible.
“…”
The gazes of the two, who stood at complete polar opposites, slowly locked.
[Well… you may think of me as a spirit. After all, showing up before you in my true body would be troublesome in many ways.]
It was not a voice modulated by internal power. It was a voice born of an exceptionally smooth telepathic thought.
Just as Jeong Yeon-shin pressed his index and middle fingers together to form a Sword Secret Finger—
“By the way, you mimic the Wilderness Sunfall, Jeong Yeon-shin, quite splendidly. Even with that blindfold on, I’d give you ten points… no, ten thousand points. Let me tell you in advance, this isn’t the eye of a mere gatekeeper. I am the Outer Hall Master, after all.”
The man from the Great Thoroughfare Sect began to babble endlessly like a snake-oil salesman. Before anyone noticed, a deep, colorless light was flashing in his eyes.
“Looking at you from head to toe, a master of the Disguise Technique like yourself is bound to be of great use in and around Hangzhou in the future. I assume you came here to become a guest of our sect. It seems the master who handed you that scabbard has connected you with us. You see, Taemo Mountain Fortress and our sect are…”
A pandemonium where all sorts of people lived.
This was Hangzhou.