Chapter 46: Preparation (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 46: Preparation (2)
The Imperial Grandson approached.
Jeong Yeon-shin stood still, his grip steady on his sword.
Sword House. In this very moment, he had forged the foundation of a technique capable of contending with an entire group.
"Let us meet often," the Imperial Grandson, Ju Yun-myeong, said.
That was all. He showed no further emotion. It seemed he had lived his entire life that way.
'Does he mean I shouldn't go die in some ditch?'
Jeong Yeon-shin bowed respectfully. By the time he raised his head, the Imperial Grandson had already entered the armory.
Cheong-myeong strolled over and draped an arm around Yeon-shin's shoulders.
"That's how goodwill works. It cannot be won all at once. If you want the position of Commander of the Divine Sword Corps, mere goodwill isn't enough anyway. You must build trust. I suppose consistency is key."
"You're right. In any case, accumulating merits comes first," Jeong Yeon-shin replied nonchalantly.
He sheathed his sword, securing it at his waist alongside his Desolate Fortress Sword. Blades were consumables. A sword whose edge never chipped was a rare, legendary weapon under the heavens.
The touch of his newly acquired Northern Light sent a pleasantly cool sensation through his palm.
"Go on ahead. I have somewhere to be," Yeon-shin said.
"Alright." Cheong-myeong replied simply and turned away.
Cheong-myeong, the Blue-Eyed Demon Sword. Though he seemed warm and friendly, he was a man who held no lingering attachments to anything.
Jeong Yeon-shin watched his retreating back for a moment before turning to leave.
*
Sunset arrived—the appointed time. His steps through the gathering dusk led him to the main fortress of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress.
He entered without hindrance and climbed the stairs.
Ever since donning the Blue Rank, he felt as though he had completely integrated into the Desolate Fortress.
"Flash Art..."
The moment he uttered the title that had served as his courtesy name since his coming-of-age ceremony, the thick stone doors of the Fortress Lord's office opened on their own. It was exactly like his Desolate Fortress Entrance Exam.
Now, he could sense her aura, if only a fraction of it.
It was Void Grab—a realm where one could manipulate physical objects without a single touch.
Was this a glimpse of the martial prowess that had single-handedly annihilated the royal family of the Kingdom of Dali?
The period immediately following the founding of the Great Ming had been a turbulent era.
Although the Lord of the Desolate Fortress could have entered the imperial palace, she never married. She had refused even the repeated urgings of the former Empress Dowager, who was said to still be hale and hearty.
She had simply lived as the Grand Preceptor, teaching the successors of the Son of Heaven, and serving as the Divine Sword of the Great Ming.
That history was how the earth-shattering martial prowess of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress had been forged.
'As I thought, I need to increase my internal energy,' Jeong Yeon-shin mused.
He imagined himself as the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps, levitating two swords in the air. If the blades could move on their own while his physical body executed the Infinite Flower of Time Fist, their utility would be immense.
At that level, wouldn't he be able to accumulate merits without worrying about his martial prowess? But that was a distant dream.
"You have grown quite relaxed, harboring other thoughts right in front of me."
A clear voice rang out, drawing his gaze.
The thick tree trunks piercing through the office were a bizarre sight no matter how many times he saw them. A woman reclining on a branch came into view.
Her presence was as overwhelming as ever.
Her beauty, which made her appear only four or five years older than Jeong Yeon-shin, was said to be a symbol of her immortality.
Her deep green eyes, capable of freezing one's very soul, were suffocating. They were entirely different from the eye-glint of an ordinary peak expert.
Her long, light-green hair did not sway in the slightest—proof that she had completely concealed her aura.
'And yet, I can still feel her sheer class. Just what realm is she in?'
He quickly bowed, apologizing for his rudeness.
The Lord of the Desolate Fortress spoke slowly. "It seems you have made up your mind."
"Yes. I request an inner cultivation method from you, Fortress Lord. I hope for a martial art with a fast rate of breathing and drawing in energy."
He had come to claim the martial art previously promised to him.
It was a reward earned thanks to the duel that Ma Se-in of the Desolate Ma Clan had so stubbornly requested. An opportunity granted through the friendship between the Lord of the Desolate Fortress and his maternal grandfather, the former Commander of the Divine Sword Corps.
There was no need to delay any further. Jeong Yeon-shin was acutely aware of what he lacked most right now.
"An inner cultivation method. Yes. The amount of true qi is also important. Once the vessel is polished, it must be filled with water." She smiled. "Something comes to mind. Come closer."
"Yes."
Jeong Yeon-shin stepped forward without hesitation.
He had already completed the vessel for his martial arts. The Jeong Family Dynamic Art was perfect for tempering the physical body.
However, there were countless breathing methods under the heavens for gathering energy. The accumulation of true qi. It was known as qi accumulation.
'I must create an inner cultivation method with a fast rate of qi accumulation.'
This wasn't something he could simply gain inspiration for by watching someone else perform qi meditation. It was best to experience a divine art firsthand. That would be enough to understand the profound principles of how it rapidly drew in the energy of the world.
Afterward, he planned to create an inner cultivation method perfectly tailored to his own body.
"What are you doing?" the Lord of the Desolate Fortress asked. It seemed his blank staring after approaching had prompted the question.
"Because you told me to come."
"Closer."
"How close do you mean?"
The corners of the Fortress Lord's lips curled up slightly.
"It seems this is your first time being formally taught a proper breathing and energy circulation method. If training with a manual alone were enough, there would be no reason for masters to exist. Merely reciting the mnemonic is not sufficient."
She slowly sat up, pulling in her long, outstretched legs.
The hem of her light-green martial uniform brushed against the tree bark with a soft rustle. She placed each foot on the opposite thigh—the lotus position.
"Sit upright before me. I shall guide your true qi. An inner cultivation method must be learned in one go like this."
"Yes. But before that..."
Jeong Yeon-shin took three steps back. He slowly lowered himself into a formal bow.
This was due to the heavy significance of martial arts in the Jianghu. It was an era where the honor of a sect was valued more than personal advancement.
To be taught a supreme technique that would go down in history—one could not help but revere the teacher as a master.
Forbid the bond of master and disciple? The Fortress Lord stands above the laws of the Desolate Fortress.
'She isn't stopping me.'
It seemed she accepted his gesture. Jeong Yeon-shin bowed once and stood up.
That was enough. One did not bow more than once to the living. Such was the custom of the Central Plains, where Taoism had taken root. The Jianghu remained the same.
He sat before the Lord of the Desolate Fortress, who wore a mysterious smile. Facing her up close, he noticed her skin was astonishingly fair and translucent.
She chuckled softly.
"Not that way. Show me your back."
A faint breath brushed against Jeong Yeon-shin's cheek. It was an incredibly thin exhalation.
He wondered just how much internal cultivation she had accumulated for her breathing to be so deep and controlled. Feeling a renewed sense of awe, Jeong Yeon-shin turned around.
'I thought she would teach me the mnemonic first before guiding my true qi.'
It seemed she wanted to get the transmission over with quickly. It reminded him of when he had passed the energy of the Purple Grace Pill to Yu-hyeon, the disciple of the Mount Hua Sect Leader.
Jeong Yeon-shin could circulate his qi while speaking. It seemed the Lord of the Desolate Fortress was capable of the same.
"It is called the Moon Spirit Harmony Art. It is my sect-exclusive martial art."
Along with her voice, her hand touched Jeong Yeon-shin's back. Her palm was incredibly warm.
Setting aside her youthful appearance, which made her look like an older sister, he wondered if this was what the mother he had never met would feel like.
Wuuung.
An internal energy so pure he could never have imagined it surged into his body.
A single stream of clear, pristine energy flowed into him, as if it had bottled up the very essence of Mother Nature.
The fine meridians and acupoints throughout his body began to fill one by one. The movement carved out the qi accumulation pathway of the Moon Spirit Harmony Art for him to memorize.
"This is how it is done. Feel it."
Jeong Yeon-shin calmed his mind and closed his eyes.
He felt the flow of true qi moving in tandem with the voice of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress as she recited the mnemonic.
As time passed, his intent began to circulate the energy on its own.
"Yes. Just like that."
Her low voice encouraged the flow.
Half a shichen was enough.
The moment the fingertips of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress left his back, her internal energy dispersed.
Jeong Yeon-shin had mastered the divine art with just a single circulation while listening to the mnemonic. He needed nothing more.
A breath laced with amusement tickled the back of his neck. Her whisper sounded right beside his ear.
"If you encounter any obstacles, come and ask me."
"Thank you for the reward."
Stepping down and turning around, Jeong Yeon-shin politely clasped his hands. She smiled at him once more.
His heart felt light on his way out of the office and back toward the Demonlight Wing pavilion. Jeong Yeon-shin realized anew just how vast the world of martial arts truly was.
It was entirely different from the true qi manipulation used in sword, fist, and leg techniques.
He finally understood that even in the simple act of drawing in the energy of nature and storing it within the body, super-ascension martial arts existed.
Was it the Fortress Lord's consideration? The Moon Spirit Harmony Art did not reject the energy of the Jeong Family Dynamic Art.
It was just like her aura, which seemed to embrace all things.
"Excellent," he muttered unconsciously. He felt as if boundless inspiration was surging within him.
He felt as though he could create an inner cultivation method that far surpassed any third-rate technique right this instant.
'I miss Se-in.'
He felt deeply grateful to his distant relative Ma Se-in and his troublesome maternal grandfather, Ma Yeon-jeok.
*
Jeong Yeon-shin devoted himself to practicing and conceptualizing his own inner cultivation method until the following evening.
Sitting on the floor beside his bed to refine his internal energy was something he hadn't done since childhood. Focusing solely on the energy breathing inside and outside his body felt rather pleasant.
Just as he finished a full-body circulation of the Great Heavenly Cycle, Do Yu-won of the Chief Steward's Office visited his room.
"This is truly a cause for celebration. To think another direct disciple of the Fortress Lord has been made," Do Yu-won said with a bright smile, carrying two sets of blue garments draped over his forearm.
"What are those...?"
"You only received your new martial uniform the other day, but it seems you must wear something else now."
Do Yu-won carefully unfolded one of the garments.
It was indeed a martial uniform. It wasn't much different from the blue martial uniform the Lord of the Desolate Fortress had dressed him in during his promotion ceremony.
The only difference was the character Hwang (荒)—meaning 'Desolate'—embroidered on the shoulders and back. It was stitched in brilliant golden thread.
"Those who are taught the Fortress Lord's martial arts carry a symbolic status that transcends the rank color of their uniform. It is inevitable that you will become famous in the Jianghu. Therefore, just like the members of the imperial family, Young Hero Jeong deserves to receive the protocols of the main fortress. The Chief Steward's Office has prepared this for you."
"I see. Thank you."
Jeong Yeon-shin accepted the blue martial uniform with the golden embroidery.
As he did, Do Yu-won quickly added, looking as if he had just remembered something.
"To be honest, we were mindful of His Highness the Imperial Grandson, who is already studying under her. The Fortress Lord doesn't care about such things, but we subordinates must be careful. However, for some reason, she let it pass quite graciously."
Jeong Yeon-shin nodded calmly and saw him out.
He immediately changed into the new clothes and left his room, as Ma Jin had called for a gathering.
The golden characters were highly conspicuous.
The eyes of the seniors he encountered along the way widened in surprise. Glossing over their questions by saying it just happened that way, he arrived at the Great Training Ground, where the Demonlight First Team and Ma Jin were gathered.
Shin So-bin, the junior recently assigned to the First Team, was also present.
"Y-Young Hero! What is that brilliant golden splendor?!"
After Jeong Yeon-shin casually brushed off Heonwon Chang's fuss, Ma Jin spoke up.
"I will speak plainly since you have all agreed to a short mission cycle. First, under the leadership of the Blue Rank Flash Art, Heonwon Chang and Shin So-bin will be the ones to set out. The three of you are perfectly suited for this. It is a task that requires young faces."
"Young faces?" Jeong Yeon-shin asked quietly. Suddenly, he recalled the young divine monk of Shaolin who had spoken of the romance of young martial artists.
"There are those whom the world calls a fair and righteous martial clan. You must have heard of them. The Hwangbo Clan," Ma Jin said, the scar near his mouth twitching.
"The reality is quite different. The Azure Sky Unit uncovered their secret long ago. Those bastards have been mobilizing commoners to build their new clan estate. They offer no pay and prevent them from earning a living elsewhere. They are forcing labor upon the people without an imperial decree."
"Insolent bastards!"
"It's a common occurrence."
Heonwon Chang and Shin So-bin's reactions contrasted sharply.
The martial artists of great sects were superhumans. They possessed martial prowess that practically allowed them to act as gods over the lives of ordinary people. With free labor available at the mere flick of a finger, there were always those who couldn't resist abusing their power.
"There are over a thousand forced laborers. The livelihood of the people, which is directly linked to imperial tribute, is a highly sensitive issue. There is a limit to how much we can turn a blind eye to the local aristocrats of the martial world. However, punishing an orthodox sect requires meticulous care. Public sentiment and perception must entirely favor the Desolate Fortress..."
Ma Jin trailed off for a moment before continuing.
"Those bastards completely rule over the land of Jinan in Shandong. They already behave like royalty. There is a limit to how much we can expose their deeds from the outside. Flash Art, you are the key."
"What is the mission?"
"Infiltrate the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering with two White Ranks while concealing your identities. Coincidentally, this Dragon-Phoenix Gathering is being held in Southern Zhili under the auspices of the Namgung Clan. Since Shandong is right above it, the Young Master of the Hwangbo Clan will surely attend."
Ma Jin paused briefly before speaking again, finally handing down Jeong Yeon-shin's fourth mission.
"Your mission is provocation. Grate on his nerves and drive that Young Master mad. Make it so he cannot rest until he mobilizes his clan to eliminate you. You must force the Hwangbo Clan to make a massive move, exposing a crack in the absolute control they hold over the entire Jinan region."
"What happens if we succeed?"
"While you are causing chaos in Southern Zhili, we will immediately extract reliable witnesses and evidence. This is an operation we have prepared for a long time. Three of the seventeen units of the Divine Sword Corps will gather. The entirety of the Demonlight Wing, the Azure Sky Unit, and the Thread-Annihilation Unit will strike the Hwangbo Clan together."
It meant they were going to annihilate one of the pillars of the Eight Great Families of the orthodox martial world.
It was a truly staggering undertaking. The cooperation of three martial units from the Divine Sword Corps was unprecedented.
Because there were at least thirteen great wicked sects in the Central Plains, the seventeen units were constantly scattered, carrying out missions across the vast world. If three of these units gathered in one place, they could truly be called invincible.
'Insane...!'
Jeong Yeon-shin felt a shiver run down his spine. Heonwon Chang and Shin So-bin clearly felt the same, their eyes wide with shock.
Yeon-shin spoke with the calmest expression he could muster, needing to ask the most crucial question.
"Regarding the Young Master of the Hwangbo Clan. If things go awry or the situation demands it, may I take his head?"
"That is left to the discretion of a Blue-Ranked warrior. Such is the authority of the Blue Rank. You may take responsibility for whatever actions you choose," Ma Jin replied with a smile.
Beside him, Baek Mi-ryeo spoke up with a worried expression.
"Flash Art. Realize that this is an extremely dangerous mission. Do not overdo it. That Young Master is destined to die anyway. He was born with a constitution doomed to a short life, despite his immense talent. It is already well-known."
Cheong-myeong chimed in.
"I heard he is a genius born with the Solar Divine Pulse. He will be quite strong."