Chapter 468: The Peerless Grand Festival (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 468: The Peerless Grand Festival (3)
The surgery to reattach his left arm took all night.
The Divine Doctor and Jeong Yeon-shin stayed awake through it all.
Reconnecting every blood vessel, nerve, and muscle was an agonizingly meticulous process. Splicing together the Hand Three Yang Meridians—the vital pathways running from the arm through the shoulder and into the rest of the body—made the hours stretch into an eternity, yet pass in a flash.
With every stitch, the Divine Doctor’s complexion worsened.
By the time the procedure—a grueling blend of medicine and sorcery martial arts—neared its end, the physician’s face was ashen. He looked ready to cough up blood at any moment.
—Elder, are you alright?
He looked as though he had suffered a severe internal injury. He had once claimed he could physically feel the murderous karma of swordsmen, and clearly, he hadn't been exaggerating.
He was sharp-tongued and uncompromising in his preferences, yet incredibly honest.
—Leave now... I must lie down for three days.
—I will surely repay this debt of gratitude.
—Repay? How dare you speak of repayment when you have the audacity to speak of the world? I only barely accepted it because you are the next Commander of the Divine Sword Corps. From now on, your time is no longer your own.
Whose time was it, then? He didn't need to think twice. It belonged to the common people of the world, the innocent masses. It was a sentiment that brought Perfected Ancient Sword to mind.
After reattaching Yeon-shin's arm, the Divine Doctor left strict orders that he was not to be disturbed, as he wouldn't be stepping outside for the foreseeable future.
Even completely exhausted, his refreshing aura never faded. He possessed a mysterious temperament that set him completely apart from the other Brightfolk.
Rather than a human...
Perhaps he was more like a living, breathing ancient tree, imbued with a wondrous spirituality.
Jeong Yeon-shin shook his head inwardly. The Divine Doctor was a great benefactor. There was no reason to rudely pry into his origins or clan. Holding onto this profound gratitude was enough.
Just then.
"Bloodlines are truly wondrous things."
An old beggar approached Jeong Yeon-shin, who was basking in the sun in the courtyard of the Mok Family Manor. The scraping of his straw sandals against the dirt was incredibly faint.
Despite his shabby appearance, an unmistakable aura of dignity—forged by the passing of countless years—flowed from him.
He was the leader of the Beggar Sect, otherwise known as the Dragon Head Gang.
They were called the Dragon Head Gang because the sheer number of beggars scattered across the world—and their brutal history of beating stray dogs to death—was likened to the massive head of a dragon.
As the leader of the world's dragon head, he was naturally a peerless master.
Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly recalled Shin Hwang's words.
—The current Dragon Head Leader has two main aliases. He is usually called Ju Gwang-singae, the Divine Beggar of Dwelling Light, because he possesses a Body Protection Scripture comparable to the speed of spreading sunlight. Since he has mastered an incredibly profound tracking technique, you must never let his outstretched hand touch your body. The Main Fortress Chief Steward's Office suspects that the current Beggar Sect Leader has acquired the Ten-Thousand-Mile Tracking Incense.
The Commander of the Thread-Annihilation Unit of the Divine Sword Corps was a taciturn man, but he pursued absolute perfection in his official duties. Even as he left the Mok Family Manor after receiving a certain request from Jeong Yeon-shin, he had offered this advice just in case.
—Though he is known to have a gentle disposition like a scholar, many have been thoroughly humiliated because he pries into and uncovers every detail of the private daily lives of anyone who offends him even once. It is said he even knows the sleeping habits of various masters.
What a terrifying man.
Jeong Yeon-shin thought of the beds he had broken over time.
"I am Jeong Yeon-shin."
He politely clasped his hands in greeting. The current Beggar Sect Leader was of the same generation as the former Commander of the Divine Sword Corps, making him a distant senior to Jeong Yeon-shin. It was only natural to show him the utmost respect and etiquette.
More importantly, to intrude upon the battlefield of the Nine Sects' leaders, he needed the Beggar Sect Leader's help. The faint energy of the Orthodox absolute masters that he had sensed earlier had long since vanished without a trace.
Hangzhou was incredibly vast, and beneath its waterways and bedrock lay a massive underground network. There was a high probability that the Master of Taemo Mountain Fortress had already sealed off the vicinity with a formation art.
Meanwhile, the Beggar Sect Leader had yet to receive treatment for the sword wound on his abdomen.
Since the Divine Doctor was bedridden, a quick recovery was now a distant hope. Jeong Yeon-shin hadn't anticipated this outcome. He couldn't help but feel regretful.
Rustle.
Staring intently at Jeong Yeon-shin, Ju Gwang-singae slightly pivoted his foot.
His demeanor suggested he had seen something he shouldn't have. There was a subtle hint of disapproval, a feeling that things shouldn't be this way.
"Are you not the de facto leader of the Divine Sword Corps? Your formality upon our first meeting is excessive."
"How could I treat a great senior lightly? I have long heard of your grand reputation, Sect Leader," Jeong Yeon-shin said as he lowered his clasped hands.
The old beggar's lips twitched faintly.
"...Your name, too, shakes the four seas. I have wanted to see you with my own eyes for a long time."
Ju Gwang-singae.
Typically, the aliases of martial artists were prone to exaggeration. Nevertheless, there was always a valid reason why a specific title was attached to a master's name.
Aside from Shin Hwang's advice, Jeong Yeon-shin recalled a story Perfected Ancient Sword had casually shared back at Mount Hua. It was about a peerless master who had been extremely wary of the Hegemon Hero, Ma Yeon-jeok.
—The Divine Beggar of the Great Wilds is the Beggar Sect Leader when he drinks. He is a master of Drunken Fist. It means he's a wild scoundrel who, once drunk, sees nothing and treats the sky as his blanket and the earth as his bed. However, many juniors call him that to mean he is a man well-versed in the history of the martial world. Your maternal grandfather particularly liked that alias, calling him a small but big bear.
This memory surfaced just as Jeong Yeon-shin was trying hard not to think of a bear.
"The world," the Beggar Sect Leader spoke. "It was an impressive statement. For someone eyeing the seat of the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps, it is a fitting declaration. Seeing the reaction of the Eternal Candle Divine Physician, it seems your words were not an exaggeration, but sincere."
His voice carried a deep resonance. In stark contrast to his short stature, his presence was incredibly heavy.
"You flatter me."
Jeong Yeon-shin turned his gaze aside. He felt a bit embarrassed, but at the same time, he liked Ju Gwang-singae.
Usually, when old masters of the previous generation looked at him, they would immediately bring up his maternal grandfather. However, the current Beggar Sect Leader spoke as if the Hegemon Hero hadn't even crossed his mind.
He is a profound person.
If the man had said something like, "As expected of the grandson of the former Commander of the Divine Sword Corps," it would have been difficult to associate with him.
Or perhaps the leaders of the Nine Sects who participated in the Mount Hua Agreement had not given Ju Gwang-singae any particular word. Either way, it didn't matter to Jeong Yeon-shin.
"However, there is one thing that concerns my old mind..." Ju Gwang-singae lowered his voice. It carried a somewhat dry tone, like a chilly winter wind.
"I am listening."
"Those who see someone acting and speaking like you usually think of the phrase 'Supremely Self-Honored.' In this world, no master can withstand a coordinated attack. A master of the tyrannical way who is isolated without friends, no matter how high his martial arts are..."
"Acting Commander! Where did you go? Acting Commander!"
A young man's shout interrupted Ju Gwang-singae. The voice echoed from a distance. There was also a girl's voice shouting loudly, "Over there!"
Heonwon Chang, the Hero of the Desolate Fortress, and Shin So-bin, the Blood-Net Radiant Empress.
They were young geniuses who had made a name for themselves in the grand Mount Hua Agreement that took place earlier. In the case of Shin So-bin, who wore a blue robe styled like court attire, her reputation had soared after she demonstrated equivalent martial prowess in a bloody battle against the Small Sword Empress of Diancang.
The ‘Empress’ in her title signified a successor steeped in the Flash Art martial arts.
"Is it really alright for you to be up right now?"
"Well, if it was properly reattached, then with the Jeong Family Dynamic Art... Unit Commander, are you alright...?"
They gathered toward Jeong Yeon-shin.
It wasn't just the two of them. Yu-hyeon, the hidden dragon whom Mount Hua had poured its heart into after Lady Yul-ha, and Tang Clan Leader Tang Un-hwang also approached, swiftly leaping across several roofs.
They offered a brief bow to Ju Gwang-singae before examining Jeong Yeon-shin.
"Hey, I'm saying this now, but how did you fight to the point of ending up in that state? We're going back empty-handed anyway. The commoners are important, but you could have run away too. Is this really attached?"
"The energy of the Three Yang Meridians near the shoulder is still unstable. I do not think it is wise to go out rashly..."
Tang Un-hwang's voice trailed off. He seemed to have already guessed what was happening in Hangzhou. He was once the absolute master of Sichuan.
Rather than the rising stars currently clinging to Jeong Yeon-shin, he was closer in standing to the Beggar Sect Leader, who had stepped back a pace with a strange expression on his face.
The corners of Jeong Yeon-shin's mouth curved into a faint smile.
"My gratitude is late. You have traveled a long way."
"The members of my clan wanted to come along as well."
Tang Un-hwang did not seem to take Jeong Yeon-shin's compliments to heart. Rather, he seemed reluctant to let Jeong Yeon-shin step onto a battlefield composed of peerless masters.
Ju Gwang-singae also quietly dissuaded Jeong Yeon-shin.
"Do not overexert yourself. If the Flood Dragon appears, everything will be futile anyway, but the strength needed to stop the Dragon Summoning Formula is already sufficient. Though there were twists and turns, the leaders of the Nine Sects have gathered, have they not? All that is left is to leave ourselves to fate."
"This junior has business with the Master of Taemo Mountain Fortress and the Ming Cult Leader."
Slightly raising his elbow, Jeong Yeon-shin rotated his shoulder in a wide circle.
In an instant, crack! A translucent wave of energy burst forth.
The flow of his internal power had locked perfectly into place, like the interlocking gears of a mechanism formation, all thanks to the Jeong Family Dynamic Art.
He was instantly back in peak condition.
"The more hands, the better."
"..."
Amidst the silence that fell over the courtyard, Yu-hyeon muttered a single word. "What on earth is that?"
Only after he broke the silence did Jeong Yeon-shin speak.
"I will depart. The rest of you may blockade Hangzhou as we discussed yesterday. I have left a message from the Acting Commander of the Divine Sword Corps with the Hero of the Desolate Fortress, so the local government will move as well."
His words and actions differed from before. He was slightly more flexible, and far clearer. Soon after, he locked eyes with Ju Gwang-singae.
"I need your help, Senior. This junior does not know which direction the leaders of the Nine Sects have headed."
"Unlike you, I was not chosen by the Divine Doctor," Ju Gwang-singae replied, clasping his hands behind his back. He seemed somewhat displeased. To Jeong Yeon-shin, he appeared as an old man who had realized what transcendence was.
He was also a deeply appreciated senior. After all, he had not mentioned the beds or Ma Yeon-jeok in the end.
"If you lend me your eyes, this junior will be your hands and feet."
Glancing at Ju Gwang-singae, who did not answer easily, Jeong Yeon-shin parted his lips, directing his voice toward a distant roof.
—You.
—...
—Follow me.
In an instant, the tiled roof shimmered with a dark red mist.
* * *
The Chief Steward's Office of the Desolate Fortress was favorable toward the new Purple Rank.
This was true internally as well. It had been so ever since the boy, clad in a blue robe embroidered with the golden character for "Desolate" (荒), had paid his respects to the scholars of the Main Fortress, calling them the pillars of the Desolate Fortress.
Since then, the Chief Steward's Office had quietly accommodated Jeong Yeon-shin, independent of the Grand Steward's instructions.
Whenever high-ranking officials lost their heads to the Desolate Fortress Sword, the Northern Light, or the Lingering Thunder, it was they who shifted the blame onto the eunuchs.
"Are government affairs not strictly under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Depot? You should have looked into this thoroughly before such an incident occurred! If the Main Fortress's mission is derailed, who will take responsibility? Will you be the ones to explain to His Majesty why the tribute is lacking?"
"I don't quite understand what you mean... The Grand Coordinator of Zhejiang didn't hear about this beforehand? Did you bring this letter in your right mind? Are you saying the Grand Coordinator in the provinces needs to know the movements of our Main Fortress's Purple Rank in advance?"
"He is alive! How many times do I have to tell you that he returned alive?!"
The scent of ink was thick in the air, yet it was far from fragrant. The stench of droppings from the spirit birds raised by the Brightfolk overpowered it.
It was a grand hall lined with silver-gray stone desks. Dozens of scholars were busy writing with their brushes while talking at the same time.
They were so busy and chaotic that they hadn't even set up a separate guest hall. Without even making eye contact with the officials they faced, they received guests like merchants haggling in a marketplace.
"Excuse me, is this proper etiquette?"
"I hear they sell such things in Beijing. This humble one only knows how to read the names of the Main Fortress's martial artists on the personnel roster, having never taken the civil service examinations..."
"..."
The scholars of the Chief Steward's Office frequently received high-ranking external officials.
They connected missions with the martial units under the Divine Sword Corps, tracked their movements through various secret lines and branches, and filtered all kinds of information by thoroughly assessing the livelihoods of the people outside and the circumstances of the government offices.
In the process, they coordinated positions with government offices throughout the world. This was true for the imperial court in Beijing as well as local authorities.
Among them, the attitude of the Chief Steward's Office scholars was consistently unyielding. They had nothing to lose.
These were people who had abandoned the civil service examinations to set foot in the Desolate Fortress. It was no exaggeration to say they were at the center of the martial world, which was currently in upheaval due to the showdown between Jeong Yeon-shin and the Lord of Heaven's Bane.
"The news travels incredibly fast. How has it already arrived when the incident just happened?"
"Wasn't the matter of utmost gravity? The Chief Steward's Office even deployed the Flash Arrow Birds. Aren't those birds of prey usually reserved for when the northern front collapses or when the Fighting God marches south?"
"Can we relax a bit now? The entire martial world is in an uproar right now. Even places where the rumors haven't spread will soon be the same. I mean, the First Sword of the Outer Paths...!"
"Relax? What are you talking about? In Beijing, they are debating day after day whether they should scrape together what little Imperial Army they have left and send them to Hangzhou... Besides, they say His Majesty has long since departed for the Northern Region."
It was a veritable madhouse.
On the top floor of the Chief Steward's Office pavilion, three people sat in a circle: the Grand Steward, the Elder Council Head, and the King of Fathomless Light.
Rustle.
The sleeve of a handsome young man wearing a deep blue four-clawed dragon robe fluttered. A sheet of paper had been crumpled in his fist.
The only person in the Main Fortress who could handle letters sent to the Desolate Fortress Chief Steward's Office so carelessly was the King of Fathomless Light.
"He has vanished again?" His long ears twitched slightly.
It was a report regarding Jeong Yeon-shin. It stated that as soon as he was acknowledged by the Divine Doctor and had his external injuries healed, he had suddenly disappeared. The martial artists of the Desolate Fortress's Hangzhou Branch had ultimately failed to keep up with the Acting Commander of the Divine Sword Corps.
"...We cannot lose him again." Grand Steward Im Jin-myeong's thick beard moved.
"I dare to address the King of Fathomless Light. When Lord Jeong's death was falsely reported, it had a massive impact on various government offices. Not to mention the heterodox sects, what kind of movements did the martial world local aristocrats—the so-called Eight Great Families—make back then? If we had been careless..."
"I know. And?"
"The Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit, the Commander of the Azure Sky Unit, the Commander of the Law Enforcement Unit, and the Master of the Martial Apex Hall under the Main Fortress's Divine Sword Corps are on standby."
"...Quite a crowd has gathered. What about Yong Hee-myung?"
"He and the Main Fortress's Hidden Sword are beyond the gate where no news can reach."
"Ah, that's right."
Having replied, the King of Fathomless Light fell silent for a moment. Soon, a sovereign's sigh drifted across the round stone table in the Grand Steward's office.
"The world is in turmoil. Yes, I underestimated the new Purple Rank... the Wilderness Sunfall. Now..."
It was then.
Suddenly, a clear bell chimed. It was a sound like jade beads rolling on a gentle breeze, originating from the rafters of the pure white Inner Castle visible outside the window.
In an instant, not only the Grand Steward but even the King of Fathomless Light fell silent.
The snow-white beard of Elder Council Head Shin Byeok, who had remained silent all this time, trembled. An elderly voice flowed from his mouth.
"The Lord of the Fortress arrives."