Chapter 489: The Brightfolk Tree
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 489: The Brightfolk Tree
By the time the shadows cast beneath the walls of Mok Manor stretched long and low, Prince Honghwang was finally released from beneath Jeong Yeon-shin's foot.
This was because he had deduced the contents of the public notice that the Wilderness Sunfall had just issued to the world. Feudatory kings of his caliber possessed a sense of qi keen enough to perceive even the distant movement of a brushstroke.
In the end, Prince Honghwang pledged unconditional support to the Desolate Fortress, prompting Cheong-myeong, the Blue-Eyed Demon Sword, to speak with a smirk.
"Lord Jeong's brushwork is better than that of the scribes in the Hanlin Academy or the Great Merchant Guilds. I wonder how much he earned right here on the spot."
It was an incredibly timely remark.
"...Don't be ridiculous."
It was a comment that subtly nudged the Wilderness Sunfall into accepting Prince Honghwang's apology.
Cheong-myeong had quietly looked after Jeong Yeon-shin during his White and Blue-Ranked days, and even after he reached the Black Rank, he had remained by his side as a close confidant. He was more than capable of reading the subtle shifts in his young superior's mood.
"The Chief Steward's Office must be nursing a massive headache right now. I can already see it clearly. That iron tower of a Grand Steward bursting into roaring laughter upon receiving a few letters."
"Grand Steward Im?" Jeong Yeon-shin asked.
Slowly.
The Wilderness Sunfall's hand, which had remained slightly raised until then, lowered completely.
He had always shown great respect for scholars in his speech and conduct. He respected Grand Steward Im Jin-myeong, who held immense influence over the appointment of the main fortress's Commander of the Divine Sword Corps, even more than his own maternal grandfather.
Because he had been entirely consistent in this regard since entering the Desolate Fortress, the Chief Steward's Office held the most generous evaluation of Jeong Yeon-shin's character within the main fortress.
"There will come a day when you will see the benefits of Acupoint Clearing."
"……"
The Wilderness Sunfall offered the quiet blessing while staring at the footprint stamped onto Prince Honghwang's chest.
Sigh...
Watching the scene from the sidelines, Shin So-bin let her tense shoulders slump.
Had Prince Honghwang's head truly rolled, there was no telling what would have become of their relationship with the Beijing Imperial Court. While Jeong Yeon-shin might not have faced dire consequences himself, it would have made seeking their cooperation in the future nearly impossible.
In the end, Jeong Yeon-shin avoided gaining the infamy of having slain King Ju. He had merely engraved upon the world the fact that the dignity of the Imperial Family held no sway over him.
And so, the incident was brought to a close.
"I... failed to show the proper virtue of a guest. I offer you my deepest apologies."
Prince Honghwang used his internal energy to smooth out his heavily crumpled feudatory king's ceremonial robes before turning to leave.
His martial army had not dared to thrust a single spear at Jeong Yeon-shin even then, solely because Prince Honghwang had continuously restrained them via telepathy. Until the very moment he retraced his steps, he considered that restraint to be a wise decision.
And then came the others.
"Please, take care..."
"We are endlessly grateful for the hard work of the Desolate Fortress."
"The grace of protecting Zhejiang... we shall repay it with the conduct of upright officials."
"...We will handle the eastern Jianghu ourselves. There is no need to trouble yourselves by sending experts from the Divine Sword Corps."
The Assistant Military Commander of the Five Military Commissions, the merchant guild leaders, the Zhejiang Grand Coordinator, and the representatives of the Four Provinces Martial Arts Alliance also turned back.
The proposals they had each brought with them had transformed into unilateral support for the Desolate Fortress, to a degree that could practically be called wartime requisitioning. None of these noble figures wished to exchange words with the Wilderness Sunfall for long. Each of them only hurried their steps, eager to return.
It didn't matter either way.
At least, it didn't to the experts of the Desolate Fortress. After all, they had just averted a financial crisis of unimaginable proportions.
Thud!
"It is over."
Behind Jeong Yeon-shin, sunlight shimmered in a straight line down the silver spear Ak Su-rim had planted into the ground.
Her long spear, which served as the flagpole for the Desolate Fortress Standard during major ceremonies at the main fortress, shone with a solitary silver light, untouched by the twilight that had begun to darken the surroundings.
"Flash Art."
"Yes, Senior."
Ak Su-rim smiled warmly at Jeong Yeon-shin as he turned to look at her. Soon, her words praising his hard work melted into the sunset.
* * *
Hangzhou.
There were many tangled threads here. The number of connections forged in this city was immense, but Jeong Yeon-shin had to face the inevitable parting. It was a farewell he would never grow used to.
"Clan Leader."
"Benefactor."
The Tang Clan Leader, Poison Lord Tang Un-hwang, smiled gently. Though he had to look up at Jeong Yeon-shin due to his short stature, he was a giant who had traversed the vast distance from Sichuan to Hangzhou as the head of his clan.
He had also protected Lingering Thunder from the Five Sword Masters of the Heavens of the Heaven's Bane Sect, who were famous for wielding their swords like ghosts.
"Do not grieve. The Sun Lotus Sword Enchantress will be safe."
It was the consolation of a man who had experienced loss as the father of the Tang Clan Siblings. Regardless of his own feelings, Jeong Yeon-shin had to nod.
"...Safe travels."
"May I press my hand against yours for a moment?" Tang Un-hwang asked suddenly.
Jeong Yeon-shin nodded silently and reached down, just as he had once done when passing the mnemonic of the Myriad Blossoms Rain to Tang Un-hwang.
Slowly.
The palms of the short Tang Clan Leader and the young peerless expert met.
Tang Un-hwang's hand felt even firmer than it had that day, and in an instant, a wave of energy like a gentle breeze rippled from their hands. Among the three acupoints clustered in the center of the palm, the Shaofu Point and the Laogong Point released shockwaves of suction and repulsion, scattering the dry fallen leaves around them.
Whoosh!
Jeong Yeon-shin's eyes widened slightly. The incredibly subtle points of stimulation pressing into his hand were different from before.
It was just like when he had calmly passed on the profound principles to the clan leader. Now, in reverse, the Tang Clan Leader was transmitting something to him. It was an extremely rare experience in the Jianghu.
"Benefactor, this is my Unified Martial Transcendence."
Unlike Jeong Yeon-shin, Tang Un-hwang smiled, calmly delivering words as shocking as an explosive shell.
"Though my body does not permit me to unleash it in a single move... I, too, am a man of the Jianghu after all, and I found myself melting my sect-exclusive throwing weapon techniques into the Myriad Blossoms Rain you gave me."
He spoke even while circulating his qi. He truly was a peerless expert who had once stood as one of the heads of the Eight Families.
Transmitting one's own Unified Martial Transcendence to another. It was an impossible feat. A life is singular. One cannot live the lives of two people.
This held true even now. Jeong Yeon-shin could not fully absorb the techniques imbued with the Tang Clan Leader's life. However, because it was based on the Myriad Blossoms Rain, the sheer volume of information pouring into his palm was greater than when observing any other martial art.
This is...!
The words spoken by the slow-witted birdbrain, the Lord of the Golden Wing Sect who had died in Sichuan, flashed through his mind.
— The Myriad Blossoms Rain is a technique that unleashes all the poison and throwing weapon arts a master of the Tang Clan has refined over a lifetime, all at once like the Milky Way. It is a martial art of accumulated years. A genius who accomplishes everything easily would find it hard to understand.
At the time, Jeong Yeon-shin had been able to compensate for that weakness significantly by broadening his horizons through the Unified Martial Transcendence of the Former Peng Clan Leader.
But now, the very pinnacle of the Tang Clan's martial lineage—the one the dullard had spoken of—was pressing hands with him. Along with Tang Un-hwang's one-sided voice.
"Heaven and earth are silent and do not move...
Yet their energy never stops or rests.
Though night and day change in a clamor,
Their petals remain unchanged for eternity."
The Vegetable Root Discourses written by Taoist Return-to-Origin. It was a passage Jeong Yeon-shin had once adopted as his mnemonic.
That was Tang Un-hwang's farewell. Soon after, he set off on his journey, carrying nothing but a single hammer. He was accompanied by the Heonwon Spear slung across his back.
— I think I can be of a bit more help. Is the current Tang Clan Leader not the father of the world's greatest craftsmen who forged Lingering Thunder? I happen to have some excellent materials, so let us meet again when it has become even stronger. You could call it a solo mission of sorts.
The Divine Hero of the Desolate Fortress, who had told Jeong Yeon-shin the previous night that he intended to forge his own divine weapon, gave a casual wink and walked away without a shred of lingering regret. His departure resembled that of the Slaying Hero, the successor of the Killing Gate whom Jeong Yeon-shin had once seen at his family estate.
Having permitted his solo mission, Jeong Yeon-shin immediately had to bid farewell to the others. They were the most heavyweight transcendents in Hangzhou.
Lady Yul-ha and Abbot Beomheo.
"If I had even a shred less dignity, I would have given you a hug right here."
As a swordswoman renowned among the Han people, the current Mount Hua Sect Leader possessed exceptionally long limbs. Stepping lightly onto the threshold of Mok Manor's main gate, she met Jeong Yeon-shin's gaze, their eyes nearly level. This height was part of the reason the title of "Sword God" was attached to her alias.
"I can hug you instead."
Such was the level of closeness Jeong Yeon-shin felt toward her.
Rustle.
As he approached without any formality, Lady Yul-ha lightly pushed his chest back with her long index and middle fingers. Her Sword Secret Finger had fully recovered its original sharpness.
"Mind your position. It would look unseemly, would it not?"
Lady Yul-ha wore an ambiguous smile. The slight curl of her lips carried contrasting natures—the pure air of the mountains and the rugged steepness of West Peak Mount Hua. She was still an absolute master who held sway over the entire Jianghu.
"Judging by your actions this time, you might end up gravely injured once again. Whenever that happens, if you climb Falling Goose Peak, the highest peak of our main mountain, you may soak in the bath I mentioned. I will personally throw in the medicinal herbs of the Purple Grace Pill for you."
"You can stop bringing that up now. I must stop by the Zhongnan Sect to check on my nephew anyway, so we shall meet again in Shaanxi before long."
"Yes, that will suffice."
With that, Lady Yul-ha's figure scattered like flower petals. It was the Dark Fragrance Drift, executed to its absolute limit. It seemed her long absence from her main mountain had left her with little time to spare.
It was said that the various sect leaders had already exchanged their farewells.
"Young Master Jeong."
Beyond the threshold where she had vanished, Abbot Beomheo's clear eyes reflected Jeong Yeon-shin.
"The Jianghu, made of people, is no lighter than the world of the strange, violent, chaotic, and supernatural. Rather, it is a chaotic pandemonium of infinite variety. As a simple monk who strikes people, I merely recommended this pandemonium to you."
"...The Late Emperor once discussed Shaolin's Vajra Indestructible Body with me," Jeong Yeon-shin quietly spoke. "Thinking back on it, I do not believe it is anything grand. If one can protect their body and mind from the storms of the world, is that not a martial artist's true Vajra Indestructible Body? I shall seek to attain such a state."
"Come to think of it, you do possess Dharma Power. Yes... judging by your words and deeds alone, you could be called a vessel of the Buddha, but..."
Abbot Beomheo tilted his head slightly.
Tap.
He then turned around, leaning on his Buddhist staff, which he had lifted into the air using Void Grab. He was an old monk whose Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak had been completely shattered, leaving him with only a trace of true qi and an immense spirit. Yet, as he set off, the hem of his worn, orange Buddhist robe fluttered fiercely around his feet.
Like the garments of Indra, the master of combat among the Buddhist heavenly deities.
Jeong Yeon-shin did not bother to ponder why the abbot had trailed off, merely raising a single hand to bid him farewell.
There were others as well. The experts of the Qingcheng Sect and Ju Gwang-singae. In particular, a young Taoist named Jinmu hesitated as he approached Jeong Yeon-shin, only to be dragged away by his martial uncle.
"Lord Jeong! This Taoist has fallen in admiration of your character! It seems to me that, regardless of the Late Emperor's last words, you will eventually march to the Northern Region. I, Jinmu, shall go there first and complete our sect's Azure Cloud Red Sunset Sword! Please remember me!"
Along with his fading shout, Perfected Clear Water left a parting nod. The Qingcheng Sect Leader did not seem particularly keen on associating with Jeong Yeon-shin.
Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly felt a wave of empathy for the loneliness his maternal grandfather must have felt in the Jianghu, but he quickly shook his head in surprise at his own thoughts.
Our situations are different.
His grandfather would not have had friends like Lady Yul-ha and Tang Un-hwang.
"Hey there."
"Yes, Leader."
Turning his head, he saw the old beggar staring intently at him. It was Ju Gwang-singae, the Beggar Sect Leader.
"Give my regards to that Ma fellow. Of course... there is no need to mention that I still move faster than you, his grandson. That would be far too cruel to an old man with rusted legs, wouldn't it? Especially since he must have felt the full weight of aging due to his Tyrannical Way martial arts."
"……?"
"Take care. We shall meet again."
Whoosh!
Ju Gwang-singae literally dissolved into the wind and vanished. Without even a backdraft, his transcendent Body Protection Scripture made it seem as though he had simply melted into the air. He truly was worthy of being called one of the very few movement technique masters who dared to claim the title of the World's Fastest.
Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly looked back.
The Divine Doctor and the Lord of the Desolate Fortress were gazing at him quietly. Of the two, only the Divine Doctor spoke.
"Are you finished? For a Purple Rank, you have an unnecessarily large circle of connections. How do you plan to look after them all?"
"Are they the type of people who can be looked after?"
At Jeong Yeon-shin's counter-question, the Divine Doctor merely shrugged, scanning the empty space left by the departed peerless experts with a look of relief.
"But are we truly going to the World Tree? Just the three of us...?" Jeong Yeon-shin trailed off. It was because he could hardly believe it.
The World Tree.
The tree of the noble clans. During the founding era of the empire, it had driven away all the demons that plagued the world, simply by taking root in the fertile soil. Above all, the fruit borne on its branches was said to be the most sacred in the entire world.
The goal of a lifetime. Jeong Yeon-shin's salvation lay there.
"Do not get your hopes up." The Divine Doctor waved his hand dismissively. "It is an entirely different world over there. The most formidable of the Brightfolk gather like a swarm of bees. They refuse to step foot into either the Murim or the government offices. It is a Peach Blossom Spring of ghosts who do nothing but shut themselves in caves or giant tree hollows to hone their martial arts. As you know, ordinary people cannot even set foot there, so even the self-proclaimed gossips dismiss it as another world. If you expect some village of immortals and end up disappointed, who is going to handle your temper? Besides, if you happen to clash with those lunatics..."
Jeong Yeon-shin casually cut him off, clenching and unclenching the hand he had just pressed against Tang Un-hwang's.
"Master, for what reason are we going? I have yet to achieve a feat grand enough to be recognized by all the Brightfolk of the world."
"To see..."
The Lord of the Desolate Fortress, who had been standing silently, slowly parted her lips.
"...if you can overlap your body with mine."
It was an incomprehensible statement. Yet, Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly felt the halo in his heart beat violently.
* * *
Half a month later.
The three of them stood before a wall of tree bark that stretched endlessly up, down, left, and right, like a fortress wall.
It was the World Tree.
