Chapter 492: The Brightfolk Tree (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 492: The Brightfolk Tree (4)
It was a moonless night.
Two men were drinking atop a platform carved from an immense boulder.
The surrounding area was blanketed in pure white snow, casting their silhouettes in sharp relief. Both were giants, men who had honed their physical bodies to the absolute limit.
One man repeatedly emptied and refilled his cup without hesitation. The man opposite him merely stared down at the surface of his liquor, perfectly balancing his cup atop the shaft of a massive axe.
They sat upon a snowy mountain peak.
The snow gleamed even in the pitch-black night. Though the air was silent, lacking the full moon that had graced the previous evening, the atmosphere felt strangely heavy—clamorous, even.
It was the sheer weight of their presence. They had no need for moonlight.
"This precious Dukang wine has gone completely cold. And after all the trouble I went through to get it."
The voice of the man balancing the axe—a weapon as large as a human torso—was as gentle and low as a scholar's. He was the Leader of the Horde of Demons Green Forest. Contrary to his moniker, Taebaek Buwang, his tone held no arrogance.
With his hair neatly swept back over a white fur coat and exceptionally calm eyes, his refined demeanor was oddly fitting despite his massive build.
"It did take quite some time."
The man who had been drinking nonstop twisted his lips into a smirk. His upper body was bare, a dark yellow robe tied loosely around his waist.
Even hunched over, his sharply defined abdomen displayed a tapestry of cuts and scars. White steam continuously hissed and billowed from his skin.
Glancing at him, the Leader of the Horde of Demons Green Forest spoke slowly.
"Your foundation relies on a dynamic cultivation art. Is that truly the greatest martial art under heaven?"
"The two Purple Ranks of the Desolate Fortress were of great help. They provided me with much inspiration."
"I just called it the greatest under heaven. Yet, you do not even try to deny it, Lord of the Association."
"Sarcasm won't work on me. If I believe it to be the best under heaven, isn't that enough?"
"I watched you use it up close... Yes, it is indeed worthy of the title."
The Leader's tone was peculiar. It was hard to tell whether he was genuinely acknowledging the man opposite him—Hyeokryeon Pung-wol, the Lord of the Martial Dragon Association.
But the Lord of the Martial Dragon Association merely let out a hearty laugh, ha, as if he were dead drunk. His thread-thin eyes crinkled with amusement.
"This is getting exciting. If only the Martial God who comes with the moon, or that monster of the North, were sitting in your place right now..."
"Could you even handle them?"
"You bandit bastard, you're a martial artist just like me. Besides, everyone knows that the Unified Martial Transcendence of the Leader of the Horde of Demons Green Forest is aimed squarely at those two. At least, every well-informed peerless expert knows it."
"...Let us get to the point. The Yeoryeong Lord has sent word."
"Are you book-smart bastards plotting some conspiracy together? I didn't receive any message..."
"Well, that is because you have no home, Lord of the Association."
"I have my association."
"Hasn't the Martial Dragon Association been reduced to a band of wandering vagabonds lately? It is only natural, considering you plotted against the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps a while ago. Where under heaven could you possibly set foot? At any rate, according to the Yeoryeong Lord's message, if the Martial Dragon Association accepts my proposal, seven of the Thirteen Heavens will form an alliance."
"...Seven?"
"Since that includes the Blood Flame Cult and the Dreaming Mortal Moon, it is practically more than half. Surprisingly, the Blood Flame Cult is still standing even after being blown to pieces. I hear the First Apostle recently gathered their scattered branches across the land, established a new headquarters, and took the seat of Cult Leader. They apparently branded the greatest genius in the history of the Blood Flame Cult as a public enemy. Meanwhile, the Dreaming Mortal Moon remains the most inscrutable sect under heaven, but for some reason, the Yeoryeong Lord does not doubt their cooperation."
The Leader of the Horde of Demons Green Forest spoke quietly, his eyes fixed on the cup resting on his axe handle.
"On top of that, the Myriad Phenomena Water Channel Fortress has pierced through the Central Plains by defeating the Yangtze River Navy and the Divine Sword Corps' Radiant Sword Unit. And we, the Horde of Demons Green Forest, recently acquired a portion of the northern demonfolk's mounted martial arts, allowing us to synthesize them with our existing divine ultimate techniques. Furthermore, we have Lingering Spirit and the Hegemon Sword Sect. If even you, Lord of the Association, agree to this alliance, the tide will..."
"Become the grand trend of the world?"
"It is not something a single individual can stop. Especially now, when there is only one Purple Rank of the Desolate Fortress freely roaming the Jianghu. It seems Unit Commander Yong is too busy holding back the Strange, Violent, Chaotic, and Supernatural. One could call it pitiful, yet it is certainly something to be grateful for."
Swoosh.
Suddenly, the jade-colored cup floated up from the Leader's axe handle on its own. The liquor that had filled it vanished without warning.
For a moment, a strange light flickered in the eyes of Hyeokryeon Pung-wol, but the Leader's expression remained perfectly calm as he continued.
"The Yeoryeong Lord is drawing a picture where we will profit greatly, eventually standing on equal footing with the Ju Imperial Family. Since we have aligned our views in these troubled times and connected through a secret line, we are already halfway to success."
"What about the Ming Cult? I heard the forces built up by the Little Heavenly Demon are formidable. They say that Yelu brat's martial arts are the greatest in the Western Regions as well."
"Regrettably, I hear that the envoys Lingering Spirit sent to that side die in foreign lands every single time. Whether struck by lightning from a clear sky, or suddenly buried whole along with their horses by a severe avalanche. The weather over there is truly arrogant."
"That's actually quite normal. Does it even make sense for bastards like us, who are so faithful to our own desires, to unite as one?"
"Right now, we must. That is, if we wish to avoid being swept away by famine and troubled times, and instead hold the flow of the world in the palms of our hands. The Golden Wing Sect, the Tenth Sect, the Pure Demon Alliance, Taemo Mountain Fortress, and Heaven's Bane... every heterodox sect the new Purple Rank passes through meets with ruin. It is even worse if you include the local martial arts aristocrats. He is truly a walking disaster."
"Well... he didn't look gentle. His talent is hard to believe even now. But he is just one guy. If you lot cast aside your pride and step forward, there would be as many as six Lords of the Thirteen Heavens, wouldn't there?"
"His whereabouts have become a mystery. But we cannot simply sit on our hands. Rather than searching for him, it seems better to plot against Xiangyang."
The words flowed calmly.
"Hmm...?"
For the first time, Hyeokryeon Pung-wol's expression changed. The Leader had just spoken a taboo of the Jianghu.
Xiangyang of Huguang Province was a forbidden territory in the Martial World, a region where discussing things like sect wars was openly prohibited.
For no other reason than the fact that the main headquarters of the Desolate Fortress was located there.
Swoosh.
Rising to his feet, the Leader's imposing figure watched as the cup floated up to his eye level, only to spontaneously turn to powder with a dry, crushing sound.
Immediately after, he blew a soft breath—whoosh—and the jade-colored dust drifted sideways, settling over the heads of four people nearby.
An old woman with highly developed arms, a middle-aged man holding a spear broken in two, a young man with long ears, and a strange figure wrapped in bandages, torn in places to reveal horrific burn scars.
They had been there the entire time the Leader and the Lord of the Martial Dragon Association were drinking. Whether sitting or kneeling on one knee, each of them had their heads bowed forward, frozen in their respective postures.
"It is a pity that the one from the Eon family is not their Clan Head. Though I suppose it is a relief that a renowned elder was captured instead. If the Ak Clan Head were not here like this, the place would have felt empty. You are all truly precious figures."
Crunch.
The Leader stepped down to stand before them. His footsteps were remarkably quiet for his massive build.
It was the Body Protection Scripture, an art that concentrated the entire weight of the body into a single point.
He walked slowly, yet the four of them still did not move. Their acupoints for movement and speech had been completely sealed.
"I ask for your forgiveness, Great Hero Yu, Commander of the Searing Abyss Unit. Your Body Protection Scripture was so elusive that I had no choice but to break your legs first, as luck would have it. Are you not clearly the Fastest of the Black Rank in the Divine Sword Corps? Your footwork truly lived up to its reputation."
The Leader praised his captive in a calm tone. The handsome young man with long ears could only glare up at him with wide, furious eyes.
"And the Commander of the Netherflow Unit... My apologies, even the Hao Sect Leader did not know your name. At any rate, your current state is highly regrettable. Lord Hyeokryeon acted so decisively that I had no time to stop him. Still, I understand. Your stealth technique was as threatening as the Ak Clan Head's ultimate technique. I almost showed you my back, and if that had actually happened, my mother would have been deeply grieved. Her life force is so stubborn that I haven't even held her funeral yet."
His long speech flowed like water, his words and mannerisms resembling those of a scholar. Even with his massive axe now resting on his shoulder, his demeanor remained unchanged.
The bandaged freak did not react. The Leader turned on his heel with a soft crunch. He slowly paced back and forth around the four captives.
Hyeokryeon Pung-wol, who had been quietly watching this scene, spoke up.
"You've essentially plucked out the two eyes of the Desolate Fortress. For the opening salvo of a counterattack, it's quite a grand achievement."
"Do you truly think so?"
When the Leader asked this in a low voice, Hyeokryeon Pung-wol furrowed his brow.
"Speak plainly."
"The Desolate Fortress is a gathering of the world's monsters. Not only is their collective martial prowess the greatest in the Jianghu, but the eyes they possess number in the hundreds of thousands. Every government office under heaven is their secret line. Even a county magistrate appointed to a remote village can be considered their informant."
Thud.
The footsteps of the Leader, who was pacing in front of these prisoners of the sect war, suddenly grew heavier.
"Thanks to that, the Desolate Fortress discerns even the most trivial matters like ghosts and dispatches their warriors accordingly. That is why we must possess an information network no less formidable than theirs."
Hyeokryeon Pung-wol waved his hand dismissively.
"An information network... Would that still hold true during a famine swarming with corrupt officials? Look at that bandaged freak and the long-legged fellow right now; aren't they in exactly that state?"
"I am saying we must never underestimate their potential. Whether it is their information network that spans the world, or the Purple Ranks who might catch us off guard at any moment. The Desolate Fortress has every right to be arrogant, as they always have been. Besides, heaven's luck is currently with them in the form of the Flash Art."
"And so?"
"A swift battle and a quick decision is key."
The Leader spoke just as he passed by the head of Searing Abyss Unit Commander Yu Jeong-myeong.
Suddenly, twisting his body like a ghost, the Leader swung his axe. It let out a rumbling sound like an earthquake, tearing through the air as it slammed down.
Thud!
Fragments of a shattered skull scattered in all directions.
The blow had landed right next to the Searing Abyss Unit Commander. Even after losing his head, the Ak Clan Head remained kneeling on one knee. His headless body looked sturdier than the broken spear lying at his feet.
Shouldering his axe once more, the Leader nodded slightly.
"You had sent a letter to the Divine Spear of the Desolate Fortress, Old Hero Ak—who has suddenly lost her deputy unit commander—asking her to take the position of Clan Head... That simply won't do. It won't do at all. If the Ak family's secrets fell into her hands and she were to cultivate even the Unified Martial Transcendence, wouldn't that be a disaster? Especially since she ascended to her current position even without the ultimate techniques of the latter half of the Ak Family Spear."
Crunch.
The Leader slowly paced forward once more.
"Lord Hyeokryeon."
"Speak."
"Invade Xiangyang with me. I believe this is our only chance. No matter how I look at it, the Wilderness Sunfall is far from the main fortress. To say nothing of Unit Commander Yong."
"Let me ask you one thing. Do you intend to kill the remaining three as well? It is not a very pleasant sight."
"I am still deciding. Ah, thanks to the Yeoryeong Lord and the Hao Sect Leader, I have learned a great deal about the young man known as Flash Art. Does that fellow know that there was more than one young girl who secretly adored him when he was a child? If he had just a bit of cleverness like his father, he could have ruled as the neighborhood boss, but he was merely pushed around here and there... Well, I suppose he was born with the temperament of the Desolate Fortress from the very start. It is truly fascinating."
Soon after, the sound of his footsteps crunching in the snow grew heavy once more.
* * *
Inside the World Tree.
Jeong Yeon-shin's two days in the village called Dongyeok were peaceful.
It was a place where massive shrubs fluttered like fans in the wind. He had never seen a land so green. Although it was far from the city at the center, even the outer edges of this interior realm possessed an entirely different level of natural Qi.
It was the first time he had ever breathed such pure, clear air.
The brick house of the Heaven-Piercing Bow Spirit, which had become his lodging, was neat and spacious. It had a guest room perfectly suited for a visitor like him.
Only the villagers were somewhat strange.
Although the Heaven-Piercing Bow Spirit had ordered them to keep their mouths shut, the occasional glances directed up at Jeong Yeon-shin's lodging carried a distinct sense of alienation. At times, the stares were so intense he felt as if they were piercing straight through the walls.
Only one person was friendly.
It was a boy who introduced his name with a whistle.
Lacking the usual baby fat for his age, he was exceptionally handsome despite his youth. He claimed that the sound of the wind he made with his mouth was his real name.
He had also asked Jeong Yeon-shin to give him a pseudonym to use whenever he went outside the World Tree.
—Is my master's name a pseudonym too, by any chance? He said he uses the surname Wi.
—Of course. Everyone from here is like that. Only clans born and raised on the outside use their real names in Hanja.
—Ah.
—More than that, you're really kind for an outsider. All the ones I've heard of had something wrong in the head... Even that Uncle Yong from the Desolate Fortress put all the villagers to sleep while trading ten thousand exchanges with the Northern Sea Fist Marquis. And that Uncle Ma-something was turned away outside the tree, but he just broke the entrance with his bare fists and entered the city, can you believe it?
—It seems you haven't met many mature adults.
—I guess so.
—That has nothing to do with me. More importantly...
—Ah, right. As for what they call him...
That day, Jeong Yeon-shin heard a beautiful whistle and gifted the boy, who gave off an extremely gentle impression, the name Jong-yeon. It meant 'the first connection met.'
Jong-yeon of the World Tree was overjoyed. He even entered the house of the Heaven-Piercing Bow Spirit—a place many hesitated to set foot in—and handed over various precious items, including pillows and sleeping bags.
Thanks to that, Jeong Yeon-shin was at peace.
Until he heard the Heaven-Piercing Bow Spirit speak of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress on the second day, he had simply waited in silence. What happened that day was entirely separate from Jeong Yeon-shin's patience, which was usually like a Clear Mirror, Still Water.
She had casually mocked the Lord of the Desolate Fortress for taking a direct disciple from the outside. Jeong Yeon-shin, who had not slept for two days and nights, did not bother to restrain the Brilliant River that burst forth on its own in response.
That was also the will of the Azure Qilin, who had been the greatest under heaven in terms of etiquette and spirit. In the Jianghu, nothing was more solemn than the bond between master and disciple.
Thus, another day passed.
Whoosh!
A fierce wind whipped relentlessly, lashing out like tangled threads.
Jeong Yeon-shin sat on one side of a completely ruined vacant lot. He was using a barely intact brick wall as a backrest.
His originally cozy and neat lodging had vanished without a trace.
It had been three days since he entered the World Tree.
He merely lifted his eyelids slightly.
Crunch.
The Heaven-Piercing Bow Spirit walked toward him from the opposite side; it was the first time they had met since they traded blows. Jeong Yeon-shin slowly opened his mouth.
"Why do you look like that?"
"Run away," she said.
Her normally indifferent face was heavily gaunt. It was vastly different from when she had fought Jeong Yeon-shin yesterday.
During that battle, the Heaven-Piercing Bow Spirit's complexion hadn't changed at all, even after raining down arrows like meteors.
Even when trapped within the sword path of Lingering Thunder, she had merely raised an eyebrow. Yet, the figure she cut now was close to a crippled wreck, nothing but skin and bones. It was as if something had drained a massive amount of her internal energy.
"You probably remember hearing the day before yesterday that there are four chief guardians of the World Tree."
She stared down at Jeong Yeon-shin, her pale lips parting slightly.
"They are the ones who enforce the laws of the city. Though their ranks may differ, the level of their martial prowess is the same. You secular folk would call them peerless experts."
"They are coming this way," Jeong Yeon-shin replied with an inscrutable expression.
Indeed, he was already sensing exceptionally powerful auras.
The Yongji Sword Duke, the Northern Sea Fist Marquis, the Heaven-Piercing Bow Spirit, and Master Golden Thunder. These were the beings who governed the east, west, south, and north of the World Tree.
The internal power waves they emitted at this moment were as pure as those of the sect leaders of the Nine Sects, their density thick enough to rival them. It felt as if natural disasters were closing in, true to the meanings of their respective monikers.
Thud! Rumble!
Merely moving accompanied a deep resonance. It was indeed fitting for the most important land under heaven.
They were truly peerless experts.
In an instant, Jeong Yeon-shin's eyes grew as sharp as the sword tip of Lingering Thunder.
"If it were before this Dongyeok was destroyed, it might have been different, but now, words will not work. Your best option is to leave quickly and wait for your master... Do not act on bravado."
The Heaven-Piercing Bow Spirit moved a step forward the moment he stood up.
Likewise, Jeong Yeon-shin did not halt his advance. Driven by an intense, simmering fury that seemed to darken the very air around him, he walked relentlessly forward. His gaze was locked straight ahead, fixed entirely upon the Heaven-Piercing Bow Spirit. She stood before him, imposing and unyielding, her presence as vast and insurmountable as a towering fortress wall. With every step he took, the rhythmic sound of his strides grew steadily louder, echoing like the steady beat of a war drum in the heavy silence.
Wooooong!
A deep, resonant vibration shook the atmosphere. Thick, visible hazes of terrifying energy stretched out into the space between the two martial artists, twisting and fluctuating with violent intensity. The very fabric of the air seemed to warp under the immense pressure.
This phenomenon was the inevitable result of the combat intervals of two peerless experts violently clashing. The invisible domains of internal energy that they each constantly maintained were now grinding against one another, creating a tempest of friction that could crush an ordinary person to paste. Yet, despite the maelstrom of conflicting auras, Jeong Yeon-shin merely continued his silent, unhurried walk. He moved steadily toward the Heaven-Piercing Bow Spirit, who was now glaring daggers at him, the massive frame of her great bow already drawn tight and ready to unleash devastation.
And then, the inevitable moment arrived.
Rustle.
The two supreme figures brushed past one another. The silken sashes wrapped securely around their waists lightly fluttered, grazing against each other in a fleeting touch. In that split second, the violent clash of their combat intervals vanished completely, replaced by an eerie, suffocating stillness.
To any onlooker, this was a silent but absolute clash of pride between supreme martial artists—a test of wills where neither was willing to yield a single inch of ground. In that breathless instant, the front of Jeong Yeon-shin's robe pressed dangerously close, brushing directly against the Heaven-Piercing Bow Spirit's shoulder. It was a proximity that defied all martial logic, especially against a master archer.
"You people," he whispered, the words hissing through his tightly clenched teeth with barely contained wrath. "Just what exactly are you doing here?"
Wooooong!
Without warning, a staggering, powerful wave of energy erupted outward from Jeong Yeon-shin's body. The Heaven-Piercing Bow Spirit was instantly engulfed, bathed from head to toe in the profound Dharma power of the Law-Transcending Halo Qi. The majestic energy spread over her form like a cascade of brilliant, transparent sunlight, washing away the shadows of the battlefield.
In a mere fraction of an instant, a profound transformation occurred. Her cheeks, which had previously maintained a cold, deathly pale, and utterly indifferent expression, suddenly flushed with warmth, rapidly regaining their original, healthy flesh color. The vitality that had been drained from her was forcibly returning.
"You insolent brat..."
The Heaven-Piercing Bow Spirit began to curse, her voice dripping with the instinctive outrage of a senior expert whose personal space and pride had been so casually violated. But her harsh words were abruptly cut short, dying in her throat before they could fully form.
She stared at him, wide-eyed and speechless. It was because she had just realized the impossible truth: her battered, exhausted body had been completely recovered in a single, fleeting instant.