Chapter 516: Sunset (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 516: Sunset (7)
Blood splattered, scattering like a futile brushstroke.
In a fleeting instant, a crimson haze erupted from the Seventh Apostle's body. It slammed the airborne droplets to the ground, ensuring not a single speck of blood touched her skin.
"Filthy," she muttered.
Im Jin-myeong cast a strange look at the Blood Ghost. She despised the blood of others as if it were a vile insect. Turning his attention away, he politely sent a telepathic message to the Heaven-Piercing Bow Spirit.
—It is over now. Thank you.
There was no reply.
Only Im Jin-myeong's secondary vision, linked to the White Swallow, wavered once. The Heaven-Piercing Bow Spirit gently stroked the White Swallow's head with her fingertips before suddenly dissolving into thin air.
It was an incredibly swift movement born of the Body Protection Scripture.
Perhaps because she had poured all her strength into that single strike, her form swayed slightly, allowing him to guess her trajectory.
Due east of the Desolate Fortress. It was the same direction the Dreaming Mortal Moon had infiltrated from, and also where Master Golden Thunder of the World Tree was currently snoring in a deep, lazy slumber.
The Heaven-Piercing Bow Spirit would pack her things and return immediately, moving at a speed the eye techniques of the Chief Steward's Office could barely capture.
If a peerless expert like her ran without rest, she would reach her home in three days: the World Tree.
It was clear she still could not leave it unattended for long.
"Indeed, it is the tree that supports the world..."
Im Jin-myeong muttered softly, sighing at his own realization. The muscles across his entire body, pulled taut ever since he faced the Yeoryeong Lord at close range, finally began to relax.
He knew many things.
He held information in his mind that even today's Purple Rank experts had never considered. Naturally, he was well aware of the World Tree's circumstances and the general characteristics of its Four Great Protectors.
'At any rate, now...'
The Great War of the Desolate Fortress was over.
News of their grand victory would quickly shake the world. Except for a few peculiar sects, even the vast martial world of Jianghu would not dare act rashly.
At least for the time being.
But Im Jin-myeong did not smile. Even though pride, deep emotion, and a fresh wave of shock regarding Jeong Yeon-shin swirled in a corner of his heart, he could not show it.
For now, they had to begin the post-war cleanup.
How many Jianghu ruffians had died did not matter. The warriors of the main fortress who had lost their lives today were the real concern. And there were far more than just one or two.
'No matter how hard the swordsmen fight...'
There were still countless commoners on this harsh land who needed protection.
And the Desolate Fortress had clearly weakened.
They had to recover from their losses and be reborn. While reorganizing the structure under the Divine Sword Corps, the survivors had to carry the legacy of the fallen and grow stronger.
And of course, the Acting Commander of the Divine Sword Corps had to be at the forefront of it all.
Im Jin-myeong stopped looking down at his four treasures of the study and turned to the Seventh Apostle.
"Is your meditation truly finished? I can still feel the Fortress Lord's energy radiating from you, and I simply cannot fathom her intentions."
"Why should I care?" the Seventh Apostle replied blankly.
At this point, she too was a headache for the Grand Steward.
Hummm.
The remnants of the Unified Martial Transcendence left behind by the Yeoryeong Lord still surrounded the area, fragile as glass.
Only a few scholars, sensing an anomaly with their sharp sense of Qi, glanced back toward the high seats of the Chief Steward's Office.
The single strike that encapsulated the life of a peerless expert was incredibly resilient, but it was now gradually crumbling. Just like the life of the Yeoryeong Lord, who had lived deceiving the world without a single major failure.
Shhhhh—
Soon, the true scene would enter the eyes of the scholars in the Chief Steward's Office.
Im Jin-myeong sat down and began to organize his thoughts, listening closely to the reports of his subordinates who were just welcoming the end of the war.
"...The west has also been cleared."
"In the first place, there was no rogue warrior capable of handling our Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit and the Commander of the Law Enforcement Unit."
"Any survivors on the enemy's side?"
"None in the west. Since the Ironfolk artisans and our subordinate clans were gathered there..."
The voices sounded much more relaxed.
This came after news had already arrived that the Dreaming Mortal Moon in the east had been annihilated—save for two survivors—by the Ma Family Head, Ma Jin, the swordsmen of the Azure Sky Unit, and warriors of the Heaven-Aligned Wing.
Previously, the Chief Steward's Office had constantly monitored the battlefields closing in from all directions. It was only natural that many were finally beginning to let down their guard.
Some of them even cracked long, pointless jokes. These were mostly the ones who had been close to the main fortress warriors who died on the front lines.
"...With all due respect, one of the Purple Ranks saved the wrists of the Chief Steward's Office scholars. How many brushstrokes were spared this time?"
"Not really. Now the matchmakers will start swarming. Lord Jeong is at the perfect age to start a family, isn't he? He turns eighteen tomorrow."
"Come to think of it, here are the letters proposing marriage to Lord Jeong... the Forbidden City, Prince Jeong's Manor, the Eon Family, the Ice Palace... just the big names alone are like this. Collecting them one by one, they've piled up this much..."
"Burn them."
"Even the Lazy Flame Dragon of the Demonlight Wing? His skills as a spy are highly questionable, seeing how even the Ice Palace is included."
A voice identical to Jeong Yeon-shin's rang out in the middle of the chatter, but Im Jin-myeong was the only one who reacted to it.
"..."
He cast a dismissive glance at the Seventh Apostle, who possessed a natural talent for tuning her entire body's muscles and acupoints just like Jeong Yeon-shin, and slowly stood up.
He lightly kicked the Yeoryeong Lord's sprawled corpse.
"Clear this corpse first."
Following Im Jin-myeong's command to his subordinates...
Crumble.
The Yeoryeong Lord's energy barrier scattered like dust, carrying his voice in all directions.
It was the moment the haze of the sunset began to mingle with the colorless sunlight pouring through the broken roof.
"From this moment on, the Chief Steward's Office will begin the post-war cleanup. The first task is to decapitate and display the heads of the enemies."
Those words declared the end of the Great War of the Desolate Fortress.
* * *
Jeong Yeon-shin kicked the innocent ground.
Thud.
The ground was freezing. Although his leather boots had thick soles meant for winter, the chill of this land mocked them, piercing straight through to his feet.
It was a land where even the immunity to heat and cold gained through Marrow Cleansing and Bone Rebirth was rendered useless.
'Beyond the gate...'
Jeong Yeon-shin stopped staring aimlessly at the ground in front of his three seniors and slowly raised his head.
The corpse of the Flood Dragon lay there like a mountain.
Even at a glance, its incredibly thick, pitch-black scales were visible, draped in a whitish mist like a cloak.
"Hmm."
He had no intention of belittling the hard work of his maternal grandfather and the Commander. Their efforts were sublime. However, the Flood Dragon that he, Abbot Beomheo, and Lady Yul-ha had driven away was far larger. The difference was clear.
The corners of Jeong Yeon-shin's mouth twitched slightly, threatening to curl upward into a smirk.
The three Purple Rank seniors, who had been looking up at the sky, slowly began to speak one by one. They had witnessed every single action Jeong Yeon-shin had taken at the main gate of the fortress.
"You killed those who deserved to die. Truly... well done."
The praise came from Ma Yeon-jeok, who had suddenly appeared beside him. Just before his maternal grandfather's arm could drape over his shoulder, Jeong Yeon-shin quietly stepped aside.
Meanwhile, Yong Hee-myung said nothing.
His face was entirely expressionless.
He had been smiling as he watched Jeong Yeon-shin's every move, but his demeanor had completely shifted immediately after confirming the severed heads of the Commander of the Netherflow Unit and the Commander of the Searing Abyss Unit.
Jeong Yeon-shin knew why. The two deceased Black Rank seniors were old comrades of the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps, Yong Hee-myung.
Yong Hee-myung was a man who had not lost his smile even when he himself was on the verge of death.
How must he be feeling now?
On the other hand, Shin Cheon-hwa turned her head toward Jeong Yeon-shin and tossed out a piece of advice that sounded more like a lecture.
"[Your martial arts are outstanding, but you were a bit clumsy.]"
"What about my grandson was clumsy?"
"[Shut it, brat.]"
It was a reply that felt strangely warm. She paid no heed to Ma Yeon-jeok's interjection, which had instantly tightened the surrounding air.
"[There is no Unified Martial Transcendence in the world that is not lethal. It is a technique into which peerless experts pour their entire lives just to avoid defeat, so how could it be otherwise? The same goes for that fellow who looked like a bandit yet behaved like a scholar. You should not have countered it head-on. The same goes for those reckless wide-area ultimate techniques. As a result, your energy bottomed out, and you even had to receive help from the Chief Steward's Office.]"
Shin Cheon-hwa slowly continued.
"[Keep this in mind. The Commander of the Divine Sword Corps is one who oppresses even variables. You must always maintain your composure.]"
"I will do so," Jeong Yeon-shin replied plainly.
Since childhood, he had been starved of guidance and affection. Because this was a teaching born from a senior's genuine care, it penetrated deep into his heart without a second thought.
'And everything she said is correct.'
He had overexerted himself several times because he could not suppress his killing intent.
If he continued to act without discretion, he might meet the same end as a greenhorn who had just stepped into Jianghu.
The lifespans of peerless experts were generally far longer than Jeong Yeon-shin's years, and their Life-Saving Herbs were bound to be extraordinarily bizarre. Indeed, the Unified Martial Transcendence refined by Je Gang-cheon of the Horde of Demons Green Forest was no exception.
It was a technique that utilized the propulsion shockwave of the martial army he led. If Je Gang-cheon's martial army had numbered in the thousands rather than five hundred, the outcome would have been entirely different.
"[However,]" she said, suddenly smiling warmly. "[Trusting the Chief Steward's Office was a good move. You have the qualities to lead the main fortress.]"
It was an opinion completely opposite to that of the Thirteen Heavens Lord, Je Gang-cheon. Jeong Yeon-shin expressed his gratitude with a silent bow.
Meanwhile, Ma Yeon-jeok, who had been glaring at her with disapproval, gave his sleeve a hard flick.
"So, what do you propose we do?"
In that instant—
Whoosh!
The corpse of the Flood Dragon, which had cast a massive shadow like twilight, scattered into pieces. Through the gaps, the dark sunlight filtered in, dispersing like dust.
Everything about this place was bizarre.
Yong Hee-myung gestured with his chin toward Jeong Yeon-shin and spoke.
"If you die here, no corpse is left behind. Isn't it a truly peculiar and strange place?"
"[What do you mean, 'what do we do'? Since the main fortress has reached this state, we must do what is immediately necessary.]" Having scolded Ma Yeon-jeok, Shin Cheon-hwa continued.
"[I have a general grasp of the situation. Two are bound beyond the gate, and one is performing the role of the main fortress's Purple Rank in the human world. Since the other's body is in this state, it is safe to say that, practically speaking, that fellow is the only Purple Rank of the main fortress.]"
She lightly brushed down the front of her robe and asked,
"[Then, as seniors, shouldn't we make our junior a bit more complete? Is that not so?]"
"Complete...?" Jeong Yeon-shin asked reflexively.
In that moment, Shin Cheon-hwa's eyes met his, curving like a sharp scimitar.
"[We shall overlay your martial arts with our experience. Anyone from the clans under the main fortress receives this kind of training from childhood, but from what I see of your conduct, there is absolutely no trace of that Ma brat's movements in you. No, you lack the martial principles of any clan whatsoever. Surely, you must have some messy family history.]"
"..."
Immediately after, Jeong Yeon-shin witnessed his maternal grandfather's mouth shut tight for the very first time. However, with the grace of a gentleman, he pretended he hadn't seen it.
"[I believe you can gain two things from this.]"
"I am listening."
"[First, you will grasp how to fight when you are extremely unlucky and must face two or more peerless experts at the same time. Second, you will greatly compensate for the parts of your martial arts that, due to their sensory-heavy nature, would be difficult to teach to future generations. Regarding the latter, while old and prestigious sects like Shaolin, Wudang, and Mount Hua have eliminated such weaknesses over time...]"
Shin Cheon-hwa's smile suddenly deepened.
"[If there are four Commanders of the Divine Sword Corps, it is more than enough to span a thousand years. Therefore, you will become complete in the future as a warrior, and also as a Grandmaster. You will be able to make the warriors of your martial lineage far stronger. Ah, do you happen to have a knack for teaching?]"
"Yes," Jeong Yeon-shin answered confidently.
"[Good. Let us refine all of your martial arts.]"
Perhaps agreeing with her words, Yong Hee-myung suddenly stepped close to him.
Though his face remained difficult to read, he was still the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps. Even his maternal grandfather seemed to agree with the predecessor's words.
"I have long wished to pass down the Harmonious Bloom Smoke and Ash Method to you," Ma Yeon-jeok said. "Since I was just catching my breath anyway, this works out perfectly."
Though their surroundings were dark and gloomy, their presences flickered like brilliant suns.
Thus began the training of the Acting Commander of the Divine Sword Corps.