Chapter 55: The Hwangbo Clan (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 55: The Hwangbo Clan (3)
Those who collapsed while standing were in particular danger. The Blue-Ranked Experts, who had appeared dazed for a brief moment, quickly caught their juniors.
An internal energy barrier, such as body protection qi, is manifested through intent.
If they lost consciousness, even a White-Ranked Expert was no different from a third-rate martial artist.
The external martial arts realm of the Vajra Indestructible Body, which supposedly made one's entire body as solid as diamond, existed only in legends.
Dismay flickered across the faces of the Blue-Ranked Experts as they carefully laid their juniors down.
"...It really is a sound art."
"How is that possible? To manipulate true qi so minutely."
"He applied the reinforcement of a blade's internal energy in a bizarre manner. At that level, it belongs to the realm of a mnemonic."
Their discussion had already pierced through to the essence of the martial art. Such was the realm of a Blue Rank in the Desolate Fortress.
These were individuals who possessed more talent than anyone in their hometowns and had dedicated their entire lives to martial arts. They were people who would be hailed as experts anywhere in the vast Jianghu.
Seeing through the principles of a martial art came first. Whether they felt jealousy or admiration was a matter for later.
Eventually, the Blue-Ranked Experts turned to face each other and conversed.
"It's a martial art I've never even heard of. To think it could pierce a White Rank's body protection qi..."
"Because they are White Ranks of the Desolate Fortress, they only fainted. It will truly display an overwhelming performance—especially in a group battle where there are no experts of equal or higher rank. Though there will be many limitations, its strength is clear."
"The problem is that it harms allies. But doesn't that make it worthy of discussing for a solo mission?"
Even in front of the Unit Commanders, they did not hesitate to discuss martial arts.
They spoke only the facts. In the Desolate Fortress, no one could scold them for that.
"...It seems to consume a significant amount of mental energy," the Commander of the Thread-Annihilation Unit observed, staring intently at Jeong Yeon-shin.
Jeong Yeon-shin replied with a silent bow.
He was not wrong. Triggering a sword ring while loading it with dispersive true qi was a technique impossible to achieve with ordinary senses.
The Sword House required extreme concentration. Even Jeong Yeon-shin felt a non-negligible amount of fatigue from a single execution.
"With such minute manipulation of true qi, it's only natural. It would be difficult to use unexpectedly in a chaotic melee. It would be best to unleash it at the start of a fight. It would also serve to crush their morale."
Before long, the Commander was offering advice, seemingly highly intrigued.
"Even so, we cannot send the Flash Art alone. The mission is by no means light," the Commander of the Azure Sky Unit said, stroking his chin as he looked at Jeong Yeon-shin.
The Commander of the Thread-Annihilation Unit nodded.
"I will attach only two more. It is a mission to strike the Hwangbo branch in Pingyin County, Jinan. Are there any volunteers?"
In an instant, many hands shot up. There must have been at least thirty.
Volunteers came not only from the Demonlight Wing but also from the Thread-Annihilation Unit and the Azure Sky Unit.
A sound art of the sword. Did they simply want to witness a martial art they had never heard of in actual combat? A few Blue-Ranked Experts smiled awkwardly.
"The Demonlight Wing would be better. It is only right for Unit Commander Ma to decide."
"There is no better choice than the Demonlight First Team, who have already worked together. It would be best to attach the Sun Lotus Sword Enchantress and the Blue-Eyed Demon Sword."
"Do as you wish. Then..."
The dark, flashing eyes of the Commander of the Thread-Annihilation Unit turned toward Jeong Yeon-shin.
"Show us that this was not mere bravado. You need only prove it with your martial strength, so that no one can blame you for being reckless," he said as he turned around, the hem of his ink-black robe fluttering behind him.
"Thank you for your consideration."
Sheathing the Northern Light, Jeong Yeon-shin clasped his hands in a polite salute toward the Unit Commanders and his seniors.
"Where did you learn that? There is no such martial art in the main fortress."
"Is it a secret technique of the Desolate Ma Clan?"
Just as the Blue-Ranked Experts were about to approach with curious faces, Ma Jin stepped in and blocked them with his body.
He then led Jeong Yeon-shin away to another spot.
Several seniors stopped, looking disappointed.
Since the Coming-of-Age Ceremony had already revealed that the blood of the Desolate Ma Clan ran through his veins, no one found this protective behavior strange.
Having reached the entrance of the mountain range connected to the plains, Ma Jin asked in a low voice.
"That sound art. Did you create it?"
"Yes," Jeong Yeon-shin replied, standing calmly.
The scar on Ma Jin's face twitched.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"What kind of Jianghu martial artist goes around revealing all of their personal martial arts? It would make it easy for others to counter them, leading to an early grave. This time, I had no choice. I hadn't thought of doing it beforehand, either."
"...You are not wrong."
"Did you call me aside just to ask that?"
"It's about something else," Ma Jin said, shaking his head. "Yeon-shin, you almost died on this mission. Listen. Martial artists who live long lives are usually well aware of their own grudges and enmities."
"..."
Hearing the phrase "long lives," Jeong Yeon-shin's eyebrows twitched.
"The reaction in the Jianghu regarding you is unusual. Battles between Murim forces aren't just fought in open warfare. The war of information is just as fierce. Word came from the Chief Steward's Office. There are bastards sniffing around, investigating the movements of the Desolate Fortress's Flash Art."
"If you mean grudges...?"
"Just from what we've heard so far, it's the Hegemon Sword Sect, the Deep Martial Alliance, and the Blood Flame Cult. Slaying the disciple of the Lord of the Hegemon Sword Sect and the Eight-Fanged Rakshasa Sword was a magnificent feat. However, both of them inherited schools with deep pools of martial artists within the Hegemon Sword Sect. There are bound to be many who are sharpening their blades for you."
"I can understand the Deep Martial Alliance. I took the head of one of their Rising Stars."
"Her name was Geomyehwa, right? I heard she was famous throughout Huguang and Henan as a girl who possessed both beauty and sword talent. It seems she had a fiancé. You must be careful of her family, the Seong Family Manor, as well as that bastard who was her lover."
"..."
Jeong Yeon-shin nodded silently.
"The most troublesome of all is, of course, the Blood Flame Cult. If you didn't have the Bright-Righteous Pill, you would have had to return to the Desolate Fortress," Ma Jin continued grimly.
"There is no other martial art like your Demon-Quelling Azure Steel Hand. You were bound to become a target. You could have run into the Seventh Apostle during the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering. It was a stroke of immense luck that you avoided that witch. The Apostles of the Blood Flame Cult are busy expanding their influence across the Central Plains, which is why they must have been quite far away."
"You're right. I'm not yet at the level to face an Apostle head-on."
When he had first revealed the Demon-Quelling Azure Steel Hand, he had taken out one of the Seventh Apostle's eyes.
It was a stroke of heavenly luck, only possible because she had let her guard down during the chaotic battle.
Jeong Yeon-shin realized anew that the number of people who held a grudge against him had grown.
And they were no ordinary enemies. They belonged to the Thirteen Heavens of the Unorthodox Factions, a force comparable to the Nine Sects and Eight Families.
"It is something one must bear when walking the Jianghu. Even so, your case is extreme. It is hard to find a precedent for making so many powerful enemies in such a short period. Let alone at your age."
"That sounds to me like you're saying I'm executing my missions properly."
"You are truly a man of the Murim now. There are many who harbor resentment toward you. When you are out in the Jianghu, you must always remain vigilant. Please keep that in mind."
The concern in Ma Jin's voice was palpable.
Jeong Yeon-shin nodded readily.
I have been running without rest.
It felt as though he had briefly sharpened the blade in his heart before continuing his relentless pace.
He was pleased by the fact that his enemies were all from the Thirteen Heavens, a massive organization of the Unorthodox Factions.
The Hegemon Sword Sect and the Blood Flame Cult were his personal enemies as well; the more of their heads he claimed, the more achievements he would accumulate.
And isn't the Hwangbo Clan also Unorthodox?
As he returned to the group with Ma Jin, he immersed himself in mental training.
It was to use the Sword House techniques more efficiently. He needed to constantly refine his manipulation of true qi.
Regardless of Ma Jin's warning, Jeong Yeon-shin was growing stronger.
"The White Ranks will sit out of the direct confrontation."
It was the voice of the Commander of the Thread-Annihilation Unit. He had begun organizing the mission assignments.
Heonwon Chang and Shin So-bin were drafted elsewhere. They would not be able to join the mission to strike the Hwangbo Clan.
Instead, they were assigned the role of keeping the Rising Stars of the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering and the remnants of the Hwangbo Clan's escort unit occupied.
Jeong Yeon-shin received separate advice from a Blue Rank senior of the Thread-Annihilation Unit.
"The martial arts inherited by the Pingyin branch are said to focus mainly on the heavy sword. If you parry lightly, you are highly likely to be pushed back. Remember the Quchi, Chize, and Shaohai points. As you know, they are acupoints in the arm joints. Infuse them firmly with true qi when exchanging blows."
He familiarized himself with the characteristics of the Pingyin County Hwangbo branch's martial arts. It did not take long.
*
Three days had passed since the battle on the plains.
"They really left just the three of us. I guess your sound art was quite trustworthy, Flash Art." Cheong-myeong laughed, looking amused.
The three Blue-robed Warriors of the Demonlight First Team, including Jeong Yeon-shin, had just arrived at the southern edge of Shandong Province.
It was a marketplace with almost no signs of life.
Pingyin County, where their target was established, was indeed dead quiet.
The merchants who had set up mats and laid out their wares were mostly middle-aged or elderly women.
Baek Mi-ryeo ran her fingers through her long, flowing hair.
Glancing at the accessories on display, she said, "Zhangqiu, where the main Hwangbo family is located, borders the Yellow River. It's a vast river. If they escape by boat, it will be a headache. To secretly control the river area, it makes sense to send only a minimum number of people to strike the branch."
It was said that spring in Shandong Province was dry, but the atmosphere of the marketplace felt even more parched.
The villagers, who stared blankly at the sword-carrying group, did not even seem frightened.
There was no vitality in the wrinkles of their faces, which seemed etched with deep exhaustion.
"...I don't see any able-bodied men. It seems they really were dragged away for forced labor."
"The Azure Sky Unit and the Chief Steward's Office have confirmed it multiple times. There's no way it's wrong. If it weren't for a Murim clan, the Imperial Army would have mobilized. Though, it's just as well, since mobilizing the army does no good for the people's livelihood anyway," Cheong-myeong said nonchalantly.
In truth, Jeong Yeon-shin had been debating whether to hide the emblem of the Desolate Fortress again.
He had felt that way all the way until they reached Pingyin County. This was different from his previous missions, which had involved the Unorthodox Thirteen Heavens.
The Hwangbo Clan was a renowned family in the Orthodox Murim. He wanted to see the reality with his own eyes.
"We can just go to the Hwangbo branch and ask them directly what is going on."
Tap!
With Jeong Yeon-shin's final words, the three of them kicked off the ground simultaneously. It was a lightness skill step infused with internal energy.
True qi, filling the fine meridians of their bodies down to their toes, began to propel them forward. Their speed increased progressively.
It was so fast that the startled onlookers only realized they were gone as the three rapidly receded into the distance.
They bypassed the County Magistrate, who had a duty to report the state of the people's livelihood to the Imperial Court without omission.
They had heard much about the County Magistrate of Pingyin County—namely, that he was an extremely peculiar man.
If what they had learned was correct, even the County Magistrate would be at the Hwangbo branch.
They headed straight for the manor that housed the largest complex of pavilions in the town.
Even though no plaque was hung, they could feel it belonged to a Murim clan. Waves of internal energy could be felt emanating from within.
Whoosh!
In an instant, Jeong Yeon-shin's sprint overtook the other two.
This was a mission to adapt the exclusive sound art of the Demonlight Wing's Flash Art to actual combat.
Having been granted such a valuable opportunity, Jeong Yeon-shin did not want to disappoint their expectations.
He immediately activated the mnemonic of the Infinite Flower of Time Fist: Advancing Thunder.
Crash!
Splinters of the shattered gate scattered in all directions. The residual force of the powerful propulsion shockwave made it look as if a storm had swept through.
Jeong Yeon-shin momentarily froze at the sight that was immediately revealed.
A drinking party was taking place in the large courtyard in front of the main gate. A small pond situated in one corner caught his eye.
It was decorated with carvings of all kinds of spirit beasts.
Among the grass by the pond, the Four Divine Beasts and the Qilin were visible, as well as strange beasts with bizarre wings.
There were people sitting on the large rocks surrounding the pond, holding wine cups.
Even upon seeing the newcomers, they did not stop tilting their cups.
"Ah."
A man who had been laughing amidst five beautifully adorned women raised his head.
He was a handsome Brightfolk man with a yellow cornelian cherry flower tucked behind his long ear.
The servants busily moving around merely glanced at Jeong Yeon-shin's group, then silently continued their work.
"The chivalrous heroes of our Jinan have come again today. Not a single gate ever remains intact!"
The Brightfolk man raised his hand high. The sleeves of his light green official robe fluttered.
He continued speaking as if dealing with a highly familiar occurrence.
"Why didn't you just leave Shandong and report to a place like the Desolate Fortress instead? I truly cannot understand. What kind of confidence drives these third-rates to challenge the Hwangbo Clan?"
"..."
Jeong Yeon-shin fell silent for a moment. Cheong-myeong and Baek Mi-ryeo also seemed unable to find any words to say.