Chapter 57: The Hwangbo Clan (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 57: The Hwangbo Clan (5)
The Hwangbo Clan was an ancient house.
During the late Yuan Dynasty, the Hwangbo bloodline rose to prominence, establishing their base in Jinan, the heart of Shandong Province. Over the years, their grandmasters meticulously refined the clan's martial arts. As their unified bloodline grew increasingly powerful, they capitalized on an era of chaos, seizing vast tracts of land from the Yuan Dynasty at every opportunity.
This expansion continued right up until the rise of the Brightfolk, who were said to have descended upon the light. In exchange for submitting to the newly established Ming Dynasty, the Hwangbo Clan was recognized as local aristocracy.
It marked the true birth of a martial clan. For generations, they ruled Jinan as its absolute masters.
"Mom, when is brother coming back?"
A girl of about fifteen slammed an axe down next to a pile of household goods. Her family had made their living chopping wood in Pingyin County, Jinan, for two generations.
Although martial arts were notoriously difficult to learn, those who could read often kept manuals on breathing and circulating qi. The Three Talents Mental Method, distributed by the imperial court, had bolstered the common labor force. It was said that even the uneducated could use it to draw in the energy of the atmosphere bit by bit. Rumored to be a secret art of the Brightfolk, it infused strength into both body and earth, turning ordinary men into giants of strength and making the fields fertile.
A middle-aged woman, sitting nearby and braiding a straw rope, spoke up. Though her hemp clothes were shabby, her tone was elegant and her pronunciation clear.
"The Hwangbo Clan took him in, didn't they? Let's wait quietly. Your brother might return as a true martial artist. If he can just become a gatekeeper for a powerful family, we'll never have to starve again."
"The wood from the back hill hasn't been great lately, and Uncle Ma is slashing the prices. Why wasn't he dragged off instead?" the girl complained.
She was quite skilled with an axe for her age, but she wasn't actually a giant of strength. The Three Talents Mental Method was miraculous, but it functioned more as a health-preservation technique. The only reason she could work as hard as grown men was her outstanding natural talent. It was so apparent that Uncle Ma, who seemed to have connections with the Hwangbo Clan, had begun overbearingly urging her to join them.
Startled, her mother whispered, "Dragged off? Watch your mouth. They say martial artists have ears as sharp as bats."
"They're probably all busy feasting with the County Magistrate anyway. I'm glad those good-for-nothings who used to pester me were dragged off too, but at this rate, we're going to starve to death. Wood is dirt cheap, and food is scarce. Even what little we get, the County Magistrate and those Hwangbo bastards sweep it all up."
"I told you to watch your mouth!" The middle-aged woman shrieked in a hushed whisper, catching her breath before continuing. "The Hwangbo Clan is a prestigious family that protects us. It was the same during your grandfather's time, when he passed the imperial exam."
"Always grandfather this, grandfather that!"
"He said that people outside Jinan constantly have their livelihoods stolen by martial artists. At least we don't have to deal with that. If your late father hadn't been a gambler, we would have lived quite decently."
"Stolen livelihoods? That's exactly what those Hwangbo bastards are doing! If brother were here, think of how much he could earn."
"You child! Badmouthing the Orthodox Factions will bring ruin upon us!"
Smacked on the back, the girl grumbled as she stormed out of the house.
"What kind of Orthodox Faction kills all the chivalrous heroes?! Mom, you use words so weirdly! Why did you even bother teaching me how to read!"
Her mother's scolding leaked through the cracks of the closed door, but the girl paid it no mind and set off down the road. Perhaps because she was walking aimlessly, she soon found herself standing in front of the largest estate in Pingyin County—the Hwangbo residence.
The moment the girl glanced up at the grand manor, she quickly turned to leave.
"Uh, wait—"
"Perfect timing."
It was a deep, resonant voice. A rough hand grabbed the scruff of her neck and hoisted her into the air.
"And here I thought a branch family was about to be wiped out by those ruffians from the Desolate Fortress."
"U-Uncle Ma?"
The girl was spun around. A middle-aged man dressed in yellow silk stared at her with an indifferent expression. He muttered as he walked toward the shattered main gate, carrying her along.
"You might just serve as a question for those fellows. What is chivalry?"
* * *
The Sword Song. The power unleashed by the sword's sound art was monstrous.
"What in the world..."
Deep Hanging Sword Hwangbo Mi-mi stared blankly around the manor. Those who had fallen dead and those who had merely fainted lay strewn everywhere, leaving a continuous trail of bodies.
The battle had ceased. An eerie silence hung in the air until the servants—who had retreated at the start of the fight, leaving only the fully set tables behind—peeked their heads out.
"W-What is this?"
"Why are they lying down? They're bleeding!"
"They aren't moving. Are they dead?"
The moment their shrill screams rang out at the sight of the carnage, a wave of energy surged from Hwangbo Mi-mi's hand, which rested heavily on the hilt of her sword. Despite her lavish adornments, her hands could not hide the calluses of rigorous training. She was undoubtedly a rare swordsman.
Though she barely parted her lips, her voice carried a palpable murderous intent.
"How dare you."
"...A sound art is a martial discipline of which there are few under heaven," the County Magistrate muttered. The image of the noble idler who had wished to enjoy a bloody battle alongside music had vanished. With heavy, sunken eyes, he simply could not tear his gaze away from the three members of the Demonlight Wing.
A few breaths of time were bought. Jeong Yeon-shin took a long, deep breath.
The Moon Spirit Harmony Art was, at its core, a method of inhaling and exhaling. Recalling the long, slender breath of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress when he first received the technique, his mind grew calm.
I overexerted myself.
The method of circulating true qi to perform the Sword Song was incredibly delicate, pushing his senses to their absolute limits. It involved loading a dispersing type of true qi onto a sound generated by internal energy. It was a martial art that heavily utilized the functions of the upper dantian. It could practically be called a divine skill.
"Didn't you want to discuss elegance? Why have you gone quiet?"
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke with feigned composure, though an intense wave of fatigue washed over him. It felt as though a water-soaked cloth had been stuffed inside his head.
This was his first time using the Sword Song at full power. To kill martial artists instantly, it had to be done. Even if they were weaker than him, the principle remained the same. Since even passive body protection qi formed a formidable barrier of internal energy, he had no choice but to exert such overwhelming force to pierce their ears with the sword's resonance and strike them down.
I can't use it twice. To think even a single use would be this taxing.
His previously excellent physical condition was deteriorating rapidly. In the world of experts, life and death were decided by a hair's breadth. If there was an opponent of equal or greater strength among the remaining enemies, he would have to endure a grueling fight.
Hmm?
The moment he observed his internal state through the breathing of the Moon Spirit Harmony Art, Jeong Yeon-shin was momentarily dazed.
Above his head. The crown of his skull.
It was distinctly different from this morning. With his innate senses, he could perceive the difference a single day had made. His Baihui point had widened further. It felt like three days' worth of progress.
My hand...
In the middle of actual combat, his index finger trembled. It wasn't due to a lack of strength. It was because a brief moment of panic had washed over him. An instinctive fear of death suddenly crept in, and the abyss momentarily enveloped him.
Moving true qi was like using physical muscle. It was said that if one could freely summon and control internal power without actively focusing their intent, they were already a peerless expert. The realms of internal energy known as Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak, Five Qi Converging to the Origin, and Peak of Perfection were all part of that transformative process.
It was completely different from the senses Jeong Yeon-shin possessed innately. It was like climbing a massive mountain.
I'll figure out a solution later.
A life-and-death duel lay ahead. He forced his consciousness back, compartmentalizing his anxiety to a dark corner of his mind—just as he had shoved aside the shock of his first kill during the tragedy of the Jeong Family Manor.
Let's focus on martial arts first. Would I need to reach at least the Black Rank realm to avoid this backlash?
Jeong Yeon-shin's control of internal power relied heavily on his innate upper dantian. He manipulated true qi solely through his senses, without any fundamental change to his realm of internal energy. There was bound to be a harsh backlash for performing acts that transcended his limits.
"A gold tassel. You are the disciple of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress," Deep Hanging Sword Hwangbo Mi-mi muttered as she slowly approached.
The scene unfolding around her was the reward for the price Jeong Yeon-shin had paid. The sight of the collapsed encirclement was truly overwhelming. A Blue Rank warrior had single-handedly crushed the entire force of a branch family of the Eight Great Families.
"..."
How did Jeong Yeon-shin look to her as he stood there, tall and silent?
Deep Hanging Sword's steps were cautious. Though she seemed to have begun executing a footwork technique, no distinct momentum could be felt. Jeong Yeon-shin merely stared at her quietly.
Deep Hanging Sword Hwangbo Mi-mi.
She was, after all, the head of a branch family. The way she had painted her lips with rouge and displayed affection toward her husband alongside his other wives was a facade that had to be set aside. He did not think the martial arts she had accumulated over the years would be shallow.
Jeong Yeon-shin had stood his ground here by capitalizing on his enemies' carelessness. He could never allow himself to make the same mistake.
Screeech.
He gripped the hilt of his Desolate Fortress Sword and slowly drew it.
"Deep Hanging Sword. I remember what you said."
"...Just because you belong to the Desolate Fortress does not make a commoner's blood noble. You have no right to exchange words with me."
"You spoke of taking my arm first, you Unorthodox scum."
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke quietly. His head was ringing. Though his overworked upper dantian felt white-hot, he sent a telepathic message to Cheong-myeong and Baek Mi-ryeo.
He told them he considered this a solo mission. It was a request for them not to interfere. To advance past the Black Rank and reach the Purple Robe? Surely, the path to get there was paved with nothing but bloody shambles. There would be battles where he would hover on the brink of death. He absolutely needed the experience of unleashing his martial arts under such adverse conditions.
That was why he said, "Come."
At that moment, he sensed presences crossing the threshold of the manor in the distance, but it was not something to worry about right now.
Whoosh!
A heavy wave of energy surged from Deep Hanging Sword's blade as she closed in. The blade's surface was extremely wide. It was exactly as he had heard from his Blue Rank senior in the Thread-Annihilation Unit. The martial art inherited by this Pingyin branch family was said to be the heavy sword. It meant her sword stance was firm, unyielding, and rarely wavered.
A linear shockwave, carrying immense sword force, thrust toward him. It made him wonder how many times she had circulated her true qi while walking over. It was a thoroughly prepared strike.
Clang!
The moment he parried with his Desolate Fortress Sword, he almost lost his grip. This was despite his best efforts to deflect as much of the force as possible. Yet, at the same time, Jeong Yeon-shin's sluggish senses sharpened once more.
Tap!
He took a step back. Simultaneously, his instincts flared. Twisting his elbow, he guided the opponent's shockwave down through his body, channeling it into the internal oblique muscles of his lower back. His knees bent naturally.
The moment the residual force of the deflected sword strike passed through his hips and reached the back of his thighs, the opponent's power became Jeong Yeon-shin's own shockwave. A powerful burst of energy exploded from his back leg.
Boom!
He executed a stomp without even lifting his foot. It happened in an instant. The movement of his entire body's muscles, which had just deflected the incoming force, reversed in a split second.
The power surged back up into his hand gripping the hilt, unleashing a heavy, intangible shockwave. The air trembled. It was the moment he returned a heavy sword with a heavy sword of his own.
The fragments of force exploding from Jeong Yeon-shin's hand whipped up a gale around the Desolate Fortress Sword. He swung his blade upward in one fluid motion.
Crash!
"Ugh!"
Deep Hanging Sword's blade, which had just been coming down for a second strike, was sent flying.
She was an opponent who had not let her guard down in the slightest. But this was Jeong Yeon-shin's sensory perception—the martial prowess of the Flash Art. Her face, momentarily dazed, flickered at the edge of his vision. The exact moment he sent her sword flying, he rotated, utilizing silk-reeling power.
Jeong Yeon-shin, too, had immediately prepared a second strike.
Slash!
He felt a distinct resistance along the blade. The Desolate Fortress Sword, returning with a faint gleam, was stained with blood. Deep Hanging Sword's right arm had been severed.
"Ah!"
Gasping for air, she stumbled backward.
Jeong Yeon-shin flicked the blood from his sword. In this moment, he was the strong one. He was looking down upon the branch family head of the Hwangbo Clan.
This was not a talent limited to merely learning martial arts. It was a combat instinct that remained razor-sharp even when he was exhausted. Within his senses lay a strength that could not be measured by his cultivation realm alone.
"Next time, you might just go out into the Jianghu alone." Cheong-myeong's amused voice drifted over from behind.
Jeong Yeon-shin walked forward, his footsteps heavy. Blood dripped from the tip of his lowered sword. At the end of his path was Deep Hanging Sword, desperately tapping the acupoints on her right shoulder to stop the bleeding.
Jeong Yeon-shin slowly parted his lips.
"You said it yourself."
Stepping forward with indifferent eyes, he raised his Desolate Fortress Sword slightly. This was the moment he single-handedly annihilated a branch family of the Hwangbo Clan. It seemed more than enough to justify the price of three days of his lifespan. At the very least, it was not an achievement a Blue Rank warrior should have been able to accomplish alone.
The face of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress already came to mind.
"After the arm, you spoke of the neck," he said.