Chapter 82: The Struggle
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 82: The Struggle
"Flash Art... I envy them. They'll get to witness an earth-shattering duel. To think the Namgung Clan Head's opponent would be someone so unexpected."
"Isn't it inevitable? The Lord of the Fortress recently left on an expedition."
"To face the head of one of the Eight Great Families, there's no one else but the Commander."
Jeong Yeon-shin silently listened to the conversation of the seniors surrounding him.
There was only one person in the world whom they would respectfully address as "Commander."
Seventeen martial units—including the Demonlight Wing, the Heaven-Aligned Wing, and the Thread-Annihilation Unit—made up the Divine Sword Corps.
The Commander led the Divine Sword Corps of the Desolate Fortress. Second only to the Lord of the Fortress, they stood above all others within the main stronghold. It was a position of supreme authority.
I've yet to meet the Commander.
Even after entering the Desolate Fortress, he hadn't seen the Commander a single time.
The Commander of the Divine Sword Corps constantly traversed the Jianghu. Rumor had it that they were carving a path the martial world would remember as a legend. By exerting absolute martial prowess on the front lines, the Commander fulfilled the true duty of the Desolate Fortress.
"Isn't the Commander out on a mission?"
"The direct Divine Sword Squad has also been away for a long time. Rumor has it they went to strike Lingering Spirit."
"So they're heading straight to the Namgung Clan without even returning..."
The seniors' conversation continued over the head of the seated Jeong Yeon-shin.
"Did you say Lingering Spirit?" Jeong Yeon-shin asked abruptly.
"They are counted among the Thirteen Heavens. They value wealth and information more than martial arts, making them a highly troublesome great sect," a middle-aged woman with very sharp eyes answered, stroking his head.
She was a Blue-robed Warrior named Oh Wol-hyang, a master of saber techniques who treated Jeong Yeon-shin like a son.
Several seniors chimed in.
"It's their resourcefulness, not their martial power. Those Lingering Spirit bastards are masters at plotting behind the scenes. It's almost better to deal with sword-obsessed ghosts like the Hegemon Sword Sect."
"There are even rumors that they hold the Hao Sect in the palm of their hands. Word on the streets is that they associate the most with the rest of the Thirteen Heavens. Flash Art, you might have been targeted by them several times without even knowing it."
Lingering Spirit. Another faction of the Thirteen Heavens.
The Thirteen Heavens...
It was said that these thirteen unorthodox factions possessed a majesty equal to the Nine Sects and Eight Great Families. The world was vast indeed. It seemed the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps had their hands full just keeping them in check.
Although some of the Eight Great Families showed hypocrisy in the secular world, the wickedness of the Thirteen Heavens—heterodox sects by birth—was far more prominent.
Personally, I've clashed with the Blood Flame Cult and the Hegemon Sword Sect. And there's the Deep Martial Alliance too.
He had clashed with the Blood Flame Cult and the Hegemon Sword Sect multiple times already. He had also severed the neck of Geomyehwa, a rising star of the Deep Martial Alliance.
Ma Jin's advice regarding her background and fiancé came to mind. It had been right after he slew Hwangbo Jun of the Hegemon Sword Sect, who had ambushed him while Yeon-shin was being pursued by the Blood Flame Cult.
"Yeon-shin, the reaction in the Jianghu is unusual. Clashes between Murim forces aren't just about all-out wars. The battle of information is just as fierce. Word came from the Chief Steward's Office. They say there are bastards sniffing around, investigating the tracks of the Desolate Fortress's Flash Art."
My enemies are multiplying.
The grudges and debts he accumulated each time he went on a mission were growing exponentially. He had a feeling that this upcoming journey into the Jianghu would not be smooth either.
Was it a premonition from his Upper Dantian? It didn't feel like a mere groundless worry.
"We set out in four days. It's urgent enough just to organize what you have. I think everyone should back off."
It was Cheong-myeong.
With a light wave of his hand, a cold wind blew like a sword gale. The experts of the Demonlight Wing retreated one after another. Chuckling as if it were just another day, they each offered Jeong Yeon-shin a word of encouragement before walking away.
Jeong Yeon-shin stood up, dusting off his pants.
"Senior."
"Didn't you receive quite a bounty upon your return this time? You should sort it out before you head out again."
His single blue eye curved slightly. Cheong-myeong continued with a smile, "For example, a spirit elixir."
* * *
"Uncle Jang-myeong, your complexion has brightened up! Did you brew and drink something good?"
A mysterious young female swordsman, around twenty years old, greeted him energetically. The martial uniform she wore was an extremely deep shade of blue.
She approached the grand main gate of the Namgung Clan without hesitation, clouds of dust rising beneath her light footwork. The servants and warriors escorting her followed close behind like a painted backdrop.
"My lady."
One of the gatekeepers looked at her, his face filled with renewed admiration. Bowing to the woman as she drew near, he clasped his hands in greeting and said, "The one who has truly changed seems to be you, Changryeong Hwaju. Congratulations on attaining Great Completion."
"Congratulations on attaining Great Completion!"
The five warriors guarding the gate with him bowed in unison. The motion of raising their clasped fists happened simultaneously, exuding a discipline so sharp it felt like the shockwave of Fa Jin.
Not just anyone could guard the main gate of a great sect in the martial world. This was especially true for a martial clan of the Jianghu whose power had endured long enough to earn them the title of a noble family.
The gatekeepers were the face of the sect. Naturally, they carried themselves with a majesty that ranked among the finest in Huizhou of Southern Zhili, so much so that passersby on the main road opposite could not tear their eyes away.
They whispered quietly as they passed.
"They're showing that much respect?"
"You fool. Even her escorts are Namgung people. Anyone can see she's the precious daughter of the clan."
"The Changryeong Hwaju of the Namgung Clan? Isn't that lady usually healthily tanned? But she looks incredibly pale right now."
"How can you run a merchant group with such slow news? Rumor has it she consumed the legendary Human-Shaped Snow Ginseng. Its mystical, cooling energy must have transformed even her skin. She's incredibly lucky. We've just witnessed a living legend of the Jianghu."
"What? Human-Shaped Snow Ginseng?"
Namgung Mi, the Changryeong Hwaju, heard everything. She didn't bother to care.
Their words weren't wrong. She had indeed consumed the legendary Human-Shaped Snow Ginseng. This was only because her brother and father—the Young Master and the Clan Head—were already internal masters whose lower dantians were fully saturated with true qi.
"Well, it's all thanks to fighting well against the Blood Ghosts. Have a good day, everyone."
She smiled lightly and passed them by. She could clearly sense the faint stir of excitement behind her.
The clan's warriors were useful as subordinates. It was easy to receive the kind of reverence usually reserved for imperial princesses. A single smile and a light greeting were enough. The privileges she had naturally enjoyed since birth felt even sweeter today.
"I'm going to see my brother, so go rest and recover from the journey. You've worked hard."
She bestowed these words upon her followers and walked on, responding to their polite bows with a dismissive wave of her hand.
Whoosh!
She cut through the air with a few steps of her lightness skill. Those passing through the clan's inner courtyard were startled and hastily bowed.
Only direct descendants were permitted to use the Body Protection Scripture to move within the clan grounds. Furthermore, the Namgung Clan's eye technique made it easy for them to recognize the noble daughter of the family, even with her altered skin tone.
Namgung Mi headed straight for the clan's Azure Sky Hall. It was where the Young Master learned the administrative duties of the Clan Head.
"Congratulations on attaining Great Completion."
As soon as she entered, the guard warriors bowed deeply. They were all martial artists of the Azure Sky Hall. They were different from the gatekeepers. Their demeanor was as if they were serving royalty; these men were truly loyal subjects. They were the pillars of the clan, remaining unshaken no matter what rumors blew in from the outside.
Even if the dogs of the imperial court babble about invading our main house... Namgung Mi thought.
"The Young Master has given word," a martial artist said, guiding her. Blue tapestries of the finest texture elegantly decorated the interior of the pavilion.
Stopping at one side of the corridor, the warrior said, "He instructed that you may enter immediately."
Nodding slightly, she opened the door. The grandly painted sword emblem slid aside.
With a soft sound, the office of the Namgung Young Master was revealed. In a room spacious enough to be used as a training ground, precious red sandalwood tables were lined up, exuding deep brown hues.
"You have achieved the Stage of Minor Completion," Namgung Se-jin, the Azure Qilin, spoke from his seat.
With calm eyes, a sharp nose, and features that could only be described as beautiful, he was truly a dazzlingly handsome young man. He didn't take his eyes off the documents he was scanning.
Namgung Mi didn't mind and pulled up a chair. Plumping herself down opposite him and crossing her legs, she spoke.
"Everyone else calls it Great Completion."
"When the Blood Flame Cult raided our main house, we had to spread our forces thin to search for that Human-Shaped Snow Ginseng. Your internal energy achievement is merely bloated in power. Compared to the sacrifice made, it is mediocre."
Her brother's reply was indifferent.
He was the Azure Qilin of the Namgung Clan's Blue and White Twin Qilins. Before Namgung Hwa-shin was called the White Qilin, Se-jin had been the first to receive the title of the divine beast Qilin. As a direct descendant who possessed immense power and dignity, standing above even the aura of the White Qilin—famous for his fair and upright character—he had every right to be arrogant.
"Even like this?"
Ssshh—
With a light flutter of her hair, Namgung Mi's skin grew even paler. The documents on the table shook from the sudden shockwave of her qigong. A mysterious white current swept over her entire body.
Her appearance, shrouded in a cold wind like a goddess of the northern snowstorms, was vividly illuminated by her true qi. She had absorbed a peerless elixir into her body. The depth of her energy wave was bottomless.
She spoke. "I heard the imperial watchdogs dared to declare war on our clan? Even a life-and-death duel? It's ridiculously arrogant. Can the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps really defeat our father, who has attained Great Completion in the Imperial Sword Form?"
The Imperial Army could not help the Desolate Fortress. If a mission failed in the martial world—where Body Protection Scriptures were highly developed—the blow to the imperial court's prestige would be immense.
The imperial court and the Desolate Fortress never publicly acknowledged any connection. That was why countless Desolate Fortress warriors died in the vast Jianghu without official backing.
This matter, too, would be left as a fight solely between the two forces: the imperially established sect, the Desolate Fortress, and the orthodox world's greatest family, the Namgung Clan.
It wasn't even an all-out war like the affair with the Hwangbo Clan. If a fair duel of ten people was all it took, no matter who the opponent was, none of the Eight Great Families would ever worry about defeat.
Namgung Se-jin said, "Do not presume to guess the affairs of peerless masters. As you know, you have also been named. The contents of the duel challenge have been made known throughout the Central Plains, which must be the work of the Desolate Fortress. If we do not step forward, the clan's name will be tarnished. We cannot refuse. It seems onlookers from all over the Jianghu are already gathering."
"And what if they lose? The Desolate Fortress, I mean."
"No martial artist fights assuming defeat. Neither do we. This is no ordinary event. The prestige of the winning side will rise beyond measure."
"Then my beauty and title will become even more widely known. No, I'll push aside Wiji Myo-hwa of the Zhongnan Sect and become the Sword Dragon myself. And..." Namgung Mi continued with a nonchalant face, "I heard our Hwa-shin is coming back."
A smooth smile formed on her lips. Instantly, Namgung Se-jin furrowed his brow.
"He is still your brother."
"How can a lowly concubine's son be my brother? It's strange for you to say such a thing, brother. More importantly," Namgung Mi replied dismissively, her smile deepening. "The bastard who triggered this whole incident was on the list, right? The kid who used some sound art that would only work on the weak. Flash Art, was it? I saw him briefly last time."
"It is not a martial art to be disparaged. That was a divine art. Can you not fathom the kind of threat it would pose in a group battle?"
She dismissed her brother's words with a small snort. "I want to use him as a touchstone for my achievements. Let's go see them. Flash Art and the White Qilin."
"What?"
"The imperial watchdogs declared war, didn't they? They've already announced it to the entire Jianghu. Until the duel, even the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps can't kill us. It's unlike you, but aren't you quite dissatisfied with the Flash Art incident, brother? Don't you want to see what kind of person he is and if he's worth killing? Plus, you can have an early reunion with the brother who will soon pass away."
"...Do you truly intend to kill Ah-shin?"
"Not Ah-shin, but Hwa-shin. He's not a child anymore, is he?"
"..."
"They must have set out by now, right? I want to meet them beforehand and propose a winner-stays-on format. If it's a five-on-five duel, they'll probably fight starting from the youngest. I'll kill Flash Art first and finish with Hwa-shin. Knowing your hypocrisy, brother, you wouldn't want to get the blood of a concubine's son on your own hands anyway."
"Are you serious?"
"Do you think your younger sister would lose?" Namgung Mi asked with a crimson smile. Amidst her snow-white skin, only the ruby-like color of her lips stood out.
"...That is not what I meant. There is no way you would lose." Namgung Se-jin, who had been staring at her, shook his head.
Soon, his expression settled, as if he had heard exactly what he wanted.
"I can anticipate your sword arts. The coldness of your internal energy will freeze the opponent's meridians first. There is no way to resist it unless they possess overwhelming power. If your levels are equal, it is a guaranteed victory. Unless, of course, the opponent has spent their entire life training in a Dynamic Cultivation Art."
"Why a Dynamic Cultivation Art?"
"Buddhist monks who have attained Great Completion in the Shaolin Muscle Tendon Changing Classic refine even the interior of their bodies. It is said they reach a realm where they can effortlessly ignite the flames of Samadhi True Fire within themselves. However, it is not something you need to worry about right now."
"I see." Frowning her beautiful brows as if the thought were bothersome, she quickly smiled brightly again. Then, she asked, "So, do you want to go see them?"
* * *
On the day the duel delegation against the Namgung Clan set out into the Jianghu.
Jeong Yeon-shin consumed the spirit elixir he had received from the Medicine Hall. It was a reward for the missions he had completed as a Blue Rank. It was said to be a pill classified as a top-grade product, even within the Desolate Fortress.
The boy sat cross-legged in the center of the Demonlight Wing's grand training ground.
Whoosh!
The hem of his blue robe fluttered incessantly.
It was vastly different from the standard supply-grade spirit elixir he had taken when he first entered the fortress. The energy wave spreading from his body was gradually deepening. From time to time, a faint current of air was visibly distorting around him.
It was the materialization of true qi. A hazy golden mist flashed and vanished every now and then.
Amidst this, all kinds of sound transmissions flew back and forth. It was the experts of the Demonlight Wing, standing guard in a wide circle to protect their youngest Blue Rank. Heonwon Chang was also among them.
—Commander, that... what is that color?
The Hero of the Desolate Fortress asked Ma Jin, the Commander of the Demonlight Wing, without hesitation. Ma Jin, who had been staring at his nephew, parted his lips slightly.
—I heard he has laid the foundation for creating his own Inner Cultivation Method. It is not uncommon for a sudden surge of true qi to stimulate the sprouting of enlightenment. For now, it is merely the energy of the spirit elixir, but perhaps a peerless cultivation method will be born within this year.
—Heh...
—Sending a sigh-filled exclamation via sound transmission? Maintain your manners, Heonwon Chang.
Heonwon Chang let the Commander's scolding go in one ear and out the other. He couldn't help it.
His savior, the boy who had saved his life, had already reined in the waves of true qi.
"Young Hero Jeong!"
Whew—
Jeong Yeon-shin took a deep breath.
"Young Hero Heonwon?" he spoke, his eyes still closed. He seemed to have sensed Heonwon Chang's presence as the man approached cautiously.
Heonwon Chang asked, "Are you finished?"
"Yes."
"I am truly curious. Just how strong have you become?"
At those words, Jeong Yeon-shin slowly opened his eyes, and his abundant energy revealed itself as a deep blue light. The sky-blue of his pupils was shifting into a vivid, deep azure glow.
"I'm not quite sure," the boy replied.