Chapter 99: The Divine Sword Squad (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 99: The Divine Sword Squad (5)
Regardless of Jeong Yeon-shin's discomfort, the girl was undeniably beautiful.
Rustle.
She took two steps forward, separating herself from the crowd of the Martial Dragon Association. Moving with graceful poise, she offered a slight bow. Even her slowest movements exuded elegance.
"I would like to make it clear that I harbor no hostility," the girl greeted them. Her smiling face was incredibly relaxed, despite standing before the absolute strongest martial unit of the Desolate Fortress.
Whatever her true intentions, she clearly possessed uncommon courage.
"Identity. Purpose."
Yeon So-ha stepped forward to meet her. As the youngest member of the Divine Sword Squad, he was the one tasked with handling all the tedious chores.
His blunt, clipped words bordered on outright rudeness, but no one seemed to mind.
Jeong Yeon-shin was no exception. This was likely the public face the Divine Sword Squad presented to the world.
To any martial sect in the Jianghu, they must look like absolute monsters...
The boy took in the experts of the Divine Sword Squad once more.
Yeon So-ha stood at the front with the slouching posture of a street thug; the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps looked as if he were out for a casual stroll; and Ak Su-rim stood with her weight shifted to one leg, hands clasped behind her back.
They didn't project a solemn or imposing aura, yet they felt more threatening than anyone else.
And it wasn't just those three. Every single one of the twenty martial artists in the Divine Sword Squad possessed immense latent power.
It wasn't just their auras, either. They had fought through countless battlefields on the absolute front lines of the Desolate Fortress's missions. They were undoubtedly stronger than almost any other expert of the same rank.
Will I ever be able to place them under my command?
Jeong Yeon-shin wondered.
To achieve his ultimate goal, he had to lead them. But right now, it wasn't something he could even dare to dream of. It felt entirely impossible.
To take the seat of the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps, he first had to pass through the position of Deputy Commander of the Divine Sword Squad. But the current Deputy Commander, Ak Su-rim, was a Black Rank supreme expert who seemed fully capable of holding her own even against Ma Jin.
It makes sense. She has even undergone Rejuvenation. I can't even begin to fathom the depth of her internal cultivation.
At that moment, his eyes met Ak Su-rim's. She winked at him, but Jeong Yeon-shin calmly looked away, keeping his gaze straight ahead.
"And the young master?"
The conversation between the Martial Dragon Association girl and Yeon So-ha continued.
"I asked first. Are you showing your true colors as Unorthodox trash?"
"Ah, I see now. I heard there was an incredibly sharp broom in the Divine Sword Squad. You must be the Keen Broom of the Divine Sword, Yeon So-ha?"
"You have an uncanny knack for picking the moniker I hate the most. Are you looking for a fight?"
"My apologies for not recognizing you. Clean that up."
Her last words were not directed at Yeon So-ha. Five or six Blood Ghosts, having completely lost their sanity to the Blood Art, were rushing toward them.
They had broken away from the pack when the Blood Flame Cult changed their route. Even when faced with the imposing aura of the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps, they ignored the commands of the Blood Master Swords.
Their eyes were rolled back, flashing with a crimson light, and their tongues lolled out of their mouths.
They looked to be on the verge of Qi Deviation, completely unable to handle the achievements of their own Blood Art.
Even at a glance, they were clearly out of their minds, but the direction of their frenzied gaze was unmistakable.
They were targeting Jeong Yeon-shin. The angle of their approach from the front flank confirmed it.
I remember them.
These were faces he had seen at the Blood Flame Cult's main headquarters. They seemed to be members who had been deployed elsewhere before the day of the raid, thus escaping the disaster.
Their lips moved clumsily, as if trying to mumble something. Grand Preceptor... Grand Preceptor, protect us...
The Castle Lord said it. The Blood Flame Cult Leader is alive. Still, there's no way he's fine. He must still be dealing with the aftermath of that battle.
The boy simply stroked the hilt of his sword. It was said that the grudges of the Jianghu must be resolved by the one who tied the knot.
He couldn't let these madmen keep babbling about the Grand Preceptor. Fully intending to step in if necessary, he walked up right behind Yeon So-ha.
By now, his bearing carried a fair amount of the dignity of a seasoned Jianghu martial artist. Considering his age, it was a remarkably early development.
"I heard the Blood Flame Cult's main headquarters fell, and now they've truly become a disorganized rabble. Even though they still have many branches left," the Martial Dragon Association girl said, glancing at Jeong Yeon-shin. The martial artists of the Martial Dragon Association behind her were already carrying out her command.
The command to "clean that up."
That casual remark triggered a lethal response. The sharp energy of the weapons unleashed by the experts who immediately lunged forward was formidable.
These were the guards of the girl, who clearly held a high status.
As expected of the absolute elite of the Thirteen Heavens, their martial arts—a flurry of sword and saber techniques—slaughtered the Blood Ghosts in an instant.
The Unorthodox Factions were different from the Orthodox. They did not stay their hands simply because they faced fellow Unorthodox members.
"Their blade work is decent," Yeon So-ha sneered, whispering to Jeong Yeon-shin. The boy watched the dying Blood Ghosts in silence.
Receiving no response, Yeon So-ha shrugged and scoffed at the Martial Dragon Association girl.
"Putting on airs without lifting a finger. You're not a martial artist, are you?"
"There is no one in the Martial Dragon Association who is not a martial artist. Likewise, there are no fools here who would fall to lowly Blood Ghosts," the girl replied with a smile. "And if there were, it would only be right for them to be eliminated."
The words coming from her beautiful face were utterly cold-blooded. Judging by her composure, she wouldn't care if she lost a few of her own subordinates.
It was truly fitting for the Martial Dragon Association—a gathering of those so obsessed with martial arts that they would abandon their own sects.
The Martial Dragon Association. I heard they rarely harm the common people.
A true rarity among the Thirteen Heavens.
That was why the Divine Sword Squad hadn't bothered to draw their swords first. The Martial Dragon Association was just that kind of place.
It was made up of those who had entered various sects as disciples, sucked out the absolute essence of their martial arts, and then abandoned them.
They were said to share their stolen martial arts with other sects and individuals in the pursuit of mutual improvement.
They disrupted the unwritten laws of the Central Plains' Jianghu. They were heretics and traitors to their masters.
The classification of factions was made from the perspective of the Murim, and the Martial Dragon Association directly defied the ethics of the Jianghu.
That was why they were branded as Unorthodox. And because they were exceptionally strong even among the Unorthodox, they held a seat in the Thirteen Heavens.
But the Desolate Fortress sees things differently.
They don't disrupt the lives of the common people? Then there is no reason to actively antagonize them.
At least, not as long as the commoners weren't swept up in their internal squabbles.
Jeong Yeon-shin watched the martial artists return after dispatching the Blood Ghosts. Not everyone was unscathed.
One man had a long laceration on his arm, yet the Martial Dragon Association girl merely smiled in silence upon seeing her subordinate's severe wound.
"Your achievement is lacking."
"I will devote myself further."
There was no other emotion in their exchange. It would have been more comforting to feel even a hint of anger.
They were indeed members of the Thirteen Heavens. Their behavior was bizarre enough to rightfully earn them the title of Unorthodox in the Jianghu.
However, the experts of the Divine Sword Squad, excluding Jeong Yeon-shin, seemed completely unfazed. They looked as though they had dealt with at least ten different factions of the Thirteen Heavens before.
"Thanks for taking care of that for us. So, what's your name and title?" Yeon So-ha asked nonchalantly.
"Hwayeonbi," the girl answered.
Jeong Yeon-shin had heard plenty about how the Jianghu was filled with all kinds of bizarre people, much like the Divine Sword Squad itself.
Yeon So-ha had asked two questions, but received only one answer. It meant her name was her title. However, it was difficult to guess the meaning behind it.
Yeon So-ha seemed to feel the same.
"A consort connected to calamity? I don't get the meaning."
The girl, Hwayeonbi, simply smiled in silence.
Hearing the mention of calamity, Jeong Yeon-shin once again toyed with the hilt of his Desolate Fortress Sword.
The Martial Dragon Association was said to be a sect that abandoned all etiquette and laws to solely pursue martial arts.
He would not make the mistake of underestimating his opponent. He had never had an easy encounter whenever the Thirteen Heavens were involved.
It had been that way from the moment he entered the Desolate Fortress until now.
It was something he was growing accustomed to. If the boy drew his sword without letting his guard down, his opponent would be forced to make a choice: die carelessly, or die after giving it their all.
If she truly holds a high position in the Martial Dragon Association...
Hwayeonbi might be a rare genius in the mortal realm, or she might have been born with a unique innate ability possessed by only a few in the world, much like the Brightfolk.
If not, she might be a seasoned expert who had already passed her sixties, just like Ak Su-rim.
From the past to the present, the upper echelons of the Jianghu's Murim had always been such a place.
"I came to pay my respects to the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps. The duel between the Namgung Clan Head and the Desolate Fortress's Divine Sword was truly impressive," the girl said politely. "I offer my respects to the Commander. Anyone would be eager to meet you."
"And you don't have any other intentions? Like wanting to test the waters?" Yeon So-ha asked, shifting his weight to one leg.
Hwayeonbi shook her head.
"Our association is an alliance that solely worships martial arts. How could we act rashly? Especially in front of the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps, who stands just beneath the pinnacle of the world's martial arts."
"Beneath the pinnacle?"
"Since the world's greatest is the Lord of the Desolate Fortress..."
"The Martial Dragon Association. They say it's a gathering of eccentrics."
The one who interrupted was the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps himself. For the first time, a hint of tension appeared on Hwayeonbi's face.
"The Lord of our fortress is not someone for the likes of you to evaluate as a martial artist. How dare you place the master of the Desolate Fortress atop the petty ambitions of Jianghu rabble? If we are discussing the world's greatest martial artist, I alone am enough."
It was incredibly arrogant. He spoke of himself as the world's greatest. Yet, it felt entirely natural.
Just as the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps said, if one excluded the Lord of the Desolate Fortress, Jeong Yeon-shin couldn't think of many others who could claim that pinnacle.
The Blood Flame Cult Leader, the Lord of the Hegemon Sword Sect, the Zhongnan Sect Leader, the Sword Immortal of Zhongnan...
All of them possessed tremendous martial prowess. In particular, the Sword Immortal of Zhongnan was the only one besides the Lord of the Desolate Fortress to have seen through Jeong Yeon-shin's unique constitution.
Even so, the presence of the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps was strangely different. Rather than simply feeling exceptionally powerful, his presence felt more vivid.
It felt as though he could never lose a fight.
"……"
As Hwayeonbi fell silent for a moment, Ak Su-rim, who had approached Jeong Yeon-shin's side, spoke up.
"Hey, kid. I get the feeling your business lies elsewhere," she said with a soft chuckle. A hint of ferocity could be felt behind her faint smile. "I already know. You've been eyeing our Flash Art quite slyly. Your aura was incredibly blatant."
"Ah."
A small exclamation escaped her lips.
Hwayeonbi's face brightened slightly. She looked as if she had been waiting for those exact words.
Her smile, which seemed to carry a trace of demonic charm, deepened. Then, her ruby-like lips parted.
"That gentleman. You said his moniker is Flash Art, correct?"
A hand so delicate and beautiful it could be called a masterpiece pointed directly at Jeong Yeon-shin.
"I witnessed an amazing duel. That is why I wish to invite him. To our association."
It was then that the boy showed a look of utter disappointment, as if his mood had been completely ruined. A massive wave of letdown seemed to pass through his heart and knock against his middle Dantian.
He couldn't even hide his expression for a second. What Martial Dragon Association? What "world's greatest"?
"Of course, I wouldn't dare ask you to abandon the Desolate Fortress and transfer sects. It is simply……"
"If your business is solely with me," Jeong Yeon-shin interrupted, turning his head. His words were directed toward Ak Su-rim and the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps. He no longer paid any attention to Hwayeonbi. "I believe we can continue our journey. Since the mission is complete, we should return swiftly."
"……Is that so? Yes, indeed," the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps replied, slightly taken aback. Jeong Yeon-shin had grown accustomed to his multifaceted nature by now, so he simply nodded in silence.
The Commander of the Divine Sword Corps smiled.
"We don't have any particular business here either. Let's be on our way. Do you agree, previous generation elder?"
"…It is only right that you take responsibility for this journey," Ma Yeon-jeok replied curtly.
His glare toward the Martial Dragon Association crowd was ominous. He seemed deeply displeased that Hwayeonbi had targeted his maternal grandson.
Step.
He began to march forward again. The experts of the Divine Sword Squad paid no mind to the distance between themselves and their potential enemies.
The entire group simply brushed past the Martial Dragon Association.
"What in the……"
Hwayeonbi's dumbfounded, piercing gaze stung his back, but Jeong Yeon-shin didn't care and kept walking. He even closed his eyes.
He needed to organize the insights he had gained from observing the inner workings of the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps' body. Even with his eyes closed, he could walk perfectly fine.
How long had they been walking? Just as the lingering tremors of the landslide faded far behind them, a sudden, refreshing scent wafted over him.
Jeong Yeon-shin furrowed his brow and stepped slightly to the side.
Even with his eyes closed, he knew who it was. It was the Divine Spear of the Desolate Fortress, Ak Su-rim.
"Hey, kid. What was that about? Why did you do that? Such a pretty girl saw your martial prowess and wanted to invite you."
"……Her hands."
"Huh?"
Jeong Yeon-shin slowly opened his eyes.
"They were delicate hands. Too delicate for someone who claimed her subordinate's achievements were lacking."
"Ah."
Ak Su-rim's lips curved into a smile. She looked at him with a gaze of admiration.
"It is said that a peerless swordsman carries a famine on their palms. It refers to calluses. Although not all martial arts in the world leave physical traces on the practitioner's hands, the martial arts I have learned certainly do. I had absolutely no curiosity about her martial arts."
"Hmm……"
"If that person named Hwayeonbi was born with an innate ability, there is nothing for me to learn... and if she is an expert who has undergone Rejuvenation, it means she has been lazy in practicing her martial arts since then. That gives me even less reason to listen to her. The martial arts of the world are constantly evolving. Rather than entertaining someone like that, I thought it would be better to seek guidance from you, Senior Ak."
"You are quite a fascinating kid, aren't you?"
Just as the corners of Ak Su-rim's mouth curled up even further, the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps suddenly stopped walking.
"Are there any watching eyes nearby? Everyone, speak up. Quickly."
"None. I don't think there are any," Yeon So-ha replied immediately.
Right after he answered...
Bleeegh!
With an incredibly undignified sound, the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps violently coughed up a torrent of blood. It was a staggering amount.
It was as if water scooped from a mountain spring was being poured out, except the color was pitch black.
It was undeniable proof of severe internal injury. He had shown them the spectacle of defeating and killing the Namgung Clan Head in a swift, decisive battle. Perhaps this was the natural price to pay for such power.
Whoosh!
The experts of the Divine Sword Squad moved in unison, activating their Body Protection Scriptures to form a battle formation.
They formed a tight circle around the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps. It was an absolute defensive formation to guard him.
"The Namgung Clan Head... He was the greatest foe we've faced in the last three years. It's not every day one gets to fight one of the heads of the Eight Families, after all," Ak Su-rim said, shaking her head. Anxiety was written all over her small face.
Bent over, the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps rested his hands on his knees.
As he continued to spit out the congested blood he had been holding back, Jeong Yeon-shin couldn't help but watch him with deep concern.
By now, the coughed-up blood had turned red again.
The boy spoke slowly.
"If you had been holding it in all this time, it would have been wiser not to engage with the Martial Dragon Association. Even if they grew suspicious, that would have been the right choice. I heard the Commander's body is a treasure of our fortress. You should take better care of yourself……"
"Flash Art? What are you saying? No matter how much I overexert myself……"
The Commander of the Divine Sword Corps chuckled through his blood-stained lips. For a brief moment, his eyes flashed with a brilliant light.
"Could it ever compare to you?"