Hainan Sect, The Yingtian Banquet (6)

Senior martial sister of the Hainan Sect's second generation.

On the eve of the duel, Seong Munjeong was struggling to settle her heart.

The junior brother she had lost in that absurd affair — Jeong Go — had thrown her mind into chaos.

To think something like that happened... Junior Brother Go...

The words she had heard from the Jinyiwei officer when she was summoned with the Sect Leader just moments before had struck her like a blow.

That Nam Geonhu and Geum Hwayeong had meant to use underhanded tricks.

That her own martial siblings — the head disciple's son and the Sect Leader's granddaughter, no less — would do such a thing.

And against their senior martial sister.

It was a story she could scarcely believe, but the Jinyiwei officer had not looked like a man who would lie. Besides, he said he had heard with his own ears what Nam Geonhu uttered as he drove the blade into Jeong Go.

The fury and the betrayal made her teeth grind, yes — ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠but more than any of that, what came first was pity for Jeong Go.

She was sorry.

Sorry she had failed to protect him.

I have to tell him before I go back... that I'm sorry I couldn't protect him. And what will become of me now...

Whatever affection she had once held for Nam Geonhu and Geum Hwayeong was already gone. The problem was the sect itself. The Hainan Sect.

If the sect won the duel, that was a problem. If they lost, that was a problem too.

A victory would send Nam Geonhu and Geum Hwayeong safely back to the sect. And then, as senior martial sister, how was she supposed to treat those two? How would they treat her? That was what gnawed at her.

The trust between them was already shattered to pieces. One was the head disciple's son. The other was the Sect Leader's granddaughter. No matter that she was the senior martial sister, no matter how skilled she was — the arm always bent inward. If conflict arose, the sect would choose those two over her. That she would be pushed aside was as plain as day.

And if we lose, that's a problem too.

The talk would start. That much was certain. They would not dwell on Nam Geonhu and Geum Hwayeong's crimes. They would say Seong Munjeong had been the problem. That because of Seong Munjeong they had lost three disciples. The whole affair would be stood on its head; guest and host would change places. And if she lost the duel on top of that, it would be worse still.

Once thrown into turmoil, Seong Munjeong's heart showed no sign of settling.

The heat in the tournament grounds was blistering. And little wonder — getting to witness the eunuchs' martial art, the Sunflower Manual, with one's own eyes was an exceedingly rare thing.

Before the Sun Moon Sect's destruction, one could see it until one was sick of it — until it made one's teeth grind. But that once-mighty Sun Moon Sect had fallen less than a Jiazi ago, brought down by the White Lotus Red Turban Army under Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang. After that, the Sunflower Manual vanished from the Jianghu, only to reappear during the Jingnan Campaign. Twenty years ago, when the Yongle Emperor raised his army against the Jianwen Emperor.

From one corner of the arena, a conversation between a young pair of martial brothers drifted over.

"Senior Brother, does that mean we'll get to see the famous Sunflower Manual with our own eyes?"

"Keep both eyes open and watch properly. In the Jianghu, experience is a kind of skill."

"But they say Peak Realm - Late Stage is their limit, don't they?"

"You seem to think Peak Realm - Late Stage is something to scoff at. If it takes our side ten years to reach First-Rate, it takes theirs six at the latest. If we hit Peak Realm in fifteen years, they do it in ten. And past Initial Peak Realm, the gap only widens."

Even looking at the orthodox martial world alone, martial artists of the Transformation / Transcendent Realm could be counted on one hand. Among the Nine Factions and One Sect and the Five Great Clans, each sect or family might have one or two — if they were lucky. Some sects and families did not have even one. Sect Leaders, elders, and the senior masters of still higher generations were, for the most part, Peak Realm - Late Stage. Given that reality, looking purely at the advantages of rapid cultivation and raw power, the Sunflower Manual was a formidable art.

"That's true enough. They discarded their manhood and gained rapid cultivation in return..."

"The eunuchs don't step into the martial world, that's the only reason. If they ever did, every faction — orthodox, unorthodox, or demonic — would have to stay on edge."

"They would. The unorthodox path is a pack of criminals, and the cults are traitors. We haven't committed any crimes, but even so, the authorities make us a little uneasy."

"Anyway, watch closely. Today we're seeing a spectacle you couldn't buy for any amount of money."

"Yes, Senior Brother."

Just as that pair of martial brothers said, the young martial artists who had never once seen the Sunflower Manual waited only for the eunuchs to appear.

And then.

Thud. Thud.

From the eastern side of the arena, the sound of marching feet began, and the ground started to tremble in fine, rapid vibrations.

Thud! Thud!

The sound, perfectly synchronized as if a single person were walking, grew steadily louder. The louder it grew, the deeper and wider the earth around the arena groaned.

And at last, the head of a dark-blue wave stepped through the arena entrance. The procession that rolled in like the tide of a night sea had no end in sight. Around that endless dark-blue swell, a strange crimson haze shimmered — proof that every single member of that tide was a master of the Sunflower Manual.

They surged to their feet.

The orthodox martial artists filling the arena rose one after another without even realizing it. An unconscious urge to get a better look at the martial eunuchs who formed one pillar of the imperial martial tradition had taken control of their legs.

And then — halt.

One thousand eunuchs, radiating a crimson heat, came to a stop on the northern side of the arena and turned in perfect unison toward Zhu Gaochi on the dais. Not a single word, not a hair's breadth of discrepancy — the sight sent a peculiar shiver down the spine.

Ssshhh. Snap.

At the very center of the front rank of the thousand halted eunuchs, Zheng He appeared before Jin Myeong. Like an illusion. Just like that.

Zheng He swept his gaze over the eunuchs for a moment, then turned and bowed at the waist.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince! Ten thousand years!"

"Ten thousand years!"

"Ten thousand years!"

"Ten thousand years!"

"Ten thousand times ten thousand years!"

"Ten thousand times ten thousand years!"

The perfectly unified roar of one thousand and one voices thundered through the tournament grounds. A shudder ran through the three thousand orthodox martial artists at that unnervingly synchronized voice. The chant of one thousand and one beings who were neither men nor women stirred a strange, uncanny feeling.

Having received the eunuchs' salute, Zhu Gaochi rose.

"Granted!"

The single-word reply thundered through the arena once more.

Having offered his salute to Zhu Gaochi, Zheng He turned back to the eunuchs. A clan he had built over nearly twenty years. A clan as good as his own flesh and blood. He was proud of them.

"Who are the eunuchs of Great Ming?!"

And he asked his clan.

The chant that followed Zheng He's question would, in later years, become the verse that symbolized the impregnable citadel of the eunuchs and the Eastern Depot.

A deep, ringing hum.

The instant the chant ended, one thousand and one eunuchs released their inner force as one.

A short while later, the eunuchs — whose very entrance had been a shock — delivered a second blow, and then a third, to the orthodox martial artists.

Eunuchs versus Hainan. Hainan versus the eunuchs. The contest would be decided across three matches.

The first of them pitted Junior Attendant Eunuch Yun Bong — widely regarded as the foremost future candidate for Grand Eunuch — against Nam Yeonghak, head first-generation disciple of Hainan. The result, after more than a hundred exchanges, was a draw. Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi, wary of the match overheating, had called it to a halt — but there was no disagreement that if the duel had run even a little longer, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Nam Yeonghak would have lost.

For the second match, Hainan doubled down once more. It had originally been slated as a contest at the second-generation disciple level, but Hainan, determined to seize a victory first, pulled forward the elders' bout that had been scheduled last. Second Elder Gong Baek, one of Hainan's most renowned masters, stepped forward and collided with Senior Superintendent Overseer Yi Gwak.

The result, astonishingly, was Yi Gwak's victory in a mere fifty exchanges. As if even within the same Peak Realm - Late Stage a gulf existed, Yi Gwak subdued Gong Baek with almost casual ease. Orthodox martial artists who knew Gong Baek's reputation well were stunned. Mapping Yi Gwak's position onto an orthodox sect, he was the equivalent of an elder — and he had crushed the elder of a great sect like Hainan as if it were nothing. They had every right to be shocked.

Then how much stronger was their commander, Zheng He?

They had heard that beneath Zheng He there were some four Brush-Holding Grand Eunuchs, some eight Senior Superintendent Overseers, some twelve Managing Grand Eunuchs, and then clerks, supervisors... the taijian of the Directorate of Ceremonial alone numbered in the dozens.

"S-Senior Brother! How can anything be that fast?!"

"Incredible. The extreme-speed Sunflower Manual, they called it. Truly, the name is no empty boast."

"I had heard Hainan's martial study was second to none when it came to swiftness. To think it would end that easily... hah..."

"I suppose... is it because they've got nothing hanging that they catch less wind? Did they gain supreme speed by throwing it away?"

"S-Senior Brother! Be careful even with jokes. If that so much as reaches a eunuch's ear, you'll have to fight them to the death."

"If Hero Gong had also been without one, who knows how the match would have gone. That's something we'll never know."

"Senior Brother!"

Like that pair of martial brothers, the orthodox fighters were only now tasting the terror of the imperial palace and the Sunflower Manual.

At any rate, only one match remained. A contest at the second-generation disciple level. The result of this bout would decide Hainan's fate. If Hainan won, the score returned to even. If they lost, they would meet a defeat and a humiliation that would live forever in the sect's history — the enormous disgrace of the Sect Leader's granddaughter and the head disciple's son becoming slaves.

Hainan's representative was, of course, the senior martial sister, Seong Munjeong. She stepped up onto the arena floor and waited for the eunuch to come.

And then the eunuch who appeared before her was, as expected —

"Jin Myeong, Jeonbu of the Directorate of Ceremonial of Great Ming. I shall face you with the Sunflower Manual."

— Jin Myeong, his expression set hard. She had guessed as much that morning. He looked highly skilled, and he had more than enough reason to treat Hainan as an enemy. Had she been in his place, she would have volunteered too.

"Seong Munjeong of Hainan. I shall face you with the Twenty-Four Wave Swords."

Seong Munjeong answered with an expression every bit as hard as his.

And so, at the very moment the duel that would decide Hainan's fate was about to begin —

Your younger brother asked me to pass something along.

Jin Myeong's sound transmission slipped into Seong Munjeong's ear, and at the unexpected message her face flickered with surprise. Before the match, Jin Myeong had received a certain request from Jeong Go. Jeong Go had been certain Seong Munjeong would come forward as Hainan's representative, and he had asked that if they faced each other, a few words be delivered.

"What? Go... Attendant Jeong? What did he say...?"

He asked me to tell you it wasn't your fault. That you did nothing wrong.

"......"

As if he had looked straight through her heart. Feeling Jeong Go's feelings carried on Jin Myeong's voice, Seong Munjeong lost her words.

He said that when he was at Wuzhi Mountain, the person he liked most was his senior martial sister. That he has never forgotten the memories of crossing swords with you.

"......Please take good care of my junior brother, Jeonbu Jang."

Remembering the old Jeong Go — the boy who had devoted himself purely to the study of the sword, who had followed her so faithfully — Seong Munjeong's throat tightened for a moment.

Your younger brother says he doesn't resent you, Miss Seong, so this official will not resent you either. Miss Seong — be the great heroine who stands for Hainan. That's what he would want.

"Please tell him I will. I promise, Gonggong."

And don't worry too much about him. We'll meet again in a few years.

"What?"

This official intends to restore his dantian, no matter what it takes.

"What do you mean by that...?"

Restore his dantian? What kind of nonsense was that? Repairing a dantian was not the sort of thing one simply said. It required a master of medicine, a Transcendent Realm martial artist whose true qi held yin and yang in harmony, and a spiritual elixir that could miraculously wrench the body's restorative power upward in a single instant. All three. Finding a rare elixir was trouble enough, and a Transcendent Realm master had to accept damage to their own true qi — which was why it was so vanishingly rare.

The palace does not deal in empty words. Anyway, you may take it as so. And if fate brings you together again someday, wouldn't that be a fine thing? Once the boy completes the bone-and-body transformation, he'll be a man again.

"Ah..."

Hearing Jin Myeong, Seong Munjeong thought to herself that perhaps it was because he was a eunuch — there was no restraint at all in what he said. He'll be a man again. If fate brings you together, that would be nice. The meaning of those words was really quite...

I don't mean wait around and don't get married. What's a eunuch doing putting on airs with a woman? You live your life, Miss, and he'll live his. Anyway, I've said it all, so let's settle our own business.

"Yes, Gonggong. I'll forget everything else and give the match my all."

Of course. You're a martial artist, and so am I.

"Of course."

The exchange between the two of them ended there.

A moment later.

"Begin!"

The martial principle Hainan pursued was, likewise, extreme speed. The instant the judge's voice announced the start of the duel, Seong Munjeong surged forward. Her form stretched as if drawn out in a straight line, closing the distance in a heartbeat. She was the first to strike.

Shiiik! Shik!

A slender sword, faintly steeped in blue light, tore a seam in the air and crossed the space along the gap it had opened. And then the blue radiance flowing along the blade gathered at the tip and took the shape of a sphere.

"Ohh!"

A gasp burst from the Hainan martial artists watching. The true nature of that blue sphere was Hainan's Boundless Great Sea True Qi, condensed into sword qi. The Twenty-Four Wave Swords at the eighth completion. Which meant, in other words, Initial Peak Realm.

"That's it!"

Geum Jong-mu, who had been watching with his heart in his throat, started violently — and then filled with certainty. The certainty of victory. When they had left Hainan, Seong Munjeong had still been at the tail end of First-Rate. When, exactly, had she set foot in Initial Peak Realm? She was only twenty-three. A feat accomplished in thirteen years since she first entered the martial path, and a blessing upon Hainan. Initial Peak Realm at twenty-three was a level one could take anywhere in the Jianghu without shame — an achievement worthy of being called a rising star of the next generation.

Munjeong has done something tremendous. You eunuch bastards! How ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠far did you think your filthy tricks would get you!

Buoyed by Seong Munjeong's display, Geum Jong-mu was flushed with the thought that they had clawed their way back from the brink of this cliff-edge wager. Flushed to the brim.

The eunuchs, for their part, were every bit as stunned by Seong Munjeong's cultivation.

"What the hell? Sword qi? Those salt-stinking beach mongrels from Hainan sent out a freak?"

"It's better than the piss-reek coming off a eunuch like you, so what's your problem? But a brat who hasn't even dried behind the ears, at Peak Realm?"

"You son of a bitch who'll live three lives as a eunuch and rot as one! Anyway, doesn't this mean the clan's treasure is in trouble? He's been winning everything so far."

"Right? The wager was fine, but if we lose the duel, the Grand Director's going to raise hell..."

And then. Right then.

Ssshhh.

Jin Myeong, who had been standing vacant as if he had failed to react to Seong Munjeong's lightning assault, vanished. He sank from the spot as if the ground ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had swallowed him. Vanished, in the literal sense of the word — and reappeared.

Just as Zheng He had done a short while before. Like an illusion.