Chapter 152 – Contact (3)

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Translated by Nine Heavens!

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***

‘What a mess.’

The crude words typically used by street thugs strangely suited the situation.

Jeong Yeon-shin gave Yue Shou-lin a formal salute with a composed gesture. It was thanks for her encouragement.

“I have something to ask.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“About the Great Rejuvenation Pill offered as reward for the Alliance Opening Tournament. Am I allowed to use it privately?”

Right after the boy asked in a calm tone.

Kyahaha!

Yue Shou-lin burst into loud laughter. Her black bob cut swayed chaotically as her body shook, while one hand kept patting Jeong Yeon-shin’s shoulder.

The boy silently stood watching her lips. One exhale. Multiple breaths were cut off with her great laughter, but no inhale.

It was a sight revealing frighteningly deep breath cultivation achievement.

“Your arrogant manner somehow suits you well.”

Yue Shou-lin said in an amused voice. Then she asked Jeong Yeon-shin.

“You’ll take it?”

“I heard it’s good for health. I want to give it to Grandfather…”

“Ah.”

A small sigh escaped. Her gaze softened considerably.

“Old man Ma probably already has all sorts of medicines and divine doctors attending him, but certainly there’s no elixir quite like the Great Rejuvenation Pill. You’ve grown up so properly? Forgiving that mess of a maternal family… I won’t have to worry about you causing trouble anywhere.”

“…”

As Jeong Yeon-shin stayed silent beside Ma Jin’s fake cough.

Yue Shou-lin put her hand not holding the spear on her waist.

“Of course it’s yours. The Great Rejuvenation Pill isn’t the mission objective. It’s enough to observe the Martial Alliance as an envoy at the alliance ceremony and break their morale as a young supreme master. Really, what fortune does old man Ma have in his later years? He had no virtue built up in his youth. Do you know how much I struggled under the previous Divine Sword Group Leader?”

She grumbled while furrowing her brow.

“His fortune in old age is too good. I was planning how to get revenge somehow, what should I do?”

“Thank you for answering. Then this junior will…”

“Ah.”

Just as Jeong Yeon-shin was about to turn away. She let out a low exclamation and narrowed her eyes.

Once again her gaze scanning the boy up and down was strange. It approached with some shock.

“If the grandson becomes the Divine Sword Squad Vice Leader’s husband.”

Her lips curled up.

“Wouldn’t that old man jump up even from his grave? He really hated me. Said I was a disobedient subordinate.”

“…”

Jeong Yeon-shin stared blankly at his senior.

Lately his knees would ache and strange feelings would occasionally come, but seeing someone with a young girl’s appearance speak of husbands reminded him of something.

‘I’m noticing the opposite sex. I’m aging.’

He realizes another growth. It wasn’t just his limbs growing.

Strange emotions swirled. He had never been conscious of women before. It was truly strange and frightening.

[TL Note- Puberty came really late to him.]

Death approaching along with natural changes seemed to stroke his spine. A shiver ran up to his Hundred meetings acupoint.

‘Get lost.’

As he stood dazed for a moment, Yue Shou-lin’s smile deepened. She soon grinned and patted the boy’s shoulder before turning away.

The soft sound of clothes rustling could be heard. Along with her lark-like voice. Look at that expression, can’t even take a joke.

“It’s not a joke but teasing. Let’s go, Yeon-shin.”

Ma Jin said while shaking his head.

That was the end. Since the Great Rejuvenation Pill was a supreme treasure, Jeong Yeon-shin had been uncertain even while asking.

It was something he had to confirm before leaving. If he couldn’t privately use what he brought into the fortress, he would have needed to find another way.

‘Now it’s done.’

Realizing his tension had been needless, his heart felt lighter.

The mission personnel were decided and mental burden lifted. Preparations for departure were complete.

“I wish you good fortune.”

“I wish the seniors victory.”

He exchanged greetings in turn with the Law Enforcement Leader, Annihilation Team Leader, and Azure Sky Leader. The Obeying Heaven Wing Leader also reluctantly returned his salute.

The somewhat tumultuous first gathering ended. Jeong Yeon-shin immediately set off.

He had to complete his final schedule after becoming Leader. He moved while avoiding Little Sword Queen’s hand reaching to lightly grab his nape.

“Let’s have breakfast together tomorrow!”

She called from behind.

To the boy it sounded different. Not like a meal appointment but like the sound of drawing swords.

‘We can duel on the way to the Alliance meeting. I am curious about Diancang’s sword techniques.’

* * *

Read only at nineheavens.org

Translated by Nine Heavens!

https://discord.gg/XC9DTsTQ9Z

***

A scholarly young man approached a small river.

He was an incomparably handsome man. His thin jawline gave a weak impression.

His eyes were different from his appearance. Colorless light flickered in both eyes, demonstrating very deep internal energy cultivation.

Fan Dragon Zhuge Xian.

The Zhuge clan’s young lord who served as Chief Administrator of the Martial Alliance slowly put his hands behind his back.

His bearing appeared leisurely at a glance. Only his large movements were so.

The end ribs of the white fan he held in his right hand trembled slightly as he moved it behind his back.

Unlike an elegant craftwork like the White Feather Fan said to have been held by Military Advisor Zhuge Liang. It was due to its owner’s state of mind.

[TL Note- Zhuge Liang was a politician who served Liu Bei. He was a wise advisor who was both loved and feared as the “Sleeping Dragon”.]

Step.

He carefully moved his steps while feeling the autumn scent.

The newly born season was settling down with transparent sunlight.

By a river in Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province. Rare early autumn leaves fell overhead in the basin of Hanzhong.

Martial Alliance Headquarters.

This was a riverside somewhere in Hanzhong that had become a vital point in the martial world along with the Zhuge clan.

It was a scenic beauty that would make scholars and artists who took up music, chess, calligraphy and painting as their profession envious.

The Hwangbo and Namgung family being swept away by Desolate Fortress’s swords was just justification for forming the Alliance.

Since Desolate Fortress was established with the founding of Ming Dynasty, the orthodox sects across the world had been eagerly seeking to unite.

The vastness of the headquarters with even tributaries of the Yangtze River was proof. The dozens of palace complexes lined up on both sides of the small river were magnificent.

The Martial Alliance had been continuously built since ancient times.

However it did not enter Zhuge Xian’s eyes.

He felt spring in autumn.

Autumn’s gift placed on the dirt ground looked especially pretty. The maple leaves were vividly colored.

The beautiful young man slowly bent down. When he picked it up with his slightly extended fingertips and looked, the sunlight overlapped with the leaf creating a brilliant red light… After straightening up and gazing at it, the slightly wet leaf showed a bright color.

‘Like her.’

For a while.

The young man quietly looked down at the maple leaf.

“I heard you called.”

A smooth beautiful voice pushed away the sound of river water. In that moment, gentle ripples rose on the mirror-like water surface.

Zhuge Xian turned while fully spreading the fan behind his back.

The place he stood changed from a landscape painting to a portrait of a beauty. That’s how it seemed to the young man.

Zhuge Xian looked ahead.

A woman with white cloth wrapped around her eyes entered his view. Beauty that could make fish sink and geese fall. Like a descended fairy.

Sunlight rippled in her hair falling below her shoulders.

It was red hair contrasting with the pure white palace clothes she wore. The red gloss like silk was more beautiful than the maple leaves.

Zhuge Xian hid the leaf between his fingers behind his back. It was a subtle gesture.

“Lady Ye.”

He opened his mouth.

“I decided to participate in the Alliance Opening Tournament. If I obtain the Great Rejuvenation Pill we can make a mutually beneficial trade. You can cure your demon possession while I privately receive the Ye clan’s protection… Your wish to regain your original eyes and hair resonated with me. This Zhuge will support you.”

He speaks as if having made a big decision. The woman called Lady Ye’s lips rose slightly.

“Recent rumors say.”

She slowly parted her lips.

“If you cultivate Blood Flame Sect’s martial arts to the realm of demonic path, your hair turns black. While also gaining regenerative powers.”

“Your joke is harsh. Speaking such words in the middle of the Alliance…”

A bitter smile formed on the young man’s lips.

“Your hair was beautiful to begin with. It’s very different from those low-grade, turbid red hair of blood demons. You can guess just by how no one dares mention Blood Flame Sect to Lady Ye. Rather, don’t you just have many followers?”

Gentle conversation continued.

Mostly Zhuge Xian spoke. The woman silently listened and only occasionally dropped brief words, but even that brightened the young man’s expression.

Even he himself could feel it.

‘Of course.’

He thought nothing of it. Lady Ye was rarely charming. No, she was unique to Zhuge Xian.

He was slapped at their first meeting. It was when he was with the Ye Sword Sect’s master who had been invited as an Alliance official.

While discussing the Alliance Opening Tournament envoy and talking about the young supreme master of Desolate Fortress, he received criticism that his careless words and actions were making the Alliance’s supreme masters let their guard down.

From Lady Ye before him.

That determination.

Mighty martial arts unsuited to her age.

They said her hair changed color and she lost sight due to demon possession. Yet she could distinguish objects in all directions.

It meant her energy sense had reached a realm. Zhuge Xian thought.

If she hadn’t lost her eye techniques, she would have been a match for himself.

“I hope you can watch comfortably.”

Zhuge Xian said with a faint smile. While recalling news brought by the Alliance Opening’s messenger.

Radiant Demon Wing’s Lightning Genius. They said his martial arts were at a level comparable to the realm of major sect elders.

A key figure they should hope would not attend the Alliance Opening Tournament.

‘Even so he’s a rising supreme master. There must be other weaknesses. It would be good if he doesn’t come… but I should prepare. Master also ordered it.’

While putting aside his thoughts he urged Lady Ye to return together.

It was because the Zhuge clan’s residence and Ye clan’s quarters were close.

However she declined with a shake of her head. The reason was she didn’t want to mind others’ gazes.

Zhuge Xian turned back with regret.

He tried not to look back while moving his feet that were reluctant to leave.

After walking far, when he had moved far away.

“What a worthless thing.”

Seventh Apostle muttered.

* * *

Desolate Fortress’s Radiant Demon Wing quarters were unprecedentedly noisy. All sorts of workers and unfamiliar warriors were busily moving about. No one stopped them.

The Radiant Demon Wing warriors just stood blankly to one side watching valuable treasures come and go.

All fourteen supreme masters and twelve nameless disciples were the same.

“What’s all that?”

Shin So-bin who had just arrived from the training grounds showed an intrigued expression. Hyeon Won-chang shook his head and spoke.

“They say it’s all for Young Master Jeong. I heard they’re even borrowing the courtyard because there’s no place to store the goods.”

“Let’s see. Administrator’s Office servants and Grand Administrator’s warriors too. Looks like Lightning Genius’s achievements were tallied first. Since merit rewards come from the Administrator’s Office, this must all be the harvest from the Sichuan mission? Hmm…”

As if lost in thought, she put a finger under her chin and hummed.

Her expression looking at the servants and supreme masters of different affiliations was unusual.

Shin So-bin who grew up in a renowned martial family was well-versed in worldly matters. She could estimate the value of all sorts of items passing before her eyes.

“That’s not silk but cloth woven from heavenly silkworm thread? That porcelain that person is holding is white porcelain imported from the east… Wow, it’s extremely rare how… Silver isn’t enough, is it coming like this because gold is scarce? Hm? Those people are Ma clan supreme masters? Spirit jade bundles, and are all those precious swords they’re carrying in their arms being handed over for training?”

“That’s right.”

Ma Jin standing beside her said with a strange expression.

“The main family finally came to their senses. Support came without conditions. Very comprehensive.”

“Ah…”

Shin So-bin nodded.

“Come to think of it, Lightning Genius, no, the Leader was from a prestigious family. They said the previous Leader would soon become clan head, is Lady Zhou being cautious?”

“Maybe so.”

Ma Jin who was designated as the next Ma clan head responded.

Shin So-bin’s gaze moved elsewhere. Only the direction of Jeong Yeon-shin’s room was quiet.

Four warriors were blocking the door.

“Law Enforcement…? They must have come with the Administrator’s Office? What did they bring that Law Enforcement supreme masters are guarding directly?”

They were those who protected the fortress’s laws.

All were elite supreme masters wearing blue robes, and their extremely stern expressions blocking the room’s entrance were unusual.

Ma Jin answered briefly.

“Minor Rejuvenation Pill.”

***

Read only at nineheavens.org

Translated by Nine Heavens!

https://discord.gg/XC9DTsTQ9Z

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