Chapter 159 – Radiant Demon Wing Leader (2)

After saving the commoners, Jeong Yeon-shin’s group immediately entered Hanzhong.

The checkpoint guards’ eyes widened upon seeing the rough “Desolate” character and Desolate Fortress identification.

Desolate Fortress warriors must freely traverse the martial world.

Naturally they couldn’t be bound by residence permits like commoners, but they also couldn’t live as non-citizens like other martial artists.

This was because the nation’s tacit support and banner of stabilizing people’s lives sustained Desolate Fortress.

The Desolate Fortress identification with its engraved golden tree pattern served as proof of status.

However, checkpoints were often delayed. This was because it was a rare instance even across all under heaven.

“We greet the renowned masters of Desolate Fortress.”

Hanzhong was different. Perhaps because it was such a large city. They were let through immediately upon seeing the “Desolate” character and identification.

Most kept their eyes on Jeong Yeon-shin. It was closer to reverence than wariness.

They seemed to know what the attire meant about Desolate Fortress’s hierarchy.

“To become a Desolate Fortress Leader at such a young age, you must possess talent beyond what ordinary people can imagine. However, our Hanzhong has long been the Martial Alliance’s territory. The Zhuge clan has been laying groundwork for decades, and now they’ve used Desolate Fortress as justification to convene this ceremony. I hope you’ll be especially careful.”

The gate guard offered advice. He was well-versed in worldly matters.

Jeong Yeon-shin recalled Jinping County in Shaanxi where he had gone on his first mission.

‘The county magistrate looked down on Desolate Fortress. But Hanzhong’s guards are different from the start.’

He returned the greeting with a martial salute before passing through the city gate. At the same time, an extremely busy and noisy atmosphere touched his skin.

“Fine pottery for sale!”

“Potatoes imported from the Western Regions!”

“Taste the world’s delicacies at the Great Cloud Inn!”

Markets lined both sides of the wide main road. It was incredibly prosperous.

At a glance, hundreds of commoners and martial artists were either haggling at their spots or walking around.

It reminded him of the streets of Xiangyang where Desolate Fortress was located.

The implications were significant.

“The Martial Alliance’s foundation is quite impressive? Seems like it could match Desolate Fortress’s base.”

Lazy Flame Dragon walking on the right said. He spoke while lowering the reins he held while walking.

“If the city hosting their headquarters is already this vibrant, it’s hard to imagine how much bigger it’ll grow consuming the logistics of an orthodox sect alliance. Won’t the Martial Alliance’s symbolism deepen as Hanzhong grows? From the start, famine is only hell for those who have nothing. The world’s wealth and food naturally concentrate where power is strongest.”

It suited someone who had been a prestigious family’s young master. Despite his glib and jaded temperament, he had sharp insight.

“Are you talking to me?”

Jeong Yeon-shin asked. Lazy Flame Dragon quickly turned his head.

“How could that be? I must use honorifics with the Leader, yes. I’m just talking to myself.”

“Watch your conduct.”

The boy vaguely acknowledged the advice. It was hard for him to express himself in a way that wasn’t awkward for a civilian.

These days it was especially so. Hyeon Won-chang smiled and Namgung Hwa-shin’s lips rose slightly.

Only the Diancang disciples couldn’t join the conversation and awkwardly followed. Only Little Sword Queen smiled somewhat blankly.

While walking the straight main road from Hanzhong’s gate.

As the group that had dismounted pulled their horses’ reins while walking, people around who recognized Desolate Fortress’s attire began stopping one by one.

Some even ran inside.

Hyeon Won-chang opened his mouth.

“There will be countless provocations. They probably didn’t invite demonic path sects, so Desolate Fortress must be quite the thorn in their side.”

“I’m already bored. How many barbed words will be hidden behind orthodox sect’s characteristic pretense? I feel the stuffy atmosphere seeping into my bones.”

Lazy Flame Dragon said while lowering his eyes. His slightly furrowed brow looked languid.

His words continued.

“Isn’t it simple from the start? Safely hold the Alliance Opening Tournament, and plant the fortress’s dignity in their festival… They can’t openly harm us either, so we just need to watch for ambushes? They might even prevent that from their side. The host is responsible for envoys’ safety. We just need to mind appearances.”

“Those appearances are a life-or-death mission, you nameless one. Just the sects that signed the Martial Alliance’s joint petition number over a hundred by current estimates. Tremendous eyes will be watching us.”

Hyeon Won-chang also had expertise in handling Lazy Flame Dragon.

Though he sometimes shrank from the young master’s characteristic bearing that occasionally showed through, the Desolate Divine Hero fundamentally despised major sects.

He would scold Lazy Flame Dragon on Jeong Yeon-shin’s behalf using the hierarchy between white rank and nameless.

“If not for lack of time, I’d go straight to blue rank from the Sichuan mission.”

Lazy Flame Dragon clicked his tongue.

“I should achieve something big at this Alliance Opening too. I’ll show a two-rank promotion unprecedented in fortress history. I’ll aim straight for blue rank.”

During their conversation, the Alliance headquarters came into view.

It seemed impregnable just from its presence.

A form embracing land too vast to take in at a glance.

The huge single-layer wall rising up looked as solid as city walls.

Hanzhong was a vital point of Central Plains transportation – it was unclear how they obtained such land.

It reminded him of Desolate Fortress. The moat was similar too. The Martial Alliance headquarters was surrounded by a wide waterfront like a belt.

Though meaningless to martial artists who had cultivated profound body protection techniques, it seemed meant to display the Alliance’s dignity.

“This… looks too much like the fortress no matter how I look at it. Isn’t it too similar?”

Hyeon Won-chang muttered.

The path laid over the moat toward the entrance was incredibly wide. Dozens could come and go at once.

Couriers safely transporting goods, merchant groups coming to trade, martial artists belonging to sects affiliated with the Martial Alliance… Though quieter than Hanzhong’s entrance, the solemn atmosphere stood out because of that.

“Desolate…? Desolate Fortress…!”

One person stopped upon seeing the group.

The black robe with golden “Desolate” character leading the front was quite eye-catching. Any martial artist of the Martial Alliance would recognize it immediately.

The atmosphere changed instantly. Movement ceased among those crossing the moat.

Amid the murmuring, obvious references could be heard. Desolate Fortress, black robe, Lightning Genius, White Qilin, Lazy Flame Dragon…

“Time to announce our names.”… Hyeon Won-chang said with an deliberately hearty laugh.

His fame in Xuzhou where he had been a civil official was quite far from Hanzhong. No one recognized the Desolate Divine Hero.

No one moved until the group crossed the moat’s bridge.

The expressions of the warriors guarding the entrance hardened. They only straightened their posture after Hyeon Won-chang stepped forward beside Jeong Yeon-shin.

One warrior faced Hyeon Won-chang.

“Where from…”

Perhaps trying to maintain appearances. Though everyone would know, he still deliberately asked.

“From Desolate Fortress. Radiant Demon Wing.”

“…Bring the register.”

The warrior who had responded to Hyeon Won-chang said while slightly turning back. A gate guard who appeared to be his subordinate immediately approached.

He held a brush dipped in ink and a book. It seemed to record the identities of those entering and leaving the Alliance headquarters.

“See you inside.”

The Diancang disciples entered first. Along with Little Sword Queen’s greeting with a wink.

“Hyeon Won-chang, white rank warrior of Radiant Demon Wing under Desolate Fortress’s Divine Sword Group. Known by the title Desolate Divine Hero. Here is my identification.”

Hyeon Won-chang, Lazy Flame Dragon, and Namgung Hwa-shin proved their identities in turn.

When Lazy Flame Dragon and Namgung Hwa-shin gave their names, quite a commotion arose.

The feeling of ‘maybe’ changing to ‘it really is’. This was because they had made their names as the strongest rising talents of the Eight Families.

Now they had become swords of Desolate Fortress appearing at the Martial Alliance, so the gazes toward the two young masters couldn’t help but be strange.

They seemed mixed with bitterness and hostility.

“Next…”

The gatekeeper’s lips parted then stopped.

Tension briefly flowed. The identity of the final person the gatekeeper meant to call was obvious.

With dragon and qilin in tow, the boy in black robes could only be Lightning Genius Jeong Yeon-shin. He was a rising supreme master who had recently rapidly made his name known.

Those who knew well about the martial world tended not to speak of Desolate Fortress’s black rank masters.

Since a military force dwelled in one person’s body, they were those who executed even orthodox sect martial artists under the banner of stabilizing people’s lives.

Their very existence was close to taboo in the righteous martial world.

Radiant Demon Wing Leader Lightning Genius.

He had greatly contributed to having Desolate Fortress’s three military forces strike the Hwangbo family. He had directly participated in the life-and-death battle with the Namgung direct line too.

It was truly intricate. He was a master deeply involved in the justifications the Martial Alliance had proclaimed for forming their alliance.

“…”

It was when silence fell over the moat’s bridge.

Whoosh- Thud.

A young man wearing a green scholar’s robe stepped down. He was between the Desolate Fortress masters and gatekeepers.

He held a fan made with steel ribs, carrying a strange dignity along with his scholarly bearing.

Swish.

He turned toward Jeong Yeon-shin. The young man gave a martial salute while gripping his fan reversed.

“I am Zhuge Xian. Though I commit a great discourtesy at our first meeting, I have long admired Leader’s fame after hearing of it. I humbly request a duel with Radiant Demon Wing Leader.”

They were words that deepened the surrounding silence. Now passersby’s toes had completely turned.

Rather than subtly watching the Desolate Fortress masters, they sought to become witnesses to any interesting incident that might occur.

“How very sudden. He wasn’t that kind of person…?”

Lazy Flame Dragon muttered. As the Hwangbo family’s young master he seemed acquainted with Zhuge Xian.

“Here?”

Jeong Yeon-shin quietly asked. At the same time he felt Zhuge Xian’s gaze. It swept over the Northern Light sword at his waist once.

His senses sharpened by his upper dantian clearly caught that glance. A strange power dwelled in Zhuge Xian’s pupils.

‘Look at those eyes.’

The boy thought.

Among the countless martial arts under heaven, there existed eye techniques. Martial arts for cultivating ways of seeing.

They said well-made eye techniques granted vision beyond martial arts level. It was drawing out dynamic vision to the extreme.

‘Something feels off.’

Fan Dragon Zhuge Xian.

Winning wasn’t the goal. Rather than daring to hope for victory, he seemed to have some scheme.

It felt like drawing a big picture rather than ending with a one-time thing.

Jeong Yeon-shin tilted his head slightly to the side. What plot had he stepped into as soon as setting foot at the Alliance entrance?

It wasn’t much different from the sense he had recognized when facing Zhongnan Sword Immortal.

“A few exchanges would be fine.”

He accepted the duel for now.

A faint smile formed on Zhuge Xian’s lips. It was a strange smile.

“I gratefully accept.”

An untimely dueling space was created. It was on the unusually wide moat bridge.

All sorts of voices spread instantly, and the Alliance headquarters’ main gate was surrounded by crowds.

They came from Hanzhong’s marketplace to inside the Alliance headquarters. People surrounding the two exchanged words with curious faces.

“Desolate Fortress truly brings storms wherever they go!”

“To think Fan Dragon would directly request a duel. But isn’t he too respectful? Even if his status is high, he’s not even twenty.”

“Keep your mouth shut. You know too little about worldly matters. If you truly knew what that black robe meant, you could never utter such words.”

“We get to witness the sword arts of a Leader belonging to the Divine Sword Group…! What a blessed day!”

The duel between young man and boy who had been briefly staring at each other began suddenly.

Whoosh!

Zhuge Xian facing Jeong Yeon-shin planted his right foot. Very light true steps contained lofty principles.

Dust spread through gaps between his sole and ground. At the same time, energy rising like a whirlwind up the bridge was visible.

After the true steps came a strike.

The steel fan spread wide while charging horizontally.

Normally, iron fans were used as blunt weapons, but the Zhuge Clan’s fan techniques seemed to be different.

Energy gathered between the fan ribs seemed to each create whirlwinds.

‘Interesting.’

The corners of the boy’s mouth rose slightly. It was the moment Zhuge Xian unleashed his technique.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s pitch-black trouser hem rose sharply. He leapt as if stepping on air.

The boy stood firmly on the steel fan ribs with his leather shoes.

Thud.

His hands were clasped behind his back. He hadn’t drawn his sword.

Because Zhuge Xian’s gaze felt strange earlier, and he clearly recalled the mission Desolate Divine Spear had mentioned.

He just had to bring them shame somehow. Whatever schemes the Martial Alliance had didn’t matter.

‘Wind Body.’

He unleashed the body protection technique he had created recently.

While emitting subtle energy waves from his whole body, he didn’t come down from the fan as if weightless like a feather… A feeling like riding clouds spread from beneath his feet.

It was quite fun. The sensation of his clothes and body swaying together was very novel.

He varied the minute energy throughout his body according to Zhuge Xian’s hand movements and fan energy.

By changing his center of gravity each moment, he ended up gliding through the air along with the fan ribs.

“What… is this…!”

Zhuge Xian seemed quite flustered. His straight eyebrows distorted.

“…”

The surroundings that had been stirring with anticipation for young masters’ clash froze.

Someone muttered something like “crossing the river on a reed”. It was the tale of Bodhidharma crossing the Yangtze on a single reed.

The fan of the Zhuge young master renowned for fan techniques could be likened to a reed leaf on the river’s waves.

“Radiant Demon Wing Leader! What are you…!”

Until a middle-aged master from the Yue family of Shandong shouted.

“Since your noble Alliance’s rising talent requested a duel with this Leader…”

The boy’s bearing was extremely elegant. Standing at the fan’s end looking down indifferently.

His posture with hands clasped behind even created a strange charm.

“I am just imparting a lesson.”

Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t think it was mockery. It was a proper contest of martial arts both had seriously cultivated.

Enjoying the imagery, history and principles dwelling within while clashing absolute arts was the boy’s only pleasure.

The boy deliberately stayed longer before coming down. It was a truly exquisite moment. It was right before the Yue family master could thrust his spear.

After taking the Yue family spear master’s breath away, Jeong Yeon-shin calmly unclasped his hands. Now he seemed like a boy his own age.

“Though a weapon’s techniques are important, body movement achievement should come first.”

Silence briefly flowed. Those enchanted by the overwhelming sight couldn’t take their eyes off the boy in black robes.

Commoners and martial artists, men and women, young and old all wore expressions of having witnessed unprecedented arts. It seemed to reach everyone as a rare spectacle.

“As expected of the genius I chose. Truly wise advice.”

Lazy Flame Dragon clapped alone while breaking the silence. He even nodded. Jeong Yeon-shin could clearly see his intentions.

Whether he truly admired it was unclear, but flattery was certainly a large part of it.

He had heard that the Leader’s evaluation greatly helped in erasing his status as young master of a treasonous family.

“Covering incompetence with flattery isn’t right. It’s the conduct of a treacherous official.”

“…”

Jeong Yeon-shin turned toward the gatekeeper.

“I will enter the headquarters. Guide me.”

“…Follow me.”

The head of the gate guards turned with a dazed expression.

Zhuge Xian remained standing blankly without moving, and the Yue family’s veteran master seemed reluctant to risk clashing with Desolate Fortress’s young Leader.

He just grimly gestured to the Alliance guards with his chin. To drive away the spectators.

For a moment only the footsteps of the Radiant Demon Wing group and gatekeepers echoed.

The black, blue, white and nameless robes moved away toward the wide entrance.

Even as they were pushed back by the guards, people watched those departing figures. The steps were strangely serene and leisurely.

Summer had been long. But it had an end.

Now autumn had come.

Above, leaves fell in brilliant red. A gust of autumn wind blew behind Jeong Yeon-shin’s group.

The wind threading through the red leaves was subtle like a humble painter’s brushstrokes. As if naturally demonstrating the boy’s mighty martial power as Radiant Demon Wing Leader.

***

Read only at nineheavens.org

Translated by Nine Heavens!

https://discord.gg/XC9DTsTQ9Z

***

The Alliance leadership deliberately sent Fan Dragon, a rising talent. The outcome didn’t matter.

No one had discussed Zhuge Xian’s chances of victory to begin with. It was enough to test how accurate the traces obtained from Azure Qilin Namgung Se-jin’s corpse were.

It was to extract the martial arts of the Radiant Demon Wing Leader on a smaller scale, and ultimately the Divine Sword Group Leader’s sword techniques.

The Martial Alliance had many with good eyes.

The Zhuge clan’s eye techniques had long been renowned for their profundity. Along with the formations they commanded.

The Murong clan was formidable too. Having obtained the Ming Cult’s eye techniques from an unknown heavenly demon’s tomb.

“He didn’t even draw his sword?”

A middle-aged man with distinctly black eyebrows muttered.

Wind Water Mystic Master Zhuge Qian. He was head of the Zhuge clan’s Virtuous Heaven Squad.

[TL Note- Wind Water Mystic, the term refers to a traditional Chinese practice of harmonizing individuals with their environment by optimizing the flow of qi through spatial arrangement.]

With the Alliance Leader and Zhuge Clan Head away to review the restored traces of the Divine Sword Group Leader’s sword techniques, he now sat in the Grand Strategist’s seat as acting commander-in-chief.

“Leader, Radiant Demon Wing Leader of Desolate Fortress requests an audience.”

A pleasantly refined voice rang out from beyond the elegant curtain.

It was the voice of a servant brought directly from the Zhuge clan. Zhuge Qian immediately parted his lips.

“Let him in.”

As he granted entry, he moved his arm.

He picked up several Go stones placed on the armrest and threw them here and there. The air instantly grew heavy.

The Zhuge clan’s absolute arts said to rival Blood Flame Sect in formation techniques had activated.

Heavy Wind Spreading Wall Formation. It was installed along with the headquarters’ construction to protect the Alliance Leader’s hall.

An absolute formation that raised mystical walls outside while creating sharp sword winds inside.

It was the realm of formation techniques. Black leather shoes appeared beneath the curtain. By now the servant and Radiant Demon Wing Leader must have faced the barrier.

Where else would they have seen an invisible wall preventing stepping through space. Formation techniques exerting physical force were rare in the world.

Martial artists couldn’t break it with ordinary means. Common knowledge was useless.

Even before supreme masters, formation masters of the upper realm could create zones of mutual non-aggression.

‘Too overt deterrence would be poor strategy but…’

Zhuge Qian thought. There were many ways to understand someone’s character, but in his experience nothing beat provoking anger.

At least in the martial world that was true. The Martial Alliance’s opening ceremonies would be a long-running event.

He had to grasp the young Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s temperament and probe for weaknesses.

Martial arts verses drew power from mental imagery. Internal energy was just a means to materialize martial arts principles.

Much could be gained by frequently disrupting the Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s state of mind.

It would increase the chances of Alliance martial artists winning the Alliance Opening Tournament. They might even extract information about Desolate Fortress.

If at his young age he couldn’t control rising anger, he might display unsightly behavior before everyone.

It would lower Desolate Fortress’s dignity.

“I said let him in.”

Just as Zhuge Qian deliberately raised his voice.

Whoosh-

A hand pierced through the center of the green silk curtain… It was the form of a straight extended hand. Zhuge Qian felt an eerie chill in that instant.