Chapter 175 – Autumn Sword (3)

The new Radiant Demon Wing Leader mocked Henan’s Sword Venerable. They were both figures who could represent their respective sects.

These weren’t ordinary sects. The Desolate Fortress and the Heart Martial Alliance. The clash between two supreme masters was a major event.

“…I’ve become interested in your sword.”

Swimming Heaven Sword Ghost, Baek Seo-gun, said quietly.

She raised her left hand slightly. Not to draw her sword. With a light gesture, she brushed back her silver-white hair that now barely covered her nape.

Her bearing exuded a predator’s wildness.

Powerful energy waves flowed from her white neck up to her Solar Plexus acupoint at her temples. It was incredibly strong.

For the first time in nearly three years.

The supreme master called Sword Ghost by the regional king showed fighting spirit. It was rare enough to make even the Heart Martial Alliance’s forces hesitate.

Jeong Yeon-shin silently stared at her. The irregular energy waves emanating from her were very dense.

Though it didn’t seem like demonic path internal energy, her qi movements were as free-spirited as if reflecting her personality.

She was the type whose sword paths were hard to predict.

‘She’s strong.’

He recalled their brief exchange earlier.

The boy had originally aimed for Baek Seo-gun’s head. He had tried to behead her in one second.

It was because he sensed she was no ordinary swordsman the moment they met.

His internal injuries from West Peak Road and fatigue from running meant he had to end it quickly.

But his technique was blocked.

Baek Seo-gun’s defensive move was truly incredible. Like controlling a flying sword, she instantly caught his extending blade and created a counterattack trajectory.

A sword strike like lightning. It seemed to say, “If my head splits, your heart won’t be safe either.” It was a fearsome sword move.

Jeong Yeon-shin withdrew his technique while deflecting her sword. He felt the heavy sword force.

The residual energy waves from that sword clash had swept around Baek Seo-gun’s neck.

No master bothers protecting their hair with defensive energy. It had to be cut by the sharp energy.

The long hair that had been a symbol of mastery in the boy’s mind was cut then.

“You spoke of qualification.”

The Radiant Demon Wing Leader in black robes spoke calmly.

Baek Seo-gun didn’t answer. She just silently turned toward the boy.

Beneath her long crimson trouser hem, the soft sound of her red leather shoes pressing the stone ground echoed.

It contained dense true qi.

“…”

Silence flowed.

The encirclement of Heart Martial Alliance warriors surrounding them froze.

Many seemed unable to process what they were seeing, despite being warriors of a major sect.

The Little Sword Queen, who arrived after Murong Ming-jun and Gong Sun-min, also couldn’t speak. Only their expressions differed.

Murong Young Master intently watched the young master who had exchanged moves with Sword Ghost, while Gong family’s young master couldn’t hide his admiration.

Their reactions seemed completely opposite.

“Let me ask again.”

Jeong Yeon-shin, facing off against Baek Seo-gun, parted his lips.

“Do you know this Leader’s family?”

He addressed the Heart Martial Alliance’s Sword Venerable as an equal while gripping his lowered sword. This was unimaginable anywhere in vast Henan.

But Baek Seo-gun no longer pointed out his disrespect. As if deciding to treat him as a Desolate Fortress black rank.

“Of course I do.”

She smiled.

“I might know more about the Jeong family than you. I heard you left to study. You’re slightly short of my years. I’ve lived half a life longer.”

“Were you a guest of my family?”

“Well. Was the Jeong estate a family that could host martial world masters as guests?”

Baek Seo-gun, with a slight smile, and Jeong Yeon-shin, with calmly closed lips, faced each other.

Their crimson martial clothes and pitch-black robe created a stark contrast as they stared at each other.

When the boy remained silent, the conversation stopped, and neither the military force surrounding them in a large circle nor the young Martial Alliance warriors dared interrupt.

“Such arrogant conduct during famine.”

Only Desolate Hero’s spirit remained clear.

“For one who claims dignity through the sword.”

Hyeon Won-chang paid no mind to the encirclement’s gazes focused on him.

His earlier insubordination toward Lazy Flame Dragon seemed meaningless now.

With the nameless disciple watching in shock beside him, Hyeon Won-chang spoke again to his Leader.

“That Sword Ghost is an eccentric. Leader, if you want to defeat this military force and capture her, we should make some bet that would interest her. She doesn’t follow common sense. If something catches her fancy, she’d readily accept.”

“The child with a hero band has quite good insight. You seemed just sturdy before.”

Baek Seo-gun raised her long eyelashes. She looked surprised.

She turned her head again to take in Jeong Yeon-shin, her gaze sweeping over the boy’s whole body was quite strange.

It was like appreciating an artist’s masterpiece.

“You’ve grown up so well. I once thought your father had talent for teaching. He died after forging a vessel impossible to dream of for a third-rate martial family head. He must have died without regrets. That’s good.”

Her expression showed satisfaction. She spoke as if relieved of a burden. She seemed to find some comfort in Jeong Yeon-shin’s existence.

“…”

A small smile formed at the boy’s lips. It was tiny and faint.

As Baek Seo-gun tilted her head slightly, Hyeon Won-chang behind muttered. “Looking now, it’s all nonsense.”

But now her eyes were fully focused on Jeong Yeon-shin.

“It was truly unexpected. That a Jeong family descendant would join Desolate Fortress. Your father had no heroic qualities. Did you consider support from your maternal family?”

Baek Seo-gun remained relaxed even after facing the Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s sword techniques and showed even more interest in the boy.

Her words, which could be either questions or monologue, were self-centered. Yet her gaze seemed to engrave even Jeong Yeon-shin’s breathing in her eyes.

The term eccentric fit well.

“I didn’t realize after leaving, but meeting like this brings strange emotions. I see Pan Yue in your face.”

She kept touching the ends of her hair. A supreme master is the embodiment of martial arts with energy circulating through their whole body.

The rustling sound from her qi reached across to him. She seemed to like the short hair.

“Pan Yue?”

Jeong Yeon-shin unconsciously asked back. It was his father’s courtesy name. They must have been quite close…

“If I hadn’t made a big choice, I might have walked through Xinye County holding your hand. It’s fine though. You received plenty of love I couldn’t give. Seeing your healthy complexion. I’m curious how you were raised.”

Baek Seo-gun smiled and said.

Did she mistake the Dynamic Tehcnique’s effects for parental care?

***

Read only at nineheavens.org

Translated by Nine Heavens!

https://discord.gg/XC9DTsTQ9Z

***

That’s when.

Hyeon Won-chang, who had been watching, stepped forward.

“The Tyrant Sword Sect and Heart Martial Alliance are no different. You’re blind despite having eyes.”

“Oh?”

“You might know the Leader’s maternal family is connected to Desolate Fortress, but you don’t know the intimate details of his family circumstances. That’s natural, of course. But speaking as if you know while being ignorant is a separate matter.”

He spoke of family matters. Baek Seo-gun’s eyes flashed.

“Tell me more.”

Her attention instantly focused. She wasn’t the only one who fully turned her gaze.

Not just Lazy Flame Dragon and Little Sword Queen, but also the Alliance figures, including Gong Sun-min and the Heart Martial Alliance warriors.

Their positions and factions all differed. Their reasons for focusing varied.

Information about the new Radiant Demon Wing Leader was rare. It was rarely revealed in the martial world.

There was no better clue for predicting a mysterious supreme master’s actions than their background.

Events that revealed their character, grudges between sects and individuals, matters of bloodline. Books compiling famous masters’ personal information were traded for large sums. Even those were uncommon.

Whether from personal curiosity or hostility, they had to pay attention.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s expression sank.

‘Divine Hero Hyeon is buying time. We need to think of a way to escape.’

This wasn’t fitting for a life-and-death battle from the start.

It balanced between tension and relaxation. Thanks to Sword Ghost’s free-spirited and eccentric nature. A temporary peace.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s concern played a part too. They were in the middle of enemy territory. Rashly starting a battle might cost his companions’ lives.

Two hundred military force plus Sword Ghost.

Unless he brought the full-strength Radiant Demon Wing, fighting was impossible.

Originally, Jeong Yeon-shin had planned to block the gorge while letting his companions escape. He thought he could manage briefly.

‘No. It would be difficult.’

Sword Star’s intelligence was wrong.

Swimming Heaven Sword Ghost’s martial might, said to be undefeated in Henan, wasn’t properly measured. She was even stronger than rumored.

She survived one exchange despite having her technique blocked by Jeong Yeon-shin’s unprecedented sword move.

In the realm of supreme masters, yielding initiative but avoiding loss was remarkable. It was hard to calculate odds of victory.

‘There are trained soldiers too. I can’t handle this here.’

The boy slowly parted his lips.

“Only Divine Sword Group Leader knows my background.”

“I’ll stay silent.”

Hyeon Won-chang immediately sealed his mouth. Even when Lazy Flame Dragon, who knew nothing, jabbed his side asking to tell him through voice transmission, he didn’t speak.

Little Sword Queen and Gong Sun-min also showed great interest. They just seemed to hold back questions due to the tense situation.

Doubt showed on Baek Seo-gun’s face too.

“Tell me. What did I see wrong?”

“Go back to the Heart Martial Alliance and find out. That’s your business.”

“My business was seeing your face.”

“That’s not my concern. Stop the plundering and return. If you don’t comply, count half your subordinates’ heads as gone.”

The Radiant Demon Wing Leader, still gripping his sword, spoke quietly. It was a calm threat.

Having just crossed swords with the Heart Martial Alliance’s Sword Venerable and cut her hair, it wouldn’t be taken as empty words by anyone.

Indeed, it wasn’t. The encirclement stirred for a moment. Though the trained military force’s expressions remained stern, they couldn’t hide their energy waves.

They could kill the Radiant Demon Wing Leader. But if this force took near-annihilating damage, the achievement would be meaningless.

Baek Seo-gun stared at the boy silently for a moment.

She very slowly parted her lips.

“You’re clearly Jeong Dae-myeong’s son, but you’re not like him. I want to know about your life.”

“I’m no longer curious about you.”

“You, you’re clearly not at full strength. How many days did you run? Did you come straight here from West Peak Road?”

“…”

“Take a rest for now. Though your energy waves are surprisingly sharp, I don’t want to face a limp sword.”

“Why show such kindness?”

“I have ties to the Jeong Family. Though I threw them away long ago, seeing you brings strange feelings. Are there any other survivors?”

“No.”

“You’re lying. That’s fine. I can find out later. Have you learned to drink?”

“I don’t enjoy it.”

“That’s a shame. With a body trained to that level, most poisons would be medicine. I’ll just barely loosen up my body then.”

Suddenly, her lips curved up. It was an inscrutable smile.

“Come to think of it, I’ve never received a drink from a Jeong family direct descendant in my life.”

“…You speak of drinking together here?”

“I’ll spare one person for each drink you accept. Since you seem to value your companions, seeing how you rushed in recklessly, I’ll release them one by one on my title as Sword Ghost. But keep your subordinates bound here.”

It was a conversation hard to follow with common sense. They said the martial world had many eccentric heroes. Sword Ghost was one of them.

She had become a strange person. Even setting aside her mystique as a supreme master wielding flying swords, that was true.

Growing up as a servant in a countryside family, she had long enjoyed all sorts of precious things and high authority until her spirit grew dull.

That’s why she had tracked Lightning Genius’s movements and come to Hanzhong after hearing rumors about the Jeong estate.

She couldn’t easily pass up even small sources of emotion.

Like how some officials who passed the imperial exams from the countryside return home after long years seeking peace.

A drinking session was arranged.

Two supreme masters sat facing each other with one cup and one wine bottle.

Two hundred people surrounded the drinking table. The widest hill in Seven Multitudes Gorge filled with silent crowds. Along with a chilling tension.

“You drink first.”

Baek Seo-gun wrapped her long fingers around the wine bottle. It was her sword-wielding right hand.

As she looked at the boy with a faint smile, his eyes also took in her whole body.

Her pinky moved last when gripping the bottle. It would be the same when gripping a sword.

The energy waves extending from the Lesser Surge acupoint beside her smooth pinky nail were weakest.

It meant her sword techniques were free-flowing. When not using flying swords, she seemed to use flashy swift sword techniques…

Her right arm, visible through the crimson sleeve, also caught his eye. The elegantly trained muscles were apparent.

Though she had the nimble build of a supreme master swordsman, the shadows of the muscles from her triceps down to the extensor muscles below her thumb were slightly darker.

Her body itself was a precious sword. It was structured optimally for fluid sword techniques.

It was worth incorporating into the Dynamic technique.

‘Should I blend in Eternal Blossom Fist’s principles too? As moves resembling Seven Multitudes Gorge’s fierce wind.’

Since he began to create new sword techniques.

His perspective had changed again. All things under heaven became inspiration for sword techniques.

Like having a sword residing in his expanded Hundred Meetings acupoint, he took both people and nature as nourishment without discrimination.

Lightning constantly flashed in the boy’s mind. Originally, when discussing divine techniques through sword techniques, one move wasn’t enough.

He grew stronger while seated.

The young Radiant Demon Wing Leader raised his cup in the sunset.