Chapter 183 – Swordsman (6)

Hyeon Won-chang’s words were quite comical. It was a wit rarely seen in Hanzhong.

Laughter rippled through the spectator stands encircling the sparring stage. It wasn’t loud.

The opponent was a venerable swordsman of the Murong Family. Boisterous mockery wasn’t an option.

Few in this setting disregarded the Martial Alliance Conference’s scrutiny. Only the Divine Hero of Desolate Fortress could pull it off.

“…I’d advise you to keep your subordinate in check.”

The Heaven-Treading Sword Leader spoke, his nape still at the mercy of the young Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s extraordinary sword.

“He’s a mudfish. A ruffian who stretches his legs without checking his bedding. Radiant Demon Wing Leader, one day he’ll drag you down. A man who constantly earns the grudges of major factions—his end is predictable. He’s doomed to a turbulent life as a martial artist.”

He spat the words bitterly.

The Divine Hero of Desolate Fortress, Hyeon Won-chang, had become a figure of note among the Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s entourage. He was second only to Jeong Yeon-shin himself.

It began with his significant role in pushing the Radiant Demon Wing Leader into the Opening Tournament. He wielded public opinion with the full backing of Desolate Fortress’s envoy strength.

A man who could dance with a blade over the smallest justification. A particularly lethal figure to the righteous martial world.

The Heaven-Treading Sword Leader narrowed his eyes.

“A warrior commanding a martial force ought to take responsibility for his subordinates’ conduct. Your quagmire might be closer than you think. Among the refined warriors of the righteous major factions, no one would favor such a lout.”

He spoke as if genuinely concerned. The boy tilted his head slightly, sword still poised.

“Didn’t you just lose in one exchange? Your tongue runs long.”

“…”

“How crude. Step down.”

Jeong Yeon-shin tightened his grip on the Northern Light Divine Sword’s hilt, angling the blade.

He nudged the Heaven-Treading Sword Leader’s nape with the flat of the sword, then lowered its trajectory gracefully, sheathing it with a painterly flourish.

The middle-aged swordsman, stepping back, bit his lip. It was a humiliation for anyone.

‘Only someone like him would use such a technique.’

The boy thought. He marveled anew at the utility of the void strike bestowed by the Lord of Desolate Fortress.

Refining it alongside his new swordsmanship had brought it to a point where he could claim a thirty percent success rate against peers of equal caliber.

Unless facing a supreme master specializing in ocular techniques, detection meant instant death was on the table.

It more than offset the drawback of being hard to reuse twice.

‘An illusive strike steals the opponent’s breath.’

The skills of Radiant Demon Wing Leader Jeong Yeon-shin grew day by day.

Like the seasoned masters of the martial world with their myriad ingenious methods, the boy too was stepping into the realm of the eccentric.

It was a process of maturing into a full-fledged black-rank warrior of Desolate Fortress.

Step.

The Heaven-Treading Sword Leader turned roughly. The hem of his pale pink trousers scraped the air harshly.

The Murong Family’s distinctive attire faded before the Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s black robes in that moment.

“…Warrior Jeong Yeon-shin has won.”

At the edge of the sparring stage, Zhuge Qian, serving as the judge of victory, declared.

Only then did cheers leak from various spots in the spectator stands.

While hesitant to shame the Alliance’s warriors, few held back their fervor for Desolate Fortress’s master.

Where the boy’s gaze passed, occasional shouts erupted. From men and women, young and old alike.

“Look here, look here! How can a person look like that? Like a noble scion!”

“The Heaven-Treading Sword Leader is one of the Murong Family’s top swordsmen…”

“This keeps broadening my horizons! Xiao Qi, pack your trade goods anew within two days and don’t take your eyes off the main gate. Let’s follow their route back to Xiangyang. The path will be incredibly safe.”

“We should connect with the new Radiant Demon Wing Leader. We can’t delay any longer, can we?”

Jeong Yeon-shin stepped forward, leaving the cacophony behind. He adjusted the black collar of his disheveled robe as he walked.

It was the second day since his intrusion. Today’s final opponent had been the Heaven-Treading Sword Leader.

The boy had sent every challenger down on this second day as well. A perfect record.

Two more days and nights, and his mission would conclude. Whatever the outcome.

“How’s the sword wound from the Sword Ghost?”

Lazy Flame Dragon asked, catching up. His elusive movement technique brought him to Jeong Yeon-shin’s side.

It was a path behind the sparring stage. Inaccessible to the crowd. A narrow lane used by Opening Tournament participants returning to the Alliance’s pavilions.

Warriors lining both sides stood guard, ignoring the pair.

Only a few offered eye-contact salutes of respect to the young Radiant Demon Wing Leader.

“It’s improving.”

The boy muttered softly, glancing at Hyeon Won-chang, who landed beside him like a gust.

“The Divine Hero of Desolate Fortress is earning the meal of ten Lazy Flame Dragons.”

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke evenly. A response came promptly.

“Don’t worry, Leader. The Radiant Demon Wing is like birds of shared fate. Every warrior flaps their wings alongside you. All my tongue-wagging is solely for the troupe’s gain and your elevation—no chance I’d shrink from it.”

Hyeon Won-chang grinned as he spoke.

“If this young master counts as ten, we’d need to form a new martial force.”

Lazy Flame Dragon, recently reduced to the Radiant Demon Wing’s freeloader, quipped slyly. The group reached the Fragrant Melody Courtyard amid casual banter.

It was a residence provided by the Martial Alliance. Contrary to the leadership’s intent to make it a hub of commotion, it served a different purpose.

More came bearing goodwill than hostility.

The provocation of Desolate Fortress warriors planting the bold “Desolate” flag on the sparring stage.

Rejection wasn’t tolerated. The Opening Tournament’s format had to change.

They needed to breach the martial wall erected by the young supreme master and snap the flagpole. That’s how martial artists upheld their honor.

Over two days.

Twenty-three Alliance masters fell in succession.

The Radiant Demon Wing Leader revealed a truly formidable presence. Even with the ten-exchange duel limit, no ambiguous outcomes emerged.

The might of Desolate Fortress’s leader spread far and wide. Visitors inevitably multiplied.

Merchants from Huoguang eager to trade, escort agencies seeking aid for their routes, and some Alliance warriors whose motives—friendship or espionage—were hard to discern.

***

Read only at nineheavens.org

Translated by Nine Heavens!

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***

Thump! Thump!

It wouldn’t be odd for a knock to sound now. Barely a quarter-hour had passed since their arrival.

Seated on the open veranda overlooking the courtyard, Jeong Yeon-shin heard a familiar voice.

“Yeon-shin!”

A boy’s voice. An unexpected visitor, unrelated to the duel’s outcome. Only one person in the Alliance could call him so casually.

“Come in.”

Jeong Yeon-shin replied calmly.

Before the servants could approach, the gate opened on its own. The figure peeking in wasn’t Mount Hua’s Yu Hyeon.

A somewhat vacant-looking woman entered with a playful smile. Little Sword Queen Qu Su-yu.

A dark-hued sword dangled from the waist of her vermilion silk tunic. In one hand, she held a jade-green gourd bottle.

“I tried moving my throat muscles with vital energy—seems it worked pretty well…”

She brushed back the hair below her ear awkwardly with her other hand. This time, it was her own voice.

Prodigies with an innate sense of internal energy control often manipulated parts of their body like disguise techniques.

The core principle of Jeong Yeon-shin’s Wind Body movement technique stemmed from this too. Full-body energy emission. The key difference was wielding meridian and muscle shifts across the entire frame.

The boy, seated formally, gazed at the Little Sword Queen.

“What’s the matter?”

“I wanted to hold a toast of gratitude. This is grain tea.”

She said, gently shaking the jade gourd bottle to show him.

She’d been captured alongside Lazy Flame Dragon by the Heart Martial Alliance forces under the Swimming Heaven Sword Ghost occupying Sevenfold Gorge.

She’d always shown keen interest in Jeong Yeon-shin’s martial arts, and since being rescued by him, she acted as familiarly as Yu Hyeon.

Gong Sun-min, appearing behind her, was no different.

“Greetings to the Radiant Demon Wing Leader. Are Desolate Fortress’s young heroes at peace today?”

His grin was quite informal. He’d reportedly reclaimed Murong Ming-jun’s sword.

The blade Jeong Yeon-shin had used to wield the Myriads Flower  Rain. Gong Sun-min had bragged about it once.

He’d stored it in the guest quarters of the Gong Family, an Alliance affiliate.

“Hah, what a sight. The next Diancang Sect Leader mimicking Mount Hua’s top disciple?”

Lazy Flame Dragon muttered incredulously, sprawled across a table by the courtyard pond.

The Radiant Demon Wing’s eldest unnamed disciple, chewing opium poppy seeds, continued.

“No alcohol. Our Leader hasn’t grown enough yet.”

He tossed out a flimsy excuse.

‘Clumsy concern.’

Jeong Yeon-shin knew why his inept, aged subordinate acted this way. The sword wound from the Swimming Heaven Sword Ghost, Baek Seo-gun.

A scar etched by Henan’s Sword Venerable. The internal energy within its force wave was staggeringly deep.

Drinking would let the liquor’s toxins affect the wound.

A duel with Mount Hua’s Sword Saint loomed.

The Radiant Demon Wing warriors were focused on elevating their leader’s condition to its peak.

Even Namgung Hwa-shin had left to procure potent elixirs through his connections.

The leader of Mount Hua’s Plum Blossom Swordsmen was a foe hard to contend with, even in perfect health. Below elder rank, he was deemed the mightiest swordsman.

By contrast, the Little Sword Queen knew nothing of it. She hadn’t witnessed Jeong Yeon-shin’s clash with Baek Seo-gun.

Her effort to lift her drooping eyes betrayed her confusion at the odd remark.

“Didn’t you drink heavily with the Swimming Heaven Sword Ghost last time…?”

“This young master said no.”

Lazy Flame Dragon stared at her with clear eyes. The Little Sword Queen’s expression turned dazed.

“Who’s that lady?”

Hyeon Won-chang, standing guard beside Jeong Yeon-shin, asked abruptly, arms crossed.

His head tilted upward, as if irked by Lazy Flame Dragon’s antics—a fitting pose. Gong Sun-min smirked and introduced the girl accompanying them.

“Fan Dragon’s younger sister.”

“Zhuge Family, Qing-ya.”

Zhuge Qing-ya raised a small clasped-fist salute. She gazed steadily at the new Radiant Demon Wing Leader. The eyes of the Zhuge Family’s treasured daughter were striking.

Her energy gleam alone told it. A leaf-like shimmer flickered in her jet-black pupils, hinting at an ocular technique refined to an extraordinary degree, even at a glance.

‘A rare skill, deeply mastered.’

A faint interest crossed Jeong Yeon-shin’s face.

“Set the table. I’ll join.”

“Leader?”

“I won’t drink.”

Shoving Lazy Flame Dragon aside casually, the boy sat at the courtyard table. Gong Sun-min’s face brightened.

The Little Sword Queen shook the bottle with a mock-disappointed look.

“I was curious about the sword technique you’d trace while drunk.”

Over a dozen Fragrant Melody Courtyard servants bustled between the kitchen and courtyard. They seemed to have received some directive from the Alliance leadership.

As if the prior schedule tweak for the Opening Tournament had nothing to do with the Radiant Demon Wing Leader, they spared no effort in hosting the Desolate Fortress party.

Meticulous, as if determined to leave no room for complaint.

“Better spread than our pavilion… Are they slighting the Nine Sects?”

The Little Sword Queen muttered, seated beside Jeong Yeon-shin.

In moments, a feast table was set, wispy clouds parting overhead. Clear weather.

From the head seat, the boy took in Zhuge Qing-ya across from him. She looked his age.

“You, state your business.”

“…”

Her current blank expression suited her. Black hair tied in a single strand hung below her sky-blue collar.

The luster of her ebony locks bespoke her noble status.

Even meeting the Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s gaze, her complexion remained unchanged. A snow-white face, impassive, with an immaculate, refined bearing.

Zhuge Qing-ya parted her lips slowly.

“Hearing your martial arts are renowned, I’ve come to request a discourse on swordsmanship.”

“Not just a wandering master entertaining a high-born novice. Lady Zhuge is deeply versed in martial principles. I know well, as she’s my betrothed’s friend—she’s worth your conversation, Leader.”

Gong Sun-min chattered, eyes shining more at Jeong Yeon-shin than Zhuge Qing-ya.

“Discourse on swordsmanship.”

The young Radiant Demon Wing Leader spoke.

“So that’s why.”

“What do you mean?”

Zhuge Qing-ya asked calmly, meeting Desolate Fortress’s black-rank gaze. Jeong Yeon-shin answered promptly.

“Sun acupoint.”

“…?”

“Pupil prominence.”

He continued tersely. Names of facial meridians.

“Four Whites, Gathered Bamboo, Seal Hall. You’re using an ocular technique. The energy wave is novel. It could be wielded in the palm too. I can’t tell your family’s internal energy control without seeing your secret manual, but tweak that form and infuse it into a fan—would it become the Infinite Wind Gathering Fan Technique? Quite peculiar. Your family’s skill, I mean.”

Breaking Guide—Zhuge Family.

A small smirk tugged at the boy’s lips.

“You’re interesting. Fine, recite your insights to this Leader. I’ll respond.”

“…”

Suddenly.

The clear autumn air brushed the young warriors’ skin. Sunlight shattered across the rippling pond beside them.

A breeze, soft as a stroke in a landscape painting, lifted a few maple leaves. Nature’s presence grew strikingly vivid.

A silence conjured by the Radiant Demon Wing Leader.

It meant: turn off your ocular technique and speak.