Chapter 201 – Radiant Demon Wing (2)

Zhuge Xian’s movement techniques were intriguing.

They offered a novel amusement. The sensation of his body moving in unfamiliar ways struck Jeong Yeon-shin as fresh.

The feeling of a body guided by external forces was utterly alien to him, who had always moved alone in all matters.

He had only watched the Jeong Family Estate brothers mingle with the children of Xinye County.

That faint loneliness from those days was subtly filled by the Zhuge Family’s refined movement techniques. He found it strange to think so himself.

As a child, he had coveted the swings ridden during the Dano Festival to pray for a bountiful harvest to the noble land deity. Now, that childhood envy blurred faintly.

Back then, even access to such playthings had been forbidden. They said it brought misfortune.

What he had truly desired was belonging, not the Dano swing itself.

“Fan Dragon aided me in many ways.”

Zhuge Xian was also the one who had unraveled the initial threads of the Lightning-Annihilation Sword Style. Compared to Lazy Flame Dragon, he was a gentleman beyond measure.

Among the bonds forged at the Martial Alliance, this was perhaps the most valuable.

“If you return to Hanzhong, I will show you a transformed Zhuge Family.”

Zhuge Xian spoke.

His younger sister, Zhuge Qing-ya, had relinquished her claim to succeed as family head. This set her apart from Yue Yu-lin.

Her intense focus on ocular techniques, earning her the title Tranquil Depth Gaze, had left her overall martial prowess lacking.

To act as a family head required formidable martial strength. Family heads were superhuman figures who managed clan affairs while wielding towering martial arts.

Thus, Zhuge Xian would take up the mantle.

His talent and wisdom, with a far-seeing perspective, could one day reach the level of a family head.

Fan Dragon’s reputation had always been high. He had merely fallen short of the Zhuge Family Head’s standard, but now the term “Reborn Hidden Dragon” had become near-taboo within the family.

He would smoothly undertake the training to become head.

Jeong Yeon-shin nodded silently. He had just heard gratitude for shouldering Zhuge Qing-ya’s burden.

All farewells within the Alliance had concluded. Taoist Cheon Ju, Yu Hyeon, and Tang Family Head Tang Woon-hwang—he would see them again someday. Only the return remained.

“We will meet again.”

“There are plenty of evil factions in Liaodong too! If you come to suppress them, stop by our family estate!”

A woman with a bold face and sharp energy wave, alongside a boy with gleaming black eyes, spoke.

Little Sword Queen and Gong Sun-min.

Their ties were not trivial either. His upper dantian intuition suggested as much. It pricked his mind with a cool sensation.

Amid the recent chaos, he had not had the chance to face Little Sword Queen Qu Su-yu’s Four Ultimate Sword Technique, but he felt a premonition that someday he would broaden his knowledge with the Diancang Sect’s piercing strikes.

It was a reliable instinct. His Hundred Meetings acupoint had grown as vast as the autumn breeze.

“Will the day come when I use this premonition in combat?”

No answer returned to this sudden question. Jeong Yeon-shin turned slowly.

Ahead, two figures who had been observing their black-rank junior nodded slightly.

Yue Shou-lin and Xiahou Wei-zhen. Their demeanor openly showed reluctance to engage with the Martial Alliance.

Jeong Yeon-shin stepped forward slowly. The black robe trailing beneath him shifted.

Rustle.

Zhuge Qing-ya and Lady Ye followed.

Their blue and white trouser hems brushed the ground softly. These were steps that would accompany him to Desolate Fortress.

They were called a courtesy delegation. The Alliance Leader sought reconciliation with Desolate Fortress, it was said.

Zhuge Qing-ya spoke of personal gratitude. She hoped to join the Radiant Demon Wing as a guest martial artist under Jeong Yeon-shin.

Hyeon Won-chang speculated she had discerned Jeong Yeon-shin’s constitution.

He had remarked that her willingness to join suggested she valued her life.

“Is it pity?”

No sinister intent surfaced. Zhuge Qing-ya’s nature was clear and pure.

It had been so since she first offered to join. Her inner thoughts were simply hard to read.

If so, he must leave it to the judgment of Desolate Fortress’s administrative office.

She would be a great asset to the manpower-starved Radiant Demon Wing. An ocular technique expert could aid in navigating diverse situations.

“Do not approach the Leader rashly.”

“Wise words. Those two should keep their distance. It will only tire them needlessly.”

Hyeon Won-chang and Lazy Flame Dragon passed Zhuge Qing-ya and Lady Ye. Namgung Hwa-shin also overtook them silently, standing behind Jeong Yeon-shin.

Their footsteps slowly crunched the soil. The escort felt reassuringly solid.

Jeong Yeon-shin sensed the gazes of Lady Ye and Zhuge Qing-ya. They seemed to stare intently at his back.

Their temperaments differed from the Sword Star, who had declined a bustling send-off.

“What I gained from the Alliance was sword techniques and people.”

Those who had accompanied him originally, and those newly joining.

Fallen leaves blanketed the roadside, cushioning his soles like soft cotton.

Leaves strewn across the martial world, it was said, spoke of the layered bonds and time accumulated.

With each mission, his Hundred Meetings acupoint and life thickened alongside it.

The name Jeong Yeon-shin would endure. Even if he could not bear the fruit of the martial world’s summit.

“Where will the next mission take me?”

He left the Martial Alliance’s main gate behind. It was truly over.

***

Read only at nineheavens.org

Translated by Nine Heavens!

https://discord.gg/XC9DTsTQ9Z

***

Meanwhile

At Desolate Fortress’s administrative office.

Long rows of desks stretched horizontally and vertically, exuding an antique charm. Crafted from rosewood, they gleamed with a rich brown sheen.

Scholars spaced widely apart wrote diligently with brushes. The sharp scent of ink wafted through.

Dozens of scholars filled the seats. An austerity rivaling that of martial artists pervaded the air.

The head seat sat at the far end.

A robust man in a brown robe occupied it. A middle-aged figure with a thick black beard, his body radiated a steely aura.

The Grand Administrator of Desolate Fortress. The young man in a black robe standing before him appeared frail by comparison.

“That letter—is it not from the Eastern Depot? I wondered what it was, lying discarded there.”

The black-rank supreme master facing the Grand Administrator spoke.

Jin Myeong-jo, the Blood Guardian Leader of Desolate Fortress.

His pale skin and slender features stood out. The energy wave cloaking his body lent his black robe a chilling texture.

He jerked his chin briefly toward a corner of the Grand Administrator’s desk. A subtle malice seeped from the small gesture, a natural air about him.

The Grand Administrator glanced at the letter sprawled carelessly on the desk’s edge. He opened his mouth slowly.

“Eunuch Ming Ye lodged a protest. Losing a prefectural magistrate right at the start must have darkened their prospects. Truth be told, I did not foresee it going that far.”

He raised the corner of his mouth as he continued.

“The eunuch berated me. He could not confront Young Master Jeong directly. The script carried the Eastern Depot eunuchs’ woes. When royalty is even slightly involved, they grovel—it is quite satisfying personally. Those who vied with our Leaders, no less.”

Grand Administrator Lin Jin-ming was a man who barked at black-ranks over personnel and budget matters. His martial prowess was equally formidable.

Thus, he spoke casually to Leaders younger than himself.

Only the Radiant Demon Wing Leader, bestowed the Lord’s martial arts, was an exception.

Blood Guardian Leader Jin Myeong-jo accepted the Grand Administrator’s informal tone naturally.

“I have heard of the new Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s exploits. I had met the Unyang prefectural magistrate myself.”

“Her greed overreached. She would have met ruin one way or another. She was merely unlucky to cross Young Master Jeong’s sword. Far too soon, at that.”

“They say he took her head in an instant.”

“Young Master Jeong’s strikes suited headquarters from his initiation. One could call him Desolate Fortress’s war deity. His swordplay is truly noble. Unhesitating strikes are the virtue of our martial artists, are they not?”

The Grand Administrator spoke with a pleased laugh. At the same time, Jin Myeong-jo tilted his head slightly.

His brow narrowed languidly.

“Rumors say the new Radiant Demon Wing Leader enjoys the Crown Prince’s favor. Not entirely baseless, it seems? I thought it mere gossip.”

“I would not know. Who could?”

“Regardless, I hope that fellow does not return.”

“Hmm? Why not?”

“The Radiant Demon Wing’s forces are depleted, are they not? Replenishing them would require sacrifices from various squads. Even our Blood Guardians have four or five of Lightning Genius’s lineage. It’s quite a headache.”

“I understand they are fairly distributed across the seventeen squads.”

“I do not wish to part with them.”

“Who would? Accept it. It is not as if this has happened once or twice.”

“We must face duels again, must we not?”

“Is it not because you dislike yielding your subordinates? Be grateful for the duel system. Without it, we would have assigned personnel like the military—by force.”

“Do not needlessly mention the military. I have always thought it an outdated system. It is not a martial betrothal contest—why must we surrender subordinates after losing a wager?”

[TL Note- Martial Betrothal Contest: This refers to an ancient Chinese custom where a family would hold a martial arts competition to find a suitable husband for their daughter. The winner of the competition would be recruited into the family as a son-in-law.]

“You are something else. You loathe losing subordinates yet find dueling bothersome.”

“Am I the only one?”

“You likely are. The other Leaders are eager. Not to avoid losing subordinates, but to spar with the newcomer.”

“…”

“Are you not curious about the new Radiant Demon Wing Leader? He is the grandmaster of the Demon-Destroying Azure Unyielding Palm you so detest. The Forest-Treading Leader and Immortal Tree Spirit Leader are outright anticipating it. A non-noble wielding such auspicious methods.”

“They are not anticipating—they are expecting. Are they not noble clans?”

“You are incorrigible.”

“We will cross paths over this again. I avoided them because I tire of their disdain, urging me to join the Blood Flame Sect.”

Blood Guardian Leader Jin Myeong-jo spoke sharply. He did not hide his sardonic tone, though the Grand Administrator did not call it out.

Black-rank masters of Desolate Fortress were not beneath the administrative head. This held true despite Lin Jin-ming’s casual address.

“It irks me. I should have taken any mission and fled…”

His distaste was literal. The pale-faced youth ruffled his even whiter hair roughly.

Irregular waves pulsed between his slender fingers. An eerie yet refined energy wave.

The Grand Administrator gazed at him impassively before curling his lips.

“Worry not. With the martial world in chaos, you will depart soon enough.”

“After dueling the Radiant Demon Wing Leader, of course.”

Jin Myeong-jo grumbled listlessly. The Grand Administrator nodded with a wry smile.

“You returned not long ago yourself, did you not? Black-rank missions are assigned with meticulous calculation by the administrative office. Martial world trends, incident flows, opponent and Leader strengths, contingent compositions—all considered, yet something always goes awry. That is the martial world. It takes time.”

“Yes, well, I hear you faced a pay cut over the Radiant Demon Wing’s Sichuan affair. The Elder Council Leader scolded you harshly, did he not?”

“Enough of that. Regardless, a clash of divine techniques…”

The Grand Administrator chuckled as he pulled tea leaves from a desk drawer.

“It will be a feast for the eyes.”

***

Meanwhile

Jeong Yeon-shin had to distance three of his subordinates.

“Jeong Yeon-shin, over here.”

“The rookie should lead.”

Yue Shou-lin and Xiahou Wei-zhen called to the new Radiant Demon Wing Leader.

These black-rank seniors had rescued him from the Zhuge Family Head. He could not refuse.

Leaving behind the blue-rank-laden masters of Desolate Fortress’s Forest-Treading Squad, he walked alongside the curious gazes of supreme masters.

Their footsteps aligned along the wide official road.

Jeong Yeon-shin had to endure Yue Shou-lin’s chatter first. She tilted her head up to regard her junior, her eyes flashing with dark lightning.

Her gaze alone revealed formidable internal energy mastery.

“You called it the Lightning-Annihilation Sword Style, right? Are all your techniques named? Any spares?”

“The one from the Sword Star was the last.”

“How many techniques?”

“Three sword techniques.”

“More will come, won’t they? It cannot end at three. As your mastery grows, so will your sword style. With the foundation set, new ones will surely follow.”

“I have a question.”

“Hmm? Ask anything.”

Yue Shou-lin replied with a grin. After a courteous nod, Jeong Yeon-shin parted his lips slowly.

He recalled his bedridden maternal grandfather.

“Can returning to youth affect the Hundred Meetings acupoint?”

“Huh? Why do you ask?”

“If Grandfather takes the Great Rejuvenation Pill, his internal energy might renew itself… Having recently learned a decent technique, with luck, might he not reach the realm of reversing age with purity? Yet this junior does not fully grasp unifying essence, energy, and spirit. I wonder if refined energy influences the head too.”

“Hmm?”

“It is mere curiosity—whether Senior Yue’s demeanor was similar before regaining youth. There is no hidden intent, so I hope you take it plainly.”

A genuine question.

The current Desolate Fortress Divine Spear suited her light tone. She was a supreme master who had reversed her body’s time.

Her aura was utterly unique. Her youthful appearance contrasted with her energy, creating an otherworldly air.

Yet before returning to youth, Yue Shou-lin might not have maintained this demeanor.

Martial world folk prized face and honor above all.

Even evil faction masters carried themselves in ways befitting their energy waves.

Ma Yeon-jeok was his only grandfather.

If the Jeong Family Dynamic Technique, the Great Rejuvenation Pill, and heavenly fortune reversed time, that would suffice.

Yet if he were no longer the old Ma Yeon-jeok, it might sadden him slightly. Hence the question.

Yue Shou-lin’s small lips closed.

“Hahaha—!”

“What a brazen lad! To the Desolate Fortress Divine Spear!”

A booming laugh erupted from Xiahou Wei-zhen, the Thousand Fists Dragon Vassal.

He had been gazing at the pair grumpily until Yue Shou-lin’s reaction triggered his outburst.

Was it his massive frame and abyss-deep energy? The hearty roar resounded like thunder.

“Calling her out for acting her age! Quite the tongue for a Han! You must excel at provocation too!”

[TL Note- Normal humans are called Han People.]

“No, I do not understand provocation well.”

Jeong Yeon-shin replied calmly.

A choking sound came from behind. He recognized the presence without turning.

Lazy Flame Dragon, walking with hands behind his back, spat out a poppy mid-chew. A breath laced with amusement followed. The Radiant Demon Wing Leader furrowed his brow. What?