Chapter 206 – Radiant Demon Wing (7)

Xiahou Wei-zhen’s eyebrows froze mid-rise. They resembled a bold stroke of dark ink.

Even after uttering his response, his mouth remained agape, giving him a slightly dazed appearance.

“I didn’t know,” he said plainly and immediately. It seemed like an offhand remark.

“Well… I never even considered it,” Xiahou Wei-zhen said again.

His thick voice rumbled faintly.

The direction of his voice, once crashing down from above Jeong Yeon-shin’s head, shifted. It flowed forward, sounding like a dazed murmur.

It was hardly befitting a man who had stormed the Martial Alliance’s pavilions, shattering them to confront family heads.

The extraordinary spirit of a supreme master seemed to dissipate.

Hoo—

Suddenly, a strong gust surged from the giant clad in black robes. It burst forth in a brief moment, mingled with an energy wave.

The lakeside ripples beside them, bathed in sunset hues, fragmented.

As the water’s overlapping waves traced small concentric circles, Xiahou Wei-zhen stamped his foot low, as if grounding himself.

Boom—

Dust rose beneath his briefly leaping form.

Whoosh!

He soared with astonishing elasticity. Truly noble clan-like. The texture of energy stretching from the Gushing Spring acupoint in his soles was palpable.

The internal energy current, pushing aside the dust, was taut yet flexible. Elasticity infused his energy control.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s hair whipped black in the breeze beside him.

“He grasped it instantly. Good thing he’s perceptive,” Jeong Yeon-shin thought.

A small step had effortlessly lifted the massive frame. Unlike the domineering fist techniques he wielded at the Alliance.

No longer the ponderous demeanor he once clung to.

Regardless of his bulk, he moved like a noble clansman.

The wide sleeves of his black robes descended then rose lightly, counter to Xiahou Wei-zhen’s ascent.

“A skill befitting a three-flowers gathering at crown master. Mastery will require practice,” Jeong Yeon-shin mused.

His gaze tracked from above to below.

Landing, Xiahou Wei-zhen’s mouth hung slightly open. His broad brow furrowed.

Shock and bewilderment were unmasked on his face. His straightforward, honest nature shone through.

“How could such a secret… You understand the human body better than I do. I never knew the twelve meridians and full-body muscles held such potential. This… it’s worthy of a secret technique. I’ve been taught. A profoundly valuable insight, suited to me.”

As the rambling Forest-Treading Leader lifted his foot again—

“There’s no need to jump now…” Jeong Yeon-shin said cautiously.

“Hmm?”

“Did you not speak of a Leader’s decorum at headquarters? You said to mind appearances. Senior Xiahou’s conduct lacks refinement—it might look eccentric to passing merchants and officials. You should stop.”

“…”

Jeong Yeon-shin took Xiahou Wei-zhen’s silence as agreement. While sharing a sound energy pathway, he added practical advice.

This senior seemed to care deeply about black-rank dignity at Desolate Fortress. It might leave a favorable impression.

Xiahou Wei-zhen blinked his large eyes several times. Then, he changed the subject.

“Training was a relentless ordeal. My body wasn’t like the clans’. Moving like our clan alone couldn’t yield great results, yet abandoning our roots wasn’t an option. I had to think like a sect founder.”

A bitter voice filled the air thickly. The years of hardship to rise as a Desolate Fortress black-rank seeped through.

“I regret the time I honed without knowing this. Futile, utterly futile.”

“I’m glad to have helped.”

Jeong Yeon-shin replied with a straight posture.

He now found Xiahou Wei-zhen quite likable. Their mutual frankness suited their easygoing natures.

Like the lakeside, smoothed again into a mirror at their feet. Even blunt words would be taken at face value.

Thus, he continued calmly.

“I understand, since you didn’t know. It happens.”

His tone was oddly dry.

It instantly suggested a perfunctory remark.

In truth, he didn’t understand at all.

Like boys his age, he struggled to mask his feelings. Though he thought he hid them, his manner often stirred irritation instead.

Xiahou Wei-zhen’s lips twitched faintly.

He felt mixed emotions.

He marveled at a junior so versed in the body it defied belief. The new Radiant Demon Wing Leader was a veritable master of human anatomy.

The favor felt profoundly grateful. Yet, his penchant for righteous words stood apart.

His unflinchingly upright demeanor seemed to grate on the heart.

“My fault, perhaps?” Xiahou Wei-zhen thought.

Awareness of his unworthy feelings turned to shame. He wondered.

Did I lack the right to preach in the first place? Damn it.

“…Indeed, you’ve given me great insight. No ordinary revelation. You’ve opened a new path in movement technique affecting all martial arts. If I don’t repay this, I’d be called a petty man. I’ll yield Kang Chang-moo, the Dawn Tree Sword. A blue-rank from your lineage, I recall.”

Desolate Fortress’s blue-rank masters were already somewhat renowned.

Jeong Yeon-shin had heard of the Dawn Tree Sword.

A swordsman wielding fierce circular slashes, it was said. With a notable tale.

He had beheaded the Southern Peak Fiend with a sword segmented like dawn shadows.

Secretly eliminating an evil faction master who intimidated Wuchang Prefecture’s regional magistrate in Huguang Province for luxury.

“He’s now entered the Radiant Sword Style, reaching the eighth level,” Jeong Yeon-shin recalled.

He heard it on the journey from the Alliance to headquarters.

A formidable asset. Though not surpassing Blue Eyed Demon Sword Cheong Myeong, he could spar and discuss swordplay with him.

A casual insight had won a blue-rank master. A feat unlikely through sheer martial strength.

Jeong Yeon-shin offered a clasped-fist salute to Xiahou Wei-zhen.

“I’m grateful for your resolve, Senior.”

“It’s repayment, repayment.”

Xiahou Wei-zhen smiled awkwardly.

At that moment.

Rustle.

Yue Shou-lin, hands behind her back, stepped forward and spun to face them.

Her ebony hair, cascading to her ears, swayed lively. Her dark eyes glinted with black radiance.

“One blue-rank won’t settle it, will it? Don’t you have two white-ranks of Jeong Yeon-shin’s lineage under you?”

“What?”

“The twelve meridians and full-body minor meridians are wondrous. A single page mapping energy paths could spark bloodshed. That’s why secret manuals carry weight—not just passed down as faction secrets for nothing.”

“…”

“Had our Jeong Yeon-shin not told you, could a dullard like you have grasped such movement? Repay him properly. You should spare no generosity. Unless you want embarrassment under my hand.”

Yue Shou-lin spoke with a smile.

A tale of gifting three swords to the new Radiant Demon Wing Leader. One blue-rank and two white-ranks.

Enough force to dominate a regional martial world without a major faction. A significant bolster to the Radiant Demon Wing.

“…Your words hold no fault.”

Xiahou Wei-zhen replied in an archaic tone.

He raised no objection to Yue Shou-lin’s words. He accepted them as just.

His face glowed with agreement as he named two under his Forest-Treading Squad.

Steel-Cutting Blade Wanderer Huo Yoon-cheol.

Deep Chivalry Fist Gongye Mi-ryeong.

Jeong Yeon-shin secured promises for two white-rank warriors.

He also learned how their transfer from the Forest-Treading Squad to the Radiant Demon Wing would proceed.

A request must be submitted to the administrative office for formal processing, he was told.

“The big guy will handle that. Jeong Yeon-shin, just have the kids below prepare a feast. Think about how to train your lineage too. That’s quite a headache. We had plenty of dimwits in the Divine Sword Squad who couldn’t follow. A Leader’s prime virtue is patience—keep that in mind.”

With Yue Shou-lin’s smiling advice, a crimson sky unfurled.

Beneath the dimming twilight.

They parted ways, anticipating a reunion at the Wish for Peace Sword Hall, the Leaders’ council.

Desolate Fortress’s vastness scattered each contingent’s quarters far and wide.

As their shadows stretched in unison, Jeong Yeon-shin finally stepped toward the Radiant Demon Wing pavilion.

“Who will I see first?” he wondered.

The faces of his seniors and subordinates flashed through his mind.

His chest warmed.

***

Read only at nineheavens.org

Translated by Nine Heavens!

https://discord.gg/XC9DTsTQ9Z

***

Before the Radiant Demon Wing’s grand training ground.

The dusk’s stillness shattered. An untimely clamor erupted.

Diverse energy waves and voices interwoven, radiating a vibrance brighter than light.

“Leader! This one’s reached the seventh level of the Eternal Blossom Fist! I can now seamlessly blend Advancing Thunder and Blossoming Fist!” 

“We waited ages after hearing that Hwangbo fool!”

“Our Desolate Divine Hero must’ve been worn from the journey and went straight to bed…”

“Brother Yeon-shin—no, Leader…!”

“Tell us your exploits! They say you turned the Martial Alliance upside down!”

All manner of seniors emerged to greet him. Blue-ranks and white-ranks, even young unnamed disciples, rushed out to hug Jeong Yeon-shin’s legs.

Faces beaming with joy welcomed their Leader.

Off to one side, Lazy Flame Dragon stood chewing poppies, one leg bent.

He spoke to an unnamed disciple beside him.

“Hey, when’s the next promotion ceremony?”

“Though younger, I’m your senior. Use honorifics, and I’ll answer. Swallow that stuff first—it’s manners.”

“…”

“So cool…”

A ten-year-old boy in disciple robes muttered, staring at the black-robed new Leader surrounded by people.

Ignoring Lazy Flame Dragon with brazen audacity—a trivial matter in the Radiant Demon Wing.

At that moment.

“Everyone, let go and head inside.”

A woman in blue robes stepped forward. A swordswoman with cool eyes, her blade gleamed with an even colder sheen.

The aura cloaking her carried a heavy air.

Baek Mi-ryeo, the Bewitching Sword Demon, renowned alongside Blue Eyed Demon Sword Cheong Myeong for beauty and swordsmanship.

“Senior Baek,” Jeong Yeon-shin thought.

Warmth touched his expression.

The moment their eyes met, Baek Mi-ryeo’s gaze softened too.

“The Leader’s mission was long; he should rest first. Haven’t you heard the Alliance tales enough? Don’t fuss—clear out. We’ll catch up tomorrow.”

Her voice rang clear, its even tone a hallmark of the Bewitching Sword Demon.

Familiar speech accompanied it.

“Ah,” Jeong Yeon-shin realized.

He was finally home.

Tomorrow’s Breaking Guide announcement, the administrative office’s reward, and duels with Leaders to fill vacancies—all faded from his mind briefly.

A strange sensation arose.

A soft feeling, like bedding, seemed to envelop his thoughts.

Then, those who instantly heeded Baek Mi-ryeo turned away. The elite contingent, equal to Plum Blossom Swordsmen, judged swiftly.

Over a dozen moved in unison. Some nodded, others offered well-wishes.

“I’ll look forward to tomorrow’s lessons. Honestly, the Leader hasn’t really led yet, so it’s awkward…”

“Good enough you’re unharmed. Sort the documents and assign missions. Tomorrow, of course.”

“I want exploits! How was Taoist Cheon Ju’s Shadowless Plum Stillness? How did you counter it, Leader?”

“Leader… put in my promotion request. Straight to blue-rank if possible.”

Lazy Flame Dragon, hands clasped behind his neck, shuffled off too.

The Radiant Demon Wing pavilion cluster regained silence. Darkness settled over the twilight.

A crescent moon, curling the night sky, cast a faint glow.

The clamor of Radiant Demon Wing masters vanished into the deep stillness.

Amid it, Baek Mi-ryeo and Jeong Yeon-shin’s footsteps echoed side by side. Rustle, rustle—the sound of treading home ground.

“Cheong Myeong is waiting,” Baek Mi-ryeo said quietly.

She and Cheong Myeong, Hyeon Won-chang and Jeong Yeon-shin, formed the Radiant Demon Quartet. Jeong Yeon-shin had shared his life and condition with them.

Back when Lady Zhu Lianting of Desolate Ma Family pressed him.

After rising to black-rank, he permitted them to speak casually as seniors and peers. They had earned it.

“I’m glad you’re safe. I was worried. Facing Taoist Cheon Ju, Yeon Hwa-ryeon, and the Sword Star in succession.”

Her voice melded with the moonlight.

Cheong Myeong was like an elder brother, Baek Mi-ryeo a sister.

Jeong Yeon-shin held his reply. Feeling their care sufficed. He wanted it so.

Silence lingered from the training ground through the quarters to the Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s office.

For them, it was enough time. Though Desolate Fortress law lacked formal mentorship, the Radiant Demon Wing’s sibling bond was real.

They crossed the tranquil pavilion’s threshold.

Step.

Entering the office, Jeong Yeon-shin inhaled a familiar scent.

Iron and oil mingled with aged ink. Familiar fumes wafted over marble-carved furniture.

The smell of steel. Once Ma Jin’s many blades hung on the wall; now, Desolate Demon treasures filled it.

Over ten swords.

“I wasn’t too arrogant to greet you. I hope our Leader knows that. Acting Leader isn’t a small task.”

A handsome man in a blue turban lounged, skimming documents.

Sharp features, a gentle demeanor. His formless energy wave flowed freely, the turban’s tail swaying endlessly.

Ever a mystical air.

“Sorting missions for the crew, rejecting other squad’s secondment requests, dueling those leaders who fight over personnel, and fudging ledgers for administrative budget—it’s a lot.”

“…”

“And this—someone wants to borrow Shin So-bin briefly. But she’s teaching the unnamed disciples, so it’s a no go. Gotta write a polite refusal to keep the heat low. If they’re mad, their Leader can send a duel challenge. What can we do? It’s not an unreasonable request, so the administrative office can’t intervene.”

“…Your efforts have been great.”

Jeong Yeon-shin praised his senior subordinate with care.

Only then did Cheong Myeong look up. Jade-blue eyes crinkled with a smile.

Noble clan-like, he seemed unburdened by fatigue, yet his clear voice told otherwise.

“We’re half-ruined. Battered here and there. Desolate Fortress is vast, with a survival-of-the-fittest streak, and right now, Radiant Demon Wing is the weakest link. They are no blatant thugs, of course, but the pressure’s real. We shrunk ourselves.”

Baek Mi-ryeo beside him nodded faintly.

The Radiant Demon Wing’s reality. Why Jeong Yeon-shin sought to bolster its masters before returning.

The Divine Sword Group’s seventeen squads were inherently competitive. Even promotions reflected this.

A grand faction like Desolate Fortress was a world unto itself.

A contingent’s prestige was one’s own. So too the martial might of the Leader they served.

The new Radiant Demon Wing Leader parted his lips slowly.

“Prepare duel challenges. And a list of Leaders still at headquarters.”

“Hmm…?”

“I’ll send them to the black-rank seniors.”

Jeong Yeon-shin touched the hilt of Northern Light, his divine sword.