Chapter 212 – Blue (6)

Radiant Demon Wing’s blue-rank masters furrowed their brows slightly.

“That’s formidable.”

“It seems she’s brought all her available forces. From Lady Zhu’s perspective, that is.”

“Is she saying laws be damned, let’s have at it?”

“Our Leader gave her the pretext. She has nothing to lose from the start.”

Behind Zhu Lianting stood about thirty masters. They were cloaked in the refined aura typical of a prestigious clan.

These warriors hadn’t undergone Desolate Fortress’s trials and belonged to Desolate Ma Family, not Divine Sword Group.

Their silk robes of various hues scattered the sunset light vibrantly. None among them lacked distinction.

Their ages varied widely.

The youthful warriors with vivid complexions posed little threat to Radiant Demon Wing.

The issue lay with the middle-aged masters, their colorless gazes glinting sharply.

Each fixed Radiant Demon Wing with a heavy stare. At this age, Desolate Ma Family’s Harmony Flower Divine Technique reached its peak.

They were at least worthy of blue-rank discussion. One shouldn’t regard them as ordinary blue-ranks either.

They said the explosive power of Ma Family techniques remained perilous despite repeated caution. Their martial prowess must be honed to a razor’s edge.

“She’s dragged out the veterans too. The former Leader’s in for a rough time.”

Cheong Myeong sat perched on the pavilion roof and spoke with a laugh. Yet the wind enveloping him belied his expression.

A keen, biting gust scraped the blue tiles. Scratches like thin threads spread endlessly along the breeze.

A grating sound reverberated.

The energy radiating from his body was sharp, as if already refined into a honed wave.

It resembled Radiant Demon Wing Leader Jeong Yeon-shin’s movement technique.

Due to a famous tale, it struck fear.

The story went that Blue Eyed Demon Sword Cheong Myeong taught their Leader noble clan movements, which Jeong Yeon-shin re forged into a technique, crafting a supreme art.

Many awaited martial technique grants at headquarters’ Heavenly Gold Arsenal.

It began right after Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s duel with Immortal Tree Spirit Leader. Duels between Leaders were momentous events.

Numerous Desolate Ma Family members had observed it too. This meant no small number recognized them now.

“…It’s certainly similar. It’s no wonder rumors spread that he aided the Leader’s progress.”

“You’re young, so you wouldn’t know. Originally, he was the first. They tipped him as the next Radiant Demon Wing Leader.”

“Take note, juniors. That noble clansman’s swordplay is famed for its sharpness, so never let your guard down.”

“Let’s match it with Harmony Flower Divine Sword.”

Zhu Lianting straightened her expression, her back to the assorted young and middle-aged masters.

“Former Supreme Head should rest at the main house. You must no longer shield the sins of the past master. This warrants referral to the administrative office. Today’s incident won’t end with light discipline, but if you withdraw now, I’ll grant leniency.”

“Do you even know why we’re here?”

Cheong Myeong asked with a grin.

Zhu Lianting paused briefly before replying.

“…Radiant Demon Wing Leader obtained the Great Rejuvenation Pill, didn’t he? It seems he plans something without the medical hall’s oversight, which is reckless. Both could suffer harm. You ought to clear the way. For your Leader’s sake, you should.”

“That’s a matter of trust. You lack the right to doubt our Leader’s skill. For a prestigious clan under headquarters, you show little faith in a Desolate Fortress black-rank.”

“No one at headquarters underestimates Jeong Yeon-shin. Nor do I. You can’t be unaware of that.”

“Then?”

“It’s the former Supreme Head’s safety. Don’t you grasp that two black-ranks can’t decide this? Even if Jeong Yeon-shin’s mastery is refined, there’s no guarantee the former Supreme Head will recover. Rather than risking vast energy with reckless attempts, isn’t it wiser to entrust everything to headquarters’ medical hall?”

“Our Leader warned against that. Meddling or blind confidence from ignorance. Someone as authoritative as you is quick-witted yet trapped by limits.”

“Speak plainly.”

Zhu Lianting said in a low voice. Her tone carried the weight of a superior’s command, seamless due to her imperial lineage.

Cheong Myeong tapped the roof’s edge with his heel and descended.

“There’s no need to beat around the bush. It’s a task we can clearly finish quickly.”

Zhu Lianting offered no further reply. She merely turned her head slightly and gave a brief glance to a young warrior.

“You, go to the administrative office and report this in detail. Omit nothing. Radiant Demon Wing’s arrogance, their breach of law by striking a main house warrior, and the head and Leader’s unilateral actions must all be conveyed.”

“I obey your command.”

A youth in green silk robes responded.

Snap!

He promptly used lightness skill and retraced his path.

None among Radiant Demon Wing’s warriors moved to stop him. Save for Cheong Myeong, the dozen or so stood still, gazing blankly at the retreating figure.

The hems of their variously styled blue robes swayed faintly in the transparent breeze.

Cheong Myeong’s words held true.

Their stance affirmed their trust in their Leader.

Zhu Lianting’s eyes darkened.

‘This is no ordinary matter.’

She thought.

Desolate Fortress warriors were all hailed as prodigies in their hometowns.

For someone whose internal arts reached blue-rank caliber, one shouldn’t assume utter incompetence.

She understood today’s affair was significant.

Perhaps, thanks to Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s true energy, the former Supreme Head might rise again.

‘No, that mustn’t happen.’

Regaining martial prowess would be difficult. She had already received word from the medical hall’s physicians.

Yet even the former Supreme Head’s mere mobility posed a problem. A political storm could engulf the prestigious Desolate Ma Family.

The faction Zhu Lianting had painstakingly built would waver.

Tyrant Hero Ma Yeon-jeok’s symbolic weight was that immense.

She couldn’t let it stand.

‘I can’t break through Radiant Demon Wing head-on in a short time.’

She coolly assessed her forces.

Most Desolate Ma Family masters were already dispersed among Divine Sword Group’s seventeen squads. That was why they received vast support and budgets from the administrative office.

Those now behind Zhu Lianting were roughly half the minimal members sustaining the clan.

They weren’t a force to confidently overpower the blue-rank masters before her. Even if Radiant Demon Wing had weakened after the Sichuan City of Renowned Craftsmen incident, it was so.

It was one of the seventeen treasured swords of Divine Sword Group. Even as a lesser force, its depths couldn’t be underestimated.

A strategy was needed.

“Your schemes are churning busily. Looks like compromise is off the table?”

Cheong Myeong said. He knelt on one knee atop the roof, fixing Zhu Lianting with chillingly blue eyes.

They were the eyes of a noble clansman.

“How long will it take?”

He murmured as if to himself. A reply came from below.

‘It’ll take at least a few hours of thought. The Great Rejuvenation Pill isn’t an ordinary elixir. To refine it carefully with the Leader’s Jeong Family Dynamic Technique, we’d need to plan for a long stretch.’

It was Baek Mi-ryeo’s voice transmission.

She had already stepped forward.

Step.

Black wisps rose strand by strand from her soles. It was the precursor to internal energy manifestation.

The eerie black haze grew with each step.

Energy materialization was a rare mastery. It was a technique whose origins few could trace. Eyes turned to her instantly.

“Pure black energy wave… It’s Bewitching Sword Demon.”

“It’s the form we’ve heard of. Doesn’t it resemble demonic arts?”

Desolate Ma Family warriors began to approach.

Zhu Lianting didn’t intervene. She stood erect, hands clasped behind her back, gazing at Radiant Demon Wing’s masters.

“Spare no strength. If they sense the commotion, Radiant Demon Wing Leader might open the door himself.”

She said with an impassive face.

Inwardly, she hoped Jeong Yeon-shin’s energy flow would falter. The clashing energy waves of masters of this scale and prowess would be staggering.

The modest pavilion’s walls couldn’t block it. That was Zhu Lianting’s aim.

“Cheap tricks.”

Baek Mi-ryeo muttered coldly.

Heavenly Demon Divine Art, Lesser Demonic Technique.

A whispering breeze stirred.

Baek Mi-ryeo’s hands turned snow-white. They starkly contrasted the black wisps now coursing over her body.

She wasn’t the only one taking a stance.

“Keep energy waves minimal. If you’re skilled in Internal Heavy Palm Technique, strike quietly if possible.”

“Don’t advise if you’re clumsy with fiery realm. Haven’t you grasped the principle of subduing strength with skill yet?”

“A single-strike sword would suit this. We should’ve brought Hyeon Won-chang.”

“Blazing yang energy too. If that Hwangbo brat weren’t prepping for promotion…”

Radiant Demon Wing’s blue-rank masters drew their swords one by one.

Soon, they stepped forward silently.

***

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Translated by Nine Heavens!

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***

A stone door carved with wood motifs opened soundlessly.

Figures in black robes stepped in slowly.

Their heights and builds varied. So did the faint energy waves they exuded.

Divine Sword Deputy Leader Yue Shou-lin, Forest-Treading Leader Xiahou Wei-zhen, Blood Guardian Leader Jin Myeong-jo, Immortal Tree Spirit Leader Cheon So-so, Law Enforcement Squad Leader Woon So-yu…

Each brought a single white-rank or blue-rank warrior behind them. All were escorts to the Leaders.

They moved slowly and took their seats. It was before a massive table, seemingly pieced together from several logs.

Each chair rivaled the grand seats of major faction leaders in size and splendor.

The ash-gray backrests matched Forest-Treading Leader Xiahou Wei-zhen’s height. There were eighteen in total.

Spaces for the Divine Sword Group Leader, Deputy Leader, and sixteen other Leaders.

Wish for Peace Sword Hall.

The stone round table’s seats filled with Leaders. Their escorts stood beside the marble-carved chairs. Everyone’s demeanor was impeccable.

Five Desolate Fortress black-ranks had gathered.

A low hum sounded.

Immense energies resonated naturally.

A heavy pressure swelled.

It was a gathering that could rival anything in the martial world.

Even the invisible energy waves rose thickly, as if taking form, amidst the spontaneous surge.

The escorts’ breaths grew longer. Without proper internal energy breathing, enduring this was impossible.

“Where’s Radiant Demon Wing Leader?”

Xiahou Wei-zhen asked in a deep voice.

“He’s absent for personal business.”

The reply came through the door’s gap at Wish for Peace Sword Hall.

Heavy footsteps sounded. Then, a burly middle-aged man flung the stone door open and entered.

“You’ve all arrived. I thought I might have to drag Forest-Treading Leader here again.”

He was a robust man suited to brown robes.

With a bushy black beard and large eyes, his gaze over the Leaders carried a mix of affection and exasperation.

He muttered softly. Like reliable troublemakers.

Grand Administrator Lin Jin-ming.

Forest-Treading Leader Xiahou Wei-zhen laughed gruffly.

“Personal business? Is there anything more important than a Leaders’ council?”

“A couple of things. You’ll know soon enough. Whether the outcome’s good or bad.”

The Grand Administrator replied nonchalantly.

He continued slowly.

“You’re well aware the Martial Alliance’s formation has given our administrative office headaches. Even if many Leaders remain indifferent to our affairs.”

“Are you speaking of rumors that not just Shaanxi’s Alliance, but righteous factions across the martial world are uniting and splitting?”

A noble clanswoman seated upright asked.

Her black hair draped down, framing sharp ears like a treasured sword. Her calm expression matched her refined features. Law Enforcement Squad Leader Woon So-yu.

The Grand Administrator smiled.

“Leader Woon aids this old Lin. Yes, indeed. Those flies have learned the power of unity. Even factions that formed the Alliance are breaking away to seek their own paths. Seems they disliked Sword Star’s reign.”

“So headquarters’ foes have grown stronger? Arrows we once snapped one by one are bundling into fives and tens, aren’t they? What a hassle.”

Yue Shou-lin grumbled.

“What’s new?”

Blood Guardian Leader Jin Myeong-jo parted his crimson lips.

“If you called us for that, is there a special plan? We just clash until we drop. Getting stabbed in some wilderness is what Desolate Fortress warriors do.”

“Your speech and conduct are as crude as ever. Hush for a moment. Let the Grand Administrator get to the point.”

Cheon So-so tossed out casually.

It was a familiar scene.

The Grand Administrator sighed and reached into his robes.

Swish.

He pulled out a book from his chest. The words “Breaking Guide” emerged slowly.