Chapter 218 – Flash (5)

“Where are the two rabbits going?”

A pair of voices, male and female, swept through the dense foliage. It was a sound wave infused with energy, stretching out like tendrils of wind.

The evergreen leaves trembled in unison, shattering the silence of the tranquil mountainside in an instant.

The voices were sinister.

“Is there a place for the disciples of a fallen sect to rest?”

The man and woman’s voices melded into a single mocking chant. The faint trace of laughter in their shouts made them sound like wildcats toying with prey.

The taunts repeated several times.

A highly refined sonic technique was being used for provocation and pursuit. The sound reached faintly to the back of a sword-bearing woman.

Her black hair, adorned with feather ornaments, fluttered more urgently than usual.

Snap.

Morning dew splashed beneath her feet.

A branch, struck by the energy wave of her lightness skill, bent like a bow before springing back as if angered by the foot that had stepped on it and moved on.

Yet the owner of the leather boots, reinforced with blue cloth, had already torn through the fog and soared into the air.

Her lightness skill continued without pause.

The evergreens, wrapped in the misty fog like silk, danced in rows. Accompanied by a series of sharp cracks.

It was because the intruder’s leaps, cloaked in intangible energy waves, shook the branches as she passed.

Wei Ji Myo-hwa, the Cloud Sword Dragon, the premier rising talent of Shaanxi.

‘They’re getting closer.’

She ran while holding Jeong Hye. Using Zhongnan Sect’s secret Cloud Pursuit Technique, she darted between trees.

Even with a young girl cradled in her arms, she moved as if walking on air. However, her movements betrayed a hint of anxiety.

Morning light tinged the faint mist with orange.

A valley in Shaanxi’s Qinling Mountains.

The ridgeline was long. The chase had been equally prolonged.

The terrain extending from Mount Zhongnan was steep and treacherous.

It felt as though the giant Pangu, spoken of in books and oral traditions, lay sprawled across it.

Streams ran through the valleys like veins stretching in all directions. Wei Ji Myo-hwa had crossed several cliffs bordering the waterways.

Yet she could not shake her pursuers.

She was not of noble clan descent. There were limits to masking the traces of her lightness skill. Even as Zhongnan Sect’s Sword Dragon, considered the strongest among Shaanxi’s young swordsmen, this remained true.

Her pursuers were not rising talents to begin with.

‘Brilliant Sound Twin Demons.’

Masters of Yu Ling, one of the Thirteen Evil Sects, aiding Tyrant Sword Sect’s operations.

[TL Note- in previous chapters, Yu Ling was mistakenly translated as Ye Ling. Yu Ling means lingering spirits.]

They excelled in wielding sonic techniques with their voices. A vicious pair of twins.

Together, they had risen to the ranks of veteran masters. Yu Ling was a grand faction known for secrecy, but the Brillaint Sound Twin Demons were exceptionally notorious.

Their sonic arts were flamboyant and carried a certain charm. Like military commanders, they frequently exposed themselves.

“Where are the two rabbits going!”

Another sonic blast erupted. It approached like a wind tendril, nearly brushing her blue robes. The foliage behind her quivered faintly.

The resonance gradually embedded itself in Wei Ji Myo-hwa’s mind. The two voices bore a hypnotic power. It felt as if foreign clumps were burrowing into her brain.

A refined mystical martial technique.

Could it be the mind-control ability that assassins and hidden swords often fell prey to? The sonic waves had an eerie quality.

‘I must not let it touch me.’

She had to get as far away as possible. The moment the sonic waves fully grazed her, they would pinpoint her.

Once her position was precisely identified, she could not handle it. Even Zhongnan Sect elders did not take the Twin Demons’ combined sonic strikes lightly.

Wei Ji Myo-hwa bit her lower lip. A sharp pain spread.

Jeong Hye, cradled in her arms, kept her eyes tightly shut. She was a child. Her soft eyelashes trembled.

She still retained her senses. Wei Ji Myo-hwa’s energy enveloped Jeong Hye’s ears, shielding her.

The granddaughter of Jeong Family Estate’s head, niece of the current Radiant Demon Wing Leader.

She had endured two sect destructions at a tender age.

Even after joining Zhongnan Sect, she sought Jeong Yeon-shin more than Jeong Jung-san. Gifted with exceptional martial talent worthy of inheriting Sword Immortal’s techniques, she had a gentle heart.

Many Zhongnan disciples cherished her deeply. When she became a direct disciple of Sword Immortal, equal in rank to the sect leader, no one envied her.

Jeong Hye respected them even at the cost of breaking protocol. She did not look down on her seniors. She secretly called them “elder siblings” behind Sword Immortal and the elders’ backs.

She did the same with Wei Ji Myo-hwa.

‘I must protect my little martial aunt at all costs.’

Determination settled in her gracefully arched eyes. A resolve as sharp as a treasured sword.

Crack.

Wei Ji Myo-hwa kicked off a branch while steeling her resolve.

“They say Zhongnan Sword Dragon’s blade is fierce, but it seems many missed her rabbit-like sprinting skill. ‘Running Dragon’ suits her better than ‘Sword Dragon.’”

“Their presence is starting to come into focus. She should toss that child she’s holding now! Even if she’s Sword Immortal’s disciple, she’s still lowborn!”

“She’s not lowborn, is she? They say she shares blood with the current Radiant Demon Wing Leader.”

“Then Radiant Demon Wing Leader must be lowborn too. Don’t argue with your big sister.”

Wei Ji Myo-hwa tried to ignore the repeated sonic taunts of the Brilliant Sound Twin Demons.

‘I can’t tell where I am anymore.’

She thought.

The nearest major sect was Mount Hua.

However, the evil factions targeting Zhongnan would not stand by while two of the Nine Sects allied.

Yu Ling masters had secretly blocked paths and roads to Mount Hua’s Huayin County. This had begun even before Tyrant Sword Sect swordsmen ambushed Mount Zhongnan.

They could only be helplessly overwhelmed.

The combined assault of two of the Thirteen Evil Sects was terrifying.

Tyrant Sword Sect masters, crying for vengeance, pressed Zhongnan disciples with their sword strikes, while Yu Ling warriors formed an inescapable net. A formidable encirclement.

Wei Ji Myo-hwa had to turn southwest. Toward Xiangyang in Huguang Province.

Huguang was where Radiant Demon Wing Leader Jeong Yeon-shin resided.

If a Divine Sword Group Leader’s niece was in danger, even as an imperial faction, Desolate Fortress would take some action.

Wei Ji Myo-hwa hoped the intelligence network of Desolate Fortress would catch wind of this and dispatch Radiant Demon Wing Leader.

‘Seeking help from secular factions would only increase casualties.’

It was not a distance she could reach in a day or two.

Still, she had to go.

A low hum sounded.

She channeled energy into the Gushing Spring acupoint on her soles. She minimized energy fluctuations as much as possible.

Extending her legs, she propelled herself forward. A strong headwind rushed in. Jeong Hye, cradled in her arms, moved her lips faintly.

‘Elder sister…’

‘It’ll be alright.’

Wei Ji Myo-hwa responded with a silent smile.

Then.

“Hey? That one? Sister, I’ve seen her before.”

“A strong swordswoman, female, with ugly gray hair. It’s Heart Martial Alliance’s Sword Ghost.”

The voices of the Brilliant Sound Twin Demons rang out. They constantly laced their shouts with energy.

Such eccentric evil faction masters often asserted their dignity in childish ways.

“I came because the tune was lively… Did you just call her lowborn?”

Another voice spread forth. It countered their loud cries with an even more commanding tone.

It seemed the newcomer blocking the Twin Demons had a temperament to match theirs.

If it was Heart Martial Alliance’s Sword Ghost, Wei Ji Myo-hwa knew her. Baek Seo-gun, the Swimming Heaven Sword Ghost. A supreme master of sword control, they said.

Wei Ji Myo-hwa listened intently without halting her sprint. Soon, the Henan Sword Venerable’s words followed.

“What are you two chasing now?”

“That’s not something a sword freak needs to know…”

The younger brother of the Twin Demons, Sound Demon Chen Su-jun, spoke.

“I don’t know your business, but ours is more urgent. Step aside now, and I’ll gift you a fine melody someday. Up close, you seem worth bonding with over music.”

“Bonding, my foot! The timing’s bad, so we’ll step aside! Block us, and it’s a declaration of war on Yu Ling! You should know Tyrant Sword Sect Leader has ascended Mount Zhongnan nearby!”

The elder sister, Brilliant Demon Chen Su-ling, shouted. Her voice was shrill.

A calm reply returned.

“That’s not my concern. Did I not just ask? Did you call her lowborn?”

Baek Seo-gun’s voice continued.

“Try passing without answering, and prepare to be cleaved in two.”

Her voice was forceful enough to halt even Wei Ji Myo-hwa’s steps.

***

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Translated by Nine Heavens!

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***

Wish for Peace Sword Hall.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s gaze swept the vast interior. His second visit.

The first was when he took over duties from his uncle Ma Jin. Now, he crossed the threshold fully as a Leader.

The uppermost echelon of Desolate Fortress.

A domain solely for Leaders. A strange emotion stirred within him.

Among the masters seated around the circular stone table, none lacked supreme strength. Befitting the martial world’s mightiest grand faction.

Each restrained their surging energy waves thinly and densely. The air in the chamber was taut, suffocating, as if stretched to its limit.

Divine Sword Deputy Leader—Divine Sword Spear Yue Shou-lin.

Forest-Treading Leader—Thousand Fists Dragon Vassal Xiahou Wei-zhen.

Blood Guardian Leader—Divine Blood Extreme Demon Jin Myeong-jo.

Immortal Tree Spirit Leader—Ice Soul Cheon So-so.

Law Enforcement Squad Leader—Black Cloud Sword Sovereign Woon So-yu.

Radiant Demon Wing Leader—Jeong Yeon-shin.

“A sight unseen in recent times.”

The Grand Administrator, standing at a corner of the round table, muttered quietly.

Six black-rank masters.

Without the Desolate Fortress Lord, no supreme master in the martial world would dare step into their midst.

Grand Administrator Lin Jin-ming harbored an old ambition. A grand one.

To gather such forces at one point and crush rival factions. Had the martial world been slightly smaller, he might have tried.

‘If the martial world were not so vast, if the Central Plains were not a jar riddled with countless holes…’

Their strength was beyond doubt.

Black-rank supreme masters were decisive weapons in faction wars. Unless grand factions like the Thirteen Evil Sects allied, victory was assured.

Desolate Fortress simply could not attempt it. They had experienced the backlash before.

Long ago, they had emptied several martial world strongholds and rallied five Divine Sword Group squads.

The result was overwhelming, the backlash horrific.

An ancient matter.

‘It’s impossible now.’

The Grand Administrator recalled the past. He shook his head inwardly at the same time. His eyes took in the round table before him.

Six supreme masters sat spaced apart.

Their skin-prickling energy waves were formidable.

Previously, he had gathered five to unveil Comprehensive Breaking Guide first.

Even then, their energy resonance had been impressive, but now it was different. The density had deepened. The new Leader’s presence intensified it.

Radiant Demon Wing Leader Jeong Yeon-shin.

His refined jawline tilted inward. Head bowed as if lost in thought. His youthful face bore an impassive expression.

The black robe with a torn left sleeve oddly suited him.

‘A man breathing divine techniques.’

The Grand Administrator smiled with satisfaction.

Leader-rank supreme masters were rare anywhere. Warriors of such caliber typically founded factions or acted as warlords.

The previous Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s departure had been a bitter blow, but his nephew filled the void seamlessly. It was admirable, astonishing, and gratitude-inducing.

Watching them converse alone was fulfilling.

“Hey, Radiant Demon Wing Leader. I’m not rushing you. Just asking cautiously, but… Comprehensive Breaking Guide? Your robes look empty.”

“It’s far off.”

Xiahou Wei-zhen’s eyebrow rose at Jeong Yeon-shin’s curt reply. A rare flustered expression.

The Grand Administrator had never seen a junior address Forest-Treading Leader so bluntly. What had happened?

“Is there that much to write?”

“There’s much to do.”

Jeong Yeon-shin answered briefly again.

He had come heeding Yue Shou-lin’s advice.

This place was a battlefield.

Recruiting new warriors who had passed Desolate Fortress’s trials, securing promotion slots for existing subordinates, obtaining suitable missions, and assigning them…

The annotated Comprehensive Breaking Guide was not a priority. The original rested with the Desolate Fortress Lord anyway.

Black-rank seniors would have memorized every incantation instantly. He thought they would not need annotations. It seemed obvious.

‘No seniority here, she said.’

Yue Shou-lin’s advice echoed in Jeong Yeon-shin’s mind. He felt a slight pang of guilt for his grandfather, who must have visited Radiant Demon Wing pavilion and learned of his absence.

‘He’ll come soon.’

He brushed it aside.

His duty as a Leader came first.

It was like being in the martial world. Expression faded from his face.

Xiahou Wei-zhen and the veteran black-ranks interpreted it differently. The bold demeanor of the new Radiant Demon Wing Leader conveyed one message.

“If you’re desperate, behave accordingly.”

The Desolate Fortress Leaders’ meeting began.