Chapter 224 – Radiant Arts Bond (4)

The new Radiant Demon Wing Leader paid no heed to the odd demeanor of Desolate Shin Clan Head. He knew what she was thinking. Her mutterings alone confirmed it.

‘There are many cases to the contrary too.’

Had Jeong Yeon-shin been a woman, she might have mentioned a son. Since ancient times, leaders of great factions across the martial world expanded their influence through marriages.

They placed immense importance on their affiliated sects. In an era of chaos, whether a formidable warrior was male or female mattered little.

The martial world thrived on survival of the fittest. The prevailing ethos staked everything on elevating a group’s honor and solidifying its power.

Jeong Yeon-shin had no time to concern himself with such matters. Perfecting Radiant Demon Wing was his sole priority.

Family and home.

The incident at Sichuan’s City of Renowned Craftsmen had made it clear. The fallen seniors from that time lingered in his mind.

The sense of loss he had tried to ignore had etched itself into his heart like a brand. This event brought realization.

From now on, the roster must remain full. Unless unavoidable, no vacancies should arise.

The warmth he encountered late in life resembled an unseen sea. They say the more one drinks, the thirstier one becomes. So it was with Radiant Demon Wing.

They were alive. Unlike the Jeong Family Dynamic Technique, which chased his mother’s spirit, they were tangible.

‘I won’t lose more.’

The words and actions of Desolate Shin Clan Head Shin Seol-ha instead fueled Jeong Yeon-shin’s awakening. From within his heart, the vessel of a squad leader began to bud like a flower.

Even the absence of a single member like Shin So-bin prompted reflection on past events. Leading many was not an issue.

Recognizing their value anew was enough.

‘The seniors, peers, and juniors must grow stronger. They must cling to me of their own accord.’

He resolved to ensure Radiant Demon Wing’s members never left its embrace, in any way possible.

Radiant Demon Wing Leader Jeong Yeon-shin contemplated.

It felt as though his upper dantian filled with a faint glow. For the first time, he resolved to create a martial art for others, right after that decision.

From within, the warrior Lightning Genius donned the mantle of Grandmaster Radiant Demon Wing Leader. In that silent moment, the vessel of a great squad leader took shape.

Having passed through the mire of solitude at Jeong Family Estate, he bloomed like a lotus rising from a swamp.

A small spark ignited a great change. He suddenly realized it. Jeong Yeon-shin had never crafted a martial art for others to use.

Not once. Until now, his talent had served only himself. Even so, he had forged a lineage.

‘Yet tossing my martial arts to others wasn’t meant to yield results.’

He sank into thought.

‘From the start, a martial art representing Radiant Demon Wing…’

It would be best to weave together the principles of Lightning Genius’s techniques and Radiant Demon Technique. Both the mid-tier and new warriors of Radiant Demon Wing needed to master it.

It must also be refined. Just as Radiant Demon Wing masters were compared to Mount Hua’s Plum Blossom Swordsmen, their martial art should rightfully stand alongside Plum Blossom Swordsmanship. Only then would it befit Radiant Demon Wing.

“Leader Jeong?”

Shin Seol-ha’s call broke his reverie.

He raised his head. A puzzled expression entered his view.

“Yes, I’ll take her.”

Jeong Yeon-shin replied calmly.

He stood from his seat. A faint scraping sound spread softly.

The stone chair, characteristic of Desolate Fortress, scratched the floor. It filled the quiet hall with unusual clarity.

“…”

A glint flickered in Shin Seol-ha’s eyes.

She was a clan leader. She was sensitive to shifts in the demeanor of the person before her.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s bearing, having blossomed with a small epiphany, differed from before. The aura of a supreme master breathing divine techniques followed his state of mind.

A subtle dignity began to infuse his slight movements. He was the Lightning Genius of Huguang Province and the Flower Shadow King of Sichuan.

Even as he stepped outside.

Shin Seol-ha said nothing more. Her intuition as a clan head dictated it.

Adding unnecessary words would invite rebuke. The dignity of a black-rank supreme master was something Desolate Fortress members understood best.

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke first.

“As Shin So-bin’s superior, I offer my respects. You raised a valuable subordinate. I’m grateful.”

“Our family has produced Elder Council Leaders for generations. For a top noble clan under headquarters, that much is expected.”

Shin Seol-ha raised the corner of her mouth and jested lightly.

Jeong Yeon-shin did not look at her. He focused his senses into the void absentmindedly. It was right after hearing “top under headquarters.”

It seemed no one was there. Yet it was a meaningless act.

If his grandfather hid himself, Jeong Yeon-shin would struggle to detect him. For now, it sufficed that no incident had occurred.

“I’ll send spirit herbs and internal injury medicine to Radiant Demon Wing’s side. They’ll be valuable support.”

Shin Seol-ha said as she walked ahead toward the door. Jeong Yeon-shin gazed at her back quietly.

“For what purpose?”

“To repay a debt. With Leader Jeong constantly on missions, I’ve had no chance to show gratitude. Had you not achieved merits in Sichuan, the Elder Council Leader might have faced misfortune.”

“Your attitude has shifted.”

“It should have been so. Apart from So-bin’s matter.”

Jeong Yeon-shin did not refuse. They would be needed when Radiant Demon Wing’s members engraved a new martial art into their bodies.

Training warriors was akin to carving the flesh.

To swiftly master a worthy technique, good provisions and fine medicines were essential, especially in a time of poor harvests when food and resources grew scarce.

Even headquarters’ administrative office struggled to supply spirit herbs and internal injury medicine beyond a set amount.

He had already requested them as rewards for conquering the sect-opening tournament mission, but how much would come was uncertain.

‘The more, the better.’

Because he needed to create such a martial art. Jeong Yeon-shin thought.

A soft laugh sounded ahead. It was Shin Seol-ha.

“Let’s go.”

She opened the door, and he stepped outside. A hesitant shuffle followed.

Shin So-bin’s delicate energy wave trembled oddly. She seemed affected by the trivial words.

“Let’s go.”

He spoke, looking at her small face. Her striking, clear eyes left an impression.

Shin So-bin nodded slightly.

“It’s been ages. I’m glad you’re unharmed.”

“You’ve honed your body with Eternal Blossom Fist. It’s well-formed. Your presence is solid.”

“You noticed right away.”

Her lips curved into a smile. Being praised for her progress by the technique’s creator brought unparalleled joy to a warrior.

Typically, grandmasters of refined martial arts were long-dead ancestors. Experiencing this in her lifetime was a rare luxury.

Behind her, the blue-rank master Chaotic Cry Sword Shin Baek watched them with complex eyes.

A branch blue-rank lacked authority to oppose the clan head’s decision. Nor did he feel inclined to.

The warm voice claiming a subordinate as his own lingered in his ears.

‘Perhaps…’

Startled by his own fleeting thought, Radiant Demon Wing Leader passed by him. The black sleeve brushed lightly at his side.

Never had a black robe felt so vivid. A figure freely traversing the vast martial world.

The supreme master’s energy wave swept around like a winter breeze and faded. Among the gathered warriors, none could move.

“I won’t be gone long.”

Shin So-bin said boldly. Her gaze up at Clan Head Shin Seol-ha was straight and clear.

“If I feel my limits, I’ll come ask about Heavenly Equal Martial Scripture anytime. It’s not shameful. No matter how much I master Lightning Genius’s lineage or Radiant Demon Technique, I won’t interfere with that.”

Shin Seol-ha replied with a laugh. Her smile had grown remarkably tender.

A rustling step sounded.

Shin So-bin snorted and turned away. Her steps following her Leader’s back were light.

White-rank and black-rank, disciple and grandmaster, left the garden together.

***

Read only at nineheavens.org

Translated by Nine Heavens!

https://discord.gg/XC9DTsTQ9Z

***

Having retrieved his subordinate, the new Radiant Demon Wing Leader secluded himself.

He entered his quarters and did not emerge. He took all meals in his chambers.

Only Radiant Demon Wing servants bringing food saw the Leader. Days passed without him showing his face.

It was a retreat.

An unprecedented event, even Blue Eyed Demon Sword Cheong Myeong and Bewitching Sword Demon Baek Mi-ryeo were taken aback. Yet they could do nothing.

Lightning Genius was their Leader. They had to honor his order to admit no one.

The sun rose and set repeatedly. The shadow of dusk stretching over the quarters brushed the heads of Radiant Demon Wing masters nine times.

“It’s the ninth day already. Could he be gripped by qi deviation?”

“There’s logic to that. They say he fought fiercely at Shin Clan. He might be quietly tending an internal injury…”

“To spare us worry? With our Leader’s nature, it’s plausible. He never shows anything.”

It was dusk once more.

Orange sunlight settled. The clear air wrapped in evening hues like a blanket.

Beneath the towering walls encircling three sides of the Grand Training Ground, Radiant Demon Wing masters clashed weapons or trained.

Many watched from above. Some squatted on the high walls, others stood tall on the opposite quarters’ rooftops.

Those atop the tiles mostly gazed at the Leader’s chambers. It was Radiant Demon Wing’s spirit. A stark contrast to righteous prestigious sects.

About thirty were present. Even those returning from solo missions had gathered.

“Rumor says he faced only the clan head. They say it was a one-on-one duel.”

“Was Shin Clan Head’s skill enough to injure the Leader internally? I thought she fell short of black-rank.”

“Still, she’s a prestigious clan head. She likely hid a life-saving supreme move. Or triggered a concealed formation.”

“Enough internal injury talk. If true, Blue Eyed Demon Sword would’ve noticed instantly. Let’s help these ones train. He’ll emerge when ready.”

The warriors chatting in various poses turned their heads.

Their gazes converged on one spot.

Kang Chang-mu gripped a greatsword, while Wei Ye-ryeong held a bow at an angle. A burly Han and a lithe noble clan master.

Amid tangled footwork, the blade grazed her blue robes.

Howling Beast Sword and April Bow Ghost, blue-rank masters, wielded Radiant Sword Style and Radiant Wing Step.

A heavy thud resounded!

Kang Chang-mu’s greatsword slammed downward. The straight sword energy wave split around before Wei Ye-ryeong’s legs.

Dust merely dusted her footing. Her Radiant Wing Step had reached its peak.

Howling Beast Sword Kang Chang-mu’s Radiant Sword Style was the same. A faint glow enveloped the blade.

He thrust the downward sword upward swiftly. The air-rending sound was tremendous, like bursting stone fragments in all directions.

“This is where it diverges.”

Wei Ye-ryeong muttered, hands behind her back.

She did not move. She stood haughtily, facing the sword energy wave. Her courage matched her sword-like ears, eyes wide open.

A fierce gust swept past!

The wind brushed her face. Her blue eyes glinted with a cold texture. It was not a sharp sword gust.

Kang Chang-mu, having swung down, raised a corner of his mouth slightly. Not from joy. A hollow smile.

“With Radiant Demon Technique’s study, an upward strike fits…”

“I know. Linking strikes is tough.”

Wei Ye-ryeong replied, arms crossed.

A sharp snap followed!

Kang Chang-mu lowered his head and sheathed his sword behind his back. He did not look, yet the motion was swift.

The blade blurred and vanished momentarily. A master’s sheathing skill. It testified to refined sword technique mastery.

He spoke.

“You didn’t seem able to chain Radiant Wing Step either.”

“Right. I need to spread energy up and down from the Taixi acupoint near the ankle, but I’d already used it once. The meridians didn’t react instantly. In real combat, I’d have used my innate technique.”

“My sword path stalled too. Extending further was hard. Not the acupoints, but the forearm muscles were the issue. For linked strikes, I must finely adjust to trigger internal force. Only then can I discuss Radiant Sword Style’s tenth mastery level. Turns out that Hwangbo guy wasn’t wrong.”

Kang Chang-mu said, glancing upward.

Lazy Flame Dragon lay sprawled on the roof’s edge, chewing poppy seeds. He seemed to use the Leader’s quarters’ tiles as a bed.

Since dueling Kang Chang-mu, he had not spared Lightning Genius’s lineage a glance.

He only appeared to stand guard for Jeong Yeon-shin in a fully relaxed state.

Wei Ye-ryeong uncrossed her arms.

“Lightning Genius’s techniques are all like that. Focused on single-strike power, they’re one-off. Only the Leader can chain them, I bet. It’s a talent gap. You realize it after decent mastery…”

She trailed off.

Terrifying energy waves seeped over the Grand Training Ground’s walls. Their magnitude exceeded blue-rank mastery.

The pressure slicing all directions in an instant was immense.

In the martial world, some wielded irresistible power in human form.

Those in Desolate Fortress wore black robes. Black-rank supreme masters. Their vivid presence spread from beyond the wall.

“Is he really here? No reply even after notice? Did calling him an enemy bother him? What if it did?”

“If he’s in secluded training, we should turn back.”

“Don’t jest. You, So-yu, insisted we come. For the… um, book’s allure. Blood Ghost, say something. Our dear youngest skipped the meeting too.”

“I’m uninvolved. I’m just curious about my subordinates sent to Radiant Demon Wing. Since Leader Jeong is in retreat…”

“Are you scared of our Lightning Genius?”

“I merely respect a junior’s private time.”

Their voices and manners were unmistakable.

Divine Sword Deputy Leader, Law Enforcement Squad Leader, and Blood Guardian Leader had arrived. Radiant Demon Wing masters, lounging freely, rose slowly.

They could not greet other squads’ Leaders so casually.

Then it happened.

Did their overwhelming energy waves trigger it?

A faint energy ripple stirred. It emerged from the Leader’s grand quarters beyond the training ground’s wall, through the door’s cracks.

Suddenly, it flared like a spark of radiance. It pierced even the tile gaps where Lazy Flame Dragon lay.

Then, beams of energy-formed light began flowing out like smoke.