Chapter 234 – Treasured Sword (7)

The air was clear. Wind slipped through the wall and into the door’s crevices.

In a room where winter had crept in, Radiant Demon Wing Leader sat upright. His elbow rested on the armrest of a wooden chair, exuding an air of arrogance.

His loosely raised chin added to it. Lazy Flame Dragon, who had left the room earlier, might have jokingly called him a tempestuous deity.

The martial world.

It was not a term to utter lightly. The martial realm was vast beyond measure. Across its endless expanse of land lived all manner of eccentrics and monstrous talents.

Jeong Yeon-shin had spoken half in jest.

His experience was still limited. He had not seen even half of the Thirteen Evil Sects’ great factions. With the counter-techniques of their subordinate lineages, influencing their power structure would be difficult.

‘It’s fine.’

Shaking Xi’an in Shaanxi Province would suffice for now.

Using counter-techniques to distract Xi’an’s evil faction and make it easier for subdued righteous martial artists to face them was the priority.

He hoped it would give Jeong Hye and Wei Zhi Myo-hwa, likely in hiding, some breathing room. He wished for this in terms of both martial arts and their circumstances.

“Thank you.”

Jeong Yeon-shin expressed his gratitude to Zhuge Qing-ya again.

It was after Lazy Flame Dragon and Hyeon Won-chang had driven out the remaining Reverend Remaining Earth Sect lackeys from the inn.

The two had bound Ge Du-jin and So Yu-rang. After sealing their acupoints and locking them in a guest room, they prepared the inn’s annex for their Leader’s use.

They had traveled over ten days from Desolate Fortress’s headquarters to arrive here.

“Long journeys bring fatigue even to a martial artist’s muscles. Rest a full day in the annex.”

With Lazy Flame Dragon’s words behind him, Jeong Yeon-shin fell asleep.

The bed was of excellent quality. The quilt, embroidered with the ten symbols of longevity, felt plush, stuffed full of cotton.

It was a bed all to himself. He could curl up as he pleased. He stayed that way until waking at dawn.

“We should extract information first, shouldn’t we? News from a place dominated by the Thirteen Evil Sects is hard to get elsewhere. It seems the officials here are all bought off too.”

“Word came from Senior White. Everyone arrived safely and scattered. White Cat Shin So-bin brought the white-clad ones.”

While Lazy Flame Dragon went to interrogate the two evil faction captives, Hyeon Won-chang fetched breakfast.

Both men were clearly of noble upbringing. Once they secured proper lodging, their complexions visibly brightened.

And now.

Zhuge Qing-ya, sitting across from her Leader at a rosewood table, was the same. Her pale face glowed with vitality.

Despite this being her first private meeting with him, her expression remained calm. She brushed her black hair, tied with sky-blue silk, to the side of her neck. Jeong Yeon-shin watched her with faint discomfort.

“Even so…”

“Yes?”

“You’d still be easy to grab in close combat. Is a perfected observation technique really that effective?”

Zhuge Qing-ya blinked once, staring at her Leader.

Her face, like Zhuge Patriarch’s, was hard to read. She simply seemed at a loss for words.

“No, never mind.”

Jeong Yeon-shin closed his mouth.

He couldn’t understand why someone so physically slow would leave such a weakness. Perhaps leading Radiant Demon Wing had heightened his worries.

It wasn’t meddling. It was a Leader’s concern. If something serious happened, his heart would break.

‘I should discuss it with the Radiant Demon Squad.’

The new Leader set aside his thoughts.

He had been absorbing the principles of observation techniques from Zhuge Qing-ya. There was much to learn. Creating new martial arts was always like this, but observation techniques were especially profound.

Maybe because they didn’t involve striking with the body. The principles to study and reflect on were boundless.

Then.

A soft scrape sounded.

Hyeon Won-chang pushed the door open with his foot. He carried a breakfast tray in both hands. Desolate Divine Hero was said to be skilled in toxicology too.

Since Xi’an’s streets were now an evil faction stronghold, he had personally overseen the inn boy and cook to check for poison.

“The food’s safe. But…”

He placed the wide tray at the table’s center.

Due to the famine, the dishes weren’t varied. Only kung pao chicken and wide knife-cut noodles gave off a fragrant aroma.

Hyeon Won-chang handed over a letter atop it.

The rolled paper bore the faint scent of fresh ink.

Jeong Yeon-shin, taking it silently, raised an eyebrow. He had sensed an approaching energy wave from outside.

Its power was considerable, and its aura was solid. He had been debating whether to intercept it when it suddenly turned away.

He unfurled the letter.

“I won’t ask where you’re from. Let’s test our strength at Great Moon Gorge below, at noon on the Minor Snow day. The loser retreats.”

After scanning the brief message, he spoke slowly.

“Quite cautious.”

Hyeon Won-chang shrugged.

“Indeed. Coming so boldly, like they’re starting a war.”

He used formal speech in front of Zhuge Qing-ya. Jeong Yeon-shin gave a faint smile and rose from his seat.

A steady tread followed.

He headed straight to the window.

The room occupied the entire third floor, offering a wide view. Looking down slightly, he saw people with satchels, packs, and carts on their backs.

They moved busily. Despite the famine, the energy was impressive. Likely due to the city’s wealth.

‘That’s why the evil faction martial artists have multiplied.’

Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes narrowed. Shops and pavilions lined both sides of the sprawling main road, filling his view.

Even a swordswoman and her retinue, walking in the distance, caught his eye.

Reverend Remaining Earth Sect Leader, Frigid Demon Sword Wei Ri-hwa.

True to her title of spreading demonic influence, an eerie energy wave rippled through her flowing hair.

It was robust yet erratic. He could feel it even from this distance.

Jeong Yeon-shin moved his lips, gazing beyond the window.

“Eye Beauty, I need you to write for me.”

“Yes.”

Zhuge Qing-ya, called by her alias, laid out the scholar’s four treasures. She prepared ink on the stone, along with a brush and paper.

It didn’t take long. In a few breaths, she was ready to write.

Jeong Yeon-shin leaned against the window at an angle.

‘Rise.’

The blood vessels from both sides of his throat down to his chest twitched. The carotid artery responded.

A faint Luminous Wheel Technique filled it, alongside the nerve pathways. Soon, the meridians from his eyes to his brain were enveloped in energy.

A low hum resonated.

He wielded his energy with extreme precision.

It flowed from the Qingming acupoint at his temple to the Sibai below his eyes, then to the Tongziliao at the corners and the Zanzhu between his brows. His entire eyes heated up.

[TL Note- Qingming (BL-1): Located at the inner corner of the eye, in the depression above the inner canthus.
Tongziliao (GB-1): Located at the outer corner of the eye, in the depression on the lateral side of the orbit.
Zanzhu (BL-2): Located at the medial end of the eyebrow, in the depression directly above the inner canthus.]

All of it was meant to converge at the Baihui acupoint atop his head, but he still risked qi deviation at this stage. The structure of his energy flow was incomplete.

‘Observe.’

The moment he infused it with intent to perceive and analyze.

A hazy image formed in his vision. The bustle of people on the main road flooded his eyes. No distinct shapes emerged.

It was merely a sensation of his most open sensory organ sharpening slightly. Nothing unseen became visible.

Likely because he couldn’t guide the flow to the Baihui’s sensory channel.

He spoke absently.

“No different from usual.”

“…Other prodigies feel a leap in dynamic vision from that,” Zhuge Qing-ya replied. “Weaving such energy flow takes decades of training.”

“It’s still useless, then.”

Jeong Yeon-shin took her words calmly.

She gazed at her Leader with jade-green eyes before lowering her head again.

Holding the brush with pale fingers, a faint wrinkle crossed her smooth brow. Hyeon Won-chang grinned at her.

An amused smile. Great Snow Sword had ghostwritten the Eight Trigrams Compendium, but the renowned calligrapher Zhuge Qing-ya had now taken that role.

“Reverend Remaining Earth Sect, physical techniques.”

Jeong Yeon-shin’s words fell. Zhuge Qing-ya glanced at him, leaning against the window with arms crossed, and began writing.

“She uses her whole body’s muscles evenly when walking. Her thigh muscles don’t rise high. No part protrudes, suggesting a naturally stealthy gait. Her energy’s center of gravity is low. If she shifts direction abruptly with a feint, her balance could easily collapse. I’ll list the orientations. Acquired Eight Trigrams: Heaven, Earth, Water.”

[TL Note- The Eight Trigrams are ancient Chinese symbols consisting of three lines, each either solid yang or yin. They represent fundamental natural forces and phenomena, forming the basis of Taoist philosophy, the I Ching, and Feng Shui. Each trigram symbolizes elements such as heaven, earth, thunder, water, mountain, wind, fire, and lake, reflecting the interaction and balance of yin and yang energies in nature.]

“…Done.”

“Her arms sway subtly at her waist. The energy wave she emits is calm compared to its power. Beware of sudden sword strikes. Her right forearm’s extensor group and biceps are trained, so she’s likely adept at swift upward cuts, but the energy at her Neiguan acupoint isn’t strong.”

[TL Note- Neiguan (PC6), also called “Inner Pass,” is an acupuncture point located on the inner forearm, about two finger-widths above the wrist crease, between the tendons of palmaris longus and flexor carpi radialis muscles.]

“Wait a moment.”

“…Finished?”

“Yes.”

“She trusts her blade’s edge and favors flashy swordplay. If the first clash is a heavy strike, victory is certain. A single-blow fight isn’t risky. I’ll explain the counter-energy structure separately, so note it down.”

His voice lacked inflection, flowing evenly. His follow-up question was the same.

“There’s enough space, right? Anyone could figure this much out, but some obsess over annotations.”

Zhuge Qing-ya’s blank expression cracked slightly. She raised her dense lashes.

It was a moment of inevitable doubt. What kind of power would an observation technique from such a person hold?

‘I don’t know.’

With a slight press of her lips, she lifted her brush again.

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Read only at nineheavens.org

Translated by Nine Heavens!

https://discord.gg/XC9DTsTQ9Z

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‘That’s a monster.’

Frigid Demon Sword Wei Ri-hwa quickened her steps.

Her instincts, honed through hundreds of life-saving moments in the evil faction, urged her to retreat.

Reverend Remaining Earth Sect was a branch of Yu Ling. The Thirteen Evil Sects’ Yu Ling had intelligence rivaling the Beggars’ Sect. Their secret observation techniques were far from ordinary.

She had been granted the Dark Motion Time-Transcending Technique by Yu Ling’s Leader. A supreme observation method, almost divine.

With pitch-black, gleaming eyes, she pierced through the so-called Leader. It bordered on clairvoyance. She assessed his energy through walls and stone.

Then she turned away at once. She steadied her pounding heart with internal breathing.

‘Another like that in the martial world…!’

His internal energy’s density was staggering. Utterly shocking.

She couldn’t discern his temperament. It wasn’t a flaw in the Dark Motion Time-Transcending Technique. It was her own limit.

If she had the mastery to see through a supreme master’s suppressed energy, she would have unified Xi’an’s martial world long ago.

She returned straight to Northern Bright Inn.

Climbing to the top-floor private room in one go, she sat on a grand chair. It was a base seized after expelling Mount Zhongnan’s secular factions.

The chair, carved whole from ebony, was Wei Ri-hwa’s throne. Its dark armrests were exceptional. They gave her the usual sense of omnipotence.

Xi’an’s evil faction sovereign.

A chilling sensation warmed instantly.

Heat Yang Technique flowed from her body. Sweat beaded on the backs of a dozen kneeling disciples at her feet.

Her faintly wrinkled eyes softened. Wei Ri-hwa murmured briefly. This is my seat.

“Send word. Across all of Xi’an.”

“Spare no faction, whether Tyrant Sword Sect or otherwise. Shao Bai Gate, Severing End Pavilion, Great Spirit Shock Sect, Sword Demon Sect, Final Heaven Blade Sect, Radiant Moon Clan… Inform them all. A supreme master too strong to face alone has come.”

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Three days passed.

The weather was fair. Dense mountains wore a long veil of early winter mist.

Grass bowing underground exhaled faint air.

A scene basking in clear sunlight amid silence. Sated wild beasts retreated into the deep forest.

Thin ice dotted the lake’s edge, stirred by a waterfall’s roar. On one patch stood a man cloaked entirely in black fur.

Blood Guardian Squad Leader Jin Myeong-jo.

He stood steady on the iridescent ice.

Even balancing only on his toes, he showed no instability. The precariousness was in his mind instead.

Jin Myeong-jo parted his lips with a blank face.

‘Damn it.’

He didn’t voice it. His mouth just shaped the words faintly.

He sensed his junior’s energy ascending the ridge. It was fiercely menacing. Even the subtle traces of technique energy already tore at his skin.

His sharpened senses as a supreme master made it all the clearer. He wasn’t used to it. It scared him.

Lately, that junior’s occasional glinting eyes were downright eerie. Facing him was always a trial, but as a senior, he couldn’t show it.

Honestly, he wasn’t sure.

Inwardly, he screamed endlessly. It wasn’t just a day or two.

Did his junior truly not know? Or was he secretly reveling in it? Blood Guardian Extreme Demon Jin Myeong-jo conjured, dismissed, and rekindled countless thoughts alone.

A cycle repeated dozens of times. It always converged on one conclusion, as it had before.

Damn it, probably not.

‘He’s coming.’

He forced tension into his lips.

Even a blank face couldn’t be casual.

He targeted the muscles from his cheeks to the zygomatic and risorius, treating them as external technique subjects. There was a method to craft lofty bearing.

A crafted coldness.

Before his junior’s head fully crested the ridge, Jin Myeong-jo spoke icily.

“You’re late.”