Chapter 236 – Treasured Sword (9)

Inside a quaint room at Fruit Cloud Inn.

“Ghost Soul Divine Sword Yeo So-hyang. An elder overseer of Tyrant Sword Sect. She manages the evil factions under Tyrant Sword Sect that dominate Xi’an. According to investigations with the Beggars’ Sect, she also led the massacre of the Jeong Family Manor in Xinye County.”

Zhuge Xian spoke.

He faced Jeong Yeon-shin across a round tea table. Only two teacups rested on it.

Even without rice, tea was brewed and savored in these times. A faint tea fragrance lingered in the room.

“The massacre of my family?”

The spark of warmth in Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s eyes faded.

“I believe it was ordered by the Third Apostle of Blood Flame Cult.”

Jeong Yeon-shin replied quietly, recalling events at Blood Flame Cult’s headquarters.

“They enjoyed fertile land beyond their station.”

Those were the words of the Third Apostle, clashing with the Seventh Apostle. He had confessed it himself. He ordered the Jeong Family Manor’s destruction.

Then Desolate Fortress Lord’s sword took his head.

Only one enemy remained. With the same resolve that birthed the Jeong Family Dynamic Technique, Jeong Yeon-shin had been counting the culprits of his family’s ruin, driven by a vow to uphold justice.

He had thought of none but Tyrant Sword Sect Leader.

Zhuge Xian’s words demanded his full attention.

“Ghost Soul Divine Sword, who oversees Xi’an’s evil factions, was Tyrant Sword Sect Leader’s nursemaid. An aged noble swordmaster.”

Zhuge Xian continued, stealing glances at Jeong Yeon-shin’s unusually long limbs as if marveling at them.

“She once rivaled the Thirteen Evil Sects’ leaders in martial prowess, but it’s said her mastery of tyrannical techniques led to her decline. Still, she remains formidable. Among great faction leaders, only Mount Hua Sword Saint Taoist Cheon Ju could match Yeo So-hyang.”

“Tell me more about her.”

“She’s an eccentric who enjoys surveying lands with sword-flight. It’s said she scouted Xinye County’s terrain energy and reported it to Tyrant Sword Sect Leader. She constantly boasts about the supreme master she raised. It came up while she bragged that the Sect Leader dealt countless blows to Desolate Fortress.”

“Ghost Soul Divine Sword Yeo So-hyang.”

Jeong Yeon-shin murmured softly.

Tyrant Sword Sect’s elder overseer. The supreme authority of the evil martial world that ousted Mount Zhongnan Sect.

His upper dantian’s intuition detected no falsehood from Zhuge Xian. A man who had mastered observation techniques more striking than any secret art.

Jeong Yeon-shin had no desire to doubt him. This chivalrous man bore a temperament opposite to his own blood kin.

“Let’s focus on the task at hand.”

Jeong Yeon-shin closed his eyes briefly and opened them. He set aside the thoughts stirred by this unexpected revelation.

He would encounter her eventually while dismantling Xi’an’s evil factions.

“Noon at Great Moon Gorge is set for the showdown. It was Reverend Remaining Earth Sect Leader’s letter.”

“Ghost Soul Divine Sword won’t descend immediately.”

“Why not?”

“She views everything beneath Tyrant Sword Sect Leader as trivial. She wouldn’t intervene in her subordinate factions’ squabbles from the outset, no matter their strength.”

“True. The level of these evil factions surprised me. They’re not mere black path thugs—more like mid-tier sects.”

“I came after reports of their atrocities. They treat commoners’ lives like candy in their pockets. I had to see it for myself.”

Jeong Yeon-shin had witnessed the same. Countless corpses lined the path to the city gates.

Victims of famine-driven plunder, their bodies bore traces of evil martial counter-techniques, shimmering faintly like smoke rising from incense.

“Their numbers are overwhelming. Every one of them properly trained in evil faction arts. Retreat might be worth considering. The entire city seems hostile to you, Leader Jeong.”

Zhuge Xian spoke cautiously.

The Martial Alliance had thoroughly investigated. Evil factions differed from righteous coalitions.

They couldn’t openly run businesses or receive generous donations like alms. Instead, they extorted shops or brazenly collected protection fees.

Naturally, they were fiercely territorial.

Even while bickering among themselves, they united instantly against outside threats. Not being great factions, they blended mid-tier sect discipline with back-alley thug instincts.

Righteous path called their unity bizarre. It was a cohesion that swiftly tore apart Mount Zhongnan Sect’s order, dividing the spoils among themselves in no time.

More like brothers wounding each other.

Their response to a hostile supreme master could only be lightning-fast.

As Lazy Flame Dragon experienced, they restricted food supplies, and the faction leaders vanished in unison.

They feared being picked off individually. It seemed they’d stay hidden until the eve of the showdown.

Their ability to recognize strength was exceptional.

“Evil factions strictly follow survival of the fittest. Powerful leaders constantly guard against a supreme master’s emergence. To protect their livelihood, they’ll intercept even a supreme master by any means necessary.”

Zhuge Xian explained calmly.

“There’s a way to dismantle them from within, bit by bit. Wiping them out in one frontal battle might be quick, but it carries immense risk. That’s why I suggest retreat, Leader Jeong. Even an absolute master struggles against ten thousand trained fighters in this era.”

He toyed with a fan pulled from his robe, a habitual gesture.

The steam from the teacups had dissipated. Only the invisible tea scent remained. Silence settled briefly in the tranquil room.

Jeong Yeon-shin did not respond.

***

Read only at nineheavens.org

Translated by Nine Heavens!

https://discord.gg/XC9DTsTQ9Z

***

Great Moon Gorge, flanking the vast Guanzhong Plain.

Warriors with eerie energy waves poured in from every direction. It was the might of the evil faction.

Unlike petty thugs mimicking martial artists with crude skills, their murderous aura cloaked them entirely.

Hundreds marched toward the mountains beyond the city. A place dubbed Great Moon Gorge for some reason.

“I don’t get why they’re going this far.”

“Fair point. Just a week ago, they were at each other’s throats.”

“Some supreme master won’t leave Xi’an. Fighting in the city would wreck everything—our wealth, no less!”

“A supreme master… Is it true?”

“Frigid Demon Sword, Leader Wei’s observation skills are praised even by our patriarch. If it’s a lie, Reverend Remaining Earth Sect gets wiped out. Not by us, but Yu Ling’s elders.”

People of all sorts climbed the mountain. Long-haired figures trailing locks to their feet, bald ones, many clad in exotic weapons.

Curved blades, swords with circular holes, gauntlets with attached edges, sickles on chains, flexible swords bending like whips.

They chattered noisily as they ascended.

No one seemed tense. Facing a cloud-like mass of rising energy, anyone would feel the same.

Hundreds, properly trained in evil martial arts. Some giggled as if on a playful outing.

“With this many, why not target richer lands?”

“How about Xiangyang?”

“Are you mad? Attack Desolate Fortress?”

“They say the land there’s so fertile. With this force, aren’t we invincible?”

There was a reason they didn’t strike the Leader’s inn. The main road couldn’t hold such numbers, but Great Moon Gorge’s vast wilderness beside the mountains was perfect for a show of strength.

They aimed to make an example of this supposed supreme master, solidifying Xi’an’s evil faction order. Their patience had reached the day of reckoning.

Far behind followed countless commoners, merchants, and wanderers.

“So, it’s like a public execution?”

“They’ve been holed up. The Leader and all those faction heads.”

“Whoever hides in fear loses. I’d bet on the faction leaders. How could one outsider withstand Xi’an’s evil faction turf?”

“Still, this scale—it’s like a faction war.”

“Happens now and then.”

Xi’an’s people were dual-natured. They bowed when needed but showed fierce curiosity in action.

Since ancient times, Mount Zhongnan and Mount Hua sects clashed with evil factions here. The bold locals were legion.

They filled the vast, sparsely populated gorge to the brim.

Then.

Xi’an’s evil faction leaders appeared. Seven men and women. With disciples or subordinates at their backs, they stepped onto the plain below the gorge.

Each radiated extraordinary presence. The sprawling mountains seemed to hold their breath.

Reverend Remaining Earth Sect, Shao Bai Gate, Severing End Pavilion, Great Spirit Shock Sect, Sword Demon Sect, Final Heaven Blade Sect, Radiant Moon Clan.

All the evil faction patriarchs had arrived.

A force to claim invincibility. In most regions, they could.

“Wonder how strong he is. For Leader Wei to set up such a stage.”

A man with thick brows and piercing eyes spoke.

A long scar crossed his cheek. He wore an old-fashioned ink-black bamboo hat, hiding much of his white hair.

His aura, rising over a pristine robe, sent smoke curling from the dirt. Mystical and imposing.

Radiant Moon Clan Patriarch Baek Mu-ryang.

Alongside Wei Ri-hwa and Jang Gi-il, one of Xi’an’s three great evil masters.

“Maybe a Desolate Fortress black-clad came alone? For Leader Wei to make such a fuss. If true, I’d flee without looking back.”

Baek Mu-ryang remarked. The corners of his white beard twitched playfully.

Wei Ri-hwa, standing center, snorted. She knew Radiant Moon Clan Patriarch well.

The slyest man here. Hard to take as mere jest. She had to jab back.

“I won’t stop you. If you want to be the martial world’s laughingstock, go ahead.”

“Leader Wei’s still as cold as ever.”

Baek Mu-ryang grinned, scanning around. The evil faction’s energy filled the plain below the gorge, staggering in scope.

Comparable to the Thirteen Evil Sects’ Heart Martial Alliance’s forces, at least in theory.

‘What a sight.’

Baek Mu-ryang thought. This was why the evil patriarchs heeded Wei Ri-hwa’s call.

Xi’an and its neighbors watched. Crowding the gorge, gazing down with awe for their superiors.

Thus.

The patriarchs achieved their goal. It was already over.

A colossal martial force. Impossible not to be awed up close.

Countless Shaanxi commoners gathered, rivaling a small nation. A slight exaggeration, but it felt like the martial world’s eyes were here.

No greater display of might existed. Talk of Desolate Fortress black-clads was moot. Meaningless.

Irregular energy waves tangled in hundreds, stretching out, gouging the ground beneath.

The plain seemed packed with an army. Truly overwhelming.

A power none here had faced.

Only Tyrant Sword Sect or Yu Ling, beyond the sky, could compare. In famine, they’d fully seized control over the commoners.

Rebels would wield plows, not swords, and the masses would toil silently, fattening Xi’an’s evil factions.

Every poor harvest meant harder work, didn’t it?

Righteous factions ousted, evil ones ascendant.

‘Our martial world is complete.’

Baek Mu-ryang’s lips curved into a smile.

Even as a lone figure descended before them, it held.

A steady step sounded.

A black cloak fluttered, draping his back. Shoulder-length dark hair swayed with the fur coat.

A boy in black leather boots touched the ground. A silent landing for such a leap.

“…Remarkable movement skill. Looked like a dot from afar.”

Baek Mu-ryang muttered, deepening the wrinkles between his brows.

The figure didn’t reply.

Only pitch-black eyes glinted sharply. He lifted his sharp jaw, silently scanning the hundreds of evil faction members on the plain.

His gaze alone carried strange pressure. Silence spread in its wake.

Wei Ri-hwa, seeing him for the first time, bit her lip lightly.

“This kid?”

“Looks can deceive. We’ll treat him as a martial elder.”

Baek Mu-ryang spoke with a faint smile.

“No need to cross swords to see his skill. Fit to roam the martial world alone. In most places, he’d thrive. Famine or not, he’d survive.”

“…”

“But look here. A lone master’s fight gets messy and complicated. It’s not like a one-on-one duel. The martial world’s romance isn’t here. No one would fault you for backing off now.”

Then.

The youthful swordsman spoke.

“Radiant Moon Clan Patriarch, right?”

“Yes.”

“Those gathered here… Just Xi’an’s seven great evil factions?”

“Exactly. No riffraff. I guarantee it.”

“Extortion, injury, murder as a way of life. Enslaving commoners repeatedly, using every means to hone combat arts—reports confirmed it.”

“What trivial talk. No intent to retreat, then?”

Dust surged violently beneath Baek Mu-ryang’s feet. A swirling energy wave, like a summoned gust.

The prelude to Radiant Moon Tyrant Technique, passed down his clan. Block the first strike, and the martial force would sweep through.

A low roar rose!

Pebbles clashed on the dirt, resounding with the fierce wind. Nearby, Wei Ri-hwa’s silk robes fluttered grandly.

Her curved smile rode an energy wave slicing the air, sheer as silk yet invisible.

A brilliant flare erupted!

The other patriarchs’ auras matched theirs. Blades scattered light in ceaseless flashes.

The noise grew loud. Soon, any voice would drown in the energy’s rumble.

Amid it all.

“You admit it.”

Jeong Yeon-shin tilted his head.

His demeanor outshone anyone here. His lips moved subtly, visible only to the evil patriarchs before him.

“In my name as Leader.”

“…?”

“Radiant Demon Wing of Desolate Fortress, purge the filth.”

The moment his telepathic words fell.

An arrow soared from the ridge behind.

A piercing whistle shrieked!

Like a giant bird’s cry. A whistling arrow’s sound, loaded with immense internal energy.

April Palace Ghost Wei Ye-ryeong’s strike. The storm-like arrow swallowed the patriarchs’ energy waves as it passed.

Desolate Fortress’s blue-clad noble’s mighty power infused it. It streaked overhead like lightning.

A thunderous crash!

It pierced three evil faction warriors, embedding in the ground. Three sonic booms ripped through flesh in unison. Artillery-like archery.

No screams erupted. The clustered crowd scattered in panic.

“What’s happening…!”

“His backup!”

Wei Ri-hwa and Baek Mu-ryang’s eyes widened.

From the gorge’s flank, a colossal aura surged. With white mists. Not clouds—closer to a sun.

From a hill ignored by warriors scaling cliffs like flat ground, it rose as if dawn broke anew, overwhelmingly potent.

Twenty-eight radiant swords emerged. Energy shaped around their bodies shimmered with sunlight.

They looked like blades incarnate. Even those without swords did. They conjured sunlight themselves.

Compared to the plain’s masses, they were a handful.

Their presence was different.

A group with rare noble warriors. Clad in varied robes, yet united in terrifying harmony. Their essence aligned.

A deep rumble shook the earth!

The moment they appeared, they leaped down as one. Nearly thirty men and women launched from the peak, diving like hawks.

Each step on rock thickened the white light cloaking their weapons and bodies. Almost an auspicious sight.

One of Divine Sword Group’s seventeen squads, called Desolate Fortress’s wing that slays the world’s demons.

“Wha— What…?”

“What’s this!”

Xi’an’s evil martial force faltered. Too fast. They closed in instantly. Unknown masters’ lightness skills turned into a blazing orb.

In a few blinks, their speed surged, movements flashing like lightning.

Radiant Demon Wing spread its feathers. Radiant Arts Bond’s energy burst outward.

A deafening roar exploded!

The unleashed force shook the ground and tore the air.

A wave of blinding white radiance clashed with the evil warriors. A monstrous shockwave soared in all directions.