Chapter 285 – Lotus (4)

The commotion over the disappearance of the eldest daughter’s tutor soon subsided, and the Gongya Family regained its calm.

“They say he’s that handsome?”

“Quite striking, I heard. As much as the second young master.”

“No, even more. He might have sword-like ears hidden in his hair!”

“His status is a pity. A lone sect leader sounds grand, but in these times, isn’t he just a wanderer?”

Sunlight glimmered at the edge of the blue-tiled roof. It was a peace rare in vast Shanxi, proof of a mighty family’s strength.

Geom Woon-bi, sect leader of Sky-Jade Sect.

The friend of Teacher Gao, who taught the eldest daughter, was unremarkable. He was merely an occasional topic of amusement among the servants.

In a family widely called a noble house in Shanxi, it was common for noble and refined figures to settle as guests.

They were both honored visitors and part of the family’s strength. With such a sprawling estate, odd characters were not few.

That was why Geom Woon-bi’s name did not arise among the family’s elders.

There were guests of greater renown and more pressing matters. It was a noble and martial house.

“The tea’s fragrance is faint. The steam is weak too.”

“That’s because your mind is troubled. How can you call Dragon Well tea faint?”

“You speak as if you and I differ, Elder Brother, but I know you’re anxious. Isn’t it about your eldest daughter’s safety? Jeong-ah, our family head doubts your prowess.”

Four people sat in a neat, spacious room. Two men with deep wrinkles around their eyes and the elegant Gongya siblings.

The air filled with the presence exuded by the two middle-aged men.

Shanxi lay closest to the imperial capital, Beijing. Long a hub of cultural exchange, its native prestigious clans lived alongside officials, possessing refined grace.

Even with the same martial training, their dignity set them apart. Their aura blossomed into an extraordinary presence.

The middle-aged man in the brightest red robe spoke.

“Stop your nonsense. What good comes from planting doubt in our heir? She faces a task hard enough even with a mind sharpened like a blade.”

“I’m fine, Family Head.”

Eldest daughter Gongya Jeong’s voice was calm. So was her expression.

She was every bit the prestigious lady set to inherit a prestigious martial house.

Unlike her black hair, softly draping over shoulders honed by muscle, the intangible power waves coursing through her carried a solid texture.

Her energy waves held dignity. Her internal energy was exceptional for her age.

“Recently, two Blood Flame Cult Swordsmen died by Slaughter Chivalry’s hand. How can I not worry? It must be tough for you too.”

The family head’s younger brother spoke, his eyes sharp.

An uncle to the eldest daughter, he bore energy waves nearly as strong as the family head’s.

His refined, keen gaze was a hallmark of the Gongya clan.

“What Uncle says about Slaughter Chivalry’s feats doesn’t matter. He’s not the only strong one. To uphold our house’s prestige among the young warriors rising in Shanxi during this famine, I must focus on wielding my martial skill.”

“You sound like your late, noble mother.”

[TL Note- Noble here isn’t referring to Elf clan.]

Her uncle laughed.

“Your valor as a young warrior is striking, but an heir of a noble house must think differently. You can’t lose a single match to preserve our prestige. That’s why we repeat this daily. The assassin sects must not run rampant any longer. You must win. Absolutely!”

“I understand.”

Gongya Jeong replied in a low, smooth voice. Perhaps because he detailed the issue, this time the family head did not stop his brother.

Only second son Gongya Su, caught between them, glanced around with wide eyes.

“That’s not all, is it? Even upstarts from bandit roots mock the Gongya name. We can’t strike them without losses, so we must build honor at the tournament. To not lose influence in this famine.”

The family head’s voice was refined. Calm and deep with dignity.

His daughter bowed her head.

“I understand that too.”

“Focus on honing your sword aura. Your father trusts you.”

“…I’ll meet your expectations.”

“By the way, I heard Teacher Gao brought a young swordsman.”

The family head continued.

“If Teacher Gao vouches for him, his character should be sound. Teaching him a move or two to make him your aide could work. Wanderers thirst for a noble house’s guidance. Did he seem worth sparring with?”

“I was too busy to look closely. His appearance stood out, but…”

As Gongya Jeong shook her head slightly, the family head’s mouth curved up.

“I heard his looks could be called devilishly handsome. If you’re not swayed by that, he could be useful. Teacher Gao’s kindness warms me again—I should visit him with wine sometime. Go now and focus on training.”

“Yes, Family Head.”

***

Read only at nineheavens.org

Translated by Nine Heavens!

https://discord.gg/XC9DTsTQ9Z

***

Gongya Jeong’s scarlet hem brushed the long threshold.

Her face hardened as she walked. The family head’s presence faded behind her.

Step.

Second son Gongya Su caught up with rhythmic steps.

“You didn’t tell Father? About that Geom guy from Sky-Jade Sect. From Teacher Gao’s look, he’s not here to learn. It felt like he expects to teach you, Sister.”

“He’d be upset. The Family Head judges the world by rank. He looks down on lone wanderers unless they’re famed masters. Especially if they’re young.”

Gongya Jeong replied softly. Fatigue gathered in her graceful eyes.

Enough to make Gongya Su’s noble red lips hesitate.

“…Rest, Sister.”

“Alright.”

The eldest daughter answered briefly.

With a slight nod, Gongya Su trudged off. Gongya Jeong did not watch him go.

Her brother was second in succession. Affectionate to his elder sister, yet unable to share the heir’s burden.

He could not. As eldest daughter, Gongya Jeong had to bear the weight alone.

‘I could lose once in ten matches against a lesser foe.’

But a noble house’s heir was not allowed such a lapse.

Her breath clouded in the sunset, dissipating silently. Lately, only the clear winter dusk accepted her worries.

The Shanxi tournament.

The moment to face the swords of young, fierce noble warriors loomed near.

Then.

“Ah.”

Gongya Jeong let out a soft exclamation.

Rustle.

Amid twilight, a pale halo spread. A swordsman approached against the sunset.

Despite faint shadows on his face, his high nose and sleek jaw stood out.

Like a noble from the heavens. The scabbard swaying at his waist felt ancient.

He did not seem her brother’s age. As if from another world.

A man apart from this chaotic era. In a dull world, he seemed to have gained insight through divine skill.

‘He’s quite extraordinary when I look closely. An eccentric.’

Geom Woon-bi, sect leader of Sky-Jade Sect. An outsider. She felt she could share her burdens with this man Teacher Gao brought.

The Gongya heir spoke without thinking.

“May I offer you a drink?”

“…?”

***

Jeong Yeon-shin’s quarters.

A modest drinking session. Two sat side by side on the porch, gazing at the dusk horizon.

Each held a jade bottle of bamboo leaf liquor. Jeong Yeon-shin, gripping his, occasionally flicked his fingers briefly.

He gauged her reaction, aiming to seem versed in drinking etiquette. Sensing her presence with his perception, he avoided clumsiness.

Perhaps mimicking Lazy Flame Dragon’s ways. He felt closer to an adult who savored refinement.

‘I could probably drink with the fortress lord now.’

He thought.

“Shanxi was a wasteland for the martial world.”

Gongya Jeong, staring at distant mountains, spoke abruptly.

“We had to build our power while being wary of the strong government. But when the Heavenly Demon Tomb incident broke out over a decade ago, much of that came to nothing. The legacy of an unknown Heavenly Demon, a dead man, harmed the living. Through greedy major sects.”

“The Heavenly Demon Tomb incident…”

Jeong Yeon-shin murmured. He recalled Hyeon Won-chang mentioning it. Shanxi was his homeland.

“Anyway, famed houses mean a solid foundation, long or short.”

“It sounds like the short ones are the problem.”

“Anyway, it means that renowned families have established solid foundations. Whether their history is long or short.”

Rustle.

Gongya Jeong gulped the bamboo leaf liquor and wiped her mouth with her red sleeve.

Already quite drunk. A warrior’s boldness outshone noble dignity.

“I must not show weakness in this martial arts tournament. The Gongya family has protected the Shanxi martial world from all sorts of Demonic Path riffraff. If I were to lose to the young master of a Shanxi noble family pretending not to be mountain bandits, or to an assassin who kills for a living… the already chaotic Shanxi martial world would fall into even greater disorder during this famine. This is the burden I bear.”

“It must be tough.”

“Soon, there will be a preliminary battle disguised as a banquet. It’s a gathering where sects and families claiming long histories will flock, marking the start of the martial arts tournament. The battle of spirits will be intense. I must not be pushed back.”

“Isn’t it natural to lose sometimes in life?”

Jeong Yeon-shin asked lightly. His words lacked sincerity. He had never lost.

Even against his future greatest foe, Zhuge Clan Leader, he did not envision defeat. He truly meant to win.

But it struck Gongya Jeong differently. Her slender lashes trembled.

“I can’t pass this burden to my brother. He’s free-spirited. Happy as the house’s second son. I must protect Shanxi’s martial world broadly, and him narrowly. As the young family head.”

“Young Family Head Gongya is a good person.”

Jeong Yeon-shin saw Azure Qilin in her.

He recalled a life of sibling bonds he once imagined. Second son Gongya Su seemed blessed.

Gongya Jeong chuckled.

“Want to join me at the banquet? Shanxi’s martial leaders mostly have official ties. Just meeting them could help you greatly, Sect Leader Geom. I have that much sway.”

A single drink offered vast favor.

Words only a noble eldest daughter could say. A proposal even refined wanderers would crave.

Swish.

Jeong Yeon-shin did not reply. Gongya Jeong had suddenly fallen asleep, her head drooping. Her black hair spilled downward.

‘Even if she wins the tournament, she won’t study under Zhuge Clan Leader.’

He rose slowly, grasping his sword.

Rustle.

Stepping from the porch to an open space. He had been pondering sword forms to prepare for Zhuge Clan Leader anyway.

A master of orthodox and sorcery martial arts. A short, decisive battle typical of Lightning Genius’ lineage might not suffice.

‘Then I’ll train.’

The Radiant Demon Wing Leader, now fond of closed-door training, drew his blade. Northern Light Divine Sword’s white steel sliced the sunset light.

The shimmering radiance was ethereal. The Luminous Wheel Technique infused it.

—If the Jeong Family Manor had been warm to him.

The Gongya Family rekindled that impossible notion.

The long-silent annex was the old Jeong Family Manor, and Gongya Jeong, speaking of her brother, was an otherworldly elder sibling. One refining the family’s orthodox divine sword with him.

‘Was it like this?’

The sword tip traced a smooth curve upward. It refined the cluttered path of a third-rate technique in one stroke.

Down, up again, then diagonally. A crescent moon’s arc etched into the emerging light.

Slash—

‘A noble house’s spirit lies in restraint, they say. Great strength stems from it.’

Unlike the fifteen-year-old troublemaker he once was.

Now his swordplay had depth, his insight vastly broadened. He saw the world beyond the blade deeply.

His mind slipped into a warm dream. With faint nostalgia, he entered a trance.

The sword’s form grew in his innate mental realm.

Much faded from his sight, and his vision filled with the upper dantian’s glow.

***

“Did the young family head come this way? At this hour?”

“It was before sunset.”

Gongya Jeong’s eyes fluttered open hazily. Familiar voices lingered in her ears.

As a child, dozing during breathing exercises, her father’s stern voice would rouse her. Even now, grown, it stirred tension.

Shanxi’s premier martial clan.

The family head’s procession with servants. Gongya Jeong lifted her head to straighten her slouched form.

She could not face her revered father like this.

Then.

The approaching presences halted abruptly.

Only then did Gongya Jeong sense faint energy waves. Right before her. A fluttering robe glimmered in her bleary vision.

Silent footsteps brushed the empty ground, tickling her ears.

Hum.

A sword sang. A clear, pure sound.

A blade moved in the soft moonlight. Despite its bold, unrestrained arcs, the air parted with only a gentle ripple.

Gongya Jeong’s eyebrows shot up. Was she in a daze between dream and reality?

She needed a clearer look. She widened her eyes.

“…!”

It was beautiful.

And terrifying.