Chapter 286 – Lotus (5)

Slash—

The sword of Sky-Jade Sect Leader Geom Woon-bi sliced through the night air.

Its momentum, brushing up and down people’s skin, was tremendous. As it descended in an arc, the moonlight seemed to ripple.

It was a sword technique beyond imagination. The footwork harmonizing with the sword path was entirely novel.

His whole body’s muscles and the white trajectory danced together. An unbroken line continued.

‘What is that…!’

A restrained sharpness could be felt in the sword wind. Along with the spirit of a noble house. The limits of his sword power were unfathomable.

They say a master’s skill reflects their life. Inspiration is connected to one’s existence.

A refined swordsman’s single stroke contains all their habits and temperament. A martial artist from a prestigious family who has cultivated their eye technique can sense it even more clearly.

Young Family Head Gongya Jeong felt the same. She sensed a profound loneliness.

She wanted to see more closely.

‘No, this goes against martial etiquette…!’

Just as Gongya Jeong was about to squeeze her eyes shut.

Rustle.

The sword that had been freely cutting through the moonlight hesitated. The sleeve slid down uselessly beneath the blue veins on his forearm.

Was it because some of the servants accompanying her father had gasped? The sword dance sweeping through the moonlight ended.

“I’ve been rude. This isn’t my home.”

The sect leader said.

Shing.

Gongya Jeong stared blankly at Geom Woon-bi’s elegant sheathing of his sword. At this moment, a deeper lingering feeling remained than the moonlight shining down.

Despite trying not to look further, she had to suppress a great sense of regret.

An emotion she hadn’t felt in recent times welled up. It wasn’t romantic attraction between a man and woman.

The heir of a noble house had received a great shock from a wandering swordsman’s blade work.

At a time when she carried such a heavy burden, to an extent where she didn’t know what to do herself.

—I urgently invited him, considering the eldest lady’s worries. What a joy that he agreed, despite our humble ties. I assure you, he will be a rare chance.

Teacher Gao’s words flashed through the Gongya young family head’s mind.

“…Even saying ‘the light under the lamp is dim’ is too much for our house. We didn’t even think to look right under our noses… Has our mind grown rigid from careless years? In our youth, we used to verify everything ourselves.”

The Gongya family head, standing opposite Geom Woon-bi, spoke. His voice resonated deeply.

Moonlight added to the bright red robe covering his large frame. His stern eyes emitted a dark gleam.

“I didn’t know there was a swordsman like you among our young family head’s peers. I apologize for unavoidably witnessing your practice. I was entranced.”

It was a plain apology. His conduct had class.

Jeong Yeon-shin shook his head. As he gathered the energy waves that had somewhat leaked out.

The middle-aged man before him could sense black-rank internal energy from the Luminous Wheel Technique. He had to conceal it greatly.

Though called a noble house only in Shanxi, as the head of a great martial family, his martial prowess shouldn’t be easily overwhelmed by a Desolate Fortress black-rank.

“It’s the fault of a guest who chose the wrong place. I practiced anywhere.”

He said, smoothing the sword belt at his waist with his fingertips.

The corners of the Gongya family head’s thick lips curved upward.

“It’s our house’s problem for not recognizing a refined swordsman. I should treat you generously, but may I ask the name of that sword technique?”

“I just swung as it came to me. It doesn’t have a proper form or name yet.”

Jeong Yeon-shin answered vaguely.

It was still a bit far off. He hadn’t properly refined the crude sword path.

He had only taken the refined qualities from the Orthodox Divine Sword, which an enlightened monkey would use to chop firewood.

He aims to create a fifth sword technique.

An insight to make the Thunder-Annihilation Sword Style even more complete. For now, he had only gained the initial spark.

Ultimately, it was a mission to face an extremely rare peerless master. He couldn’t rely on techniques focused on short decisive battles.

Now that he couldn’t easily generate protective energy, he needed a stable counter-method.

‘A sword form to complement the weaknesses of burst techniques.’

He aims to imbue the newly born Thunder-Annihilation Sword Style with the feel of a noble house.

He planned to artificially add the refinement said to come only with time.

It would be perfect if completed before facing Zhuge Clan Leader, but that was hard to predict.

A sword technique to fully embody the mystical skill of the Ability Law Luminous Wheel Technique couldn’t be easily perfected. Supreme inspiration had to be contained in each trajectory.

‘They say you learn while teaching.’

The Gongya Family was a prestigious house. He thought there might be more to gain.

Just as he had unexpectedly refined the Jeong Family’s Orthodox Divine Sword into a single sword form here.

Then.

“No form or name…?”

The Gongya family head repeated Geom Woon-bi’s words with a strange expression.

After staring at the young swordsman for a while, he smoothed his sleeve and spoke again.

He suppressed the competitive spirit that had risen as a swordsman. The gap in age and status was too great.

“The night has grown late. Forgive me for not seeking you out after welcoming such an esteemed guest.”

“The food was a heavenly delicacy.”

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke the truth. The corner of the dignified Gongya family head’s mouth rose slightly.

“Feel free to stay at our house as long as you like. You’re welcome to visit without notice. Make yourself at home.”

Jeong Yeon-shin responded with a cupped fist salute.

Gongya Jeong, standing in front of the annex porch, was still silently gazing at him.

The Gongya young family head, the noble house’s eldest daughter. Pale moonlight settled on her face where the drunkenness had faded.

***

Read only at nineheavens.org

Translated by Nine Heavens!

https://discord.gg/XC9DTsTQ9Z

***

Jeong Yeon-shin received a visit from Gongya Jeong as soon as day broke.

Scholar Gao Jin, who had quietly emerged behind her, waved his fist with a bright face. He was like a well-mannered version of Hyeon Won-chang.

“I request instruction from Sect Leader Geom.”

The eldest daughter bowed formally. A strand of hair fell beside her nape.

Her hands formed a roof-like clasp, not a martial salute. It was the folk tradition of the cupped-hand bow, humbling herself.

It was to show respect to the other person.

Jeong Yeon-shin had received such a greeting before. From the Tang siblings of the Sichuan Tang Clan.

When they confirmed the key points of Myriad Heavens Flower Rain, they offered this salute saying they would take him as their benefactor. They were among the most talented individuals he had encountered.

They could be called human. He even felt a strange sense of kinship.

‘I hope they’re doing well.’

He hoped the Gongya young family head’s qualities could at least touch the heels of theirs.

Jeong Yeon-shin slowly parted his lips.

“The family head’s martial arts seemed high, so I’m curious why you came to me specifically.”

“To broaden my horizons. Sect Leader Geom’s sword dance was incredibly surprising. If any of my previous words or actions displeased you, please forgive me.”

Gongya Jeong’s manner of speech had changed to formal politeness.

There was no need to fuss over it. For martial artists in times of famine, martial prowess was equivalent to status.

Even strictly maintained hierarchies lose meaning in the face of hunger, they say.

He quietly nodded.

“Since I enjoyed a fine meal, as a guest I should earn my keep.”

Contrary to his words, he had skipped breakfast.

It was an important moment. He walked alongside Gongya Jeong to an open space.

Since it was originally a quiet place, they didn’t bother going to the training grounds. Jeong Yeon-shin told her to draw her sword, suppressing his impatience.

“Yes.”

Gongya Jeong unsheathed her sword.

At the same time, Jeong Yeon-shin’s gaze traveled from her arms down to her ankles. He was examining the contours of her muscles and the shape of her energy waves.

Then he slightly moved his lips. It was a sound transmission to Gongya Jeong.

The corner of her mouth, which had been listening silently, trembled in the sunlight.

“How can this be such a secret technique…”

“Secret…?”

Jeong Yeon-shin, tilting his head slightly to the side, urged her on. What he had just explained was no secret technique.

It was a “way of using the body” derived from brief insight. He had reverse-engineered a sword technique and footwork that seemed suitable after observing the Gongya young family head’s physique.

‘With long limbs, she can expand the sword’s range widely. The left hand muscles are lacking compared to the right, but… She should be used to that balance now, so she needs to fully utilize the deftly packed muscle bundles and the meridians in her wrists.’

The Jeong Family’s Dynamic Technique grandmaster emphasized utilizing one’s innate physique.

For Jeong Yeon-shin, born in a third-rate martial family, that was the only way to improve his martial arts.

Naturally, he saw people who wasted better movements as monkeys.

“Try it.”

He gestured with his chin, arms folded. It was a posture that had become natural by now.

Gongya Jeong didn’t take offense.

She stared at the tip of her sword raised in a middle stance, then with a short shout, she thrust the blade horizontally.

Her red sleeve fluttered widely.

Slash!

Jeong Yeon-shin was momentarily silent.

The sword’s energy waves swept away the dust. A calm silence flowed.

As the ochre dust completely dispersed, he parted his lips again.

“There seems to be a misunderstanding. Let me explain again.”

Jeong Yeon-shin said casually.

It was a martial clan. Rather than criticizing the eldest daughter’s martial talent, it was better to reconsider his own teaching.

Even a roadside pebble rolls as it’s kicked. There was no reason to assume mission failure from the start.

He sent another sound transmission to the Gongya young family head, and she silently extended her sword again.

Slash—

The moment a straight white line was etched in the air, the atmosphere shook slightly. A stroke that would look impressive to anyone.

The movement of muscles and energy from her toes to the sword’s energy waves created an opaque distortion in the air.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyelashes trembled.

“If you relax your right shoulder blade a bit more while flicking the energy in your wrist’s inner gate point as I explained… the power of your horizontal slash will increase. Much more than now.”

“I’ve actually been pondering this for a while, and hearing Sect Leader Geom’s words gives me certainty. I’ve already entered the first stage of achievement, so I can train for ten years to reach great accomplishment. I can only thank you for this surprising and valuable teaching.”

Shing.

Gongya Jeong, who had sheathed her sword in an instant, raised both hands. Her conduct revealed a firm spirit.

Her casual mention of ten years didn’t come across as empty words.

She was like bright marble, someone who would polish herself over long years to achieve greatness. A late bloomer that Jeong Yeon-shin could never understand.

“…”

The current Radiant Demon Wing Leader fell into despair. It was extremely shocking.

He had to force his lips apart.

“You’ll… do well.”

The Gongya young family head lived in a completely different timeframe.

The edge of a distant cliff came to mind. She was a stone wearing away in the wind over a long time.

Jeong Yeon-shin thought that an ephemeral being like himself couldn’t fathom the years of a pebble.

***

His eyes felt sunken. That was the sensation.

Jeong Yeon-shin met the morning sunlight with bleary eyes. The sunlight seeping through the paper windows seemed to lick his skin, as if mocking him.

He impassively greeted Gongya Jeong, who had come to pay her morning respects.

“Sect Leader Geom, if there’s any discomfort in your sleeping arrangements, please let me know right away. Our house has many skilled servants. Changing bedding is a trivial matter for them.”

“It’s because I felt a sense of defeat for the first time in my life…”

“So you engaged in mental cultivation even while lying in bed. This foolish Gongya should learn from your attitude. Spending the first month of the year with an exemplary swordsman like yourself, I feel this year’s fortune will be good.”

Her black hair, neatly tied back since morning, caught his eye.

The clean luster flowing from it, having been washed and dried at some early hour, struck him as the embodiment of effort.

She seemed to practice energy circulation in the early dawn. It was the standard for accumulating energy. An admirable attitude.

‘Mental cultivation…’

Jeong Yeon-shin privately swallowed his doubts. Surely she wasn’t mocking him.

“What business brings you here?”

“I mentioned the preliminary battle for the martial arts tournament before. People from prestigious families are gathering at our house. That’s why the banquet is being held here. As I said earlier, making acquaintances with them will be of great help to you, Sect Leader Geom. Many powerful figures will be present.”

“The preliminary for the martial arts tournament…”

After thinking for a moment, Jeong Yeon-shin nodded.

“I’ll attend the banquet.”

“You’ve made a wise decision. However…”

Gongya Jeong’s expression, which had briefly smiled, clouded over.

“The checks against our family are severe. There’s even a butcher from a sect founded by former bandits. They’re all recognized as prestigious families in this vast Shanxi province now, so some might act rudely towards you, Sect Leader Geom.”

“Will all the tournament participants be there?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve heard there are many sects straddling orthodox and unorthodox paths, leaning towards the demonic side…”

“They are the majority. Shanxi has long been a land where military power was strong. Due to intense pressure on martial clans, it was difficult to maintain a sect on the orthodox path. Our family’s history also had many hardships… Many of the bandits led by generals who fled after being framed by the military, or martial artists who lived by the sword, are wary of the Great Ming Code. You could say they’re half demonic path.”

“Then there’s no need to worry.”

“Of course, Sect Leader Geom’s swordsmanship is far more refined than theirs, but still, demonic sects…”

“Young Family Head.”

“Yes?”

“You’ll one day be unrivaled. I see it in your effort.”

“That’s too much praise…”

Eldest daughter Gongya Jeong smiled faintly.

Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t smile.

If there’s no one to fight, that person would truly be invincible.

The mental fatigue accumulated overnight was great. He was even concerned that his maternal grandfather might always live with such feelings.

‘I should treat him more warmly.’

He recalled the pure blood cloth tucked in a corner of his luggage. The symbol of Blood Flame Cult nobility.

He had to surpass his black-rank seniors with overwhelming undefeated achievements. Failure was not an option for the current Radiant Demon Wing Leader.