Chapter 198 – Lightning-Annihilation Sword Style (6)

No one responded to Hyeon Won-chang’s harsh words.

The actions of the Radiant Demon Wing Leader, Jeong Yeon-shin, had brought a sense of shame to the righteous martial artists of the martial world. Even if someone clumsily reacted to the provocation, they would only gain embarrassment.

Everyone understood this. The crowd consisted of those who either averted their gazes or stared silently.

“Hmph.”

The Desolate Divine Hero raised his chin with deliberate arrogance.

He had spoken to both reprimand the Martial Alliance masters and offer comfort. This subordinate understood his Leader’s heart.

The term “dirge” was apt. He had crafted the verse to sound as such. However, the context carried a peculiar nuance.

For those aware of Jeong Yeon-shin’s constitution, the words carried a different weight.

Hyeon Won-chang believed that only he and Jeong Yeon-shin could discern the subtext in this moment.

He was mistaken.

“That young man’s words hold deep meaning. The master of my family sought to grant peace to a worthy rival. He performed an act of chivalry.”

Tang Woon-hwang, the diminutive Poison King, stepped forward as he spoke.

First, the energy wave of this small giant, a hybrid of the Iron Clan, surged like a swelling cloud. It was exceedingly powerful.

He had come to repay a debt of gratitude. Jeong Yeon-shin’s journey through the martial world had sown this seed. A steadfast ally indeed.

With neither martial prowess nor moral cause lacking, the affairs of the Martial Alliance would now be left to its own members to resolve.

“The Tang Family declares that, from this moment, the safety of the Flower Shadow King of Huazhong takes precedence above all. The Zhuge Family Head should refrain from reckless actions and await the Alliance’s judgment.”

Hyeon Won-chang, who had been listening with satisfaction, noticed a glint in his eyes.

Suddenly.

He observed the girl beside the Leader widen her eyes slightly. Her clear pupils darted back and forth.

Upon reflection, he realized it was just after he had recited his striking verse.

The boldness she had shown in denouncing her father’s disgrace before the crowd had vanished.

She glanced sideways at Jeong Yeon-shin, her lips moving faintly in a daze.

She appeared greatly startled by something, and even more profoundly moved.

Hyeon Won-chang’s sharp mind raced as he took in this scene.

‘She examined scars closely enough to counter our Leader’s martial arts. If she is called the eyes of the Zhuge Family, her mastery of ocular techniques must be extraordinary. She can discern anything from scars. Yet now, hearing my verse, she makes that face…?’

Damn it, could it be…?

The moment Hyeon Won-chang widened his eyes, his gaze met Zhuge Qing-ya’s. Her expression turned blank in an instant.

She swiftly regained her usual composure. Hyeon Won-chang thought to himself: A family truly is a family.

“Cunning.”

As the Desolate Divine Hero, he pondered. Could the Zhuge family’s precious daughter be made a target for assassination?

At that moment.

Zhuge Qing-ya, inheriting her father’s keen intuition, shook her head slightly.

The gesture, its meaning elusive, caused sunlight to ripple through her hair. Did she intend to feign ignorance?

‘How can I trust that?’

Hyeon Won-chang furrowed his brow, his deep distrust of major martial factions surfacing.

[TL Note- Hyeon Won-chang believes that Zhuge Qing-ya knows about Yeon-shin’s constitution and life span, that’s why he is considering her assassination. Qing-ya’s surprise reaction to the poem in the previous chapter gave her away..]

Meanwhile, the situation in the courtyard escalated rapidly. With Jeong Yeon-shin, cradling Azure Qilin’s body, at the center, the incident began to resolve.

Beyond the Martial Alliance, it would slowly but surely send significant ripples throughout the vast martial world.

“We must request a leadership council! The agenda is the Zhuge Family Head’s self-restraint!”

“Leader of the Forest-Treading Squad, withdraw your forces. This Alliance will not harm the envoy.”

The might of prominent feudal lords and families revealed itself in such moments. The connections of a long-established noble faction’s head were numerous and far-reaching.

Some sought to resolve the matter peacefully. They stepped forward, feigning outrage, and spoke of self-restraint and seclusion.

Their intent was clear: to preserve the Zhuge Family Head’s position.

The peerless master, still standing crane-like atop the roof, silently overlooked the assembly.

The Reborn Hidden Dragon, the Zhuge Family Head, was shrewd.

He knew speaking now would yield no benefit. He relied on the seeds he had sown—his loyal followers—to fulfill their roles.

“Self-restraint?”

That would not do. Hyeon Won-chang signaled Lazy Flame Dragon with a glance. The eldest unnamed disciple in the Radiant Demon Wing smirked and reached into his robe.

“Look at this.”

He produced a letter. A document obtained from a slain corrupt official.

Evidence that the Zhuge Family Head had turned a blind eye to the Heart Martial Alliance’s forces to curry favor with a regional commander.

Lazy Flame Dragon held the letter, summoning a delicate, formless blade of energy.

Swish.

The seal broke. Before everyone, the document unfurled.

The figures present had all mastered refined martial arts, so reading small text from a distance was a simple task.

Even the dragon-like calligraphy and the Zhuge Family Head’s seal at the bottom were unmistakable.

“…!”

Snap.

In that instant, the Zhuge Family Head folded his fan.

The slight gesture unleashed a storm of energy from the fan’s ribs, aiming to shred Lazy Flame Dragon’s hand, but Yue Shou-lin’s long spear strike scattered it.

The faces of those advocating “self-restraint” for the Zhuge Family Head twisted in dismay.

“Think you can diminish the Radiant Demon Wing’s merit, scholar? Stay put.”

Her hair, tousled by the energy wave, fluttered lively. Beside her, Xiahou Wei-zhen bared his teeth in a grin.

As if urging more, he clenched his fists repeatedly, barely restraining his fierce nature.

The figures supporting their young Leader established Desolate Fortress’s dominion at the heart of the Martial Alliance.

The finishing touch.

With moral cause and martial might secured, alongside his subordinates’ aid and seniors’ protection, Jeong Yeon-shin could now send Azure Qilin off.

“It bears the Grand Strategist’s script. The mystical force in the seal too…”

“They did not uphold dignity and groveled to a prefectural magistrate.”

“Behavior worse than Desolate Fortress…”

Alliances, though slow to decide, had the advantage of easily shifting blame.

Elders of the Martial Alliance, long displeased with the Zhuge Family Head, stepped forward. Though a righteous faction alliance, it was a human realm.

Political strife existed. The Zhuge Family’s dominance had merely suppressed it.

The events sparked by the Radiant Demon Wing Leader wove together to reshape the landscape.

Sigh—

The Zhuge Family Head, truly emulating Zhuge Liang, closed his eyes with a single sigh. A family head of the righteous martial world.

Unlike the leaders of evil factions, he maintained dignity even in ruin, sinking into the mire with a detached expression.

Yet no one offered sympathy. None dared.

At the boundary of silence and uproar.

The Martial Alliance’s affairs slipped from outsiders’ hands. The Tang Family Head paid respects to his young mentor before starting to manage the scene.

Jeong Yeon-shin stood silently, feeling Namgung Se-jin’s coldness.

A few maple leaves, blown by late autumn winds, tapped their faces and fell.

Red and translucent. Sunlight faintly scattered over the child-sized leaves.

A young man who could not defy the martial world’s hierarchy in death now found peace in the arms of a rival who had impacted even the great factions.

***

Read only at nineheavens.org

Translated by Nine Heavens!

https://discord.gg/XC9DTsTQ9Z

***

Meanwhile

Sword Star Hyeon So-baek hailed from Taiyuan in Shanxi Province, born to a family detached from the martial world.

Shanxi’s martial community lacked notable major factions.

Only recently had it become a land for fortune-seekers, thanks to an unknown Heavenly Demon’s tomb discovered over a decade ago.

Moreover, around that time, Hyeon So-baek roamed Henan’s martial world.

He resembled the heroes of countless tales.

At twelve, he suddenly yearned to command the martial world.

With only a worn pouch, he left home. By luck, he entered the tutelage of a wanderer called the Eternal Spring Swordmaster.

He became an assistant, tending swords and listening. They called him a sword attendant.

From youth, Hyeon So-baek possessed a sense of honor. Even his rough-tempered master and peers soon opened their hearts to him.

From wanderers constantly fearing for their lives, he learned energy breathing and practical swordsmanship in spare moments.

His fearsome talent emerged.

He wove the Three Powers Mind Technique, widely distributed by the Ming court, with the Eternal Spring Swordmaster’s Five Elements Mind Technique.

He fused noble clan secrets—enhancing body and land to create a Herculean strength and slightly enrich fields—with a crude wanderer’s mind technique, elevating them into the Infinite Forest Tranquil Mind Technique.

A prodigy capable of founding his own school.

“Do not live a rootless life. Wield your sword toward your purpose.”

Years later, amid his peers’ corpses, the Eternal Spring Swordmaster left these final words.

Rough speech carried a wanderer’s sorrow. Words that thrust the young sword attendant into the world of masters.

Martial arts held the power to turn men into beasts.

Even with imperial forces and Desolate Fortress, evil factions multiplied like insects.

A world where a single sword could fill one’s belly, and movement techniques could evade death. The vast land enabled it.

Hyeon So-baek fought countless battles and aided the common folk.

While clashing with minor evil groups, he became an enemy of the Thirteen Evil Sects. By then, he had refined his wanderer’s sword into his own style.

His swordsmanship grew more refined with time. Eventually, it became a divine technique few could match.

This stemmed from his gift, often called sword talent. His aptitude leaned more toward swordplay than mind techniques.

Heaven-Piercing Martial Net Sword Technique.

The Sword Star had arisen.

Every path he trod left a legacy. He even beheaded the Heart Martial Alliance Leader after a fierce battle.

Experience and fame amassed in thick layers. He lacked nothing to be named leader of the righteous Martial Alliance.

He accepted, knowing he was a figurehead.

Wandering the continent with fellow wanderers, he had seen a world in distress. He believed the righteous factions needed to be made truly righteous.

And now.

“I owe you many apologies. My shame is no small thing.”

Hyeon So-baek had achieved a great feat.

He had fully ousted the Zhuge Family Head and now faced the Radiant Demon Wing Leader. The fan-wielding powerbroker, tied to the righteous factions, had to leave them.

Alongside the righteous Valor Fist Lord. The Murong Family Head, unable to withstand the Alliance Leader allied with Zhuge loyalists, entered seclusion.

Above all this stood the Desolate Fortress Leader before him.

“I am rather grateful. Had the Sword Star sided with the Zhuge Family Head, the situation would have grown chaotic.”

“No, my prestige has already been eroded by the ways of the world. I even joined the Zhuge Family Head to study the Divine Sword Squad Leader’s martial arts. As the saying goes, ‘near ink, one turns black’—I too am a hypocrite. Even having gained the Alliance, I cannot escape the need to check Desolate Fortress. To reassure and lead the wary righteous factions… Well, my tongue has certainly lengthened.”

A conversation between a rising talent and a seasoned veteran. Calm yet tinged with bitterness.

A garden where maple leaves outshone flowers.

Amid the reddish hues beneath their feet, the Radiant Demon Wing Leader, clad in a black robe with only a right sleeve, held his sword downward.

Occasional sharp pulses flickered from his tranquil aura. Each time, red leaves at his feet split on their own.

The energy wave of his full-body emission was razor-sharp. He moved as a swordmaster.

Those present marveled.

“Our Jeong Yeon-shin has changed again. His progress outpaces even the previous generation’s old man. Headquarters will grin ear to ear when he returns.”

“I cannot judge his progress, but his stance carries notable refinement. Perhaps our clan is among his ancestors.”

Yue Shou-lin, the Desolate Fortress Divine Spear, and Xiahou Wei-zhen, the Thousand Fists Dragon Vassal, lounged on rocks, observing.

Behind the Sword Star stood the Martial Alliance’s representatives, rigid in formation.

The Tang Family Head, Taoist Cheon Ju with Yu Hyeon, Little Sword Queen, Zhuge Xian and Zhuge Qing-ya, Yue Yu-lin, Murong Ming-jun, Gong Sun-min, and leaders of Namgung collateral branches.

Among them, Grand Internal Strategist Lady Ye’s position stood out oddly. Though part of the Alliance, she stood closer to Jeong Yeon-shin than the Desolate Fortress side.

She stood softly with hands behind her back, her ebony hair trailing down, her spacing and bearing so deft that no one could easily comment.

“What does the Family Head think? Can the Radiant Demon Wing Leader gain insight?”

“How can my eye for swords compare to the Mount Hua Sword Saint’s? I only worry for his safety.”

“As a junior, I wish to hear both seniors’ views. I’ve only honed the Four Ultimate Sword Technique, so my knowledge is narrow… I’ve never seen such swordplay. Are the rumors true? They say Leader Jeong creates martial arts. Even Spear Lady Yue said so before…”

A few direct-line talents from various lineages observed as faction representatives.

Their leaders’ absence necessitated it. They gathered to notarize the Opening Tournament’s final rite.

An opening ceremony was a faction’s most sacred event. Its ritual symbolized legitimacy.

Even a prior uproar could not wholly derail it. A single sword exchange was required.

The Sword Star and Jeong Yeon-shin.

The veteran with a youthful face had anticipated this day.

Amid appeasing powerbrokers for the greater good, he welcomed a new talent’s rise.

When he recognized Jeong Yeon-shin’s potential and affliction, he sighed deeply. He hoped this star of the people would not fade in vain.

Had their paths crossed sooner, he might have taken him as a disciple.

‘Lord of Desolate Fortress, I cannot fathom your intent.’

Sword Star Hyeon So-baek took no disciples. He had lost the Eternal Spring Swordmaster early before his eyes.

The martial world was harsh. He dreaded passing such grief to a student.

Meeting the opposite case today piqued his curiosity about the Lord of Desolate Fortress. What did a master think, raising a disciple who might perish young?

“Come forward.”

Hyeon So-baek spoke, quietly drawing his sword downward. Long past was the time when unsheathing made a sound.

A rustic dignity flowed from the hilt, carved from wood.

Expectation rose within him.

Hyeon So-baek pondered when he last felt excitement from another’s swordplay.

Had time’s tempests dulled his memory, or was there none to recall?

Perhaps his own sword talent, rising from wanderer to righteous Alliance Leader, explained it.

Finding thrill in lesser techniques was harder still. A sword technique needed dramatic ingenuity to stir him.

Even the former Heart Martial Alliance Leader’s swordplay had only repulsed him, so he could not burden the new Radiant Demon Wing Leader.

Even with exceptional talent, it was so. He was glad he had not added more words.

“I entertained a foolish thought.”

Hyeon So-baek set aside his expectations. He resolved to act as a martial world senior.

“Let us refine your sword techniques fully.”

As the elite assembly fell silent.

Step.

Jeong Yeon-shin advanced quietly. He raised Northern Light, the divine sword forged by the Tang Clan, overhead.

An upper stance traced the sword technique. The white blade pointed at the clouds and paused.

For a moment.

A cold silence descended.

—Something is different.

Hyeon So-baek sensed it. A faint, whitish aura unfurled from the Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s blade.

Meeting the air, the energy wave took form like smoke, cloaking the blade, descending to the hilt, and faintly swaying his right hand and black robe.

Wind enveloped his body. A cutting gale.

An unnamed sword technique stood on the verge of gaining a name.