Chapter 235 – Treasured Sword (8)

A low murmur escaped. It sounded like a whisper to oneself.

To a supreme master, it was not. They possessed senses beyond ordinary imagination.

The new Radiant Demon Wing Leader was no exception. If anyone could hear it, it would be his black-clad senior, Divine Blood Extreme Demon.

And so it was.

“My apologies, Senior Jin.”

A calm voice, laced with energy, reverberated deeply. Jin Myeong-jo’s pale face grew even whiter.

It felt as though his distant junior spoke right beside his ear. The sound was crisp.

A step further, and it would become the rare Six Harmonies Sound Transmission. A realm where energy-amplified sound echoes in all directions.

No ordinary refined energy could achieve it. It testified to the depth of his internal cultivation. Beyond mere energy reserves, his mastery of mental techniques was extraordinary.

Jin Myeong-jo’s lips twitched.

‘Tch…’

The voice carried an internal energy wave. It brimmed with technique power.

The new Radiant Demon Wing Leader stood against the faint dawn light. Each step in his loosely worn fur cloak sent invisible ripples of energy outward.

To Jin Myeong-jo, it felt tangible enough to grasp.

‘Damn it.’

He inhaled sharply. He needed his mental technique to steady himself. The repulsion from the energy wave was overwhelming.

After a few cold breaths cycled through his lungs, a pitch-black figure descended before him. It was Radiant Demon Wing Leader, his long cloak fluttering behind.

His footing was natural. His gait, reminiscent of noble lineage, showed growing mastery. His skills seemed deeper than when he left headquarters.

‘That monstrous b*st*rd.’

Jin Myeong-jo thought, forcing tension into his eyes. He had been drawing a stern line with his gaze just before facing his junior.

With a crafted expression, he exuded the mystique and strength of a senior. It matched the noble energy he wielded.

He tilted his head slightly. A noble greeting another noble.

“Tyrant Sword Sect Leader is staying in Lintao Prefecture.”

He spoke before his junior drew closer. A deft move on his part.

His junior, Lightning Genius, narrowed his eyes. Jin Myeong-jo flinched inwardly but soon realized the junior’s focus had shifted to Tyrant Sword Sect Leader.

The brief relief was immense. He mentally sighed in relief.

Then Radiant Demon Wing Leader spoke.

“Lintao Prefecture. The western edge of Shaanxi, then.”

“It’s where Tyrant Sword Sect’s main faction resides. Word is he’s in secluded training. No one’s seen him emerge from under the signboard, so judging by his energy, it’s likely true. They say he’s obsessed with the sword.”

Jin Myeong-jo replied in a flat tone.

Jeong Yeon-shin nodded.

“You’ve endured much traveling back and forth. Taking on the most dangerous task too…”

It was the mission of directly observing the Thirteen Evil Sects’ leaders. Only Blood Guardian Squad Leader, with his extreme mastery of yin energy, could even approach. It was the riskiest reconnaissance task.

Hiding energy in the domain of an absolute master who rivaled the purple rank differed vastly from concealing it before lesser foes.

For Jeong Yeon-shin, who hadn’t achieved Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown, it was an impossible feat.

“You’re overstepping.”

Divine Blood Extreme Demon, Senior Jin, raised the corner of his mouth slightly. A faintly chilling smile.

“Your skill’s excellence aside, consider this. There’s no hierarchy in a Leader’s duties. Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s tasks equal Blood Guardian Squad Leader’s. Your concern shames me. Remember that.”

Jeong Yeon-shin raised an eyebrow.

Even his senior’s subtle jaw drop seemed a meaningful gesture in that moment.

His eyes widened slightly. No master of Wish for Peace Sword Hall matched this senior. A profound impression struck him.

Fulfilling duty while uplifting a junior with words. His lofty demeanor was striking.

Determined to emulate him, Jeong Yeon-shin spoke.

“My side’s seen no major moves. We struck a local evil faction base, but no immediate retaliation came. Unlike the black path’s thugs, they’re cautious. They proposed settling it in three days… Very deliberate.”

He concluded calmly.

It was a meeting to share updates. The divine creatures gifted by the imperial court kept Blood Guardian Squad, Radiant Demon Wing, and Desolate Fortress headquarters busy.

Leaders with superior movement skills handled direct contact best.

“Deliberate? Naturally, if their eyes were opened.”

“What?”

“No, nothing.”

Blood Guardian Squad Leader Senior Jin’s thoughts remained unreadable. His blood might as well be forged of iron.

‘He sometimes says cryptic things.’

Jeong Yeon-shin dismissed the thought.

“Xi’an’s evil faction groups matched headquarters’ intel. Reverend Remaining Earth Sect, Shao Bai Gate, Severing End Pavilion, Great Spirit Shock Sect, Sword Demon Sect, Final Heaven Blade Sect, Radiant Moon Clan…”

He shared Shaanxi’s status with Jin Myeong-jo. A concise, critical exchange. The martial world moved slowly.

Information sources were scarce. Beyond divine creatures, supreme masters’ lightness skills were the fastest way to relay news.

This mission.

Jeong Yeon-shin had raced ten days from Huguang Province to strike the core directly.

He knew Reverend Remaining Earth Sect was under Yu Ling. Among the Thirteen Evil Sects, Yu Ling was famed for intelligence and cunning.

To find Jeong Hye’s whereabouts, starting here was the closest path.

By Leader’s authority, he reprioritized his mission.

He delayed his original orders. With the Grand Administrator’s help, he gained Desolate Fortress Lord’s approval. It wasn’t uncommon, they said. Divine Sword Group’s seventeen Leaders wielded significant discretion.

If a Leader deemed it headquarters’ business, headquarters issued a new mission after brief deliberation. Such was a black-clad supreme master’s status.

The new Radiant Demon Wing Leader was no different.

1. Eliminate Xi’an’s evil faction disrupting the people.

2. Kill Yu Ling’s master posing as White Sun Sect’s Leader.

3. Permit mass slaughter. No identity spared.

Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s dispatch decree. The first line tied to Jeong Hye’s safety. Jeong Yeon-shin thought. Cut enough heads, and something will surface.

Killing intent seeped from the new Leader’s body.

Divine Sword Group’s seventeen Leaders were supreme masters whose thoughts shaped their aura. Their full-body energy oppressed their surroundings.

Jin Myeong-jo flinched.

His toes, balanced on thin ice, twisted slightly. Only nearby water rippled faintly; his stance held firm.

Was it his refined lightness skill? Jeong Yeon-shin admired inwardly. Always training his movement techniques.

‘As refined as April Palace Ghost.’

He recalled Wei Ye-ryeong, who joined Radiant Demon Wing from Seonmok Ridge. A blue-clad archery master.

Her noble, profound demeanor had inspired him greatly. She was likely waiting with other Radiant Demon Wing seniors now.

“You can handle it alone.”

Jin Myeong-jo spoke suddenly.

As Jeong Yeon-shin’s expression turned puzzled, he added.

“Xi’an’s martial world.”

“Oh.”

“It’s Leader-grade territory. The scale’s different. Succeed here, and you’ll clearly enter the ranks discussing the martial world. Your fame will reach northern Central Plains, and you’ll take missions matching your name. Know this and prosper.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll report the moment Tyrant Sword Sect Leader moves. Don’t die to random filth.”

“I wish you martial fortune, Senior Jin.”

As Jeong Yeon-shin prepared to clasp his fists.

Divine Blood Extreme Demon Jin Myeong-jo shook his head slightly.

A loud thud rang out!

He stomped the thin ice before his junior. A leap powered by immense energy. It seemed he used the energy explosion itself as a springboard.

Blood Guardian Squad Leader soared vertically, his black cloak fluttering. His movement evoked a bat.

Sunlight shattered into fragments atop the splashing water.

‘Damn, it’s burning my skin. Can’t stand it. Time to escape.’

Jin Myeong-jo thought.

“I’ll wish you martial fortune instead.”

With an impassive face, he flicked his sleeves grandly. A rustling sound followed.

Using energy recoil, he shifted direction midair. Turning his back, Jin Myeong-jo vanished swiftly with an elegant, wing-like motion.

A brilliant flash erupted!

It neared the Void Sky Mastery Technique. A skill rumored among Desolate Fortress Leaders, marking a master’s pinnacle. Utterly mystical. It seemed almost supernatural.

‘So that exists too.’

Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes gleamed.

Inspiration struck him instantly. Senior Jin was truly exceptional. From demeanor to skill, nothing was unworthy of emulation.

Today was no different. He understood what his observation technique should pursue. It crystallized fully.

A major breakthrough.

‘Now, with just one trigger, I could become even…’

Stronger.

***

Read only at nineheavens.org

Translated by Nine Heavens!

https://discord.gg/XC9DTsTQ9Z

***

News of Xi’an Chivalrous Sword Ge Du-jin and Xi’an Little Gallant So Yu-rang spread widely. They were brutally defeated by a stranger called the Leader.

Too many witnessed it. No one in the inn was harmed.

Rumors of Reverend Remaining Earth Sect’s humiliation blazed like wildfire.

Xi’an, Shaanxi Province.

Though recently tense, it was a vast city. Its sheer size meant plenty of places to whisper rumors in hiding.

Not just one or two. People gathered beyond evil faction eyes, murmuring with intrigue.

“Demon Soldier So Yu-rang went down in one move!”

“Ge Du-jin couldn’t even draw his sword properly?”

“That’s exaggerated. He’s called Fierce Sword, isn’t he? They say he sheathed it again.”

“Two did it, but now it’s four, I hear. Seems like a skilled band of wanderers. Probably drifted here looking for food.”

“Their skills could more than earn a living…”

“Of course, obvious stuff.”

“So few in number, yet they’ve tossed in some rare entertainment. They might last a while.”

It was a manor’s inner chamber. A spacious place.

Reverend Remaining Earth Sect Leader Wei Ri-hwa sat on a bronze chair, listening.

She smirked and crossed her legs.

Cool sunlight poured in from all sides. Drifting dust stood out vividly. The air felt heavy enough to see.

To those trembling before her, it surely was.

“Equal to Reverend Remaining Earth Sect Leader…?”

“No way… You don’t know Frigid Demon Sword… Maybe they could embarrass her…”

Sunlight by the window illuminated a dozen mouths. It touched them with a searing texture.

Commoners and wanderers. They endlessly repeated words spat before capture. Kneeling before Reverend Remaining Earth Sect Leader, faces gripped by terror.

Wei Ri-hwa’s lips curled upward.

“Keep going, keep going.”

She savored the faces and voices of the captives. Her mind, honed in evil arts, relished it sweetly.

It surpassed opium poppy. Like melting candied hawthorn in her head.

Her perverse quirk. Killing people by breaking them. Among evil faction leaders’ pleasures, it was relatively refined.

Even Shao Bai Gate Leader Jang Il-gi had slowly beheaded ten commoners before Tyrant Sword Sect’s Ghost Soul Divine Sword.

‘Compared to him.’

Wei Ri-hwa spoke.

“Reverend Remaining Earth Sect’s honor has been gravely tarnished.”

Silence spread instantly. Disciples beyond the commoners held their breath.

That “Leader” had done it.

Respect for the evil faction stemmed from fear of conduct and might, yet he’d swept it all into a cesspit.

Though sudden martial conflicts were common, this was a major incident. If unresolved, posing as a rising noble would grow difficult.

Better to strike together. In the evil faction, influence was no different from force.

“Send this letter to that Leader three days from now… Add a note to Shao Bai Gate Leader Jang Il-gi, that Mount Zhongnan traitor. I’ll heed Shaanxi’s First Demon’s call, so he might need to contact Tyrant Sword Sect’s Ghost Soul Divine Sword. Tell everyone to hide from the top down.”

She countered in pure evil faction style. Devising schemes. To dismantle the formidable outsider in Xi’an and use him as fodder for her sect.

“A swordsman wielding one blade with sword-flight isn’t the only strong one. Someone commanding a thousand swords is an absolute master too. Like me.”

Wei Ri-hwa left multiple orders for her subordinates.

Then she vanished here.

Every powerholder had a hideout. For Reverend Remaining Earth Sect Leader, it was a secluded pavilion in the mountains, built harmoniously with nature, passed down generations.

A temporary retreat. She lacked confidence to survive a clash with an unknown supreme master.

No need to push it either. The evil faction had its ways. Crushing him with their methods sufficed.

Her fingertips lightly scratched the armrest.

How many sword saint-like wanderers existed in the martial world? Most died before becoming absolute masters. Usually so.

“Not the first or second time.”

Her amused murmur blended into the birdsong.

***

Three days later.

Zhuge Xian, disguised as a merchant, felt it clearly. Stepping into Xi’an, he sensed the city stirring.

Something was off.

Merchants folded their stalls. Inn boys hawking on the main road vanished.

They hid in shops and inns, showing no sign of emerging.

In an alley corner, two posters hung.

[“The wanderer band occupying Fruit Cloud shall face our brothers’ judgment at Great Moon Gorge below, noon on Minor Snow day. We righteous comrades have united in purpose. If you know shame, retreat first. We’ve resolved to punish and expel lawless outsiders, with Xi’an’s stern sword tips aimed at you.

—Reverend Remaining Earth Sect Leader, Frigid Demon Sword Wei Ri-hwa”]

[“What nonsense.

—Radiant Arts Master Leader’s proxy, True Brother”]

Beneath, pine needles from a nearby tree rolled about.

Already yellowed and dry, they looked lifeless. A low, cool breeze blew.

The bustling city fell silent. United in fear.

“What’s this…”

A scholarly, peerless beauty adjusted his sleeves.

Fan Dragon Zhuge Xian.

“It was so lively when Mount Zhongnan was here.”

“Young master, don’t mention that name lightly. Xi’an’s now called a demon den or worse…”

A man walking beside Fan Dragon replied. He too wore yellow cotton, hands tucked in sleeves like a merchant.

A Zhuge Family Hyeoncheon Squad warrior, skilled at concealing energy.

The family’s eldest son, trained in observation techniques, had come himself. Using Bone-Shrinking Technique, a mystical martial art, he softened his eye frame.

The Zhuge lineage held many such enigmatic skills.

“I hear all sorts of evil factions are moving. To catch one wanderer presumed a supreme master.”

“Thanks to that, our covert agents found more openings. Gathering intel’s easier now. It’s like a typhoon around one inn.”

They lowered their voices near telepathy, hurrying along.

“What’s that place called?”

“Fruit Cloud Inn, they say.”

Hanzhong Martial Alliance, like Mount Zhongnan, was based in Xi’an. Hearing of trouble, they had to investigate.

They’d also caught wind of wanderers humiliating Reverend Remaining Earth Sect.

“Better check it out. To plan ahead, we need to gauge their strength.”

“We’re almost there. They say not even an ant approaches now.”

Then.

“I’ll pay double.”

“Sorry, I’ve committed a mortal sin…”

“No, just sell it. I’m offering silver, aren’t I?”

“Forgive me. Truly forgive me…”

It was the emptying street’s center. Despite winter, a shabbily clad merchant in yellow hemp argued with someone.

Before a stall of dried grains. Perhaps he couldn’t close shop due to livelihood.

He resisted dealing with a thug-like man standing bowlegged, clearly fearing an evil faction warrior.

Zhuge Xian’s brows twisted oddly.

“What’s that guy up to?”

“That’s Lazy Flame…”

Fan Dragon’s subordinate shut his mouth, staring ahead.

Hwangbo Family’s Lazy Flame Dragon squatted before the stall. Anyone would peg him as a black path thug.

Even his chewing, as if opium poppy filled his empty mouth, screamed it.

“Did someone order you not to sell to us? Who? Those Reverend Remaining Earth Sect filth? Didn’t know Xi’an’s turf wars were this bad. Martial honor’s hit rock bottom.”

“Great hero, don’t do this to me…!”

“I’ve got a growing kid at home. Arms and legs worth a fortune. If they don’t grow right, will you take responsibility? Even when I offer silver? What a wretched era!”

The merchant’s face paled. He was about to retort.

Zhuge Xian approached them.

“What’s this commotion in broad daylight?”

“If you don’t know, stay qui— Hm?”

Lazy Flame Dragon turned his head slightly, spotting Zhuge Xian. His brows rose in disbelief. Azure Qilin, Fan Dragon, and Lazy Flame Dragon were top prodigies among noble clans.

They’d bonded under Azure Qilin Namgung Se-jin’s lead. Neither Bone-Shrinking Technique nor disguise could fool recognition.

“Well, isn’t this something.”

Lazy Flame Dragon smirked.

“Get down! Get down now!”

The merchant, habitually glancing skyward, clutched his throat.

A deep rumble echoed long and loud. It came from near the clouds. Lazy Flame Dragon and Zhuge Xian’s eyes widened as they looked up.

Far in the distant sky.

An old woman rode a sword.

A one-armed swordmaster with pointed ears. Despite being a speck at that distance, her presence hit like a tidal wave.

She streaked across the blue wilderness in a straight line. Blue threads trailed long from the sword’s tip under her feet, fluttering with her empty sleeve.

A mystical pulse rippled endlessly, recreating sword-flight through some technique.

She didn’t glance down. Like an immortal indifferent to the mortal realm. Her outward demeanor suggested it.

Zhuge Xian groaned.

“Sword-flight, Ghost Soul Divine Sword…!”

“A Thirteen Evil Sects supreme master in Xi’an’s evil faction.”

Lazy Flame Dragon muttered, brow furrowed.

They stood frozen for a long while. Silent on the deserted street with the merchant.

Only winter wind rustling pine needles wailed. A dry, whistling sound.