Chapter 255 – Ascension (5)

Lady Lu Xian, having glanced at the title First Draft of the Compendium of Evil Faction Annihilation, parted her lips.

“May I ask what it is? The name is exceedingly audacious.”

Jeong Yeon-shin shook his head.

“It seems the main matter should come first.”

“Very well, let us proceed then.”

“What is the meaning of this behavior?”

With the Imperial Censor left standing below the pavilion, the Mount Hua Sect Leader and the Radiant Demon Wing Leader sat facing each other. Wei Ji-myohwa, who had hesitated, took a seat in the center.

“Not long ago, Cheon Ju suffered severe injuries at the hands of the First Apostle. By great fortune, he did not meet instant death.”

“…That is fortunate, at least.”

Jeong Yeon-shin replied, recalling the stern face of Taoist Cheon Ju, Mount Hua’s Sword Saint.

He was a supreme swordsman who had mastered the Plum Blossom Sword’s Dark Fragrance Motionless Bloom. At the Martial Alliance Sect-Opening Tournament, Jeong Yeon-shin had defeated him by sheer luck.

Back then, Taoist Cheon Ju had been nursing internal injuries, yet he showed scarcely any openings.

Now, word had reached Jeong Yeon-shin that Cheon Ju was hovering near death. While Jeong Yeon-shin recuperated, the Blood Flame Sect’s First Apostle had struck him.

“I came to personally check on your recovery. The evil factions rampant in Shaanxi have grown too powerful, and hands are scarce. The fierce conflicts, regardless of righteous or evil affiliations, are a headache as well. Hardly an inn or government shrine remains intact.”

“My subordinates are active.”

Jeong Yeon-shin answered calmly. Currently, more than half of Radiant Demon Wing was out in disguise, overseeing outer security.

He had sent them out as their superior. Enduring the embarrassing fuss of comrades who insisted on staying by his side for his safety had been a trial.

They, like seasoned veterans, had such sharp perception that they would make a commotion just noticing the slight growth of his limbs.

They teased him while spoon-feeding him rice, saying he should manage his chopsticks this way. It would have been unbearable for anyone.

“Stop it,” he had said.

They had to bear the weight of their squad leader’s authority. They had no choice but to go fulfill their duties as Desolate Fortress warriors.

“Of course, their contributions to the people’s welfare are immense. However, the use of a blade varies by wielder. How many more swordsmen are there to fill Cheon Ju’s vacancy? This poor taoist is hard-pressed even keeping an eye on the Tyrant Sword Sect Leader.”

“The Tyrant Sword Sect Leader…”

Jeong Yeon-shin quietly repeated the name of the figure entrenched like a fortress in his mind. The name alone carried an overwhelming presence.

Lady Lu Xian, who had been carefully studying his face, spoke.

“The blood demons multiplying like insects are a problem too. The times are truly bleak. Soon, this poor taoist will find it hard to leave the main sect, so you, as one of high rank, should know what you must. Mount Hua cannot abandon Mount Hua.”

“After recovering, I will act according to my own judgment.”

“Indeed. It is not for this poor taoist to meddle further.”

“Is that what you came to convey? That the current Shaanxi is beyond even Mount Hua’s control…”

“To check on you as well.”

Lady Lu Xian raised the corners of her lips slightly. It was a smile tinged with ambiguous qualities.

She asked, “How old are you this year?”

To Jeong Yeon-shin, it was not a surprising question.

“Fifteen days from now, I will be seventeen.”

The fingertips of Wei Ji-myohwa, who had been sitting silently in the middle, twitched.

Lady Lu Xian laughed.

“You must have faced all manner of astonishment. They call you a marvel of the martial world, your martial prowess far exceeding your years.”

“Yes.”

The Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s reply was straightforward. It was enough to make the eyelashes of the orthodox sect leader, accustomed to modesty, rise slightly.

“Indeed, that must be so. In any case, things were chaotic earlier. As a senior, I regret not being able to meddle out of concern.”

“What kind of…?”

“Your body, I mean.”

For a moment, a faint crimson glow flickered in Lady Lu Xian’s eyes. It resembled the radiance of a sunset.

“The spirit in your head is extraordinarily vast. It is lofty to a divine degree. Even that astonishingly refined physique of yours pales before it, which is utterly astounding. It is as if you were born having fulfilled the lifelong aspiration of Taoist cultivators, yet to this poor taoist, it does not seem entirely favorable. Judging by your demeanor, it appears you were aware of this too.”

Jeong Yeon-shin did not ask if that was why she had come to see him despite their lack of prior acquaintance.

There was an old adage: among peerless masters, there was no one who was not eccentric.

“Are those who manifest a microcosm outside their bodies truly human?” it asked.

Invincibility.

Innate talent like a divine sword was secondary. Relentless training was the same. Whether for good or ill, they possessed an extreme environment and a madness for martial arts.

They piled all of that over decades or centuries to forge an absolute realm.

“You will surely seek to live by consuming the fruit. Yet does the spirit lodged in your upper dantian not reject the harmony of essence, energy, and spirit? With your intellect and rate of achievement, you should have long been aiming for the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown, yet further progress still seems distant.”

She spoke freely in an antiquated tone.

She resembled a white plum blossom. A refined and transparent disposition.

“Indeed. Your words are correct, Lady.”

Jeong Yeon-shin replied somewhat brazenly. He paid no mind even if Lady Lu Xian showed a hint of disconcertment. It was the truth.

“Hm, in any case, there is no shortcut to the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown. Even the Thirteen Evil Sects Leaders must cultivate the balance of essence, energy, and spirit evenly. For you, this must be the first wall you have encountered, so I hope you will not be disheartened and will be a good friend to Yu Hyeon. That child, who lacked peers to bond with, spoke of you often. It weighed on my mind.”

“Is that what you came to say…?”

“As a senior, I took this step out of concern that a junior might stray into the ways of evil factions. Your current achievements are not lacking in the martial world, so if you keep walking and walking, you will surely gain merits enough to claim the fruit. Do not harbor impatience.”

Her smiling face carried a gentle voice. It bore the temperament of an orthodox renowned sect.

At that moment, a warm shiver ran through Jeong Yeon-shin’s mind.

It was not relief. The Brilliant Jade Sword God had not pierced through the time remaining to the Radiant Demon Wing Leader.

She had merely conveyed her concern as a senior warrior. It was something soft and grand, like twilight nestled in the mountains.

Jeong Yeon-shin abruptly raised his hands in a salute.

“I have received yet another favor. I thank the sect leader.”

Lady Lu Xian, who had been responding with a smile, froze briefly at the corners of her mouth. It was right after the phrase “yet another” came up.

Jeong Yeon-shin did not mind.

His body was in a state of unprecedented damage. Time was his lifeline, yet his progress had been severely delayed.

Her advice to quell impatience struck him deeply. It brought enlightenment too.

“I will not be bound by the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown. The paths to strength are boundless. I have thought of another method.”

Jeong Yeon-shin considered: could he turn this recovery period into an opportunity for secluded training?

“Other warriors set aside time for cultivation. This junior will do the same.”

“Hm…?”

***

Read only at nineheavens.org

Translated by Nine Heavens!

https://discord.gg/XC9DTsTQ9Z

***

The setting sun flowed along the pavilion’s rafters.

It was right after the Mount Hua Sect Leader had departed. Around that time, Imperial Censor Xu Yun, outside the pavilion, narrowed his eyes.

He had finally guessed the intent of Lady Lu Xian, who had left him behind and departed abruptly.

‘This boy is not of the evil factions.’

He stroked his jet-black beard downward.

He had not heard all the conversation. At some point, an energy curtain had enveloped the pavilion.

Even so, he could infer the flow between the lines. Xu Yun was someone who had survived as an Imperial Censor in a world rife with martial techniques and myriad mysteries.

Though somewhat ignorant of martial world affairs, he had honed his intuition like a sharpened blade. Unlike some officials who fearlessly confronted martial artists relying on rank and authority, he was different.

The boy before him was someone the Mount Hua Sect Leader had personally sought out.

He was treated as an honored guest in Shao Bai Sect, the only one among Xi’an’s seven evil factions to avoid annihilation.

‘It is not just martial prowess he possesses. He has already gained significant recognition in a corner of the martial world.’

The Brilliant Jade Sword God, one of the most reliable protectors in the world, had abandoned him and left.

Considering Mount Hua Sect’s stance, close to the imperial family, it was unbelievable. It must be because the boy she sought held such power and status.

“I will formally introduce myself.”

He raised both hands in a salute toward the man and woman descending from the pavilion.

“This one is the eldest son of the Xu Clan of Nanjing. After passing the imperial examination and entering the capital, I was granted a plaque by His Majesty to oversee Shaanxi’s government offices. Though the regional magistrates wield great influence, it is no different from the land the Son of Heaven stands upon, and I believe the same applies to you, regardless of your identity.”

“…”

Step.

Jeong Yeon-shin, stepping onto the ground, raised his head. Wei Ji-myohwa, standing beside him, wore an odd expression.

“Imperial Censor Xu Yun.”

“Speak.”

“I have thought of a use for you.”

The Radiant Demon Wing Leader parted his lips.

“You are not yet qualified. If you wish to know my identity, you should first reflect on your manner of speech.”

“What?”

“Seize him.”

Crack!

In an instant, a lightning-like shadow surged from the lakeside.

A straight-line charge of lightness skill snatched Xu Yun and receded. A fierce wind swept in. It was truly a fleeting moment.

Wei Ji-myohwa’s eyes widened slightly.

“Just now…?”

“A comrade from the Blood Guardian Squad. Luo Yi-qian, the Asura Demon Soul.”

“The Blood Guardian Squad? Did the Desolate Fortress Divine Blood Extreme Demon lend you his subordinate?”

“Yes. He is the senior squad leader I most respect. Not only for his martial prowess but also for his character.”

Jeong Yeon-shin, with a rare smile, clenched and unclenched his right fist.

The faint pain lingering in the fine meridians up to his wrist remained. Yet the insight granted by the Mount Hua Sect Leader had been significant.

In all his life, he had never undertaken such focused study as secluded training, and now a strange curiosity stirred within him.

‘With this, I have sent all my comrades away…’

He would grow stronger without passing through the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown.

For the first time, he set a clear mid-term goal for his cultivation.

It was beside the lake supporting the pavilion. His face reflected on the rippling water, bathed in sunlight. His eyes were filled with a vivid blue gleam.

***

The year turned.

Lightning Genius, the Radiant Demon Wing Leader, truly became seventeen.

It was amid Shaanxi’s vast expanse growing increasingly chaotic.

Even while Jeong Yeon-shin recuperated, the world moved relentlessly.

The slaying of the Ghost White Divine Sword and Shaanxi’s top demon had undoubtedly shaken Shaanxi’s martial world.

After the incident at Yu Ling’s Shaanxi branch was attributed to the Radiant Arts Squad, the Radiant Arts Squad Leader rose as an emerging powerhouse.

Yet the chaos that arrived with Zhongnan Sect’s annihilation was like a storm. Each day brought new topics.

“They say the Blood Flame Sect’s First Apostle’s Roaring Blood Madness Technique claims Shaanxi’s top rank. I heard the vast Fengyu County turned into a sea of blood in an instant. Mount Hua’s Sword Saint retreated in a pitiful state…”

“Shaanxi’s top rank suits only the Tyrant Sword Sect Leader or the Brilliant Jade Sword God. When those two great masters will clash is the pressing question. I hear some fortunate places are even placing bets.”

“You lot are the fortunate ones. Discussing martial world affairs when crazed blood demons could storm in at any moment? Pack your bags first.”

“No need to fuss. Yesterday, I heard the Severing Path Clan and the Jin Family Estate clashed. They pointed fingers calling each other blood demons, but who doesn’t know it was really about a rice paddy boundary?”

In a famine where territorial rights were more precious than ever, martial artists did not hesitate to draw blades to secure food and fertile ground.

Countless warriors clashed in all manner of places.

Amid this, the Blood Flame Sect pushed in to expand its domain, while the Tyrant Sword Sect, having lost the Ghost White Divine Sword, was said to be desperately seeking the Radiant Arts Squad Leader. It was an era of turmoil.

Then, a massive rumor erupted.

“There is a thousand-year Ginseng at Seven Ladies Peak of Mount Taibai!”

Rumors of miraculous herbs and plants always drew blood.

Even if it was someone’s scheme to exploit the chaos, it made no difference. True or not, it had to be verified in person.

This time was no exception.

A thousand-year Ginseng held such value. It was said to cure all ailments and grant immense inner energy.

Martial artists from all regions, too numerous to count, flocked there. Even warriors from great sects mingled among them.

The timing was peculiar.

Jeong Yeon-shin, who had been secluded in the manor for a month, faced a new problem.

Jeong Hye would not wake. Though the Luminous Wheel Technique had erased the true energy of the Heavenly Tomb Demon Technique, she could not lift her eyelids.

Even with the Shao Bai Sect Leader, the manor’s master from Zhongnan’s secular branch, summoning renowned physicians, she slept as if dead.

It was a scheme of Yu Ling of Thirteen Evil Sects. Even in death, Shaanxi’s top demon would not release Jeong Hye.

Jeong Yeon-shin stood on the edge of the brown-tiled roof. His upper body was still wrapped in bandages.

“I will set out.”

Flutter!

He draped a jet-black robe over his shoulders. The dark fabric cast a shadow beneath the wall.

With it came a travel sack tied to the robe’s shoulder, its lower part squared by the shape of books.

“A solo mission for the squad leader. Radiant Demon Wing will continue to tend to the people’s welfare.”

“What nonsense…? Did you take my poppies again?”

By the time Lazy Flame Dragon emerged, scratching his ear, the Radiant Demon Wing Leader had already vanished.