Chapter 512 – Sunset (3)

Jeong Yeon-shin lifted the liquor bottle and continuously poured wine down his throat.

He never took a break.

He suppressed the blood he should rightfully spit up with internal energy and swallowed it back down together with the wine.

As he practically pounded the Thunder Immortal Treasure Wine down his throat like this, the fragrant wine scent mixed with the nauseating stench of blood in his mouth.

‘The internal injuries were severe.’

Jeong Yeon-shin thought.

Just as the Grand Chief beneath one of his feet had said.

After forcing himself beyond limits to break the opponent’s Transcendent Martial Art and returning the opponent’s attack force entirely with taiji, he had to receive the recoil with his entire body.

Right now, the blood vessels inside his hands and all the meridians throughout his body felt like they were tearing apart.

Above the main gate’s castle walls.

The supply from Nether Stream Squad’s blue warrior was extremely timely.

The trajectory and speed of the liquor bottle that flew targeting the moment when battlefield fighting had stopped saved Jeong Yeon-shin’s life. Just before the continuously accumulated internal injuries brought about catastrophe.

Naturally, Grand Chief Zhi Jiang-xian’s sacrifice became meaningless.

“How dare that brat…!”

The last remaining supreme master of Gang of Demons Green Forest, a woman wearing silver armor, glared at Sam-bok with her scarred face.

Having thrown her spear earlier, she revealed killing intent even while being pressed by Yue Shou-lin’s palm technique barrage with bare hands.

Given the chance, she seemed ready to turn her back on Yue Shou-lin and charge at Sam-bok to pierce his throat.

That blue warrior of Nether Stream Squad looked at Jeong Yeon-shin anxiously from afar, then made a startled expression.

“What the hell.”

Sam-bok said.

Did she get angry at those words that weren’t even proper profanity? Suddenly the silver-armored supreme master’s leg movements changed minutely.

The way her trouser hems wrinkled a bit more finely suggested she had allocated her internal energy operation toward defensive techniques.

The situation where the Grand Chief had been suppressed.

She might be thinking of taking the blue warrior who seemed to have connections with the Acting Divine Sword Group Leader as a hostage.

“…!”

But Gang of Demons Green Forest’s supreme master couldn’t turn away from Yue Shou-lin. Because her body hesitated for an instant.

It was because Jeong Yeon-shin, while holding the liquor bottle to his lips, had silently looked down at her.

A cold yet clear gaze.

Killing intent.

At this moment, it carried the most fierce momentum on the battlefield. Even though he looked like a ruffian drinking wine on the battlefield while holding a sword in one hand.

Meanwhile, Yue Shou-lin, who had closed in on her opponent in that instant, struck her abdomen with her palm. It was a martial art passed down to the Divine Sword Group’s Divine Sword Squad, Burning Soul Palm.

Kwaaaaaaaaang!

The armor made of steel wrinkled and caved in, and simultaneously whitish shock waves exploded as the ground was greatly torn up.

Yue Shou-lin followed like lightning the silver-armored supreme master who bounced away beyond that like a shot arrow.

In the meantime, blue warrior Sam-bok quietly disappeared to one corner of the castle wall.

Jeong Yeon-shin moved his gaze down to his feet. Grand Chief Zhi Jiang-xian was looking up at him with eyes stained dark red with blood.

“Dynamic technique, is it…”

Zhi Jiang-xian slowly continued speaking.

“…When I set foot on northern lands, if I had possessed such a thing.”

As he said.

Jeong Yeon-shin was standing blankly while circulating the medicinal energy of Thunder Immortal Treasure Wine throughout his body.

Dynamic technique.

Great Circulation was possible even while moving.

Moreover, his Jeong Family Dynamic Technique had long begun to look toward some realm beyond great mastery.

‘Sleeplessness, moonlight, swing.’

Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t mind that his head became somewhat hazy as he wrapped all his meridians and blood vessels with the energy of the internal injury medicine. While continuously repeating the core incantations of Jeong Family Dynamic Technique inwardly.

Sea Overflow Fist Heaven might break free from the purple woman’s grasp at any time and blow away the main gate’s castle walls.

From a glance, his protective energy had been very bothersome, and it was because he could feel a diamond-like texture from it.

The scorching yang energy that reminded him of Lazy Flame Dragon was the same. Such special energies were bound to create variables.

‘…And.’

The Martial Dragon Alliance Leader who had only been crossing his arms throughout the great war was also a problem. At this moment, he was interestedly watching Jeong Yeon-shin while habitually stomping one foot.

Tap, tap.

Despite having a build reminiscent of an ox, not even dust rose from beneath his feet. Only the ground cracked in rhythm with his foot stomping.

There was no telling what he was preparing.

The word “extraordinary person” was fitting.

“Mm? Continue.”

When his gaze met with Jeong Yeon-shin’s, he laughed heartily and continued speaking.

“This Helian Feng-yue has never engaged in joint attacks with anyone in my lifetime. It was the same when I went to exchange techniques with your superior… ah, now you’re of the same rank. Anyway, when I went to clash hands with Yong Hye-myeong, too. I only moved alone, rejecting Yu Ling Leader’s earnest requests.”

“……”

Jeong Yeon-shin turned his head to one side.

A woman cheerfully fluttering her long hair amidst the greatly spreading roars and earthen dust again.

The purple long robe suited her strangely well.

[Nausea Pressure. Resonance.]

The sight of circular air currents arising in the void following her casual hand gesture.

Wuuuuuuung!!

Massive ripples overlapped dozens of times as they struck down toward the ground, and Sea Overflow Fist Heaven was kneeling on one knee at their center.

Every time he tried to rise from his position, the ground caved in with thunder sounds.

Truly exquisite sorcery martial arts that disturbed his balance. At this moment, it looked like nothing but toying with the opponent.

The ground split noisily.

While long cracks extended in all directions, even Sea Overflow Fist Heaven’s demon mask gradually crumbled, revealing bare skin.

Soon.

The purple woman who had been looking down at him suddenly raised her head.

[Oh my.]

Her eyes met with Jeong Yeon-shin’s.

Immediately her lips curved up slightly.

[I’m being slow. For someone who’s supposedly the senior.]

“The junior’s martial arts tend to lack follow-through. Thanks to that, they’re a bit fast.”

Jeong Yeon-shin answered calmly.

It was after feeling Elder Council Head Shin Byeok’s temperament from her. At first he didn’t understand, but because he had kept Lowly Revelation Eye technique activated throughout, he could guess the situation to some degree.

At least he was confident that she was an old senior who was acquainted with Yue Shou-lin.

Of course, he didn’t know the woman’s exact identity.

He was just doing what he had to do as Acting Divine Sword Group Leader right now.

‘The energy of Thunder Immortal Treasure Wine is spreading. At this rate, I’ll be in perfect condition in one period.’

Meanwhile.

Human shadows that had filled the vicinity at some point were staring at Jeong Yeon-shin… Among them, how many would be groups that didn’t follow Yu Ling Leader’s intentions, that is, those trying to help Desolate Fortress?

Just those standing upright on the edges of civilian house roofs numbered in the hundreds.

Besides that, there were groups filling the marketplace with hands on sword handles, and masters of lightness techniques who kept arriving with thunderous stops while raising dust clouds.

Among them, some bumbling sword wielders who were looking around nervously also existed.

Most seemed familiar with martial arts.

Truly a sight of people rushing to Xiangyang regardless of orthodox or Sima path. It was hard to even estimate how many sects there were.

This was why Jeong Yeon-shin was forcibly swallowing the blood boiling in his throat at this moment.

He had to show those who had reached Xiangyang.

Entry Into Desolate.

The meaning of setting foot on rough land.

An overwhelming spectacle.

“You’re not perhaps contemplating right now…? Why those who had been charging here with such momentum suddenly stopped their lightness techniques.”

It was Grand Chief Zhi Jiang-xian.

His voice had suddenly become clear. Even his pulse, beating powerfully like a fine horse, traveled up through Jeong Yeon-shin’s foot. It was the resonance of innate energy.

Jeong Yeon-shin looked around at the crowd, then lowered his gaze.

At the same time, the leader of the mounted bandits answered the question he himself had posed.

“Isn’t that natural? Anyone can see that the very person who created this mountain of corpses and sea of blood is trampling the master of the Thirteen Evil Sects’ facial destruction while enjoying wine. It would be a chilling sight even for the King of Hell in the underworld to see.”

Having concluded thus, he laughed heartily.

But at this moment, the number of people surrounding the southern side of Desolate Fortress was too many.

If they abandoned their lives and came charging in with lightness techniques like this, it would be enough to greatly worry about the families of the main castle warriors inside the inner fortress.

The final move of Desolate Fortress’s annihilation great war.

Many gazes were felt.

Not only from jianghu martial world people, but from the gazes of those who had originally been nearby to the gaze of the purple woman of unknown identity.

Jeong Yeon-shin met eyes with Zhi Jiang-xian with no particular expression. While recalling the qualifications as Divine Sword Group Leader that he had pointed out earlier.

That required more strength than expected. It was because taking revenge for the black rank seniors right now felt easier.

“A military figure.”

He slowly parted his lips.

“What’s the reason you became a bandit and exploited common people?”

To his question, Zhi Jiang-xian laughed and said.

“The lives of kings and nobles, the lives of jianghu people, the lives of common people—all these things are bound to be influenced by the times. When chaotic times come, anything becomes twisted. The answer to Lord Jeong’s question… you’ll naturally obtain it when you set foot on northern lands.”

It sounded like he meant he had gained heart demons in the north.

At that story, one corner of Jeong Yeon-shin’s mouth rose.

Was it because of the drunkenness?

The mockery he had never shown before resembled Invincible. Even thick killing intent seeped from his lip muscles.

Grand Administrator Lim Jin-myeong’s mental transmission was heard again at the same time.

—I apologize for causing worry. I’m fine, so please clean up the south, Lord Jeong. The one who went as reinforcement is the previous generation’s Divine Sword Group Leader, someone who used the name Shin Cheon-hwa of the Shin clan.

The greatly cracked voice somehow reassured Jeong Yeon-shin.

He immediately opened his mouth.

“It wouldn’t be difficult to hoe fields with hands that use martial arts. So what truly has no answer is your mentality that dares not contemplate noble work like farming or commerce. Your life is a rag made of contradictions. At the end of a worthless life, how can you be so shameless? If your Baihui acupoint was the problem, I could pray for the afterlife of the useless upper dantian below it.”

The land where Nether Stream Squad Leader and Burning Abyss Squad Leader, and countless main castle warriors including Obeying Heaven Wing Leader, those who had been Jeong Yeon-shin’s family through deeper ties than the Jeong Family estate, had died.

These were words directed at the jianghu martial world.

“……”

Deep silence cut through the air.

Gang of Demons Green Forest’s Grand Chief lost his words for the first time. How much such naked words had there been in the jianghu’s highest levels, composed only of transcendent beings?

Some jianghu people who had been gradually closing distance also flinched.

A Desolate Fortress purple publicly expressing opinions about the jianghu. Even well-informed old jianghu veterans would find it difficult to encounter such an existence once in a lifetime.

Zhi Jiang-xian looked up at Jeong Yeon-shin dimly and asked lowly.

“…Where would there be someone born a bandit from birth?”

“Were the main castle’s warriors born with the character ‘Desolate’ carved on their shoulders?”

“That’s… also true…”

It was when Zhi Jiang-xian muttered in a dying voice.

“I hear your words are excessive! Is that instruction for someone who has committed as much killing as you?”

“The killing karma that Desolate Fortress has accumulated in the jianghu until now…!”

From a distance.

Voices that burst from among the martial world people.

Slightly distorted true energy structures could be felt from each voice. It was energy waves characteristic of Yu Ling.

Simultaneously.

The Martial Dragon Alliance Leader, who suddenly disappeared as if distorting in place, appeared while bodily smashing the owners of those voices, and Yue Shou-lin’s silver spear that had been lying scattered far away was caught in Jeong Yeon-shin’s grasp with a clang.

“They can’t even show courtesy to lineage grandmasters. Why would jianghu ruffians do farm work?”

When the Martial Dragon Alliance Leader’s laughter-tinged voice spread hazily.

Kwagagak!

The spear Jeong Yeon-shin swung scraped the ground as it soared into the void.

Zhi Jiang-xian’s head, mercilessly cut along that trajectory, followed up to the spear tip by itself and was skewered in an instant, and a green flag flew from the distant castle wall like being swept by a typhoon and wrapped around the spear shaft. It was two instances of Void Grasping.

The next moment, Jeong Yeon-shin’s arm became blurred, and the silver spear held in his grasp disappeared in an instant while leaving roaring sounds.

Kwaaaaaaaaang!!

The ground where the vanguard of the jianghu crowd stood shook violently.

Two shock waves overlapped. When the spear was shot and when the ground shattered like a spider web and collapsed entirely. But immediately after, Jeong Yeon-shin’s voice that rang out pierced through even that roar.

“Jeong Family Lightning Genius proclaims.”

“……”

“That flag is Desolate Fortress’s dignity. And it’s right before you b*st*rds now.”

Some in the crowd murmured.

“What…?”

A spear stuck diagonally as if blocking the main castle alone.

Gang of Demons Green Forest Grand Chief’s head was skewered on the spear tip. Below it, a flag engraved with the character “Desolate” fluttered violently.

Like the situation of Desolate Fortress warriors in the turbulent jianghu where wind never ceased.

“Try breaking it.”

Jeong Yeon-shin sneered. “I’ll watch whether the jianghu martial world’s capacity is as great as its pride.”

Name and dignity.

These were things that jianghu masters wandering the Ming Dynasty lands prioritized over their lives.

In other words, honor.

The reason they created elegant epithets for each other and sought to leave names in martial history through countless jianghu deeds lay there.

Even martial arts achievements didn’t end in self-satisfaction but led to duels or life-and-death battles.

This place where all sorts of jianghu people had gathered in unprecedented scale. Only beings who had come to intervene in Desolate Fortress’s affairs with any intention, and naturally each could represent their regional jianghu to some degree, large or small.

Therefore.

The flag that Jeong Yeon-shin planted at this moment was death thrown at such jianghu.

The gloomy mountain of corpses, castle walls and dirt ground where dead blood flowed down blackly, the Acting Divine Sword Group Leader holding a wine bottle with all this as backdrop.

Could they break the flag while Jeong Yeon-shin watched?

“…If they break it, they’ll die on the spot, and if they awkwardly retreat, as warriors they shouldn’t dare speak of Desolate Fortress’s jianghu oppression or such.”

The Martial Dragon Alliance Leader muttered from among the crowd.

“I never discussed such messy affairs from the beginning. Having opened my eyes today, I’ll show respect to the next Divine Sword Group Leader and withdraw.”

With that voice, his form scattered like twilight. It was clearly movement technique close to being the world’s greatest, movements that no one from Desolate Fortress could catch in this situation.

Thus.

The jianghu people were placed on an old testing ground.

“……”

While some who had intended to denounce Jeong Yeon-shin closed their mouths as if frozen.

Step.

Suddenly Shin Cheon-hwa stepped toward Jeong Yeon-shin with her hands clasped behind her back.