Chapter 604 – Intoxicated by the Starry Night (6)

“You were invited to the Blood King’s residence?”

Divine Beggar Zhu Guang, carried on Yu Xiong-gong’s back, muttered in bewilderment. Right below him, Yu Xiong-gong also tilted his head in confusion.

Soon after, he chattered like a child.

“The pavilions and everything were a mess, but I suppose there was a secret safe house. No, before that… they’re letting us in even knowing our identities?”

“Yes.”

Jeong Yeon-shin nodded slightly.

Three generations of old and young.

It was a party where Jeong Yeon-shin inevitably had to take the vanguard.

Regardless of each person’s martial level, just looking at Yu Xiong-gong’s physical condition showed this. Since his recovery from internal injuries inflicted by the Southern Emperor was slow, he needed rest even during long travels.

Nevertheless, as they approached Grudge Blood Valley, he carried Divine Beggar Zhu Guang on his back again. It was conduct befitting an adult of the Ming imperial family.

Grudge Blood Valley.

The battlefield of Northern King Vast Wind Curtain Lord and the Blood King.

The party had climbed up to one corner of the split mountain. It was a position where the aftermath of the geological upheaval could be clearly seen below.

Kukukung—

Soil revealing its pure yellowish-brown flesh, tree branches half-uprooted and creaking like swings, the cutting surface of the mountain across completely split yet without a drop of moisture…

Below, the entire ground foundation repeatedly collapsed intermittently. The sound of dry rock fragments and waterless dirt piles rustling and rubbing against each other.

A natural disaster had swept through.

The soil quality being soft was no different between the Ming Dynasty and the demon realm.

‘The land is fragile.’

It was when Jeong Yeon-shin thought like a strategist.

“What is this? I remember you deploying it once before at the Heavenly Demon Treasury.”

Yu Xiong-gong asked him. While looking at the bluish circle spread on the dirt ground. It was a taiji that strangely harmonized with the ruins.

At the edge stood a father and daughter pair with blood-red pupils, standing blankly. They were the Blood King and his successor Red Dawn.

“It’s a negotiation tool.”

Jeong Yeon-shin answered quietly.

“……”

Wrinkles formed on the brows of the Crimson Blood King Family royalty at the same time.

Those who had acted as living law in Grudge Blood Valley until now. But the madness characteristic of blood demons didn’t reach Jeong Yeon-shin.

Was it because he had long experienced Seventh Apostle?

‘They are gentle people.’

Now words would get through. It was when Jeong Yeon-shin truly thought so.

“Going to strike the Southern Emperor? You people?”

The Blood King asked, greatly shaking off his blood-stained sleeve. It was a desolate voice.

“What’s wrong with us?”

The child in armor asked back while readjusting his carry of the legless old man.

The Blood King didn’t respond to Yu Xiong-gong’s words. He only flashed his eye-light, but it seemed blood might spurt from his eyes.

Meanwhile, Jeong Yeon-shin was gazing at the woman standing beside the Blood King. He asked quietly.

“Are you of the Red clan?”

True Blood Body Red clan.

Words various jianghu people had used when referring to Seventh Apostle. Naturally, they remained in Jeong Yeon-shin’s mind too.

“Why is your manner of speech like that?”

Yu Xiong-gong looked up at him blankly from beside and asked, but Jeong Yeon-shin replaced his answer with a slight silent bow.

Since his conduct now carried weight, Yu Xiong-gong didn’t ask further. Actually, he had no words to answer with.

‘The successor of the Crimson Blood King Family.’

Otherwise called the Blood King’s eldest daughter.

There was a slight difference. If the madness became much thicker and her hair flowed down long like the night sky, she might become like someone.

The woman who had been looking at Jeong Yeon-shin with shocked eyes from the edge of Southern Splendor Radiant Taiji soon composed her expression peacefully like a lie.

“I’m Red Dawn.”

Her respectful speech was natural.

A figure who would become king in the future. Naturally, she was astute about gains and losses. She had immediately seen through who was most formidable in this place.

Did that first word break the ice? Red Dawn immediately asked Jeong Yeon-shin.

“If we resist, do you plan to annihilate our family?”

The speech itself was aristocratic.

It wasn’t just proficiency in Chinese.

“The Crimson Blood King Family, indeed rooted in the south. Rumor has it you’re a special clan that even the Blood Flame Cult Leader would covet…”

Divine Beggar Zhu Guang muttered.

“Of course.”

One corner of the Blood King’s mouth rose smoothly.

“That monster greatly coveted our main family. There was no other clan that could accumulate blood energy as purely as our main family.”

“Is it true that you don’t practice blood-sucking?”

It was Yu Xiong-gong’s question.

At those words, Red Dawn opened her lips. While furrowing her brow as if Southern Splendor Radiant Taiji was painful.

“We’re a clan that can quench thirst through energy accumulation, and above all, blood-sucking becomes an obstacle to ascension. Energy obtained through blood-sucking inevitably contains the resentment of those whose blood was sucked. It’s difficult to achieve Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown with such accumulated energy. Unless one is quite a monster.”

The Blood Flame Cult Leader and Blood Flame Cult apostles were such beings.

A force so mighty that the Desolate Fortress Lord would have had to manifest when their main branch was intact. Until Ming Cult Leader Young Heavenly Demon Invincible’s existence came to prominence, they were truly the strongest sect among the Thirteen Evil Sects in name and reality.

It was natural that the Crimson Blood King Family was pushed back and exploited by the Blood Flame Cult.

“If you came to our main family for something like chivalrous deeds, I’d like to say you’re mistaken. Please return.”

Red Dawn said calmly.

Being of the same clan doesn’t mean the same power. Just as the Ming Dynasty jianghu, entirely composed of Han Chinese and Ming tribe people, was divided into countless sects.

“Blood demons prioritize naturalness of action over energy accumulation…? Well now.”

Divine Beggar Zhu Guang let out a hollow laugh.

“Don’t tell me you’re pursuing the realm of northern Natural Form? Blood-sucking nobles?”

“I already told you. Our family members have never had the smell of blood on their teeth.”

It was a gentle answer.

Red Dawn even opened her mouth to show him, saying “Ah.”

Slightly sharp canine teeth on both sides of her bright red tongue. Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly thought of the orderly arrangement of teeth that had bitten his nape and lowered his gaze.

The Crimson Blood King Family. The royalty of Grudge Blood Valley.

A force mad about martial arts in a different way.

A constitution that could replace blood-sucking with energy circulation, a family tradition that harmonized well with the demon realm enough for the family head to ascend to the position of Northern King.

Seventh Apostle had been a child born with extraordinary talent in such a clan. It was also a natural course that the Blood Flame Cult Leader coveted her as the next cult leader.

The jianghu was diverse in this way.

Jeong Yeon-shin slowly opened his mouth from the center of the bluish taiji.

“…I have two questions.”

His manner of speech changed once again. Speech and behavior that changed according to the opponent and situation, and that naturalness was precisely the Divine Sword Group Leader that Jeong Yeon-shin pursued.

He was gradually realizing that the world wasn’t divided into black and white.

“That’s the Ma family…?”

Even Yu Xiong-gong’s muttering couldn’t be much praise now. Because it was a natural thing to say.

“Please speak.”

Red Dawn’s answer was quick.

She was blocking her father, the Blood King, with one hand. Just as he had twisted his lips as if about to greatly mock Jeong Yeon-shin.

Jeong Yeon-shin asked without concern.

“I heard you’re Northern Kings of the anti-Fighting God faction. Why didn’t you follow that person?”

“Isn’t it a situation where it’s difficult even to fill our own bellies? Our main family has nothing to ask of that Southern Emperor b*st*rd! Why would we bother going under someone else and play servant!”

The Blood King’s cry was mad.

Fundamentally the same as the Blood Flame Cult Leader. From the white hair flowing down purely white enough to bewitch people to his demonic bearing. He wasn’t someone to be under anyone’s command.

“I understand.”

Jeong Yeon-shin nodded as if he immediately understood. Of course, the Blood King’s expression was tinged with some displeasure.

“Do you not eat people?”

He asked quite politely.

Now the Blood King had a face holding back curses.

“It’s a foolish question. Is there any need to deliberately accumulate turbid energy?”

He spoke in an archaic manner. If not for his appearance like a king of blood demons, he could be thought of as a Taoist master.

The Blood King clenched and opened his unusually white and long fingers.

“When I become extremely natural, I won’t need to have a power struggle with you. After that, only the contest of techniques will remain, so at least I won’t experience such humiliation.”

The realm of northern Natural Form.

Though he didn’t know exactly what it was, he had experienced something similar from the Southern Emperor.

A transcendent who deployed two or more techniques in one breath, with the boundary between martial arts and techniques completely collapsed.

And the next emperor.

‘There are things to learn.’

At the same time, Jeong Yeon-shin realized that the bodies hidden by the Blood King father and daughter’s clothing were gaunt. He only noticed now because he had no particular thoughts when first clashing with the Blood King.

As blood demons, they were pathologically careful about feeding, almost to the level of cultivating the Tao. The demon realm’s Taoist temple was here.

‘So this is what kind of family they were.’

Honestly, Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t see them as normal. He wanted to hurry and finish the conversation.

“Then that’s enough. They’re worth striking the Southern Emperor.”

“Is this madman going in circles…?”

“Father King, please step back.”

Red Dawn stood with her back to the Blood King. She now stared at Jeong Yeon-shin as if looking at a madman. Their gazes toward each other were identical.

“Asking us to lend a hand in striking the Southern Emperor – are you telling us to abandon this foundation?”

“Why does it come to that?”

“Because that’s what would happen if Father King left this place. As you know, there are two Northern Kings who made this canyon their territory.”

Jeong Yeon-shin felt a strange sense of discord in this conversation.

‘It’s difficult to converse.’

Such a feeling suddenly arose from deep within. That one shouldn’t speak with such formal behavior with such features.

Therefore, his grip twitched as if it might curl into the hand position for Heaven Breaking of the Eternal Blossom Fist.

Even though he knew Red Dawn’s side was right. It was now an irreversible reaction.

Therefore, Jeong Yeon-shin shifted his gaze to the Blood King.

And asked calmly.

“What’s the reason for wanting to talk more in the safe house?”

“…First is because of your outrageous behavior and martial prowess, and second is because of the Vast Wind Curtain Lord. The Northern King who bisects this Grudge Blood Valley with me.”

The Blood King spoke in a chilled voice. There was no sign of his anger toward Jeong Yeon-shin subsiding.

It couldn’t be helped.

Divine Sword Group Leader Jeong Yeon-shin knew from repeated experience. To have a serious conversation with heretical demons, one must first engrave the superiority of strength on that opponent.

Because they were those who most believed in the principle of survival of the fittest. They don’t converse with the weak and constantly eye the necks of the strong.

Even if he returned to before seeing Red Dawn’s face, it would be the same. He would have had to cross hands with the Blood King at least once anyway.

“The Vast Wind Curtain Lord.”

Jeong Yeon-shin repeated the Blood King’s words. While gazing at the large mountain across.

Grudge Blood Valley.

It was terrain where two massive mountains blocked left and right, with a valley where a large city was formed in the center.

Among them, the left mountain had been split in half by Jeong Yeon-shin’s sword strike. Only the right mountain was intact. The great peak that met Jeong Yeon-shin’s party’s gaze at this moment.

“I heard it’s a garrison of old Yuan Dynasty mounted masters. Looking at things like Vast Wind Curtain and such, it seems they’ve become a bandit gang…”

Divine Beggar Zhu Guang spoke in a grave tone.

It was strange.

Even though they must have seen the great landslide, there was no particular reaction from the mountain where Vast Wind Curtain was said to be stationed. It felt like a pack of wolves hiding in grassland.

Jeong Yeon-shin met eyes with the two old men.

“I’ll solve them one by one.”

The Crimson Blood King Family first. Vast Wind Curtain after that.

It was hammering the most dignified Northern Kings in the demon realm like swords. It was right to concentrate on each like the Tang siblings’ hammering.

“Now I see…”

The Blood King’s lips rose thinly. Lips revealing stubbornness. The thick life history enough to achieve Crimson Moon Dance was faintly felt.

“The uninvited guest has greatly wanted our main family.”

He said.

Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t mind.

Patience deep as the night sky had long formed rings in his heart.

Whoosh—

Had the aftermath of the landslide stopped? With the breeze that suddenly blew, nothing swayed.

Not the old trees now reduced to only their bases, not the stone fragments shattered everywhere, not even the grass blades stuck firmly to the dirt ground because large rocks had rolled over them.

It was simply quiet.

A scene reflected like a mirror in Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes.

“Do you know the childhood name Ha Rin?”

“What…?”

“I’ve had my neck bitten by her.”

“What.”

Slowly.

The Blood King’s chilled blood-red pupils were surrounded by large whites. Thus, even while Jeong Yeon-shin spoke storm-like words aloud, his heart was dry as the northern wind.

‘Soon I’ll head south.’

* * *

[Report to the Grand Administrator.

—Divine Sword Group, loss of Acting Divine Sword Group Leader. The work of Ming Cult Leader Yelu Zhen.

—Divine Sword Group member Lazy Flame Dragon and Radiant Demon Wing Leader Cheong Myeong departed Yeoktru Castle. Each began individual pursuit.

—Divine Sword Group, all black and blue rank personnel entered the ‘Divine Sword Group Jeong Family Dynamic Technique.’ The formulas differ from the simplified version. All black ranks and Radiant Demon Wing warriors achieved great accomplishment.

—Divine Sword Group advancing from Yeoktru Castle to the demon realm’s capital. Conclusion that it’s right to strike the head before Northern Kings gather due to the Southern Emperor’s troop raising.

The Divine Sword Group is still in a state of having lost Master Jeong.

At the time of writing this letter, we are before Molten Rock Castle. Judging by the Divine Sword Group’s current advance speed, we will definitely clash tomorrow at the beginning of the Hour of the Monkey (3 PM).

According to reports from the Nether Stream Squad’s scouts, the Southern Emperor’s son ‘Aisin-Gioro Black Return’ and Great King Vajra, Gao Yao Holy Sword Lord appear to be heading south as reinforcements for Molten Rock Castle.

As the Grand Commander knows, they are all Northern Kings of Bright Wind Spirit’s pro-Fighting God faction.

They’ll be strong. Strong enough to occupy the Ming Dynasty.

But the Divine Sword Group is still in a state of having lost the Acting Divine Sword Group Leader.

Therefore we advance north.

We don’t stop.

—Divine Sword Squad Leader.]