Chapter 642 – Big Dipper Hundred Stars (5)

“Who are you?”

That was the girl’s first words.

It sounded innocent at first glance. Because the child appeared to be less than ten years old at most. But it was also distant from the feeling of a sheltered young lady.

This was after she had executed one of the Six Great Palm Techniques Under Heaven with those maple leaf-like hands. A girl who simultaneously operated demonic energy and orthodox true energy could only be a monster to anyone.

“There aren’t many palm techniques as famous as Brilliant River these days… If she can use it that well at that age, wouldn’t she be the Greatest Among Children? When I was that age, I was just tearing up elementary books.”

Around the time Yeon So-ha was seriously discussing being the world’s greatest with the character for child, Hyeon Won-chang was carefully approaching Jeong Hye. His face under the hero’s hat was full of delight.

“Look here, Zhong Heaven Child, you’ve become quite impressive. I’m Hyeon from Desolate Fortress.”

[TL Note- Jeong Hye-ah previous title was End Heaven Child.]

“Take off that human-skin mask.”

Hyeon Won-chang’s expression was colored with shock. Jeong Jung-san, who had been nearby, was blankly looking up only at Literary Star when he spoke with a startled face.

“Hye-ah, you should say such things only after half-killing your opponent…”

At the same time, Yeon So-ha looked back at Jeong Yeon-shin and asked.

“This is Zhongnan Sect, right?”

“…It seems there have been many incidents.”

Jeong Yeon-shin walked past Yeon So-ha and Seventh Apostle. Among them, Seventh Apostle was somehow already smoothing the ties and hair of her black robe with her fingertips like silk, and this was even before Jeong Hye properly unleashed Brilliant River’s energy waves.

“Female niece? Still a niece…? Her energy waves are quite pretty…?”

She whispered strange words like practice.

It was chaotic times.

Jeong Yeon-shin pushed Literary Star’s thigh aside and faced his blood relatives. For some reason, his second brother Jeong Jung-san caught his eye first rather than his niece Jeong Hye.

‘Before, I only saw Hye-ah…’

A young man with a thick-featured face wearing plain Taoist robes.

Now he was a swordsman of Zhongnan Sect.

His cheeks were carved with all sorts of scars, and several strands were traces of blades digging into his gums.

Among them, the scar on his lips bent this way and that as soon as he met Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes. Great shock had overcome his fear of Literary Star.

“Yeon-shin? How?!”

“Desolate Great Hero’s killing intent isn’t like raw meat like uncle’s…”

Jeong Hye’s words were also cut off. Right after her large eyes captured Jeong Yeon-shin. Soon tears welled up in the child’s eyes.

When Jeong Hye finally hugged her uncle’s legs tightly, Jeong Yeon-shin was greeting Jeong Jung-san.

“Is your body okay? It doesn’t seem like you’ve been doing well.”

“How are you in the Central Plains?!”

His face looked like he had seen a complete apparition. Even encountering a mirage in the great desert wouldn’t be worse than this.

Jeong Jung-san’s reaction proved Central Plains martial people’s perception. They regarded Divine Sword Group warriors who had gone north as already dead and had pushed them out of consideration.

It wasn’t strange. North of the Great Wall was a demon realm that couldn’t be pacified even by a nation’s power.

Jeong Yeon-shin quietly asked.

“Where is Great Hero Wei Zhi?”

This was a question that came from already sweeping up the mountain path like energy perception. There were only two familiar presences in the old hall complex. Precipice Sword and Grand Elder Yeo Il-shin.

Those two had confronted the beasts during Jeong Family Estate’s sect annihilation disaster. Naturally, they were people hard for Jeong Yeon-shin to forget.

Nevertheless, Wei Zhi Myo-hwa, that is, Zhongnan Sect Leader, came first. Because she had the status to move Zhongnan’s few disciples.

If the entire Qinling Mountain Range was truly the first Heavenly Demon’s tomb, and Little Heavenly Demon Invincible had schemed something with it…

‘The Zhongnan mountain path must be blocked first.’

So that common people wouldn’t climb the mountain seeking to become strong with the Heavenly Demon’s legacy.

It was an era of power.

Even if food was stockpiled with difficulty, it was often stolen by strongmen, and those who acquired food like that were also threatened by even stronger people.

Literally martial forest. Even common people were transforming into jianghu people holding sickles or plows, which was why it was chaotic times.

These were all things seen and resolved while coming down from Beijing to Shaanxi.

Because of this, rumors about Jeong Yeon-shin and Divine Sword Squad seemed to be spreading sporadically, but there were virtually no jianghu people who believed them yet.

“If you mean the Sect Leader, she has business with Mount Hua Sect’s elders…”

Jeong Jung-san, who had been answering in confusion, trailed off. Because it was content close to the sect’s secrets.

Jeong Yeon-shin rather smiled.

“I was discourteous to a Zhongnan disciple.”

“Huh, huh…?”

“If you properly entered the sect, that’s right. If you had answered to the end just because I asked, I would have been worried. That’s fortunate.”

“Are you really Yeon-shin?”

Jeong Yeon-shin silently patted his niece Jeong Hye’s head, which came up to his waist, several times, then whispered quietly through sound transmission.

—Take your second uncle back to the main mountain. This youngest uncle will follow along with Hye-ah’s Sect Leader.

—Not uncle, but maternal uncle.

Was it because of the words he had given to Jeong Jung-san earlier? Jeong Hye answered like that and smoothly turned her body from Jeong Yeon-shin’s trouser hem. A series of movements that bore traces of harsh jianghu life.

Step.

Jeong Hye climbed the mountain with Jeong Jung-san without looking back. It was understandable what had made the child strong. It would be because of jianghu’s state of affairs that had even looked down on Zhongnan Sect earlier.

Literary Star smiled slightly while looking at Jeong Hye’s retreating figure.

“I also have children at my side, but blood relations are truly mysterious. There are cases where what we thought was paternal inheritance was actually maternal inheritance.”

“Where is your wife?”

Jeong Yeon-shin felt his own question was somewhat strange. Who could have guessed he would have such a conversation with the giant Literary Star?

Literary Star’s answer was brief.

“She passed away. She starved to death.”

“Starved…?”

“It was when I had left my territory. Well, what else could be the reason demon realm jianghu people pounded on the Great Wall so much?”

“My condolences.”

“Though she was my wife, she was truly a remarkable friend. Despite having strong power, she maintained her dignity, so she could truly be called a Great Warrior.”

His words were calm without any particular emotion seeping through, but many complications could still be felt.

Soon Literary Star looked at Jeong Yeon-shin.

“It seems this Zhongnan Mountain has become another demon realm. I’ll guard the entrance, so go handle your business.”

“We’ll be nearby too. Since it’s a big mountain, there are many side paths.”

Yeon So-ha said. At the same time, Hyeon Won-chang also glanced toward the direction Jeong Hye had climbed and nodded.

“They were tough enough to casually mention Zhongnan Grand Elder. In this good spring, instead of new shoots, weeds have sprouted, so defenses will be needed even now.”

Including the two, Divine Sword Squad warriors were already gauging Zhongnan Mountain’s edges.

Divine Sword Squad blues numbering slightly over ten, including one-armed blade master Oh Wol-hyang and April Bow Ghost Wi Ye-ryeong. Like seasoned people, all conversations were leisurely.

“If we climb that ridge, we’ll have a wide view. More than that, that child did resemble the Group Leader…”

“I’ll take this side. Anyway, White Cat also learned Brilliant River. Who’s the real successor?”

With Literary Star and Divine Sword Squad, they would have more than enough to protect Zhongnan’s hall complex. Whatever sight the cooperation between both sides might present to various jianghu people’s eyes.

“I’ll be back quickly.”

Jeong Yeon-shin lightly patted nearby Shin So-bin’s shoulder and took one step.

Since that movement felt absurdly fast even to himself, his body rather scattered slowly like a mirage. Because Divine Beggar Zhu Guang’s enlightenment had fit each footstep in its own way.

Only Blood Flame Cult’s Graceful Body Technique could keep up even slightly. At least that was the case here.

Step.

When Seventh Apostle disappeared fluttering her jet-black sleeves like on a picnic.

“……”

Shin So-bin silently remained in place.

It was while spring wind mixed with dust slowly circled the mountain path before scattering.

* * *

The earth winds on the mountain ridge swept people instead of new shoots. On land where green shoots were hard to find, mountain slopes full only of jet-black hair. Indeed, it was as Desolate Fortress Divine Hero had said.

‘Brother Hyeon is never wrong.’

Jeong Yeon-shin thought as he crossed through the void as if penetrating into a gale. The scene spread below his feet at this moment was that desolate and simultaneously tumultuous.

It was entirely a world of jianghu people.

“Where exactly did the Ming Cult Leader disappear to…”

“Even if we find that monster, what can we do?”

“Look at the jianghu martial world’s elders who climbed from Bao-Xie Road to here! Even if it’s not Little Heavenly Demon Invincible but the Heavenly Demon, he couldn’t treat this place lightly!”

“All sorts of riffraff have gathered.”

“The eastern route is mine! If you have the courage to follow like mice after seeing the heads I’ve collected here, I’ll gladly share blades! What else could that be but jianghu’s true freedom? Great respect to Desolate Day Extinction who reached death along with the Divine Sword Group…”

“Disciples come this way! We’re going to the pond!”

There were occasionally some jianghu people mixed in who seemed not in their right minds, and the mountain range’s atmosphere made this natural.

Explosively sharp air. Even when the madman who had privately mentioned Desolate Day Extinction suddenly burst into bloody pieces, it didn’t lead to any particular commotion.

There were that many masters.

The current Qinling Mountain Range.

Not only martial clans who had originally wielded influence in various regions, but even hermit sages who were hard to find because they lived in seclusion in deep mountains and valleys seemed to have flocked here.

All were jianghu’s extraordinary people.

Those unknown to the world though said to be as numerous as sand grains in the South Sea.

Common people who had risen to the ranks of masters with just the mental techniques promulgated by the imperial house, but had devoted themselves only to farming for various reasons and were now beginning to display their power.

And even truly insignificant people.

Even Jeong Yeon-shin found it hard to count their numbers at a glance. It just felt like black shoots had sprouted on famine’s mountain slopes.

‘If even a fraction of that crowd turns toward Zhongnan Mountain…’

It would be a natural disaster immediately.

An unfamiliar incident was occurring even for a Divine Sword Group Leader who had experienced jianghu considerably. The vast mountain slopes felt colorless.

Though famine had continued long, the imperial house had no proper countermeasures, the imperial forces hadn’t fulfilled their role, and jianghu had been liberated from the prison called Desolate Fortress Divine Sword Group.

All under heaven had risen up.

Jeong Yeon-shin felt the absence of Yong Hye-myeong and Ma Yeon-jeok as he endlessly crossed steep peaks.

What the now-alone Divine Sword Group Leader had to handle might not just be some strong enemy but all regions under heaven.

‘No, I’m not alone.’

Suddenly an ominous presence followed beside him. Whether intentional or not, breath that tickled his ears.

“I’m back.”

“Don’t kill just anyone. Think twice before striking. I’ll do that too now.”

“What if I die?”

“…I’ll get revenge for you.”

Jeong Yeon-shin tried to add “if you die during chivalrous deeds” but failed. Because Seventh Apostle’s lips that had somehow risen gently behind him felt white rather than red.

For some reason, the fine hairs on his neck also stood up slightly, but having sensitive energy perception was also a problem.

Around that time, the two were facing Mount Hua’s Cloud Platform Peak. The cliff carved splendidly like the temperament of plum blossom sword masters was visible first. Wrapped in gradually setting sunlight, it looked like a mountain made of sunset.

Jeong Yeon-shin thought.

‘Yu Hyeon must still be coming, right?’

He had heard from Divine Sword Group colleagues after the Dark Path great battle. Yu Hyeon had taken Hengshan Sect Leader who had suffered great internal injuries earlier, namely Sword Empress Jin Xuan-chan, and gone down to the Central Plains again.

When the Divine Sword Group had moved north from Reverse Flow Castle, he had rather gone down taking care of some jianghu people including Zhuge Qing-ya.

—Why would she die?

These were said to be words left by Mount Hua Sleeping Dragon Yu Hyeon.

But starting today, Jeong Yeon-shin and the Divine Sword Group would have overtaken them.

It was originally a group with a considerable number of talented people from famous orthodox martial sects mixed in, and he would be able to see them again before Jeong Yeon-shin’s lifespan ended.

‘Lady Lu Xian must be worried.’

Around when Jeong Yeon-shin recalled Mount Hua Sect Leader Brilliant Jade Sword God Lu Xian, familiar voices began to be heard. They were the voices of a middle-aged man and a young woman respectively.

“The participants in the Great Assembly have been decided. If Zhongnan Sect Leader joins their gathering, it would be the finishing touch. She’ll arrive at our main mountain soon.”

“I came to see you on more urgent business. About this Gate, and about Mount Hua’s senior masters.”

Mount Hua Sword Saint Taoist Cheon Ju and Zhongnan Sect Leader Wei Zhi Myo-hwa. They were people Jeong Yeon-shin could recognize just by their breathing sounds. Because he had deep relationships with each.

Flutter!

Jeong Yeon-shin immediately soared high, stepping on the void like stairs. The scenery inside Cloud Platform Peak naturally spread below his eyes.

“Sect Leader Wei Zhi, I hope you understand there was great opposition to receiving you here. Mount Hua is a sect with deep history like Zhongnan. To open such a place to sect outsiders requires permission from elders above the Sect Leader level. Actually, this was the most difficult part.”

“I know it’s discourteous, but I wanted to confirm directly. How far Mount Hua Sect has been driven to… for even such rumors to spread.”

“What rumors do you mean?”

“That Mount Hua Sect wants to bring out the senior masters staying inside here and make them completely the sect’s strength…”

“Mind your boundaries!”

“Zhongnan Sect Leaders have traditionally been able to discuss this place together with Mount Hua Sect Leaders. If it’s difficult for Sword Saint to answer, I’ll ask those staying here for a moment. Whether the rumors are true.”

“As you can see, they stay in the clouds. Even if the Sect Leader calls out, it wouldn’t reach them, would it? Above all, this poor one is now barely enduring the Sect Leader’s rudeness. Please stop here.”

A scene of two immortals standing facing some mist.

White mist was gathering like a pond by itself, and even Nine Sects’ immortals who had achieved Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown dared not approach. At best, they could only converse from a distance of ten steps outside.

Jeong Yeon-shin intuited.

‘Gate.’

Finally.

He looked down directly at its reality.

“……”

For a moment, many affairs of the Central Plains grew distant from Jeong Yeon-shin’s mind. He stamped on the void and stopped in place, then slowly placed his hand on Enter The Divine Sword’s handle.

Many presences were felt everywhere.

It was as Taoist Cheon Ju had said. All sorts of heroes of jianghu were climbing the mountain range.

[Vast Taiji.]

But at this moment, the image captured in the Divine Sword Group Leader’s pupils was entirely one Gate clustered like white snow or clouds.

He didn’t think of any repercussions.

[Enter The Dao Transcend Together.]