Chapter 671 – Divine Sword’s Domain

Divine Sword Group Leader’s office.

“Bastards, how fitting.”

“Weren’t you afraid of the Desolate character? Where do they think Xiangyang is to crawl in here…”

Outside, sounds of spitting on corpses and curses rang out eloquently. The people of Xiangyang, who had experienced all sorts of things, were dragging out the corpses of jianghu people annihilated by Divine Demon Mad Silence Sect Master Wol-yo’s sound techniques.

They had gathered on their own as soon as they saw Jeong Yeon-shin entering the castle.

“Here, Five Cloud Mountain vegetable dish.”

Yue Shou-lin set down a tray on the pure white marble table. Then she quietly pushed Wol-yo’s head to one side. It was for Jeong Yeon-shin’s taste as he sat silently before the table.

War spoils presented by Obeying Heaven Wing Leader White Qilin to the Divine Sword Group Leader’s triumphal procession.

‘Though he fell asleep kneeling there…’

As Yue Shou-lin recalled Namgung Hwa-shin who had been sleeping for three straight days, Wol-yo’s head that had been pushed aside like a flower pot vibrated with energy waves.

“Throughout history, there’s never been such treatment of a great enemy’s head. Couldn’t you handle it more preciously?”

“Are there no mute acupoints on the head?”

“Ask my dead body.”

Yue Shou-lin didn’t ask.

With innate energy tough as earth energy, a figure who had handled sound technique absolute learning from the neck up. Since his upper energy center spirituality was concentrated only in his head, through strange harmony only the head remained alive and babbling. Even mute acupoints couldn’t seal his mouth.

‘Rather good.’

Now he was merely a window for information.

The important thing was separate. Jeong Yeon-shin, who was quietly looking down at the food before her eyes.

“……”

Had he lost words at properly made jianghu person’s food? Yue Shou-lin thought that might be the case.

“There are no cooks in the main fortress right now. I made do with what I could. Yeah, so I made it.”

A spring vegetable dish with five leaves gathered like flower buds. She had even preserved that clear leaf fragrance like Mount Hua Sect Leader’s Living Sword, so even the Divine Sword Group Leader or the Divine Sword Group Leader’s grandfather would be unable to contain their admiration.

‘……?’

That’s the Ma family old man.

Yue Shou-lin immediately opened her lips.

“Without imperial support, we had to consider even plunder to rebuild the main fortress, but that was resolved before we could even worry about it. We captured Kaifeng Qing Family Head, so that part is finished.”

“During the Hangzhou mission and Great Desolate Battle, there were trading companies and kings who had promised military provisions to the main fortress.”

It was Jeong Yeon-shin’s story, finally opening his mouth. One corner of Yue Shou-lin’s mouth rose sharply like a spear tip.

“I know. I memorized them all. King Zheng, King Hong Huang, King Yun Ming, Huizhou Merchant Great Spring Gang… and so on. According to the Heavenly Martial Arsenal scribes, they cut support like ghosts. Now they’re each pursuing individual survival.”

“If we hadn’t stopped in Shaanxi, it would have been big trouble. That one-armed old man is a figure whose thoughts are unknowable, but there’s usually no falsehood in his words and actions.”

“Someone like Kaifeng Qing Family Head could feed all seventeen great units even if they were all gathered. But how did he lose one arm? Though he’s an old man who only interferes in commercial circles and never got involved in jianghu, he might be a great magnate who ate the most spiritual medicine after the late Emperor.”

“He’d stick his hand into calamity.”

At Jeong Yeon-shin’s calm words, Yue Shou-lin roughly nodded.

“Because it’s chaotic times… Still, it’s a bit regrettable. Several of those mentioned earlier are said to have connected with Great Righteous Orthodox Alliance or World Tree. They don’t have supply worries either.”

She wasn’t particularly indignant. Just reporting facts to her superior Jeong Yeon-shin with a toneless manner.

Wol-yo’s head laughed quietly.

“If they were truly wise, they would have left some supplies, but foolishly underestimating the Divine Sword Group and not even keeping faith. They must be regretting bitterly by now.”

“Like you?”

Wol-yo didn’t answer.

“World Tree…”

Jeong Yeon-shin clicked his tongue briefly and asked.

“Do the noble clans’ sanctuaries also need support? When I went with Master before, there was abundant grain inside.”

“Food has become more precious than silver. Especially rice is the more the better. Even more so for those who want to grip and shake the world’s political situation with overwhelming power.”

Yue Shou-lin laughed sardonically. Enough for Jeong Yeon-shin to ask back.

“Hasn’t the main fortress been friendly with World Tree since ancient times? But why does Senior Yue…”

“All those causing such chaos are enemies of the main fortress. Besides, I’m not a noble clan member either, am I? I worry about Big Guy, Little Noise, and Little Yu.”

Yue Shou-lin babbled carelessly then closed her mouth thinking ‘oops.’ But Jeong Yeon-shin only drew a faint smile.

“I see.”

“…Rather, about those so-called Divine Sword Prisoners, are you thinking of taking in more?”

“Yes, we’re short-handed. If they can contribute to the great cause, I’ve decided not to kill even villains for now.”

“The mad blood demon helps you so I understand that, but that Yao tribe member? From what I observed, you don’t seem at ease either.”

“He’s a strategist.”

“Strat what?”

“I once took in Unorthodox Path’s Finest Sword as a prisoner, but he was uncontrollable so couldn’t come along. Also, if he catches the eye, I plan to somehow utilize even Taoist High Sword’s portion.”

“What’s all this talk?”

Then Jeong Yeon-shin rose from his seat.

“I’ll go to the prison first. To reclaim the scattered main fortress people, expanding our forces as much as possible should come first. We also need perimeter guard for Xiangyang’s outskirts.”

“To persuade them…?”

“Wasn’t it because we lacked manpower that Desolate Fortress was conquered and it was difficult to reclaim the main fortress?”

Then Jeong Yeon-shin handed Yue Shou-lin a wooden box with some ink fragrance and walked out of the office first. Though she had suddenly ended up holding the wooden box, as temporary Divine Sword Vice Leader she should properly assist.

Rising from her seat, Yue Shou-lin glanced back. The Five Cloud Mountain vegetable dish remained, steaming white.

“The vegetable smell is fragrant. If you intended to torture me, it was an excellent choice… hmm?”

Yue Shou-lin, who had grabbed Wol-yo’s head with void grasping technique, quickly followed Jeong Yeon-shin. With worry gathered on her young face.

* * *

Desolate Fortress Wide Prison.

It was underground.

Despite lighting lanterns in rows, it was dark with air so damp it seemed to seep into skin.

A place to confine enemies as prisoners without killing them when several circumstances aligned, mostly used as a torture location. For extracting information.

There were no separate guards.

Because the entrance was only opened in the middle of Desolate Fortress Ma Family’s hall complex, Jeong Yeon-shin nodded slightly as soon as he heard this. Along with something close to an exclamation.

“Ma Family.”

“That’s right. This way.”

Yue Shou-lin stopped at one side of the prison corridor. Some sleeveless man had been smiling brightly from the moment he saw Jeong Yeon-shin.

It was Sky-Trampling Palace Master.

“Fight with me. I’ve dreamed only of you.”

The smell of sweat was thick. He seemed to have trained external arts even while confined. Though he was beyond the prison bars at this moment, he looked mysteriously free, befitting a new Thirteen Evil Sects leader.

Thud!

He grabbed the bars and babbled.

“If you release me from prison, I won’t harm anyone. Please also unlock the energy center restrictions.”

Jeong Yeon-shin asked.

“Have you ever killed common people? Ever harmed Desolate Fortress people?”

When he spoke up, Sky-Trampling Palace Master seemed extremely excited for some reason. He suddenly began babbling only what he wanted to say.

“My finger joints hold fist and palm techniques for violating the Divine Sword Group Leader… I really wanted to show you. Let’s quickly cross hands. Whether it’s that famous Eternal Blossom Fist or Thunder-Annihilation Sword Style, I won’t be picky. If it’s something you’ve learned, even finger claw techniques would be good.”

Jeong Yeon-shin, who had been listening silently, turned around.

“Toes! Even toes!”

While Sky-Trampling Palace Master’s forehead pressed against iron bars, Yue Shou-lin followed beside her young superior and moved her lips.

“I heard he never participated in the main fortress conquest battle. Since a strong fist fighter was in the main fortress like a thief, other miscreants apparently elevated him calling him Seven New Enemies of Defeated Desolation or whatever. Still, I oppose taking him into the group.”

Simultaneously, Wol-yo dangling from Yue Shou-lin’s grasp.

“Sky-Trampling Palace Master… truly an ugly sight. To think I plotted the same thing with such a fellow.”

Yue Shou-lin asked the ugly head.

“When will you die? We plan to carry you around since we have much to extract from you.”

“Miss Yue may not know from lack of experience, but peerless masters’ mysterious spirituality sometimes makes unique weapons into immortal dharma treasures. And my head voice was unparalleled even in Dongting Lake full of only refined people.”

“Is this also head voice?”

Whoosh—

Around the time Yue Shou-lin spun the head like eastern jianghu’s rat fire play, Jeong Yeon-shin approached another prison with Wol-yo’s breaking sound behind him.

“Yeon-shin.”

It was Blood Flame Cult’s Seventh Apostle.

Sitting with legs gathered to the side like a criminal herself, her appearance looking up at Jeong Yeon-shin with one red eye was quite pitiful. Of course, Yue Shou-lin found her act not even funny.

“She said she’d pay for her crimes and went in herself, but she’s been doing closed-door training. Even now she stopped after secretly uncrossing her legs.”

“Come out.”

Yue Shou-lin stared ahead quietly. The Divine Sword Group Leader extending his hand to the blood ghost. It was mysteriously natural.

Seventh Apostle moved her lips.

“I’m busy right now. When do you need me?”

“Always.”

Then Jeong Yeon-shin added the reason that Xiangyang’s security was a mess, but before he could finish speaking, Seventh Apostle bent the bars like taffy.

“Help me finish the absorption. When your dharma power mixes with Alternating Ember True Blood Energy, recovery speed increases.”

“By what principle?”

“Excitement and pain.”

Then she grasped Jeong Yeon-shin’s sleeve cuff with her index finger, spun half a turn like dancing, and placed his hand on her back herself.

Rustle.

The Gate of Life acupoint.

True to its name, it was the gate of life, an acupoint that even heretical paths wouldn’t entrust to masters. If properly pointed, one could completely control or kill the opponent with even a trace of internal energy.

Though Yue Shou-lin found it absurd, she thought it was rather useful conduct. Because it showed being controlled by Jeong Yeon-shin.

‘This is Central Plains. There are many who would make it an issue.’

A land where the writing brush is used like a sword. Scholars and gossipers’ influence equals masters’ blade fights. Especially easy to cut down high people.

And a Divine Sword Group Leader who succeeded in northern expedition had name value threatening even emperors just from that achievement.

“Satisfying anyway.”

Yue Shou-lin, who had emerged from the prison, muttered quietly. As if pushing out a very trivial sense of loss beyond her tongue and lips.

Until just before, those who had been thinking of dividing Central Plains like the sixteen kings of the ancient Five Barbarians and Sixteen States would be flicking abacuses at this moment. Calculating the Divine Sword Group’s damage situation from the north and the coercive force Desolate Fortress would exert on Central Plains.

Suddenly Wol-yo’s head rumbled with laughing vibrations.

“I’ve played much with those boating in Dongting Lake, but this is the first time I’ve seen a relationship giving off such dangerous feelings.”

“Head voice?”

“There are strange sparks. If you go down now, the Divine Sword Group Leader’s blade tip might be dripping with the blood of a devastatingly beautiful blood demon, or perhaps they might even be kissing…”

Whoosh—

While Yue Shou-lin walked spinning Wol-yo’s head greatly, the dead Thirteen Evil Sects leader persistently aimed at her demon possession.

“Anyway, your position has been pushed back.”

“What?”

“To the Obeying Heaven Wing Leader who will always sleep like an idiot but becomes a siege weapon when he opens his eyes, the Annihilation Squad Leader you’d look for first when needing to entrust big tasks, and that Yao tribe giant whose inner thoughts are hard to read, as well as seventeen great leaders who became stronger in the north, none of them would consider you… how dare this insignificant being…?”

When a passing white kite’s beak struck Wol-yo’s nose bridge as he soared into the air, Yue Shou-lin took out a wooden box from her bosom and opened it.

Some book was revealed.

A sheet of paper was overlaid on the surface like a bookmark.

〈 In the absence of the Fortress Lord, the Enter The Divine Sword Master commands.

On the day you finish reading, Yue Family’s Dream Flight shall take the lead as Desolate Banner Bearer. 〉

Neat regular script writing. Dream Flight was Yue Shou-lin’s courtesy name. Meaning dreaming of Ancient and Modern Greatest Spear Yue Shengdi-jun, not given by Yue Family elders but attached by herself.

When she had succeeded in rejuvenation through heavenly fortune, she was called by this name more often than the alias Desolate Divine Spear. A name once as famous as Tyrant Hero, but long faded with time.

Swish.

Where she removed the paper, the book’s title was written. Jeong Family Dynamic Technique Dream Flight Chapter. The moment it caught even Wol-yo’s eyes as he fell ungracefully.

“Divine art absolute learning seems to have lowered its own level. For Divine Spear’s small body… oh sorry.”

The voice stopped when fingers dug into his eyeball. Yue Shou-lin met Jeong Yeon-shin again on the stairs going down to prison.

She grinned like a child.

“There won’t be Ma Family bastards either, so I’ll try being a guard for a bit.”

“……”

Jeong Yeon-shin’s steps quietly quickened upon seeing the secret manual in her hands. Enough for Seventh Apostle following behind to ask blankly.

“Why are you running away?”

Jeong Yeon-shin’s answer rang small in Yue Shou-lin’s ears. I gave you my diary.

* * *

There was a loudly ringing voice.

“They say someone is coming from World Tree. It’s this nation’s Grand Empress Dowager. There are reports she’s accompanied by Golden Thunder Viscount among the Four Great Dharma Protectors.”

“……”

Jeong Yeon-shin slowly raised his head from the office desk. His vision was dark due to the shadow of Literary Star who had just given the report.

It was after returning from the main fortress Wide Prison.

Also after assigning a mission to Seventh Apostle. To defend Xiangyang from possible surprise attacks by peerless masters.

Meanwhile, the desk was filled entirely with reports.

Supplies, organization, colleagues’ missions, current Central Plains political situation, incidents the Divine Sword Group should address and intervention directions, reclaiming scattered Desolate Fortress people… documents Literary Star had written based on Thirteen Evil Sects Yu Ling’s intelligence network.

It was the process of solidifying internal affairs before rising greatly.

Meanwhile, Jeong Yeon-shin was waiting for just one thing. A report recording matters requiring the Divine Sword Group Leader’s intervention with the Enter the Divine Sword.

He had also limited his energy perception range to the main fortress like closed-door training. Because he feared that if he became even slightly distracted, he might leave the main fortress to his colleagues and go meet the Seven New Enemies of Defeated Desolation.

“The repercussions are great.”

Literary Star smiled.

“From Shaolin, Heaven-Punishing Asura… no, Master Beom-heo came down with some defrocked monk. Naturally their destination is here. Even Ha Sect Master sent word calling himself Fighting God’s messenger, and from Profound Martial Alliance, a faded noble clan claiming to be a military king is coming.”

Master Beom-heo and Fighting God. Names that moved Jeong Yeon-shin’s expression with completely different feelings at this moment.

“It’ll be about an hour. There’s also information that Shaolin and World Tree sides clashed at the well north of Xiangyang…”

Instantly, Jeong Yeon-shin disappeared from his spot.