Chapter 676 – Divine Sword’s Domain (6)

Desolate Fortress Lord’s inner chamber with all walls covered in tree vines. World Tree’s branches rapidly withered. Meanwhile, several leaves crumbled to pieces on their own.

As soon as Jeong Yeon-shin returned to his master’s room, he expressed gratitude to Hell Deviation Beom-ryeol. While restoring his slightly dimmed light wheel through internal energy breathing after several attacks.

“I owe a debt to the monk.”

“…I am defrocked, and that matter is nothing.”

[Showing courtesy with a murderous face, you’re truly a Rakshasa-like Divine Sword Group Leader… If you had taken charge of Gates, there would have been quite a few monster spirits who lost their nests.]

Beom-ryeol’s voice and intention flowed out simultaneously.

With a somewhat awkward face, it was a thought that casually crossed the line. Was it the aftermath of even manifesting dharma power with Guanyin Azure Unyielding Palm? The Shaolin defrocked monk of Master Beom-heo’s disciple generation was thus carefree.

Only then did Jeong Yeon-shin feel his own bristling heart.

‘Murderous…?’

It was time to regain composure.

He quickly relaxed his facial muscles with Jeong Family Dynamic Technique. As if feeling all those detailed and wide movements, Beom-ryeol’s face naturally stiffened.

“I misspoke.”

[I need water to wash the eyes that saw that. To think there was another perverted movement technique comparable to Muscle-Changing Classic…?]

Beom-ryeol’s voices overlapped gently once more, and it was when Jeong Yeon-shin pretended not to hear while evenly rotating his heart’s light wheels.

“When young, while coveting beyond the great achievement realm of Muscle-Changing Classic, I nearly had my whole body’s muscles twisted. Please understand.”

Master Beom-heo smiled gently and continued.

“I had talent for the body’s Muscle-Changing Classic, while Beom-ryeol had talent for the upper energy center’s Marrow-Cleansing Classic, so we’ve studied to different depths. As a result of such indulgence, I became disabled in my youth, and my junior brother’s intentions often overflow like tide.”

“No one would consider the Abbot’s northern journey as indulgence.”

At the same time, Jeong Yeon-shin felt a firm writhing sensation in his forearms. It was Lady Lu Xian’s abdominal muscles.

Whooom—

Was it because her hair clinging to his front robe carried World Tree forest fragrance? The luminous wheels that had been rotating fiercely and ceaselessly slowly settled as if breathing Mount Hua’s clear air.

“Your breathing?”

Lady Lu Xian asked while escaping from Jeong Yeon-shin’s embrace. He slowly opened his mouth.

“…Perfect condition. I committed discourtesy.”

Lady Lu Xian wasn’t surprised by Jeong Yeon-shin’s energy recovery speed. She just curled up the corners of her mouth in a grin.

“We’ve already exchanged lives several times, and now we have another common ground. You’ve become a proper sect leader.”

“I have much to hear from Lady.”

“Gratitude comes first. Honestly, I thought I might be buried in World Tree. Given how much earth energy they absorb, they never get tired…”

From the start, it was extremely precious information. It meant that unified Four Great Dharma Protectors like Praising Earth Sword Duke had tremendous internal energy endurance.

World’s Five Swords level beings who didn’t tire and even possessed regeneration abilities would be overwhelming disasters for any force. They could indeed be called Ming Dynasty’s ‘master clan.’

‘Even the fact that they can suddenly combine attacks is the biggest problem, but to properly counter or attack first…’

It was while Jeong Yeon-shin was organizing his thoughts. Suddenly Beom-ryeol interjected abruptly.

“Are you Mount Hua’s Sect Leader? Among those Daoist fellows, you seem particularly young in age.”

“I greet Abbot Master and Mount Song’s gatekeeper.”

Lady Lu Xian raised both hands together toward Master Beom-heo and Beom-ryeol. A different comfort from when dealing with Jeong Yeon-shin was felt, reminiscent of Divine Sword Group’s seventeen great squads. It would be the bond between Nine Sects.

“What gatekeeper.”

Beom-ryeol waved his hand.

“I’m just a Buddhist laborer doing odd jobs here and there. A monk who only used Buddhist scriptures as means for martial progress.”

But Lady Lu Xian seemed not to heed his words. Perhaps because of her position that couldn’t help but know well the status, strength, and position within sects of Nine Sects gatekeepers.

“I remember hearing in passing from Abbot Master who came to Mount Hua when I was very young. If you had a junior brother, you might have caught Blood Flame Cult Leader Baek Rak. Among Mount Hua appointment’s seniors, you would have coordinated best with young Tyrant Hero…”

At the same time, Lady Lu Xian glanced at Jeong Yeon-shin and smiled brightly.

At this moment, she seemed to hope Beom-ryeol would make friendly acquaintance with Jeong Yeon-shin. Because he would be someone who could be strength for Jeong Yeon-shin who had lost his master in some way.

Beom-ryeol tilted his head toward Master Beom-heo standing beside him.

“Somehow it sounds like an insult.”

“Yes.”

Jeong Yeon-shin quietly stepped back about half a step, worried his grandfather might manifest out of nowhere. Then he issued an eviction order to the Nine Sects seniors.

“Excuse me, but you must move locations. This is Master’s office.”

Meanwhile, around Jeong Yeon-shin’s shoulder, the jet-black character for Desolate was dimly absorbing sunlight.

Even though he had deliberately uttered the word master, the presence of the discolored Desolate character only grew silently larger. Along with the feeling of Desolate Fortress Lord’s fingertips brushing down his skin.

“……”

Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyelids lowered. Lady Lu Xian, Master Beom-heo, and Beom-ryeol stopped moving and silently watched that appearance.

* * *

When he opened his eyes, it was the General Administration meeting hall.

The Nine Sects seniors weren’t there. They had been guided to the inner castle guest pavilion, as there were things each side had to do before sharing reunion.

Lady Lu Xian needed energy circulation breathing, with Beom-ryeol taking charge of her protection. Master Beom-heo was monitoring such Beom-ryeol.

—If bandits enter Xiangyang, he’d abandon protection duties given his nature. Since a declined me can’t completely protect Mount Hua’s Sect Leader either, let’s talk later. Don’t you also have many pressing matters?

Hell Deviation Beom-ryeol.

Someone said to coordinate well with grandfather.

Then he wouldn’t coordinate well with himself. Anyway, Beom-ryeol also seemed to somewhat avoid the current Divine Sword Group Leader.

‘With what intention did Master Bodhidharma create Muscle-Changing Classic?’

Jeong Yeon-shin calmly surveyed the hall.

An energy barrier semi-transparently surrounding and rumbling through the meeting hall. In a space where true energy density was heightened so no one could spy, those representing current Desolate Fortress were seated.

“There are no more corpses now.”

Annihilation Squad Leader Shin Hwang’s report came first.

“Most have been handled with help from main fortress blue ranks and common people.”

It meant the corpses of jianghu people who had been massacred by Wol-yo’s mad sound techniques earlier had been processed, continuing that they had all been burned since there was nowhere proper to bury them.

“It was cremation without any formalities. There will be forces that criticize using this as an excuse, but it was unavoidable.”

Shin Hwang concluded with an indifferent face.

An air that it was nothing compared to Desolate Fortress Lord’s matter. Also a feeling that there was no reason to waste mental energy on mere raiders.

Jeong Yeon-shin immediately moved to the next topic.

“The next agenda?”

The mouth of a scholarly middle-aged man who had been sitting silently with lowered eyebrows quickly opened.

“There are quite many troublesome matters. Not only Shaolin and World Tree, but various places throughout the world are sending communications to the main fortress.”

It was General Administration scribe Gi Dae-seung who had once guided white-clad Jeong Yeon-shin and Hyeon Won-chang to lodgings. Jeong Yeon-shin briefly asked back.

“The business…?”

“Each different. Visit notifications, ruffians probing main fortress strength after northern expedition or asking about future activity directions, letters asking about former Group Leader and current Group Leader’s well-being… there are several sects apologizing for neglecting people’s livelihood. Though they’re a minority compared to all Central Plains.”

“Visit notifications.”

Hyeon Won-chang, who had been sitting with a heavy face throughout, tilted his head and asked.

“Come to think of it, couldn’t World Tree’s fellows originally break through space suddenly into Fortress Lord’s office? I don’t understand why they bothered walking to Xiangyang.”

“It’s because they know Sword Heaven’s decisiveness. The moment movement is felt, you’d be waiting with sword like a thug’s great blade, so what master would want to stick their neck in there?”

Literary Star’s answer.

His voice was very calm, somewhat making Hyeon Won-chang’s years with Jeong Yeon-shin seem meaningless.

Literary Star continued calmly.

“Anyway, we’ll have to dispose of Fortress Lord’s office soon. This isn’t disloyalty but proper measures. If unified noble clans all suddenly appear here after mutual breathing adjustments end, there would be no way to handle it. They are one nation.”

It was very calm persuasion, but neither Hyeon Won-chang nor Jeong Yeon-shin’s expression changed. It was the same until Hyeon Won-chang opened his mouth.

“I cut them.”

“……?”

“World Tree’s branches. From black ranks up can enter Fortress Lord’s office. There’s only dust there now.”

Literary Star examined Jeong Yeon-shin’s face. There was no change whatsoever in his indifferent expression. He was like a younger brother who never interfered in his elder brother’s affairs.

A faint smile formed at Literary Star’s lips.

“Then we can discuss Fighting God from now on. This was the main topic.”

Fighting God.

The moment the name was uttered, silence descended on the round table. Scribe Gi Dae-seung before the Four Treasures of the Study, Hyeon Won-chang with crossed arms, seated Shin Hwang, snoring Namgung Hwa-shin, Literary Star holding several letters.

Several reports had already reached the main fortress.

—Hao Sect Master contacted Fighting God. Reason unknown.

—Main fortress forces including Elder Council Leader Shin Byeok, Desolate Fortress Shin Family Head Shin Seol-ha, Desolate Fortress Ma Family Head Ma Jin encountered Fighting God. Status unknown.

—Information of massacre, rumors some were captured, gossip that few survived by converting to Fighting God ran rampant.

—Circumstantially, Fighting God has come to use Hao Sect like intelligence agents. Situation where accurate information is hard to gauge.

[TL Note- Ha sect changed to Hao Sect. It was a mistranslation.]

Main fortress reconstruction was precisely among the first things Jeong Yeon-shin had to do from now. Of course, he had to retrieve masters of Desolate Fortress affiliates scattered throughout the world.

Literary Star said.

“This too is Fighting God’s handiwork. It was the same when engaging the south in battle. Endlessly inflating wrong information and misunderstandings, suddenly walking to places he shouldn’t be to annihilate enemy strongholds, ultimately driving enemies to request great battles from none other than us…”

The giant’s face was indifferent. What he was thinking couldn’t be gauged at all.

“But he doesn’t meet as desired either. He’s a being difficult to encounter and fight from the start. I don’t know how things turned out now either. Unless Emperor Qian-ling’s Transcendent Martial Art completely severed Fighting God’s Bright Wind Cave.”

Fighting God.

Originally said to be skilled at disruption. The god of Yao tribes who fought all battles mysteriously as if it were games, even making striking enemies’ unexpected points his ultimate techniques.

Hyeon Won-chang spoke as if chewing and swallowing.

“Truly a cowardly fellow.”

“That’s why Emperor Qian-ling couldn’t advance the Great Wall forward either. Because he never knew when or where Ming Dynasty would get hit.”

Literary Star’s face still had no expression. A feeling of not taking anything about Fighting God as evaluation targets.

“He did anything for his clan. Also said like a habit that martial arts were nothing, and one should be able to move the world from one’s seat.”

Jeong Yeon-shin asked quietly.

“Cannot guess his aim, and cannot meet rashly…?”

“But Sword Heaven has received Southern Empire’s recognition. And you’re together with me, a faithful Confucian scholar. As long as it matches the great cause you established, using even villains as hands and feet is practicing the world’s Great Way.”

Literary Star spoke slowly.

“The vast north’s will follows you. The reason the world should rightfully tolerate those called Divine Sword Prisoners.”

“……”

“Also, in the same context.”

Literary Star continued with a grin.

“Anyone who becomes a stumbling block to your path must die. And should rightfully be killed. Only by not caring about anything can you display full strength against Fighting God.”

“Leave the main fortress prisoners to die?”

“The great cause.”

The giant’s words fell quietly.

“Is not a safe single-edged sword, but a fair double-edged sword. Wielding it only comfortably cannot be called supreme conduct, so from then on it becomes a target for overthrow.”

Then he added quietly. These are Mencius’s words.

Literary Star’s story sounded like a test even without deep thought. Because it contained the question of whether he could become ruthless.

Jeong Yeon-shin briefly lowered his eyelids as if contemplating, then immediately asked scribe Gi Dae-seung.

“Could you write as I dictate?”

“Please speak.”

“If you play foolish tricks.”

“Yes.”

“I will kill Literary Star.”

“What?”

For a moment, no one opened their mouth.

“……”

Chilling silence continued as if frozen, and soon Literary Star burst into terrible laughter as if casting off his scholarly refinement.

Swish.

It was the sound of Gi Dae-seung’s brush moving.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s letter was delivered to Fighting God through one of countless Hao Sect affiliated inns, and a reply returned two days later.

—Tomorrow.

Just one word.