Chapter 784 – Side Story – Take It Off

“Friend Myeong-jo… no, the main fortress’ Grand Administrator addresses the purple rank Divine Sword Group Deputy Leader.”

“Please speak freely.”

“…Did you really go and kill Shin So-bin?”

“The Grand Administrator confuses me with the black-clad ones from Wish for Peace Sword Hall. I only knocked her out.”

“You showed great restraint. If not for Baek Mi-ryeo, that girl So-bin would have been called Mad Demon. Come to think of it, they’re all from Radiant Demon Wing. As if they served the Fortress Lord at close range.”

“That’s the problem. Those fellows claiming to be Jeong Family Dynamic Technique’s legitimate successors… If not for the Fortress Lord, they would’ve died young.”

“While avoiding Tyrant Hero and Chun-gap, and Lord Yue? Isn’t the only person helping with cleanup being too careful?”

“When will my resignation be processed?”

“…The Fortress Lord must have departed by now. He’ll determine who the true successors are.”

“It’s a long way to the main fortress.”

“That’s true.”

“I heard Hwangbo Je-yul’s child is accompanying him too, so it’ll take even longer… Children are saplings that drain adults’ attention.”

“That’s your story with six under your care.”

“That’s why I want to wash my hands…”

“But why do you keep staying here? When you have time, you should go to one place or the other. Either the Divine Sword Group or the Desolate Jeok Family.”

“The tea hasn’t cooled yet.”

“First put away the Samadhi True Fire.”

* * *

A cool north wind blew. Lukewarm breeze.

The shadows of three people endlessly pierced the horizon. Then stained the sunset. The originally distinct three silhouettes became blurred like dots fallen into purple paint.

It was like that for several days.

Hwangbo Geon-ryun rode on Jeong Yeon-shin’s back. He naturally felt the Ten Li Gentle Light footwork he’d only heard about with his whole body. In the six-year-old child’s thoughts, his father Hwangbo Je-yul shouldn’t be called World’s Fastest.

So he etched words with his fingernails into a small booklet.

“Desolate Fortress’ Lazy Flame Dragon… coveted an excessive epithet that shouldn’t even be mentioned in rumors…”

Hwangbo Geon-ryun’s short fingers carved sizzling burn marks. Very faint Scorching Yang Energy remained like ink.

Jeong Yeon-shin glanced at the child on his back and asked.

“Have you eaten much spiritual medicine?”

“Yes, the family people gave me a lot. They also made me practice acupoint striking constantly.”

“One could argue accumulated energy is the problem. Being too precocious is… yes, excessive.”

Then Jeong Yeon-shin muttered. I wasn’t like this. It’s those Ice Palace fellows’ fault…

Meanwhile, Hwangbo Geon-ryun put away his Martial World Compendium.

‘I’ll be able to use this tremendously going forward.’

Political strife knows no age.

Northern Sea Ice Palace was worse. Etiquette, words and conduct, grace, oaths, bloodline… a land with many weighty matters. Hwangbo Geon-ryun had grown up in a prison of countless eyes.

Gazes for praise, glances to find fault, eye techniques examining temperament, and so on.

It was the year he turned five. Lazy Flame Dragon Hwangbo Je-yul casually tossed words to his son.

—Your temperament is very sensitive, so you should live like our Fortress Lord.

—Like the Northern Emperor?

—Write a diary. What bothered you today, what made you happy, things like that… Make life into martial arts. It would be good to accept even hard days as achievement. This father couldn’t do that though…

Hwangbo Geon-ryun’s recollection ended there.

Whoosh!

It was a sheer cliff.

The child descended from Jeong Yeon-shin’s back.

Dawn mist rippled at Hwangbo Geon-ryun’s feet. The mountain scenery spread below his small leather shoes. Majestic was the right word. Mount Hua of the Western Peak was like that.

The Central Plains.

Hwangbo Geon-ryun was briefly mesmerized.

The cliffs of Mount Hua, originally famous for being barren, were now sporadically adorned with white and red plum blossoms. The saying that to see flowers at Mount Hua you must pick a fight with a Plum Blossom Swordsman was now old.

Hwangbo Geon-ryun’s small mouth opened.

“But why are three of the five peaks tilted? As if they were cut and drifted away before being reattached.”

“……”

“The Mount Hua immortals’ brilliant formations must have stopped the landslide, right? Then who cut them…”

“You saw wrong. Isn’t it natural?”

Jeong Yeon-shin’s answer.

“That sense, it’s truly a Jeong Family Dynamic Technique constitution. You seem to be the second person in the world who senses me deeply.”

Hwangbo Geon-ryun tilted his head. It was the first time he’d detected an adult’s lie this clearly. In that instant, Jeong Yeon-shin’s hand ruffled through Hwangbo Geon-ryun’s hair.

“Then who’s the first?”

Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t answer.

Beside them, Seventh Apostle’s two eyes sparkled like rubies. She glanced at Jeong Yeon-shin and said.

“I’ll be back.”

“Where to?”

At Jeong Yeon-shin’s question, she moved her lips.

“Blood Flame Cult branch. Those bug-like children, I need to check if it’s been rebuilt already.”

“Let’s go together.”

“Yeon-shin, you do what you need to do.”

Her black robes fluttered like a bat’s wings. Seventh Apostle instantly stepped on the fog clouds between gorges and disappeared.

A back without attachment. Hwangbo Geon-ryun felt supreme freedom.

“That person is a hero too.”

“She became one.”

“I dislike heroes.”

“I like them.”

“……!”

Hwangbo Geon-ryun sensed Jeong Yeon-shin’s heart once more. Vaguely like last winter. When his father Hwangbo Je-yul playfully melted the ice castle he’d worked hard to build and left.

He’d only stayed two days. Half of one day was time for father and mother alone.

“They said he was a scoundrel.”

At the child’s mutter, Jeong Yeon-shin reacted immediately.

“Me?”

“My father.”

“Don’t view him badly. He was quite a capable scoundrel.”

“…But why did the Northern Emperor make Mount Hua the first destination?”

“I hadn’t seen the Sect Leader in a long time. Even though we had stories to share…”

“After that famous ‘Tree Severing’?”

“Actually I saw her a few times. But back then I was…”

“My age, right?”

“……?”

“Father talked about it whenever he was bored. I could only see him that happy when talking with mother…”

“Build many memories with your father.”

“Pardon?”

“He’s destined to die young.”

* * *

Hwangbo Geon-ryun rode on Jeong Yeon-shin’s back again. After brushing past sharp cliffs several times, they were suddenly below a mountain gate.

Mount Hua Sect.

Step.

The reverse wind from footwork brushed the signboard. Soon wind descended like plum blossom fragrance. A man came out to greet them wrapped in that rippling.

Slender figure.

A languid impression like father Lazy Flame Dragon, but with a much more upright feeling. Tremendously fast yet elegant like an immortal.

“Hmm?”

The man’s expression changed like a magic lantern. Great joy toward Jeong Yeon-shin on his face, bewilderment in the eyes that swept over Hwangbo Geon-ryun.

“What, what’s that…?”

At the man’s question, Jeong Yeon-shin smiled faintly.

“Not my child, but a boy like a son.”

“Didn’t make one?”

“Me? With who?”

“That monster, you know. At least that’s fortunate. Your child would be the jianghu’s great calamity.”

“Look at the calamity before you first.”

Rustle.

The man who withdrew as elegantly as Jeong Yeon-shin advanced one step, then chuckled. Unimaginably rude, yet surprisingly natural.

They said only two same-aged peers could act like that with the Northern Emperor. Hwangbo Geon-ryun guessed the man’s identity. The one who dominated the imperial Dragon-Phoenix Assembly in the capital a year ago.

“Dark Fragrance Sword King Yu Hyeon.”

An epithet bestowed by Demon Realm Emperor Black Return. They’d heard it showed intent to massively absorb martial clans into government. His father Hwangbo Je-yul had clicked his tongue saying it was a ridiculous epithet.

Yu Hyeon looked down at the child and smiled.

“What Sword King. For a fool just wasting years on a desolate mountain, waiting for friends.”

Hwangbo Geon-ryun shook his head.

“No. The Taoist will be a swordsman befitting his epithet.”

“Really not.”

Yu Hyeon looked between Hwangbo Geon-ryun and Jeong Yeon-shin. Then he asked, so what is he?

Jeong Yeon-shin smiled slightly.

Yu Hyeon’s words stopped at the answer that he was Lazy Flame Dragon’s son. He silently led Jeong Yeon-shin and Hwangbo Geon-ryun inside. Occasionally glancing at Hwangbo Geon-ryun like a great calamity.

Then he whispered to Jeong Yeon-shin through transmission.

—If it’s a Yin-Yang Unified Jeong Family Dynamic Technique constitution… you know, right? One of the jianghu’s current interests is ‘the legitimate successor of Lightning Genius Lineage.’

—What great topic.

—No it is. It’s exactly like the end of Yuan and beginning of Ming? ‘Who is the true successor?’ What do you think would’ve happened to the martial world if Taoist Sanfeng hadn’t clarified this before ascending? He had tremendously many collateral disciples. Like you.

—The legitimate successor is elder brother Jung-san.”

—Your second brother? Of Zhongnan Sect? Don’t say things that’ll cause trouble. Are you perhaps not with Crimson Flame Blood but with Sect Leader Wei…?

—Are you confident in Dark Fragrance Darts?

It all reached Hwangbo Geon-ryun. It had always been like this since childhood. No energy could deceive a Jeong Family Dynamic Technique constitution. His upper dantian had naturally been open since birth.

‘The legitimate successor is decided?’

He knew Lightning Genius Lineage had various figures and transcendent masters. But they said he was the only practitioner of Jeong Family Dynamic Technique in the womb. He’d never even heard of someone called Jeong Jung-san.

How extraordinary must that person be?

Hwangbo Geon-ryun couldn’t properly appreciate the scenery of the Shaanxi’s Greatest Sword Sect.

Even passing elegant legendary halls, even as Plum Blossom Swordsmen suddenly filled every place like petals, even as they raised respectful cupped fist salutes to Jeong Yeon-shin.

Even meeting the Mount Hua Sect Leader immediately was the same.

“A place I’ve been before.”

Jeong Yeon-shin said as he entered the misty mountain. Yu Hyeon nodded.

“It’s a spring now. Master uses it for bathing water.”

“Bath water?”

“That’s why no one can enter beyond this. Like when there was a gate here.”

Gate. Not unfamiliar even to Hwangbo Geon-ryun. Because many in the north went around hunting remaining strange phenomena.

It was then.

Hwangbo Geon-ryun sniffed his nose the size of half a chestnut.

Some fragrance spread.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s brow twitched. Yu Hyeon pressed his forehead simultaneously.

“Purple Pills bath water…”

“……!”

Befitting a place to meet the Mount Hua Sect Leader.

A scent like ground herbs. Faintly like flower fragrance too. Tremendous energy fluctuation naturally accompanied it.

Wooong.

“They said the Nine Sects’ true power can only be known by climbing the main mountain…”

Hwangbo Geon-ryun took out his Martial World Compendium and scrawled with fingernails bearing Scorching Yang Energy. At Mount Hua’s Cloud Summit there is bath water with dissolved Purple Pills.

Seeing this, Yu Hyeon asked Jeong Yeon-shin.

“Is this okay?”

“Let him enjoy the world. The child’s jianghu is being created. It’ll greatly influence Jeong Family Dynamic Technique.”

Right after Jeong Yeon-shin answered. Hwangbo Geon-ryun who’d put the book in his clothes asked back.

“Is something wrong?”

“No.”

Soon Hwangbo Geon-ryun following Jeong Yeon-shin was stopped by Yu Hyeon’s hand. Jeong Yeon-shin had already disappeared into the mist.

“You stay far back with me and enjoy the flowers. This is where our sect’s Sect Leader and Desolate Fortress Lord meet privately.”

Hwangbo Geon-ryun quickly took out his Martial World Compendium again. And neatly wrote: The Northern Emperor and Jade Flame Sword God met privately at Cloud Summit bath water.

Yu Hyeon asked with a strange face.

“About that, is there anyone besides you who will read it?”

“People who need to know I’m the Northern Emperor’s road companion. So the wolf blade-wielders of our palace, nearby wandering great warriors, the council of elders, palace lord assembly, my father, and Lightning Genius Lineage’s obstacles, I mean senior masters like Pangu Scholar Literary Star or Divine Spear Dream Flight…”

Hwangbo Geon-ryun’s short fingers spread one by one and ended up counting both hands. Yu Hyeon silently closed his mouth.

* * *

Jeong Yeon-shin walked the desolate stone path.

Wide sleeves fluttered. Scenery where it became unclear what was clothing and where the mist was, mixed in deep fog.

“Your clothes have faded.”

A clear, bright woman’s voice.

From the side, far away.

It echoed from a deep water pit, but Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t turn his head. Because of Lady Lu Xian’s presence sitting cross-legged in the water. He felt water streams running down her bare shoulders.

He asked.

“Why do you study Water Energy?”

“To drag the Wudang Sect Leader Immortal down from the Five Swords, I must be able to sever natural earth energy, and water energy is the most tenacious of the five elements. Fortunately, I’m getting the feel of it.”

Natural sword cutting intent. Western Peak Sword Sect Mount Hua’s characteristic decisiveness. Jeong Yeon-shin smiled slightly and asked back.

“Did you quarrel?”

“Our words don’t connect. All senility is like that. Seems fine then isn’t.”

Splash.

She swept back wet hair.

“Recently, saying he’d avenge the previous generation’s humiliation, he went looking for Tyrant Hero. By the way, the entire world already knew. That Tyrant Hero returned to youth.”

“…What happened?”

“All jianghu’s attention was there. Where one exchange occurred became a jianghu famous site… They said if the Beggar’s Sect Lord senior hadn’t stopped them, it would’ve been serious.”

Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t react. Because it was ordinary jianghu. Even Lady Lu Xian sighing in the hazy mist.

“I intend to preserve the Central Plains Taoist Sect’s dignity. So Wudang’s Profound Void isn’t mentioned when discussing the Orthodox Path’s First Sword.”

Only then did Jeong Yeon-shin smile faintly.

“Lady Lu will accomplish it.”

“Those lips… even your smile has faded. Like someone about to wash their hands soon.”

She too had been sensing Jeong Yeon-shin with energy sense. Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t deny it, and Lady Lu Xian said.

“Take it off.”

“Pardon?”