Chapter 798 – Side Story – You Seem to Have Kept the Promise

The Fortress Lord’s office.

It was dark outside the window.

Several branches were resting their heads on the windowsill. A dim night breeze blew, and the leaves that had endured winter rustled gently.

Along with Wei Gun-hye’s hair as she leaned against the window.

“……”

Yelu Zhen was gazing at the former world’s foremost master. She’d earlier tried to sit on the office bed but nearly reclined halfway. It was due to Wei Gun-hye’s sword wind.

There was no conversation. Only the sound of leaves brushing against each other. Even so, Wei Gun-hye didn’t look lonely.

She simply appeared peaceful.

Yelu Zhen was the first to speak.

“…Judging by my younger brother’s movements, this is the last place. I’d be disappointed if I were him.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the room filled with silence.

Wei Gun-hye remained wordless, even seeming to treat Yelu Zhen as some kind of calamity. A demon who stirred heart demons just by opening her mouth.

Yelu Zhen spoke without concern.

“My younger brother and I captured Baek Mi-ryeo and returned to Xi’an Jeong Family, but the feast guests were only looking for him. Even including Martial Dragon Escapist (the fleeing Helian Feng-yue) in the group… I still don’t understand why there are so many people around my younger brother. Most of them seem to look down on his character.”

“……”

“I thought we’d both grow old and die alone, but when I came to my senses, I was the only one wandering jianghu alone.”

Then Yelu Zhen’s lips twisted slightly.

She said.

“Of course, that’s just my younger brother’s story. You’re no different from me. Is there anyone in this vast fortress who exchanges more than two words with you? It would be better to go to the bustling Ultimate Martial Hall and receive proper treatment.”

Only then did Wei Gun-hye’s lips open.

“I will never leave. The bed will be protected.”

Her intention was perfectly understood. Yelu Zhen couldn’t drive Wei Gun-hye away.

“You’re truly still of the Noble Clan.”

Yelu Zhen muttered. Her face showed she wanted to lie down. She clasped her hands behind her neck, then stretched only with her arms. It was the behavior of an old idler.

She said with a languid groan.

“Now if only you die, the Noble Clan’s lineage will be cut off… People in the world already think the ‘Noble Clan Body’ has disappeared. Thanks to you and Immortal Tree Spirit Lord Cheon So-so going into hiding.”

“…Long ago.”

Wei Gun-hye’s lips moved slightly.

“It should have happened very long ago.”

“You’re babbling like an old person. Now your age is much younger.”

At Yelu Zhen’s mocking words, Wei Gun-hye closed her mouth again. Yelu Zhen looked down at her like Wei Gun-hye once looked down at her.

Momentarily, a god-like radiance flashed through Yelu Zhen’s eyes. The Heavenly Demon, unified with the World Tree’s sapling, knowing everything, closest to omnipotence through sorcery martial arts.

She asked.

“How much remains in your mind? Do you remember Jeong Yeon-shin?”

“……”

“If you remember, it would be only one thing. The purple-ranked Jeong Yeon-shin you saw as a child, right? The one who taught you as if he were your master.”

Wei Gun-hye gave no answer.

For a long time, there was only the sound of leaves on the windowsill brushing against each other. Until Jeong Yeon-shin knocked on the office door.

Rustle.

Wei Gun-hye moved away from the window.

Unlike before, it was quick. Her muscles contracted, however slightly. Both shoulders rose slightly as if taking a fighting stance.

Along with an awkward tone.

“Please come in.”

“……?”

Now Yelu Zhen’s face was like an enlightened demon. An expression unsure who was master and who was disciple. But the door opened, and there was Jeong Yeon-shin walking in with an indifferent expression.

Step.

Yelu Zhen raised her chin at an angle. For a moment, the room seemed transformed into the Noble Cult’s Cult Leader Hall. Being in the presence of the world’s foremost master, this was behavior permitted only to the Heavenly Demon.

“Why did you send me here?”

It was scolding the host who’d acted wrongly, but Jeong Yeon-shin only opened his mouth peacefully.

“So you would refrain from rash mischief.”

Then he clasped both hands and smiled at Wei Gun-hye.

“I respectfully greet Master.”

“Have you returned for good…?”

“I’ve only stopped by briefly. I plan to travel to a couple more places.”

“Have you been well all this time?”

The honorifics were cut off at the ends.

The subsequent conversation between master and disciple was the same. Wei Gun-hye’s youthful voice was ambiguously cut off each time. Like her cheeks that had been carved but left unfinished.

“If fortune allows, visit often. Teach me sword techniques.”

“Don’t worry. Desolate Fortress is home to me.”

“Nothing suits me among white, blue, black, or purple. May I ask what clothing I should wear? Three years ago, I urgently asked this, but you left without answering.”

Her behavior was confusing.

While Yelu Zhen’s expression grew strange watching from afar, Jeong Yeon-shin’s lips rose like dawn leaves.

“Master suits colors you choose yourself. Wear anything. Someday when you compete with me as equals, then I’ll return the Fortress Lord position to you.”

“Must you…?”

“How about Desolate Fortress Entire The Divine Lord before that? The next Divine Sword Group Leader. There are many lazy purple ranks, so there aren’t many candidates.”

Moonlight was pouring through the large window. Wei Gun-hye’s shadow, with the window at her back, stretched toward Jeong Yeon-shin, and Jeong Yeon-shin smiled with his young master for a long time.

When clouds brushed the dawn moon, Jeong Yeon-shin passed by many connections. First he entrusted Baek Mi-ryeo to Radiant Demon Wing hall.

Her madness was loneliness, and Jeong Yeon-shin was well-versed in that area. He knew well enough that meals with family were true medicine.

“Don’t skip meals.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll come back.”

“When you return early, let’s eat something together. I know a bit about cooking. What should I make?”

“Of course Five Cloud Mountain Vegetable Dish would be best. I think it’s the finest vegetable dish. What did you just say…?”

Then he stopped by the Blood King Jeok Family.

Now Jeong Yeon-shin’s internal cultivation had reached the level of handling power like objects. With one Radiant Wing Eight Steps, he planted divine power in the ground and wove protective energy with extreme Blood Cultivation True Energy.

That alone made him like a World Tree bearing Jin Myeong-jo’s six children like fruit.

Starting with the eldest daughter ‘Jin Gwa-hyang,’ each one year apart. Even the youngest, just born but walking steadily through regenerative abilities.

“Fortress Lord, may I ask something…?”

“What is it, Gwa-hyang?”

“When we enter jianghu, will protective martial arts become popular? Try cultivating Qi Controlled Sword with your molars.”

Jeong Yeon-shin obtained and drank a cup of water. He was covered with children hanging from his neck, arms, and legs.

He said.

“Senior Jin.”

“Please ask freely.”

“You seem to have kept the promise.”

In the cup Jeong Yeon-shin held, the children’s laughter had melted. It was very sweet fruit wine. Divine Sword Deputy Leader Jin Myeong-jo kept shaking his head saying it wasn’t so, but Jeong Yeon-shin set out cheerfully.

Having left the six bright futures of Desolate Fortress with Jin Myeong-jo.

‘That’s a great master.’

In such deep night, the hall with crimson glowing eyes was like a city that never slept. Jeong Yeon-shin, who avoided Jin Myeong-jo’s golden technique with advanced footwork, thought three children would be many.

“Yes, three is many.”

Even two would be overwhelming. Jeong Yeon-shin muttered.

Fleeing from the Jeok family, the foremost family of Desolate Fortress, on the road to Beijing.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s group was simple. He held Hwangbo Geon-ryun’s hand and led Helian Feng-yue and Yelu Zhen. On his shoulder was a bundle named Yong Hye-myeong.

Helian Feng-yue laughed self-deprecatingly.

“Though my jianghu experience is broad, this is the first such strange group.”

Meanwhile, Jeong Yeon-shin reflected on what had happened just before leaving the main fortress. He’d been coming back from attempting Elder Council Head Shin Byeok’s rejuvenation.

–Don’t be disappointed. If you learn Jeong Family Dynamic Technique more deeply, someday you’ll surely transform completely…

–Fortress Lord, was this the reason you granted this old man an empty hall? Was my retirement just a dream?

–The main fortress’s purple ranks are swords forged by sunset. They never rust.

–Only when the glow fades can new sunlight enter…!

–There is no new sunlight, always the same sun. Because the world is round and generates its own Spiral Force. Wouldn’t the purple ranks’ spirit be the same?

–Those western barbarians who made navigation their life philosophy also say the earth is round. Fortress Lord, you should distance yourself from the Heavenly Demon first.

–Still, the world has Spiral Force…

–This old man will go mad.

He’d failed to achieve Shin Byeok’s rejuvenation. He decided to try again when Yong Hye-myeong properly awakened.

Jeong Yeon-shin muttered while thinking of Yong Hye-myeong.

“Why are you so greedy?”

Half-Dragon Body, so called because of a dragon-like physique.

He’d planned to entirely steal the natural earth energy Yong Hye-myeong absorbed, but even Jeong Yeon-shin’s internal power cultivation ability found it difficult. Because he wouldn’t release even a bit of the energy he’d accumulated himself.

‘It was like a beast pretending to be human. Eating energy and years…’

As Jeong Yeon-shin was thinking.

Helian Feng-yue walking beside him asked.

“If the current Yong fellow causes a rampage in his sleep, wouldn’t even you find it troublesome? The only person you could protect would be one you could hold in your arms… Is it really alright to carry him all the way to Beijing?”

“He’s a senior who served as Divine Sword Group Leader. Don’t talk about him like some ferocious lesser dragon.”

Then Jeong Yeon-shin concluded. Finding fault was only permitted to himself as Fortress Lord. Helian Feng-yue shook his head, of course.

“I’m asking about facts. How is such a fellow human? If he goes mad from unmanageable accumulated energy, that would be a lesser dragon in human form. How would you calm him?”

“Let’s feed you to him.”

“……”

A dead peerless master is an epoch-making elixir. Not only greatly boosting earth energy, but also satisfying a lesser dragon mad for accumulation.

When he told this to Hwangbo Geon-ryun, the child recorded it verbatim in the Martial Arts Directory. Seeing the phrase ‘martial artists are good fertilizer’ reminded Jeong Yeon-shin of the Southern Emperor.

‘Is this alright?’

He spoke with difficulty.

“Geon-ryun.”

“Yes.”

“What do you want to become when you grow up?”

“A furnace.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s above fire.”

“I see.”

Jeong Yeon-shin nodded.

And worried less. Jin Gwa-hyang of Desolate Fortress Jeok Family said her dream was female thunder. The goals of six-year-old children were something even the world’s foremost couldn’t easily approach.

With various conversations, they ran with light movement technique. Since they’d set out like jianghu touring, they didn’t even ride horses. Just resting when eating or when Hwangbo Geon-ryun wrote in the Martial Arts Directory. Three days.

“It’s Beijing.”

Yelu Zhen muttered.

After asking Jeong Yeon-shin thirty-six times if he had anything to say to her.

Before them was a golden great city.

Beijing.

Land rebuilt by the divine power of the Black Capital Demon clan.

It was also a famous site many jianghu people visited to find traces of the Fighting God’s techniques. Most of them were said to be beaten to pulp by Demon Contempt Blade and the Black Capital gatekeeper according to rumors.

Jeong Yeon-shin wasn’t inspected.

Thud.

Lifting Hwangbo Geon-ryun with one hand, he leaped up to the clouds. The scene of distant golden halls rapidly approaching.

Yong Hye-myeong lay comfortably in the long blanket bundle, never once awakening. Because Jeong Yeon-shin had walked with the golden technique of transformed realm and unwavering superiority.

He was a senior after all.

‘One Mencius Steadfast from Literary Star would definitely wake him.’

Jeong Yeon-shin came down through the roof of Qianqing Palace among the newly built palaces. For some reason, Yelu Zhen and Helian Feng-yue didn’t follow. They just pretended to be travelers far outside the Forbidden City.

Hwangbo Geon-ryun jumped down from Jeong Yeon-shin’s embrace and moved far away.

“……”

It was the middle of a crowd. Only blue and red official robes left and right. The civil and military officials of the current empire.

On the emperor’s throne sat a man resembling the Southern Emperor. Hanging long whiskers, blue lightning wrapped around each finger joint.

Emperor Black Return asked.

“Why the roof?”

“Taking official roads becomes troublesome.”

At Jeong Yeon-shin’s words, Black Return slowly nodded.

“…Because you’re Northern Emperor, those are correct words. You paid cheap passage fees.”

Our… Black Return’s concluding words weren’t properly conveyed due to stone dust falling. Then Jeong Yeon-shin was looking around at the books spread below the throne.

He muttered unconsciously.

“The Four Books and Five Classics.”

“Since you’re the lord unified with Literary Star, you must have walked here because of Literary Star. He brings trouble whether with fists or deeds.”

Having said this, Black Return suddenly asked.

“Would it be alright to fail Literary Star in this metropolitan examination too? You who received Literary Star’s choice second only to the Southern Emperor under heaven. Literary Star will again discuss the emperor like a plow or something. Just like Mencius.”

“……!”

Instantly Jeong Yeon-shin was greatly shocked. At the same time, he scanned the civil and military officials left and right. Fearing his reputation, perfected after the Great Tree Battle, would fall to the ground.

‘…I can no longer be the Desolate Day Extinction.’

He quickly spoke.

“That’s quite a frightening story. You speak as if I requested it.”

“That is the people’s request, the world’s wish. That the world’s foremost power should forever be Desolate Fortress.”

Black Return was expressionless. Conversely, Jeong Yeon-shin tilted his head to the side and smiled.

And slowly spoke.

“An ignorant story. Wherever I am, that’s the world’s foremost power.”

“……”

The palace grew quiet.

Black Return didn’t refute. Only silence spread like dust. Jeong Yeon-shin was inwardly relieved to have clearly drawn the line. To protect his reputation, non-interference with officials was right.

‘I should leave quickly.’