Chapter 818 – Side Story – To Karma, To You

Jeong Yeon-shin doesn’t know.

The land those envoys came from, the martial lineage they belong to, the sects they speak of and the names of all kinds of strong people…

They said they crossed distant seas. It couldn’t be in Jeong Yeon-shin’s knowledge. Because it’s impossible to fully comprehend the vast world.

The boy and man who’d been looking into the crystal jade seemed to think the same.

“…That’s a really amazing spell technique. I didn’t sense anything.”

“Mm.”

Only surprise and curiosity.

The envoys seemed to accept even that Jeong Yeon-shin had activated the crystal jade at will and was looking down at them in reverse as some kind of spell martial art technique.

They must have come from such a jianghu.

They enjoy investigating all creation rather than the subtleties of energy projection. A martial lineage that creates rings of energy in the middle dantian like Luminous Wheel Technique to accumulate energy, and seeks amplification of power through that rotation.

‘I’m getting a feeling.’

Jeong Yeon-shin thought. That techniques of weaving fire or lightning with martial power and creating them must rather be more developed than fist techniques.

Those envoys.

The supreme masters of the so-called sect ‘Tower’ were quite powerful.

But their thoughts, of course their attitudes and conduct, even their questions were trivial. The only important fact was that they were people who’d been secretly spying on the Emperor and Desolate Fortress Lord without permission.

Jeong Yeon-shin asked with a level voice.

[State your purpose.]

“It’s a mental transmission method I’ve never seen before. It doesn’t even register in my energy sense… How did you break the crystal jade?”

The boy glancing around with sparkling eyes. Even his clear eye light flickered.

An atmosphere of routinely questioning everything permeated from him.

But every land would have courtesy and respect. Naturally strong and weak would also be divided. The man who’d been with the boy pressed down on the boy’s head forcefully.

“Shame of the Tower…!”

Immediately after, he knelt on one knee to Jeong Yeon-shin whose location was unknown and spoke.

“May I earnestly inquire whether it is permitted to respectfully question your lordship’s rank and sect?”

[Capturing them would be proper.]

It was right after Jeong Yeon-shin muttered. The roof of envoy accommodation where the envoys had been staying suddenly received bombardment-like energy projection.

Kwaaaaang!

The second most powerful energy conversion in the world.

There was a short-haired woman who descended while her black robe fluttered. Immediately gray-colored waves descended fully blooming like petals centered on her.

Brilliant River.

“……!”

The boy was crushed by that pressure and crashed down face-first, and the man who’d been immediately spouting some true words also had his voice cut off. Because Shin So-bin had grabbed his neck and slammed him into a closet.

Rummmble…

Thunder sounds rose from her body, and the internal energy barrier surrounding the man’s entire body rippled like waves then shattered. The closet and fragments of energy sporadically shot up and embedded in the ceiling.

Kwakwakwakwakwakwak!

[So-bin.]

“I won’t kill them.”

Shin So-bin said.

Meanwhile, envoy accommodation was filled with sharp roaring sounds. With harmony like a formation, it was a technique that announced invaders like a warning bell.

Reinforcements would arrive soon. Of course, allies on the envoys’ side. Those foreign jianghu people would conceal many things.

The man embedded in the wall laughed while bleeding through his teeth.

“For us, long true words… are unnecessary. We can weave completed spell techniques into the Greater Circulation flow in advance. We just need to pull them out with intent anytime.”

Rumble!

The surrounding space shook. It was because transparent energy waves extended from the man’s body like spider webs into empty air and altered natural energy.

Tremendous casting speed.

Something was being created like a blacksmith’s process. Just before some tremendous wide-area absolute technique completed itself, several strands of the man’s energy waves were cut by Shin So-bin’s extended finger.

Swoosh.

Some kind of wide-area absolute technique scattered without even revealing its form. It was a study that only three people in the current world possessed.

‘If it had been another Black rank instead, he might have competed fairly well…’

Jeong Yeon-shin thought.

Even that was talk for when he wasn’t given the interval. At that level of close combat distance, any of the Seventeen Squad Leaders would give the man ten-tenths odds of victory.

Urgh!

The man who coughed up blood stumblingly felt around with eyes dyed in bloated curiosity.

“What, is this…?”

“Mind Sword.”

A technique connecting master and disciple. In the distant past Wei Gun-hye to Jeong Yeon-shin, in the current era Jeong Yeon-shin to Shin So-bin.

Black Return’s thought took on interest.

[A direct disciple indeed. Worthy of being counted as Jeong Family Dynamic Technique’s legitimate successor.]

Meanwhile, Shin So-bin was striking the man and boy at afterimage-spreading speed.

Eternal Blossom Fist that not only burst demon points but even lined up body acupoints. When their bodies floated up with strange propulsion energy waves, she stamped their abdomens with Ashamed Night Footwork to make them collapse. It was suppression technique for beating people to death rather than acupoint sealing.

Black Return spoke to Jeong Yeon-shin.

[Body and mind are pure-blooded Yao Tribe. You taught well.]

[Is that so…?]

Shin So-bin would be the one to pressure Yan Family.

He’d heard from Literary Star. That he intended to send a Black rank with the gold character for Desolate engraved on her shoulder as a guest. To make it difficult to do anything improper with Martial Star’s corpse.

Because of that, she’d been summoned by Literary Star and entered Beijing.

It was after Jeong Yeon-shin had watched the two envoys’ tricks and sent her thousand-mile mental transmission. Because sensing his top disciple was easy.

Soon Shin So-bin, who’d grabbed the napes of the two unconscious people, leaped into the air.

Bang!

It was right when foreign jianghu people were breaking through the floor and coming up. Various appearances wearing long cloaks or splendid formal robes. Some created spell techniques more powerful than the captured man, and some sprayed brilliant light with colorful sword energy.

Those who flew up in all directions shouted.

—They’re fleeing beyond the roof!

—Direction northeast! Judging by the running, they seem to be a master of travel techniques, but they even have the military power to suppress Tower’s chief disciples in a short battle!

—Everyone stop! It seems we’ve been discovered spying!

—Then we should catch them!

—Not possible!

—What? This is why those who flip book pages…

—If we cause a bigger disturbance than this in a foreign capital, things could get uncontrollably out of hand…! Let’s wait for instructions!

—Wait, the All-Form Jade is missing!

When unfamiliar languages seeped into Jeong Yeon-shin’s upper dantian and were interpreted as he wished.

“You’re there now, right? The palace the imperial family built in the Forbidden City to honor the Fortress Lord… was it North Offering Palace?”

Shin So-bin’s question as she dashed across Beijing’s inner city’s splendid roofs. With each step treading on roof tiles, the faint light unique to Ten Li Gentle Light remained.

[Yes.]

“I’ll be able to see you before I go.”

[Of course.]

“Last time when you briefly stopped by the fortress, you just left. It’s been three years and you didn’t even see your top disciple.”

[Whether it’s Mount Hua’s Yu Hyeon or you, when I see people the same age, my words become strangely abundant. So I avoided you because I might scold you.]

“Me?”

[Me.]

“What?”

[I know you competed with Senior Myeong-jo’s eldest child. They say you even bet with that little one. About who could drink more cow blood.]

“Six years old is grown up.”

[What kind of competitive spirit can do that? It’s also a problem that you ultimately lost. I didn’t teach you that way. If you’d widened your stomach with Jeong Family Dynamic Technique’s full body energy projection, you wouldn’t have lost so helplessly.]

“Ah.”

[Listen properly. There’s no lack in your energy conversion techniques. Your battle sense is also very excellent at that level. The problem is only your mindset. So when I first encountered Fighting God in that Gengchen winter year….]

Then Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly thought of jianghu’s futures. Jin Myeong-jo’s eldest daughter backed by Desolate Fortress Lord, niece Jeong Hye and Hwangbo Geon-ryun, the Emperor’s pure-blooded youngest daughter, finally Jeong Yeong-hwi who would be born next year…

[TL Note- wait wait wait. They already did the deed.]

—It’s a son? I’ll name him.

—Mm…?

—Our bloodline often knows. Plus I’m an internal energy expert. Yeah, in a couple months I’ll be able to make him operate Jeong Family Dynamic Technique.

—What?

—I don’t know about talent. I feel like his Baihui point will be tightly closed. Instead… a true blood body? I won against you inside.

—We just…

Stories that slipped on soft bedding that night walking to Beijing. Satisfied and bewitching laughter. The day shocks that seemed to transform Transcendent Martial Art had continued.

—Even if he dies easily from lacking martial talent, he’ll have many chances. I hope he grows into someone who doesn’t give up. Because I’ll win too.

Jeok Yu-ha’s whisper shook in his ears.

—To karma, to you.

At that moment.

Suddenly Black Return broke Jeong Yeon-shin’s thoughts. It was after top disciple Shin So-bin had maintained silent non-response even to her master’s story.

[Tell Burning Abyss Squad Leader Shin So-bin. She can enter the Forbidden City’s Hall of Mental Cultivation… I will personally interrogate those bastards.]

[Do as you please.]

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke kindly. Clouds flowed in the afternoon sunlight. They’d already become soft and golden.

***

The captured envoys were treated as criminals. It would be the same in any land. Those who secretly peeked at the Emperor and Desolate Fortress Lord. The crystal jade was evidence.

“Therefore this is temporarily the possession of the imperial family and Desolate Fortress. Feel free to examine and use it as you wish.”

The west of the Forbidden City’s inner court, Hall of Mental Cultivation was filled with Black Return’s voice.

The place where the Emperor conducted intimate government affairs.

Jeong Yeon-shin sat on the Hall of Mental Cultivation’s bedding while grabbing the crystal jade as if snatching it. On one side, Literary Star was teaching Shin So-bin the behavior of martial guest.

“There are three types of guests in the world. Guests like lackeys, ungrateful guests, guests higher than the household head… Burning Abyss Squad Leader should act as the last guest anywhere, entering and exiting the household head’s hall easily like priceless treasure…”

“I don’t think I need to hear this? Why did you call me all the way here?”

“If I pass this civil examination, wouldn’t it be awkward for me to teach conduct to Desolate Fortress people?”

“That’s true too. Continue.”

Jeong Yeon-shin and Black Return turned their heads simultaneously. Before they knew it, the two envoys bound like criminals were sprawled below.

They said their leaders were two.

Black Return and Jeong Yeon-shin’s words quietly continued.

“Sword Master and Tower Master… In my view, there are no envoys more arrogant than them.”

“Isn’t the Sword Master your king? They said the First Sword Master was like that.”

Among the envoys, the boy shook his head.

“Not now. Our king isn’t strong. He’s nominally a king. Since the royal family was toyed with by Ming Cult Leader and lost the Sacred Sword Dharma Treasure, it’s become even more meaningless.”

Instantly Black Return and Jeong Yeon-shin’s questions followed in turn.

“A king who isn’t powerful exists…?”

“You don’t seem to have courtesy or law, so why follow a powerless king?”

The boy seemed at a loss for words. Only the man spoke instead.

“…Buddha did not learn martial arts, but the greatness of his cultivation and enlightenment is widely known. Even with only that, didn’t Grand Master Bodhidharma serve him as true truth? For us, legitimacy is like that. It’s the same for the Sword Master and Tower Master.”

The masters of sword and tower.

The leaders of the distant island nation’s foreign jianghu people. They’d only met Black Return once. After entrusting everything to disciples at envoy accommodation, uncharacteristically for envoy leaders, they were said to be wandering the Central Plains.

Perhaps they were meeting the world’s strong people one by one. Just looking at how Monk Beom-heo’s face had been in the crystal jade showed that.

“Sounds dangerous. I’ll have to find them.”

Jeong Yeon-shin muttered while displaying Yu Hyeon and Ma Se-in’s faces in the crystal jade. Immediately after, Ma Se-in scattered and only Yu Hyeon remained. Next were Yu Hyeon and Wei Ji-myohwa, but as soon as they floated on the surface, both people’s faces sank.

‘A draw then.’

Highly addictive.

Suddenly the envoy boy who’d been carefully gauging Jeong Yeon-shin’s mood blurted out.

“No matter how I look at it, it doesn’t seem broken.”

“Correct.”

“Ah, mm. I guess you like it…? It’s an artifact the Tower Master reinforced a lot.”

“Mm.”

“W-well done then… They say the Yao Tribe reveres Desolate Fortress Lord, and the reason the great legalists of our land made that crystal jade was also because of some Yao Tribe member. Who disappeared while using mounted absolute technique void stepping…”

“Great legalists would be what you call great sects, right? Your Tower Master and Sword Master must be the best among them.”

“I suppose…?”

That was when Jeong Yeon-shin blew another intent into the crystal jade. Immediately a limping giant floated up like an ink painting.

It was Fighting God.

Walking across a wide river like a plain. The appearance of limping while grinning.

—Get lost.

Crack.

One word cracked the crystal jade. Of course, all scenery went out like the night sky. Instantly cracks also formed in Jeong Yeon-shin’s expression.

It was simultaneous that he stood up.

“The Tower Master can fix it, right? He was someone I had to catch anyway.”

At Jeong Yeon-shin’s words, Black Return spoke slyly like a blunt sword.

“Can you also present the Sword Master? Those things must not step on Central Plains soil if not in Beijing.”

Jeong Yeon-shin silently gripped Remaining Thunder. It was but an instant until he scattered in place, using Shin So-bin and Literary Star’s unknowing gazes as propulsion energy waves. He thought amidst the distorted scenery.

‘I should find Big Sister Yelu.’