Chapter 820 – Side Story – They’ll Come On Their Own

The scene of Xi’an Jeong Family Head Jeong Jung-san sending a martial arts challenge letter to Red Robe Mad Blood.

That was as far as it went.

The spying technique deployed by the old man called Tower Master suddenly disappeared. Colorless energy fragments refracted sunlight in various directions before settling onto the table.

“……”

Where is the World Tree’s sapling, a question that could only feel ominous.

Even more so because it came from a foreign absolute master. In the first place, it was something no one should seek to know. But the old man was precisely posing as a guest of Immortal Tree Spirit Leader Cheon So-so.

Her lips hardened.

‘He knows everything.’

That the sapling remained.

That Desolate Fortress’s Immortal Tree Spirit Leader had raised it a bit…

But the field’s atmosphere was genial because that was the old man’s conduct. He gently pushed a porridge bowl toward Cheon So-so and smiled.

Slide.

“Beautiful hair. Like it bloomed from burnt remnants.”

Cheon So-so swept her ashen hair behind her nape.

Then she slowly chose her words.

“The faded Noble Clan has no connection to the World Tree. This hair color is proof that my upper dantian no longer communicates with the tree.”

All were only truths. Naturally it wouldn’t have affected the old man called Tower Master’s upper dantian either.

Indeed, the old man nodded.

“Of course it would be so. It doesn’t sound like a lie either.”

“……”

“Mm, I’m indebted.”

Then the old man stood up. Removing his strange cone hat, he held it to his chest and bowed.

“Then I’ll take my leave….”

“Not asking more?”

Cheon So-so asked with an expressionless face.

The old man smiled broadly.

“If you don’t want to speak, that’s that. This also seems quite enjoyable. Answers that truly have value are found on one’s own.”

He really seemed to be leaving, without any regret.

So it was strangely threatening, because there was something like an omnipotent being in the old man’s conduct. An ambiguous temperament, whether mind-body cultivation, confidence, or a heart that enjoyed play.

Cheon So-so unconsciously asked,

“What will you do if you find it?”

Instantly the old man’s wrinkles colored with surprise. This time purely a commoner’s face. The feeling of hearing an unexpected question about something completely natural and common sense.

“What would I do? Even after experiencing that chaos, you ask such a question? From a hero who directly participated in the World Tree Great Battle…”

“……?”

“Naturally I must cut it down.”

“Cut it?”

“In this land’s words, Cutting grass and pulling out roots, oh, a truly fitting idiom. Was it worth studying this land’s language?”

The old man, smiling satisfactorily to himself, continued.

“Like the Central Plains, our side also has only now ended a long war. Unlike the Central Plains, it’s a land with many countries and many jianghu. Thanks to Ming Cult Leader, countless jianghu people participated in that Great War… Well, no need to know more. It’s a common jianghu dispute.”

Cheon So-so fell silent because the topic seemed to be subtly shifting toward Yelu Zhen. If she spoke anything now, the lie would inevitably be exposed immediately.

Regardless, the old man spoke with a smiling face.

“Anyway… it’s a sapling, right? Could easily eliminate future trouble. Before the world’s earth energy dries up once more.”

Cheon So-so recalled six years ago. When Ming Cult Leader was almost dying, the moment she placed a covenant on her own upper dantian with a true word.

—According to Immortal Tree Spirit Leader Cheon So-so’s conditions, I Yelu Zhen swear. If broken, upper dantian spiritual nature will scatter.

I will no longer kill.

I will not raise the World Tree’s sapling but use it as a staff.

Though accumulating natural earth energy of the universe with the sapling is arduous, I will nonetheless perform it occasionally to return earth energy to abundance.

And on the day Jeong Family Lightning Genius passes away, I will break the staff and cross the Sanzu River with him.

As older sister, as companion.

It was when Fighting God brought Yelu Zhen before Cheon So-so. With that, Cheon So-so was liberated from the duty of sapling guardian, because the sapling’s use and end were decided.

‘The only variable is if Ming Cult Leader has the sapling stolen by some force….’

Hard to imagine. Yelu Zhen was someone who could discuss odds of victory even against Jeong Yeon-shin, and even if defeated, she was an outsider who would at least preserve her own life.

But what if the old man before her came from such an outsider’s land? What if he already had ties with Yelu Zhen?

“How much do you know?”

At Cheon So-so’s question, the old man silently put on his hat. Then he moved the wrinkles of his lips in the smoke rising from the porridge.

“For nearly two hundred years, there were also two in our land. Those born with the same constitution as Ming Cult Leader… Of course, both died.”

“……”

“Yet Ming Cult Leader is alive. It’s a time she couldn’t endure even with upper dantian restrictions. There’s only one reason, isn’t there?”

“She might have overcome it herself.”

“Well, I’ve never seen such a thing. Did she perhaps die and come back to life? Our Sacred Sword Dharma Treasure does revive the dead….”

The old man spread three fingers like a storyteller.

“One person per three hundred years of energy accumulation. At a designated lakeside. Of course the lifespan is only a dozen years or so. Because it’s a heaven-defying technique created by the dharma treasure.”

“You should have bestowed that on Ming Cult Leader. Seems like you have ties.”

The old man’s hearty laughter followed.

“We already proposed some deal in our jianghu using that as payment, but that suspicious ghost refused. She didn’t dare hope that someone would care for her after death… So she was alone until returning to the Central Plains.”

Flutter.

Tower Master’s windbreaker robe billowed. “And will continue to be so.”

After the exaggerated flutter, he was gone. Only wind bending the vegetation remained. Form Shifting Void so freely fast it could be called unprecedented.

Cheon So-so silently watched Tower Master already small enough to appear as a distant dot.

Then she called her swallow.

***

Sunlight racing across the horizon.

Two shadows stained the sunset.

Jeong Yeon-shin and Jeok Yu-ha dashed as if making the sunset their travel companion. On the ridge they’d already passed, semi-transparent shockwaves followed in succession.

Tremendously fierce. Enough to spread not only the two people’s but even Yong Hye-myeong’s energy contained in the travel pack.

Soon Nanjing.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s energy accumulation wasn’t from the days when it ran out in one period of sword flight, and Jeok Yu-ha’s martial power as a true blood body went without saying.

“Yu-ha.”

“Yeah.”

“If you end up sparring with Brother Jung-san….”

“Would I lose? I can’t violate clan hierarchy. That would be unfilial.”

“Such proper lady-like words.”

“Blood demons are originally elegant.”

“It’s not just Brother Jung-san. Your father might test the strength of my protective energy barrier. At that time you have to stay still.”

“Jeok Family isn’t where I grew up. It’s not my clan so there’s no unfiliality.”

“What do you mean?”

“Whatever I do to Blood King won’t be unfilial.”

“I need to guide you.”

It was after crossing a massive stone wall.

Fragrant oil smells spread from various inns, and tea fragrance leaked from teahouses through ornate curtains and deliberately opened doorways. The two stepped on a large inn’s eaves.

Nanjing. It had been the Ming Dynasty’s capital before Beijing. The old glory still felt present. Even the appearances of those passing through the marketplace were diverse.

“Selling agricultural books! Rice, wheat, beans…! If you can’t read, I’ll personally teach you!”

“Inn selling Shaoxing wine! Use it for daughter’s wine!”

“I was in Black Path. Name is Do-hyo. Telling stories of meeting North Offering. Payment in salt….”

Han people’s long robes mixed with Manchu people’s short jackets. Occasionally visible were Yao Tribe strong men with upper bodies exposed. Most were soldiers or awkward storytellers. Several children tried to follow the Yao people before being lifted by adults.

“South Offering’s wish has been fulfilled.”

An aged voice. Before they knew it, some old man sat at Jeong Yeon-shin’s feet.

One-armed.

Was the shoulder recently severed? At the faint blood scent, Jeok Yu-ha waved her hand dismissively. A natural reaction. Because in the first place, the only blood trace she enjoyed was one.

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke after adjusting the strap of the burden at his shoulder.

“Emperor Lu Ban.”

The oldest Northern King.

Now Nanjing’s military king.

Simultaneously he’d also been the old Yuan Dynasty’s last emperor. Naturally his speech was archaic.

“Even that name has grown old now. Yuan Dynasty, Ming Dynasty, and Qing Dynasty… Isn’t it time for the whistling arrows that seemed to fly forever across grasslands to also crumble?”

A dry voice. The last leader of Yuan Dynasty who experienced rejuvenation twice while consumed by the resentment of a fallen nation. He would be the only person who wasn’t Noble Clan yet lived over three hundred years.

Slide.

Emperor Lu Ban gestured toward Jeong Yeon-shin’s travel pack wrapped around Yong Hye-myeong.

“He didn’t seem human. He truly sleeps like a dragon. I suspected when competing in Black Capital.”

“Whether dragon or not, I don’t know. The person himself says nothing, and upper dantian techniques don’t work.”

Jeong Yeon-shin answered calmly. Emperor Lu Ban smiled dimly.

“Speak comfortably. The principle of respecting elders is useless for one like you. Which northerner follows etiquette toward Fighting God?”

“You’re being gracious toward someone who broadly supervised this assembly examination.”

“Has something happened to Black Return?”

“What happened to your arm?”

“Lost it to someone called Sword Master. A martial guest who goes around seeking powerful people. You walking this far is also because of that. Black Return must have requested.”

Jeong Yeon-shin slowly nodded.

He’d arrived following upper dantian intuition. Tower Master or Sword Master, he would meet one of them in the near future. Unless they could avoid his upper dantian foresight like Yelu Zhen.

If he met one, through them it would only be half the trouble to find Yelu Zhen.

“What was Sword Master like? I heard he’s a nation’s sword.”

“Younger generation than me.”

“……?”

“Barely.”

Meaning a jianghu old monster. At least easily over two hundred years old. Only then did Jeong Yeon-shin feel faint interest.

“I heard he uses something called Sacred Sword Dharma Treasure.”

“I’ve never seen such a sword. It wasn’t just one swordsman but a nation’s spiritual nature stained on it. If we fought again, a neutralizing technique would be appropriate. Flowing technique I mean.”

“Couldn’t you receive it?”

“You would be different. Divine martial arts with sound mind… Yes, aren’t you a finisher? Unlike that deceased.”

It sounded like Sword Master’s mind wasn’t sound.

Jeong Yeon-shin recalled the physiognomy description of Sword Master he’d received from Black Return. It reminded him of his teacher Wei Gun-hye during her Original Brightness Transformation period. A somewhat youthful face, even eyes and lips bearing fighting spirit.

“You said deceased?”

“It felt that way to me. Not human yet was human. Though it seems meaningless words now, when you face him you’ll know.”

That was when it happened.

Suddenly his ear tickled. Wind characteristic of Whistling Wind Bell. It was the rippling of the mental transmission space he’d entered at Black Return’s request before departure.

—Desolate Fortress Lord.

—Mm, I just met Emperor Lu Ban.

—I heard Martial Star is heading to Mount Wudang. Jianghu has started stirring. Petitions are coming to me too.

—Is there burden on the Emperor’s position? Since he’s a jiangshi after all.

—In the first place, jiangshi were for transporting corpses intact during warfare. Also, those who place burden on political position are only Han literati. Fortunately they have low fist power. And will continue to.

—Guide Martial Star to Sword Disarming Pool. Main fortress Obeying Heaven Wing Leader will greet him holding Winter Dream.

Winter Dream and Namgung Hwa-shin, Wan Hui and Martial Star, Literary Star and official position, foreign jianghu and Yelu Zhen…

Suddenly Jeong Yeon-shin felt all of this weaving together like pages of a book. Matters thought distant connecting to each other, even new problems inquiring after original connections,  massive Jeong Family Dynamic Technique.

‘And soon.’

He would turn to the next page.

When Jeong Yeon-shin gazed at Jeok Yu-ha’s abdomen, Emperor Lu Ban suddenly asked,

“How do you intend to encounter foreign strong ones freely wandering this vast land?”

“They’ll come on their own.”

He adjusted the strap of the burden slung to one side.

Nine Provinces Myriad Scholar’s advice flashed through his mind: that the masses studying natural earth energy in the western regions were crazy about dragons.

—Just smelling the energy wave scent, they’ll come drooling like dogs. Of course, you must guard so they don’t secretly tear off that dragon fellow’s heart and skin.

It was correct.

After declining Emperor Lu Ban’s courtesy to enter the palace and staying at a quiet inn for three days—

Jeong Yeon-shin met an old man in a cone hat who claimed to be teaching amazing cuisine to the inn’s chef.