Chapter 827 – Side Story – Flower Viewing

Mind Sword.

This was the method Jeong Yeon-shin used to summon the main fortress masters.

Energy waves split in all directions and immediately soaked into the Form Shifting Void mirrors. Everyone must have felt it.

Among them, the one reflecting Ma Yeon-jeok crumpled entirely. It seemed he was the first to become angry at Yelu Zhen’s spying technique.

—How insolent… This.

Eye technique inferior to Monk Beom-heo’s, but power superior to him. Jeong Yeon-shin honestly thought it would be fine even without his maternal grandfather’s participation. Because even peaceful matters would turn into war.

In another sense, Jin Myeong-jo also didn’t need to answer the call. Because he wore his six children around him like internal energy armor.

—Father’s blood tastes bad. I want to eat the Lord’s.

Body-protecting energy barriers that mustn’t break.

Meanwhile, those Tower Master summoned were strong. At least the leaders of the group were.

The cavern became noisy.

Step.

Twelve shadows swayed in the dazzling radiance. They not only breathed with different divine techniques but also held various divine weapons. They emitted spiritual nature that even stimulated Jeong Yeon-shin’s Baihui point.

He thought.

‘I can read them.’

A great sword difficult to break.

A wooden spear stained with the bloody scent of many demons and mountain beasts.

A bow difficult to miss.

A sword as if the sun had been forged into one blade.

A dharma treasure with a single band wrapped around a hilt that absorbed natural earth energy…

Besides these, there were many divine weapons with spiritual nature that could rival Winter Dream. Was it a jianghu where blacksmithing had developed? Or perhaps it was a land of madmen like Wan Hui.

All were ancient weapons.

When the indwelling spiritual nature faded, successors who learned the same martial arts seemed to reinvigorate the weapons’ spiritual nature. Thus, though they might not reach the level of the founding grandmasters, they had maintained orthodox martial lineages.

‘Easily a thousand years.’

That was the time embedded in their weapons.

Jeong Yeon-shin touched Remaining Thunder’s hilt so it wouldn’t feel inferior. Hoping that with the name Gentleman Sword, it would remain unbroken for a thousand years.

The meaning was that there were at least twelve martial lineages with histories rivaling Shaolin. Meanwhile, the grandmaster who’d lived but a speck of time slowly spoke.

“It would be a shame if it gets cut off here.”

Tower Master’s question returned from within the pale light cluster.

“What do you mean?”

“The lifeline of the jianghu.”

The shadowy figures who’d assessed Jeong Yeon-shin in an instant each spoke out.

—World Tree Slaughterer…

—Why does one who took the place of gods protect the ‘falsely smiling demon’?

—…Tower Master, we’ll need the sun.

—Yes, Commander, prepare yourself. Existences beyond previous calculations have been repeatedly confirmed. Even the Mount Song monster remains intact…

It wasn’t Chinese. Jeong Yeon-shin’s upper dantian just read the meaning. He didn’t know much about them to begin with.

‘No need to know either.’

Would Central Plains martial artists be versed in every great sect’s founding patriarch? What mattered was only how to form and sever grudges.

Woom!

Within the radiance surrounding the foreign jianghu people, a roundish mass of light rose. It blazed with extremely Scorching Yang energy, a glow Tower Master had kindled.

The moment it bathed in that light, some giant’s shadow formed pure white internal energy armor. Instantly even the energy wave pressure doubled, and the ground Yelu Zhen had solidified like diamond sank deeply.

Krrrrrrrng!

A martial lineage that explosively increased power with sunlight. For Tower Master, it was transmitting power across distance, but for him who’d made Yelu Zhen’s domain his own, it seemed no big deal.

Jeong Yeon-shin muttered.

“A martial art that counters Lazy Flame Dragon.”

It showed faintly within the radiance. A hooked nose and strong-looking eyes. The giant shielded Tower Master, then spoke to Jeong Yeon-shin in very well-learned Chinese.

“It’s an honor to meet you, and this moment of crossing swords with one I admired is sacred.”

Black Return’s words came to mind.

—They call him Commander. His position would be equal to Divine Sword Group Leader.

It was exactly as he said.

His spirit encompassed a nation.

Both the spotlessly clear yet rough energy. The chivalrous temperament gained from caring for the weak on battlefields.

‘If Elder Sword Star had been born to a prestigious family, he might have been like this.’

He didn’t feel like fighting.

As Jeong Yeon-shin just silently watched, the Commander took large forward footwork steps. Because of his stature rivaling the Yao Tribe, he’d nearly emerged from the Form Shifting Void’s radiance in just one step.

Bang!

A dark gray long spear stuck in like a stake, and a woman standing at its tip let her long hair flutter. If she’d been just a bit faster, she would have pierced the Commander’s foot, yet her face showed no regret.

“Divine Sword Group Leader…!”

“It took some time.”

Yue Shou-lin turned her back on the Commander’s combative joy and smiled at Jeong Yeon-shin.

“Because I had to break through with internal power.”

She finished speaking. It was talk about the Form Shifting Void mirrors. It seemed she’d assessed the situation in just a brief moment.

Jeong Yeon-shin smiled back faintly and asked.

“Was the journey difficult?”

“Yeah, it didn’t seem made for things to pass through. That must be why the spying was hard to detect.”

“And you’ve been well otherwise?”

“There were troubles at the main fortress. Most should be resolved by now.”

Had she also been counting down to the last day of the three-year mourning period?

Yue Shou-lin’s gaze briefly rested on Jeong Yeon-shin’s clothing. The robe dyed with bright red flower water and the golden Desolate character that had regained its color.

Perceptive as she was, she seemed to immediately notice, the touch of Weii Gun-hye that had transcended even time to caress Jeong Yeon-shin.

“…That’s good.”

“I’m glad you’re in good health too, Senior.”

“Will I live as long as you, Lord?”

Jeong Yeon-shin’s smile deepened slightly, and Yue Shou-lin jumped down from beneath her spear. The Commander’s greeting to her also followed.

“I see the unavoidable spear.”

“Fuck off.”

With Yue Shou-lin’s words as the end, Jeong Yeon-shin raised his head.

From the cavern’s high ceiling, Yelu Zhen was looking down. She’d been forcibly pulled by Tower Master’s technique long ago, but the moment their eyes met, she changed her expression. A face like a sister caught reading her diary.

She spoke with her bare face, without her silver mask.

“What are you looking at?”

“Can I take some honey?”

With those words, Jeong Yeon-shin spoke again. Because for a moment Yelu Zhen’s mood seemed like she might not hesitate to use Transcendent Martial Art ‘Self-Preservation Leisurely Return.’

He said.

“On feast days, hosts sometimes distribute gifts to guests. Since Big Sister is ignorant of worldly etiquette, I should at least teach you.”

Though it seemed the opposite was true, Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t care either way. Yelu Zhen wouldn’t know anyway.

“Feast day…?”

“Let’s add food next time. The scenery Big Sister created is as delicious as a feast table.”

The moment he casually spoke his true feelings, Jeong Yeon-shin understood why Buddha had been indifferent to martial arts. Because Yelu Zhen’s face, which had been frozen all along, melted like flower water. It was a few words more powerful than perfected realm Buddhist power.

She moved her lips slightly.

“…I was going to kill them all then bury even myself in the ground, but that won’t be necessary now.”

Jeong Yeon-shin, as someone who’d already spread his diary across the world, said.

“What’s truly shameful is something else. A heart where flowers don’t bloom.”

“Is the Lord needling this old man?”

Tower Master’s voice interrupted. Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t answer. He just continued his questions to Yelu Zhen.

“Many karmic debts have come calling, should I mediate?”

“…Why bother?”

“Big Sister, don’t strike out. Things might get more difficult.”

There was Yelu Zhen’s silence, and Jeong Yeon-shin took it as affirmation. Simultaneously Tower Master flew up above the radiance and laughed heartily.

“I waited briefly for Sword Master, but in the meantime I heard all sorts of stories! That won’t make all the world’s swords aimed at Ming Cult Leader withdraw!”

It was laughter filled with grudges.

To Jeong Yeon-shin, it also sounded like the lament of an affectionate old man. Meaning he’d rather cut his disciple’s lifeline himself.

***

That was when it happened.

Suddenly all nearby presences vanished, and low footsteps rang out. While amplifying the energy waves of the warriors Tower Master had summoned.

Step.

It happened with just one step.

The already heavy energy waves spread in all directions, and the massive cavern walls cracked. Without question, it was battlefield martial arts. A technique like Jeong Yeon-shin’s Southern Splendor Vast Taiji.

‘Sword Master?’

Different from the Commander. The stride of the shadow formed last within the dazzling radiance was only as narrow as ordinary people’s.

So there was a second step.

Step.

It reinvigorated the blade Sword Master held. A longsword that suddenly hummed. While bearing energy as sacred as perfected realm Buddhist power.

Instantly above Jeong Yeon-shin’s head came the sound of clothes rustling. Yelu Zhen had clutched her own chest.

“Kugh…!”

It was after the sword’s domain unfolded. Invisible resonance. As Tower Master had said before, it was the function of Destroy Evil and Reveal Truth.

A space that completely blocked projection originating from evil internal cultivation.

She had good reason to scheme against Yelu Zhen. Because if it had been before she met Jeong Yeon-shin, it surely would have been greatly effective.

Meanwhile, Jeong Yeon-shin deliberately split the sword circle’s momentum with Radiant Wing Nine Steps because Jeok Yu-ha was in his shadow.

Even she who enjoyed colliding with Buddhist power would likely have internal injuries. Needless to say for fingernail-sized Jeong Yeong-hwi.

Tower Master watched that and laughed.

“Did you have some internal injury I don’t know about? I’d thought Sword Master alone wouldn’t be enough to shake off the Lord’s interference…”

“These jianghu people.”

Jeong Yeon-shin lamented.

Expression disappeared from his face.

The person who reacted first to that look was Yue Shou-lin. Because her omnidirectional energy sense encompassed even Jeong Yeon-shin.

“What? What’s wrong?”

It was when Yue Shou-lin, who’d been pushing back the Commander’s sword pressure indifferently, asked.

Step.

The Sword Master revealing herself at the third step.

A rarely tall woman.

With the third step, jet-black short hair swayed, and Jeong Yeon-shin’s vision distorted as much as that tilting, as if hit by an earthquake.

Footwork like Mind Sword.

The feeling of trampling the opponent’s sense of balance. It was thoroughly practical, even exuding a wanderer’s style. Even though it was a wide-range absolute technique.

“Ugh…!”

Yue Shou-lin shook her head as if annoyed, and Yelu Zhen, who’d been reversing the attributes of power affecting her with ‘Smoke Ash Dark Heart,’ also spat curses.

Amid it all, the Commander stopped competing in resonance with Yue Shou-lin. Of course she asked.

“Not coming in?”

The Commander shook his head and answered.

“That wouldn’t be proper. Taking the head of the ‘falsely smiling demon’ would be enough, I don’t want to create trade problems.”

“Crazy bastards.”

Instantly Yue Shou-lin’s spear, which had blurred, bent space wobbling and sent the Commander flying like a cannonball along with his sword face that barely blocked his chest in time.

KWAAAAAAAANG!

Desolate Fortress’s only standard-bearer. The one signaling the start of battle could only ever be her. Along with basic techniques that remained impossible to defend against even knowing them.

It was also simultaneous when Tower Master created multiple spell formations and shouted.

“Listen! Even if she enjoys flower viewing, what meaning does that have for all the world’s jianghu? She’s fundamentally untrustworthy, and we cannot control her!”

“Why not?”

Jeong Yeon-shin asked quietly.

The cavern had to be somewhat silent.

Because other shadows had positioned themselves within the Form Shifting Void light clusters Tower Master created. Shadows Jeong Yeon-shin could identify just by their clothing and builds.

The great sword difficult to break was skewered like a stick by Cheong Myeong’s worn Desolate Fortress Sword.

The wooden spear stained with bloody scent fell silent before Baek Mi-ryeo’s demonic energy.

The arrows shot from the bow difficult to miss kept disappearing as they touched Hyeon Won-chang’s mischievous blade work.

Soon a single stroke of light flashed, then two or three energy waves of divine techniques and divine weapons with long histories were cut by decisive-battle sword strikes. It was Namgung Hwa-shin’s ultimate technique.

The same went for the swordsman with the dharma treasure that had a single band wrapped around its hilt. That blade, which had been absorbing natural earth energy, emitted a sword cry at the song voice of Wol-yo filled with demonic nature.

[Is it a feast day? You brought me at a good time.]

There were more. Most were subdued unexpectedly. Because black rank now had no vacancies, and there were also guest warriors in purple rank seats.

Jeong Yeon-shin pretended not to see Blood King descending like a bat and raised his hand. So that jianghu people from any land wouldn’t dare privately raise weapons.

[I Tread.]

The cavern ceiling split open like the sky, and through those gaps, violet petals of Hydrangea Flowers began pouring like rain.

[Myriad Heavens Flower Rain.]