Chapter 232 – Treasured Sword (5)

The question sounded faintly brusque.

He might have seemed like a tempestuous, youthful boy.

To those wise in reason, he did not.

Even Ge Du-jin, standing at a distance, perceived it as an incomprehensible technique. He swore it was not So Yu-rang’s doing.

In an instant, it naturally scattered from the hand of the intruder who had just held the wooden cup.

‘With internal energy…? Surely not.’

If the feat just displayed was purely a martial art technique.

It would be a method so refined as to defy imagination.

Perhaps something only seen in the realms of great factions where immortals were said to dwell. It was a spectacle hard to conjure even with fairly pure internal energy.

‘There’s no distinct mark on his clothes. The inner sleeve of his fur cloak was the same. Did he deliberately wear plain garb?’

A colorless glint flashed in Xi’an Chivalrous Sword Ge Du-jin’s eyes.

A person with such extraordinary skill and presence could not be a mere wanderer. He should not be seen as a common rogue but as someone from a prestigious faction hiding his identity.

By then, his sworn younger brother was letting out a dumbfounded exclamation.

“Uh, uh.”

It was said the evil faction followed the law of the jungle.

So Yu-rang was a prodigy worthy of mastering Mount Zhongnan’s divine arts. He had fully immersed himself in the manuals plundered by Tyrant Sword Sect and Yu Ling.

He could not lack five-star talent. His judgment was swift. Yet fully accepting the sight before him was another matter.

“Now…?”

So Yu-rang’s heel twitched slightly.

He hesitated but stopped short. Reacting was difficult.

Such was the martial world of the evil faction. It was instinctive and rough.

The life or death of the weak rested entirely in the strong’s hands. So Yu-rang had lived that way, however briefly.

‘I didn’t sense an energy wave? Could it have been too swift to catch…?’

The martial world was vast enough to merit the term boundless. Even with Desolate Fortress and numerous great factions, they were but a handful compared to the continent.

Meeting a powerhouse capable of overshadowing Reverend Remaining Earth Sect was rare. He had fully enjoyed a life of taking.

What about now? Was he the weak one?

It was a single move from a peer. Sitting nonchalantly, he had unleashed a dreamlike technique. The wooden cup vanished without a trace.

Could one assert it wasn’t a bizarre sorcery-martial art? Yet if it were, would that change anything? The outcome remained the same.

Xi’an Little Gallant So Yu-rang wavered in his worldly calculations.

“You.”

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke from his seat.

“I heard you’ve mastered Nine Yang Single Form.”

So Yu-rang and Ge Du-jin thought simultaneously. Did he come targeting that?

Anyone would. Nine Yang Single Form was a sword art left by a supreme master of old. A sword immortal who withstood Desolate Fortress Lord’s blade without perishing had perfected it.

Though an external secret, Mount Zhongnan had deemed it worthy as their heir’s training, heedless of prestige.

A steady tread sounded.

Ge Du-jin, approaching slowly, narrowed his eyes.

‘From where? Shao Bai Gate? I’ve not heard of such a young master.’

Greed for martial manuals transcended rank and faction. It was not strange for any sect to send anyone.

Xi’an was a vast land, teeming with rival factions. Since Mount Zhongnan’s fall, all sorts had flooded in.

Reverend Remaining Earth Sect, bestowed with Nine Yang Single Form, was a tantalizing prize for other evil sects.

Thanks to Yu Ling’s discreet actions, it wasn’t widely known, but many had entered the city coveting Mount Zhongnan’s manuals, herbs, and secret methods.

People of every status had settled in Xi’an. From evil faction sects to rogues, they were legion. It was a world apart from the outer martial realm.

Ge Du-jin spoke abruptly.

“May I ask your honored sect? I am Ge Du-jin of Reverend Remaining Earth Sect.”

“That guy’s said to have mastered Nine Yang Single Form.”

The intruder replied calmly. It was a repetition of his earlier remark.

His slightly raised chin gave an imperious air. It oddly suited his refined features.

“Answer. I asked something.”

He issued a command. His voice echoed quietly along the wall blocking the cold wind.

He seemed to treat the two martial artists as less than human. At that moment, the surrounding presence was still.

The lantern light illuminating the inn flowed more silently than ever. An unimaginable event had unfolded in Xi’an’s eyes.

Reverend Remaining Earth Sect was under the Thirteen Evil Sects’ Yu Ling and was itself a formidable faction.

In Xi’an’s Lantian County, it boasted greater influence than sects serving the Tyrant Sword Sect. Even notable clans were subdued by it.

“What is this…”

“An assassin from Shao Bai Gate? Could he be here to strike Reverend Remaining Earth Sect?”

A few seated in the inn began to speak. Xi’an had always drawn all manner of warriors.

Even common folk roaming outside were famously fearless.

They had merely held their breath under the tyranny of evil sects backed by the Thirteen Evil Sects’ names.

“An assassin? What assassin strides in so boldly?”

“It’s said if no one witnesses, that’s assassination. Killing and silencing.”

“Calling him Xi’an Shadow Guest would be more plausible.”

“Shadow Guest? That one’s just adept at evading capture. His skill’s too lacking to face Thirteen Evil Sect branches. No chance.”

“Gets the heart racing…”

The evil faction’s sword replaced Ming law.

It was a tightly woven structure formed in short order. The current reality of Xi’an’s martial world.

Now a strange wanderer had stepped in. Like a stone tossed into a lake, he created an odd ripple.

“…How uncouth.”

Ge Du-jin spoke and instantly regretted it.

It wasn’t a remark an evil faction martial artist should make. He sounded foolish.

The intruder’s peculiar aura had overwhelmed him. Xi’an Chivalrous Sword Ge Du-jin frowned, chastising himself. Damn it.

The intruder’s lips traced a faint arc.

“Is your throat sturdy?”

Sitting on a worn chair, he asked, glancing up at So Yu-rang. Even with his dark eyes tilted upward, it felt as if he looked down.

Such bearing was hard to possess without innate arrogance.

Ge Du-jin considered the possibility that the intruder was an evil faction disciple. He had to be seen as a noble scion, not a commoner.

‘Blood Flame Cult’s followers have black hair, they say. His temperament suggests Ming Cult or Heaven-Subduing Sect. Could a Thirteen Evil Sects figure have come personally…?’

As he pondered.

***

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Translated by Nine Heavens!

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***

“You’ve not answered once to my two questions.”

Jeong Yeon-shin murmured quietly.

A soft rustle sounded.

He rose slowly from his seat. So Yu-rang nearby and the approaching Ge Du-jin flinched.

The long hem of his fur cloak, donned to conceal his identity, spread blackly. The rustling was distinct.

Recalling Blood Flame Cult masters and Lazy Flame Dragon, Jeong Yeon-shin spoke. This was not a place to evoke Radiant Demon Wing Leader of Desolate Fortress.

“You force this young master to heed Xi’an’s code.”

He deliberately spoke haughtily. Oddly, it felt fitting, as if Lazy Flame Dragon’s poppy scent had rubbed off, making him uneasy.

He suspected it might stem from his grandfather. He didn’t show it outwardly.

‘Too many arrogant people around me.’

With a thought to beware of dark influences, he set aside his musings.

Then he spoke again.

“Worthless things.”

They killed commoners without care. Their martial skills were trivial compared to their conduct.

Jeong Yeon-shin raised his right arm, concealing his energy wave. He suppressed the Luminous Wheel Technique swirling from his heart to his arm’s meridians. It was a fleeting moment.

The ever-present internal energy in his body’s acupoints bolstered his strength. A feat of Jeong Family Dynamic Technique.

The black sleeve, not Desolate Fortress’s robe, blurred. He struck suddenly.

A sharp grip seized!

He clutched the nape. The hair’s texture filled his grasp. The one who’d boasted of his throat couldn’t track the right hand’s strike. His eyes only widened in belated shock.

A gust surged!

Wind spread. The ceiling lanterns swayed briefly. To Jeong Yeon-shin, it barely qualified as an energy wave’s aftermath.

It seemed otherwise to others.

“A master…!”

Ge Du-jin kicked off the floor. His orange robes rustled loudly. He charged, using forward steps like lightness skills.

Was it the evil faction’s martial nature? He must have judged the seized one’s life at risk.

His urgent move to save his brother stirred an odd feeling in Jeong Yeon-shin.

A sword unsheathed!

The blade’s path, unusually straight for an evil faction, thrust directly forward.

Dark red stains stood out on the sword tip. It seemed used as a consumable.

A firm grasp tightened.

While eyeing Ge Du-jin’s strike, Jeong Yeon-shin squeezed the struggling captive’s head harder.

Movement ceased instantly. Likely due to feeling a grip surpassing his faint protective aura. It epitomized survival of the fittest.

By then, Ge Du-jin’s pinpoint thrust reached close. It aimed for Jeong Yeon-shin’s throat.

The rustling of his robes was loud. He was a properly trained martial artist.

Jeong Yeon-shin swung the back of his left hand. Air split through his five fingers, turning into a long hum.

A sharp clang resounded!

He struck the blade’s flat precisely. A piercing shock ran from his hand to the sword.

The hit blade veered outward unsteadily. Ge Du-jin, not losing his grip, closed in. He couldn’t halt his charge’s momentum.

A startled face filled Jeong Yeon-shin’s view. As expected.

The mindset and limits of lesser fighters gave a near-prescient sense to a master. Even to a black-clad supreme master hiding his true skill.

“Look up at this young master, you filth.”

Energy erupted from the Yongquan acupoint on Jeong Yeon-shin’s right sole. A kick technique.

His leg blurred black, striking Ge Du-jin’s abdomen as swiftly as unsheathing a sword.

The faint internal energy barrier from Ge Du-jin’s crossed arms crumpled under the leather shoe’s toe.

It was instantaneous. With a sound like tearing paper, the kick landed dead center on Ge Du-jin’s abdomen.

A thunderous boom echoed!

“Guh—!”

A massive shock coursed through his veins. The Jeong Family Dynamic Technique’s energy wave, fully unleashed, transmitted with startling speed.

Jeong Yeon-shin felt it through his toes. Until Ge Du-jin, mouth agape, spat crimson blood.

He withdrew his leg promptly. It narrowly spared his robes from staining.

To onlookers, his demeanor seemed profoundly refined. Every move stemmed from inspiration flashing like lightning from the Baihui acupoint.

Swift yet unhurried. His temperament matched. All bore the grace of a high-caliber master.

The inn was engulfed in shock. Astonishment rippled outward like a storm.

Some dropped chopsticks or gaped without closing their mouths. Others hurriedly packed to flee the inn.

“They say fights among lesser foes are refreshing. Hmm?”

Jeong Yeon-shin casually muttered and ignored his own words.

He turned his gaze slowly. He glanced at the trembling figure under his right grip.

Even after prolonged interaction, there was no hint of guessing his identity.

It confirmed the disguise’s effectiveness. In the vast martial world, those memorizing every notable figure’s appearance were indeed rare.

That top-tier masters’ portraits were near-secret documents likely played a part.

Desolate Fortress warriors linked to the authorities were not ones to slack.

He hadn’t revealed Lightning Genius’s signature techniques either.

‘My age is the issue. I must ensure no connections are drawn.’

After his mission was set, he’d received Ma Jin’s letter. It bore advice.

‘Avoid using a human-skin mask. It’s prone to catch sharp masters’ eyes. You don’t need it anyway. Act and carry yourself more boldly, and you’ll pass as an evil faction noble like the Thirteen Evil Sects’ scions. Your grandfather and I did so. I’ve many thoughts on this… but since it’s mission-bound, I’ll stick to facts. As uncle and Leader, I’ve watched you. Yeon-shin, you’re not much different. It suits a headquarters warrior. I wish you success.’

It was a remark that inwardly tilted his head.

He didn’t fully grasp it, but he couldn’t dismiss a former Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s counsel.

‘As my heart wills.’

The intruder naturally raised his head. His sharp jawline emerged. The lanterns’ scarlet light settled elegantly upon it.

“Name.”

“So… So, Yu-rang.”

Xi’an Little Gallant stammered. His sworn brother, once so formidable, lay sprawled, and a peer’s indifferent voice pierced his ears.

“So Yu-rang of Reverend Remaining Earth Sect. Explain how you came to master Mount Zhongnan’s Nine Yang Single Form.”

“…If you came alone, you won’t escape death. This won’t do. Xi’an’s evil faction is vast, sharpened by the profits lost since Mount Zhongnan’s fall. Even if they fight among themselves, they react keenly to outsiders’ incursions. The evil faction’s masters band together, I mean.”

So Yu-rang was an evil faction prodigy. He didn’t just cower but sought alternatives. He conceived plans upright sects’ rigid minds wouldn’t.

Persuasion.

Calming his twitching lips, he continued slowly. His voice grew clearer.

“You… made a mistake, honored one. Dominating the martial world is for supreme masters alone. Xi’an’s martial realm even more so. Even decent masters can’t hold out solo. Joining our sect as a guest now would be safer…”

It wasn’t wrong.

Many practitioners, even at lofty realms, settled in favorable spots to found sects. Few kept disciples sparse.

Surviving alone in the wild martial world was hard. Even a rogue-born sword saint, reaching sublime heights, was shunned by the Hanzhong Martial Alliance for this reason.

The martial world, too, was a society of people. Faction affiliation mattered as much as personal prowess.

Then.

“Amusing enough to watch, but what a trivial wretch…”

A murmur sounded from outside the inn. A languid voice tinged with irritation.

A sharp slash resounded!

One wall began splitting into a human shape. An overwhelmingly potent energy wave. It seemed to radiate sword aura from the whole body.

The thick wooden wall, built with iron clan craftsmanship, shattered instantly. No violent tremor accompanied it. Only hazy dust billowed thickly.

A sudden whiff of liquor spread.

A steady tread followed.

Someone stepped through the breached wall.

His silk robes bore no dust, yet his appearance seemed worn. His carelessly draped hair matched.

Dark shadows under his eyes gave him a wastrel’s look. His slow lip-smacking, as if his mouth felt empty, hinted at some obsession. An unvented frustration seeped out.

Lazy Flame Dragon spoke slowly. He smirked, eyeing the sprawled Ge Du-jin and So Yu-rang held in one hand.

“The Leader’s had his fun too.”

A heavy gust surged!

The aftermath of energy radiating from his body was terrifying. The inn’s dishes rattled. Hanging lanterns clashed against each other.

Even with the central ceiling open, a brief clamor echoed, its faintly frivolous din enforcing silence around.

Those at the sagging tables and leaning on the upper railing shut their mouths. Their movements froze.

Into Xi’an’s hardened martial world.

Radiant Demon Wing had arrived.