Chapter 270 – The Master of the Martial Book (7)

Worry clouded Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes. His niece’s sharp remark had been tempered by the words that followed.

Even if Yue Shou-lin’s handwriting carried a hint of playfulness, it was not something to overlook lightly.

‘The Squad Leader faced two of the Thirteen Evil Sect leaders…?’

If this became widely known, the martial world would tremble. Battles between leaders of great factions were not easily arranged.

The clash between the Tyrant Sword Sect Leader and Brilliant Jade Sword God alone rivaled the impact of the news of supreme masters felled on Mount Taibai.

The softening of his heart at Yue Shou-lin’s words of longing lasted only a moment.

‘Escort to a recuperation site.’

Jeong Yeon-shin thought calmly. It would be wise to prioritize and address the remaining tasks in order.

He should not spare a glance for trivial matters.

He summoned the energy waves of the Wind Body movement technique only to his feet.

The wind of the self-preservation instinct gently pushed through the Yongquan acupoint on his soles, sweeping the dirt floor. At the same time, he stepped forward. Toward the most pressing matter.

Whoosh.

In the distance, Jeong Hye’s small figure trudged along.

It grew larger in his blurred vision. A transparent breeze brushed his skin moments later.

“Hye.”

“Yes?”

Jeong Hye turned around immediately. Their gazes met close to her round eyes.

The child pursed her lips but showed no sign of being startled by the self-preservation instinct. Having grown up in Zhongnan, it was understandable.

“This uncle spoke carelessly. I am sorry for saying something unkind.”

Jeong Hye smiled brightly. Her small mouth moved delicately, revealing a nature clear about gratitude and grudges from a young age.

“Yes! I am sorry too for saying I would not play.”

“Good.”

Jeong Yeon-shin bent down and patted her crown.

“Let us try again. If you master the Jeong Family Dynamic Technique, you can have fun even with Zhongnan martial arts.”

As her soft hair wrapped around his hand, the child nodded.

Jeong Yeon-shin inwardly sighed with relief while unraveling his doubts.

Had the mention of a monkey upset her? Perhaps his words belittling some martial artists were the issue.

‘Either way, I must be cautious. Being born dull is not a sin.’

Jeong Yeon-shin realized anew through brief reflection. The masses of the world had long lives.

Most were superior to him, a coward fearing an early, predetermined death.

He was lesser by birth. He had no right to disparage some warriors, let alone fail to be humble. Yes, an adult should be modest.

At that moment, his heart thrummed.

Hum—

The radiant wheel of spirit spun larger, growing slightly sturdier.

The Dharma Luminous Wheel, born from the spirit of the upper dantian and tied to the mind, reacted to a heart awakened from carelessness as the core of short-term combat martial arts.

The inner power of supreme masters deepened in such ways too, depending on the traits of their cultivated arts.

Stronger energy waves flowed from his fingertips. Experiences tempered by the Thirteen Evil Sect masters and Mount Taibai’s foes shone through.

“Hye is teaching this uncle.”

The weather was fine.

Instructions followed, moving feet in various directions and using arm muscles differently, alongside ways to sense acupoints and subtle meridians.

“It is hard…”

“When the Jeong Family Dynamic Technique reaches its tenth level and Hye feels her strength lacking, recall this martial art.”

“The name is weird.”

“A splendid hero named it.”

Sunlight shattered into the faint snowflakes, glowing, as the young uncle and niece huddled together, softly reciting words to be passed down under the Jeong Family name.

From a distance, Jeong Yeon-shin’s second brother watched, his rugged face bearing complex emotions.

It lasted until dusk.

The current Radiant Demon Wing Leader imparted the Jeong Family Dynamic Technique and Brilliant River to Zhongnan disciple Jeong Hye before retiring to his chamber.

No one was there. White darkness seeped into the paper windows.

Swish.

Jeong Yeon-shin leaned against the opposite wall and lowered his eyes.

He had not relaxed since returning from Mount Taibai. He first examined Jeong Hye’s body, which had absorbed Yu Ling’s demonic arts.

She was a very young child. He did not know what symptoms might arise if he tried to expel the demonic energy with divine power.

He devised a new circulation path for Zhongnan’s Grand Unity Divine Technique. Thanks to Great Hero Sword Dragon Wei Ji Myo-hwa’s permission.

He ensured the demonic nature could not encroach on his niece’s mind.

Referencing the Brilliant River’s arcane formation principles, he stabilized her body, allowing Jeong Hye to wield demonic energy that grew stronger as she cultivated Taoist internal energy.

Wei Ji Myo-hwa seemed greatly surprised by this outcome, though Jeong Yeon-shin did not ask why.

Regardless, it was the best course. It sufficed that his niece’s body grew healthy.

‘Now it is done.’

His body suddenly felt weary. Was the tension finally easing? The pain endured since the Ghost White Divine Sword settled deep within.

His overtaxed crown grew cold. At last, winter air seemed to press against his skin.

His eyes closed.

His vision blurred at the lashes.

“Benefactor.”

A fragrant tea scent wafted in suddenly, and a clear voice pushed aside the silence cloaking the room. It seemed to have called faintly several times.

In a half-dream state, Jeong Yeon-shin felt a warm touch. Soon, the soft sensation of bedding brushed his skin.

‘I promised to enjoy tea with Great Hero Sword Dragon.’

One tasked with rebuilding Zhongnan.

She had formed a deep bond with him. She would guide his second brother and niece too.

The Taoist principles of the Grand Unity Divine Technique she taught held regenerative power. It was clear she shared it for Jeong Hye and him alike.

In his hazy consciousness, Jeong Yeon-shin spoke.

He had placed a copy of the Complete Compendium of Evil Sect Annihilation on the tea table, worried about the Great Hero, Hye, and his second brother.

He said they could rely on Desolate Fortress anytime. He thought he had.

“It will be fine. You are fine.”

A gentle whisper tickled his ears for a while.

***

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Translated by Nine Heavens!

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***

The Radiant Demon Wing masters soon left Xi’an. Over twenty strong, they traveled with a carriage bearing their squad leader.

Masters emblazoned with the rugged “Desolate” character surrounding a single carriage drew many eyes.

Yet few among Shaanxi’s evil outer path remained capable of ambushing Desolate Fortress’s blue and white ranks.

The vacancies left by supreme masters felled by the current Radiant Demon Wing Leader were vast.

Coupled with ominous rumors about the Complete Compendium of Evil Sect Annihilation, Shaanxi’s martial vitality had shrunk unprecedentedly alongside Mount Hua’s gate sealing.

“Is this really alright?”

“His stamina is utterly spent. It looks like he naturally triggered the Great Tortoise Breathing Technique. Well, after such feats…”

“It has been two days this time. Will he be okay?”

“Though his pulse has changed, his energy is intact. He is truly just sleeping.”

“His energy waves are even stabilizing slightly.”

A small bed was set up in the carriage.

Jeong Yeon-shin, lying down, repeatedly drifted into and out of sleep.

His body, forged by the Jeong Family Dynamic Technique, had entered a natural recovery phase, but its regenerative power was not what it once was.

Consecutive fierce battles had damaged his vital energy.

“Is this not strange? Why does he not wake when called?”

“It means he endured such grueling days. Even the energy to stay conscious is a luxury. I did not mention the Great Tortoise Breathing Technique for nothing.”

“I want to step in and check…”

“White Cat. The white robes need not worry. The squad leader is a black robe. If he senses killing intent, his body will rise on its own. He sleeps like a young bear now because he trusts us. It means the Radiant Demon Wing is ingrained in his subconscious. Truly, it is an honor.”

Though white-robed warriors like Zhuge Qing-ya and Shin So-bin wore concerned expressions, the blue-robed masters were moved in other aspects.

Desolate Fortress warriors experienced practical combat more than any great faction’s disciples.

Their martial world insight surpassed their squad leader’s, so unlike many juniors, they remained unshaken.

They accepted it as a common sight among supreme masters who pushed inner and outer power to their limits.

As the squad leader’s sleep lengthened, they only quickened their pace.

Thus, the Radiant Demon Wing crossed southeastern Shaanxi straight toward Xiangyang.

They minded their squad leader despite pretending otherwise.

After eating wild boar meat, luckily caught and cooked over a campfire on snow-covered ground, Jeong Yeon-shin did not rise for three days.

Even upon reaching Xiangyang’s outer walls, he showed no sign of waking.

“I remember Lazy Flame Dragon stoking the fire then. What did he put in the meat?”

“He might have mixed some trick into the Samadhi True Flames. Like the rumored Ming Cult’s young leader.”

“That guy would do it. I knew it since he slept beside a grave. Maybe he held a grudge against the squad leader for taking precious poppies? Waking up after it is all done?”

“Are these people serious…?”

On the main road entering Xiangyang Prefecture.

The path was wide. Escort agencies, caravans, and commoners traveling to and from the city were plentiful.

“So many esteemed blue-robed lords…”

“They must be returning from a great task. With that scale, we might see a black robe.”

“That is why we wait. Even elusive figures show their faces in Xiangyang.”

The murmurs grew loud.

The crowd swelled.

Despite the vast snow-covered plains, eyes gathered on the Radiant Demon Wing. Some even recognized Cheong Myeong and Baek Mi-ryeo’s faces.

The Radiant Demon Wing faced a new issue. Amid the whispering crowd.

Baek Mi-ryeo placed a hand on the carriage wall.

“What do we do?”

It would be right to show him here. If Jeong Yeon-shin aimed for the purple rank, it was necessary. Desolate Fortress’s purple rank was a hierarchy of immense symbolism.

Prowess alone did not suffice; one had to be widely known early on. Especially in Xiangyang, where the main fortress stood.

Heon Won-chang nodded firmly.

“How great are his achievements?”

“At this point, he is a triumphant general. Rumors must have spread quietly. We should drive the point home.”

Cheong Myeong muttered from the opposite side.

Yet a Desolate Fortress black robe must always stand strong. The Divine Sword Group’s treasured sword. It could break but never show rust.

The fate of supreme masters bearing the rugged “Desolate” character. Still, Jeong Yeon-shin’s breath from the carriage remained steady and deep.

“I have an idea.”

Lazy Flame Dragon smirked and spoke.

“How did that Young Lord dress, they said? Pick four skilled in Self-Preservation Instinct.”

***

They bought a palanquin from a caravan present.

It was the seat of a lavishly adorned caravan leader.

They refused it for free and paid under the Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s name. Lazy Flame Dragon, now acting captain from junior, took charge of everything.

They seated Jeong Yeon-shin in the ornate rosewood palanquin.

They posed him with elbows on the armrests and his chin in his hand.

The current Radiant Demon Wing Leader did not wake even as his demonic acupoints were pressed to hold the stance.

Unlike when he had opened his eyes to the boar’s fighting spirit, this time even Lazy Flame Dragon paused briefly.

“It was not that he did not sense killing intent; his exhaustion was extreme.”

Baek Mi-ryeo remarked from beside him.

April Bow Ghost Wei Rui-ling, Luo Yi-qian of Blood Guardian, Lazy Flame Dragon, and Hyeon Won-chang shouldered the palanquin.

They glanced at the squad leader, chin in hand with eyes closed and a refined face. At a glance, he seemed a noble son indifferent to all.

Wei Rui-ling, of noble lineage, and Luo Yi-qian, from the Blood Guardians, wore faintly uneasy expressions.

“He did not seem the type to enjoy this.”

“It is a flourish of life.”

Lazy Flame Dragon replied curtly to Wei Rui-ling and stepped forward.

A triumphal procession followed. For once in sync with Lazy Flame Dragon, Hyeon Won-chang shouted with a beaming face.

“Having vanquished Shaanxi’s Reverend Remaining Earth Sect, Severing End Pavilion, Great Spirit Shock Sect, Sword Demon Sect, Radiant Moon Clan, and Final Heaven Sect! Slaying the Tyrant Sword Sect’s elder council lord and Yu Ling’s Shaanxi’s Top Demon! The Ronin of Shaanxi, the Water King Sect Leader, Yu Ling’s former chief protector! And even Yu Ling’s Young Lord with a single stroke…”

Even the surrounding seniors showed surprise at his immensely deep inner power.

A voice like Shaolin’s Lion Roar tore through the air.

“The procession of the Radiant Demon Wing Leader!”

The crowd lining the long path to the main gate buzzed.

Xingyang Prefecture’s vast air seemed to ripple entirely.

“Radiant Demon Wing Leader? Great Hero Ma Jin of Harbinger of Death…?”

“What Harbinger of Death from ages past! Lightning Genius, I say! The current Radiant Demon Wing Leader!”

“The rumors were true! He crushed Shaanxi flat!”

The throng parted in two.

A rare triumphal return of a Desolate Fortress senior warrior.

It often occurred after the imperial sword completed a great task, last seen when a former Divine Sword Group Leader aimed for the elder council lord’s seat. Cheers struck the air in an instant.

Roar!

Blue-robed masters, some with expressions of reluctance or doubt, escorted the Radiant Demon Wing Leader.

Yet about half did not hide their amusement.

A chance to tease their tempestuous young squad leader had arisen. A rare diversion for the revered elite masters.

“It will not harm the squad leader’s body, will it?”

“Have you not sparred and felt him? His muscle knots were like stone. This will not affect him.”

A guise crafted by the world’s foremost faction’s masters.

The palanquin, borne by blue-robed masters adept in the Self-Preservation instinct, moved without sway, as if using the Transcendent Flight Technique.

It meant his pose—chin in hand, lashes lowered—held steady.

Radiant Demon Wing Leader Jeong Yeon-shin’s demeanor was utterly haughty.

His features, more noble than Han, drew admiration over complaints. Endless cheers followed. How majestic.

“Truly dependable!”

“Is that not the stance of one with no rival in the world! Befitting the pitch-black robe!”

“In these troubled times, Xiangyang must be the most peaceful place under heaven! The imperial swords will protect us!”

The procession continued beyond Desolate Fortress’s main base.

They had to stop at the Administration office first, where officials and their proxies from across the realm sat with uneasy expressions.

They blamed recent unrest in public order. Robes of all colors fluttered.

A path flanked by unusually verdant bushes for winter.

A passing blue-robed master saluted Jeong Yeon-shin with clasped fists, whispering to Cheong Myeong at the front.

“Welcome back safely. Report your return to the Grand Administrator, then head to the Fortress Leader. Orders came for the Radiant Demon Wing Leader and his escorting warriors to ascend without delay.”

“Hm?”

Lazy Flame Dragon’s eyebrow twitched slightly as he held one side of the palanquin.