Chapter 272 – The Master of the Martial Book (9)

Six factions suffered damage akin to total annihilation. An ancient city of a thousand years trembled entirely.

Across all of Shaanxi, it was merely an anomaly in a single major city.

Even if metropolises as grand as Xi’an were rare, it remained just a regional martial world.

Mid-to-small faction martial artists divided and occupied territories everywhere.

Rather than calling upon imperial troops for mere guarding duties, they used the self-preservaton instinct to unpredictably collect tolls and ambush travelers.

A dozen swordsmen moved forward.

Plum blossom embroidery on the hems of their white robes swayed, their steps on the lightly snow-dusted ground resounding with restraint.

They resembled a single, finely honed blade. Escorting a carriage, their demeanor exuded solemnity.

“Plum blossoms, Mount Hua!”

“…Is that not the smell of blood? It seems a divine being has been injured.”

“Good heavens, I hope nothing serious happens.”

“In times like these, for Taoist masters…”

Eastern Shaanxi.

A busy thoroughfare with much foot traffic. Mount Hua’s masters drew considerable attention.

Their footprints were unusually faint with each step, and the energy flowing from their bodies was sharp like a divine, frigid wind.

A temperament honed like a sword’s edge from Taoist divine aura. The power waves of Mount Hua, a great orthodox faction existing since before the Ming Dynasty.

To ignorant low-tier warriors or commoners, they could only appear as immortals. It had been so for ages.

No one dared approach rashly.

This was also the intent of Mount Hua’s Taoists at this moment.

The Plum Blossom Swordsmen and Mount Hua Sword Saint had been gravely defeated by supreme masters of the evil outer path, led by the Tyrant Sword Sect Leader.

With the Mount Hua Sect Leader severely wounded and barely able to move, those escorting her now were not the sect’s top forces.

“We are nearing Huayin County. There, over there. Lotus Peak is in sight.”

“Do not let your guard down. It is still far.”

“Being too tense might instead unease the commoners. Is not Shaanxi as the domain of the evil outer path an old tale now? There has not been a single threatening ambush…”

“That is flawed reasoning. It was not dangerous because we could counter it.”

A young Taoist atop the carriage roof waved a book.

He bore a languid air. As if all worldly matters were trivial, he occasionally yawned widely.

Mount Hua’s Hidden Dragon, Yu Hyeon. Shaanxi’s most promising young swordsman. Despite his age, he led the group with an absurdly high seniority.

“What about insight?”

Yu Hyeon scanned the book’s title as if beholding a wondrous treasure anew.

Complete Compendium of Evil Sect Annihilation. A peerless secret manual that enabled even the clumsy Plum Blossom Swordsmanship of aged seniors to cut down supreme masters a level above.

He murmured.

“It is remarkably kind. Unlike that friend. I still cannot believe such a thing exists.”

“Senior Uncle, do you know the Master of the Martial Tome?”

A white-robed swordsman walking beside him asked abruptly. Yu Hyeon replied nonchalantly.

They had endured many fierce battles, so a brief respite would keep them from collapsing before arrival.

“My master told me. He is my dear friend.”

“Do you know him well? There is a gap in caliber, is there not? The current Radiant Demon Wing Leader is becoming hard to call a hidden dragon…”

“Scraping at me again? You laggards with a decade left to reach Plum Blossom Swordsman. Keep your mouths shut tight.”

“Worry not. I would sooner end myself than dig into our benefactor’s name. That aside, they say the Radiant Demon Wing Leader suffered considerable wounds. Will he be alright…?”

“You fret too much. Your unscathed body could not match that battered friend of mine.”

The light conversation carried the rugged spirit of Mount Hua’s perilous peaks. It was then, amid their hushed jests.

“That story.”

A commanding voice suddenly rang out. From above.

“Tell it again.”

The moment Yu Hyeon snapped his head up, the sun was obscured.

A woman stood atop a divine sword, her supreme power so long-cultivated it seemed to devour light itself.

Her aura, woven with extreme menace, stood out as a transcendent swordsman. Gray hair in a short cut teased the sunlight.

Yu Hyeon’s eyes widened fully.

“Sword Venerable… Swimming Heaven Sword Ghost…!”

“Speak. I will not cut down one too injured to move.”

Shadows fell across her sleek, sword-like face. Even her voice was somber.

“Recent events in the martial arts world are not going according to my wishes.”

***

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Translated by Nine Heavens!

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***

“It has been a while, Jeong brat.”

A tall man. He sat on the highest stone seat in Wish for Peace Sword Hall, raising a hand in greeting.

He had a scholarly air. His purple robe, worn loosely like a literatus’s attire, exuded no aura.

As if he had never revealed his presence, he completely concealed his power.

His complexion was deathly pale. Anyone would mistake him for an invalid.

‘They say he dealt critical wounds to two of the Thirteen Evil Sect leaders.’

Jeong Yeon-shin could not gauge the Divine Sword Group Leader’s internal injuries.

He could not fathom their severity. If the term “recuperation site” arose, they might be at least as grave as his own.

“I greet the Group Leader.”

He saluted his direct superior with clasped fists.

The Divine Sword Group Leader looked at his youngest subordinate with a fond expression on his pallid face.

“You returned in grand style.”

“Pardon?”

“Every time I did it, I felt the urge to flee with the self-preservaton instinct, but some are suited to it by nature. The current Radiant Demon Wing Leader seems one of them. Well, is your lineage not exceptionally remarkable?”

“What do you mean…”

“Oh, you think it is no big deal. Your capacity differs. When I received reports of your deeds in Shaanxi, I thought you were mad. Feats only senior black robes would dare attempt.”

The Divine Sword Group Leader said.

Jeong Yeon-shin stood blankly, puzzled by the cryptic words.

Then.

“Our Lightning Genius, do not just stand there, sit. No need to prop up that Yong fool’s dignity needlessly.”

A girl sitting right in front of Jeong Yeon-shin turned and called him. Holding a spear propped beside the stone seat’s armrest, she beckoned him with a pat-like gesture from her other hand.

Even beside the Group Leader, her presence was vivid. Fitting for a supreme master who had rewound her body’s years until her prime.

Desolate Divine Spear Yue Shou-lin smiled brightly.

“Blood Guardian and Burning Abyss are on standby, but you are the only one we sought. The Fortress Leader commanded it.”

“Senior Yue. I am glad you are unharmed.”

Jeong Yeon-shin’s tone eased slightly.

Yue Shou-lin, playfully twirling her spear, grinned.

“Am I that welcome? Or is it because I mentioned the Fortress Leader?”

Her short, wavy black hair exuded boldness. Accompanied by immensely deep power waves.

Yet they no longer overwhelmed as before. Jeong Yeon-shin thought he might hold his own against her if he unleashed the Ultimate Thunder.

It was the first time he felt confidence in his core martial arts since entering Wish for Peace Sword Hall. Had he grown as much as he had learned humility?

‘Even if only for a brief moment, with luck, I might actually manage it…’

The Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s head tilted slightly.

Or perhaps not. Was it too soon? The Ultimate Thunder’s power surge was abnormal, leaving his judgment lagging.

They say the world of masters widens like a horizon as one ascends, and the black robe realm, just below purple rank, was vast.

Supreme masters capable of standing in for great faction leaders existed in such numbers.

Like Yue Shou-lin, smirking before him.

“Look at this? My crown just tingled.”

“What do you mean?”

Startled inwardly, Jeong Yeon-shin deflected.

Yue Shou-lin narrowed her eyes with an odd smile.

“Did you not just size me up? I felt it all.”

A flash of dark lightning seemed to spark in her pupils. To Jeong Yeon-shin, it was a pivotal moment.

The mightiest candidate after the Divine Sword Group Leader. The rival he alone marked spoke on.

“Our Lightning Genius, you do not know how fierce your own gaze is.”

“Senior Yue’s eyes are more…”

“Acting coy, huh. So cute, like a little fox. Should I really take you as my groom?”

She reached out. Her fingertips, aiming for his head, tapped his chest instead. Jeong Yeon-shin’s grown height now outstripped hers.

As the current Radiant Demon Wing Leader felt an unprecedented sense of achievement, Yue Shou-lin chuckled amusedly and snapped her fingers briefly.

“This should suffice to escort the Group Leader. He seems heavily worn, but… it is not a noisy departure. You will bring a few subordinates too.”

“I read your dispatch, Senior Yue. Where is this recuperation site?”

“It was a letter, not a dispatch. Anyway, the Fortress Lord decided this after hearing of your condition. You will go to the recuperation site with the Group Leader. Have you heard of the Heaven’s Pillar Sect?”

“A faction of noble lineages shunning the secular world… It really exists.”

“You need to recuperate there. You have overtaxed your body.”

“I can move.”

“You are hiding stiff muscles and strained meridians, are you not? Your vitality must be damaged. You know consecutive battles make it hard to exert full strength? Keep running without rest, and you will collapse.”

“…”

“Take it as secluded training to recover. It is a faction guarding a vital branch of the World Tree. Plenty of mysteries there.”

“Secluded training…?”

Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes gleamed. He had just realized the immense value of wise martial artists’ training methods.

His heart stirred. Since waking, his internal injuries had oddly subsided, but as Yue Shou-lin said, he needed fundamental recovery.

The Divine Sword Group Leader, lounging carelessly on the stone seat, waved a hand.

“Pick about four, including Blue-Eyed Demon Sword. Mix in one or two white robes. Hm, that should do. Most blue robes stand out even in disguise.”

“Why Blue-Eyed Demon Sword…?”

“Heaven’s Pillar Sect is his homeland. Even this Group Leader finds it unappealingly rural, but bringing a native might earn some courtesy.”

“With just me and four from Radiant Demon Wing now, is it not lacking? Should we not ensure thorough protection?”

To his calm question, the Divine Sword Group Leader’s lips curved.

“My popularity in the martial world is vast. Great faction leaders drop by often. With keenly sharpened blades.”

“Ah.”

“Lightning Genius. Rise to my place soon, and disguises will become routine. You will frequently witness the grim spectacle of sect grandmasters launching joint attacks. Never a dull moment in the martial world. Harsh. Very harsh.”

Yue Shou-lin shot a sidelong glance at the Group Leader shaking his head.

“That is Yong’s own doing. The Martial Dragon Association Leader had no hostility at first. Even a cursory listen made it clear.”

“When he sits with that ear-pierced Dark Night Palace runt, striking first is proper, no?”

“What is there to say to you. Anyway, Lightning Genius, escorting the Divine Sword Group Leader is a clear mission, so you will earn merits. Heaven’s Pillar Sect is famed for holding the Moon-Shielding Heaven Technique, one of the Five Great Palm Arts of the realm. Little else is known, but… it will broaden your horizons.”

“Five Great Palm Arts…”

Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly recalled the Sovereign Sword Dominion Palm wielded by a Tyrant Sword Sect Leader’s disciple. It seemed unremarkable.

Yue Shou-lin chattered on.

“A very insular faction. They shun the secular world heavily.”

“Like a rural area with native religion?”

“Not quite. The most insufferable noble lineages formed a village there. They reject all Central Plains culture. Unless you are the Fortress Leader, entering requires showing martial arts unknown to the Ming Dynasty. You should manage fine.”

Jeong Yeon-shin listened to the concise explanation.

Heaven’s Pillar Sect, situated at Huguang Province’s northern edge. Not too far from Desolate Fortress.

A faction said to possess a lake imbued with potent regenerative power. Many mysterious tales surrounded it too.

‘Regenerative power…’

It would likely aid in stabilizing his body and unlocking potential.

The current Radiant Demon Wing Leader mentally selected three more alongside Cheong Myeong.

Fool Lazy Flame Dragon, White Cat Shin So-bin, Desolate Divine Hero Hyeon Won-chang. The party to head to Heaven’s Pillar Sect with the Divine Sword Group Leader.

“Return, and the Administration Office will have piled up your mission rewards. The Grand Administrator was sweating cold while laughing. Said it might take a typical black robe’s five-year budget in one go.”

Yue Shou-lin grinned, tapping the armrest lightly.

“Heaven’s Pillar Sect is a mysterious faction with a barely known location, so recuperating there should be uneventful. Go lightly and come back. I must guard the main fortress. The Divine Sword Group is too short-handed lately.”

“No particularly bad news…”

“None! Truly none! Go with peace of mind!”

Jeong Yeon-shin had to turn back to prepare his disguise.

***

Jeong Yeon-shin exited the fortress gate. Alongside his direct superior, who could barely control his body.

He brought four Radiant Demon Wing comrades, and an unusually calm journey followed.

“What did they say Lazy Flame Dragon messed up?”

“Me, you mean? First I have heard of it… Why pick on me again?”

“The main fortress folk stared at me oddly…”

“They admire their young squad leader. How grand were your feats this time?”

“Still lacking. Far from enough.”

“Of course, far from our squad leader’s measure.”

The sunlight danced like a canopy. It flowed green around them.

After seven days and nights of sun and moonlight on foot, they reached a stronghold of mountains and tree trunks.