Chapter 282 – Lotus

Yue Shou-lin smiled brightly.

“I will cut off Zhuge Clan Leader’s head.”

The gray stone walls of Wish for Peace Sword Hall echoed eerily.

Her cheerful voice carried the weight of a thunderbolt. A peerless master known as the Reborn Hidden Dragon. Though ousted, he had been one of the eight clan leaders.

He had long reigned as an absolute figure in the martial world. Jeong Yeon-shin asked reflexively.

“You said Zhuge Clan Leader?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“It seems he plans to found a new sect, and it is quite irreverent. Too secretive. Have you heard the rumor that Yu Ling aims to unite the Thirteen Evil Sects? They say Zhuge Clan Leader is involved. It is a major threat.”

“How did you learn that?”

“Intelligence from the Nether Stream Unit’s white-rank. He comes from a fallen noble family and has seen the highs and lows of the world. Shanxi lacks notable great sects worth coveting, so he was dispatched alone. Under a false identity.”

“A false identity?”

“A literature tutor for the Gongya Family. He is teaching the eldest daughter, our mid-term target.”

“There is a Gongya in Radiant Demon Wing too…”

“You mean Gongya Mi-ryeong of Deep Chivalry Fist? I know. She is her sixth cousin. Not that important. The Central Plains are vast enough to spit blood, yet surprisingly small. Especially among the elite.”

Shaking her head, Yue Shou-lin continued.

“If she wins the Shanxi sparring tournament, they say she will become a joint disciple of Zhuge Clan Leader and Yan Clan First Fist. It is a rumor circulating only among a few local magnates. The administration office cross-checked it through various channels. They say it holds some credibility.”

“I thought the fortress’s intelligence lagged far behind.”

“They say Zhuge Clan Leader briefly appeared in Shanxi. We do not yet know what scheme he is plotting.”

Stretching with a groan, Yue Shou-lin smiled with a grimace.

“I am going this time too. It is about time we remind everyone the fortress still stands strong.”

“Is there a need for that?”

“No, no! Just that some fools forget the fortress’s might and stir trouble now and then. Anyway, he threatened your life, so the cause is ample. Truth be told, the Martial Alliance wanted to crush him.”

She waved her slender wrist dismissively.

“Regardless, prepare thoroughly. Shanxi is quite far from here. Going with me will not be dull, though.”

“Just the two of us?”

“Blood Guardian Squad Leader Jin will come too. We cannot predict what variables might arise. It is an odd place. Zhuge Clan Leader feels off too.”

“Senior Divine Blood Extreme Demon… That is reassuring.”

Jeong Yeon-shin nodded readily, sinking into thought. Zhuge Qing-ya weighed on his mind.

She had joined Radiant Demon Wing as a guest warrior and quietly stood by him from Shaanxi until now. Could he really cut down her father?

‘Though I ousted Zhuge Clan Leader with Fan Dragon…’

It was something to discuss.

***

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Translated by Nine Heavens!

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***

A less-colored wilderness.

Occasional gusts of dusty wind felt desolate.

Winter sunlight mingled with the chill. It blazed brightly, relentlessly, yet the wilderness’s silence was hollow.

Only the faint clashing of warriors’ blades echoed across the barren land.

Clang! Boom!

Amidst violently flapping martial robes of all colors, dozens of sword gleams flickered from all directions.

A refined white-robed scholar was trapped within sharp trajectories. Four against one.

Whenever the encirclement threatened to break, arrows flew without fail, restricting the scholar’s movements.

“Ugh!”

A man in elegant silk robes watched them with hands clasped behind his back. His smooth orange collar danced with the shockwaves of the clash.

He observed under a canopy, surrounded by twenty escort warriors.

The attire of a great merchant. From his sharp face to the golden embroidery on his yellow robes, nobility oozed.

“They say Desolate Fortress warriors are the martial world’s reapers. Only now do I feel that rumor’s truth. He is holding off my sword masters alone. In the guise of a mere scholar.”

The man spoke.

A servant beside him bowed.

“He will not last long. One gesture from you, Merchant Guild Leader, and his head would roll.”

A fair point.

Great merchants of chaotic times wielded both wealth and martial might. A single gesture commanded dozens of blades, each formidable.

A famine made begging for rice hard. Skilled swordsmen flocked to those offering fine delicacies and lavish quarters.

The man opened his mouth with an impassive face.

“This too is amusement. Where else could I watch an imperial lapdog strut about? Desolate Fortress warriors are rare top-grade goods. Even the black market’s arenas seldom feature them.”

“I disturbed your pleasure, my lord. Forgive me.”

The servant bowed. The man, raising a corner of his mouth slightly, spoke again.

“Is there anyone here who can guess this wretch’s martial lineage?”

Pure amusement.

They enjoyed capturing and toying with esteemed warriors. Few masters wielding superhuman strength dared defy the Great Ming Code or Desolate Fortress.

In an era of rampant masters and chaotic order, those who amassed great power sought to stand above the masses.

Two swordsmen stepped forward.

“His scholar act fits, so I thought it might be Obeying Heaven Wing’s White Wall Light Sword Form… but the sword path’s traces are faint, so perhaps not. He pursues precision over brute force.”

“The wild slashes are not random, are they? Could be Radiant Demon Wing’s Radiant Demon Technique. They say it is instinct-driven combat.”

The merchant did not reply.

He simply watched the man’s struggle within the formation, arms crossed.

Desolate Fortress’s revered had been dragged down to the rabble’s mouths. Like meat on a chopping block. That sufficed.

Boom! Clang!

To those chasing power, the Divine Sword Group was an object of love and hate.

Where sect tyranny ran rampant, the imperial sword was revered, but in places like Shanxi, lacking great sects, it was shunned.

A local martial world. It had its own order.

Shanxi had long been a stronghold of officials and military might, and Desolate Fortress warriors received treatment beyond mere bureaucrats.

Powerful landlords and merchants groups had to bow before the imperial banner.

Yet amid this, a peerless master quietly extended a hand. Proposing a new order.

Zhuge Clan Leader, Reborn Hidden Dragon.

The merchant gladly took it.

He was not alone. Vast Shanxi had secretly rallied for some time. They were ready.

They poured silver to bribe officials and used wide networks to recruit martial talents of verified identity and skill. All while filtering out external eyes.

Luck struck.

While touring peaks with his men, he witnessed an odd sight.

A renowned scholar sending off two messenger pigeons from a lower slope.

A guest of the Gongya Family, rich in learning but without ties, he served as the eldest daughter’s literature tutor.

Thanks to the magistrate vouching for his status as a retired scholar. A jinshi who passed the provincial exam, they said.

[TL Note- Jinshi means advanced scholar or palace graduate.]

The powerful’s influence pierced the heavens then. They could do anything.

—I coveted him too, since he had no ties.

Out for a stroll, the merchant had a subordinate shoot down one pigeon with an arrow.

Sheer providence. The timing aligned, and the letter tied to the pigeon’s leg hinted at the scholar’s identity.

Even a formal Desolate Fortress warrior was human. He could not withstand sword masters and arrow barrages alone.

Driven to the plains beyond the city. The Sharp Peak Merchant Group orchestrated the skirmish’s path, turning a desolate wilderness into a battlefield.

—Too many wolves in the city, so do not contact them. This merit is mine. Zhuge Clan Leader will be pleased.

The merchant’s eyes glinted.

A chaotic age where might defined status. He had amassed wealth to join the strong. Addicted to slaughter, he frequented the black market’s fight pits.

The thrill of toying with a rare Desolate Fortress disciple with a flick of his hand was immense. He was truly mighty.

“Slowly. Subdue him slowly. Do not kill him.”

The master’s command fell.

Clang!

The four swordsmen’s trajectories tightened. Arrows laden with energy waves flew between them, meticulously controlling the scholar’s moves.

Blood sprayed faintly from his skin. The scholar’s blade work grew frantic, his white robes stained red.

He realized they aimed to exhaust his power and stamina.

“Judging by his martial prowess, he is surely white-rank, but our group’s force surpasses petty sects. To roam the chaotic martial world, one must easily overpower a single white sword, no?”

The merchant spoke as if reciting a tune.

“To protect the people, fill our coffers first. Your notions are terribly cumbersome. Serving the masses yet scorning us, who grant grain and salt generously, will not do. When martial arts guard interests, you think of punishment first, do you not? My uncle in Henan suffered greatly at your hands.”

Muttering to himself, he added. Not a tale for a mere white-rank.

“Words for a peaceful era…! You hoard gold to step into the martial world!”

The scholar, parrying the joint attack and arrows, shouted. He disrupted his own breathing. His face burned with rage.

The merchant’s mouth curved upward.

“Very pleasing words. Now you are a proper toy. The one who will get my son into Zhuge Clan Leader’s tutelage.”

The fight stretched until dusk. The sun sank on the horizon, casting a faint orange glow.

It spread with a silken chill through the air. Accompanied by the weakening clash of blades.

Then, suddenly.

The scholar’s sword faltered. For the briefest moment.

Whoosh—! Boom!

Someone landed behind the encirclement. The recoil was tremendous. As if they had leapt from a distant ridge.

The ground quaked as if an earthquake struck, a subtle light spreading across it.

Like starlight pushing back the barren sunset. So mystical it barely seemed real.

“What…?”

The merchant and his escorts stirred. They could not react properly.

Boom! Crash!

Two dark figures slammed down on either side like meteors.

Cracks raced outward from the brutal shockwaves, faint dust rising thickly.

A girl with a long spear and a man exuding wicked energy waves appeared.

The energy surging from them was wildfire-like. For a moment, it filled the realm.

“Who are these people?”

The merchant asked, feigning calm.

The first figure raised an arm. Before their hair, whipped up by the landing, even settled.

A typhoon-like suction surged from their hand, delicately warping.

The instant the energy waves of absorption and release clashed like lightning, the scholar’s and four swordsmen’s blades flew from their grips.

Sword light flashed.

Slash—!

The sound of flesh and bone tearing apart. White lines marked the necks of the four swordsmen in formation.

Spurt!

Four heads fell dully.

Four bloodied swords and one intact blade floated in the air. The scholar’s in the center, swimming the sky with lone dignity.

The sudden surge of power was overwhelmingly potent. Headless corpses swayed as if alive, leaning into the storm of energy waves.

Amidst it.

The scholar, with stark black-and-white eyes, parted his lips.

“…Having been dispatched so long, I do not know your honored name.”

He elevated “name” to “honored name.” The long robe proved their status.

Rustle.

The outstretched figure’s jet-black hair settled long. A sharp jawline bore a youthful, mystical air.

A unique presence shone through. Even as he parted his red lips.

“White-rank warrior.”

The scholar clasped his hands and raised them. A refined gesture.

“I greet the fortress’s black-rank.”

“You must be with the Nether Stream Unit.”

“…Yes, that is so.”

“I am the Radiant Demon Wing Leader.”

He said.