Chapter 374 – Sacrificial Ceremony (4)

Supreme masters of the secular world, also called Buddha Venerables.

Venerable Cypress Flame was truly an object of admiration, leading one of the Nine Great Sects.

Her energy accumulation must be close to human limits.

This meant she had no reason to burn food with internal energy. Given her age, she should rightfully take care of her body.

‘Are you listening?’

Jeong Yeon-shin paused in the midst of his unusually passionate speech. 

The Emei Sect Leader was smiling. The corners of her mouth had risen ever so slightly, reminiscent of Buddha’s enigmatic smile.

Her normally rigid lips had loosened somewhat, making her demeanor all the more distinctive.

Was this a rare sight?

The expressions of the monks seated on either side had changed. Faces with slightly parted lips or raised eyebrows. Their silent meditation seemed to have been broken.

Unlike their earlier appearance of sitting quietly while noisily exchanging sound transmissions.

Amid this, Venerable Cypress Flame slowly opened her mouth.

“The benefactor is truly a master of acupoints.”

A voice tinged with a faint smile. It was extremely benevolent. Jeong Yeon-shin unconsciously almost moved his lips in response, but simply parted them calmly.

“I do have some knowledge.”

“It also means you see things differently. Though there are many acupoint masters in this land, most follow similar paths.”

“Pardon?”

“The benefactor’s perspective on looking at mortal flesh is special. Like a parent examining a child, or a grandchild concerned for grandparents… Your viewpoint reveals your incantations, and your incantations contain mental imagery. This old nun’s heart has been warmed.”

With a single statement, she had penetrated the essence of the Jeong Family Dynamic Technique.

It was truly remarkable.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes widened slightly. Conversely, Venerable Cypress Flame’s eyes formed gentle wrinkles and curved slightly downward.

“Now I understand the sacrifice you’ve made.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m referring to the challenge letter you posted to announce the martial competition. The Sima Evil Path rabble, with temperaments like monkey fur, are not easily gathered, yet you strongly rebuked them with your challenge letter, making it impossible for them to retreat.”

Venerable Cypress Flame, who had slightly straightened her narrow shoulders, continued in a low voice.

“When I first saw those words, this old nun was reminded of the martial heroes of my passionate youth. Those who sought the stability of people’s livelihood simply following their hearts.”

“You mean my grandfather…?”

“It was shallow thinking. The benefactor wore uncomfortable clothes to draw attention. This old nun failed to consider Buddha’s parable of ‘Who Enters Hell.'”

“Ah.”

“Posting a challenge letter to the world is taking on a very heavy burden. One must worry about the world’s gaze on each character… The benefactor must have endured much.”

“I’m embarrassed.”

Jeong Yeon-shin answered while slightly lowering his chin. Was it because he was before a monk? There was something weighing on his mind, causing him to nod but stop midway.

Venerable Cypress Flame smiled faintly.

“I will tell my disciples. After this martial competition ends, Emei will treat the Radiant Demon Wing Leader as an honored guest. Please visit our temple when it is rebuilt someday. If sarira beads emerge from this old nun’s body after death, you may make offerings at the stupa.”

“I will come to see the Sect Leader monk alive.”

“Judging by your demeanor, the benefactor has no intention of yielding the Golden Wing Sect Leader to me.”

“She is the enemy of our Desolate Fortress martial artists.”

“I understand. Now I must hope that this old nun’s Movement Technique is swifter than yours. Whoever ascends the competition platform first will face the Golden Wing Sect Leader.”

“My Ten Li Gentle Light is different from Emei’s Movement Technique. The principle of stillness in movement is weaker, while the subtleties of swiftness and direction change are stronger, so I hope the Venerable will give up and take care of her lumbar spine.”

Low laughter flowed out. From the mouths of Venerable Cypress Flame and the Emei monks.

For once, Jeong Yeon-shin’s words had reached them as sincere concern rather than provocation. A place where hearts were at ease. The Nine Sects were truly the Nine Sects.

“Though Emei is also a martial sect and shouldn’t show too much favor to the imperial sword… after clearing up misunderstandings about the benefactor’s conduct, I cannot help where my heart flows.”

Venerable Cypress Flame gazed at the Radiant Demon Wing Leader with clear eyes.

The young man before her wouldn’t know. How many secular sects and high officials climb Emei Mountain seeking worldly benefits from just a few words from her sect.

Monks who break rocks. Taoists who tread the void.

The nine major factions known as the Nine Great Sects also held great prestige as Buddhist temples and Taoist monasteries.

Their power to move public sentiment often reached even the Forbidden City in Beijing.

But this wasn’t of interest to the Radiant Demon Wing Leader.

“I’ve thought of several ways to face the Golden Wing Sect Leader.”

A place where Jeong Yeon-shin spoke, Venerable Cypress Flame answered while rolling her prayer beads, and occasionally several Emei monks joined the conversation.

The uniquely open atmosphere of the Nine Sects had faded.

—The Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s temperament differs from what we’ve heard. My years reciting the Lotus Sutra in the temple have been in vain.

—We must have unnecessarily magnified the benefactor’s grandfather. If one enters Buddha’s Immeasurable Dwelling Samadhi through martial arts, one shouldn’t be swayed by prejudice…

—Didn’t he bestow the eye technique of a peerless master with a beautiful heart? He should rightfully be called a bodhisattva.

Amid the faint temple scent gradually dissipating, gentle conversation flowed.

“Benefactor.”

“Yes, Venerable.”

“If we both survive after the martial competition, please come back and ask me about the Mount Hua Agreement. It concerns martial heroes.”

Venerable Cypress Flame said.

Confusion appeared in Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes. The Mount Hua Agreement. It was a phrase that had casually flowed from the mouth of that demon on the day his grandfather’s blue flames had burned the Blood Flame Cult Leader.

They said it was a promise made when the Nine Sects masters and martial heroes were young.

Jeong Yeon-shin nodded slightly.

“I will.”

“It would be better to take out the woman in there when you do.”

Venerable Cypress Flame glanced past Jeong Yeon-shin’s shoulder. Deep, profound eye light. The black eyes of the elderly nun contained a night sky without a single star.

In that moment, Jeong Yeon-shin’s shadow rippled eerily.

***

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Translated by Nine Heavens!

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***

He heard many stories over two days.

—You must be wary of the True Dragon Heaven-Treading Divine Technique. The Golden Wing Sect Leader’s Movement Technique. Its ability to instantly accelerate is no less than the extraordinary transformations of peerless masters. This old nun nearly suffered a great defeat…

—If you happen to face the Golden Wing Sect Leader, it would be better to avoid deploying the Myriad Heavens Flower Rain at that time. Her Dragon-Piercing Heaven-Treading Form has a large trajectory yet leaves no room to penetrate. It’s a martial art that fills attack paths with powerful energy waves…

—You mustn’t be deceived by the appearance of the Golden Wing Sect Leader, famous as Sichuan’s foremost beauty, nor by the seemingly good-natured Ten Perfections Sect Leader. The number of common people they’ve sent to the netherworld in Sichuan’s martial world…

It wasn’t just the Emei monks including Venerable Cypress Flame.

The Tang Clan Leader and Little Sword Queen Qu Su-yu of Diancang Sect each separately came to Jeong Yeon-shin to convey various messages. Little Sword Queen wasn’t particularly helpful.

During this time, Jeong Yeon-shin had to send Xiahou Wei-jin and Cheon So-so, whom he had briefly reunited with at the Tang family, away again.

This was to gather the scattered martial artists of Forest-Treading, Immortal Tree Spirit, and Obeying Heaven Wing.

In these chaotic times that had engulfed the world.

Martial artists with the rough “Desolate” character engraved on their shoulders were bound to become targets of all sorts of martial world figures, especially now during the famine.

“Ha! Those beggars know the supply level of the main fortress well. Even the imperial sword is a precious weapon difficult to obtain in the secular world, so those rootless wandering swordsmen rush in like moths to a flame without knowing their place. Even a White-rank of the main fortress will inevitably die if they repeatedly expend their energy.”

“I’ll be back by the day of the martial competition.”

Xiahou Wei-jin and Cheon So-so, who had departed like that, looked back occasionally until they became tiny dots in the distance.

Gestures tinged with concern. Perhaps they felt uneasy about leaving their junior in the hands of the Golden Wing Sect Leader. It was different from when they faced Ghost Cry Hegemon King in the rain dragon’s formation.

After that.

Even the banquet on the eve of the martial competition proceeded quietly.

The righteous path masters rarely opened their mouths. There wasn’t even the sound of chopsticks clattering.

A figure who had committed massacres against the northern barbarian tribes, the teacher of the previous Pure Demon Alliance Leader, one who had devoured the inner pill of a rain dragon.

They said it was the first time that three of Sichuan’s Thirteen Evil Sects leaders had gathered in one place.

The Tang family, having lost all their heirs, showed signs of concern about losing their benefactor as well.

Qingcheng and Emei, who had secluded themselves at night, seemed to be spending their remaining time with their sect leaders.

Such was the state of Sichuan’s martial world’s highest echelon. It was evidence of how great a reverberation this martial competition would cause.

Thud.

Jeong Yeon-shin, who had drunk a few cups of Shaoxing wine, walked out of the banquet hall alone.

Passing through the night air where low voices occasionally echoed, walking slowly on the darkened ground, he saw children playing in a corner.

Collateral children of the Tang family.

At a glance, they were in the same situation as Jeong Yeon-shin. They couldn’t bear the atmosphere of the adults.

“Next, it’s my turn next.”

“I want more. Push me ten more times.”

“I’ve already done it twenty-five times…!”

“This time for real.”

They seemed to be arguing over a Dragon Boat Festival swing. Their whispering, getting angry, and responding was quite adorable.

“Are you waiting again? I want to fly in Brother Li-hua’s arms.”

“Sister Li-li made me jump higher.”

The names of the Dragon Phoenix Twin Poisons siblings came up. Poison Dragon Tang Li-hua and Poison Phoenix Tang Li-li. Even children of the Tang family knew their bloodline.

Their expressions instantly became gloomy, suggesting they knew about the two’s deaths. The rain dragon’s formation was also mentioned.

From a distance.

Jeong Yeon-shin stood alone silently until the children left.

Suddenly his waist felt heavy.

“……”

After briefly getting some fresh air, he placed a food plate he had brought from the banquet hall on his shadow. It was a dish with dumplings.

Saaaa—

Nothing happened. Time just quietly passed.

Eventually.

Dawn began to break in the distance.

It faintly spread, reaching his feet. The silently brightening light of dawn settled on the rope of the Dragon Boat Festival swing.

And gradually moved to Jeong Yeon-shin’s waist sash, then to his sword hilt, and for a moment flashed white.

He suddenly named the divine sword.

Remaining Thunder.

Lightning that remained on earth.

***

A day that connoisseurs would talk about for ages to come.

This was the view of some among the people who had turned Mount Emei in Sichuan into a bustling scene at this moment. In some quarters, it was almost considered a foregone conclusion.

No qualifications were needed to watch the duels of peerless masters.

People were bound to gather. After all, what was about to unfold would drastically change not only Sichuan’s martial world but also the political situation in neighboring regions.

The dozens of peaks that made up Mount Emei were crowded with people who had gathered since morning. There were countless individuals who had laid out their spots at dawn.

“Move aside! Can’t you tell at a glance that this spot is reserved?”

“Are you talking to me?”

“I’m a martial artist too! Do you think wearing a blindfold makes you look impressive… Hmm? What’s that tiger pattern… Could it be?”

“Move. I’m not drawing my sword out of respect for the Ten Perfections Sect Leader.”

“Lie down here! Lie down here!”

The number of people gradually swelled like clouds.

The mountain paths were packed. Not only martial artists with swords, but also large groups from merchant guilds and escort agencies had come, and the number of common people was beyond counting.

Here and there, high officials in precious official robes sat with awnings draped over cliffs.

All of them gathered like armies arriving at a battlefield, chattering like thunder. It was a spectacular scene as if every class and group from beyond the martial world had all assembled in this place.

And then noon arrived.