Chapter 395 – Carpet (4)

A series of events unfolded like a storm.

Using the World Tree sapling carried by Cheon So-so to track the Thirteen Evil Sects along their route, discovering Dark Night Palace’s headquarters, and finally capturing the Young Palace Leader and interrogating the sect’s remnants—all this occurred until the sect leaders of the righteous path’s Nine Sects tore through the formation and descended.

The sleeve hem of the gaunt nun fluttered.

As she landed from the void, the rebound carried with it a mystical quality. Despite her monk’s robe having excessively wide sleeves for her thin frame, it didn’t appear unseemly.

Troubled Avalokitesvara Buddha Venerable.

Venerable Cypress Flame of Emei Sect had manifested.

Thud.

With her single step, the surrounding air grew heavy. Even the rustling friction of the vegetation seemed to diminish somewhat.

The martial arts of the orthodox Buddhist sects typically emit a majestic presence. Emei Sect, counted among the Nine Great Sects along with Shaolin as Buddhist sects, was no exception.

Though she appeared to have no particular intention, Venerable Cypress Flame subdued the surroundings merely by shifting her feet.

“……”

Heavenly Dragon Squad Leader Wei Zhi-ji, who hadn’t hesitated to mock even the Desolate Divine Spear, fell silent momentarily. The Young Palace Leader of Dark Night Palace sitting at his feet also closed his mouth.

‘Why would the venerable ones of the world personally…’

The Young Palace Leader’s eyes, like ashes gathered from burned remains, held questions.

Undeniably precious figures—why would they seek out the black-rank sword of the Desolate Fortress? It wasn’t a short distance.

“It’s been a long time. I followed along because I have urgent matters to discuss with you.”

Venerable Cypress Flame spoke gently.

Woong—

The air rippled with her aged yet solid voice. A vibration naturally revealing the internal energy cultivation of a Nine Sects absolute being.

The Qingcheng Sect Leader was also at her side.

“As I thought, there was no need to chase so urgently.”

He was a Taoist with the appearance of a young nobleman. Wearing a Taoist robe with blue embroidery on a white background, a gentle breeze seemed to flow from the precious sword at his waist.

A transcendent and peerless presence. Though it might pale in comparison to Venerable Cypress Flame’s unique aura, there would hardly be anyone who dared to disregard him.

Two Walls Sword Lord, the Qingcheng Sect Leader.

Though Qingcheng Sect had lost its previous sect leader to the Tyrant Sword Sect Leader, it was said to be rapidly regaining its reputation lately.

This was thanks to the new sect leader who had gained profound enlightenment from that incident.

“When the Black-ranks of Desolate Fortress move as a group, this outcome is natural. Especially considering your martial prowess.”

Two Walls Sword Lord said.

The Young Palace Leader’s eyes widened slightly.

Was it because the pleasantries had gone on too long? He finally realized the significance. None other than Troubled Avalokitesvara and Two Walls Sword Lord had come together to meet someone.

The sect leaders of two of the Nine Great Sects. Those who stood at the pinnacle of the martial world.

“If the thorny squad leaders of Desolate Fortress have gathered in one place, and you’ve taken this opportunity to try to eliminate us… wouldn’t just two sect leaders be quite inadequate?”

Perhaps trying to relieve the pressure, Heavenly Dragon Squad Leader Wei Zhi-ji showed some bravado. Tension swirled in his sharp eyes as always.

The sight of the Nine Sects’ absolute beings standing side by side.

It was truly overwhelming.

The sect leaders of the Nine Sects and the squad leaders of the Divine Sword Group. Before even calculating the compatibility of their martial arts, numbers, and overall strength, it was fundamentally so.

Though the two sect leaders showed no particular hostility, there was something pressing down on souls by their very existence.

It was the spirituality of peerless masters.

Two Walls Sword Lord glanced at Wei Zhi-ji.

“Your concern is unfounded. We have no business with you, so there’s no need to step forward.”

Even in his casual words, there was a mystical compulsion.

The corners of the Heavenly Dragon Squad Leader’s mouth rose.

“Haven’t you greeted our junior? When the venerable elders of the Nine Sects, known for neglecting the people’s livelihood, have personally come, what kind of clever scheme are you planning that you’re distinguishing who has business and who doesn’t?”

Wei Zhi-ji was a veteran martial artist.

With bloodlines including Sword Dragon Wei Zhi-myohwa, the chief disciple of Zhongnan Sect, as his sister, he had accumulated countless merits without a single defeat among the northern Yao tribes.

He was mentioned as a future candidate for one of the Three Black-ranks at a young age.

He wouldn’t falter at a single word. Even if the opponent was a peerless master. He only needed companions or a squad leader to help disperse the pressure emitted by the Nine Sects’ leaders.

Thud.

Just then, other squad leaders who had been cleaning up Dark Night Palace slowly gathered. Along with the fluttering of pitch-black sleeve hems.

“These are quite excessive guests to welcome without notice.”

“What do the monk and Taoist want?”

The Supreme Martial Hall Leader with his stern face, and Desolate Divine Spear Yue Shou-lin twirling her spear as she approached.

The arrival of the Nine Sects’ sect leaders carried tremendous weight.

Companions who together could easily handle one peerless master with just three of them.

With each one approaching, the pressure seemed to lift strand by strand. Just as Wei Zhi-ji’s eyes began to lower slightly.

“I’m glad to see you’re all well. How have you been?”

As Jeong Yeon-shin raised both hands in a martial salute, the air lightened. For an instant, it sounded like a “whoosh.”

The early summer breeze gently brushing against skin. It suddenly became easier to breathe.

The Black-rank seniors approaching hesitated. The Heavenly Dragon Squad Leader Wei Zhi-ji, who had been about to respond to the absolute beings on behalf of his junior, did the same.

The Young Palace Leader of Dark Night Palace concealed his astonishment in a long exhalation of internal energy breathing.

Only three people showed no change in expression.

Venerable Cypress Flame, Two Walls Sword Lord, and Jeong Yeon-shin. The Nine Sects’ sect leaders and the Radiant Demon Wing Leader exchanged greetings with an attitude neither too light nor too heavy. Like figures of completely equal status.

“I was concerned about the internal injuries of the Qingcheng Sect Leader. Since I haven’t seen you since the incident with the Golden Wing Sect Leader…”

“It’s an embarrassing matter. I owe you a great debt.”

Two Walls Sword Lord spoke gruffly.

Jeong Yeon-shin slightly shook his head and lowered his martial salute with an upright posture.

The Nine Great Sects.

The nine representatives of the martial world’s foremost figures.

All were rare major factions that were also Buddhist temples and Taoist monasteries.

As they spread their lofty teachings while traversing mountain peaks with martial arts and splitting rocks in a single day, they couldn’t help but have a powerful influence on public sentiment.

The sect leaders of the Nine Sects were received as living immortals or living Buddhas… Meanwhile, sitting in the seat of the Divine Sword Group Leader of Desolate Fortress required not only recognition from within Desolate Fortress and imperial approval from Beijing, but also public sentiment from the outside world had a significant impact.

It was right to leave a good impression. There might be loose-lipped figures among the Nine Sects’ sect leaders, like Radiant Demon Wing’s Scorching Divine Meridian, so it was wise to be cautious.

It was an extremely important matter.

He had heard that many of the Nine Sects were busy dealing with extraordinary powers under imperial orders. From another perspective, this meant there was exchange between the Nine Great Sects and Beijing.

‘This is much more difficult than martial arts, but…’

Jeong Yeon-shin had been skilled in showing respect since dealing with the scholars of the Grand Administrator’s Office as an authority figure.

Treating others like common people usually brought good responses.

“It’s not worth mentioning any debt when I gained insight from the Qingcheng Sect Leader’s Azure Cloud Sword. It was something I should have done.”

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke carefully.

Protecting the common people is the duty of Desolate Fortress’s Divine Sword Group. The red and blue sword energy waves of the Qingcheng Sect Leader had flashed so brilliantly they dazzled even eyes that had activated the Lowly Revelation Technique. There was no falsehood.

The corners of Two Walls Sword Lord’s mouth twitched faintly.

The current Qingcheng Sect Leader was from a noble clan. A figure who had inherited the bloodline of an honorable family while refining his upper dantian to a peerless realm. He could discern truth, making falsehood ineffective.

He had been famous within Qingcheng Sect since his initiation as a disciple who couldn’t be deceived by empty words.

Two Walls Sword Lord slowly opened his mouth.

“…At Yunhui Peak, I thought you were extremely arrogant, but now I see it was a forced appearance. With your age, bloodline, and martial prowess all in one body, how could… Good, good indeed.”

Beside him, Venerable Cypress Flame showed finely curved eye wrinkles.

“Didn’t I tell you repeatedly on our way here? He’s a devotee who has cultivated dharma power. His character, which was the first to show concern for this old nun’s body, was also admirable.”

“The Venerable’s words weren’t wrong. I originally greatly disliked being bound by the promises of previous generations… but with such martial arts and such character, it seems worth bringing up.”

Two Walls Sword Lord said. Jeong Yeon-shin’s head tilted slightly to the side.

“Are you referring to the ‘Mount Hua Agreement’ I heard about earlier?”

“That’s right. It’s a promise made between the elders and previous leaders of the Nine Sects and the former Divine Sword Group Leader. When they were young.”

Two Walls Sword Lord answered in a low tone. Soon after, Venerable Cypress Flame let out a cryptic smile.

“It was absurd and somewhat forced, but… a promise is a promise. I’ll tell you about it, devotee Jeong.”

***

Read only at nineheavens.org

Translated by Nine Heavens!

https://discord.gg/XC9DTsTQ9Z

***

Desolate Fortress Grand Administrator’s Office.

Meetings of the leadership had been occurring daily. This had been happening since the Divine Sword Group Leader’s Black-rank assembly order became widely known throughout the main fortress.

“This is something we can decide here. Decisiveness is needed.”

“We cannot so easily dismiss the owner of the Entering Divine Sword! Frankly speaking, what has he done wrong? Don’t just stay cooped up in the Elder Council, read the state of the martial world!”

“What did you say?”

“For what reason was the righteous path martial alliance formed in Hanzhong? There are already more than one or two such alliances! It’s obvious we’ll be picked off one by one if we remain idle, so how can you distort what is a proper order from the Group Leader?!”

“One must never forget the essence of a faction. Do you know what kind of gaze Beijing is directing at us now?”

Those gathered around the luxurious sandalwood round table emitted tremendous presence.

There were about fourteen of them. Several attendants had fainted from their intensity, and White Martial Artists who remained in the main fortress had long since taken over their roles.

It was a confrontational situation.

A middle-aged woman in magnificent orange attire with a snow-white precious sword at her waist defended the Divine Sword Group Leader.

Despite her raised voice, her dignified and composed aura testified to her high achievement.

She was the head of the Desolate Shin family.

Waving Moon Jade Sword Shin Seol-ha. The matriarch of the renowned clan that had produced the current Annihilation Team Leader and Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s Martial Artist White Cat, among many other talents.

She didn’t lower her voice even before the Elder Council Head.

“To dismiss the Divine Sword Group Leader right here and announce it to the world? I question whether the Elder Council Head is making sound judgments.”

The stout old man in a purple robe sitting upright at the head seat flashed faint eye light.

“A daughter speaks without restraint!”

“I won’t listen to personal remarks. Do you not know what hardships our main fortress martial artists are enduring throughout the land? In an already unstable situation, you want to set off a thunderbolt? Is there anyone qualified to replace the Group Leader?”

“What must be done doesn’t distinguish between priority and importance! In a situation where the main fortress’s banner has been broken, what could be more important than establishing the fundamentals?”

“Of course there is. The head of the Shin family wishes to submit a proposal to the Grand Administrator’s Office regarding the dismissal of the Elder Council Head. A place for someone who so lightly regards the position of the Divine Sword Group Leader and the morale of the main fortress is in the family’s back garden.”

The mother of Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s Martial Artist White Cat spoke in her capacity as family head. It meant the current Elder Council Head was only fit to be a back-room elder. The old man immediately erupted.

That was how the heated debate continued.

When should the Divine Sword Group Leader be dismissed, and if so, when should it be announced? Shouldn’t all efforts be focused on finding Group Leader Yong’s whereabouts even now?

“It was the Group Leader’s order to the squad leaders, wasn’t it? How can we rescind that? It’s an absolute command.”

One of those seated grumbled.

A man with ears as sharp as sword tips and a large build that seemed about to crush his chair. He was the head of the Desolate Xiahou family. He was also privately the younger brother of Forest-Treading Squad Leader Xiahou Wei-jin.

“Isn’t the main fortress already empty? Are we going to hand over the Fortress Lord’s residence to enemies?”

“……”

Whenever the Desolate Fortress Lord was mentioned, even the leadership meeting hall fell silent. Only then did the Xiahou family head, who had been rubbing his ears as if relieved, slightly lean to the side.

“Why is the Ma family head silent? One word from you would become a proposal.”

“……”

The man with a diagonal scar across his face didn’t answer, keeping his eyes closed.

He appeared to be in extremely deep sleep. It was Harbinger of Hell Ma Jin. One sleeve of his pitch-black robe gleamed with a metallic artificial arm.

“Ma family head!”

“Hmm…?”

“Are you falling asleep?”

“The Jeong Family Dynamic Technique is truly a divine skill. I was engaged in important meditation because there’s too much useless talk.”

A somewhat drowsy reply. His deep voice carried languor. Immediately, a thunderous roar erupted from the Elder Council Head.

“You dare sleep in a meeting hall where the future of the main fortress is at stake? You truly must have lost your mind!”

The Elder Council Head was originally known as an elder with dignified conduct and wide respect, but recently he had been in a foul mood because the current Divine Sword Group Leader had harmed the fundamentals of Desolate Fortress.

He was like a dragon with its reverse scale touched.

But Ma Jin’s response was nonchalant.

“It’s better for the future of the main fortress.”

“What nonsense are you spouting now?”

“Rather than listening to the words of an elder without teeth to sharpen, wouldn’t improving my martial arts be more helpful to the main fortress? The incense of the secret manual authored by Radiant Demon Wing Leader Lightning Genius is erasing the smell of your spittle.”

It was a calm answer.

The Xiahou family head beside him burst into rough laughter, and most others, including Shin Seol-ha and the Chief Administrator, sighed.

“These Ma family descendants are all alike…!”

Just as the Elder Council Head, with bulging eyes, rose from his seat.

Peeeeeeeep—

The cry of a swallow rapidly grew closer.