Chapter 544 – Jianghu Name Record (10)

The Great Wall. It is an endlessly long wall.

Though it certainly stretches left and right, one cannot see its end. A wall that races endlessly pale and gray before being swallowed by yellowish-brown sandstorms. No matter which direction one turns their eyes, the scenery is identical.

It undulates like a dragon’s body along distant ridges, with the force to literally block off the world.

It was not built by the lives of just one or two people.

The Transcendent Martial Art of a nation.

Such was the assessment of some renowned masters from major sects who well understood the peerless realm.

Since countless sacrifices had seeped into the stone wall, deeper resentment than any divine ultimate art was binding stone to stone.

The Great Wall north of Beijing was the same.

Juyong Pass.

A magnificent fortress built between the long walls.

Though called a gateway, it was a place built to a terrifying scale by the hands of the imperial ironworkers. Its height alone reached eighty zhang. A cliff face created by human hands.

At this moment, two people stood on the highest watchtower of Juyong Pass. A youth in purple long robes and a middle-aged man wearing faded silver armor.

“The wall was built with spirituality dwelling in fire energy among natural earth energies.”

Grand Commander Quan Yu-li, who held absolute power throughout the entire Great Wall region, spoke with his hands clasped behind his back.

Jeong Yeon-shin, standing alongside him, only listened silently.

“Originally I was completely ignorant of such stonework studies, but after being appointed Grand Commander of this damned land, there became much I had to learn whether I liked it or not. Moreover, the Yao tribe’s mounted charges are demonic arts among demonic arts that even smash the Great Wall.”

“……”

“I heard they even mobilized the power of the ‘Fire King’ with the imperial family’s secret formation techniques, and looking at the scale, it’s a plausible story. Of course, it breaks quite well against that damned Heaven Silk Steel Armor.”

Looking at this solid height makes one understand again.

That was Grand Commander Quan Yu-li’s follow-up.

Jeong Yeon-shin nodded slightly.

‘Demonic arts that even smash the Great Wall…’

Generally, the designation “demonic arts” is used in two cases.

When vicious methods are employed for achievement advancement, or when one truly cultivates demonic energy.

Or when disparaging terrifyingly strong martial arts.

It seemed Grand Commander Quan Yu-li meant the latter, and now Jeong Yeon-shin somewhat agreed with that assessment. He had actually just experienced Heaven Silk Steel Armor himself.

Jeong Yeon-shin gazed intently beyond the wall.

A fortress facing Juyong Pass from a distance. Slightly more angular roofs and walls stood out faintly.

Though very far to the naked eye, it was absurdly close strategically.

Now gray smoke was rising thickly above it, which made the atmosphere even more desolate and overwhelming.

‘…He received the Fan Dragon.’

He had failed to properly kill the master of that Bright Sky Fortress.

Originally he had intended to pierce through the abdomen, but it ended with pushing that figure to the horizon. In the second exchange, the fellow let out a strange roar and fell beyond the gorge.

This was because the protective energy of the Demon Contempt Blade had momentarily become tough like the legendary Pangu’s sinews. Literally like a giant’s muscles.

It was no ordinary matter.

Even though it had been a Qi-Controlled Sword Strike launched based on eye estimate from an extremely long distance.

“What are you thinking so deeply about?”

Grand Commander Quan Yu-li suddenly spoke.

A circling smile. His originally very sharp mouth corners had loosened genially. Even contradictory emotions faintly seeped through.

Bewilderment at encountering something rather absurd. Joy at meeting someone whose intentions matched well.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s gaze, which had glanced at him once, returned forward.

“…Neither Beijing nor the north are easy places.”

The Acting Divine Sword Group Leader said.

Grand Commander Quan Yu-li’s eyes stirred gently for a moment. A movement of insight. In the Ming Grand Commander’s eyes, venom dwelt even while smiling.

“Bright Sky Fortress Lord Demon Contempt Blade is truly a troublesome fellow.”

“……”

“Perhaps because he’s lived quite a chaotic life, he couldn’t bind his existence into a single technique, but… regarding arts directly connected to life like movement techniques and protective energy, he’s no less than any ordinary peerless master. One could say he’s befitting a jianghu person who is Han Chinese yet knelt to the northern martial world…..”

Grand Commander Quan Yu-li concluded his words thus.

Instantly the elbow joints of the silver armor he wore clanked. Killing intent toward Demon Contempt Blade had clearly arisen along with energy waves.

‘Ah.’

Suddenly Jeong Yeon-shin realized the Grand Commander’s armor was made of the same iron as Remaining Thunder.

Though he didn’t know where it had been obtained, someone at the level of the empire’s military leader would come to possess such precious armor.

“There, there they come!”

“Open the gate!”

Grrrrrrr—!

It was a sound that rang out from below the watchtower. Soldiers who had been blankly glancing between Jeong Yeon-shin and beyond the gate for a while. Some among them were opening Juyong Pass’s gate.

Waaaaaaah!

Those rushing toward them were naturally the prisoner groups who had escaped from Bright Sky Fortress.

Young men and women composed of common people and martial artists. All uniformly had no color in their faces and pale complexions, and Remaining Thunder had been floating and escorting them from Bright Sky Fortress to this place.

Appearances that made it difficult to fathom what they had experienced.

Some among the common people whose eyes had grown haggard raised both hands together toward that sword, and the divine sword Remaining Thunder answered their greeting by spinning in place.

Thus Jeong Yeon-shin’s one and only beloved sword had regained vitality beyond recognition since leaving Mount Wudang.

Jeong Yeon-shin looked down at them and said to Grand Commander Quan Yu-li.

“There was a hall.”

“Mm?”

“It was built from corpses. A house built by infusing some corpses with powerful energy and other corpses with faint but dimly rippling energy… It also appeared to be some unknown formation technique.”

“Ah.”

Grand Commander Quan Yu-li let out a dry exclamation.

“It’s the northern breeds’ energy accumulation secret transmission. According to spy reports, it can be commonly seen in every city.”

“Energy accumulation technique?”

To Jeong Yeon-shin’s counter-question, Grand Commander Quan Yu-li pulled up his mouth corners without particular interest. That was manufactured dryness.

“It’s a formation technique that rapidly drains the energy of the dead into nearby land. Because it’s an unusually barren territory without rare medicines, such methods developed, and they create such things by killing each other even among themselves. Generally, those defeated in factional wars or tribal conflicts suffer the same fate.”

After saying that, Grand Commander Quan Yu-li added. Southerners who grew up well-fed are naturally excellent roof tiles.

It was humor tinged with the scent of blood.

As soon as those words ended, Remaining Thunder shot into the scabbard at his waist.

Crash!

Jeong Yeon-shin skillfully let that recoil flow to his feet. Soon after, the blue taiji that had been faintly burning around him disappeared with a whoosh.

Grand Commander Quan Yu-li seemed to feel deep curiosity about that, but surprisingly, like a martial artist versed in jianghu customs, he never inquired about Jeong Yeon-shin’s ultimate techniques.

He merely uttered resolute words in low tones.

“In any case, it’s a remarkable achievement by anyone’s measure. Of course, even so, I don’t have the power to extract Lord Jeong’s subordinates from Beijing’s prison, but… we could have a few words of conversation.”

—First, shouldn’t you rest?

Grand Commander Quan Yu-li’s last words rang out through mental transmission.

Jeong Yeon-shin was slightly surprised but didn’t show it. His opponent was a figure who had received the “Imperial Axe,” the emperor’s axe. That insight alone wouldn’t be strange even if it were sharper than any purple of Desolate Fortress.

Now Bright Sky Fortress filled only with smoke.

Completely empty.

Knee Sea Pass beyond it was the same.

Jeong Yeon-shin had truly annihilated three thousand Yao tribe masters at once.

He had struck what seemed like a well-made enemy master’s crescent blade with Qi-Controlled Sword Strike, then unleashed sword song using the opponent’s weapon immediately after.

At that time, extreme concentration had been necessary. He had momentarily felt pain as if all the true energy in his body was being pulled away and flying off.

Even though most of the imperial masters below and above the wall were now gazing at Jeong Yeon-shin like they viewed Emperor Qian-ling, without Jeong Family Dynamic Technique he would have had to show quite an unseemly appearance.

Because his entire body was heavy even while standing and circulating energy.

‘The Luminous Wheel’s rotation speed has decreased about forty percent. The true energy in meridians and small vessels has temporarily lost elasticity… only this child is fine.’

Wuuung—

Jeong Yeon-shin stroked Remaining Thunder and asked Grand Commander Quan Yu-li.

“Do you have maps of the northern jianghu geography in this military camp?”

“But of course. Though it’s a national treasure handled as top secret anywhere.”

“Please give me one.”

“Pardon?”

Grand Commander Quan Yu-li’s eyebrows shot up. It was by no means a meaningless counter-question. If Jeong Yeon-shin backed down here, it would mean he would treat it as something he hadn’t heard.

But Jeong Yeon-shin did not do so.

“I would appreciate a copy that could be burned later without concern.”

He said.

Clank—

Chain sounds rang from the true silver armor the Grand Commander wore, and immediately Grand Commander Quan Yu-li’s question followed.

“Are you saying secret operations?”

“I don’t know that yet. However, if the Grand Commander advances, I am prepared to naturally follow along the expanded military camp.”

The Ming Empire’s territory would expand.

If there became that much more to protect, the imperial family would naturally have no choice but to release Beigong Ya and Wei Zhi-ji.

Wish Fulfilling Spring Leader and Dragon-Treading Squad Leader. The ones Jeong Yeon-shin had seen were seniors who, though somewhat fierce or leisurely, were absolutely necessary for all under heaven’s people’s livelihood.

Grand Commander Quan Yu-li shrugged his shoulders.

“Of course, in that northern stolen land live our southern common people who have been provided as roof tiles for ‘corpse houses.’ As prisoners, that is. But if Lord Jeong moves like this, what becomes of the late emperor’s edict?”

Whether trying to strictly separate public and private matters, his speech was awkwardly formal compared to when they first met. But Jeong Yeon-shin’s attitude remained unchanged.

“You must have heard of the Desolate Great War.”

“But of course.”

“The current Central Plains martial world is not as broadly dangerous as before. Moreover, the current lull stems from the increasingly mysterious whereabouts of the northern Fighting God.”

While saying this, Jeong Yeon-shin glanced at empty space. As if addressing someone not present.

In reality, he was making eye contact with invisible wind and gaze.

Just as he had once encountered the Heavenly Demon’s spirituality in the protective energy Heaven Demon Divine Armor, at this moment Jeong Yeon-shin was feeling Beijing’s characteristic rich breezes. Naturally it was the function of his upper dantian.

“……”

Grand Commander Quan Yu-li opened his mouth with a suddenly indifferent expression. He was a man with clear lines separating personal favor and official business.

“…So now it’s fine? Because the departed late emperor has lost all justification?”

“If the Grand Commander permits, I intend to first familiarize myself with the map. Don’t I have the qualifications?”

From black rank onward, one could view maps of the entire Central Plains, and purple rank could even interfere in military strategy. For the Acting Divine Sword Group Leader, it went without saying.

“You speak words like the roof of the Forbidden City. Plausible no matter where applied…”

The middle-aged Grand Commander.

His eyes, wrinkled by the northern bloodstench, curved slightly. An expression as if encountering words and actions he had long awaited. Soon Grand Commander Quan Yu-li opened his mouth. With a face where battlefield madness had flickered several times in a brief moment.

“First, good. I’ll provide you with one.”

From that moment.

Jeong Yeon-shin had thoroughly mastered northern geography.

It was the result of secret cooperation in the Grand Commander’s barracks.

Soon after.

Flash!

In an instant, bright blue eye light swept across his eyes. Simultaneously, Jeong Yeon-shin’s mental transmission mixed into the wind.

—I once sensed the Grand Empress Dowager’s Palace of Benevolent Tranquility in the Forbidden City with my energy sense.

—…….

—Do not let this humble one notify Your Majesty of the northern expedition. You should look after common people, not imperial power. If you wish to preserve face, please first issue an edict. I apologetically give you one day’s grace.

Saaaaaaaa—!

Instantly sharp wind scratched Jeong Yeon-shin’s cheek with three characters.

Like Protecting Blood.

Meaning he was no different from the true Ming Dynasty. It was writing that gave Jeong Yeon-shin incomparably strong conviction.

‘Is the Deputy Group Leader in the imperial family? If so……’

I am still in the right.

The divine sword of a nation thought while holding northern jianghu geography in his head. That map was drawing strokes like sword paths in his mind.