Chapter 547 – Demon Realm (2)

Jeong Yeon-shin first sent Northern Blade far away.

—I hope you will perish together with him.

These were words where not a trace of falsehood could be felt. They could not remain together.

Though he was currently a being favorable to him, there was no knowing when he might change his attitude and strike from behind.

Above all, Jeong Yeon-shin was not alone right now. There was Shin So-bin, who had to receive all of his martial arts.

“Now we’ve completed the marriage.”

Her voice rang out playfully from behind him. Jeong Yeon-shin, who had been changing into shabby robes, hesitated.

“What are you talking about?”

He asked.

Soon after, he could feel the movement of Shin So-bin’s lips moving slightly. She too was changing clothes with her back to Jeong Yeon-shin.

“Our sect’s nature already denies master-disciple relationships, and after learning the Brilliant River formulas on top of that, we can’t separately establish our own family. People would point fingers at me and call me a thief. Divine martial arts are such a thing.”

Her answer, spoken with mock solemnity, contained some of her characteristic bright laughter.

Jeong Yeon-shin asked while putting on the silver mask he had specially brought from the Great Wall.

“Since when do you care so much about people’s gazes?”

“I don’t mind people pointing fingers at me.”

Rustle.

Along with the sound of rough fabric brushing against skin, Shin So-bin’s voice continued.

“But I can’t stand having stains on my martial lineage. Other seniors would be the same, right? It’s not that we’re not master and disciple, but everyone cherishes the martial arts they’ve cultivated.”

“You’re being dramatic.”

“This has nothing to do with Lord Jeong. It’s our pride. We’re already learning it with affection.”

Two people who, despite not being master and disciple publicly, were clearly teacher and student.

Both possessed sensitive energy senses.

As soon as they felt each other’s change of clothes was complete, they lightly faced each other.

Crunch.

Shin So-bin wearing gray robes.

She smiled slightly at him while putting on a plain mask and hiding her figure, which might catch the eyes of various masters, with a thick cloak.

“Without going far, even Elder Poison King’s Tang family doesn’t let their sons and daughters marry out. They either keep them tied to the Tang family or bring in live-in sons-in-law. I’m saying I’ll do that myself.”

Though her build and height were different, her appearance had now become the same as the Acting Divine Sword Group Leader. She was a slightly smaller Jeong Yeon-shin.

Despite being a girl who had grown up in a prestigious family from the roots.

“……”

Jeong Yeon-shin quietly gazed into her eyes visible through the mask.

Bold, clear, jet-black pupils. Within them were not only Radiant Demon Wing but all the warriors of Desolate Fortress.

They were people he was grateful for.

After a moment, she quietly averted her gaze.

“Well… anyway, will I be able to use Brilliant River? Your niece at Zhongnan was also able to enter the sect because of Yu Ling. By obtaining demonic energy to friction with Zhongnan Sect’s Taoist true energy.”

Jeong Yeon-shin smiled faintly.

“You also learned the blood technique formulas as soon as you heard them. Someday you’ll awaken dharma power too. While sparring with me daily and experiencing the Demon-Destroying Azure Unyielding Palm… taking out about one period from a day shouldn’t be a difficult task.”

“That’s really.”

Shin So-bin, who had been unable to continue her words for a moment, spoke along with a light breath.

“…an opportunity among opportunities. Other Squad Leaders can’t afford to stay attached to Lord Jeong.”

“You are my opportunity.”

Like other main fortress people. Jeong Yeon-shin added quietly.

“……”

Shin So-bin remained motionless for a while with her head tilted diagonally down. Because of this, only her round crown was visible.

What was she thinking about?

What had she truly made the purpose of her life – she who would bury her bones in the martial lineage like a Tang family member?

Jeong Yeon-shin turned his head toward the castle visible in the distance.

His chief disciple had been falling into strange contemplation from time to time since learning Jeong Family Dynamic Technique.

It seemed as if she was continuously receiving some kind of feeling, and though Jeong Yeon-shin hadn’t spoken of it, she seemed likely to eventually notice his short-lived constitution.

Come to think of it, most cats under heaven were said to have quick wits like spirits.

He inwardly shook his head.

‘I wish she didn’t know.’

Like the poppy addict who would be comfortably sprawled out in the far north by now.

“Let’s go.”

Jeong Yeon-shin lightly patted Shin So-bin’s shoulder and took the lead.

Master and disciple of the Lightning Genius martial lineage wearing cloaks.

‘It will go well.’

He had parted with Northern Blade, transmitted all formulas related to Brilliant River to Shin So-bin, and after once again showing the letter of ‘Squad Leaders’ personal summons’ to the Grand Empress Dowager’s gaze that was subtly felt.

The command that would shake the jianghu under heaven was thus conveyed.

Thud.

A massive sandstorm undulates along with the fortress ahead of the two people walking slowly.

The entrance to the northern lands.

It was Yeoktru Castle.

* * *

There are no gatekeepers.

Though it was different in scale from Bright Sky Fortress that Jeong Yeon-shin had previously destroyed, the huge fortress was bleakly empty.

Only the sight of transparent sunlight bending here and there in yellowish-brown wind stood out.

“Is it confidence?”

Shin So-bin spoke as if amazed.

“It feels like there’s no need to even stand guard.”

She slightly lowered her shoulders that had been raised with intense tension.

It was understandable.

Yeoktru Castle was surrounded by stern walls, but its scale was close to that of a city. Naturally, rarely powerful beings had to be gathered there.

It was an unchanging fact even though he had heard rough explanations from Northern Blade earlier.

—The most sordid things on our land gather there.

Jeong Yeon-shin silently passed through the castle gate.

Very old yellow outer walls brushed past his vision. Whether due to the dry north wind or blade winds blown by strong warriors, various places were roughly scratched.

The surface of those earthen walls had long since lost the warmth of their makers.

Then.

“Looking at your gentle speech like flowers, you came from around Huguang. What crime did you commit?”

A fast voice rang out from the side.

A man wearing silk clothes patched together like rags, but his achievement in Return to Origin was considerable. Shin So-bin only flinched after he spoke.

Jeong Yeon-shin intuited.

‘A supreme master.’

Since energy waves leaked out even slightly, insight was possible.

Clearly he had the skill to make himself appear as an ordinary person, but that technique was below the Divine Sword Deputy Squad Leader or Northern Blade.

Jeong Yeon-shin slowly opened his mouth.

“A Han Chinese is acting like a Yao tribe member in a northern fortress.”

The man chuckled, and from the wrinkles that folded like the character 八 on both sides of his nostrils, a cynical feeling seeped through.

“Didn’t you know? If you mix your body with the north wind, whatever your clan is, you’re already Yao tribe. Both you and this young lady.”

“……”

“Why? Because this land, unlike the Ming clans of the south, doesn’t discriminate among people.”

He answered himself without waiting for a response. And while casually bending one leg, he asked again.

“What crime did you commit to come all the way here? Without a proper answer, you can’t enter. Perhaps you might become part of these Yeoktru Castle walls right here.”

The man pointed behind himself with his thumb. Castle walls made of firmly dried earth mounds. It seemed what filled them was people’s corpses.

The energy accumulation formation Northern Blade had spoken of surrounded the entire city.

And even a supreme master who had been leaning against the back of the castle wall and suddenly appeared.

Strong warriors who had cultivated the upper dantian could discern falsehood like nobles. Thus, though Yeoktru Castle’s inspection appeared lax at first glance, it was being carried out most thoroughly under heaven.

“……”

Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly felt a faint presence beside him. Shin So-bin was fidgeting with her fingers, and whether it was due to great tension or preparing to strike was indistinguishable.

No matter how much the Acting Divine Sword Group Leader was beside her, she couldn’t act calmly before a supreme master.

A northern strong warrior who had achieved unification of essence, energy, and spirit.

She might die from a single strike of a tyrannical peerless master, but conversely, she might also create some variable with very special studies.

Like Bright Sky Fortress Lord Demon Contempt Blade, who had ultimately endured the Qi-Controlled Sword Strike of Fan Dragon Flower Treading Technique and fled to Yeoktru Castle.

‘I need to gauge the Northern King’s martial prowess first. Whether there’s a chance to simultaneously annihilate the masters under his command while facing him.’

Jeong Yeon-shin said calmly with eyes where deep eye light had disappeared.

“I killed a Ming Dynasty official.”

“Oh…?”

The man immediately showed delight.

Strong warriors with such deep martial arts had firm confidence in their achievements, and it seemed he couldn’t feel falsehood even with his upper dantian abilities.

It was natural. Because it was truly fact.

The man asked repeatedly.

“Do you know the rank of the dead one?”

“Fourth rank Prefect.”

“Prefect!”

The man’s heels, which had been moving up and down affectedly, came down to the ground. Perhaps because Jeong Yeon-shin’s impression was infinitely close to a gentleman like Yong Hye-myeong. The man seemed quite surprised.

“Was he perhaps a noble?”

“It seemed like there was some blood mixed in.”

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke while recalling the path he had once taken to the Central-North Martial Alliance.

The Prefect who had taken an unorthodox martial artist as husband and sought regional peace through the sacrifice of some common people. Apart from capturing his friend Yu Hyeon, she remained in memory.

Perhaps she was the first embodiment of chaotic times that Jeong Yeon-shin had ever faced.

“Truth! Truth again!”

Meanwhile, the man even clapped his hands and laughed.

Though his behavior was no different from a scoundrel one might see at a gambling den, it was the moment when the test of the most stern gatekeeper under heaven came to a futile end.

Jeong Yeon-shin sent a quiet mental transmission to Shin So-bin.

—Remember. Covert action is basic. We are Dark Swords now. We must not let the Northern Kings or their forces gather. Only the Divine Sword Squad should assemble.

His mental transmission, unlike that of other masters, didn’t accompany energy waves.

It was because he had been greatly influenced by the current Divine Sword Deputy Squad Leader and the Shaolin Abbot, and the man before his eyes also seemed completely unable to sense the presence of mental transmission.

“These are distinguished guests. I should treat them with great courtesy. Yes, very greatly indeed.”

At this moment, like the strength strongly contained in the word “greatly,” the man seemed to harbor intense hatred toward the Ming clans for some reason.

Soon after, he guided the two into the castle.

Many scenes entered Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes as they passed.

Though it was unbelievable compared to the north’s notorious reputation, an extremely vast marketplace existed.

On both sides of it sat beings of various large and small builds without stalls, sitting on the bare ground.

Each had openly laid out all sorts of weapons, bones, teacups filled with blood, and secret manuals sewn from leather pieces.

Nowhere were there trinkets or sweets.

“……”

Most of them simply sat quietly.

Generally large builds, with faces distorted like whirlpools. Not one of them engaged in noisy hawking.

They merely distorted the atmosphere around their bodies with internal heat that warmed even the winter wind.

They were taciturn, and only the air surrounding their overwhelming physiques was clamorous.

For the first time.

Jeong Yeon-shin directly witnessed them up close with their faces revealed.

‘…Yao tribe.’

Each was born with a fearsome body.

Not to mention muscles, one could guess how thick and elastic the meridians and blood vessels inside would be. It was close to the body condition of Jeong Family Dynamic Technique’s fourth achievement.

The feeling was different from when he had seen Northern Blade.

They were not peerless masters.

Yet they made Jeong Yeon-shin think of Jeong Family Dynamic Technique.

But none of them showed their molars or anything to Jeong Yeon-shin’s group. Each merely glanced at the man in shabby silk clothes.

As if treating a person sitting in a considerable position.

“Ming killer. Show all respect.”

The man said to them. Simultaneously, the roar of “Ming killer” returned like thick echoes from various parts of the marketplace. Sometimes the word “great warrior” was also heard.

“If possible, don’t go over there. If you’re caught wrong, your protective energy might be crushed.”

The man’s tone had changed to be incomparably favorable.

“The northern great warriors can certainly think cleverly, but at the same time they have very simple and clear temperaments. If kindness is rejected, they become fierce. Some of them might tell those who tend to clan ancestral rites about your name.”

Jeong Yeon-shin, who had been listening quietly, suddenly asked.

“Then what changes?”

“Well… there’s no great effect. You might make a wrong move while striking… but who knows whether it’s because of that day’s luck or the Yao tribe’s sorcery martial arts. Ah!”

The man clapped his hands once more and said.

“I want to take you to the Yeoktru Castle Lord, and recently big things have happened, so you might be urgently needed. For example, gatherings of Northern Kings, visits from the Northern Sea Ice Palace Lord, establishment of Ming Cult branches… I’ll tell you in advance, but earning your keep in such barren land is never easy. Unlike the leisurely Ming clan brats, you must always be moving.”

“I understand.”

“So then… what should I call you? I’m asking the name of a criminal who was chased from the south.”

The man asked with a grinning smile.

But Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t ponder deeply. He had a particular person he hoped would make mistakes, and the things the man had listed were all significant.

“Yelu.”

Jeong Yeon-shin answered matter-of-factly.

“I’m Cheonji.”

Shin So-bin, who was beside him, added while unnecessarily fidgeting with her arm.

Then one of those sitting in front of the stalls laughed lowly.

He was a one-armed man wearing a bamboo hat.