Chapter 561 – Northern Emperor

A place where three people stood facing each other in the cold wind. A middle-aged one-armed man wearing a bamboo hat, a young man in black robes, and a woman who had likewise let her jet-black garment edges hang down to her feet.

Heaven Conquering Sect Leader Wan Hui.

Desolate Fortress Dragon-Treading Squad Leader and Wish Fulfilling Spring Leader.

Saaaa—

White snow gradually accumulated on the land that had become nothing but ruins. A scene of repeatedly melting yet ultimately filling bit by bit.

The northern earth would return to its original appearance as if nothing had ever happened.

While covering the fierce land with pure white snow. While covering the twin Northern Kings who had fallen back to where they came and the strangers from the Nine Great Sects who had come from the south with white blankets, flake by flake.

Meanwhile, there were things that could not be restored.

“Fourth senior brother, fourth senior brother…!”

“Great senior brother! Why…”

The surviving disciples of Kongtong and Mount Heng.

Though their bodies were emaciated, moisture gathered in their voices. Because their hearts had been fertile, separate from the famine years.

It was a common occurrence in chaotic times.

The Taoists gathered the flesh of their fallen martial brothers into one place from the bloody fragments that remained. Then with a whoosh— sound, they lit Samadhi True Fire.

It was an attitude that paid no mind to whether the owner of the divine sword Winter Dream was right there.

This was not their formal funeral.

Originally, they would make proper graves and place swords or mirrors in the tombs, seeking protection from the gods of Taoist underworld and hoping the deceased would safely ascend to immortality.

But this too was part of the chaotic times.

If they made graves in the heart of the northern jianghu and returned after years had passed, those graves would have long since been absorbed and disappeared into absorption formations. The Kongtong and Mount Heng Taoists were right.

Huuuk—

Hazy smoke rose up.

Like that which rises from incense burners in Taoist shrines, it went up thinly yet endlessly.

Until it mixed into the uniquely vast and deep blue sky of the north.

“Original Eye Formation.”

Heaven Conquering Sect Leader’s left palm blade tilted toward that end, but no one reacted.

The Unorthodox Finest Sword smiling sheepishly under his bamboo hat.

Not a single Taoist was wary of him in the midst of great sorrow.

They had been companions who had shared many stories while traveling together. Even learning his identity now, there were none who would prioritize rumors heard from others over what they had directly experienced.

Heaven Conquering Sect Leader soon gestured with his chin toward beyond Wish Fulfilling Spring Leader and Dragon-Treading Squad Leader’s shoulders.

“So what you’re saying is that all those friends have learned Lightning Genius martial lineage studies?”

Sunlight transparently outlining the ridgeline.

Two flagpoles were approaching while erected. Perhaps because they were wary of northern jianghu people, no flags were hung yet.

The dozens of human shadows holding those two flagpoles.

They were naturally warriors of Wish Fulfilling Spring and Dragon-Treading Squad, and following the aura they emitted, not only the long flagpoles but even the vast ridgeline appeared distorted.

Completely unified energy waves.

All masters of battlefield martial arts.

Unlike other Divine Sword Squad military units that performed individual solo missions separately, they had been operated like martial military forces.

In some quarters of Desolate Fortress, it was evaluated that unless they were originally powerful Divine Sword Squad members or Radiant Demon Wing who had learned Radiant Art Bond from the beginning, they had no opponents when it came to group battles.

“They’re definitely Lightning Genius martial lineage. Your energy sense should be the most precise among the Five Greatest Swords under Heaven – do my words feel false?”

When Dragon-Treading Squad Leader Wei Zhi-ji asked with a grin, the blind man who had become the Unorthodox Finest Sword with the cloudiest eyes shook his head. He seemed somewhat angry.

“Of course it’s not false. With a blade at your throat, how could you spout lies that would obviously be exposed?”

“There’s nothing at my throat right now though…?”

“Is that really so?”

At Heaven Conquering Sect Leader’s quiet question, Wei Zhi-ji closed his mouth. The next words came from the mouth of the black-robed woman who had turned her back on them.

“If it’s a joint attack by all of Wish Fulfilling Spring and Dragon-Treading Squad including the Squad Leaders, even against those great Five Greatest Swords under Heaven, we could take at least a limb or two.”

The back view of Wish Fulfilling Spring Leader Beigong Ya with her exotically jet-black hair flowing long behind her back. Though her voice was somewhat hoarse and unclear, pleasant resonance continued.

“Do you have confidence to completely shed your shell like the Shaolin Abbot?”

She asked.

Meaning whether he could become like Grand Master Beomheo, who had been the greatest of the orthodox path without both arms.

Heaven Conquering Sect Leader smiled faintly under his bamboo hat.

“That would be difficult. Where else could there be one who can let go of themselves as much as the Divine Monk?”

“Then?”

“However, your words should have been uttered after those fierce-looking subordinates arrived. There’s no reason to wait a whole season for a joint attack, is there?”

In an instant, his hand became blurred.

Kwaaaaaaa—!

With a roar, the air was torn countless times and pale threads were carved in the atmosphere.

The trajectory of the divine sword Winter Dream. He had created a single line with hundreds of swings in a split second.

“…!”

Before they knew it, Beigong Ya and Wei Zhi-ji were each extracting their protective energy and explosive power with divine ultimate technique formulas like lightning, while grayish-white shock waves pounded the ground with kuguung sounds.

“We should have a long and happy marriage. With one’s wife from humble beginnings…”

Heaven Conquering Sect Leader left only those words as he stepped onto the semi-transparent thread.

While sheathing a single blue sword he had called his wife from humble beginnings, those hundreds of sword strikes were not directed at Wish Fulfilling Spring Leader and Dragon-Treading Squad Leader.

Huuuk!

A divine form disappearing like smoke.

He had deployed Form Shifting Void with his sword, mysterious enough to be counted among the best under heaven. Not even a trace remained of where he had been.

Soon Dragon-Treading Squad Leader Wei Zhi-ji slightly slumped his shoulders.

“Whew, that was close to death.”

When he blew a whistle with a huik sound, the energy waves gathered all over his body unraveled like thread. The murky wind struck and settled the wide sleeves of his black robes with a flutter.

Meanwhile, Beigong Ya was again looking at the ridgeline where her subordinates were rushing toward them. Her back view remained indifferent as always.

“There are more matters to report to the Deputy.”

She continued speaking slowly.

“Heaven Conquering Sect Leader is wandering the northern jianghu… I don’t know how he’ll react. We can’t even tell what the Unorthodox Finest Sword’s purpose is right now.”

“This is the first time I’ve seen the damn Wish Fulfilling Spring Leader worry about an outside colleague. Anyway, according to floating rumors, he has connections with one of the Six Star Lords here… They say he gouged out his own eyes here too.” 

Wei Zhi-ji spoke as if spitting it out.

Instantly, Beigong Ya’s jet-black hair rippled faintly like ice mirages.

“Show proper respect to your direct superior.”

It was too strong a commanding tone to give to a fellow black rank, but Wei Zhi-ji just smiled slightly and shrugged his shoulders once.

Wish Fulfilling Spring Leader, who had been the youngest black rank before Jeong Yeon-shin with northern royal bloodline, was originally like that.

Then one of the Taoists who had held a simple funeral approached.

Thud.

A middle-aged swordsman wearing dust-covered Taoist robes.

A Taoist whose name was Chui Feng (Autumn Wind), a Mount Heng disciple who had learned the Withered Blunt Sword Technique, whose reputation had diminished somewhat in the north recently.

Even with sorrow added to his face, he politely raised both hands together toward Beigong Ya and Wei Zhi-ji.

“We are indebted to both Squad Leaders.”

Wei Zhi-ji returned the courtesy in exactly the same posture.

“Master Chui Feng was just lying on the path we happened to pass. It was fortunate that luck aligned just before you closed your eyes.”

Though his conduct was impeccable, his speech was provocative enough to start a fight, but the Kongtong and Mount Heng Taoists didn’t take his words the wrong way.

No one expected proper behavior from Desolate Fortress black ranks who were all fighters.

They were masters who had been active in the northern jianghu.

Both sides were already acquainted.

The Mount Heng Swordsman Chui Feng facing Wei Zhi-ji lowered his hands and asked.

“Have you come all the way up?”

“For now, that’s right.”

Dragon-Treading Squad Leader, who had the Zhongnan Sect Leader as his younger sister, was also quite accommodating to elders.

It was enough to make the Swordsman Chui Feng who had lost his martial brothers smile faintly, though it was a smile worn by the jianghu.

“That’s good. The political situation of this land has been strangely changing recently.”

“What do you mean by strangely?”

“Betrayals, uprisings, and conflicts among various Northern Kings have begun to run rampant. There are already rumors that two of the Six Star Lords each have appeared in the mining lands and the great city Jade Demon Delight. The world is turning upside down. And for good reason… if there’s more than one like the Unorthodox Finest Sword, how could that be a land where people live?”

“Ah.”

“Clearly someone is inciting chaos, so you must be vigilant. Those who move the world usually have sinister intentions, don’t they?”

“Well, we can’t know. Perhaps they have good intentions of their own.”

“Trust my words. No matter how wondrous their skills, they could unleash destructive moves at any time. Perhaps a new Fighting God might appear. One who will have some influence on all under heaven… It’s such an unprecedented movement.”

“Mm.”

“…?”

The Swordsman Chui Feng looked puzzledly at Divine Sword Squad Dragon-Treading Squad Leader, but Wei Zhi-ji averted his gaze diagonally.

And somehow with an expression of admiration, he glossed over the story.

“In any case, please take care of yourself. The world is quite chaotic. Even starving strong ones are breaking their seclusion one by one.”

“I wonder what the imperial family is doing at such times.”

“Well.”

Wei Zhi-ji, who had briefly cut off his own words, glanced at Beigong Ya and spoke.

“I know the situation somewhat. The imperial family has encountered tremendous conflict in operating martial military forces. Not only are all civil and military officials and the emperor’s intentions completely at odds, but recently a fire bomb fell on the Forbidden City in the name of the Acting Group Leader…”

“Fire bomb?”

“Precisely, it’s a letter.”

—Now the imperial army withdraws, and the Desolate Fortress Divine Sword Squad will provide relief to the common people of the north.

Terrifying overreach.

The Swordsman Chui Feng let out a hollow laugh despite being in mourning at that content.

If it was Divine Sword Squad forces sufficient to replace the imperial army, it would naturally refer to not only the Squad Leaders but all Desolate Fortress warriors.

It was a problem of different magnitude from Lotus Nezha Jeong Yeon-shin firing Qi-Controlled Sword Strike bombardments from the Great Wall to Howling Heaven Castle.

To have this publicly recognized, they would inevitably have to fight the entire imperial family including civil and military officials on both civil and military fronts.

Because an empire had no choice but to first worry about civil war caused by the concentration of great power.

“Is he planning to become another emperor in the north to oppose the Southern Emperor under heaven…? Anyway, Beijing must be in wartime. I’ve heard many rumors about the Acting Divine Sword Group Leader…”

“I almost died falling into that wartime chaos.”

Wei Zhi-ji continued with a matching smile.

“The new Divine Sword Deputy Group Leader went up to the Forbidden City and babbled ‘the Grand Empress Dowager fears Desolate Fortress’ in front of the emperor, then walked into the prison on condition of our release. Well, from the imperial family’s perspective, they saved face.”

“…What did I just hear?”

“With all Three Direction Grand Commanders and Imperial Three Great Masters currently wandering the Great Wall or northern regions, there’s no one in the Forbidden City who could handle the new Divine Sword Deputy Group Leader. His martial arts have become incomparably stronger for some reason. In terms of concealment techniques alone, there might be few opponents.”

Strange fellow. Wei Zhi-ji muttered thus.

* * *

“For what purpose have you come?”

“……”

“This is not a place for the Grand Empress Dowager to visit.”

“…Do you recognize the Divine Sword Group Leader’s official seal stamped on this letter? Lightning Genius of the Jeong family has communicated with you, Divine Sword Deputy Group Leader. Read it.”

“This humble one has poor night vision, and as you know, this place is the Forbidden City’s prison.”

“Read it.”

“Then briefly…”

“In all under heaven today, there is no one with better night vision than you, so have you seen everything immediately?”

“…Yes.”

“You are the only one in all nine provinces who can remain so calm in the imperial prison while completely deprived of freedom. You have defeated the Ming Dynasty.”

“…?”

“The more famines repeat, the more weary the ‘gates’ become, the era when northern wolves proclaiming themselves kings have escaped the Fighting God’s shadow… You correctly assessed the current situation. The imperial family cannot keep the contemporary Divine Sword Deputy Group Leader bound for long.”

“Grand Empress Dowager, Your Majesty.”

“As you petitioned, this nation will no longer interfere in Desolate Fortress affairs at all. At least until the north is pacified, this will certainly be so… I will persuade Prince Qiong-ming to send you to Xiangyang’s main castle. So that Lightning Genius of the Jeong family may harbor not a single worry. This too must have been your intention.”

“No.”

“You have broken the chains of oppression that Desolate Fortress has worn for hundreds of years.”

“……”

“You may head north as you are. Go meet Lightning Genius of the Jeong family and tell him all petitions have been accepted.”

Leading all seventeen.

The Ming Dynasty Grand Empress Dowager’s low voice echoed faintly… In the deepest prison of Beijing’s Ministry of Justice, where monsters and supernatural beings rather than people were confined.

Suddenly, blood-red eye light flickered.

Along with rough breathing.

Haaa—

The darkness covering the hall naturally thinned and took the shape of a bat, and jet-black garment edges mixed with that red aura and trembled in purple hues.