Chapter 221 - Radiant Genius Formula

It was noon.

A brilliant sky, intensely blue, arched over the enormous roof. Indigo stretched across its elegantly curving tiles with an air of antique refinement. The place bore the distinguished character of a great house.

THUD!

A white cloth shoe stamped into the training ground, gouging a hollow in its surface. The internal power erupting from the Yongquan point in the sole was precisely controlled.

The girl’s fist technique, following that forceful stomp, evoked the captain of the Radiant Demon Squad. So did the fist she thrust straight ahead.

BANG!

Her straight punch pierced the air. The long sleeve trailing from her wrist fluttered white.

It was an extraordinarily fierce movement. Burst Discharge from her small fist swept outward through the air like a gale.

Formidable Wall. The second form of the Infinite Blossom Fist Strike.

She did not stop at one strike. The fist technique continued without pause.

WHOOSH!

With the first form, Vortex, she unleashed spiraling, silk-reeling martial force.

After releasing force that scattered even the dust at her feet, she immediately executed the third form.

Fist Blossoms. As she stepped forward, her outstretched fist bloomed like a flower.

Invisible waves of force enveloping her right arm scattered in every direction, while repeated whooshes of displaced air battered the atmosphere.

CRACK!

She relaxed her strength and brought her feet together. Immediately afterward, the transparent martial force gathered around her right arm broke into wisps and rose.

The faint breeze lifted her long braid. For a moment it soared, glossy in the light.

The girl stood neatly upright, lowering both hands.

Even the recoil at the end of her attacks had to be regulated with her entire body. Every one of those ultimate moves carried such power.

The Infinite Blossom Fist Strike was fundamentally a single-strike fist art designed to settle a fight quickly.

Its essence lay in powerful, lightning-fast formulas. A careless finish would inevitably strain the body.

Shin Sobin of the Radiant Demon Squad understood the art deeply.

'The more I practice, the more I feel it. This is a supreme art that uses the body properly. I have to reach Great Completion.'

The deeper her mastery of the fist art became, the closer she felt to her senior.

She could fully feel the principles of the martial learning he pursued, along with the purpose inherent in them.

These were formulas that described thunderous Burst Discharge through calm intent.

Normally, such intuitive, unadorned instructions were not easy to master.

They left so much to the practitioner’s own senses. Thus, the warriors of the Lightning Genius martial lineage were generally born with exceptional understanding.

Even among them, Shin Sobin stood unrivaled.

She had not reached Great Completion. She could not fully comprehend its subtleties and imbue it with the utmost internal power.

Only Senior Jung, the art’s creator, would be capable of that. After all, it was a recently created martial art.

Still, she was satisfied with her progress.

She had attained eight-tenths mastery of the Infinite Blossom Fist Strike and could skillfully execute EVADING SWIFT STEP FIRST STEP.

If asked to name the foremost practitioner of the Lightning Genius martial lineage, she intended to point to herself without hesitation.

Could even the blue-robed experts surpass her understanding?

“You have reached the realm of fist shadows. A truly commendable achievement.”

At a tree trunk to one side of the training ground, a woman with sharply defined eyes slowly rose.

“That fist art suits you well. I can tell just from how solid those shadows are. I was worried at first, but with this much progress, I can rest a little easier. Above all, the man who created it is your direct superior.”

Shin Sobin turned toward her in silence. For a moment, she offered no reply, merely taking in the elder of her clan.

The middle-aged woman wore splendid clothing and carried a white treasured sword.

Her calm, composed bearing testified to her attainment as a swordswoman.

White lines adorned her long orange robe, gleaming silver in the sunlight with a precious luster.

The sight suited the quiet presence that enveloped her.

“You say that, but...”

Shin Sobin spoke with a frown.

“You still can’t accept it, can you? Aren’t you keeping me here because you disapprove of my turning away from the Martial Scripture Equal to Heaven? Because you don’t like me learning an art with no history?”

“You know it isn’t because I look down on the Lightning Genius martial lineage. There is simply an order of priority to the martial arts that direct descendants of this clan should make their main discipline.”

The answer was gentle.

The head of the Desolate Fortress’s Shin Clan was said to be an exceptional woman who had greatly elevated her house’s standing.

Shin Seolha, the Moon-Swaying Azure Sword.

An outstanding swordswoman, she was also renowned as a teacher who brought the talents of her kin into bloom.

Unlike most clan heads, she commanded respect without entering the Desolate Fortress’s martial robe hierarchy. In private, she was Shin Sobin’s own mother.

“Think about it. Our house has produced countless experts over the generations. Each of them filled the ranks of the Divine Sword Squad. They set aside the name of the Desolate’s Shin Clan and took on the identity of elite units such as the Divine Sword Unit and the Annihilation Squad. Of course, that is only right. Up to that point, at least. It is why the great houses under the fortress exist, and a duty we must fulfill. However...”

As Shin Seolha’s lips moved, her gentle eyes suddenly hardened.

“If even our direct descendants do the same, won’t the clan’s name fade? In the martial world, a warrior house’s legacy is carried on through its martial arts. You attained the white robe at the same age as the captain of the Radiant Demon Squad. You have the talent to go beyond blue and aspire to Black someday. Can you truly still not understand? How important your Famed Ultimate Technique will become?”

She asked as she approached Shin Sobin.

Those words were addressed to the cherished daughter of the Desolate’s Shin Clan. But the white-robed warrior of the Radiant Demon Squad did not agree. Instead, she furrowed her brows.

“That is looking down on it. You think our captain’s martial lineage isn’t worth placing above our house’s Martial Scripture Equal to Heaven. Aren’t you just telling me to glorify the clan’s name?”

“We never get anywhere with this.”

“That’s what I want to say.”

“As you say, our house’s Martial Scripture Equal to Heaven has accumulated a very long history. It is by no means inferior to the Radiant Demon Squad captain’s personal arts. It is the supreme art my older cousin used to build his martial foundation. Surely you haven’t forgotten that the Annihilation Squad captain is your mother’s cousin?”

“He’s a master of the Twin Hands of Divine Flame, not the Martial Scripture Equal to Heaven. As you said, Clan Head, he must only have used it to build his foundation. And he reached Black at a later age than our captain.”

“The arts of the Lightning Genius martial lineage will not guarantee you the same growth as the Radiant Demon Squad captain.”

Shin Seolha’s lips pressed firmly together as she finished.

Shin Sobin sighed.

“How long do you intend to keep me locked up?”

“I told you, until you reflect on your behavior, yet you haven’t even corrected your tone. I had heard rumors of the Radiant Demon Squad’s rough ways... but I never imagined they were this bad. Please show your clan head the respect she is due.”

“It’s because I can’t accept your decision. Even your pretext is wrong. My sister insulted my superior first. As a warrior of the Radiant Demon Squad, I merely punished her as she deserved. It was a legitimate sparring match, too. How many times must I tell you? Won’t outsiders criticize you for this?”

“I have heard enough of your account. Now that the captain of the Radiant Demon Squad has returned, he will come looking for you. I shall meet him and discuss it with him myself.”

“With our captain?”

Shin Sobin’s face went a little pale. Even her straight eyebrows twitched beneath her black fringe.

Her embarrassment and worry were plain to see. Her expression seemed to say exactly what she felt.

“From all I have heard, he is a reasonable man. They say he even goes out of his way to show courtesy to the scholars of the Command Bureau. His reputation is excellent.”

“...”

“I had concerns about his character, given that he is of the Indomitable Hero’s blood, but those have all been dispelled. They say he has the makings of a Divine Sword Squad Leader several decades from now... so I imagine he will readily understand what I have to say. I shall receive him with every courtesy.”

Shin Seolha smiled as she spoke.

A brief silence fell. Shin Sobin did not answer.

'A clan head and a captain. This is... going to be hard for me to stop.'

The girl recalled a long-established piece of common knowledge. In the eyes of the martial world, the Desolate Fortress was a great faction between the two paths.

It adhered faithfully to the principle that the strong preyed on the weak. That disposition suited her captain, who had lately been likened to an incarnation of stormy turbulence.

* * *

Jin Myeongjo, the Supreme Demon of Divine Blood, half opened his eyes as he sat cross-legged.

Dim light entered between his narrowed lids. The sunlight falling through the windows of the Hall of the Sword That Seeks Peace felt dull.

That was how it registered against his skin.

This had never happened before.

Of course it hadn’t. This was hardly a setting in which he could keep his wits about him.

The chief administrator was speaking, holding a document backed with green silk.

“This concerns the number of weapons to be supplied to each combat unit...”

“Just pass over it.”

So said the fellow who was supposedly the Indomitable Hero. His youthful appearance had made that hard to believe, but only briefly.

His conduct and martial prowess made it convincing enough. Who else could he be but the Indomitable Hero?

He did not treat every item on the agenda the same way. Still, he had repeated this behavior several times.

No one could say a word. The solemn atmosphere of the Hall of the Sword That Seeks Peace had fallen into disarray.

Xiahou Weizhen and Ak Surim, who normally maintained discipline, seemed to have washed their hands of the meeting entirely. The sight of them bowing their heads or feigning indifference was quite something.

“...”

Xiahou Weizhen remained motionless with his knees against his hands.

He was as still as one of those noble-race Shaolin monks who supposedly trained facing a wall for decades.

His bold, unconventional manner had vanished without a trace.

Apparently, the years he had spent under the Indomitable Hero’s command in his youth had left him unable to abandon the posture of a subordinate even now.

Ak Surim was worse. She had taken the seat farthest from the Indomitable Hero and pulled the new captain of the Radiant Demon Squad down beside her.

She had been glaring sidelong at Lightning Genius for the time it took to drink a cup of tea.

She was the foremost master among the Blacks, with the deepest internal-energy breathing. How long must that interval feel to her?

She had not taken her eyes off her young junior for even a moment. Her slightly upturned eyes looked rather pitiful, too.

Such was the state of the Thousand-Fist, Dragon-Strength Retainer and the Desolate Divine Spear. Anyone would have found the sight hard to believe.

The Immortal Wood Spirit Lord, Cheon Soso, and the Law Enforcement Squad Captain, Un Soyu, also participated with their gazes slightly lowered.

They looked nothing like the women who had been so eager to tear into Jin Myeongjo over his bloodline. Did they think sitting elegantly with their mouths shut would make them look any different?

'Hah!'

Jin Myeongjo sneered inwardly. Not a single captain among those high-and-mighty noble-race lords dared hold their head high.

But he was suffering just as much. With the round table destroyed, the captains were sitting closer together.

The faint waves of qi spreading from the Radiant Demon Squad captain’s body felt as though they were slicing into his skin.

He could not even show his discomfort.

He had just sent a letter and reduced the number of blue robes he would transfer from three to two. He had made a ridiculous show of acting the senior.

That was what his pretense of boldness had gained him. He absolutely could not be exposed. He would be challenged to a sparring match.

'Damn it...!'

With an impassive expression, Jin Myeongjo straightened his back, holding himself with lofty dignity. His posture stood out more than anyone else’s.

The Radiant Demon Squad captain’s gaze immediately landed on him. His jet-black eyes seemed to sparkle. Lightning Genius was somehow managing to ignore the Desolate Divine Spear’s stare.

“Will the Radiant Demon Squad undertake the Shaanxi mission alone?”

Jung Yeonshin asked abruptly.

The chief administrator gave an equivocal nod.

“Nominally, yes. However... rather than the Lingering Spirits supreme master posing as the leader of the White Sun Sect, I am concerned about the Tyrant Sword Tribe Lord, whom you might encounter.”

“Shaanxi rivals a fair-sized country in area. Might that concern be excessive?”

“Given Shaanxi’s size and the White Sun Sect’s location at its northern edge, it is extremely unlikely. Still, you are a rising supreme master who symbolizes this fortress’s future. It is only right that we send a scout, at least. At present, I am considering the Blood-Preserving Squad Captain. Born with peerless yin qi, he possesses an exceptionally wide radius of energy detection. He should be able to flee before encountering the Tyrant Sword Tribe Lord.”

“Hmm...?”

Jin Myeongjo’s hands twitched beneath his folded arms.

Desperately, though with a deliberately composed expression, he spoke.

“That seems an excessive deployment. Is the Command Bureau not underestimating the Radiant Demon Squad captain’s prowess? With Lightning Genius’s energy detection and Mobility Arts, there are few things in this world that could harm him. I, Jin Myeongjo, consider our junior an equal captain. He is a supreme master who has no need of coddling.”

The corners of Jung Yeonshin’s mouth shifted ever so slightly.

Recognition from the fortress’s family often filled the emptiness left by his days at the Jeong Clan Estate.

It brought a warmth he could never have imagined as a child. That was why he felt close to Ak Surim rather than simply finding her uncomfortable, even though her personality seemed to have undergone Rejuvenation as well.

He liked his seniors’ kindness. Even the way she glared at him from beside him seemed rather cute.

'If Senior Ak or Senior Jin came as a scout, that would be nice, too.'

Then Ma Yeonjeok made a rare display of satisfaction.

“I commend what you said. That Yong brat has been blessed with some fine people. A useful fellow has joined while I had laid down the Divine Attainment Sword.”

He continued with a smile.

“Go.”

“...”

Seated beside Ma Yeonjeok, the chief administrator turned a page and read on. He moved smoothly to the next matter.

“Finally, we have the Promotion Exams for the Nameless and the white robes. These are important events, with promotion to white and blue respectively at stake. Captain of the Radiant Demon Squad, with your keen eye, would you oversee them? The Captain of the Forest-Treading Squad and the Immortal Wood Spirit Lord must depart directly for the Ming Cult’s headquarters. The Suncheon Wing’s situation is urgent...”

“Very well.”

Jung Yeonshin readily nodded. When he had been a white robe, he had taken the blue-rank examination under the observation of the Annihilation Squad captain.

Now he would administer the examinations as a captain himself. He had already recommended Heon Wonchang and the Supreme Flame Dragon for promotion.

The chief administrator smiled.

“How refreshingly straightforward. That concludes today’s meeting.”

“Thank you for your efforts, Chief Administrator, and all my seniors.”

He rose without delay. His maternal grandfather’s unexpected intrusion had left him on pins and needles.

He could clear up the misunderstanding about the Comprehensive Compendium for Breaking the Righteous Path when his grandfather was absent. Escaping this embarrassment came first.

TAP.

Jung Yeonshin stepped away. He intended to head straight to the Desolate’s Shin Clan.

He needed to retrieve his junior, Shin Sobin, and sort out the Radiant Demon Squad’s fighting strength and internal conflicts.

“Yeonshin, why did you leave before me? I fear your impatience may bring you trouble one day. This old grandfather would like to teach you the art of tea.”

“Another time, please, Grandfather.”

He left without looking back.