Chapter 241 - Opening the Eyes (5)

"..."

Wind swept over the cliffs and through the sprawling undergrowth. Its passage past the scattered rocks sounded unusually loud. The people had fallen silent. How could they not?

The leaders of the evil and unorthodox paths were dead. The firmly woven order of a great city had been shattered utterly. Anyone from Xi'an would have felt something peculiar at the sight.

Countless people had crowded onto the peaks overlooking the gorge. Some sat wherever they pleased beneath the brush; others had climbed trees. Men and women in silk sat solemnly in palanquins... Similar yet diverse clusters stretched in long lines.

Soon, the whispers breaking the silence swelled in proportion to their numbers.

"What could have brought a secluded master into the world? Such skill..."

"A secluded master? Look at his face. He's absurdly young."

"Who in the world is he...?"

"Find out who those glowing swordsmen are. If they intend to settle in Xi'an, we cannot take this lightly. Consider them the equal of the elite of the Nine Great Sects or the Thirteen Skies. Investigate them with the utmost care."

"Will that be enough? Xi'an's entire order will change."

"I know. Hmm, the Northern Radiance Inn that the leader of the Remnant-Revering Earth Sect used should be vacant now. We shall use it. Send that man a message... No. I shall go myself."

People of every sort began to move. Messenger pigeons burst through the brush, beating their wings as they rose in different directions. The response was exceedingly swift. Many others departed using lightness skills, raising clouds of dust.

Amid that commotion, beneath a spread of brown pine needles, the sky sword dragon, wiji myohwa, was also looking down at Jung Yeonshin. Her bearing differed from that of the other martial figures.

She gripped her sword firmly, as though ready to leap out at any moment, and had lowered a translucent blue veil over her face. Even so, she could not hide the refined air of a disciple from a distinguished sect. An exceptional swordswoman's bearing was bound to draw attention. Beyond her beautiful jawline, her very figure and presence set her apart. Many nearby stole glances at her. She paid them no heed.

'Young Master Lightning Genius...'

No, his position made that form of address difficult now. Who would address one of the captains of the renowned Divine Sword Squad's seventeen squads so lightly? Even relying on their friendship, Master Jung would be as familiar as she could be. A gentle melancholy entered her eyes.

She had roamed the martial world with the boy who had attacked the Hwangbo branch family in blue robes. Those were happy memories, fragrant even in recollection. Back then, chivalry had been everything to her, and she had her fellow Zhongnan disciples to support her ideals. Her teacher and granduncle-master had still been alive and well.

At first, she had delved into the Sword Ancestor's Eclipse of the Nine Suns alongside Jung Yeonshin. Her granduncle-master, the Sword Immortal, had been with them too.

'I succumbed to an inner demon.'

Watching the boy effortlessly produce the Radiant Sword Art had plunged her into anguish. She had just realized that the talent she had arrogantly believed unmatched beneath heaven amounted to little. But it had been all right. Her granduncle-master, who had seen through Jung Yeonshin's lifespan, had freed her from her inner demon with his words. It had not been base relief. She had risen beyond it to compassion.

Zhongnan Sect was part of every one of those memories. Green hills, the sword-marked cliff opposite, a boy dancing with his sword amid light, wiji myohwa gazing blankly at him, the Zhongnan Sword Immortal's hearty laughter... Mount Zhongnan, and the scent of grass in those memories.

The Desolate Fortress's captain of the Radiant Demon Squad was reminding Zhongnan's senior disciple of her sect. A strange thing. Such were the bonds between people. Gratitude pierced her heart, accompanied by another feeling growing just as strong. Unconsciously, she bit her lower lip.

'I'm sorry... I'm so sorry...'

She had failed to protect Jung Hye. Faced with the Heaven-and-Earth Net of two of the Thirteen Skies, she had lost the child. She could not find Jung Hye anywhere. Even searching frantically alongside the Sword Exalted, Baek Seogun, had left her wandering helplessly. Every trace had vanished. It was despairing.

Then she had heard a rumor that the leaders of Xi'an's seven great sects were going to fight someone, and had come. She had never imagined it would be Jung Yeonshin. Not even in her dreams. And she still had not recovered Jung Hye.

"You seem to have much to say. I've raised a curtain of qi. Speak freely."

The swordswoman beside her spoke, staring intently down beneath her bamboo hat. Short gray hair spilled untidily beneath its loose chin strap. It was Baek Seogun, the Sky-Swimming Sword Demon. She, too, had been attracting attention alongside wiji myohwa.

Despite the exposed tips of her unusual half-gray hair, no one mentioned the Martial Alliance's Sword Exalted. She inhabited a world far removed from theirs. A supernatural abomination from another realm. That was how people perceived the second-in-command of a great faction of the Thirteen Skies. They merely noticed a presence no less extraordinary than wiji myohwa's.

With lustrous satin sleeves hanging long and her back held proudly straight, she radiated nobility. Her downturned mouth, which seemed to regard all things with indifference, faced the young supreme master below in the gorge.

"Those senses are truly a treasure. They could leave a mark on the history of Murim." Baek Seogun's lips moved.

"They say he inherited the Indomitable Hero's blood, but I suppose we should call him the fruit of that bastard Jeong Banak's face. Thanks to that petty wretch's otherworldly looks... a child like that was born. What a pleasure for the eyes, after looking at the likes of our Alliance's eldest young master."

"I cannot go down there."

Baek Seogun chuckled at wiji myohwa's murmur. "Because of that paltry guilt? How weak. And arrogant. You seem to think someone like you could have broken the Heaven-and-Earth Net of two of the Thirteen Skies. That self-reproach is absurd. Given that kind child's nature, he would comfort you instead."

"... Yet you hesitate to go yourself, Senior Sword Exalted. You said you had a connection with Master Jung..."

"..." Baek Seogun closed her lips.

["You received plenty of the love I could not give. Your complexion is so healthy."]

It was her own voice. Words so careless they cut into a mind once filled with nothing but the sword. The things she had smugly prattled to Jeong Banak's son churned through her head.

The Zhongnan child's inner conflict was none of her concern. She had come to harbor unprecedented regret and shame. The assumption she had held all along had been utterly mistaken.

'His face has grown a little slimmer. His body has become firmer already. He changes by the day.'

Lightning Genius, Jung Yeonshin. Even looking down at the face she had longed to see again, she could not readily take a step. Not even as the Martial Alliance's second-greatest sword demon. With her Mobility Arts, she could reach him in a single stride, yet her heart wavered between the maidservant who might have become the boy's nursemaid and the Sword Exalted whose name resounded throughout Henan Province.

She had never worried about those seven sect leaders. Strong though they might be, they were mere underlings of the Thirteen Skies. They lacked the standing to break the treasured sword of the Desolate Fortress's Radiant Demon Squad. That was the Sword Exalted's assessment.

"He may..." Slowly, she parted her lips. "...make a great stir. A captain of the Desolate Fortress stands at a rank where one discusses the fate of all under heaven. Every captain of its seventeen squads has been so. Lightning Genius shall be no different. I should be able to lend him aid in the near future. We can meet then."

The maidservant wearing a treasured sword spoke with archaic dignity. She was contradiction incarnate, dressing her private torment in plausible words. Her slightly raised chin looked quite haughty, though her heart surely felt otherwise. wiji myohwa did not point it out. She was in no position to concern herself with it.

["He has little time left to live."]

Those had been the Zhongnan Sword Immortal's words upon seeing Jung Yeonshin.

She knew the lifespan of the boy she had grown fond of. Lightning Genius, captain of the Radiant Demon Squad. While he burned fiercely through his short life, one of his few remaining blood relatives had been abducted. It only fanned her guilt. Zhongnan Sect's Sword Dragon kept moving her lips in tiny murmurs.

'I'm sorry. I'm so sorry...'

Soon, a certain resolve began to sharpen her steady eyes. At the same time, her fingers traced the length of the sword hilt at her waist, describing a peculiar line. It was a motion that recalled something.

* * *

"Well now, our Chief has cleaned up the whole lot. They were fearsome bastards, too. Unorthodox sect leaders, for all their faults."

The Supreme Flame Dragon approached with a smile, accompanied by the seniors of the Radiant Demon Squad. On the flat ground at the bottom of the gorge, sprawled corpses and darkly soaked blood filled the view. Yet his banter seemed to make the stench of blood a little fainter.

Only the Radiant Demon Squad's experts possessed any vitality in that bleak scene. Heon Wonchang, Shin Sobin, and even Zhuge Cheonga looked somewhat tired, but their complexions were healthy. As befitted descendants of distinguished families, their faces almost glowed.

Jung Yeonshin glanced at the Supreme Flame Dragon and shook his head.

'When did that opium fiend learn the Radiant Genius Formula?'

The genius with Solar Divine Meridians, destined for an early death, had mastered the Radiant Genius Formula very quickly. He had not even asked a question, as though nothing obstructed his progress. He had merely flicked his hands a few times with interest, as though tasting a delicacy, then nodded slightly and said the trip had indeed been worthwhile.

"I'm rather tempted by that. It looked entertaining." The Supreme Flame Dragon gestured with his eyes toward his captain's hand.

"Just clean up." Jung Yeonshin turned slightly away, as though refusing to entertain the idea. He was drawing the thread swords into his black sleeve. The cuff fluttered ceaselessly under the attraction formula of Blossoms Raining Across the Sky. The exceedingly fine strands gleamed faintly as they were sucked inside.

The Supreme Flame Dragon smacked his lips. "The more I watch you, the greedier you seem than me."

"Such nonsense from someone so slow. They say not to covet treasures beyond your ability to handle."

Answering offhandedly, Jung Yeonshin stole a look at his subordinates. Feigning indifference, he scanned the Radiant Demon Squad's experts on either side. He hoped none of his companions were injured. Fortunately, the Radiant Genius Formula seemed to have served its purpose. A few warriors were panting, but that merely indicated depleted internal energy.

Just as he felt relieved, his eyes met those of Chung Myung, Baek Miryeo, Heon Wonchang, and even Shin Sobin. They were examining their captain's hand, which had gripped a bare thread sword. The blood on it was drying.

'Making such a fuss...'

Jung Yeonshin turned away with deliberately composed steps.

'There must be plenty of martial skills I can use alongside this. It's entertaining, too.'

He deliberately tilted his neck slightly from side to side, considering it a worthwhile gain. He had restrained his attacks to let the sect leaders display their full strength. In truth, it had lasted only a few breaths, but limiting his blows had been harder than expected. Still, it was fine. He had filled several pages of A Comprehensive Guide to Exterminating Evil with the martial arts of the leaders who had ruled the vast lands of Xi'an.

Volunteering for a life-and-death match between leaders had been worthwhile. The crowds in the gorge, who had fallen deathly silent before beginning to chatter among themselves, were another reward. A thousand-year-old capital. The great city of Xi'an had fallen into the hands of the Vast Genius Stockade. Everyone would acknowledge that now.

Jung Yeonshin slowly parted his lips. "Kang Dawn Tree, take Shin Cat and investigate the prefect at the government office. No report was sent up even as Xi'an reached this state. Find out thoroughly whether unavoidable circumstances prevented it, or whether he was in league with them. If the latter, execute him on the spot."

Finishing his order, he gathered his long black sleeves. Though the fabric differed from the Desolate Fortress's robes, it sat comfortably against his skin. He could almost imagine wearing clothes like these had he never entered the fortress.

"Yes, Chief." The towering swordsman raised his clasped hands. He was Kang Changmu, the blue-robed expert who had transferred from the Forest-Treading Squad. Since his epithet was Dawn Tree Sword, Jung Yeonshin had casually called him Kang Dawn Tree, just as he had dubbed White Cat Shin Sobin "Shin Cat."

Shin Sobin seemed displeased with her hastily devised name. She gave Jung Yeonshin a sidelong glare with her round eyes, only to break into a smile when their gazes met. Even after committing slaughter, she remained bold. She truly was a child of one of the fortress's distinguished families.

"One fellow remains." Heon Wonchang spoke with an unusually indifferent expression. As he wiped along the flat of his sword, as though washing away accumulated killing intent, blood stained his hand. It was a familiar sight to his companions.

The gazes of some thirty Radiant Demon Squad experts fixed on the man standing alone. It was Jang Giil, leader of Whiteburn Gate. His yellow robe clothed a solidly built figure. After staring vacantly at the dead leader of the Remnant-Revering Earth Sect beside a tree trunk, he turned toward the captain of the Radiant Demon Squad.

["Radiant Demon Squad of the Desolate Fortress, punish these vermin."]

He was the only sect leader to have heard that command and survived. Jung Yeonshin had deliberately excluded him from the range of his forms, and Jang Giil had not joined the combined assault.

"You betrayed the main sect despite being a lay affiliate of Zhongnan, I hear. Show your Chief what you're worth," said the captain of the Radiant Demon Squad.

"... Jung Joongsan of Xinye County."

Jang Giil, who had been staring at the young supreme master, opened his mouth. Xi'an was home to Zhongnan's main sect. That meant everyone knew of the bond between the Desolate Fortress's powerful rising star and Zhongnan's disciples.

"I know where he is."

* * *

Xi'an's outskirts were a maze. It was because of the city's long history. Across an immense span of time, it had served as the capital of countless states. Many Murim sects had also sprung up in the city. Naturally, roads of every description had formed, almost to the point of disorder.

In an alley lined on both sides with chilly shadows, winter wind swept in from outside and brushed the old walls. As the bleak air passed over long cracks spreading across them, the distant bustle of the city drifted faintly in. It merely broke apart amid the heavy thuds of kicks.

THUD!

"I've finally got this fucking idiot...!"

"Look at him blocking! Where's your opening stance now, oh exalted swordsman of Mount Zhongnan?"

"Did this bastard really train in one of the Nine Great Sects? Did he?"

There were two men and one woman. All wore identical ash-gray martial uniforms. Surrounding one person, the three sneered with their young, unlined faces as they lashed out with their feet.

THUD! THUMP!

A man curled on the ground was taking a savage beating. The heavy impacts thudded against his yellow clothes. It was a day when Jung Joongsan had been caught badly.

After parting ways with the terrifying Baek Seogun, he had searched everywhere alone for Jung Hye. Jung Joongsan was a martial artist trained in lightness skills. Though he could not dream of touching the Thirteen Skies themselves, he had hoped to learn something through hit-and-run attacks on the unorthodox sects beneath them. He also had a measure of confidence in his Supreme Unity Formless Sword.

It had all been in vain. The result was the same every time. Only the few secret life-saving techniques he had learned kept him from being captured and killed outright. Dragging his exhausted body through back alleys, he merely struggled to fulfill his duty. As Jung Hye's uncle, and as a disciple of Zhongnan Sect.

"Has that mouth you used to lecture me frozen shut? You ran it so proudly when Zhongnan was still standing!"

"You're the older brother of the Desolate Fortress's Radiant Demon Squad captain? Bring your little brother here, then, you sectless bastard."

"Not that he could handle the Ghost-Soul Divine Sword. Worthless little shit, relying on your backing."

The Remnant-Revering Earth Sect disciples left at their headquarters were thoroughly enjoying themselves. Naturally. How could they not be delighted? Zhongnan Sect had been annihilated, and their own age had dawned.

'This is retribution.'

Jung Joongsan mocked himself. Call for his younger brother, Jung Yeonshin?

This scene was his own portrait. In his immature days, he had led the children his age in Xinye County, playing the neighborhood boss. Back when he had spitefully tormented his ominous younger brother. After rejecting the Movement Art offered by those small hands, he had once ordered the other children to bully him, asking whether his body was really so tough. Even in his own recollection, it had been vicious.

'How could I have the shamelessness!'

THWACK!

"Gah!"

Struck in the solar plexus, Jung Joongsan gasped. He was beginning to think it was time to bring out a secret life-saving technique.

Suddenly, above the heads of those beating him—

WHOOOOSH!

A pitch-black shadow fell like an untimely thunderbolt in the dead of night. It could only be called an advent. Dust in the alley surged in every direction, as if greeting an unfamiliar being. It almost resembled a whirlwind. In an instant, an unbelievably suffocating pressure spread all around.

Amid a sight that seemed to draw in every wind beneath heaven—

BOOM!

The intruder with the overwhelming presence kicked Jung Joongsan in the abdomen. A fierce shock wave erupted. His breath cut off entirely, Jung Joongsan hurtled forward like a leaf struck by a gale. The power of that leg was tremendous. It had been a full, solid blow. The suddenly manifested captain of the Radiant Demon Squad's eyes flashed, the long tails of his black robes streaming behind him.

"How infuriating."

CRUNCH.

Standing in the dust, he muttered the words curtly.