Yulha Nangnang glanced at the title Comprehensive Overview of the Demonic Faction's Annihilation before speaking.
"May I ask what this is? The name is quite grandiose."
Jung Yeonshin shook his head.
"The main topic should come first."
"Alright, let's proceed."
"What is the meaning of this behavior?"
The Imperial Inspector was seated under the pavilion while the Mount Hua Sect's leader and the Radiant Demon Squad's leader sat across from each other. Hesitating for a moment, Wei Ji Myohwa took a seat in the center.
"Not long ago, Cheon Joo suffered a severe injury from the First Apostle. By sheer luck, it wasn't fatal."
"…That is, at least, fortunate."
Jung Yeonshin recalled the resolute face of Sage Cheon Joo, the master of Mount Hua Sword Severance.
He was an unparalleled swordsman who had perfected Hidden Fragrance Drifting Blossoms. In the Opening Tournament of the Murim Alliance, he had won by sheer fortune.
At that time, Cheon Joo had already sustained internal injuries, yet he still showed no openings.
Now, word had spread that he was on the verge of death. Jung Yeonshin had been recovering when the First Apostle of the Blood Flame Cult struck.
"I have come personally to check on your condition. The forces of the Demonic Faction running rampant in Shaanxi are too strong, and we lack the manpower. The strife between the orthodox and unorthodox factions is also a headache. There isn't a single inn or temple that remains intact."
"My subordinates are actively handling the situation."
Jung Yeonshin answered calmly. More than half of the Radiant Demon Squad had disguised themselves and were monitoring external security.
As their leader, he had sent them out. Enduring his comrades' insistent pleas to remain by his side for his safety had been exhausting.
They were sharp-eyed veterans. Just noticing the minute growth in Jung Yeonshin's limbs was enough for them to make a fuss.
They even teased him, spooning food into his mouth, telling him to adjust his movements accordingly. Anyone would have found it unbearable.
—Enough.
They had to bear the authority of their leader. As warriors of Desolate Fortress, they had no choice but to fulfill their duties.
"Of course, their contributions to the people are significant. However, the purpose of a sword varies. How many more swordsmen do we have to fill Cheon Joo's absence? Even Bin Do is barely keeping up with monitoring the Tyrant Sword Tribe's leader."
[NOTE - Bin Do is a humble self-reference used by Taoist monks when speaking about themselves. It translates roughly to "this humble Taoist" or "this poor follower of the Way."]
"The Tyrant Sword Tribe's leader…"
Jung Yeonshin quietly repeated the name of the one who loomed in his mind like an impregnable fortress. Even the name itself felt overwhelming.
Yulha Nangnang, who had been observing his face carefully, spoke.
"The blood demons multiplying like insects are also a problem. The situation is truly grim. Before long, Bin Do won't be able to leave the main sect. You, holding a high rank, should prepare yourself accordingly. Mount Hua cannot abandon Mount Hua."
"Once I recover, I will act as I see fit."
"Very well. Bin Do has no reason to interfere further."
"You came to deliver this message? That even Mount Hua struggles to maintain control over Shaanxi…?"
"I also came to check on you."
Yulha Nangnang slightly curled her lips. It was a faintly enigmatic smile.
She asked,
"How old are you this year?"
For Jung Yeonshin, it was a question he had answered countless times.
"In fifteen days, I will turn seventeen."
Wei Ji Myohwa, who had been silently sitting in the middle, twitched her fingers.
Yulha Nangnang laughed.
"You must have faced all kinds of astonishment. Being called a monstrous prodigy, possessing martial prowess beyond your years."
"Yes."
Jung Yeonshin, as Radiant Demon Squad's leader, answered plainly. His response was so composed that even the leader of a Great Sect, accustomed to humility, found her eyelashes slightly raised.
"Indeed. In any case, I had no chance to intervene last time. It was regrettable that I couldn't fulfill my duty as a senior."
"In what way…?"
"Your body."
For a brief moment, a faint crimson light flickered in Yulha Nangnang's eyes. It was a radiance reminiscent of the sunset.
"The divine presence in your head is remarkably immense. It is so exalted that even your exceptionally refined body seems faded in comparison. It's astonishing. You seem to have naturally achieved what Taoist cultivators strive for their entire lives. Yet, to Bin Do, it is not necessarily a good thing. Judging by your reaction, you were already aware of this."
Jung Yeonshin did not ask if this was the reason she had sought him out despite their lack of acquaintance.
There was an old saying: Among the absolute masters, there are none who are not eccentrics.
—Are those who manifest a microcosm outside their bodies truly human?
Invincible.
Innate sword-like talent was secondary. Constant, relentless training was only part of it.
They were those who, whether by fate or misfortune, were born into extreme circumstances and carried an obsessive madness for martial arts.
Over decades, or even over a century, they accumulated all these aspects to forge an absolute realm.
"You must sustain yourself with the essence of food, yet doesn't the divinity in your upper dantian reject the unification of essence, energy, and spirit? With your intellect and rate of progress, you should have long since reached Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown, yet your advancement still seems distant."
She spoke in an archaic tone, effortlessly eloquent.
She resembled the white plum blossom—lofty and pure.
"That is correct. Your words are true, Nangnang."
Jung Yeonshin answered brazenly. Even as Yulha Nangnang's expression briefly showed surprise, he remained unfazed. It was simply the truth.
"Hmm. In any case, there are no shortcuts in Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown. Even the Thirteen Celestial Demons maintain a balanced cultivation of essence, energy, and spirit. For you, this must be your first major hurdle. Do not lose heart, and become a good friend to Yoo Hyun. That child, who had no peers his age, spoke of you often. It lingered in my mind."
"You came just to tell me this…?"
"I was concerned that you might stray into the path of the Demonic Faction. Your current accomplishments are already formidable in the martial world. If you continue walking forward, you will achieve the merit to harvest the fruits of your effort. Do not let impatience consume you."
Her voice was warm, and her smile was gentle. The dignity of a noble orthodox master was evident.
For a brief moment, a soft tremor of realization passed through Jung Yeonshin's mind.
It was not relief.
Even the Starlight Sword Deity had not seen through the time he had left.
She had simply conveyed her concern as a senior martial artist. It was something vast and gentle, like twilight settling over the mountains.
Jung Yeonshin immediately raised his fist in salute.
"I have once again received your kindness. I am grateful, Sect Leader."
The smile on Yulha Nangnang's lips momentarily stiffened at his words. It was right after he had said once again.
Jung Yeonshin paid it no mind.
His body was in an unprecedented state of injury. Time was his lifeline, yet his progress had stalled.
Her words about not rushing resonated deeply. He had gained an insight.
"I do not intend to be bound by Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown. There are countless paths to strength. Another method has come to mind."
Jung Yeonshin considered using this period of recovery as an opportunity for secluded training.
"Other martial artists take time for training. I will do the same."
"Hmm…?"
* * *
The sunset flowed over the eaves of the pavilion.
It was shortly after the Mount Hua Sect's leader had left.
By then, outside the pavilion, Imperial Inspector So Yun had narrowed his eyes.
He had just begun to grasp the intent behind Yulha Nangnang leaving him behind.
'That boy is not of the unorthodox path.'
He stroked his thick black beard downward.
He hadn't heard the entire conversation. At some point, an energy barrier had covered the pavilion.
Even so, he could infer the flow of the discussion.
So Yun was a man who had survived as an Imperial Inspector in a world filled with martial arts and the inexplicable.
He was merely less attuned to the affairs of the martial world, but his perception was honed like a blade.
The boy before him had been personally sought out by the Mount Hua Sect's leader.
Among the Seven Great Sects of Xi'an, the White Sun Sect was the only one to escape annihilation, and he was treated as an honored guest there.
'He possesses more than just martial prowess. He is already widely acknowledged in the martial world.'
The Starlight Sword Deity, one of the most trustworthy guardians in all of the land, had abandoned him and left.
Considering Mount Hua's proximity to the imperial family, it was inconceivable.
It could only mean the boy held that much power and position.
"I shall formally introduce myself."
He clasped both hands and addressed the two figures descending from the pavilion.
Jung Yeonshin, stepping onto the ground, lifted his head. Beside him, Wei Ji Myohwa wore a peculiar expression.
"Imperial Inspector So Yun."
"Speak."
"I've thought of a use for you."
The Radiant Demon Squad's leader slightly parted his lips.
"But you are not yet qualified. If you wish to learn my identity, you should first reconsider your manner of speech."
"What…?"
"Seize him."
Snap!
In an instant, a shadow bolted from the lakeside like a thunderclap.
A straight-line lightness technique dash snatched So Yun away and carried him far. A fierce gust of wind rushed in. It all happened in a flash.
Wei Ji Myohwa's eyes widened slightly.
"Just now…?"
"A comrade from the Blood Preservation Squad. Na Il-cheon, the Demonic Spirit of Battle."
"The Blood Preservation Squad? Are you saying the Supreme Demon of Sacred Blood from Desolate Fortress yielded one of his subordinates?"
"Yes. He is the senior I respect the most. Not just in martial prowess but in character as well."
Jung Yeonshin, for once, smiled faintly and clenched his right fist before releasing it.
The throbbing pain in his tendons, lingering all the way to his wrist, remained unchanged. Yet, the profound realization gifted to him by the Mount Hua Sect's leader was immense.
Until now, he had never engaged in training so intensive that it could be called closed-door cultivation, and a strange curiosity began to rise.
'With this, I've sent away all my comrades…'
To grow stronger without passing through Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown.
For the first time, he had set a clear intermediate goal for his training.
He stood by the lakeside where the pavilion floated. On the rippling water, shimmering under the sunlight, Jung Yeonshin's reflection appeared.
His eyes were filled with an intense blue radiance.
* * *
A new year had begun.
The Radiant Demon Squad's leader, Lightning Genius, had officially turned seventeen.
Shaanxi, vast as it was, was descending deeper into chaos.
Even while Jung Yeonshin recuperated, the world continued to move ceaselessly.
The deaths of the Ghost Spirit Sword and Shaanxi's Number One Demon had undoubtedly shaken the Shaanxi martial world.
After it became known that the incident at the Shaanxi branch of Yeoryeong Sect was the work of Radiant Sword Group, the leader of the Radiant Sword Group began to rise as an emerging powerhouse.
However, the true storm came with the annihilation of the Zhongnan Sect. Each passing day brought new upheavals.
—They say the Blood Flame Cult's First Apostle is debating Shaanxi's Number One with his Roaring Blood Accumulated Madness Technique. The entire Fengyou County was turned into a sea of blood in an instant. Mount Hua's Sword Severance was utterly crushed…
—The title Shaanxi's Number One should belong to either the Tyrant Sword Tribe's leader or the Starlight Sword Deity. The greatest interest lies in when those two grandmasters will finally clash. I've heard even wagers are being placed in more leisurely places.
—You all must be too relaxed. Who knows when the crazed blood demons might descend upon us? Instead of discussing the state of the martial world, pack your things and be ready to flee.
—Don't be so dramatic. Just yesterday, the Path-Cleaving Clan and Golden Manor Clan clashed. They accused each other of harboring blood demons, but everyone knows it was just a dispute over paddy field borders."
In a time of famine, territorial disputes became more critical than ever. Martial artists, desperate for food and fertile land, did not hesitate to draw their blades.
Everywhere, countless warriors were colliding.
Meanwhile, the Blood Flame Cult was expanding its reach, and the Tyrant Sword Tribe, having lost the Ghost Spirit Sword, was frantically searching for Radiant Arts' leader.
It was an era of chaos.
Then, a monumental rumor spread.
—There is a Thousand-Year-Old 'He Shou Wu Clan' on the Seven Maidens Peaks of Mount Taebaek!
Rumors about spiritual herbs and miraculous elixirs always led to bloodshed.
Even if it was a scheme by someone attempting to manipulate the turbulent times, it made no difference. Regardless of its authenticity, it had to be verified in person.
This time was no exception.
A Thousand-Year-Old He Shou Wu was valuable enough to justify any risk. It was said to cure all ailments and grant unparalleled martial power.
Martial artists from all corners flocked toward it. Even warriors from the great sects joined the pursuit.
The timing was peculiar.
For the past month, Jung Yeonshin had been in seclusion at an estate, only to now face a new predicament.
Jung Hye-ah had not awakened.
Despite Transcending Law Radiant Wheel erasing the demonic energy of Heavenly Grave Demon Art, her eyelids remained shut.
Even after the estate's owner, the White Sun Sect's leader of Zhongnan's collateral family, sought out renowned physicians, she remained in a death-like slumber.
It was a spell cast by the Number One Demon of Yeoryeong Sect. Even in death, Shaanxi's Number One Demon refused to let go of Jung Hye-ah.
Jung Yeonshin stood atop the brown-tiled rooftop. His upper body was still wrapped in bandages.
"I am heading out."
Flap!
Jung Yeonshin draped a pitch-black longcoat over his shoulders. The jet-black fabric cast a shadow below the wall.
On his shoulder hung a single travel pack, and at the bottom of the bundle, the sharp edges of books were visible.
"This is a solo mission for the leader. The Radiant Demon Squad will continue protecting the people."
"What nonsense…? Did you steal my poppy again?"
As Lazy Flame Dragon lazily scratched his ear and stepped out, the Radiant Demon Squad's leader had already disappeared.
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