As soon as Jung Yeonshin returned to the Gongya Clan, he sent out the white swallow, Baiyan, to inform the senior black rank companions of the situation. At the same time, he expanded his sensory perception widely, scanning his surroundings.
His identity had been discovered by the First Fist of the Eun Clan. The consequences of that had to be assessed first.
Perhaps it was because his martial prowess had advanced, but he felt the strength contained in the gaze of the Zhuge Clan's leader even more intensely.
To be honest, it did not feel like something within human limits. He was a man who had refined an unfamiliar martial art to its absolute pinnacle, becoming a supreme master.
'It doesn't seem like he revealed my identity.'
Jung Yeonshin thought to himself.
The black ranks of Desolate Fortress were those who stood just beneath the pinnacle of Murim.
They were highly shunned in every martial sect, yet still received the courtesy befitting their rank.
While the heads of various sects were seen as lofty figures, like mountaintops hidden behind clouds, the supreme experts just below them were threats that could be felt on the skin.
They represented the authority of great sects.
The status of the current leader of the Radiant Demon Squad was no less revered in Shaanxi than the leader of the Gongya Clan or the Gui Clan.
If his identity had been exposed, an uproar should have already ensued. At the very least, there should have been some sign of suspicion.
'The demeanor of the First Fist of the Eun Clan seemed quite different. But I can't be sure.'
Fist Grand Duke, Eun Hwaryun.
She was the companion of the Zhuge Clan's leader.
Even if the impression she showed on the surface was peculiar, she couldn't be trusted outright. The possibility that the Zhuge Clan's leader would appear in the Gongya Clan had to be considered.
Fortunately, his damned upper dantian denied that possibility, but still.
His immediate survival was at stake. Just thinking about the worst-case scenario sent a cold sweat down his spine.
For the first time during a mission, he deeply feared dying by another's hand. He had heard that many of his senior black ranks had met their end during missions.
Crack.
How should he counter a supreme master's martial techniques?
Sitting cross-legged on a smooth wooden chair, Jung Yeonshin clenched his thumb with his palm, producing a cracking sound from his bones.
'I have to use footwork, energy, and movement techniques all together. I must close the distance and land a single decisive strike to a vital point, whether with Sword Thunder Flash Art or Radiant River.'
It wouldn't be as simple as his thoughts made it seem. Even within Desolate Fortress, intelligence on the Zhuge Clan's leader's martial arts was scarce.
Everything about his techniques—their nature, their forms, their defenses—was a mystery. Unlike an absolute master, he was a cunning figure.
Howling Wind and Torrential Rain.
All that was known was that he wielded wind and rain akin to a natural disaster.
The best way to approach this was to treat it as if he were facing the forces of nature itself.
Luckily, he possessed the movement techniques inherited through Chung Myung.
He had to integrate all the martial arts he had developed so far into his Protective Energy Technique and find a path to victory.
Hoo—
As his thoughts deepened, Jung Yeonshin's breath grew heavier.
Long inhales and exhales intertwined into a singular flow, drawing his consciousness inward. A meditation technique devised by wise monkeys—Mental Image Training.
The figure of the Zhuge Clan's leader, as he had appeared during their single exchange in the Murim Alliance, gradually became clearer in his mind.
Inhumanly cold eyes, an elegant fan, a peculiar stance that made it seem as though he existed alone in the world, the immense gaze he had felt just moments ago…
The clearer the image became, the more overwhelmingly massive it felt. He could hardly breathe.
As he envisioned the hundreds of branching trajectories formed by Ten Li Radiance Step, Infinite Blossom Fist Strike, and Sword Thunder Flash Art, his heart pounded relentlessly.
It was a fresh realization, he might actually die, regardless of his upper dantian's guidance.
'Hmm?'
Amidst this, a familiar surge of energy entered his sensory field.
Subconsciously, he accepted it as a warm presence.
It was natural.
The energy wave that bloomed like the dawn's light was the very same he had woven, thread by thread, following the mnemonic verse he had devised while contemplating monkeys.
In an instant, his mind grew calm.
Family had arrived. It was the presence of Radiant Arts Secret.
* * *
The Radiant Demon Squad members who had failed to keep up with Ten Li Radiance Step arrived belatedly. The tranquil brown room filled with overwhelming energy waves.
Heon Wonchang, Shin So-bin, Lazy Flame Dragon, and Zhuge Qing-ya sat around a square table with their squad leader.
His identity had already been exposed to Eun Hwaryun. There was no reason to be overly cautious anymore.
The moment he leaned back in his chair, Shin So-bin parted her lips.
"Senior Poppy caused an incident. I clearly tried to stop him, but he didn't even pretend to listen and barged in. This isn't the first time something like this has happened. Since we're talking about it, during the palanquin procession last time… Mmph."
A transparent shimmer rippled through the air, and her mouth froze shut.
Her acupoint had been sealed.
A faint heat rose from the fingertips of Lazy Flame Dragon. He had suddenly released Finger Wind.
It was a common sight. The Radiant Demon Squad was notorious for being combative.
Seated at the head of the table, Jung Yeonshin slightly tilted his head.
"The palanquin procession?"
"It was quite the splendid event. Not something for a squad leader to concern himself with. Just some leisure for subordinates who completed their mission."
Lazy Flame Dragon exhaled a breath to dispel the lingering heat from his fingers.
His dark eye circles had deepened, perhaps from sleepless nights—but for once, his expression was solemn.
Jung Yeonshin let it slide. There were too many piled-up issues.
"The Desolate Fortress Hero doesn't seem to be in good spirits. Is something wrong?"
As a squad leader, he asked.
Heon Wonchang, seated to the side, let out a faint smile. It was a little drained, which was unlike him. But the answer came from Lazy Flame Dragon.
"He was pale from the moment we set out. Well, if something's wrong, I'm sure he'll make a scene about it eventually."
"Are you sure he's alright?"
Jung Yeonshin asked again before Heon Wonchang finally opened his mouth.
"The squad leader need not concern himself. I simply have no fond memories of my homeland."
"How lamentable. It seems the Sacred Warrior and I share something in common."
No one responded to Lazy Flame Dragon's languid quip. Even when he chuckled to himself and then quickly changed his expression upon realizing the situation, the mood remained the same.
The conversation among the young core members of the Radiant Demon Squad quickly moved to the next topic.
"I exchanged blows with the First Fist of the Eun Clan. The Zhuge Clan's leader was not present at the scene."
Jung Yeonshin spoke.
Immediately, Shin So-bin and Lazy Flame Dragon reacted.
"Fist Grand Duke, Eun Hwaryun saw the squad leader? Everything's ruined now. And it's all because of Senior Poppy…!"
"I'm nothing compared to this. Now that I see it, our squad leader's situation is much more serious. Anyway, what happened? Surely you took an arm at least? She might already be paying the ferryman at the River of Three Crossings."
Jung Yeonshin did not respond and instead turned his gaze to Zhuge Qing-ah.
Before they had left the main estate, he had spoken to her about the mission. However, he had not received a proper answer at the time.
"I regret it."
She spoke.
"...."
The daughter of the Zhuge Clan's leader lowered her long eyelashes.
Sweeping her black hair, bound in pure white silk, behind her neck, she inclined her head slightly toward Jung Yeonshin, who sat at the head of the table.
Still Deep Eyes, Zhuge Qing-ah.
She was the younger sister of Fan Dragon, Zhuge Hyeon. A genius of internal vision techniques who had significantly aided Jung Yeonshin in completing Heaven-Piercing Technique.
"…It was something that should have been resolved within the Alliance."
She lifted her head, and a low voice escaped her lips.
"By the time I was a child, he had already walked the path of the Demonic Faction. Countless branch family relatives were sacrificed. He used my eyes to observe the process as he engraved new circulation pathways for internal energy into their bodies. Over a hundred people starved to death as he studied how to freely interchange the life and death gates of formations. All of them were tools to complete his martial arts."
Zhuge Qing-ah struggled to continue speaking.
"I have seen countless living bodies torn apart. Extracting the weaknesses of martial arts through autopsies was easier by comparison. My brother learned formation techniques while surrounded by corpses."
"So that Fan Dragon brat didn't grow up so soft after all."
Lazy Flame Dragon yawned and spoke. The casual nod of his head suggested he had seen similar things at the Hwangbo Clan.
He had once stated that no martial clan could truly be called righteous.
In the somewhat heavy atmosphere, the topic shifted.
"I heard you knocked out the local Shaanxi noble clans. Will it limit your movements?"
"One of the big ones rolled his eyes back as he saw my face… but so what? Do you really think some lowly bastard's insignificant eyes could possibly retain the grandeur of this young lord's noble visage? The squad leader is in the same boat anyway—face-abandoning techniques mean little to him."
"…Find a separate safehouse and stay hidden. It's dangerous here. This is no place to be wandering around recklessly with Radiant Arts Secret. I'll call you when I need you."
"Just make sure there's some wine. I've got plenty of herbs."
"Herbs, my ass."
* * *
Two days later.
Perhaps it was fate. The affairs of Murim unfolded as indifferently as the great currents of the Yangtze River. Jung Yeonshin felt the presence of fierce misfortune.
A line of corpses was strung up in the marketplace north of Pyongyang Prefecture, where the Gongya Clan had settled.
Ominous rumors were spreading. Among those bound to the stakes, they said, was the corpse of an unparalleled young master wielding a fan.
The local prefectural governor remained silent.
It was uncertain whether he had been bribed with irresistible wealth in times of famine or if his life was held hostage by supreme experts. Either way, both explanations seemed plausible.
The Murim Alliance.
The Tyrant Sword Tribe, Yeoryeong Sect, and the newly founded Moon Castle Sect.
The undercurrents of power struggles among the great factions surfaced.
As the Tyrant Sword Tribe and Yeoryeong Sect drew their blades to expel the Murim Alliance from the far reaches of Shaanxi, the Zhuge Clan's leader's Moon Castle Sect finally made its move.
To anyone, they were clearly allies engaged in their own internal contest.
Many people had seen the plaque hanging above the corpses.
—The so-called Murim Alliance shall not interfere with the affairs of Moon Castle Sect. Who dares to falsely claim themselves as the legitimate heir of Zhuge's Martial Lineage? The only true successor of the complete legacy of the Eun Fist is Fist Grand Duke, Eun Hwaryun.
The warning had been engraved in bold, powerful strokes.
They said the Zhuge Clan's leader, appearing as if untouched by mortal existence, had personally written it while stepping upon the air.
There was an additional note.
—Moon Castle Sect has been established with proper foundations and seeks to recruit those with outstanding aptitude. We shall observe the Shaanxi Martial Tournament.
The assassination unit of the Murim Alliance, having received news of the sect's founding, attempted to eliminate the Zhuge Clan's leader, only to be slaughtered instead.
Among them was the Zhuge Clan's leader's own son.
Fan Dragon, Zhuge Hyeon's corpse was secretly retrieved under the moonlit night by his sister and her comrades.
It was placed in a separate residence of Mystic Heaven Sect's leader, Geom Un-bi, within the Gongya Clan's territory.
"The assassination unit had no choice but to be sent. Even if there was no hope of victory, it was inevitable. Martial arts leakage? The warriors of Jianghu would rather bleed themselves dry than let that happen."
Lazy Flame Dragon's voice held no fluctuation.
Among the three who had bonded through Azure Qilin, Namgoong Se-jin, two had already perished.
"Am I not merely mocking my own short-lived fate? Those same men who once spoke of the Four Books and the Five Classics in their prime health."
Swish.
The corpse was carefully unwrapped by Zhuge Qing-ah's trembling hands.
His pale face retained his finely sculpted features. It was preserved through the Zhuge Clan's leader's profound acupoint-sealing technique.
It was likely done to showcase the power of Moon Castle Sect, yet because of it, Fan Dragon still appeared as elegant as ever.
Even the hand that tightly gripped a bloodstained fan looked as firm as it once was.
That very fan was the stepping stone upon which the present leader of the Radiant Demon Squad had slain an elder of the Tyrant Sword Tribe.
—I am glad to have been of help. Though it was not a particularly pleasant memory, the ways of the world are truly strange.
It was the farewell of Fan Dragon, Zhuge Hyeon, when they first crossed fans in a lighthearted exchange.
The deaths of martial artists were always so fleeting.
Jung Yeonshin's face lost all expression as he gazed down at him.
* * *
"It has been a long time indeed. I did not expect the Gui Clan's leader to visit in person."
"My son, who carried the legacy, has ended up in such a state. It is only right that I come. I do not hold the Gongya Clan's leader accountable."
It was a night of silent yet thunderous moonlight.
Two middle-aged supreme experts cut through the bright night air.
Two towering figures strode forward, their imposing presence distorting the dark, blue atmosphere.
"I hear you have taken in a new guest?"
"It is a blessing for my house. He may be no older than my son, yet he wields a sword like a master."
"I have heard. Mystic Heaven Sect's leader, Geom Un-bi. He is said to be acquainted with the First Fist of the Eun Clan. If he is truly such a prodigy, it is only natural that he could incapacitate my son with a single strike. I must meet him and question him myself."
"That is out of the question. You seem quite determined, but if I may hazard a guess… Are you using your son as an excuse to seize my guest?"
"The Gongya Clan's leader's words are rather unpleasant. I intend to rectify matters. Even if I must mobilize all the power of the Gui Clan of Shaanxi."
There was a certain nobility in the measured argument between the noble families.
The fine silk of their robes scattered the moonlight, and the refined poise of their Protective Energy Technique testified to their status as some of the most esteemed clan leaders in Shaanxi.
Boom—
Suddenly, the threshold of a pavilion they were passing trembled.
Rumble—!
A sudden vibration erupted, spreading at an alarming speed.
The tremor surged from the threshold to the rafters, then to the roof tiles, until even the main beams began to sway as if struck by a violent gale.
"What is this? Have you dared to set a trap?"
"Such nonsense! Over there! The annex!"
The silhouette of the Gongya Clan's leader pointed far into the void.
At the same moment—
Fwoooosh—!
From that direction, countless wisps of pale smoke surged high into the sky.
A tremendously divine energy was being unleashed without restraint.
The aura unique to an exceptionally advanced sacred art.
A faintly glowing white current spiraled into massive waves, scraping against the atmosphere. Each time the energy clashed with itself, the radiant light intensified.
Transcending Law Radiant Wheel, Radiant Arts Secret—Radiant River.
"Gh-hah…!"
"What is this?! What's happening?!"
All the martial artists resting within the Gongya Clan jolted awake in shock.
The overwhelming surge of energy, sharp enough to flay their skin, was calling to them.
It was closer to the command of a superior warrior.
The leader of the Radiant Demon Squad no longer concealed his power.
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