Opening Eyes (6)
Sunlight shimmered through the slowly settling dust.
It was a shocking entrance.
The remnants of the Sublime Land Sect hesitated and stepped back.
"This is… what…?"
One of them muttered, almost like a groan.
They were a sect ruling over the underworld of Xi'an, a major city. Like proper black path thugs, they weren't lacking in perception. They immediately recognized the appearance of an opponent they couldn't handle.
A man stepped forward, dressed in gray robes, his gaze sharp.
"From which sect do you hail, venerable master…?"
Was it because he had struck down Jung Jungsan the moment he appeared?
A faint flicker of anxiety and hope wavered on the man's face as he asked.
This was the back alley, a place untouched by authorities or sects.
It was a realm of pure survival of the fittest. Just as they had freely handled Jung Jungsan, the same principle applied.
Even after seeing Jung Yeonshin's face, they didn't hesitate to call him a venerable master.
In the martial world, a "venerable master" referred to a senior whose martial prowess was high. They were thinking of someone donning a mask of humanity.
It was a colossal mistake.
There exists a technique called Meridian Pressing and Acupoint Penetration.
A method that clears blocked meridians caused by internal injuries or stagnant energy. A highly skilled expert with deep internal cultivation would personally press the acupoints of another to expel toxins.
It was usually performed with extreme delicacy, ensuring that the influence on the body's energy flow was accounted for to prevent Qi Deviation.
But for Jung Yeonshin, the Radiant Demon Squad's leader, it was different.
He was the grandmaster of the Jung Clan Movement Arts.
He possessed insight into every meridian in the human body. He had reached the level of a master.
Ku-luk!
The second brother, lying far away, coughed up dark blood.
His complexion had improved somewhat. The strike from Meridian Pressing and Acupoint Penetration had been executed perfectly.
Who knew how long he had been suffering or what he had endured, but clearing blocked meridians required nothing more than a single kick.
A single kick, interwoven with every structure of martial force, was enough. His whole body must have felt refreshed. Though there had been some emotion behind that leg technique.
"I am from the Sublime Land…"
The man who stepped forward straightened his gray collar and was about to introduce himself.
"Come here, come here, you fool!"
"You're kidding… No way…"
A man and a woman behind him called out, their expressions twisting strangely over scars etched across their faces.
They clutched the hilts of their swords tightly, yet their heels were angled backward.
The way their feet subtly shifted suggested they were on the verge of executing a retreating footwork. It could turn into a Lightness Technique at any moment.
They had survived within the Demonic Faction. That meant their perception was ghostly sharp. They could at least make an educated guess about the intruder's identity.
A presence unfitting for the martial world, an air of overwhelming detachment, and most of all, the few words he had spoken to Jung Jungsan.
"Radiant Demon Squad's leader, Radiant Demon Squad's leader…"
"What?"
"You idiot… that's Lightning Genius! He's the Radiant Demon Squad's leader…!"
The Divine Sword Order consisted of seventeen squads within Desolate Fortress.
Beneath the Divine Sword Order, the squad leaders each ruled over the martial world with their own authority.
They were warriors who discussed the world itself with their mere existence. The absolute peak of Murim.
There was an old joke among the Demonic Faction.
Those who stood before a Desolate Fortress' squad leader experienced two emotions.
—So this is how high the world truly was…
And,
—Fucking hell.
It was the martial world of the mad. A mixture of pride and desperation.
That was for those who were official targets of their mission.
For those who encountered them by sheer chance, it was simply a disaster.
"What?"
The man who had stepped forward twitched at the corner of his mouth. He had kicked Jung Jungsan and casually talked about the Radiant Demon Squad's leader. His comrades' words felt too surreal to grasp.
Before he could properly retreat, his toes merely trembled in place.
"I will only take your right arm. I do not know the full extent of your crimes."
Jung Yeonshin spoke calmly.
They had not participated in the battle at Great Moon Gorge, nor had they come here to kill him.
Beating Jung Jungsan to death, compared to old memories, that was hardly a significant crime.
Yet, the Radiant Demon Squad's leader had spoken his sentence.
"..."
The once-proud disciples of the Sublime Land Sect could not resist.
Only despair draped their faces like an eternal shadow.
A moment later, screams rang through the alley.
* * *
On the way back.
Leaving the alley, they stepped onto the main road.
A broad path lined with all manner of people coming and going.
Some recognized Jung Yeonshin and whispered words like leader in hushed tones.
They were extremely cautious.
A path naturally opened up around Jung Yeonshin.
Even as they made way for him, they stole glances at the unknown young man walking beside him. As if trying to capture every detail of his movements.
The vast city, usually indifferent to all things, was now captivated by his presence alone.
"That man single-handedly cut down six sect leaders…"
"What? Are you serious?"
"But once the Tyrant Sword Tribe's Elder arrives, order will be restored, won't it? Who can stop Ghost Spirit Sword Yeo So-hyang? A devil who flies on the blade itself…"
"Keep your voice down…! You don't want to get on his bad side."
"So who do we pay our protection fees to now…?"
"Stop overthinking and send it to the Radiant Demon SQuad first! It's not our first day doing business, is it? Didn't they call him 'Leader'?"
Murmurs passed by, exposing the raw reality of Xi'an.
"..."
Until then, the two brothers exchanged no words.
Jung Yeonshin walked in silent solitude, slightly ahead.
Jung Jungsan kept stealing glances at his younger brother.
His clothes were ragged, his lower face concealed by a crudely torn gray cloth.
It was Jung Yeonshin's order.
No one could recognize Jung Jungsan, disciple of the Zhongnan Sect.
They soon arrived at the inn where Jung Yeonshin resided.
There were still no customers. Jung Yeonshin considered the compensation he would hand the innkeeper once his mission ended.
"For now, go inside and rest. Somewhere without a trace of human presence."
"Yeonshin, Hye-ah…"
"There is an energy signature from Cloud Dragon Sword in the annex. You likely have much to hear from her. According to Jang Gi-il, leader of the White Sun Sect, you have been gathering information while drifting from place to place… but to no avail."
Among the Seven Sects of Xi'an, Jang Gi-il's White Sun Sect was different from the usual underworld sects.
They had secretly sheltered some survivors of the Zhongnan Sect.
They had forsaken their origins for pragmatic gains. Jung Jungsan had been among those protected.
When he hesitated to leave, Jung Yeonshin spoke quietly.
"Does Jung Jungsan, disciple of the Zhongnan Sect, possess information worthy of the Radiant Demon Squad's leader?"
Back at the Jung Clan Manor.
Under the protection of Jung Daemyung, the brothers had starkly different statuses despite both being direct bloodline.
Jung Yeonshin could not even look up at his elder brothers freely.
Their positions were worlds apart.
Eldest brother Jung Namsan, and even Jung Jungsan, had treated him as a subordinate. It had been closer to disdain.
Now, it was the opposite.
The gap was immeasurable.
"..."
Just as Jung Jungsan closed his mouth—
"Ah! So the Leader's brother has arrived!"
Boom!
A tall young man descended from the staircase, his heroic scarf fluttering behind his head.
Heon Wonchang, who had taken charge of Formation within the Radiant Demon Squad, approached the entrance with exaggerated gestures, his arms wide open.
Jung Jungsan and Heon Wonchang were already acquainted. They had first met when Jung Yeonshin was still clad in white and had ascended Zhongnan Mountain alongside Heon Wonchang.
It was during the time when the Radiance Sword Style was first devised, in the midst of battle against the Tyrant Sword Tribe. Back then, Jung Jungsan and the Desolate Sacred Warrior had been distant acquaintances at best.
The relationship between the Jung brothers remained lukewarm, while Heon Wonchang had yet to uncover the secrets of the Jung Clan.
It was only after considerable time had passed that the Radiant Demon Squad, including Chung Myung and Baek Miryeo, heard Jung Yeonshin's tale.
The Desolate Sacred Warrior walked up with a broad smile.
"It is truly a pleasure to see you! I have longed for this reunion!"
"…Are you speaking to me?"
"I had no idea that the man I met once was actually a vagrant! I could barely hold myself back from giving you a good punch in the face! I've been waiting a long time for this!"
This was after the other masters of the Radiant Demon Squad had dispersed to oversee the security of Xi'an.
At the inn, Radiant Demon Squad's leader, Lazy Flame Dragon, and Zhuge Qing-ya had taken up residence. Before long, they all began gathering around.
Lazy Flame Dragon wore a puzzled expression.
"What's with that? What's happening?"
Everyone except Heon Wonchang was meeting the squad leader's blood relative for the first time.
For them, this was quite a spectacle.
"Well, at least they don't look alike. What a relief."
Baek Miryeo brushed back her jet-black sideburns, her beautiful features accentuated by slightly sharpened eyes.
As the one who typically maintained discipline within the Radiant Demon Squad, she was often the one to settle disputes. But now, rather than intervening, she gracefully moved her slender white fingers as if ready to lend a hand.
They were hands that had mastered the Barehanded Demon Art from the Heavenly Demon Sacred Arts. Hands so delicate they could be called exquisite jade hands.
"So, it's him?"
Chung Myung simply watched with a faint smile.
His gaze remained fixed on Jung Jungsan, who was receiving a blunt punch from Heon Wonchang. A peculiar chill emanated from him, enough that Zhuge Qing-ya instinctively stepped back.
She looked up at Jung Yeonshin, who had silently approached.
"Are you not going to stop them?"
"Cloud Dragon Sword must be waiting."
"Yes, she just arrived, and I was surprised."
"Let's go."
They wouldn't kill him.
Jung Yeonshin slowly made his way toward the annex. Something warm was melting away the knot in his chest.
* * *
Inside the small, serene room of the inn, he faced Wei Ji Myohwa.
She was still beautiful. Her delicate features and sharp eyes remained the same.
Though the feather ornament atop her ebony hair was slightly worn, the aura enveloping her body was stronger than before.
As a renowned prodigy contending for the title of Shaanxi's Greatest, she was a swordswoman who ceaselessly improved.
Jung Yeonshin first received her bow.
Sarak.
The hem of her sky-blue robe brushed the floor. A gesture of formal courtesy.
"The niece of Leader Jung, I lost my sago. It was entirely due to my own shortcomings."
Sago referred to a woman of the same rank as a master, much like an aunt within a martial family.
Since Zhongnan's Sword Immortal had taken Jung Hye-ah as a disciple in his later years, to Wei Ji Myohwa, Jung Yeonshin's niece was her sago.
"…She is alive."
Jung Yeonshin lightly grasped her shoulders and helped her up.
Although Buddhist and Taoist inner energy were different, perhaps due to the fact that she had cultivated the pure essence of orthodox energy, the sensation of her touch was soft and warm.
"Hye-ah inherited the martial lineage of the Sword Immortal. She is also my blood relative. There is much to uncover about her, and her status makes her highly valuable. The Demonic Faction are extremely meticulous. There is no way they would discard a piece that could shake Desolate Fortress' Black Division. No matter what I do, they will hold on to her."
"I believe the same."
A clear, resonant voice cut in.
Sitting at one side of the tea table, Zhuge Hyeon smiled faintly.
He exchanged a glance with his younger sister, Zhuge Qing-ya.
The Fan Dragon Zhuge Hyeon had taken up the vacant position of internal strategist for the Murim Alliance, a position left empty by Lady Ye. This meant he held great authority.
He had expressed a desire to temporarily train with the Radiant Demon Squad in Xi'an, and Jung Yeonshin had accepted.
"It would be best to sit first."
The Radiant Demon Squads leader had both Zhuge siblings seated as his strategists. Wei Ji Myohwa joined them as well.
It was as if Desolate Fortress had aligned itself with the orthodox factions, but in this moment, it felt completely natural.
"There is a saying in the Ten Essentials of Go: 'Act prudently, do not rush.' Let us carefully assess our enemies."
Zhuge Hyeon spoke.
"The abduction is unfortunate, but the fact that the culprits are likely the Tyrant Sword Tribe or Yeoryeong Sect is an opportunity. The Tyrant Sword Tribe is one of the boldest factions within the Thirteen Celestial Demons, yet they do not enjoy killing outside of battlefields. Meanwhile, Yeoryeong Sect possesses such patience that they can rival Wudang and Shaolin. They are simply… insidiously cunning."
He spread open his fan, revealing the design of a white crane engraved on the ribs.
"There is no need to worry about Lady Jung Hye-ah. As long as Leader Jung remains alive, that is. The Tyrant Sword Tribe and Yeoryeong Sect have always acted in the same way. As old sects of the dark faction, they never waste a piece they can exploit. Our clan has numerous records detailing their methods."
Jung Yeonshin briefly glanced at Zhuge Hyeon's folding fan.
He had just returned after bringing his brother, Jung Jungsan.
Seeing the matters of blood relatives unfold, the fan—so reminiscent of his clan's history, felt strangely significant.
It just so happened that his final mission target, the Elder of the Tyrant Sword Tribe, had played a major role in the destruction of the Jung Clan.
Ghost Spirit Sword Yeo So-hyang.
She still soared through the sky like an immortal, but everything Jung Yeonshin had considered at this moment led directly back to his fallen clan.
Jung Yeonshin slowly parted his lips.
"…Then we should focus on our next move. Someone of her status among the Thirteen Celestial Demons must know everything. The moment she is killed, Shaanxi's martial world will fall into complete disarray."
He adjusted his speech to match the Fan Dragon's style.
Zhuge Hyeon's smile deepened.
"First, we must scatter the Radiant Demon Squad across all of Xi'an. The two Great Sects remain hesitant, and for now, nothing has escalated. However, if this turns into a sect war, our only option will be retreat. We must prevent that at all costs and ensure that this remains a personal duel. That leaves us with two key concerns. First, can Leader Jung handle the Ghost Spirit Sword? Second, can we ensure the duel happens?"
The Elder of the Tyrant Sword Tribe was known as a guardian of the sect.
Unless the Tyrant Sword Tribe's leader personally ordered it, she was an unfathomably detached master. Her transcendence was legendary.
A noblewoman of Dali, a kingdom annihilated by the Lord of Desolate Fortress, she was rumored to wield swordsmanship that reached the realm of the divine.
People spoke of her flying atop her blade, an image of pure mystique.
Some in Shaanxi even disregarded factional divisions and built shrines to worship her.
She was not treated as a mere human.
Merely mentioning her name was considered sacrilegious.
Seated beside Jung Yeonshin, Wei Ji Myohwa finally spoke.
"I wish to suggest retreat. Leader Jung has done enough. Conquering the Seven Sects of Xi'an is already a remarkable achievement."
Concern was evident in her eyes.
"Ghost Spirit Sword Yeo So-hyang possesses three Absolute Secret Arts, each of which is unmatched under the heavens. There was even a time when she almost fought the Divine Sword Order's leader."
"There is another issue."
Zhuge Hyeon added.
"In the martial world, a one-on-one duel rarely happens easily. If a great sect is involved, the chances diminish even further. The Elder of the Tyrant Sword Tribe is notoriously indifferent to those beneath her. If Leader Jung does not reveal his identity, she might not even bother to acknowledge him. Drawing her out in the first place is the real challenge."
Jung Yeonshin did not respond.
He simply cast a glance toward the main inn.
* * *
The next day.
Across every street in Xi'an, identical notices were posted.
[One who has studied the Four Books and Five Classics must, through filial piety, attend to the suffering of the people.
Across the land, famine brings misery, yet chivalrous warriors remain compassionate toward the weak, nurturing their noble ideals.
This is due to the teachings of their sects and parents, and it is why the leader of the Tyrant Sword Tribe is so pitiable.
What kind of wisdom can be found in one who is only eager to flaunt their supreme martial prowess?
Surely, it must be because they have no parents.
How tragic.
Is there anything more futile than displaying martial skill without purpose? Had they been raised with proper teachings, they might have used their overwhelming strength to aid the people.
These are indisputable truths. However, should anyone wish to educate me otherwise, I gladly accept a duel.
I shall wait nine days at Great Moon Gorge, admiring its scenery."
— Radiant Arts, acting Leader Jin Hyeong]
Thus, two sunsets passed.
As dawn cast a faint veil of light across the land—
Hoooooo!
A wailing sound, like a ghost crying, tore through the sky.
It descended gradually.
The deafening roar from the heavens grew louder and louder.
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