Chapter 539: Jianghu Name Record (5)
The honored guest who had come to Wudang Sectdang to convey the imperial edict, Super Tiger Upper General Helian Wu-jing, had expected the Acting Divine Sword Group Leader to be at Wudang.
It was only natural.
The current Lightning Genius Jeong Yeon-shin was the most important figure in the jianghu martial world. The attention of all places that handled intelligence in the imperial court was focused on him.
Not only the Eastern Depot and Embroidered Uniform Guard, but even the Grand Empress Dowager’s palace, which had withdrawn from political affairs, was said to have built small towers of documents about Lightning Genius Jeong.
Experience like a symbol of chaotic times.
Martial prowess that changed like riding the torrents of time.
Unique martial arts that were said to continuously multiply their techniques like Shaolin’s Seventy-Two Ultimate Arts.
Not only relationships and grudges with surrounding people, but even seemingly trivial things like face-washing habits and extremely minor speech and conduct.
Even if various government offices were losing their roles, surveillance never stopped. The imperial court’s eyes at least closely watched those who moved all under heaven. That was why the Ming was an empire.
‘Of course they knew his movements…!’
She just needed time to compose her mind and body before meeting Jeong Yeon-shin.
Even if masters of summoning wind and rain had foreseen the coming storms, it was another matter entirely for that tempest to suddenly engulf one’s entire body.
Anyone’s mind would inevitably become dizzy.
Just like now.
“To conscript such a young child? Has the military gone mad?”
A calm voice. The purple-clad peerless beautiful youth made absurd speech and conduct. His soul-stealing facial features were colorless.
His speech patterns and behavior made her mind grow cold. The martial arts competition targeting the entire jianghu under heaven had been degraded to a small conscription event, yet such speech and conduct was truly natural.
Military, he said.
It should be understood as words aimed at the imperial court.
Speech and conduct that naturally avoided any possible fault made her think of the current Divine Sword Group Leader. As if he had somehow forcibly learned political skills from Yong Hye-myeong who might be beyond the door.
‘His conduct approaches solitary arrogance, and his character is also befitting his age…’
But Helian Wu-jing could not pick a fight over those words.
It was because of energy waves pouring in from all directions without presence like sunlight. The feeling of completely blocking all skin’s energy perception without gaps.
It felt like losing sensation. Even though her eyes were clearly open. Even with the naked eye, it was difficult to maintain focus.
“Kuk.”
Wuung—
Faint golden light passed through Helian Wu-jing’s eyes. She instantly analyzed all the techniques mixed into this pressure.
The Beijing imperial court was already confident they knew everything about Jeong Yeon-shin.
‘Luminous Wheel Technique, the Desolate Fortress Lord’s Mindsword, Judgement Qilin…’
And one more thing.
There was something beyond the information. A technique that harmoniously unified all of this as one. It must have been created at Wudang Sectdang. Lightning Genius Jeong was such a person.
‘But to this extent…?’
Even in that brief moment, the pressure gradually intensified. Regardless of chances of victory, she might have ultimately drawn her sword. If the Wudang Sect Leader hadn’t suddenly appeared and placed his hand on Jeong Yeon-shin’s shoulder.
“Pay attention to your breathing. At a glance, it seems you’ve taken my madness, but isn’t it too early an age to suffer senility?”
Swish.
The old Taoist’s wrinkled hand patted the purple garment edges. It was surprisingly intimate, and with just that gesture, all momentum completely faded away.
“…!”
A frightening sight. The energy wave fluctuations of a peerless master were likened to scorching drought.
This was so regardless of the Acting Divine Sword Group Leader’s expression at the moment.
For some reason, shame was faintly gathered on Jeong Yeon-shin’s face upon hearing the word senility, which was a part difficult for Helian Wu-jing to fathom.
She quietly took a deep breath.
‘Even below the Great Wall, such people exist…’
Beings said to be among the best sword wielders in the vast world. There seemed to be no exaggeration in the rumors of the Five Swords.
Unless it was Reverent Triple Bow, famous as the Imperial Three Great Masters, it would be difficult to properly gauge them.
“I am Super Tiger Upper General Helian Wu-jing. Though I am a general, I am not a military commander but directly under the imperial court. It seems there is some misunderstanding with Lord Jeong…”
She spoke carefully. Immediately Jeong Yeon-shin’s answer returned.
“Please speak.”
His urging was low and plain. But still, the distant feeling like supernatural monsters seeped through.
‘How dense spirituality must have been cultivated…’
Anyone from the imperial court should not associate with him for long. Perhaps only Yang Cheon Gong, who could be called Emperor Qian-ling’s direct disciple among Sung Rye Sam Jung Gung, would be capable of facing him.
Helian Wu-jing hurriedly unfolded her story with the desire to leave.
“If you are angry because of Zhongnan disciple Jeong Hye, you must first understand. No one wanted to make that child participate in the martial arts competition. Rather, it’s quite reluctantly. Any authority is the same.”
“…?”
Jeong Yeon-shin made a puzzled expression.
But there was no sign of interrogation on his face. He had immediately realized it wasn’t a lie. As if he were some noble clan member. According to various documents, his upper dantian was refined to the extreme.
“Then setting aside that story.”
The Acting Divine Sword Group Leader’s gaze passed over Radiant Demon Wing Leader. For a moment it seemed he had heard some mental transmission. Even his following words showed this.
“The main fortress’s Wish Fulfilling Spring Leader and Dragon-Treading Squad Leader were taken to Beijing? What does this mean?”
Jeong Yeon-shin’s voice was even more subdued. Helian Wu-jing glared at Cheong Myeong like brushing against clear sky, but the current Radiant Demon Wing Leader only smiled mysteriously.
It was a complicated situation.
She had come to strongly recommend the Wudang Sect Leader’s journey to Shaanxi, only to encounter the Acting Divine Sword Group Leader who happened to be with the ‘Northern Blade.’ Since she had received imperial orders, she wanted to finish her original mission first.
Then she planned to unfold all circumstances step by step and plot the Northern Blade’s capture with the Wudang Sect and Acting Divine Sword Group Leader.
‘Damn it.’
Radiant Demon Wing Leader Cheong Myeong, who was sitting on a tree branch without breaking even a single pine needle, had tangled up many things.
Indeed, all squad leaders under the Divine Sword Group were troublemakers. Like Wish Fulfilling Spring Leader Beigong Ya and Dragon-Treading Squad Leader Wei Zhi-ji.
“Perhaps, didn’t the Northern Blade ask Lord Jeong to go cut off deserters’ heads? The person below that hill is a dangerous individual that the Eastern Depot is watching with full power. When weighing the importance of matters, after first addressing the grave affairs of a nation that even surpass the martial jianghu…”
“The world is a mess.”
Cheong Myeong’s clear voice continued.
“Beijing and Shaanxi. Unfortunately, our Lord Jeong has no knowledge of distant strategy. Unlike the northern masters.”
Suddenly Helian Wu-jing’s brow furrowed.
“Radiant Demon Wing Leader, shut up. Lord Jeong, you cannot go to Beijing anyway. Even the Divine Sword Group Leader himself cannot interfere in imperial events involving treason.”
She quickly spoke while cutting off Cheong Myeong’s words.
“If you don’t wish to shoulder unnecessary burdens, it would be better not to step foot in Shanxi, Henan, and Shandong right below Beijing. Rest assured. Anyway, in such times, they cannot diminish the force called the Desolate Fortress’s black on their own. It’s just something that happened briefly in the process of consolidating new imperial authority. Of course, the incident where the two squad leaders actually prioritized common people’s lives over imperial commands in the northern jianghu was significant. The matter is complicated.”
“Why hold that conscription martial arts competition in Shaanxi instead of Beijing?”
Jeong Yeon-shin, who had been listening quietly, suddenly asked. The answer came from Cheong Myeong’s mouth.
“There are various speculations. No matter how imperial the command, Beijing is right under the Yao tribe’s nose, so ‘even if it’s an imperial edict, jianghu powerful clans who are busy trying to survive themselves probably won’t go that far, so they held it in Shaanxi’ is the first.”
“……”
“There’s also a second. Holding such an event in the land where the Acting Divine Sword Group Leader’s blood relative exists? Since Hye-ah is there, Lord Jeong will naturally attend, and simultaneously countless sword wielders from the jianghu will also come. To see the most famous Five Greatest Swords under Heaven in the current world.”
Thus the imperial court gains two benefits.
Keeping the master of the most powerful group in the martial jianghu completely within their sight, and maximizing the effectiveness of the conscription martial arts competition.
Naturally, anything harmful to Jeong Hye would be fundamentally blocked.
Brief silence flowed.
Saaaa—
In the faint white and gentle wind characteristic of Wudang Sectdang’s slopes, various people fell silent.
Now completely reversed in host and guest roles, the Wudang Sect’s acting leader kept his mouth shut, Immortal Profound Void gazing at Jeong Yeon-shin with an consistently unreadable expression, and the giant in a bamboo hat leisurely stroking his war horse’s mane below the hill.
‘That Northern Blade will surely follow Lord Jeong. A northern rebel. He was originally such a person.’
Helian Wu-jing now completely closed her mouth. And she watched Cheong Myeong carefully.
The transmitter of the Lightning Genius martial lineage.
Simultaneously, the person who assists Jeong Yeon-shin most closely alongside the Desolate Fortress Grand Administrator.
‘If we made the Divine Sword Group an enemy…’
He would have to be killed first. If Helian Wu-jing had been from the northern jianghu, she actually would have done so.
“……”
Their eyes briefly met.
“Why?”
Cheong Myeong smiled coldly. Helian Wu-jing immediately turned her head. Now Jeong Yeon-shin had a sword hilt in his grip.
Where would he go?
If he bore the stigma of treason, naturally Beijing. But there would be things lost.
Shaanxi was safe. He could seek his niece’s well-being and continued prosperity. He might also meet the new emperor and influential people from various lands under heaven.
Then the word “Acting” might disappear from his position in the near future.
The difference was significant.
That’s when it happened.
“Squad Leader! No, Lord Jeong! Lord Jeong!”
The tranquil clouds of Wudang Sectdang were torn apart by some girl’s shout. A master vigorously fluttering blue garment edges with the rough character “Desolate” carved on them, who was in Helian Wu-jing’s mind.
‘The orthodox successor of the Lightning Genius martial lineage…!’
Flap flap!
Behind the blue girl, dozens of blue sleeve edges spread like wings. It was the moment the Acting Divine Sword Group Leader supplemented his hands and feet.
* * *
Six days since Super Tiger Upper General Helian Wu-jing arrived at Wudang Sectdang.
Only one person was bright in the dark space. Sunlight entering through the window frame poured only on him.
“……”
The man sat in an extremely luxurious chair. A golden imperial throne intertwined with small dragon bodies. A chair permitted to only one person in all under heaven.
Also, the man very naturally wore dragon robes with sun and moon carved on both shoulders. Leaning diagonally against the throne’s backrest.
Emperor Long Zheng Zhu You-ji.
Weary air gathered beneath his deeply carved eyebrows like sculpture. Simultaneously, he slowly opened his mouth.
“Ming Yu.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
It immediately rang out from the darkness. Though it was the thin voice characteristic of eunuchs, the strength characteristic of one who had experienced all sorts of ups and downs seeped through.
“Have all the lodgings for jianghu people been built?”
“Yes, the iron craftsmen kept the deadline Your Majesty commanded.”
“You also worked hard.”
“Difficult words to accept. It is all Your Majesty’s grace.”
“Below one person, above ten thousand people.”
The voice of Emperor Long Zheng, son of Emperor Qian-ling, continued gently.
“Excluding Grand Teacher Desolate Fortress Lord, it could be said that Lightning Genius Jeong is the next most powerful authority after me. The Desolate Fortress Divine Sword Group is such a strong force.”
“That is so.”
“The ministers gathered in Shaanxi now must be frantic. Whether to look good to me or wait for the next Divine Sword Group Leader.”
“Dare I speak, the reality is not quite like that.”
“Is that so?”
“Not only the various ministers, but martial hermits called jianghu masters have greatly narrowed their steps. Most are staying secluded in their lodgings. Especially, no one approaches the hall assigned to the Zhongnan Sect.”
“Is Lightning Genius’s shadow that great?”
“He is famous as a natural disaster that suddenly appears to devastate the vicinity. No matter how fast rumors run, it’s difficult to fill all under heaven, but now the upper echelons of jianghu are constantly aware of the Acting Divine Sword Group Leader’s existence.”
At those words, Emperor Long Zheng laughed quietly.
“If his temperament is so fiery, he might also be angry at me for capturing his people. Or ignore my authority.”
The latter was about the beings called Reverent Triple Bow, the Imperial Three Great Masters.
Those who ignore imperial commands with plausible excuses and are still wandering around the northern regions. Naturally, Ming Yu’s voice became urgent at this moment.
“Inappropriate words. Lightning Genius Jeong, though impetuous, is a person who knows propriety and law, and would not step toward Beijing at such a time. The thoughts of all civil and military officials and jianghu hermits are unanimous. I believe you will be able to cleanse your eyes with his jade countenance arriving in Shaanxi soon.”
“Is that so?”
It was a strange counter-question.
He wasn’t laughing but mockery was felt. In some ways, regret also seeped through.
Enough for Ming Yeo’s form to sway uneasily in the darkness, unable to guess the emperor’s true feelings.
“I have rested enough. Begin again.”
Emperor Long Zheng said.
A command given to ministers shrouded in darkness besides Ming Yu. The current emperor wanted to know all affairs under heaven. He was truly obsessively compulsive.
Extremely respectful voices rang out.
“The Acting Divine Sword Group Leader assigned himself a solo mission and advanced north.”
“Lightning Genius Jeong, arrival at the Great Wall.”
“A memorial from Super Tiger Upper General Helian Wu-jing. She says hands and feet are insufficient…”
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