CHAPTER 191

The growth of the young Radiant Demon Squad Leader had not been smooth. The speculation of the Hao Sect Leader spread.

Suddenly.

The sounds around the pavilion, where the table was set, disappeared.

It was as if frost had settled upon the body of Baek Seo-gun, who sat with her back straight. A force compelled silence.

A strand of autumn wind blew chillingly, fleetingly scattering the ends of her grayish hair near the nape of her neck before fading away.

A realm where inner power had harmonized with body and mind. Without realizing it, she had fully revealed the presence of the Sword Sovereign of Henan.

"What did you say?"

Baek Seo-gun asked quietly. The smile that had once graced her lips was gone without a trace.

She began to recall the time when she had exchanged drinks with Jung Ban-ak's son at the Seven Crowds Gorge. What had he said?

"I said, for a landlord's son, it doesn't seem like he had a smooth upbringing. I didn't hear much, but…"

The Hao Sect Leader subtly adjusted his collar and continued.

"If a third-rate martial clan owns vast lands and exercises authority, soothing the people's hearts alongside the magistrate is essential. Even for a good harvest. 'Eat and drink well, so work even harder'... You understand, don't you? I heard that the Jung Manor Leader frequently held banquets. Was it Jung Daemyung or Jung Ban-ak? That Flower Young Leader sat in the seat of the manor lord, so he must have flaunted his power through feasts."

Young Lord Jung Daemyung had been a man who held near-obsessive superstitions since childhood.

He believed that making people work without compensation would bring misfortune. Baek Seo-gun had also benefited from this as a handmaiden. The outside world would not have been different.

"So."

Her lips moved slightly.

The Hao Sect Leader was not particularly daunted. He, too, was the master of a sect with a unique disposition in the world.

The way he spoke with ease bore the air of a hero.

"Jung Ban-ak's first and second sons strutted about, acting as the sole nobility of Xinye County, but the third was never present. Not once in his short life had he attended those gatherings. He was only occasionally seen strolling alone through the village, unlike his direct kin, and always with a subdued demeanor. Then, at some point, he stopped appearing altogether."

"..."

"Jung Ban-ak frantically searched for his infant granddaughter, yet he never once spoke a word about his third son. The testimonies of the people of Xinye County all aligned. Whenever a few commoners at the feast asked about his third son, he would drive them out, saying they were disrupting propriety. After that, no one ever inquired about Jung Yeonshin again… that's how the story went."

"…Are you sure you didn't misunderstand? Even if the Jung Manor is a third-rate martial clan, they do have a genealogy. In Xinye County, their influence rivaled that of the magistrate. How could mere commoners know the inner secrets of such a household?"

"May I curse a little?"

The Hao Sect Leader narrowed his eyes and spoke in a cocky, back-alley ruffian manner. The Hao Sect was a faction that took in and protected the lower classes of the Central Plains.

When dealing with a friend, the sect leader's words were unreserved, even if the other party was a Sword Sovereign.

Baek Seo-gun, who had been lost in thought with her eyelashes lowered, raised her head.

"What?"

"I'm saying, does being a Sword Sovereign make you all-knowing?"

The Hao Sect Leader spoke slowly.

"Of course, it's natural not to know everything. You're not wrong. It's a family affair of a clan with some level of prestige. But when it comes to gathering and refining the rumors scattered across the land, Hao Sect's capabilities place the Beggars' Sect beneath our notice. That is, unless it's within the domain of the Nine Great Sects. Are you questioning my sect's competency?"

"..."

Rustle.

Baek Seo-gun's white sleeve brushed against the table as she stood up without a word.

The Hao Sect Leader silently watched her.

"You haven't even had a drink. Where are you going?"

"I'll confirm it myself. You mentioned that there were still surviving direct descendants."

She murmured quietly.

The Hao Sect Leader nodded nonchalantly.

"The second son and granddaughter of Jung Ban-ak joined the Zhongnan Sect. The steward of the Jung Manor has established a large merchant guild in Kaifeng… Other workers wouldn't interest you, I suppose."

"I'll head to Zhongnan Mountain. Since we're already in Shaanxi, it'll also be easier to visit the young noble."

At her words, the Hao Sect Leader's lips twitched.

"Did you just call the Radiant Demon Squad Leader a 'young noble'? The great Sword Sovereign…."

Baek Seo-gun did not answer. Beneath her composed brows, her skin trembled slightly.

It was an apt connection. She had spent long years teaching Jung Ban-ak the way of the sword.

The move that the Radiant Demon Squad Leader, Lightning Genius, had drawn against her Spirit Heaven was a blade that reaped ties.

The Eternal Heaven Sword Demon had recognized Jung Yeonshin through both blood and martial prowess. The aloof handmaiden had accepted a forgotten past.

But what if the boy had never received the love he deserved in his own home?

'I, my words….'

The words she had proudly spoken to Jung Ban-ak's son resurfaced. The clarity that had always filled her mind when wielding her sword grew muddled.

Something dull seemed to scrape against her thoughts. Baek Seo-gun thought, This is madness….

Suddenly, the Hao Sect Leader widened his eyes.

"More importantly, you're heading to Zhongnan? You're about to cause a major incident. Do you not realize how much of a presence the Demon Sword holds over the Nine Great Sects? You should know yourself better. Unless you intend to start a full-scale war…."

"Stealing away a few insignificant pawns is but a trifling matter for me. Don't make a fuss."

Her voice was low.

That very day, Baek Seo-gun set out. She dismissed her attendants and carried only a single sword at her waist.

On the quiet official road, an ultimate lightness skill was displayed. The figure of the Sword Sovereign vanished like a mirage.

* * *

When the First Fist of the Eun Clan spoke of the Radiant Demon Squad Leader, Eun Hwaryun did not lower her voice. Her words resounded clearly toward the young leader.

She evaluated the boy's martial arts, offered advice as though concerned about the future of the new squad leader of Desolate Fortress, and invited him to step into her reach as a senior.

It was a veiled way of undermining Lightning Genius, the Radiant Demon Squad Leader.

Perhaps it was an order from the upper ranks of the alliance, which was already in ruins. Forty-five elite masters had fallen in succession to the young leader.

The Opening Tournament of the Murim Alliance was already a disaster. It was impossible to salvage their dignity.

Their only choice was to have at least one person definitively defeat the Radiant Demon Squad Leader.

Unlike Lightning Genius, who had unleashed the ultimate Infinite Blossom Fist, Eun Hwaryun had only defended. Only the fifth exchange had been different.

Those with trained eyes among the gathered martial artists noticed that the young leader had suffered a loss.

Each wore an expression of varying emotions.

"You perceive things differently? Your gaze is intriguing. Step in and see for yourself."

With Eun Hwaryun's firm words, the balance between dominance and inferiority was decided. Yet, a voice louder than hers echoed through the field.

"The masters of the alliance are truly something. I, Heon Wonchang, am in awe."

The inflection of his voice spread naturally, resonating throughout the surroundings. Even Eun Hwaryun momentarily glanced at Heon Wonchang.

Heon Wonchang continued with feigned innocence, turning to a companion who had professed admiration for Eun Hwaryun.

"Isn't it impressive? A warrior past forty, proudly facing a boy who has barely passed his adolescent years. Truly inspiring. The noble and righteous grand sects of the alliance, treating a mere child as an equal opponent… What an admirable, transparent ethos! Such groundbreaking behavior is surely a model for all. Don't you think so?"

"…Perhaps so…."

A middle-aged man, caught off guard, closed his mouth after giving an involuntary response. It seemed that he had just realized the subtle hint in the conversation. Heon Wonchang chuckled and patted him on the shoulder.

The man's earlier cheering for Eun Hwaryun had made him seem less like a seasoned expert of the Desolate Fortress and more like a common onlooker, but now it appeared that a burden had been lifted.

Across from them, Lazy Flame Dragon smirked, as if the situation were beyond ridiculous.

The once-boisterous crowd, swept up by the heat of the moment, quieted briefly.

Heon Wonchang, through subtle manipulation, had subtly shifted how the audience viewed the martial stage. With the streak of victories, the young leader of the Radiant Demon Squad had begun to blur the line between his youth and maturity.

In hindsight, they all realized that something extraordinary had taken place, something rarely seen in the martial world. No one could deny it.

The core fighters of the Murim Alliance had suffered consecutive defeats at the hands of a boy barely past adolescence. And now, a strong contender for the next head of the Eun Clan had openly provoked this same boy.

Far from harming the boy's reputation, this had reinforced the prestige of both the youth and the Desolate Fortress. There were still at least a dozen black-clad elites to back them.

The General Affairs Bureau of the Desolate Fortress had played their hand perfectly. The warriors gathered here, nearly a thousand of them—would spread these events across the martial world like wildfire.

At this moment, Jung Yeonshin had completed the mission he had been given. He stood undaunted, indifferent to the gazes fixed upon him.

Even defeat here would be a victory.

If he won the duel, however, the ripple effect would extend far beyond the lands of Hanzhong.

Even the leader of the Zhuge Clan, seated within the Alliance's command tent, would have a hard time containing the fallout.

"Enough with the small talk. Squad leader, you may start whenever you're ready."

Heon Wonchang lightly brushed the Hero's Mark on his forehead as he spoke, as though making an offhand remark.

"You have capable subordinates." 

Eun Hwaryun said to Jung Yeonshin. Her voice carried a trace of admiration, as if she had discerned the underlying message in Heon Wonchang's words.

Unlike the others seated under the pavilion, who merely observed Heon Wonchang with quiet curiosity, she seemed to fully grasp the dynamic.

He was bound when necessary, but free where it mattered, a quintessential quality of a true martial artist.

Narrowing her eyes slightly, she opened her lips again.

"Five more exchanges should be sufficient. I'll give you the first move."

Her face was the same as when she had lifted a wine cup at the tavern. She swung her right arm wide, the limb extending gracefully from her sleeveless orange combat attire.

It seemed as though she was carelessly loosening up, yet with each motion, an invisible force distorted the air.

Her meridians had been thoroughly relaxed. A precursor to exerting full power.

"Two moves."

The boy spoke slowly.

"You will lose within two techniques."

"What?"

Eun Hwaryun's brow furrowed. It did not feel like an empty boast.

It was a conversation between peak-level martial artists who had exchanged blows firsthand. They read each other's intentions through breath, heartbeat, the minute movements at their fingertips, and the subtle shifts in facial muscles.

In the elevated realms of martial prowess, heightened senses revealed much.

'You were too relaxed. In front of this master.'

It was a thought Jung Yeonshin did not bother voicing.

Step.

He took a step forward. He did not unleash his footwork. Instead, he circulated the Radiant Wheel through the facial meridians around his eyes.

Each time the energy passed through the Tongziliao Acupoints outside the corners of his eyes, a white glow faintly flickered in his pupils.

It was not an ocular technique. It was far from being a perfected martial discipline worthy of being called a true art.

'The way of seeing' was far more intricate and precise than breathing techniques. True ocular arts were rare.

They only existed within a few ancient martial families or the Nine Great Sects, older than even the Ming Imperial family. The boy had only glimpsed a hint of it when he faced Zhuge Qing-ya.

For now, he merely projected his inner energy through his eyes and then pulled it back into his vision.

He had infused the dispersal and reabsorption mnemonics of Full Sky Flower Rain into the Radiant Wheel. Jung Yeonshin's signature delicate energy manipulation brushed against his target like a faint wisp of smoke.

He was analyzing the energy structure of Eun Hwaryun.

Her defensive inner energy follows a fixed pattern.

He only needed to confirm her solar plexus, abdomen, and shoulders. There was no need to scan her entire body.

She might notice, and pinpointing the striking zones was sufficient.

Flash!

Eun Hwaryun's form suddenly filled his vision. The moment he stepped forward, she had closed the three-step gap. She seemed agitated by Jung Yeonshin's words.

She had exaggerated her movement, spreading her arms wide in the flamboyant manner of Central Plains warriors, as if offering the first move. Yet, an undulating wave of power coiled around both her hands.

The moment their techniques clashed, a counter-joint strike was sure to follow. The air itself felt foreboding.

Tap.

The boy's index and middle fingers touched her solar plexus. Their bodies were almost pressed together.

From the left shoulder of his black robe with its missing sleeve, he could feel Eun Hwaryun's breath. It was deep and faint.

Perhaps because there was no discernible surge of energy, she allowed the boy's fingers to reach her.

Her gaze, lowering toward her own collarbone, was as sharp as a blade.

That was the end of it.

Flash!

A blazing surge of force erupted from her hands. The air warped in an instant. Was she seeking an overwhelming victory?

The way her energy wrapped around Jung Yeonshin's arms went beyond the realm of mere striking techniques.

As he felt the fierce friction against his robe, the boy sank into a hyper-accelerated state.

The world slowed.

Even the sensation of her bare forearm grazing against the black sleeve of his right arm, thread by thread, felt drawn out.

The distinct floating sensation unique to the Eun Clan's defensive energy accompanied it. His thoughts raced like a storm.

Careless. Overconfident.

He had already finished analyzing her the moment he took his first step. The structure of her defensive energy was intricate.

It flowed along an interwoven pattern of irregularly crossing trigram formations. A solid framework.

No matter.

The upper dantian in his mind heated, then blazed. He split the moment into a hundred fragments. His consciousness seemed to seep into a field of white light.

With his fingers still touching her solar plexus, the boy slightly lowered his elbow.

It was an odd movement, as if smoothly complying with her grip.

With his inner energy glowing within his mind, he calculated the trigrams forming her defensive barrier.

'Post-Heaven Trigrams. Qian, Dui, Kun. I must insert it within one-tenth of my exhale… now.'

There was no need to break the structure of her defensive energy.

Eun Hwaryun's excessive verbosity had given him enough time.

By aligning his energy flow with the structure of her power and guiding his own force into it, he could transform a single strand of energy into an internal gravity technique.

The young Radiant Demon Squad Leader had drawn the duel into the realm of pure sensory combat.

Swish.

Just before Eun Hwaryun's hands could shatter his grip, Jung Yeonshin rotated the Radiant Wheel northwest, southwest, and west.

In the instant their legs overlapped and arms tangled, he pressed his sword fingers into her solar plexus.

A sharpened force sank into her defensive energy.

Huagai, Xuanji, Tiantu.

A formless, internal shockwave severed the meridians and acupoints around her solar plexus.

"What…!"

Eun Hwaryun gasped.

Jung Yeonshin clearly sensed the disturbance in her energy.

They were pressed tightly together. Waves of disrupted power rippled across his black robe.

As he silently increased the force through his sword fingers, Eun Hwaryun's entire musculature sagged.

Her tendons spasmed erratically.

The technique had fully taken effect.

Slowly.

Jung Yeonshin laid her onto the ground. Eun Hwaryun, gasping for breath, opened her eyes wide.

She had finally realized what kind of technique had struck her.

Her slightly parted lips were the silent testimony of a peak expert's shock.

The boy, gazing down at her indifferently, then walked forward.

Step, step.

As he strode toward Desolate Fortress' banner, he felt a quiet relief.

Had they fought purely with martial techniques, he would have lost.

Whether the alliance had ordered Eun Hwaryun to speak to push him into a trap, or whether the arrogance of the First Fist of the Eun Clan had grown after seeing Infinite Blossom Fist crumble, it didn't matter.

As long as his enemies remained ignorant of his lifespan and physical condition, the result could be repeated over and over again.

"The Desolate Fortress accepted the challenge. That is why I, the Radiant Demon Squad Leader, entered your alliance's Opening Tournament."

The boy spoke as he walked.

"Now the match is decided, and the banner remains unbroken."

Reaching out with one hand, he seized the flag planted at the edge of the arena.

The cold touch of steel traveled up his arm.

A crisp chill seemed to cool even his upper dantian.

Whoosh!

He unleashed the Wind Body technique, sending a gust sweeping through his black robes.

"This, I shall take back."

Crack!

The boy wrenched the banner free.

In the heavy silence that had settled around the duel stage, the white martial robe tied to the flagpole flapped violently.