Chapter 26 – Zhongnan Sect (1)
“Not enough with the White Uniform? What do you mean?”
“Oh, don’t misunderstand. I don’t have the authority to give you the Blue Uniform. Neither does our master.”
“Then what?”
“Just a moment.”
Myeong turned to rummage through his luggage. Ma Jin and Mir-yeo watched, looking as if they understood.
Soon, Myeong pulled out his blue robe and approached Yeon-shin.
“I’ll lend it to you.”
The robe flapped widely.
Yeon-shin glanced at the blue robe covering his shoulders and looked up, quite puzzled.
“I don’t understand the significance.”
Mir-yeo was the one who explained.
“A white uniform with a blue robe means you are a promising talent recognized by the Desolate Fortress. It’s a significant title.”
In the martial realm, the term “promising talent” was not used lightly. It meant you were the best among the juniors walking the path of martial arts.
Receiving such a title within half a year of joining the Desolate Fortress added even more weight.
She smiled. It was an enchanting smile despite being free of any personal feelings.
“You will have the authority to command all the White Uniform warriors of the Desolate Fortress. I was going to give it to you.”
“Yours is too tight at the shoulders.”
Myeong chuckled and looked at Yeon-shin.
“If anyone asks, tell them that Ma Jin from Demon Wings recognized you. You won’t face much trouble.”
“You can also mention the alias ‘Alluring Sun Sword.’ I’ll consider it as if I gave you the robe too.”
“…Thank you.”
Yeon-shin bowed slightly. The feeling stirring in his chest was unfamiliar.
Ma Jin, who had been watching with a somewhat complicated expression, nodded.
“It seems everything is settled.”
“The matter of the Mount Hua Sect…”
“We’ll handle it. Whether you return first or the issue with the Grand Violet Pill is resolved first, I don’t know.”
At that moment, Hyeon Won-chang raised his hand cautiously.
“May I accompany Master Jeong? While I may not be of much help to the Grandmaster and the Blue Uniform members, it might be different for Master Jeong.”
“…I permit it.”
After a brief consideration, Ma Jin agreed, saying it made sense.
“Remember, the matter of Zhongnan has also become a mission of the Demon Wings. Observe the conflict between the Tyrant Sword Sect and the Zhongnan Sect, and consider how their war impacts the common people. You may intervene in any way, but prioritize your lives.”
“We accept your command.”
Yeon-shin and Won-chang bowed.
Yeon-shin’s eyes, now stronger, turned towards the southern window.
Mount Zhongnan, where one of the prestigious sword sects of the Central Plains was located.
His second brother and young niece were training there. He wondered if Hye-ah was doing well.
“The annihilation of the Jeong family. If I find the Elder Ye Yil-sin, will she tell me?”
The war between the Thirteen Heavens and the Nine Great Sects. It was also an opportunity to see how his martial skills would fare in the world.
Mount Zhongnan was two days away. They changed into their Desolate Fortress uniforms after two nights.
It was to consider the dignity of the Mount Hua Sect.
Won-chang, revived with fresh vigor, burst into a refreshing laugh.
He alternated glances at the ‘Desolate’ characters on his shoulders, grinning broadly.
“This is the life.”
“……”
Yeon-shin wore the blue robe Myeong had given him over the White Uniform of the Desolate Fortress.
Won-chang, looking enviously, commented.
“White and blue. It suits you very well.”
“It feels a bit awkward.”
“You’ll get used to it quickly, Master Jeong.”
“Thank you, Master Hyeon.”
“Hm? It wasn’t just an empty compliment.”
Yeon-shin smiled slightly.
He was a grateful person. It wouldn’t be easy to follow along on a mission unrelated to his original task without deep affection.
The two soon arrived at the entrance of Mount Zhongnan.
From afar, they were impressed by the grand and steep mountain scenery, but as they approached the entrance, they felt the unique strictness of a martial arts sect’s domain.
Warriors were guarding the entrance.
“They seem to be warriors of the Zhongnan Sect. It appears they are really fighting the Tyrant Sword Sect. Coming down from the main gate to below the mountain.”
Won-chang whispered.
As the two approached, two of the four guards stepped forward.
“Please state your sect and name, and your purpose.”
“As you can see, we are from the Desolate Fortress.”
Won-chang replied leisurely, showing his shoulder. He then gestured to Yeon-shin.
It seemed to mean entrusting the responsibility to the promising talent of the Desolate Fortress.
As soon as they heard the name ‘Desolate Fortress,’ even the warriors standing behind them stepped forward. Yeon-shin spoke up.
“I am Jeong Yeon-shin of the Demon Wings.”
“And I am Hyeon Won-chang of the Demon Wings, Desolate Fortress.”
“Um…!”
The warriors examined their clothes and murmured.
Their reactions made it clear.
The Desolate Fortress, with its reputation of suppressing the martial world, was not welcomed by other sects.
“Do you intend to prove your identity with just your attire?”
One of the Zhongnan Sect disciples spoke. His tone was oddly sharp.
The two from the Demon Wings took out their golden identity plaques from their pockets.
The Desolate Fortress plaques, engraved with a golden wood pattern, were revealed in their hands.
It was said to be made by a master blacksmith.
Anyone would acknowledge it when they saw the intricate and elegant pattern.
“The Desolate Fortress is a great sect. Do young warriors like you act independently? Who would…”
An older warrior, who seemed to be a senior, stepped forward and interrupted the sharp-tongued disciple.
“I regret to inform you, but our main sect is in a state of war. You must understand that we cannot blindly trust the identities of strangers.”
“What the hell!”
Won-chang’s qi flared up in response. A subtle ripple of energy spread through the air.
Having passed the Desolate Exam and adapted to the role of a White Uniform of the Demon Wings.
Despite his seemingly light-hearted nature, he had inner depth.
“…!”
“Truly from the Desolate Fortress!”
Satisfied with their reactions, Won-chang observed, but the Zhongnan disciple shouted angrily.
“How dare you act so recklessly on Mount Zhongnan!”
“What are these people…!”
Won-chang looked exasperated.
Yeon-shin, watching quietly, felt a sense of déjà vu.
He thought of the Jeong family.
When he said he would create and learn martial arts, the first expressions on his younger brothers’ faces were not astonishment but something else.
Surprise and jealousy. Just like these people.
“It seems the fight with the Tyrant Sword Sect isn’t going well. The pride of the Nine Great Sects is wounded, and young warriors appear proudly claiming to be from the Desolate Fortress.”
Won-chang’s display of force was counterproductive.
The warriors of the Nine Great Sects were known for their deep cultivation.
Due to the circumstances and youthful vigor, the Zhongnan Sect disciples now appeared no different from worldly young warriors.
“We cannot trust it. Young people like you posing as warriors of the Desolate Fortress, especially in these times.”
The tone grew more resolute. It felt suffocating.
Though guarding the gates was an important duty, middle-ranking leaders would not be in charge of security.
All those guarding the entrance to Mount Zhongnan were young.
Being young, they were energetic, and combined with the pride of being disciples of a prestigious sect like Zhongnan, they held themselves in high esteem.
“This…!”
It seemed Won-chang was recalling that they had family there.
Despite the situation, seeing Won-chang glance at him and suppress his anger was reassuring. Just as Yeon-shin was about to step forward.
“Even if they are truly from the Desolate Fortress, it’s still an issue. How could we trust and send them to the Great Zhongnan? It seems the famed name of the Desolate Fortress has faded.”
Another, who had remained silent until now, spoke harshly.
His sharp eyes did not seem to belong to someone of ordinary temper.
He had clearly crossed the line. Yeon-shin placed his hand on his sword hilt.
“Consider your words carefully. You have insulted warriors of another sect for no reason.”
He spoke calmly.
Jeong Joong-san was a young man with a rough face, wearing a plain martial robe.
He was the second of the Jeong family and also a disciple of the Zhongnan Sect.
Recently, he often pondered how he ended up in such a situation.
Even if the annihilation of the Jeong family was like a natural disaster, people’s hearts were different.
He thought about karma even though he wasn’t a Buddhist disciple.
“Maybe my foolish and incompetent older brother was the reason for our misfortune.”
He also talked to himself a lot.
He was leaning against the roof ridge of the Zhongnan Sect’s surveillance pavilion.
The scenery in his sight was truly peaceful.
Feather clouds creating gentle waves in the blue sky, the Qinling Mountains stretching out below, and a few bamboo shoots rising above the fence.
Sitting on the pavilion’s roof, he swung his leg.
The clear sound of blue stones colliding brought him a small sense of satisfaction.
At the same time, an old voice burst out from below.
“You rascal! I told you to fetch the rice water, and here you are idling again!”
“Ah!”
He quickly jumped down and bowed to the owner of the scolding voice.
An old swordsman with a stern appearance was sitting on the porch, looking displeased.
“I’m sorry, Elder.”
“It’s exasperating. This sect’s swordsmanship and disciples are disappearing.”
It was something he could say because he was highly respected. Jeong Joong-san bowed even lower.
Although the Zhongnan Sect was fighting the Tyrant Sword Sect, he was not a warrior capable of joining the Nine Great Sects’ forces.
Naturally, he ended up serving the elder.
The old man clicked his tongue.
“Since the sect has difficulty obtaining supplies, you should go down the mountain and fetch some grains. I can’t deplete our food supply. The Tyrant Sword Sect’s bastards need to be wiped out soon.”
“Yes!”
“Elder Jung, you’re troubling the innocent disciple again.”
A woman’s voice suddenly chimed in, and the old man’s expression softened slightly.
“Myo-hwa, you’ve come.”
“Huh?”
Joong-san’s eyes widened as he saw the approaching figure. She looked to be around twenty, transitioning from a girl to a woman.
Her beautiful features and clear eyes were striking.
The strange feather decoration tied to her black hair caught his eye first.
The wide hem of her blue martial robe fluttered with every step.
The white sword hanging from her jade-decorated belt gleamed.
Weiji Myo-hwa of the Zhongnan Sect.
She was also called the Cloud Sword Dragon. It meant a heroic figure of the sword above the clouds.
In an era when the title of ‘dragon’ was typically reserved for men.
Jeong Joong-san, who had never seen the Cloud Sword Dragon during the farewell of the Jeong family, used to call the Cloud Sword Dragon ‘Great Senior Brother.’
Weiji Myo-hwa was different. The strongest promising talent of the Zhongnan Sect, called the Sword Dragon despite being a woman.
Jeong Joong-san couldn’t even meet her gaze.
“Just in time, I needed a porter. Come with me, Junior Brother… Jeong?”
She seemed to forget his name, mumbling it before turning around.
The old man gestured for him to hurry, and Jeong Joong-san quickly ran after Weiji Myo-hwa.
They didn’t exchange any words until they reached the entrance of Mount Zhongnan.
Joong-san found the high-ranked junior daunting, while Weiji Myo-hwa seemed completely uninterested.
“Huh…?”
Jeong Joong-san made a dumbfounded sound. He almost rubbed his eyes as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
He saw the seniors welcoming guests with an increasingly tense atmosphere.
But what mattered to Jeong Joong-san wasn’t that.
“Yeon-shin?”
“Hm? Do you know him?”
Weiji Myo-hwa finally showed some interest.
“Ugh!”
The sight before him was indeed astonishing.
Though he didn’t see the sword being drawn, his younger brother was already sheathing it, and the senior’s sword was flying backward.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew from the side. Weiji Myo-hwa had kicked off the ground and was charging forward.