Chapter 789: Side Story – A God Who Fulfilled His Purpose |
Xi’an Jeong Family was a den of demons.
Therefore, Jeong Yeon-shin was sincere. Who could sleep easily there? Even if nothing happened, it wouldn’t be ordinary worry.
Jeong Hye asked with a gloomy expression.
“You’ll come every day, right?”
“I should.”
Now he understood. Jeong Yeon-shin thought his niece would be cute even when she had wrinkles someday. He smiled while neatly stroking Jeong Hye’s hair.
“Because there won’t be another chance to harshly teach elder brother except now.”
“What about me?”
“Come to the main fortress anytime.”
Then a small head popped up over Jeong Yeon-shin’s shoulder. Hwangbo Geon-ryun asking with wide eyes.
“You said there’s only now to learn from him, so is Great Hero Jeong Jung-san’s ability only that much?”
“Because he’s now a family’s pillar.”
“A family’s patriarch…!”
A sigh befitting Ice Palace’s Young Lord.
It was when Jeong Yeon-shin tilted his head slightly. Jeong Hye took interest in the child, and Hwangbo Geon-ryun averted his gaze with reddened cheeks.
“Who is he?”
“A Hwangbo Family child. His name is Geon-ryun.”
“Ice Empress and Lazy Flame Dragon senior’s son? I only heard rumors, hello?”
Jeong Hye waved her hand, but Hwangbo Geon-ryun couldn’t answer. It was also when Jeong Yeon-shin felt a strange premonition after a long time. Upper dantian prescience. Fully grown Hwangbo Geon-ryun wearing splendid ceremonial clothes was boarding a flower palanquin with Jeong Hye.
‘This fellow…?’
Jeong Yeon-shin whipped his head toward the child, but only saw plump smiling cheeks. Jeong Hye made an amused expression.
“He makes eye contact quite well again. He has a northern child’s temperament. They say that side reveres martial arts more than the Central Plains.”
With full-body Natural Sword allowing only Hwangbo Geon-ryun and Jeong Hye energy sense. Though it would be useless for some who’d already entered the residence, they had lofty pride.
‘I just need not enter. Considering their status.’
Even if they recognized Jeong Yeon-shin, guests wouldn’t come out to greet him. Not only old propriety but their face was also an issue.
Whoosh.
The chilling north wind had no face.
Suddenly behind him. A thick voice like cave wind rang out.
“Sorrow, grief.”
The words of the figure casting a large shadow over Jeong Yeon-shin continued.
“When sending off brothers, northerners sense the Northern Sea. Beautiful, exciting, and lonely. Now Northern Emperor will feel it too.”
Though he’d clearly entered Xi’an Jeong Family before his eyes, he deliberately took his position here.
‘The limping master of combat.’
Was he thinking of matching techniques? But Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t step with footwork. Now for Radiant Wing Steps, the opponent mattered more than direction.
When he turned around, a giant limping figure looked down at Jeong Yeon-shin.
Fighting God said.
“Presumptuous.”
Jeong Yeon-shin quietly asked.
“Did you have brothers?”
“Even if they parted by death, Literary Star had an exceptional companion. All Six Star Lords were witnesses to that wedding.”
As if immersed in memories of that time, Fighting God’s fierce lips rounded. Jeong Yeon-shin gave him a moment, then asked.
“How did you know about here?”
“I have Earth King as a close friend. When I want to know something, there’s nothing I can’t learn.”
The reason Fighting God could oppose Emperor Qian-ling was used for Jeong Jung-san’s wedding. Jeong Yeon-shin thought. He had a frivolous side.
Then he casually asked.
“Now that there won’t be war-like conflicts in the Central Plains, I wonder what a fighting god who lost battles does. A few years ago you fought and built rapport with Western Region jianghu people.”
“Now Greedy Wolf Star only looks down.”
“……”
Emptiness existed in Fighting God’s eyes.
A god who fulfilled his purpose.
Because he was satisfied himself, that emptiness wouldn’t be filled. Jeong Yeon-shin hoped so too. It couldn’t be helped.
Only then did Hwangbo Geon-ryun’s small body tremble.
“Even Fighting God…!”
After Tree Severing was accomplished.
Though shrines serving Jeong Yeon-shin were erected everywhere like Guan Yu temples, Fighting God had been northerners’ god for a long time before that.
“Northern Sea’s Hwangbo clan. Qualities to oppose me in the future.”
“I-I’m honored!”
Flutter.
Hwangbo Geon-ryun quickly flipped through his small booklet and recorded this moment.
Simultaneously, Jeong Yeon-shin furrowed his brow. Because the pages that passed in an instant were caught by Fighting God’s eye technique. The limping fighter was smiling strangely.
Fighting God said.
“Your life is a nadaam.”
“You believe that.”
Meanwhile, Hwangbo Geon-ryun put his Martial World Compendium in his clothes. The series of movements was as free as drawing and sheathing a blade. The child asked Jeong Yeon-shin in a small voice.
“Can I defeat Great Hero Jeong Jung-san?”
“Even now you have a chance.”
Hwangbo Geon-ryun didn’t seem to believe it.
“Northern Emperor is truly gentle. As expected, rumors can’t be trusted.”
Since that was also correct, Jeong Yeon-shin roughly nodded. Of course, when Jeong Hye, who’d been listening silently, looked up with an expression that saw a big problem, he preemptively greeted her.
“I’ll come again tomorrow. Sleep well.”
There was no reason to hear nagging.
The current Desolate Fortress Lord was a gentle person. Even if he showed his usual words and conduct at a feast, it wouldn’t be family disgrace. But Jeong Hye’s thoughts seemed different.
“Thinking about it, just coming on the day itself should be fine. There are guests who were supposed to come originally. Quite a few.”
“That’s not propriety and law. I will make rounds without fail.”
“Ah.”
Storm and stress clung to Jeong Hye’s back as she stomped away. Only annoyance despite knowing Fighting God’s identity. Jeong Yeon-shin hoped his niece’s bedding footwork techniques were negligible.
* * *
He stayed at a nearby inn.
Meanwhile, Invincible Yelu Zhen didn’t come out of Xi’an Jeong Family until the end. It was also what Jeong Yeon-shin expected. Greet the host first as a guest? With that pride?
He wouldn’t run into her unless he went in himself. It was as if he had trapped her.
Imprisoned without contact.
‘…Without exchanging strikes even once.’
There was great enlightenment. Proper worldly conduct was no different from world’s best martial arts. It was the path he should walk forward.
And the next day.
Jeong Yeon-shin made a clearing somewhat distant from Xi’an Jeong Family’s gate the meeting place. Because it was quite a secluded alley with low walls and rare foot traffic.
Though it felt like imprisoning Yelu Zhen before she’d committed anything, experience showed it was right.
‘Sister Yelu is never someone who’d mention flower viewing first.’
Meanwhile, many martial clans who participated in Shaanxi’s Dragon-Phoenix Assembly flocked over. It was a favorable situation for Jeong Yeon-shin.
“This is Yan Family Fist Treasure. First, my regrets. I wanted to deliver it early, but the times were chaotic. Since its owner, Fist Master Yan Hua-lian, was a true martial artist, I hope you’ll treasure the secret manual.”
“…You must have much attachment to the manual.”
Resolving old grudges.
“Namgung Family’s new direct line? Rarely among clans, your eyes are good. But if weeds sprout at Great Hero Azure Qilin’s cemetery…”
“The servants manage it well. Rather, my name is…”
“I can send our fortress’ Obeying Heaven Wing Leader for a few days. If he imparts learning, it will greatly help the family’s rebuilding.”
“We hosted him last year, but he only changed bedding.”
Displaying the Fortress Lord’s magnanimity.
“Zhu Shi-hwa greets Lord Jeong as Wudang’s representative to congratulate your celebration.”
“Bright Ring Five Ultimates Zhang Feng, I remember you too. A Ming Zhu who entered Wudang. Now showing propriety.”
“…The current Wudang Sect Leader is busy with official matters, so he sent me. But do you perhaps know where the previous Sect Leader went? If you could find him once with energy sense…”
“If you mean Elder Profound Void, he flew to Mount Zhongnan while coming with you. He’s now at Sword Sect Cliff.”
“Yuan Shi Primordial Truth, why that cliff…?”
“He’s erasing Sword Sect’s Ouyang Cheon’s sword marks that were there and carving his own sword path. He seems to have much unresolved from the previous jianghu, so the relationship between Zhongnan and Wudang is concerning. If mediation becomes necessary later, contact the main fortress… How rude.”
He tried to show competent aspects unlike Lazy Flame Dragon who failed inside and out. Of course, the chaotic jianghu remained difficult.
“Gongsun Family Lord respectfully greets Fortress Lord! The martial world searched for you long, and now you’ve emerged!”
“I first saw you at the Hanzhong Martial Alliance meeting and now. I know you’re two years younger, my peer. Casual words in private would be fine.”
“Brother Jeong…?”
“Yes, ask and speak comfortably.”
“Actually I was very curious. There’s also blade-wielders’ old debate topic.”
“What?”
“Between Remaining Thunder and Starry Night, which is the true beloved blade?”
Because Hwangbo Geon-ryun was preparing records, Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t answer. He naturally judged young Gongsun Family Lord as a ruined sprout. Seeing his madness for swords, he’d become a peerless master.
Among them were shrewd ones. Hui Merchant Dai Quan Gang was like that. A major sect that had greatly supported Desolate Fortress for years when Ming imperial support was cut at the end of Ming dynasty.
In return, they carved into the world the fact that they were protected by Desolate Fortress.
“Sect Lord Jin Yue-lan greets Fortress Lord.”
“You proposed a hundred-year bond to me. Saying a ten-year age difference was nothing when counting a lifetime. Do you still think the same?”
“Haha, now I fear Scarlet Flame Blood… Anyway, I’ll substitute greetings with the treasures piled in Xi’an Jeong Family’s yard. Additionally, our sect distributed relief grain to civilians due to last year’s flood, so the granary greatly emptied. Therefore, I wish to discuss again the agreement made when initially supporting Desolate Fortress.”
“Elder brother must have risen.”
Jeong Yeon-shin was the incarnation of propriety and law.
He appropriately cared for Jeong Jung-san. Because Desolate Fortress Lord was a position that became jianghu’s example.
“Yeon-shin.”
He met the groom whose face brightened before the gate.
A silver mask seemed to briefly flash beyond the wall, but Jeong Yeon-shin only patted Jeong Jung-san’s shoulder. Hwangbo Geon-ryun also descended from his back and bowed politely.
“I respectfully greet the patriarch.”
“Yeon-shin, you first…?”
Jeong Jung-san’s reaction was also like Yu Hyeon’s. Jeong Yeon-shin looked around.
“Where’s sister-in-law?”
“You’ll see her in two days. It’s tradition to stay at the main family until the wedding day.”
“Ah, that’s right.”
“But Yeon-shin, this child?”
“Lazy Flame Dragon’s son. Also Ice Palace’s Young Lord.”
When Jeong Jung-san quietly retreated, Hwangbo Geon-ryun was impressed. Because just then the child’s energy wave was stealthily flying to sweep over Jeong Jung-san.
Hwangbo Geon-ryun withdrew his energy wave with a startled face. The six-year-old child who thought himself clever also showed admiration and acknowledgment.
“Dragon Fist… I mean, he seems to read intervals better than Pangu Lord. This lesser one dared be rude to the legitimate successor.”
“Yeon-shin, this child…?”
Jeong Yeon-shin couldn’t answer immediately. Because some silver sparkled like stars, constantly stabbing his eyes. Light beams that would transform into lethal ultimate techniques if filled with energy.
The inside of Xi’an Jeong Family was the cause. A silver mask that flickered as if present yet absent. But he mustn’t create trouble before the wedding day.
Mind Sword.
Jeong Yeon-shin deflected the light with just eye movements and muttered.
“Elder Brother Jung-san would be better off.”
At least in matters of men and women, the current Heavenly Demon was third-rate, while Jeong Jung-san would be a grand master.
“Yeon-shin, what are you saying?”
“How did you bond with sister-in-law?”
“Mm?”
“I thought you’d never marry in your lifetime. Unless it was a woman who’d get furious after being kissed by a woman against destiny… So I intend to examine sister-in-law’s upper dantian when there’s opportunity.”
To see if it hadn’t greatly widened. Jeong Yeon-shin spoke while dispersing killing intent pouring like waves in the manner of Intent Form Killing. Meanwhile, Jeong Jung-san wore a face that felt nothing, grinning broadly.
“Such nonsense. Why suddenly use such formal speech like when you were young?”
“I must practice in advance so sister-in-law can hold her head high.”
“…Please let this foolish older brother hold his head high too. It’s my house but doesn’t feel like mine. It’s hard to prepare mentally while serving superiors.”
“Where are superiors there?”
Only troublemakers. At Jeong Yeon-shin’s calm retort, Jeong Jung-san questioned back.
“But why retreat? Through communication, you said you’d first teach body-protecting secret techniques equivalent to lifesaving ultimate techniques.”
“I made pointless retreating steps of Tyrant Sword Sect Leader’s backward steps into my Eighth Step.”
That was all.
Time seemed contained in Invincible’s vessel. Meaning it overflowed quickly.
Meanwhile, far more guests had entered Xi’an. It seemed the post-ceremony would be hectic. Originally, the wedding evening feast was called life’s foremost banquet.
‘The cast is chaotic.’
Before he knew it, Jeong Yeon-shin was watching Jeong Hye and Fighting God from the bustling post-ceremony guest seats.
“I started making this as soon as we met… It’s too thin for your build.”
Jeong Hye handed crudely carved crutches to Fighting God. Fighting God looked down at them with eyes as large as his own frame. The crutches reflected like reeds in his giant pupils.
Fighting God left leaning on them.