The Seven Apostles smiled faintly, her lips curling.
“Your temperament seems a little different now. It’s like a stormy tempest, just like a martial art meant for destruction. Oh, speaking of which, what’s the age of my dear Grandmaster?”
“Stormy tempest?”
Jeong Yeon-shin repeated the words, though it was more like a murmur than a question. He didn’t react much to it. It sounded as though she was referring to some youthful stage of emotional volatility, a time of growth, but as the current Lord of the Radiant Abyss, it wasn’t something he could relate to.
Perhaps it was a sentiment better suited to Tae Yeom-ryong, who could never give up his opium addiction. Jeong Yeon-shin, on the other hand, had already been sharing drinks with the city’s elite and was quickly closing the gap between himself and the great predecessors of the Abyss. It wouldn’t be long before he surpassed them in stature.
“I will not raise my blade against you. I owe you a great debt,” Jeong Yeon-shin stated calmly.
For a moment, it felt as though only the two of them existed on the snowy peaks. Even as Bukgung Lin, Bukgung Hu, and Jang Sun-il slowly approached from a distance, the presence of the Apostle stood out, as vivid as a poppy blooming amidst the snow.
“What...?”
Her voice was tinged with bewilderment. The reaction came only moments after Jeong Yeon-shin’s words. Her eyes twitched as if startled, and her pupils lost focus.
For a brief instant, the sharp fangs on either side of her mouth slightly revealed themselves before retreating again. It was an odd reaction.
The sensation of pressure against one’s teeth was a torment not unlike being struck in one’s most vulnerable nerve points. It was a place difficult to guard, even with internal energy reinforcing one’s body.
Because of this, seasoned martial artists rarely bared their teeth outside their sects unless they were truly desperate. But the Apostle’s demeanor did not match that of a high-level expert.
‘It’s always been like this,’ Jeong Yeon-shin thought, unconcerned, as he continued speaking.
A debt of gratitude weighed heavily on him. After all, he wasn’t simply running through the martial world to avoid an early death—his life had been saved by her. And not just his own life, but those of his uncle and all his comrades from the Abyss.
Jeong Yeon-shin wanted to be able to speak to his mother after death and say proudly that he had lived well, thanks to the kindness shown to him. That he might add, jokingly, that she had chosen a rather unfortunate spouse.
For that to happen, he knew he must not become like his father. He needed to cherish the bonds that fate had brought him.
“Your internal energy structure seems somewhat flawed. Listen closely and correct it. And don’t appear before me so recklessly again. As long as you lead the blood-demons, we cannot coexist. It’s inevitable.”
“...”
“Let us settle our debts here and now. Listen. What you’ve desired, your True Demonic Blood Art, lies before you.”
In an instant, her reaction shifted.
“Ahhhh!”
The Apostle screamed, covering her ears with her hands.
― “From the Governing Vessel, warm the blood essence gently. From the Conception Vessel...”
Jeong Yeon-shin’s transmitted voice began reciting the foundational principles, but he paused mid-sentence. What was this?
“Stop it! Don’t repay the debt!”
The Apostle’s long, slender fingers pressed firmly against the points outside her ears, cutting off her hearing.
It wasn’t something done lightly. By blocking her Earmoon Points, dense with nerves, she temporarily disabled her own sense of hearing. On top of that, she screamed, as if trying to drown out his voice entirely. The sound was eerie, like the wailing of a bat.
“...”
Jeong Yeon-shin closed his mouth.
For the first time, someone had rejected the martial arts knowledge of the Lord of the Radiant Abyss. It wasn’t merely unusual—it was incomprehensible.
‘How can this be? My principles are superior.’
Never had Jeong Yeon-shin encountered such a thing.
He hadn’t understood the concept of pride until this moment. Now, he thought he might be beginning to understand. Could this be what others referred to as humiliation? Even the boastful achievements of lesser martial artists in their so-called Diluted Flow Principles hadn’t irritated him like this.
It was utterly irrational. Surely, living in the martial world required pragmatic decision-making.
He spoke again.
― “The flow of intent through the Conception Vessel should remain cold, distinct from the warming principle of the Governing Vessel...”
“Ahhhh! Ahhhh!”
Jeong Yeon-shin furrowed his brows slowly. What was this?
“What are you trying to do? Weren’t you the one who said you needed these principles?”
He hadn’t forgotten the Apostle from that day, pressing her hand against his shoulder and offering a sly smile with her crimson eye.
“My dear Grandmaster, my young Grandmaster.” Those were the words drilled into him by her sect. That day, she had been full of leisure, madness, and obsession, embodying everything expected of a noble of the Blood Flame Sect.
But at this moment, her screams didn’t cease. It was as if she had lost all sense of reason.
Covering her ears and alternately avoiding his gaze and glancing toward him, there was even a chilling madness in her movements. Yet, despite everything, she refused to meet his lips.
“Comrade! Is there a problem...?”
“The one before you is no less than a grand warrior of our northern lands! Ready yourself for battle!”
The cries of Bukgung Hu and Bukgung Lin echoed from behind him. Despite their clear difference in martial ability, they had begun to charge forward the moment the Apostle screamed.
Accompanied by a rising chill, their nervous systems were likely being driven to the extreme.
‘Sharing a campfire does this much?’
Jeong Yeon-shin stepped in front of the Apostle’s line of sight, blocking her from facing them.
“Do not come any closer. The noble of the Blood Flame Sect does not travel alongside me.”
“I can’t see! I can’t hear anything!”
She shook her head violently, hands still pressed against her ears.
And finally—
“Don’t speak! I’ll kill you! I won’t kill you, but I will! Please, just stop! Stop it!”
Her red robe fluttered wildly as she babbled nonsense.
Her energy responded to her emotional state. Erratic power waves radiated outward, occasionally flashing crimson.
In an instant, a massive force coiled around her legs. It was a completely different level of internal energy manipulation. The energy swirled and surged, amplifying her movements.
Boom!
The Apostle stomped the ground, still clutching her ears.
As dust spread outward in concentric circles, her figure vanished with a sharp slicing sound that cut through the air.
It almost seemed like she had used a teleportation technique. She leaped over ten jang (approximately 30 meters) in a single bound.
Her retreat traced a massive arc through the air, yet there was no sign of the elegance or grace typical of the Blood Flame Sect’s techniques.
To anyone watching, it was undeniably a flight.
The Apostle of the Blood Flame Sect had fled. It was almost impossible to believe, even as it happened before their eyes.
Jeong Yeon-shin felt a small shock. To think his principles had been outright rejected. Was her so-called Three Harmonious Flow Principles really so great?
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“Comrade,” Bukgung Hu called out as he approached, his silver-tinged eyes flickering toward Jeong Yeon-shin.
Their comrade didn’t pursue the fleeing Apostle. He merely stood, watching her disappear.
The peculiar expression on his otherwise stoic face suggested some profound reflection, no doubt the lofty contemplation of a grand warrior.
For all their insistence on etiquette and rationality, the frozen North respected strength above all. This prompted Bukgung Hu to speak.
“Accept my apology. Inviting a warrior of your stature to our protection is an unforgivable embarrassment. It shows that my judgment is no better than that of a dead wolf.”
The blunt tone lent sincerity to his words.
Beside him, Bukgung Lin placed a calloused hand on Jeong Yeon-shin’s shoulder.
The slight tremor in her palm betrayed her emotions, though she maintained a proud demeanor.
“Will you marry me?”
The silver-haired noblewoman of the Ice Palace asked boldly.
“...”
“Ah, I believe the term in your land is ‘take as your wife.’ But in the customs of our frozen lands, my intent is closer to marriage. To honor strength in our homeland means—”
Whatever impact her unconventional words might have carried was lost on Jeong Yeon-shin. It didn’t even register as a jest.
The only true companion he had was the art of creating martial techniques.
It was this gift that had first made him feel as though he belonged—something that even his own family had failed to provide.
‘Anyone could see my principles are superior.’
Jeong Yeon-shin stood silently for a while. Only when Bukgung Lin finally stopped speaking did he move again.
***
The ridge leading up to the Seventh Maiden Peak was both high and long. Several snow-covered summits had to be crossed to reach the destination.
The number of martial artists they encountered grew steadily, and the scale was far from ordinary.
The scene was a tapestry of various appearances and backgrounds. Among them was even a handsome man who passed by with a playful smile, sitting atop a sedan chair carried by four others on their shoulders.
“Well, well. He seems to be doing well. I suppose that one failed. No, leave him be. That one seems to be preoccupied with the high-ranking monsters of the Thirteen Heavens. To me, this is a fortuitous development.”
“Is there any reason to wait?”
“He’s thoroughly concealing his identity. For me, it means more cards to play. I can minimize the risks.”
“What do you mean?”
“If the situation is handled properly, I can manipulate that treasured sword to my liking. Just thinking about exerting my influence over such a noble genius, someone who only existed in legends and documents until now, is thrilling. It feels like meeting the protagonist of a heroic tale in person. I almost want to turn this sedan around just to chat with him.”
“Hmm...”
The swordsman escorting the man exuded an extraordinary aura. Her sword at her hip emitted a frosty, intangible aura that seemed to slice the air itself, though her expression remained indifferent.
Even as she displayed her power to clear their path, her face was as calm as ever.
The conversation did not carry beyond their small group.
As expected in such a gathering of extraordinary figures, everyone carefully cloaked their qi as they moved. To the crowd, only the faintest glimpse of lip movements could be seen, making it almost impossible to discern their words unless one faced them directly.
Even then, the movements were subtle, using whisper-like speech techniques to maintain secrecy.
“Those must be warriors from the Great Fang Sect.”
“They seem like nobles of considerable stature.”
The crowd that had gathered was as dense as the branches of a forest. Their numbers spread thickly across the area.
Just from those visible within Jeong Yeon-shin’s line of sight as he passed the sedan chair, there were easily hundreds, each radiating qi that was far from ordinary as they cast fleeting glances toward him and his group.
“Surely, they’ve come for the legendary Thousand-Year He Shou Wu.”
“There are countless rumors that even a single root can sustain one for a hundred days. And the enhancement of internal energy is beyond question.”
“If consumed by a young person, they might grow with latent strength equivalent to a thousand pounds.”
“Be careful with your words...! There are rumors that many noble figures have gathered here! Who’s to say that man isn’t the Lord of the Radiant Abyss from the martial world’s Grand Opening Tournament?”
“Even if he is, this is just the edge of Shaanxi. Once their mission is complete, they’ll return. There’s no way the Abyss Lord would come all the way here.”
“Do you think the imperial watchdogs will sit idly by while martial artists reap such rewards?”
Though Jeong Yeon-shin appeared youthful, no one dared to openly provoke him.
Everyone seemed to be measuring each other.
The weak had already been filtered out and couldn’t even proceed past the lower slopes.
Among these people, whose lives revolved around boasting and conflict, merely making it halfway up the mountain was enough to suggest formidable skill.
It was safe to assume that anyone who had reached this point possessed extraordinary abilities—whether through hidden weapons or a technique capable of a single fatal blow.
Everyone on this ridge was the same.
If anyone rashly started a conflict, they would inevitably suffer losses.
The concept of "seizing victory by striking first" only applied when the sides were clearly divided. No one wanted to be the one to initiate chaos here.
Only those with nerves of steel exchanged casual words.
The siblings from the Ice Palace were among those who could speak without fear.
Jeong Yeon-shin adjusted the strap of the bag slung diagonally across his back when Bukgung Hu, walking beside him, broke the silence, brushing the frost from his hair.
“What’s in there? You’ve been carrying it even in battle, shielded by your protective qi.”
“Books.”
“It doesn’t look like just one or two. Secret manuals?”
“No, just some annotated miscellanea. A bit messy.”
“Why bother carrying that around? Wouldn’t it be better used as kindling?”
“I plan to take them out soon.”
The face of Hahoe Wi-jin, the Grandmaster of the Heavenly Forest Pavilion, briefly flickered through Jeong Yeon-shin’s mind.
Though the annotated volumes would have been unnecessary for the Sword Masters of the Abyss, Wi-jin had disregarded pride to help novices understand their limitations.
He was a senior Jeong Yeon-shin deeply respected. His courage and generosity were truly remarkable.
The siblings from the Ice Palace seemed increasingly curious about their companion, particularly after he had defeated the Wandering King.
“And what about that?” Bukgung Lin asked, gesturing toward Jeong Yeon-shin’s shoulder.
There, a broad black cloth was wrapped tightly around his arm, exposing the elegant lines of his upper arm as though it were a mere decorative layer of fabric.
“You’ll find out.”
Jeong Yeon-shin answered simply, internally grumbling. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked for it to be so tight.
It was then that something strange happened among the crowd.