“This is hardly the time for jokes.”

Ha Doun, captain of the Suncheon Wing, spoke with a calm expression. Apparently well acquainted with Ak Surim's unpredictable temperament, he showed no pointless irritation. He merely glanced at Jung Yeonshin before continuing.

“I have no intention of questioning the Radiant Demon Squad captain's capabilities. Captain Jung's accomplishments are too clearly established to deny. My concern is the extraordinary scale of his first mission as captain, but I believe he has demonstrated the minimum qualifications, brief though his service has been. He is sufficiently powerful and decisive.”

Ha Doun enunciated clearly, his manner of speaking revealing his character.

Jung Yeonshin's eyebrows rose slightly. That was unexpected. Were all the fortress captains who had passed the fortress master's discerning scrutiny like this?

Only days ago, the man had made his disapproval of the boy plain, guided by firm personal convictions. Yet when discussing accomplishments, he allowed no private feelings to intrude. That very quality lent his words and actions weight.

The Divine Sword Unit's deputy leader seemed to feel otherwise.

“Then?”

Ak Surim asked sulkily. Her hand shifted strangely around the shaft of the spear standing at her side. Her fingers repeatedly loosened, lifted, and curled around it again, as though she might strike at any moment. It was outrageous behavior.

Only then did Ha Doun's brow tighten slightly.

“Your attitude leaves much to be desired, Deputy Leader. Are you favoring Lightning Genius?”

“Listen to that mouth on you. A brat so many years my junior.”

Ak Surim smiled.

WHOOOSH!

Suddenly, a mighty wave of qi rose from her body. It lifted her short, jet-black hair and even swept upward past Jung Yeonshin's eyes. The presence revealed in that instant made the stone seats of the Hall of the Sword That Seeks Peace tremble faintly.

For a moment, the air warped.

'Her power...!'

Jung Yeonshin's eyes widened. The pulses of core energy were tremendous. He could distinctly feel the currents brushing his skin. Her internal energy was so profound that even the force of its initial surge seemed weak by comparison.

'It isn't just the size of her reserves.'

The boy was astonished anew. He could feel Ak Surim's intent imbued in her core energy. A fierce yet cheerful mental image took shape, reaching him through intuition.

Had she achieved perfect unity of essence, qi, and spirit? He could not begin to imagine how swiftly she could release and withdraw her internal energy.

The way she gripped her spear in the guise of a mischievous girl suggested the ennui of the strong. Her realm seemed infinitely close to the purple rank.

Ak Surim, the Desolate Divine Spear.

Jung Yeonshin's expression grew somber. Having achieved Rejuvenation, this supreme master enjoyed a position more secure than that of any promising Black Captain. She was said to be a pillar of the fortress alongside the Divine Sword Squad Leader—the next master of the Divine Sword Squad. She was the boy's most formidable rival.

No sooner had he taken a captain's stone seat than his goal had made itself vividly felt. The sensation sent a shiver through him.

'I have to defeat Senior Ak, then finally overcome the squad leader too...'

He had thought he had taken a great stride forward.

He was wrong.

That was no human being. She had to be regarded as a natural disaster.

And what of the Divine Sword Squad Leader? He vividly remembered the man drawing a brilliant sword of internal energy and slaying the Namgoong clan head. That formless blade of seven-colored radiance was a marvel second only to the Desolate Fortress Master's Sword of Nature.

Could he approach such a realm within three years? The higher one climbed, the further one seemed to leave the human world behind.

The years they had spent earning distinction in the Desolate Fortress were incomparable to his own. The rewards they had received for those accomplishments must likewise have been tremendous. He could hardly guess how many spirit pills they had consumed.

'Why does it have to be so difficult? The world is too vast.'

For a moment, the boy sank inward. Gloom had come creeping over him like a swamp. He must not confront it directly. In his heart, he turned away.

All the while, Ak Surim was still chattering at Ha Doun, captain of the Suncheon Wing.

“Can you be certain you have no personal motives?”

“... Of course.”

Ha Doun answered coldly. Ak Surim's smile deepened.

“It isn't because of the White Qilin? You've already chosen Namgoong Hwashin as the next captain of the Suncheon Wing. Everyone in the know knows that. They also know that promising young man wants to transfer to follow Lightning Genius. With your temper, you must be absolutely furious. I would be too.”

She shook her head lightly. Her imperious manner suited her strangely well. It only highlighted the mental discipline Ha Doun displayed in maintaining his composure.

He spoke again.

“We are here to discuss the state of the martial world. When it comes to separating public duty from private feelings, I believe I do better than you, Senior Ak. Let me ask you this. You are the one undermining the rules of this Hall of the Sword That Seeks Peace. Are you truly not favoring Lightning Genius? Your junior clearly raised his hand to object.”

“I did that because we have no time for squabbling. Captains who should be out in the martial world this very moment are stuck here because of that wretched Martial Alliance rabble, aren't they? If you don't like how I run things, come at me.”

“Do you think I won't?”

“Have you oiled that Heaven-Obeying Sword of yours? Draw it. I'm not the least bit frightened. Could you even last ten moves against me?”

Would the legendary Mystic Lady of the Nine Heavens look like this if she took to the battlefield? Ak Surim was a truly peculiar sight, trading barbs while seated with her spear in hand. Despite her coarse remarks and outright abuse, she did not seem to lack refinement.

Then, suddenly, she glanced at Jung Yeonshin, and the corners of her mouth curled upward.

“Favoritism? Of course I'm playing favorites. Do you know how bored I've been among all these dull, black-clad men? Now this bright-red new blood has come along and lit up the hall. How could he not turn my head? I love it!”

She stamped her feet like the girl she appeared to be. The ends of the black hair brushing her nape fluttered apart.

They said the temperaments of masters who had attained lofty realms were impossible to predict. The familiar saying suddenly rang true.

At that moment, Jung Yeonshin distinctly heard Ma Jin muttering beside him.

“She's gone senile.”

“Quite a mouth on you for a eunuch. I'm telling you, I adore him. Your nephew, that is.”

Ak Surim whipped a glare toward him.

“I might just take Lightning Genius into the Divine Sword Unit. It wouldn't be a bad thing for your nephew, would it? I've already discussed it seriously with the squad leader. I'll get on my knees before the fortress master if I have to.”

“Deputy Leader, please maintain your dignity.”

Un Soyu, the Law Enforcement Squad Captain, offered the admonition in an even tone. Ma Jin merely sat there, silent as a bear.

“Hmph!”

With Ak Surim's snort, her imposing qi abruptly subsided. She stopped before matters could escalate further.

Her control over her power was so exquisite that the phrase “Adaptability without obstruction” came to mind. The boy quietly watched her every movement. He wanted to make her lofty skill and presence nourishment for his own growth.

“There's no need to be flustered.”

Ma Jin lightly tapped the boy's shoulder.

“Captains' meetings are always like this. It's a gathering of renowned supreme masters. There's always trouble brewing over nothing. Even this table...”

He jerked his chin toward the enormous round table and continued.

“It's been split and smashed dozens of times. You'll have to get used to it too, Yeonshin.”

“...”

“The Hall of the Sword That Seeks Peace isn't a place where we settle everything with words alone. Sometimes you have to display your martial arts to lend your opinion weight. Don't be intimidated just because they're your seniors. Just do what you did to the Law Enforcement Squad Captain. You can point your sword at Black-ranked masters now.”

Those final words carried weight. This, too, was the world of the Black rank. Following the lavish deference of Master Zhang, who would weave his robe from Thousand-year Silk, it brought home the height of his new standing.

Jung Yeonshin nodded faintly. He felt awkward commenting on the conduct of someone as senior as Ak Surim.

As though sensing his nephew's feelings, Ma Jin flicked a finger against his armrest.

BOOM!

The sound carried internal power, its resonance drawing everyone's attention.

Ma Jin spoke.

“Captain of the Suncheon Wing, state your objection.”

“The problem is restoring the Radiant Demon Squad. Our comrades' deaths are deeply regrettable, but we must look ahead. With so many wounded, how will you assemble a force? Sending the Radiant Demon Squad captain to the Martial Alliance alone would look poor. It would be dangerous too.”

“A fair point.”

Ma Jin nodded, then turned to Jung Yeonshin beside him, ignoring Ak Surim's sulky pout off to one side.

“Yeonshin, have you given it any thought?”

“Yes.”

The boy nodded slightly and spoke.

“We cannot take an entire combat unit in any case. That would be like Mount Hua's Sword Saint bringing every Plum Blossom Swordsman along. Such a thing would scarcely happen outside an all-out war between major sects. Since we are accepting an invitation as guests, I believe it is appropriate to bring only a handful of elite masters.”

“Does the Radiant Demon Squad have any uninjured masters at present?”

Ha Doun asked with a slight frown, as though sensing something unwelcome.

“Yes. Since we have so few, I was about to ask a favor.”

Having answered quietly, Jung Yeonshin spoke again.

“I request that the captain of the Suncheon Wing assign the White Qilin to this mission.”

“So it comes to this after all.”

Ha Doun muttered, looking as though he might sigh. Then he said,

“It is unseemly for captains to fight over a subordinate.”

“...”

“But neither can we allow people to transfer between combat units at their own whim. That is a matter of discipline. Thus, on rational grounds, I will permit only this immediate assignment. We shall discuss what follows afterward.”

Jung Yeonshin silently clasped his hands in a martial salute. After watching the brief but impeccable courtesy for a moment, Ha Doun shook his head.

“The current Radiant Demon Squad captain should not misunderstand. You and the White Qilin spent a long mission together and should work well in tandem, and the Radiant Demon Squad's circumstances are difficult. Those are the reasons for my decision. The formation of the Martial Alliance is no small matter even for our fortress. You will need ample peace of mind, so it is best to settle your personnel in advance, at least.”

He displayed the lofty bearing of a senior of the fortress. Wearing a solemn expression, as though intoxicated by his own words and conduct, he suddenly scowled.

“So I'm the one stuck going to Xinjiang. That brat who is to be the Ming Cult's next young cult leader—I'll have to take his head in a single stroke and come back.”

Ak Surim and the other captains merely nodded once apiece and began straightening their clothes. They looked ready to leave.

Jung Yeonshin sat bewildered. Did captains' meetings always begin so abruptly and end so arbitrarily? They were strangely alike in their unwillingness to remain seated a moment longer.

Their behavior made a fool of the Diancang Sect's Young Sword Empress, left neglected off to one side. A gathering of eccentrics seemed the right description.

“Um, weren't you supposed to have a lot of questions for me?”

The Young Sword Empress asked blankly.

“Speak with the Radiant Demon Squad captain.”

The Annihilation Squad captain, who had remained silent throughout, spoke with his deep-set eyes on her. The Azure Heaven Squad Captain stood beside him and gave a perfunctory nod.

“With meetings at the Hall of the Sword That Seeks Peace, it's the attendance that matters.”

“Lightning Genius. You need remember only one thing.”

Ak Surim rose lightly, her lips twisting upward.

“There is a particular reason you were chosen. There is only one reason a Desolate Fortress captain is attending the Martial Alliance's founding ceremony. Reconnaissance isn't the mission's only true purpose.”

“... What else is there?”

“The Hwangbo and Namgoong clans. We punished men who tormented the common people while preaching chivalry, yet the Martial Alliance is a swarm of ants that gathered to call that unjust, isn't it? The Eight Great Clans and whoever else, all flocking together. Our fortress's prestige has fallen to the ground. They think that if enough of them gather, they can do something to us.”

“...”

“You are our fortress's answer to their claims.”

“Me?”

Jung Yeonshin asked quietly. For an instant, pitch-black lightning flashed in Ak Surim's eyes.

“Yes... Would this make it easier to understand? ‘Our Radiant Demon Squad captain is this young, yet wouldn't you need the old men of your elder councils to stop this boy master? Recognize the difference in our standing and behave yourselves.’ That's exactly it. It's a boast we can make because we have you.”

She hummed and nodded, striking him as strangely peculiar. She seemed to live in a world all her own. Hers was a cheerfulness Jung Yeonshin had never even imagined.

He stared at the elderly master with a girl's appearance. What sort of family did one have to grow up in to develop such manners? It seemed strange to attribute it to an inborn disposition alone, for that could hardly explain the peculiar refinement in her conduct.

The boy thought that she had grown up well.

“Doddering elders don't take the stage at sects' founding celebrations. You should be able to dominate the Martial Alliance's founding ceremony. Even if, unlike some Dragon-Phoenix Summit, it's full of established masters of the orthodox factions.”

She spoke like a lark. Jung Yeonshin tilted his head slightly.

“It's unclear what I must accomplish to earn merit.”

“Don't overthink it. Observe the Alliance and throw cold water on their high spirits. As the youngest invited master, and as our fortress's Radiant Demon Squad captain.”

She spoke with a broad smile, then lifted the hair below her ear and massaged her pale nape. The combination of easy boldness and beauty gave her a peculiar air.

“With a body so well developed, what couldn't you do? Am I right?”

As she spoke, her appraising gaze swept over the boy's entire body.

Jung Yeonshin nodded as he looked at Ak Surim. Her forearm, exposed beneath her black sleeve, hardly befitted a master of the spear. It looked so very delicate that Rejuvenation seemed to have robbed her even of her forearm muscles.

It was truly frightening. His maternal grandfather Ma Yeonjeok's arms looked better by comparison. How weak must her body's own Burst Discharge be? Without internal energy, she would be unable to do anything.

'No matter how many times I look, Rejuvenation isn't for me. If I can just grow old in good health and die... that'll be enough.'

As the boy briefly recoiled at the thought, Ak Surim slowly parted her red lips, her mouth curved in an elegant smile.

“Go to the Martial Alliance, which twists the banner of securing the people's livelihoods however it pleases, and utterly humiliate those shameless layabouts.”

That soft whisper marked the end of the captains' meeting.