He had seen a crescent moon yesterday. He would have to wait fifteen days for the full moon.

It was too far away. It felt closer to a hundred days. He could hardly calm himself.

What could a small fragment mean?

Given what lay between Jung Yeonshin and the Desolate Fortress Master, it had to mean the Fruit of the World Tree.

And yet he could not believe it, and kept snuffing out his own expectations. He did it deliberately. His life had been a headlong race toward that fruit. He feared the hurt that might follow if he let himself hope too soon.

“A reward for that must be tremendous.”

Baek Miryeo sounded a little overwhelmed. Sunlight caught in her slightly upturned eyes. She seemed to be recalling what had happened at the Blood Flame Cult headquarters.

“That's right. Even most masters of the highest order would struggle to accomplish so much in one stroke.”

Chung Myung nodded and continued.

“You accomplished something far beyond your own martial strength. It's no wonder the Fortress Master has summoned you. Martial arts may have their natural counters, but few warriors could have exploited one so precisely and taken it to such extremes.”

“That's also why I'm a little concerned. Against masters whose internal energy has no such counter, you'll have to rely on your fundamental martial skills. Far more of your enemies practice neither demonic arts nor Blood Arts. The same goes for this selection tournament. Don't let your guard down.”

Baek Miryeo rested a hand on Jung Yeonshin's shoulder as she spoke. He nodded slowly.

“I know my own abilities. I have to, if I don't want to die far from home.”

He knew Baek Miryeo was not the only one concerned.

He had held little back from his seniors in the Radiant Demon Squad. There was a saying in the martial world about concealing one's full strength, but he could not explain this mission without mentioning the Demon-Slaying Gentle Flowing Strike and the sword song.

The squad's experts, who cared for him, had each offered a word of advice. One warning had stayed with him: rash deliberation and shallow planning. They had urged him to guard against hasty, superficial thinking.

Their words carried the weight of long experience in the martial world.

Jung Yeonshin, the Lightning Genius.

His achievements were immense for someone so young. Though he had earned them by creating martial arts with unusual effects, a boy intoxicated by his own fame could easily mistake those accomplishments for a measure of his overall strength.

'Misjudgment is what my enemies do. It's always been my opponents who let their guard down.'

So Jung Yeonshin thought.

Baek Miryeo and his other seniors were not meddling beyond their place. Still, their fears were unfounded. No one devoted more thought to his remaining lifespan than he did. Objectively assessing his martial abilities was a basic necessity.

He first excused himself to Chung Myung and Baek Miryeo, then set off toward the Command Bureau. There was no reason to hesitate. He intended to apply at once for the Namgoong clan mission announced in the official notice.

“I might as well come have a look at the Command Bureau too.”

Heon Wonchang followed with a broad grin. Walking shoulder to shoulder with him, Jung Yeonshin sank into thought.

'A blue-robed expert the Desolate Fortress needn't be ashamed to send out into the martial world. That's what I am now.'

Followers of evil and unorthodox paths, against whom the Demon-Slaying Gentle Flowing Strike worked. Warriors with shallow internal energy, against whom the sword song was most effective. Only against those two groups could he display overwhelming might.

He had been told that the gaps in strength grew wider with each rank.

A warrior newly promoted from white to blue was different from one on the verge of advancing to black. The gap was that between a newcomer and a seasoned veteran. It was a considerable difference. He had heard that a single blue-robed warrior could sometimes contend with three others of the same rank.

'What about me?'

He had spent his time recuperating. Since returning, he had not sparred with his seniors even once. He wondered where he now stood within the realm of the blue robes.

“If they divide the selection by age, the opponents for the Namgoong young clan head and his sister will probably be under thirty at most. You won't have many equals among them, Young Master Jung. That's the opinion of the Desolate Fortress Sacred Warrior, who has watched you firsthand.”

Heon Wonchang spoke with an air of studied innocence. He seemed to have acquired a peculiar confidence after their bizarre escapade at the Desolate's Ma Clan. It was not a bad look on him.

“Ah, Young Master Lightning Genius.”

Their conversation had brought them to the Command Bureau before they knew it. The clerk in charge of the entry register greeted Jung Yeonshin.

“You've come to apply for the matches against the Namgoong clan, I take it?”

“Yes.”

“I'll put your name down. The notice hasn't been up long, but so many warriors have already signed up. The Namgoong clan's reputation truly must be extraordinary. Enough to warrant an unprecedented change in how the mission personnel are chosen...”

The clerk sighed, weariness seeming to mingle with his breath.

“There are that many applicants?”

Heon Wonchang thrust his head forward to ask. The clerk nodded at once.

“I've never seen such fierce competition for a mission assignment. Ordinarily, it would be settled among the captains through a meeting between the Divine Sword Squad and the Command Bureau, but this time they're accepting volunteers regardless of affiliation... Sometimes I simply can't fathom what our superiors are thinking. With so many applicants, Young Master Lightning Genius, you should certainly expect a selection tournament.”

He was quite friendly, even volunteering information. A faint goodwill showed on his face as he looked at Jung Yeonshin, perhaps thanks to Yeonshin having greeted him on his previous visit.

As Jung Yeonshin smiled faintly and dipped his head, a clear voice sounded behind him.

“It's because the Namgoong clan's foremost masters are that powerful. The Command Bureau's notice spoke of winning every match. If our fortress is to do so, shouldn't the mission force consist of warriors selected from each combat unit?”

“You're quite right, Young Master.”

The brief agreement was followed by soft, breathy laughter.

Jung Yeonshin had turned at the very first words, and his eyes widened slightly.

The approaching man's blue robes fluttered magnificently with each steady step. His jawline was finely sculpted. Light flashed intermittently in his jet-black eyes, lending him the imposing air of a master. Skin as smooth as white porcelain and a high nose gave him a striking presence.

He was an extraordinarily handsome young man. His presence was as powerful as ever, enough to eclipse the smiling women beside him.

“Young Master Namgoong.”

Namgoong Hwashin immediately returned Jung Yeonshin's clasped-fist salute.

“Young Master Jung. It has truly been a long time. You too, Young Master Heon. It feels like only yesterday that we took the Desolate Fortress Trial together.”

“You look even more radiant than before.”

Heon Wonchang offered a salute, his eyes subtly narrowing. Jung Yeonshin followed his gaze.

Several women all but surrounded Namgoong Hwashin. All four wore weapons, and each gave off refined waves of qi. They appeared to be experts of the Suncheon Wing.

'He's held in remarkable esteem.'

Jung Yeonshin could only think so. He could tell from the eyes watching Namgoong Hwashin. The light in the eyes of his Suncheon Wing seniors and juniors seemed infinitely warm.

“Are you the Radiant Demon Squad's Lightning Genius, Young Master? I've heard so much about you.”

The speaker was a white-robed Suncheon Wing expert beside Namgoong Hwashin. A silver ornament adorned her braided updo. She regarded Jung Yeonshin with slightly upturned eyes, but it was the ornament that drew his attention.

'A white-robed warrior spends time on her appearance?'

Privately puzzled, he raised his hands in salute.

“Yes, I am the Radiant Demon Squad's Lightning Genius.”

“I'm Shin Binbin. I understand Abin has been in your care. He's my younger brother.”

She meant Shin Sobin, Jung Yeonshin's junior. Now that she mentioned it, they did seem to look alike.

“He's been a help to me as well.”

They exchanged greetings, brief compliments, and inquiries after each other's well-being. Shin Binbin gave Jung Yeonshin a quick once-over, then turned to Namgoong Hwashin with a smile.

“The path you walk is a lonely one, Senior Namgoong. He does seem like someone who might accompany you, but I'm not entirely sure.”

She was appraising Jung Yeonshin before Namgoong Hwashin, who had come to volunteer for a mission to cut down his own kin.

She made much the same first impression Shin Sobin had. She was a cherished child of the Shin Clan. Unless she behaved with outright arrogance, no one could really reproach her.

Seeing Heon Wonchang's lips working, Jung Yeonshin stopped him just before he could step forward. He did not want to invite a fuss.

“Have you also come to seek an assignment on this mission, Young Master Namgoong?”

Jung Yeonshin addressed Namgoong Hwashin. Shin Binbin, whose martial skills were inferior, did not occupy his attention. Instead, his senses were drawn to the profound waves of qi he could faintly feel from Namgoong Hwashin's body. The force welling up from those unfathomable depths was powerful indeed.

'He's changed.'

Had there been spirit medicine he had not yet fully assimilated into his energy core when he left the Namgoong clan?

There was an exceptional weight to the pulses of his core energy. Yeonshin understood what the Suncheon Wing's blue-robed expert had told him. He now knew exactly why Jin Jurim had spoken of a difference of two moves.

Namgoong Hwashin was an older expert who had cultivated a divine technique among the internal arts. He was different from Jung Yeonshin, who had spent well over a decade laying his body's foundations with the Movement Art.

Their reserves of internal energy alone were vastly different. An internally injured Lightning Genius being outmatched by the White Qilin? No expert would find that strange.

“Though I have left, this body's roots remain in Southern Zhili. There are matters within the clan I must bring to a close, so it is only right that I step forward. I scarcely have the face to say anything to you, Young Master Jung. Even apologizing on my clan's behalf seems presumptuous. All I can say is that I am deeply sorry.”

Even Namgoong Hwashin's expression, mingling bitterness and remorse, looked like a painting.

“And Junior Shin is habitually thoughtless in her words and actions. Please pay her no mind.”

He cast a slight glare at his immature junior as he apologized.

Shin Binbin merely gave a little laugh, not the least bit cowed. Then she glanced at Jung Yeonshin again, and her face stiffened slightly.

The only person reflected in the sky-blue light of the Radiant Demon Squad's Lightning Genius's eyes was Namgoong Hwashin.

“The only thing occupying my thoughts right now...”

Jung Yeonshin began slowly.

“...is your martial prowess, Young Master Namgoong, as my prospective opponent in the selection tournament.”

* * *

Three days passed. Twelve days remained until the full moon.

The Desolate Fortress's Command Bureau announced a selection tournament. As the original notice had stated, they would hold sparring matches, owing to the large number of applicants.

“But the Lightning Genius's internal injuries haven't healed.”

“That doesn't mean anyone can afford to go easy on him, does it?”

“If not our youngest blue robe, who's going to cut off the Namgoong young clan head's head?”

The Radiant Demon Squad's experts voiced their concerns.

Regardless, preparations moved swiftly. The Command Bureau drove the event forward with the speed of a master's sword strike.

Even a tournament bracket appeared. It felt like a Murim tournament to determine the greatest warrior in the region, the sort that even attracted wagers. Those who saw the bracket for the rising generation remarked:

“They've been placed on opposite sides.”

“Even the Command Bureau can't ignore the Lightning Genius and the White Qilin.”

The matches proceeded in order. Two were decided each day, with experts from other combat units watching. The winners went on to test their skills against one another.

The White Qilin, Namgoong Hwashin, swept through the bracket. Just as during the Desolate Fortress Trial, no one his age could match him. He soon reached the end of his side of the draw. The watching experts were unanimous in their impressions.

“Extremely solid. There are no weaknesses in his martial abilities. He's built his qi arts on a proper foundation.”

“The Namgoong clan lavished that much spirit medicine even on a concubine-born son? His internal power is tremendous.”

Their assessment of Jung Yeonshin was somewhat different, for he displayed greater strength with each passing day. It meant he was healing his internal injuries even as he competed.

Every expert agreed that his control of core energy was exquisitely precise.

“The White Qilin is here again. I don't think he's missed a single match.”

“Isn't the Lightning Genius famous for his unusual forms? He's studying a formidable opponent's martial arts.”

“In the end, it's down to those two. The winner faces the Namgoong young clan head, and the loser his sister, they said. With different amounts of merit at stake, of course the competition will be fierce.”

“They say the Lightning Genius hasn't left his quarters except to compete. His internal injuries seem fully healed, but now he's at another disadvantage.”

They were right.

Namgoong Hwashin appeared at every one of Jung Yeonshin's matches. He watched the fights, taking in the Lightning Genius's unique martial arts.

Evading Swift Step, Infinite Blossom Fist Strike, Radiant Sword Art... Each revealed form drew cries of admiration from the Desolate Fortress's experts, and every one of those martial arts was etched into the eyes of the White Qilin, Namgoong Hwashin.

“I understand why you've gone to such lengths, but in another way I don't.”

Shin Binbin spoke with her chin propped on her hand, seated at one side of the training grounds in the center of the Desolate Fortress. Beside her, Namgoong Hwashin slowly rose.

Jung Yeonshin, the Lightning Genius, had just won. Only the final match remained: the White Qilin against the Lightning Genius.

Shin Binbin had often heard her clan's supreme masters speak of him. To warriors of truly lofty attainment, the Lightning Genius was a promising talent who had mastered unusual qi arts.

In terms of the card game Leaf Play, he was a useful card to spring on followers of evil and unorthodox paths, or enemies who relied on overwhelming numbers. For now, that was what he was.

“I've learned that Senior Lightning Genius's forms are quite sophisticated. But yours are too, Senior Namgoong, and above all, the difference in internal power...”

“I'll be back.”

As Namgoong Hwashin spoke, his body soared high. His billowing blue robes held the azure sky. It was the Boundless Flowing Body, the Namgoong clan's movement technique.

FLAP!

The White Qilin crossed the sky as though walking on empty air and landed in the center of the training grounds, directly before the Lightning Genius. The onlookers exclaimed in admiration.

“What a graceful mobility art.”

“Perfection itself. There's not a single aspect lacking.”

Namgoong Hwashin seemed unconcerned by the crowd's remarks. He gazed quietly at Jung Yeonshin, then spoke in a clear voice.

“The sparring platform where we met during the Desolate Fortress Trial was quite simple. This place is rather grand. And there are so many spectators.”

“I understand you have deeply personal reasons for volunteering. Forgive me for being unable to yield.”

“Haha. Surely you have reasons of your own?”

“We can share our thoughts later. Won't we be traveling to Southern Zhili together?”

Namgoong Hwashin laughed again at Jung Yeonshin's answer.

“Sharing our stories on the road to cut down my elder brother. That would have a certain charm. If only we could have had this place to ourselves.”

Jung Yeonshin thought differently. They had the intense attention of the Desolate Fortress's warriors—and of the Command Bureau's clerks. The prowess he displayed here could influence future personnel decisions.

He needed to leave an impression.

He had felt Namgoong Hwashin's gaze throughout his matches. It was not something he could criticize. He did not know what circumstances had led Namgoong Hwashin to volunteer to kill his own half brother.

'I know he's analyzed the shapes of my forms.'

An expert of the White Qilin's caliber would have prepared responses. Even if they could not completely neutralize his moves, they would be a serious threat.

That was fine. A person of the martial world prepared. With life, honor, and martial arts at stake, they did whatever they could.

Knowing oneself and knowing one's enemy was no different. Namgoong Hwashin had learned his enemy. Meanwhile, Jung Yeonshin had focused on knowing himself, in order to take another step forward.

'Right now, the art that can release the greatest power in a single strike is the Demon-Slaying Gentle Flowing Strike.'

That held true even against an opponent who practiced orthodox arts.

But the Demon-Slaying Gentle Flowing Strike was a hand technique. He could not use it through a sword. No matter how far he adapted its formula, its effects were limited to fists and palms.

That meant he needed the Infinite Blossom Fist Strike.

It had three forms: Vortex, Formidable Wall, and Fist Blossoms.

He had created Vortex after seeing Chung Myung's sword realm. Formidable Wall had originated in the fist art displayed by Ma Se-In of the Desolate's Ma Clan. The Falling Blossoms Palm Strike of Yoo Hyun, Mount Hua's sect leader's direct successor-disciple, had inspired Fist Blossoms.

Vortex was rotation, Formidable Wall was a powerful fist, and Fist Blossoms was change.

“Begin.”

The black-robed expert overseeing the match spoke. It was the Annihilation Squad captain, whom he had not seen in some time.

HUMMM!

As clear sword resonance rang from Namgoong Hwashin's drawn blade, Jung Yeonshin retraced the past. It felt quite distant now.

Every martial art he had created so far had relied on inspiration. The sword song, the Radiant Sword Art, even his movement technique. Only after seeing something another had achieved had he made something of his own.

Not every form needed to be that way. He had accumulated considerable knowledge. At its heart, creation had always come down to one thing.

'I create it because I need it.'

The instant Namgoong Hwashin's sword reached beneath his chin, Jung Yeonshin did just that.

It was a left-handed palm technique. He had ample material.

An eerie wave of qi mingled with a clear blue light. He deployed two different internal powers at once, weaving them together through the subtle principles of a sorcerous formation. The noise was tremendous.

It sounded like a monster's whisper mingled with the wind beside a stream. The powers were repelling each other rather than blending into balance.

WHOOOOSH!

The instant he spread his palm wide, a fourth form sprouted.