Chapter 484: Chapter 484

Suddenly, the open space of Mok Family Manor trembled.

The divine physician, who had been taking a pulse reading on the wooden bench, abruptly pushed off and stood up as if struck by a seizure.

A faint, hazy energy flowed out from his body. White and semi-transparent, it took the form of a refreshing mist infused with the essence of wood.

“Have you truly lost your mind?!”

Who was he speaking to?

Even the heads of the Nine Sects could not immediately comprehend.

The manifestation of the Lord of Ipwang Fortress.

It was an event so shocking that even the word "shock" fell short. The divine physician, who had lived for untold years, might have spoken condescendingly to the abbot of Shaolin, but no one had ever imagined that his eccentricity would extend even to the Lord of Ipwang Fortress.

“Celestial Guardian!”

With an expression of rage, the Evergreen Divine Physician uttered a name of absolute authority that no one in this gathering had ever heard before. His gaze was fixed firmly upon the air.

Or rather, upon the Lord of Ipwang Fortress, who stood there, her waist sash adorned with two pure white divine swords that seemed almost perfectly suited to her.

“Do you even understand where you have come...?!”

His rough, grated voice scraped through the air. The divine physician cried out with near desperation.

“Answer me! Why?! Why did you not hold your place?! No, if you had descended, you should have gone to the north! Why did you leave Gunreung unattended?! Why, for what reason?!”

The emperor had been mentioned.

Gunreung. Emperor Gunreung.

A name that should not have existed on this land. A being who belonged solely above the clouds.

“A-A great physician though he may be...”

“We have never heard such things before!”

At that moment, the villagers who were either knowledgeable about worldly matters or simply quick-witted began to flee.

All around, hurried footsteps stomped against the ground, and the sound of people scrambling in confusion filled the air. Some had stood there dumbfounded but were soon swept up in the atmosphere and left in a daze.

Meanwhile, the Lord of Ipwang Fortress spoke slowly without even glancing at the divine physician.

“There was something more urgent.”

All the while, small leaves, carried by the wind, gently settled over the unconscious Jeong Yeon-shin.

She finished her words softly.

The Lord of Ipwang Fortress.

Her brilliant jade-green eyes reflected Jeong Yeon-shin. The image of a young man with long, slightly disheveled hair.

His chin, tilted slightly to the side, carried an unguarded air unlike before—not so much lofty as simply that of a youthful man.

The Lord of Ipwang Fortress soon closed her lips and turned her gaze toward the divine physician. At the same time, he was already poised to unleash his fury upon her.

“Something more urgent?”

The Evergreen Divine Physician was known for having eyebrows as beautifully shaped as a master’s brushstroke, but at this moment, they were grotesquely twisted.

“How dare you utter such nonsense...?!”

“Examine my disciple.”

The Lord of Ipwang Fortress commanded once more.

The mist-like energy that had flowed out from the divine physician’s body dissipated before it could even reach her. Just as his /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ desperate cries had been meaningless.

In the end, the divine physician gritted his teeth in frustration but fell silent. The once tumultuous open space grew quiet again, and the dust that had surged like a cloud slowly settled with the faint whisper of the wind.

The Lord of Ipwang Fortress stepped forward, pressing down onto the earth as if it were a familiar resting place.

“I gave you one shichen.”

It was not a request but an order.

Even before her words fully dissipated, the divine physician's eyes widened once more.

“That bastard has packed his body with nature’s energy in a completely excessive manner! All so-called great masters are the same! They twist the natural energy of the world into something grotesquely refined and store it as ‘true energy.’ And now you demand that I fix him?! Are you telling me to shorten my lifespan again just for this?! I already reattached his left arm once! Unless you mean to kill me...!”

The Lord of Ipwang Fortress did not even smile. Her face remained expressionless, even as she spoke.

“When it returns to the earth, it grows again.”

The divine physician even stammered. His strikingly handsome features, enough to be called a peerless young man, flushed red with frustration. The overwhelming energy he had exuded moments ago vanished like a flame snuffed out.

The buildings surrounding the inner garden of Mok Family Manor.

The absolute masters of the Nine Sects, seated with their legs crossed and their doors flung open, gazed at the Lord of Ipwang Fortress with unreadable expressions.

Only Cheongsu’s face showed a trace of astonishment.

No one rose from their seats rashly. They simply observed the greatest warrior of this land with deep, unwavering eyes.

Yulha, at most, reached out from where he sat, as if to propel himself toward Jeong Yeon-shin. But he hesitated when he saw Beomheo shake his head from a distance and let his arm fall.

The unique, almost supernatural agility of supreme masters was never displayed.

The Nine Sects and Ipwang Fortress.

Disciples and subordinates might clash on occasion. But for the sect leaders and the fortress lord to do so—it would shake the balance of the entire world.

At the very least, it was fortunate that the Lord of Ipwang Fortress did not glance at them at all, her attention solely fixed on the divine physician.

The divine physician, his head lowered, let out a sigh.

“Give me... more time.”

The Divine Physician carried Jeong Yeon-shin inside with a fierce gust of wind.

Before entering the inner quarters, he made it clear that no one was to follow. He did not permit any prying eyes.

In the meantime, Beomheo offered a seat to the Lord of Ipwang Fortress.

[Such a meeting was destined to happen. May this humble monk request a brief conversation?]

The Shaolin Abbot’s voice, imbued with his Wisdom of Light, was as clear and transparent as a winter breeze. His humility was natural, yet not servile. Even in this moment, he remained an absolute being.

The Lord of Ipwang Fortress silently gazed at the old monk of Shaolin for a moment before finally nodding slightly.

And with that, at last—

A true gathering of the figures who shaped the world of martial arts had begun.

A grand assembly of the martial world.

Shaolin, Mount Hua, Qingcheng, the leader of the Beggars’ Sect who had belatedly returned to Mok Manor, and the Lord of Yongdu.

And the Lord of Ipwang Fortress.

Outside the manor, Ak Su-rim of the Ipwang Divine Spear, Cheongmyeong of the Azure Peace Sword, Hyeon Won-chang, the Great Warrior of Ipwang, and Shin So-bin, the Bloodthirsty Radiance, stood guard along the walls alongside disciples of the Qingcheng Sect.

Sensing the presence of their lord, Ak Su-rim had rushed over like wildfire, urging the others to take their positions.

That was why the vast crowd of martial artists who had surrounded the manor earlier had vanished like smoke before anyone had realized.

The meeting was held in the courtyard of Mok Manor, now empty after the commoners had all fled.

None of the grandmasters harbored particular guilt toward the fleeing villagers. The occasion was too important for such sentiments.

Besides, the Divine Physician’s skills had long since reached the heavens, just as the rumors claimed. He had already cured those suffering from severe illnesses and was now left treating minor ailments like the common cold.

“I never thought I’d live to see such a meeting...”

Perched lazily on a thick tree branch, Joo Gwang-shin, the Drunken Beggar King of Yongdu, mumbled while clutching his stomach. He looked down at the Lord of Ipwang Fortress, his face still betraying disbelief at the situation.

Meanwhile, Yulha and Cheongsu, still seated where they had been before, struggled to hide their discomfort.

The only ones whose expressions remained completely serene were the Lord of Ipwang Fortress and Beomheo.

[Honored senior, may I inquire? What became of Jeong Yeon-shin after he left?]

The monk’s Wisdom of Light voice filled the space like an omnipresent force. Though he had exhausted his energy accompanying the Dragon Elder, Beomheo had preserved even the smallest fraction of his inner power—still a mystical grandmaster despite his weakened state.

The Lord of Ipwang Fortress stood still, not responding immediately.

Her tranquil gaze remained fixed on the inner quarters, where the Divine Physician had taken Jeong Yeon-shin.

Only after a brief pause did she part her lips.

“The child of the Ming Cult will not return.”

[For what reason...?]

“That child has a role to fulfill.”

The oldest supreme master spoke.

Her deep and profound breathing technique carried a cleansing energy that filled the space.

For a moment, Cheongsu narrowed his eyes and spoke.

“Surely... you didn’t let her go on purpose? Are you saying you willingly sent away the Calamity of Xinjiang, who unified the entire foreign martial world alone?”

The Lord of Ipwang Fortress did not acknowledge the Qingcheng Sect Leader with even a glance.

Instead, Beomheo gently signaled for him to restrain himself.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

[The current leader of the Ming Cult is a truly peculiar figure. She constantly suppresses her martial power with a restriction of some kind. From what this old monk has observed, if she were to fully unleash herself, there are likely no more than five people in the entire martial world who could stop her. She and Jeong Yeon-shin are both like heaven’s mistakes.]

“But isn’t she the Lord of Ipwang Fortress? Surely, she is among those five...”

Cheongsu trailed off mid-sentence.

It was because he had caught sight of the Lord of Ipwang Fortress, her gaze still lingering on the inner quarters.

To retrieve Jeong Yeon-shin from the Ming Cult leader, completely intact—not a single person in this gathering could guarantee success in such a task.

[However, I suspect there is another reason. From what I see, you didn’t even clash with her, did you?]

Beomheo spoke with a faint smile.

At that moment, from a small house nearby, Yulha slowly opened her lips.

Her gaze held a sharpness like the edges of a plum blossom petal.

“There was someone Yeonhwa Nata desperately searched for—a companion she cherished. The Lone Sword Swallow, Baek Mi-ryeo. What became of her?”

“...That is not a story for you to hear.”

The Lord of Ipwang Fortress responded slowly.

Cheongsu let out a frustrated sigh, his breath kicking up a cloud-like swirl of dust in the air.

“Is this truly a meeting? What exactly are we supposed to discuss...?!”

[There are countless other matters to discuss.]

Beomheo intercepted his words gently and turned back to the Lord of Ipwang Fortress.

[The affairs of Ipwang Fortress are surely in capable hands. However, since we have met here, we must discuss the state of the martial world. We lack the leisure enjoyed by factions like the Zhongnan Sect, but should we send disciples to handle the demonic heretics stirring across the land? Ipwang Fortress is already short on manpower, is it not?]

“...Even now, the Myriad River Stronghold extends beyond this region of Zhejiang to the Yangtze River.”

Cheongsu spoke reluctantly.

The Myriad River Stronghold—

A force that combined traditional martial formation strategies with naval tactics known only to military admirals.

A newly risen faction among the Thirteen Heavens.

Unlike the Eighteen River Fortresses of the Past, these bandits wielded weapons and resources that could only be supplied by a powerful warlord.

“There are even rumors they are openly firing cannons. The empire is truly crumbling. If that old Patriarch of the Wandering Swords were still around, he would have crushed them long ago...”

It was Joo Gwang-shin, the Drunken Beggar King of Yongdu who spoke.

He lazily swung his body while seated on a tree branch, still looking down at the Lord of Ipwang Fortress.

“What of Ma Yeon-jeok? That old man... He took the backlash of Harmonized Fire Technique head-on, yet his nature is too stubborn to simply die. If you do not properly manage the flow of information, he’ll inevitably reappear in the Nine Provinces Martial World. Perhaps he’s already lying crippled in some desolate mountain, which would be quite concerning.”

It was meant as a jest to lighten the mood.

His deeply wrinkled lips curled into a slight grin, and though he spoke humorously, his relaxed posture atop the branch exuded the composure of a supreme master.

But the Lord of Ipwang Fortress did not respond this time either.

Silence briefly filled the space between the grandmasters.

Beomheo eventually spoke again.

[My monastery’s Brown Squirrel reports that Sim Mu-ryeon has ceased deploying military forces to the north. If this is true, how does Ipwang Fortress plan to respond? It will become much harder to defend against the northern warriors pushing south.]

But his words did not catch the Lord of Ipwang Fortress’s attention.

Her gaze remained turned toward the inner quarters.

Then, at last, Yulha spoke again.

“What will become of Yeonhwa Nata...?”

The Lord of Ipwang Fortress spoke, her voice as luminous as her presence.

“You must show due reverence... when speaking of Seomye.”

A soft winter breeze brushed through the air.

After a breath’s pause, she spoke again.

“...If he consents, Mount Hua would gladly...”

The Lord of Ipwang Fortress looked toward the inner quarters.

The door trembled faintly.

A muffled sigh escaped from within—the ripple of a supreme martial master’s awakening.

“Shall go to the Thousand-Year Tree.”

She finished her words.