Annihilation of a Clan
The boy repeatedly stood up and sat down, carrying a massive wooden log on his back.
His back displayed sharply defined muscles. Occasionally, he would hold a horse stance while seated.
He was Jung Yeonshin , the third son of the Jung family in Henam, who had turned fifteen this year.
"Young master, it's time for dinner!"
A servant called out from the entrance of the training ground. The boy with thick eyebrows didn't respond.
'I should finish this first.'
Only after completing ten more repetitions did he finally put down the wooden pillar and pick up his discarded shirt.
His frame was not large, yet the muscles covering his entire body looked as hard as diamonds, even without exerting force.
An extraordinary physique, his body seemed different not only from others of his age but also from commoners, appearing almost like a different species. Even he thought so.
'Jung Family Physical Conditioning Method... It's fully established.'
His martial arts differed from the typical meditative techniques where practitioners sat cross-legged, breathing in and out the energy of nature.
He abandoned his family's internal cultivation technique, which required sitting and breathing meaninglessly.
He deconstructed the formulas and reinterpreted them into dynamic cultivation that built energy while in motion.
Since childhood, he had found it easy to manipulate internal energy, and the durability and elasticity of the meridians through which his energy flowed were fundamentally different from ordinary people.
At one time, he believed there was camaraderie among his half-siblings and even encouraged them to try the techniques.
The responses he received were perfectly rational:
-You created martial arts?
-What if I suffer Qi deviation while practicing? Will you take responsibility if I die?
-Do you think you're qualified to be a grandmaster?
The genuine ridicule and sarcasm made him give up. The day he was hurt not only by his indifferent father but also by his siblings was especially bitter because they were right.
'A grandmaster, huh.'
In the martial world, a 'grandmaster' had a unique meaning, it referred to someone who created martial arts profound enough to found a sect.
Legends like Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang and Bodhidharma, Batuo, and Huike of Shaolin were considered grandmasters both in religion and martial arts.
Even founders of orthodox martial arts in the Nine Great Sects were all regarded as grandmasters.
Such talk was extravagant.
Jung Yeonshin had never even dreamed of being a grandmaster, nor did he find deep meaning in creating martial arts.
He simply wanted to train together and become healthier.
He continued to focus solely on his Jung Family Physical Conditioning. Perhaps he wanted to prove something.
Its effectiveness was clear. The parts stimulated by sword practice and physical training grew stronger.
His internal energy boosted and compressed his muscles, resulting in his current body.
'It's perfected. Now.'
He was sure.
The martial art he casually named Jung Family Physical Conditioning Method had reached its limit.
Through training, he realized his body could grow no stronger.
Unless the monks of Shaolin were heaven-sent beings, he might already be one of the rarest physiques in Henam Province.
Assuming he wasn't just a frog in the well gazing at the sky.
"Young master!"
"I'm coming."
Jung Yeonshin answered curtly to the servant, who appeared flustered. He already knew the reason.
The family head was strict and patriarchal, while his mother, the third wife, had died during childbirth.
Superstitions were rampant in this era, especially in such rural areas.
Being the child who caused his mother's death through childbirth, no one in the family looked kindly upon him, not even the family head.
'As long as I get my meals, it's fine.'
Jung Yeonshin thought little of it as he walked.
With no affectionate bonds among his kin, he naturally immersed himself in martial arts.
He harbored no grand ambitions of making a name in the martial world or achieving fame and fortune. Studying martial arts simply brought him joy.
While passing by the guest quarters, he overheard the guest's children reciting texts.
"Recite Chapter 1, Verse 4 of the Great Ming Chronicles."
"The people with long ears and short statures returned from Heaven's Gate, exterminated the wicked Yuan, and established the Ming Dynasty with Emperor Taizu."
"Chapter 1, Verse 8."
"The great demon chased after the people, but they shut the gate in time and annihilated it."
The words were familiar to Jung Yeonshin . He smirked and passed by.
"You're late, fool."
Upon arriving at the dining hall, his eldest half-brother greeted him with sarcasm.
The sight of his narrow eyes glaring at him made Jung Yeonshin's chest tighten.
"It's been a while, brother."
"Sit down quickly if you're late."
Jung Namsan, the eldest son of the Jung family, scoffed.
Nodding briefly, Jung Yeonshin sat at the far end of the long table and glanced around.
At the head of the table sat the family head, flanked by the first and second wives. Below them were Jung Namsan and his wife and daughter, down to Jung Yeonshin's fifth sister.
Despite having younger siblings present, he was seated at the lowest rank. This was because the family head's indifference and the pressure from the first and second wives had long since demoted him to a mere nominal descendant.
'It's been convenient, though.'
Not having any family duties or responsibilities allowed him to focus entirely on training.
'They must be overjoyed.'
The family head was smiling proudly at the second son, who had a strong jawline.
This banquet was to celebrate the second son's imminent departure to train under Zhongnan Sect.
A sect in Shanxi Province, comparable in size to a small kingdom.
Currently one of the Nine Great Sects, it rivaled Mount Hua Sect as Shaanxi's top martial sect.
Becoming an official disciple of the Nine Great Sects was a tremendous honor.
Even as the continent rotted from famine, this feast remained extravagant.
When the family head raised his cup, the household followed suit.
"Since the founding of our family by my father, who was a disciple of Zhongnan Sect's Sword Saints, I have devoted my life to the family's prosperity. If I had wished to gain fame, I could have continued their legacy! But how could I abandon my family duties? I am proud that my son will now follow in my father's footsteps to Zhongnan Mountain."
"It's a good day."
"Congratulations, brother."
The family head claimed he could have joined Zhongnan Sect had he desired.
The household showered praise on him and the second son.
For a satisfying life in the martial world, being the head of a snake was better than the tail of a dragon.
The Jung family was the de facto authority in the county and a major landowner.
Within Xin'ya County, it rivaled the local magistrate's power.
'He'll probably end up cleaning memorial tablets in Zhongnan's temple halls.'
Jung Yeonshin ate to his heart's content.
"Wouldn't Zhongnan currently be half a step above Mount Hua?"
"They've produced remarkable new masters."
"Yes, considering the recent Shanxi martial tournament. The sect's senior disciple, the Cloud Dragon Sword, defeated the leader of the Demonic sects."
The second son already acted as if he were Zhongnan's disciple, referring to their elite students as seniors.
Jung Yeonshin chuckled quietly and reached for a pancake, then froze.
The family head's disapproving gaze was fixed on him.
'Should I have joined their flattery?'
The family head slowly spoke.
"I hear you spend all day training. How is your mastery of the Jung Clan Divine Sword?"
"The techniques are difficult, and I have yet to achieve proficiency. I am ashamed."
Jung Yeonshin humbly straightened his posture and replied.
The Jung Clan Divine Sword was their signature martial art, though it was merely a watered-down version of Zhongnan's Thirty-Six Heavenly Sword techniques.
The way secular disciples of sects like Zhongnan and Huashan established families was typically the same.
According to sect rules, such acts constituted the grave sin of betraying one's sect and destroying its lineage.
However, reality was different. As long as they made regular donations to the main sect, these actions were often overlooked.
The main sect received wealth and supplies, while the secular sects were protected under its name.
It was mutually beneficial.
'I focused more on physical conditioning because of the Jung Clan Divine Sword.'
There were simply too many things that needed fixing.
Even at a glance, he could see numerous awkward sword techniques, so what else could he do?
If he formally joined, he would undoubtedly struggle to endure without revising the techniques.
Childhood wounds sometimes shape one's behavior patterns. This was the case for Jung Yeonshin .
The ridicule from his siblings irrationally pushed him to focus solely on Jung Family Physical Conditioning Method.
The family head clicked his tongue.
"The eldest and second sons are already close to mastery. I will no longer question you out of respect for your efforts, but you should reflect on whether you are truly striving in the training hall."
"I will take your advice to heart."
Jung Yeonshin clasped his hands together in a martial salute and waited until the family head looked away. He didn't care how his siblings saw him.
'Caring will only hurt me.'
He turned his attention back to the feast.
While biting into the crispy fried chicken, Nanjuan Chicken, he half-listened to the conversations around him.
"With the recent demonic sect activities in Guanzhong, the situation doesn't seem good. Chief steward."
"Yes, my lord."
"Are the information networks being established properly? I don't expect us to match Beggars' Sect or Hao Clan, but we should at least match the covert networks of the major sects."
"We should be able to manage that within Xin'ya."
"Good, very good."
Then it happened.
"The masters of Zhongnan Sect have arrived!"
It was the voice of Jang, the gatekeeper. The dining hall instantly turned chaotic.
Though they had been notified of the visit to escort the second son, they hadn't expected them this soon.
"Hurry, hurry and bring them in! No, I'll go myself!"
The family head, who had been sitting with dignity, jumped up in a fluster to prepare for the honored guests.
Everyone else in the hall followed suit.
'Interesting.'
Jung Yeonshin typically avoided such fuss and would have quietly disappeared into the training hall.
But this was one of the Nine Great Sects, the Zhongnan Sect. The situation was different.
When else would he have the chance to see the famous martial artists of a sect renowned throughout the world?
"Who could have come?"
"It can't be Cloud Dragon Sword, can it? Or maybe one of the elders?"
For once, his siblings looked like children, brimming with anticipation.
Blending into the crowd, Jung Yeonshin headed to the main gate without standing out.
The family head, who had rushed ahead using light footwork, was bowing deeply with a martial salute before three visitors.
"I am Jung Daemyung, head of this humble household. I am overwhelmed that you have honored us with your presence."
The three visitors returned the salute, but the woman leading them stood out in appearance.
Her golden hair, as if melted from pure gold, and leaf-like long ears were far from ordinary.
Her features were so beautiful and ethereal that she seemed like a descending celestial being, yet also alien.
"A noble…"
The eldest, Jung Namsan, muttered under his breath, staring inappropriately. Jung Yeonshin inwardly clicked his tongue.
'So nobles do look like what I've read. Interesting.'
Xin'ya County was a famous trade and transportation hub, but after a strange battle between mysterious beings in the late Yuan Dynasty altered the terrain, it had become just a small village.
It was rare for villagers to encounter nobles.
The 'Brethren of the Central Plains', said to have descended from Heaven to establish the Ming Dynasty alongside Emperor Taizu, were usually only seen in Beijing, military offices, the Nine Great Sects, or prestigious families.
'I heard a noble physician visited when I was born.'
He didn't know the details.
He couldn't ask the family head, and the servants who might have known avoided him.
"I am humbled by your hospitality. I am Elder Yeo Ilshin of Zhongnan Sect."
The noblewoman smiled. Her beauty was so dazzling that it felt refreshing just to look at her, but no one present, especially those with some knowledge, could bring themselves to smile.
'A noble elder of Zhongnan Sect?'
That would make her a founding contributor to the Ming Dynasty. Nobles were said to be ageless.
She must have played a major role in driving out the Yuan Dynasty alongside Zhongnan Sect's patriarch.
"A d-divine being, and I failed to recognize you!"
Not just the family head, all the household members, as well as guests who had come out to watch, bowed deeply with clasped hands. Some even fell to their knees.
'Isn't that excessive?'
Jung Yeonshin offered a martial salute and bowed slightly. When he subtly raised his head, his eyes met Yeo Ilshin's, who was gazing at him curiously.