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◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈

Episode 110: Divine Technique (4)

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A young man and woman each held a flower-petal-shaped piece of iron.

With unusual black iron plates pinched between their fingers, they shifted through various stances. Every time their ready stances changed, the aura around their bodies surged.

“How about this?”

“No, a little lower. To the right.”

“You’re right. It’s tilted slightly. If we want the trajectory to drive downward, we need to account for the follow-up launch...”

Their delicate features closely resembled one another. Their builds were similar as well.

Though both were quite small, they looked nimble, and their light green silk martial garments suited them.

They looked utterly delighted as they discussed hidden-weapon martial arts.

A considerable distance in front of them, a gaunt old man watched with a satisfied smile. His body resembled the trunk of an ancient tree, yet he wore a resplendent golden robe.

He was Tang Tae-dok, the Supreme Family Head of the Sichuan Tang Clan, an old master also known as the Supreme Sect Master.

“Immortal talent. Truly immortal talent.”

The talent of his grandchildren, skipping a generation, had come to glorious fruition.

Tang Tae-dok thought that his son, who had severed ties with the family, could not compare to them.

The deal had been a success. As expected, the Blood Flame Sect Master had spared no support.

Beginning with the Blood Master’s body, he had secured the bodies of Blood Flame Sect members with regenerative abilities, and even the Elder Council Head of Desolate Fortress.

‘He joined forces with the Tyrant Sword Sect Master, but it was still truly astonishing.’

Tang Tae-dok had given his all as well. He had poured in the family’s spiritual medicine, medicinal ingredients, and even its poisons.

Leaving only the bare minimum needed to sustain the Tang Sect’s foundation, he had invested everything into the Acupoint Alteration Grand Method.

As a result, his grandchildren had been reborn with talents unseen in ages.

‘They can complete Myriad Flowers Rain. With those children’s senses, they can do it.’

The anatomical diagrams that had come from the Blood Flame Sect’s Seventh Apostle had played an enormous role.

The body tissue diagram of ‘Seom-ye of Desolate Fortress’ had brought the Acupoint Alteration Grand Method to fruition.

It was a bodily transformation technique that combined the sorcery, medicine, and poison arts of the Blood Flame Sect and the Tang Sect.

The siblings’ bodies had been exceptional to begin with. They had been born with rare, sturdy bones.

That was why they could fully accept the Grand Method.

After the procedure, the Tang siblings swiftly gained fame.

No matter how they altered their hidden-weapon throwing trajectories, every shot struck its mark. Their control of qi was even more remarkable.

They had not yet reached a transcendent realm like Three Flowers Gather at the Crown, yet their control over inner energy was astonishingly precise.

Even most established masters would have struggled to match it.

They could find no peer their age capable of matching their brilliant martial talent.

Rumors spread through Sichuan’s martial world that only the elite of the Nine Sects or the Thirteen Heavens could withstand a single move from the Poison Dragon and Poison Phoenix.

‘Without even knowing the children’s true value.’

Tang Tae-dok sneered inwardly. The Tang Sect’s hopes did not rest on the martial strength of the Twin Dragons and Phoenixes of Poison.

Their talent had already surpassed the finest in Sichuan and was worthy of discussion across the realm.

Still, that was only a given.

The attention of Tang Tae-dok and the Tang Sect’s leadership lay elsewhere.

Myriad Flowers Rain.

An unparalleled secret art that had symbolized the Sichuan Tang Clan for generations.

It was a dead divine technique, surviving only in books, because Tang Tae-dok’s predecessors had failed to gain entry.

The martial lineage of Myriad Flowers Rain had been cut off decades ago. No one had been able to learn it since.

If one could learn a divine technique simply by reading its manual, it would not be a divine technique. There would be no need for a master.

Yet whenever people of the Central Plains thought of the Tang Sect, they imagined an irresistible rain of flowers filling the sky.

That was the essence of the Tang Family’s martial arts, passed down by word of mouth for hundreds of years.

‘My entire ninety-year life lies there.’

Tang Tae-dok thought.

In his youth, he had begun restoring Myriad Flowers Rain out of a sense of duty. Before he knew it, it had become an object of delusion and obsession.

Was one’s mental aptitude too poor for the entry requirements of a divine technique? Could the qi circulation through the body’s fine meridians not keep up with the mnemonic formulas recorded in the manual?

Then change it all.

Open the Baihui acupoint wide and adjust the acupoints throughout the body. That was all it took.

Tang Tae-dok had poured his soul into that heaven-defying Grand Method, beginning when he was the Young Family Head.

After taking the Family Head’s seat, he led the research. Even after stepping down as Supreme Family Head, he never let go of the Grand Method.

Results had come recently. Yet his aged body could not accept the Grand Method.

So he bestowed unmatched talent upon children who had learned the Tang Family’s martial arts from a young age.

They were siblings who had strongly inherited the Tang bloodline.

He believed they could endure the Grand Method, and the results had turned out exactly as he had expected.

He would use the Twin Dragons and Phoenixes of Poison to fully recreate the divine technique.

That was why he had accepted the Blood Flame Sect Master’s proposal.

‘Those children may have only a few years left to live, but what does it matter if they manifest Myriad Flowers Rain before they die? I can solve the matter of succession by adopting someone from a branch family.’

Tang Tae-dok’s lips curled up as though they would split.

The siblings laughed and chatted without knowing when they would die, and that pleased him. The sight of them enjoying the restoration of Myriad Flowers Rain was truly beautiful.

They were worthy of being direct descendants of the Tang Sect.

Precious children. You will be the last nourishment that allows my life to bloom with meaning.

Tang Tae-dok’s gaze held two layers. Satisfaction covered the madness beneath it.

The Poison Dragon and Poison Phoenix, standing opposite each other, saw only a gentle smile.

The Poison Phoenix waved at her grandfather.

“Look at this! We’ve reached a single breath now!”

The Poison Phoenix turned back toward her twin brother.

She spread her pale fingers. Because she had cultivated the Tang Sect’s poison arts, there was not even a wrinkle on her hands.

In that instant, the petal-shaped iron plate between her fingers vanished. It happened in the brief moment she flicked her wrist.

Tang Tae-dok saw everything.

It was a technique performed by infusing the weapon with qi. The iron flower flew toward the Poison Dragon.

The launched iron plate split into eight pieces in an instant, each rushing in from a different direction.

The Poison Dragon grinned, and his left hand blurred.

His pale left hand drew a curve.

He stepped back slightly and swept up every iron fragment rushing at him in a single breath.

It was a truly instinctive trajectory.

“Top-grade, even among the best,” Tang Tae-dok said with a smile.

Exchanging flower darts.

It was a game passed down through the Tang Sect for generations.

At the same time, it was a training method for hidden-weapon releases and hand techniques, as well as a way to assess an individual’s talent.

That was why he had called it top-grade.

How did one handle a flower dart thrown by a Tang Sect master of equal level?

A person’s talent was judged by their response.

Reaction speed, control over inner energy, precision of trajectory, and the eye to read the point of impact.

The Poison Dragon had caught them all merely by taking one step back. His talent could be called the greatest in the Tang Sect’s history.

The Poison Phoenix was no different.

A smile bloomed across her face. It was an exceptionally charming smile.

“Looks like we’ve sharpened our senses enough?”

“Yeah. We rested enough. Grandfather, we’re going to train again! We need somewhere open, and I like that place we always go to. How should I put it? It feels like it gives me inspiration. Like I could make anything there.”

The confidence on the Poison Dragon’s pale face was identical to his sister’s.

It was the spirit of young masters who would soon shake the realm.

Their flashing martial talent filled them with endless exhilaration.

The foundation of their talent had changed. It was an entirely new world.

Tang Tae-dok nodded.

“Go ahead.”

They were sparks that would brightly illuminate the Tang Family before fading away. He could grant them anything they desired.

―Guard them thoroughly.

With his hands behind his back, Tang Tae-dok sent a single sound transmission to the masters protecting the Tang Sect’s direct descendants.

* * *

There was a saying: one hundred thousand beggars.

It was both a metaphor and a simile for the Beggars’ Sect’s numbers.

That number might not truly represent its available fighting force, but its influence was said to extend across the entire Central Plains.

‘The Beggars’ Sect’s Successor Beggar.’

Jeong Yeon-shin quietly watched the person sprawled at the Languid Flame Dragon’s feet.

They were destined to become the master of the Central Plains’ martial artists among beggars.

In other words, they were the next Sect Leader. Their presence in the martial world was immense.

“Even if you combined the Thirteen Heavens and the Nine Sects, their numbers would not match the Beggars’ Sect.”

“Mm, calling them a major faction throughout the realm in both manpower and information is accurate. They must certainly know a great deal...”

The White Uniform warriors of the Seom-ye Martial Lineage spoke. Their expressions remained calm.

“Hey! Hey! Who do you imperial dogs think you’re...!”

“Get off him! I said get off! Want to get beaten with a rice bowl?”

The Successor Beggar’s furious subordinates approached, but the white-clad figures blocked their way.

They lined up in a row and prevented the beggars from making any move.

Their hands rested on sword hilts or fingered their gauntlets, threatening enough to make the Beggars’ Sect disciples flinch.

The White Uniform warriors spoke.

“Weren’t you the ones who provoked us first by calling us the Imperial Household’s precious swords?”

“Relax. We won’t kill you. Well... as long as you have nothing to do with this matter.”

The full-fledged warriors of the Returning Wings Squad generally had broader experience than Jeong Yeon-shin, yet they showed no agitation even though the Languid Flame Dragon had attacked the heir of a major faction.

They understood both the urgency and gravity of the matter. Demon Wings were the martial force of their founding master and their comrades at Desolate Fortress.

“A major faction, my ass. Even if there are a lot of you rabble, you’re nothing more than a swarm of ants,” the Languid Flame Dragon said, chewing an opium poppy.

He was sitting on the Successor Beggar’s back.

“I’ve heard plenty about this generation’s Successor Beggar. Even though the Huangbo Family was tucked away in some corner of Jinan, we still picked up news about major factions. Whenever you went begging, every faction laid out a feast for you, didn’t they? And you enjoyed it quite a bit. I was looking forward to seeing when you’d come to the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, but you never showed.”

“I heard the Languid Flame Dragon had a rotten temper. Looks like I was right not to go.”

The Successor Beggar, still sprawled on the ground, had a sharp tongue as well.

Crude words came naturally to them, yet they did not lose their composure despite being completely subdued.

“I apologize for provoking you. This beggar misjudged their opponent. I never expected to suffer such a disgrace. Still, how did the Languid Flame Dragon become a chess piece of Desolate Fortress?”

“As expected. The rumors have spread this far? Then you know why we’re here too?”

He casually brushed aside the pointless remark.

The Languid Flame Dragon spoke as though he were careless, but he never strayed from the point. A bitter smile appeared on the Successor Beggar’s lips.

“The annihilation of Demon Wings is also a serious matter for us. If two or three Divine Sword Squad combat units were to gather, it would cause a disaster. Just as the Huangbo Family was wiped out. Of course, Desolate Fortress is a faction with influence everywhere, so its scattered forces cannot easily gather.”

“You seem to think mentioning the Huangbo Family will make me angry, but it doesn’t hurt at all. Keep talking.”

“...Our sect has also been investigating the Demon Wings incident. We heard that the Tang Sect’s twin geniuses, the Twin Dragons and Phoenixes of Poison, often appeared near here, so we intended to contact them.”

Their tone changed. It seemed to be the way they normally spoke.

“I see.”

The Languid Flame Dragon rose and dusted himself off.

After glancing at Jeong Yeon-shin, he said, “Temporary Squad Leader, you can handle the rest. It doesn’t look like they’ll waste our time with another pointless display. People of the martial world need to be suppressed with strength the first time you meet them. Large sect bastards are even worse.”

“Watch your mouth,” the Successor Beggar grumbled, placing both hands on the ground.

They twisted their upper body this way and that as they rose, acting as though nothing had happened.

At the same time, they looked at Jeong Yeon-shin, and their eyes lit up.

“So you’re Seom-ye, young hero. The rising talent rumored to have received instruction in the Lord of Desolate Fortress’s martial arts and slain Clear Qilin Namgung Se-jin. It is not easy for a master from northern Huguang to spread his fame all the way to Sichuan’s martial world, but if all the rumors are true, it makes sense. I had already heard how you caught the Eight-Fiend Rakshasa Sword of the Tyrant Sword Sect off guard.”

The Successor Beggar had an easy manner. To Jeong Yeon-shin, they seemed somewhere between the Languid Flame Dragon and Hyeon Won-chang.

“The Beggars’ Sect’s information network is said to be the best under heaven. Tell me what you know, and I’ll reward you,” Jeong Yeon-shin said as he slowly started walking.

He passed the Successor Beggar and the beggars, heading to one side of the cliffside ground marked with countless traces.

‘Here.’

It matched the description he had heard in the report.

Daggers, iron plates, needles, and more.

Countless hidden weapons had rained down, carrying inner energy. He could tell just from the gouged marks.

He slowly parted his lips.

“Demon Wings suspected that the Tang Sect was making thunderclap bombs. They set out to investigate it properly. Are the hidden-weapon marks here traces of Myriad Flowers Rain?”

As Jeong Yeon-shin’s words ended, a whoosh rang out.

He felt the aura before he heard the sound. He sensed two hidden weapons flashing like rays of light.

When he turned, petal-like iron plates rushed into view.

They split into eight pieces each. Sixteen streaks of light pierced through the air straight at him.

His mind burned hot. His upper dantian ignited on its own.

There was no time to understand what sort of transformation it was. The ambush was terribly fast. He did not even have time to gather inner energy for the Body Movement Scripture.

Jeong Yeon-shin reacted on instinct.

Tap.

He lightly kicked the ground. His toe struck a pebble, and a strand of qi warped along it.

The pebble sprang up and likewise split into sixteen fragments, blocking the hidden weapons from every direction.

Rattle, rattle, rattle!

The trajectories of every iron petal twisted apart.

Amid the crumbling stone fragments, Jeong Yeon-shin slowly raised his head.

The assailants who had thrown the hidden weapons.

A young man and woman in green martial garments stared at him with stunned expressions.

Footnotes:

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