WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈

Episode 114: Radiant Wheel Technique (2)

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They were not looking at him as though he were human. Both Tang siblings were the same.

Jeong Yeon-shin paid them no mind. He let out a long breath and calmed his heart.

‘Abide nowhere, and let the mind arise.’

He silently recited a passage from the Diamond Sutra he still carried.

It meant one must cast aside attachment. The closer death drew, the more strangely those words resonated with him.

The boy raised his head. The man of the dwarven race was staring at him with a stunned expression.

“That yin qi, it belongs to the Martial God of Desolate Fortress...! Are you perhaps of imperial blood?”

They called the Lord of Desolate Fortress the Martial God. The man seemed to have recognized the yin qi of the Moon Spirit Harmonization Formula at once.

Then the man must have known that the Lord of Desolate Fortress's disciples had been imperial relatives for generations. He was someone of considerable knowledge.

“How can one person possess so many different energies...?”

Tang Ryeo-ryeo trailed off.

That one remark proved how keen her senses were. She seemed to have felt every aura within Jeong Yeon-shin.

The distinctive green light of poison arts flickered in her eyes, then vanished.

Tang Yeo-hwa was the same. His lips trembled slightly.

“Each one was profound. That isn't inner energy built through ordinary cultivation. Some of it didn't even feel like qi...”

There was also the power of an orthodox Buddhist school, difficult to call inner energy.

The Poison Dragon and Poison Phoenix had accurately sensed the dharma power of the Demon-Slaying Azure River Hand.

Reverence filled Tang Yeo-hwa's eyes. The boy called the Poison Dragon possessed extraordinary senses, senses he prided himself on as once in an age, and thus recognized Jeong Yeon-shin's true worth.

That was why he could distinguish every different aura Seom-ye had released.

‘How is that possible?’

He handled several types of qi, yet there was no sign that the fine meridians throughout his body had been damaged.

There were only two possibilities.

‘He was either born with an exceptional ability to control inner energy, or he tempered his body through a peerless youth technique.’

Anyone possessing both would become a terrifying monster capable of challenging the sect leaders of the Nine Great Sects within a few years.

That was why Tang Yeo-hwa thought it was probably the former.

Simply controlling such tremendous energies separately was already beyond human limits.

It would be harder than controlling four hands grown from the same body at once.

‘There was a brief sign of qi deviation just now, but...’

The overall impression Seom-ye, Jeong Yeon-shin, gave off was one of stability.

The martial power he had built so solidly pressed down on Tang Yeo-hwa with quiet weight.

Since the moment they faced each other, Tang Yeo-hwa had not sensed the slightest opening.

It meant Jeong Yeon-shin had complete control over those disorderly energies.

‘He is different from us too.’

Tang Yeo-hwa and Tang Ryeo-ryeo had also mastered the Counter-Origin Three Yang Art, which held three kinds of poison qi within the body.

Yet Tang Yeo-hwa's energies all belonged to the yang aspect, while Tang Ryeo-ryeo stored yin energies in her body.

They had cultivated qi of the same kind. They were not like Jeong Yeon-shin.

“I really, really want to invite you as a guest, but...”

Tang Yeo-hwa suddenly lowered his head. Tang Ryeo-ryeo stepped closer to her childlike older brother.

By then, her eyes intermittently took on a green tint as she watched Jeong Yeon-shin.

“I was going to invite you to the main house if things went well, but that may be difficult for Young Hero Jeong.”

“To the Tang Sect? Why not?”

Languid Flame Dragon abruptly asked. He had been watching Jeong Yeon-shin with interest as well.

Following his younger sister, Tang Yeo-hwa spoke with a gloomy expression.

“There are many old monsters at the main house, starting with Grandfather. If we're not careful, they might try to use Young Hero Jeong as cultivation material. They go mad over spiritual beasts, and Young Hero Jeong is no less remarkable than most strange creatures...”

“As expected, the great families are not orthodox sects.”

Languid Flame Dragon spoke with a faint smile.

“How can they walk the righteous path when they pursue worldly success in this muddled world? The righteous path is a term only the Nine Sects can use.”

He was the Young Family Head of the destroyed Huangbo Family.

Though he spoke self-mockingly, he did not seem pitiful. Perhaps it was because of his usual languid temperament.

“...”

The Tang siblings said nothing. Namgung Hwa-shin remained silent as well.

Jeong Yeon-shin glanced at the younger generation of the Eight Great Families, then looked down at the dwarven man and spoke.

“I am not of imperial blood, but I studied martial arts under the Lord of Desolate Fortress.”

He changed his tone. The hostility vanished from the man's face.

If this man held the Lord of Desolate Fortress in such esteem, Jeong Yeon-shin needed to consider his age as the Lord's disciple.

“Please forgive my discourtesy.”

The dwarven man stepped back and immediately bowed deeply.

He clasped his hands before his face and bent at the waist. His manner was exceedingly respectful.

“This humble one is Jang Jong-myeong of the Jang Clan in Luzhou, Sichuan. While honing my forging craft in my homeland, I accepted an offer from my clansmen and made this City of Master Craftsmen my home. It has been nearly thirty years.”

“The City of Master Craftsmen was here?!”

Tang Yeo-hwa shouted. The cave rumbled with echoes, but nobody reproached him.

Everyone's expressions changed, from Red Noon Sword, who had arrived later, to Namgung Hwa-shin, Languid Flame Dragon, and even Tang Ryeo-ryeo.

“My knowledge is limited. What is the City of Master Craftsmen?”

Jeong Yeon-shin asked calmly. Demon Wings were here.

If he wished to assist his seniors without fail, it would be best to understand the nature and history of this place.

That way, he could respond to any situation.

Red Noon Sword answered at once.

“As its name suggests, it is a home for master craftsmen and artisans.”

“I heard it was a city where members of the dwarven race not subject to the Ming imperial court gathered. I had only heard of it through word of mouth. To think it was so close to the main house...”

The girl's hollow voice echoed through the area. It was Tang Ryeo-ryeo.

Jeong Yeon-shin had already raised his head.

His attention was drawn beyond the short man who had introduced himself as Jang Jong-myeong.

For the first time since entering the cave, a wall blocked their path. An ancient circular stone door stood in it, carved with old patterns.

“We cannot open it. We can only wait for someone to come out from inside.”

Jang Jong-myeong, who had been watching their reactions, gritted his teeth before speaking.

“It opens through an advanced mechanism formation, but the treasure plaque that serves as its key was taken by the vicious scoundrels of the Thirteen Heavens...!”

“How long have you been waiting?”

“About three days, I believe. That is the nature of my clansmen. Once they shut themselves in, they rarely come out.”

“Please tell me how Demon Wings became involved in this incident.”

Jeong Yeon-shin's request seemed to sound like an order to Jang Jong-myeong.

In a deferential manner, he began explaining in earnest.

“We invited the Tang Family Head, who had left the family, to our City of Master Craftsmen as a guardian. Then the Ten Perfect Sect and the Pure Demon Alliance caught wind of it and came in pursuit. At the time, Demon Wings were asking the Tang Family Head something.”

“...”

“Then Demon Wings came under a joint assault from the Thirteen Heavens and many Sichuan sects. The fighting continued from the cliff all the way here. I could only watch from afar, and the treasure plaque was taken.”

His voice was thick with resentment.

“Did all of them enter the City of Master Craftsmen?”

“Yes! They went in as naturally as if they belonged there! The battlefield has clearly spread into our home!”

Jang Jong-myeong's large fists trembled. His bitten lip and helpless movements showed his frustration.

‘The Thirteen Heavens were after the City of Master Craftsmen, while Demon Wings were trying to extract information about thunderclap bombs from the Tang Family Head.’

Jeong Yeon-shin considered it silently.

The Tang Family Head was said to be an exceptional master smith of mixed dwarven blood.

As the head of one of the Eight Great Families, they also possessed powerful martial arts.

Their bloodline, craftsmanship, and martial strength all made them someone the City of Master Craftsmen would covet, and that connection seemed to have caused this incident.

Then it happened.

Footsteps sounded.

Namgung Hwa-shin passed Jang Jong-myeong.

He stopped before the stone door and examined the hollow carved into its center.

“If it is a treasure plaque of the dwarven race, similar items are used in the main house's martial arts archive and armory. When inner energy is poured into them, they guide that qi along a predetermined pattern. If a treasure plaque with a specific circulation route activated is recognized by this hollow, the sophisticated mechanism formation will operate on its own and open the door.”

Namgung Hwa-shin spoke.

“That is right.”

Languid Flame Dragon, who was also from a great family, nodded.

“Can we not break it?”

Red Noon Sword abruptly asked. Namgung Hwa-shin took a step forward and shook his head.

“We should not act rashly. I have heard that smiths of the dwarven race commonly pass down their own forging arts through generations. Some are interested not only in creating divine swords, but also in perilous mechanism formations.”

“This place is well defended against intruders. The entrance could collapse. They would not have dug tunnels only here.”

Tang Ryeo-ryeo added. Jang Jong-myeong gave her a strange look, then nodded.

“It is very far away. We cannot delay any longer, yet we were trapped in an impossible situation, unable to do anything but pace here.”

“Wait.”

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke briefly and moved.

He silently approached the stone door and stood shoulder to shoulder with Namgung Hwa-shin.

“Squad Leader?”

He did not answer Namgung Hwa-shin's call. Jang Jong-myeong's words applied to him as well. There was no reason to delay any longer in a place like this.

Swish.

He placed his hand against the hollow. Qi from the Jeong Family Youth Technique surged to his fingertips.

Using the flow of inner energy, he swept through the inside of the wall and clearly traced the lingering remnants.

His innate energy sense captured the faint traces of inner energy with clarity.

He pictured the interior of the mechanism, designed to open through resonance with qi, as clearly as a mirror.

Hummm!

In an instant, he deciphered the formula. He had formed a qi diagram that would serve as the key.

Jeong Yeon-shin twisted a thread of power over his palm and pressed it against the stone surface.

Rumble!

Faint beams of light began to tickle his eyes. The door was splitting in a straight line.

The stone doors on both sides opened before them. It was a startling mystery.

To Jeong Yeon-shin, the mechanism formation of the dwarven race was astonishing. To those behind him, the miracle the boy had accomplished was even more so.

Jang Jong-myeong's face was filled with shock.

“What, what method was that just now...?!”

“He extracted the qi diagram of a mechanism formation made by the dwarven race? Really?”

Successor Beggar, who had been holding their breath behind them, muttered blankly. The Tang siblings' eyes widened.

Footsteps sounded.

The masters of the Returning Wings Squad left them behind and advanced.

With calm but swift movements, they lined up at Jeong Yeon-shin's sides. The soft footsteps unique to masters rang out with disciplined rhythm.

“Founding master, that place is surely in complete chaos now. You must prioritize the mission over those who accompany you. I speak of bringing Demon Wings back alive.”

Red Noon Sword said this while staring at the gradually opening door.

“There are the Ten Perfect Sect and the Pure Demon Alliance, of course, as well as factions between orthodox and unorthodox that flit about here and there like bats. Demon Wings may well have come under a joint assault by them all. It will be a brutal battlefield. ...I fear you may be swayed by compassion, founding master.”

It was a request to think of Demon Wings before the Returning Wings Squad.

It was advice for their young founding master. The concern in Red Noon Sword's voice was unmistakable.

“I beg the disciple of the Lord of Desolate Fortress!”

Jang Jong-myeong cried after finally regaining his senses.

“There are many common people in our city! Please, please protect them! We do not know what those turtle-like Thirteen Heavens bastards may be doing!”

Jeong Yeon-shin nodded, then paused.

They were clearly underground, yet the light streaming in along the descending path felt strangely unfamiliar.

Was it another mystery created by the dwarven race's wondrous cultivation methods?

It was not a matter to concern himself with now.

Beneath the path, which widened sharply, extremely sinister energies churned.

They seemed capable of crushing a person's soul through aura alone.

It was the inner energy of the Demonic Sect, demonic qi. Could it be the Pure Demon Alliance of the Thirteen Heavens, which he had only heard about?

It did not matter. Among them, he felt one extremely familiar aura.

‘Young Hero Hyeon.’

Bang!

With a harsh stamp of his foot, Jeong Yeon-shin's figure tore through the air.

He circulated the formula of the Leaf Movement Art with the force of a storm.

His legs raced down the slope, compressing distance as though stepping on clouds.

Whoosh!

As he drew closer, voices reached his ears. It was a conversation between pursuers and the pursued.

“A Demon Wings whelp can run quite well! Like a rat!”

“How long are you going to keep running? It seems Desolate Fortress is nothing but a ragtag faction!”

“Trash from minor sects, getting so cocky just because one demon soldier from the Pure Demon Alliance joined you...!”

The last voice clearly belonged to Hyeon Won-chang.

‘He is there.’

At the same time, his view opened wide.

Hyeon Won-chang, battered and covered in wounds, was fleeing from his enemies. The martial artist at their head possessed a truly powerful presence.

Transparent demonic qi clung to the man like armor as he charged forward. At a glance, he was a master far beyond what a Desolate Fortress White Uniform could handle.

Behind him, martial artists who did not seem to belong to any major faction ran after them with triumphant expressions.

“Huh?”

Hyeon Won-chang let out a surprised sound. His eyes met Jeong Yeon-shin's.

It was an instant.

Power surged into the boy's right foot. The stone floor caved in deeply.

Thud! Whoosh!

Before Hyeon Won-chang could blink, the hem of blue robes streamed past him.

Jeong Yeon-shin passed Hyeon Won-chang in an instant, then landed before the man emitting demonic qi.

Bang!

“What...?! Reinforcements?”

The man cried out in surprise. For a brief instant, Jeong Yeon-shin's eyes flashed sky-blue.

He truly was a master of the Pure Demon Alliance. Even his clothing matched what Jeong Yeon-shin had heard.

The middle-aged man wore a short black shoulder cape and stirred up roiling power toward Jeong Yeon-shin.

The palm technique he struck out with both hands was brutally direct.

‘Strong.’

He could tell from the expressions of the small fry behind him.

Jeong Yeon-shin had appeared suddenly, releasing aura, yet none of them looked worried.

Within that fleeting moment, he brought forth the formula of dharma power.

‘Demon-Slaying Azure River Hand.’

Sacred power gathered along the blade of his right hand. It was an intensely deep blue.

Jeong Yeon-shin brought his hand down toward the man, wrapped in azure light.

He paid no attention to the sinister palm force from the two hands thrust toward him.

Craaaash!

It was the perfect counter. His attack tore through it without resistance.

In one strike, it unraveled the Demonic Sect's demonic qi force wave and drove onward.

It happened in an instant. The man's shocked eyes reflected the deep-blue hand blade.

Crack!

The man's head was smashed apart.

Footnotes:

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