Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time - Chapter 15

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈

Chapter 15: Growth

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A harsh wind swept past his ears. The qi racing through his entire body contained the principles of the Ultimate Realm as it layered upon itself.

Yeon-shin reached for his sword hilt.

‘I’ll cut him down in one strike.’

A commotion had broken out in the village’s broad fields.

People shouted for him to stop, while a red-haired man burst into laughter, saying they had no right to speak that way. The man had not noticed Yeon-shin yet. They were still quite far apart.

Then it happened.

Whoosh!

The trailing cloth of a headscarf swept past Yeon-shin’s cheek and receded.

Cheong Myeong had overtaken him with astonishing lightness.

Cheong Myeong had reached the level of Grass-Skimming Flight, stepping as though brushing the tips of grass. Truly, Cheong Myeong was of the elven race.

Jeong Family Manor’s footwork was not enough to be useful within Desolate Fortress’s sphere of activity.

Recently, Yeon-shin had been trying to devise essential Body Movement Scripture techniques, such as lightness skills and footwork, but lacked inspiration.

‘Damn it.’

In the end, even Baek Mir-yeo passed him with light steps. Hyeon Won-chang even tapped Yeon-shin on the shoulder as they passed, saying they would go on ahead.

In lightness skills alone, Yeon-shin had yet to reach the level of a White Uniform of Desolate Fortress. Yeon-shin knew that as well.

“Mm.”

His eyes moved sharply.

Below the government office hill, beyond the cultivated fields and livestock pens, many houses stood in rows.

Further out, verdant hills stretched toward the mountain range beyond the village. The dense thickets there looked unusual.

At a glance, it seemed like a mountain well suited for hiding.

‘They said he comes to the village periodically to cause trouble.’

The Central Plains were vast. Even a single county held more people than one could readily count.

Yet if he appeared so regularly, he must be living nearby. There would not be many places where he could hide that red hair.

It was widely known that Blood Flame Sect members were forbidden by doctrine from wearing bamboo hats or straw hats.

Yeon-shin changed direction and glanced down.

The Blood Flame Sect member’s body was flung backward after blocking Cheong Myeong’s crisp sword strike.

That meant the man was not capable of handling a Blue Uniform of Desolate Fortress. What would happen if Baek Mir-yeo joined the fight?

“Just in case.”

Yeon-shin ran toward the hills.

As Yeon-shin passed the startled gazes of the frightened county residents and neared the path into the mountain, Yeon-shin soon realized the choice had been right.

“Out of the way!”

A man came running with disheveled red hair streaming behind him. His crimson martial uniform bore marks of battle.

It was astonishing that the man had managed to shake off Cheong Myeong and Baek Mir-yeo.

Keeping one hand on his sword hilt, Yeon-shin spread all his fingers once before wrapping them around the grip.

At the same time, Yeon-shin activated Demon's Light and aimed his sword line.

Ssssss-

By now, a considerable formless aura had begun to emanate from his body. Yeon-shin stepped forward with his right foot, lowered his upper body, and assumed an opening stance.

Once Yeon-shin had fully settled into position, even Blue Uniform Demon Wings masters could not easily fend off his swift sword, Demon's Light.

“A brat? No, what is that...!”

Surprise flashed across the Blood Flame Sect member’s face as the man charged forward with a fiendish expression. Then the man gritted his teeth and abruptly changed direction.

‘Huh?’

Where was that man going?

Yeon-shin stood dumbfounded.

Everything Yeon-shin had experienced until then, enemies charging straight at him or confronting him face-to-face, became meaningless in that moment.

The sight of the man making a wide circle and fleeing, as though showing Yeon-shin what the true martial world was like, came as a shock.

Yeon-shin discovered within himself the naivete of one newly entered into the martial world, something every martial artist experienced regardless of talent for martial arts.

Yeon-shin still lacked the footwork and lightness skill needed to catch the Blood Flame Sect member. In the end, Yeon-shin could only helplessly watch the man’s retreating back.

“This is a predicament.”

Cheong Myeong, who had approached at some point, gave a bitter smile.

“Yeon-shin, don’t blame yourself. This is our fault.”

“He had a lifesaving trump card. As befitting Blood Flame Sect small fry, it was a Body Movement Scripture suited for escape.”

Baek Mir-yeo, who had arrived behind them, sighed.

A lifesaving trump card was, as the name implied, a hidden martial art capable of saving one’s life.

In that man’s case, it seemed to be footwork. It was Yeon-shin’s natural counter.

“A Body Movement Scripture faster than the Grass-Skimming Flight of the elven race? It was said that he had not been in the Blood Flame Sect for long.”

Yeon-shin could not help asking.

Cheong Myeong’s bitter smile deepened.

“Those blood-soaked bastards are like that. They gain power through methods that blur the boundary between sorcery arts and martial arts. I hear some of them burn both their own blood and others’ blood to rapidly cultivate martial arts. They pay with their lifespan. That man must have been especially talented. His swordsmanship seemed unable to keep pace with his lightness skill.”

“It is strange enough that he has been acting alone for so long. The Blood Flame Sect is not made up of free-spirited people. There is something more.”

Baek Mir-yeo spoke with a thoughtful expression.

Baek Mir-yeo glanced at Yeon-shin, who had lowered his head slightly as he contained his frustration, then continued.

“You have all likely guessed it, but his base must be nearby. Given his strange obsession, he will not simply withdraw.”

“Should we relax and wait while enjoying the outside air for once?”

“...Fine. You do that. Damn elf.”

Cheong Myeong stood with fingers interlaced behind their head, while Baek Mir-yeo narrowed her eyes and shot Cheong Myeong a sidelong glare.

After they spoke for a while, Hyeon Won-chang came running toward them, panting.

“Hyeon Won-chang. Your overall martial attainment is decent. It is befitting a White Uniform. But your stamina cannot keep up. You may think your current level is sufficient, but in the martial world, you will rarely cross blades with an opponent while you are in perfect condition. You are lacking.”

Baek Mir-yeo spoke in an indifferent tone.

Hyeon Won-chang, visibly startled, gave a cupped-fist salute and apologized.

Yeon-shin’s eyes gleamed.

There was a reason Ma Jin had deliberately sent the four of them.

It was said to be a tradition of Desolate Fortress for Blue Uniform masters to examine the experience and attainments of White Uniform warriors.

Martial artists of a level exceedingly rare in the world personally accompanied them into the martial world to guide them.

It was a benefit that could hardly be called common throughout the Central Plains.

“And as for Jeong Yeon-shin...”

Yeon-shin flinched inwardly when Baek Mir-yeo’s gaze fell on him. Her eyes had softened.

“Your foundation has been laid astonishingly well. It is rare enough to make one wonder whether there is another case like it even among the Nine Sects and Eight Families. I understood completely when I saw you run without employing any technique. Judging by your body alone, there is likely no one in Demon Wings who could match you physically. Even less so a scrawny elf like Cheong Myeong.”

Baek Mir-yeo looked over Yeon-shin’s physique with an entirely impartial gaze and smiled with satisfaction.

“A martial artist must have a good body. It is a physique that cannot help but achieve greatness in any martial art.”

“That’s right. There is no need to be discouraged over lightness skills yet.”

Cheong Myeong smiled and patted Yeon-shin’s shoulder, unconcerned by being called scrawny.

It was awkward to ignore the envious expression on the Desolate Fortress Divine Hero’s face.

Feeling rewarded for devoting his childhood to the Jeong Family Youth Technique, Yeon-shin changed the subject.

“May we stay at the government office? I was rather harsh.”

“What if we aren’t allowed? We’re from Desolate Fortress. He is obligated to cooperate with us.”

“That’s right. The county magistrate is the one who’ll be uncomfortable, not us. National law requires it. Thanks to you, that official must have realized his position as well.”

Cheong Myeong agreed with Baek Mir-yeo. To them, it seemed like no great matter.

Yet how imposing had the county magistrate of Xinye County, Yeon-shin’s homeland, been?

His authority had rivaled that of Jeong Family Manor, a large landholding martial family.

Yeon-shin could not help reconsidering Desolate Fortress’s standing.

It was an unprecedented sect, one difficult to rival in both the martial world and officialdom.

‘I’ve joined a truly comfortable place. I just need to do my part.’

Yeon-shin needed to give deep thought to an opponent’s strength, but there was no need to worry over the might of his own group.

How many places like this could there be in the vast world?

“More importantly, would you like to learn how to walk?”

“How to walk? You mean a Body Movement Scripture?”

Cheong Myeong looked troubled at Yeon-shin’s question. Cheong Myeong scratched at their headscarf.

“I can’t pass down my sect’s martial arts... But I can teach you how the elven race moves. Usually, people can’t do it even if they know how, but I think you might be able to.”

“An elven movement art!”

It was Hyeon Won-chang who made a fuss.

Hyeon Won-chang’s expression was earnest, as though begging to be taught as well. This time, Yeon-shin fully understood the reaction.

Having met many members of the elven race recently, Yeon-shin had grown accustomed to their exotic features and long ears. Yet there were still many places in the Central Plains where people regarded the elven race as though they were immortals of heaven.

Their domain was that remote and limited.

Their ageless beauty, ethereal movements, and their clan’s reputation as friends of nature were often treated as myth among common folk.

Hyeon Won-chang exclaimed, spittle flying.

“To witness the movement method of the elven race is nothing short of an extraordinary stroke of fortune! Please grant this humble one a portion of that opportunity as well!”

“Yes, yes. How could I discriminate against a fellow member of Demon Wings? It’s just that most can’t make use of it even if I teach them...”

The troubled look on Cheong Myeong’s face deepened. Baek Mir-yeo, standing beside Cheong Myeong, shook her head.

“You only need to show them first. Why worry about their disappointment already?”

“Well, didn’t someone suspect me for over a year, insisting I had clearly left out the essential formula? In the end, they could not learn it.”

“I do not know whom you mean. Are there not many such people? No one in Demon Wings has even managed to begin learning it.”

Baek Mir-yeo turned away with feigned composure and walked off, saying she would investigate the village.

Cheong Myeong watched Baek Mir-yeo’s departing back with a grin. Hyeon Won-chang, wearing an overwhelmed expression, murmured weakly.

“No one in Demon Wings has even begun learning it? Is it truly a movement method exclusive to the elven race...?”

“It isn’t a structured art. It’s just a way of walking and running.”

Dust stirred beneath Cheong Myeong’s feet.

There was no flow of qi, yet a single gust of wind made the hems of Cheong Myeong’s trousers flutter.

“Watch.”

At the same time, Cheong Myeong lightly kicked off the ground and rose without making even the slightest sound.

With ethereal movements, Cheong Myeong stepped against the side of a tree several times before standing atop one of its highest branches.

It could not be called human movement.

The Desolate Fortress Divine Hero, Hyeon Won-chang, had approached as if bewitched. Hyeon Won-chang craned their neck upward and gaped.

‘It wasn’t qi, yet something like qi supported Cheong Myeong’s body.’

Yeon-shin gazed quietly up at Cheong Myeong and reviewed the movements.

Cheong Myeong closed their eyes for a while where they stood, inhaling the forest air before finally descending like a feather.

Cheong Myeong landed as though a blade of grass had fallen, once again making no sound.

It was a Body Movement Scripture so astonishing that it was frightening. To move without leaving any presence was like possessing a truly lethal move.

Yeon-shin fell into thought.

“Could it be... you understand?”

Cheong Myeong approached with a doubtful expression, then flinched as Cheong Myeong realized they might have interrupted Yeon-shin’s meditation.

“I didn’t disturb your meditation, did I?”

“No. I was considering how to create wind with qi. I do not possess the same power as the elven race...”

“What...!”

Cheong Myeong’s eyes widened at Yeon-shin’s casually spoken words.

“You grasped the energy of nature and gained insight from seeing it once? How is that possible...!”

“Did you not show me so that I would? A few thoughts came to mind. If I divide the movements like forms and release qi in separate segments... Ah.”

The focus in Yeon-shin’s eyes, which had gradually been sinking into a trance, returned.

Yeon-shin smiled at Cheong Myeong.

“Thank you for giving me such excellent inspiration. I sometimes feel guilty that I only receive things from Desolate Fortress, but I believe I can at least make a great contribution to this mission.”

“...”

Cheong Myeong stared blankly at Yeon-shin, who even gave a cupped-fist salute.

Hyeon Won-chang approached with a similar expression.

“Shall we unpack at our lodging? For young hero Jeong’s sake as well.”

“...Yeah. Let’s do that.”

The three began walking after Baek Mir-yeo, who had already gone far ahead.

Yeon-shin trailed slightly behind, while Cheong Myeong and Hyeon Won-chang kept glancing back at him.

As though the chaos caused by the Blood Flame Sect member had happened long ago, the chill evening breeze of early spring was already brushing their shoulders.

By the time they leisurely reached the government office in Jinpyeong County, the sun had sunk low and spread warm bedding of sunset colors across the sky.

The four members of Demon Wings settled into the government office.

Having unsealed the county magistrate’s acupoints, Yeon-shin was immersed in the beginnings of the movement method. In many ways, Yeon-shin did not seem like one who had only just entered the martial world.

Yeon-shin brushed aside fearful gazes without concern and continued contemplating martial arts even after going to bed.

‘If I consider my route beforehand and release qi like short bursts through each phase of movement...’

Yeon-shin slowly closed his eyes.

* * *

Cheong Myeong, who had been sleeping sprawled in a hammock strung between trees with hemp cloth, blinked their eyes open.

Cheong Myeong basked in the sunlight that nourished and awakened the trees and grasses. Smiling pleasantly, Cheong Myeong suddenly looked down.

A boy stood silently in the clearing with his eyes closed.

With the Desolate Sword hanging at his waist, a quiet air enveloped his entire body.

Was it the bold confidence of not caring who watched his current training?

Cheong Myeong smiled with admiration.

At the heart of the sunlight streaming through the leaves, Yeon-shin’s body shifted briefly with the morning light.

Then a light step raised a gust of dust. As Yeon-shin’s body whirled and pushed off the ground, his movements resembled fluttering leaves.