WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈
Episode 162: Leader of Demon Wings (5)
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‘That is worth learning. He really is a monster.’
Languid Flame Dragon thought.
The young Squad Leader had fought three sparring matches over the past three days. Including this moment, it was his fourth.
The uninvited visitors did not behave very differently. They knocked without warning, and what they said was similar.
They admired the Leader of Demon Wings’ reputation and wished to cross swords with him.
Was it born of competitive spirit and hostility? Or had someone instigated them?
It was difficult to distinguish each case. A person’s inner thoughts were harder to guess than any variation in a martial form.
‘It does not matter. The finest delicacies in the world are right before my eyes.’
He watched the young Squad Leader.
Jeong Yeon-shin was crossing swords with six experts from the Cheongil Sect.
Pure-white sword paths drifted through the air like flowers of light blooming in full splendor.
They flourished as they devoured the orthodox martial arts of the White Path.
‘That is exceptional in its own way as well.’
The martial art Languid Flame Dragon had seen Jeong Yeon-shin rely on most was not the sword.
Sihwa Boundless Hand.
The Hand Arts he unleashed with both hands after casually tossing aside his sword were the real thing. They served as decisive blows at any moment.
The ultimate technique called Radiant River was its crowning glory. The fierce power he had displayed while killing the Sword Scorpion Demon in Sichuan’s City of Master Craftsmen had been astonishing.
It was an exceptionally powerful palm art, rarely seen even within the Huangbo Family.
‘But now, he wishes to supplement his swordsmanship?’
His young Squad Leader was shrewd.
There was a reason he willingly accepted challenges from orthodox martial artists. He had accepted them not out of courtesy, but necessity.
A sect whose name was on the Martial Alliance Assembly’s joint petition? That proved it possessed a fairly exceptional and original move.
Every martial lineage was like that. Whenever the young Squad Leader witnessed an ingenious method, his sword paths changed by the slightest degree.
Languid Flame Dragon could distinguish those differences because he had watched from nearby all this time.
He absorbed it, dismantled it, and gradually incorporated it into his own sword.
The process took place in an instant. The sword path, altered within the briefest moment, immediately returned to normal.
He concealed the fact that he was honing a formidable weapon.
‘So that no one would notice the Leader of Demon Wings’ swordsmanship beginning to advance.’
The Law Enforcement Squad Leader at the main fortress would probably be greatly flustered. Languid Flame Dragon considered the young Squad Leader’s talent superior to his own.
A genius of that caliber had entered conditions rare in an age and begun transforming his sword forms. He could not predict the result.
If a great martial insight came as a finishing touch, would his swordsmanship not transform into something entirely different?
He hoped it would happen before the young man began sparring with the Sword Star, the Martial Alliance Leader.
He could not boast of his Hand Arts before a peerless master who had risen to the stars through the sword.
The young Leader of Demon Wings’ Protective Qi Technique could not yet withstand even one sword form from such a master.
What use would it be to gain an ultimate technique after suffering complete humiliation? To preserve his dignity as the Leader of Demon Wings, he had to excel in weapon arts.
“Seeing that, it feels as though things might somehow work out...”
Languid Flame Dragon muttered as he sat astride an ornamental rock.
Clang!
The garden lawn overturned as though struck by a massive cannon. The power of the sword-strike force wave had gone beyond all bounds.
The sun distorted within the hazy radiance of the Radiant Sword Flow as it curled toward the sky.
The Cheongil Sect’s five disciples collapsed, and Jeong Yeon-shin unleashed his final form against the Cheongil Sect Master, who had staggered back.
It was a method he had often used during his days in White Uniform.
It was a sword strike, but its principle did not come from swordsmanship. He had imbued his sword with the Force Projection of Hand Arts.
As he slightly twisted the ball of his foot, rotational power surged through every muscle in his body.
For now, he set aside the principle of layered force waves he had conceived after seeing the Cheongil Sect’s Overwhelming Flower Sword Art.
‘Sihwa Boundless Hand, Helix.’
Whoosh!
Dust swirled around the right hand gripping his sword. It was as though space itself bent and twisted.
The qi he had poured into it was not especially strong, yet a terrifying Spinning Thread Force arose.
Jeong Yeon-shin lightly twisted the blade of the divine sword, Northern Light. The back of his hand and the flat of the blade turned upward.
Then he struck upward against the Cheongil Sect Master’s defensive sword form.
Clang!
The Cheongil Sect Master seemed to have gripped his sword with tremendous force. He was launched into the air along with it.
At the same time, Jeong Yeon-shin rose even higher.
He had leaped with Wind Body.
The two figures were suspended roughly three feet in the air.
Jeong Yeon-shin’s left hand moved.
It seemed to glide along a different axis of time.
His callused fist struck the Qingil Sect Leader’s back. To an observer, it looked as though he had lashed out with a cannonball.
A shockwave rose like flames along the boy’s shoulder and flipped up his sleeve.
Boom!
The Cheongil Sect Master’s protective qi shattered and scattered.
His body slammed into the ground like an arrow with a dull crash. Sprawled face-down with his limbs spread wide, the Cheongil Sect Master coughed up blood.
‘No matter how I look at it, that is not talent one would receive without a price...’
Languid Flame Dragon witnessed the subtle shift in Jeong Yeon-shin’s sword path before he unleashed the Spinning Thread Force’s force wave.
He guessed that the boy had once again grasped a small principle of martial arts.
A new sword art was quietly sprouting like the harbinger of a typhoon.
‘Will he die young like me?’
The thought came to him abruptly, and he let out a quiet laugh.
Regardless of that fleeting thought, the young Squad Leader approached the Cheongil Sect Master.
He helped the man to his feet, supported him, and struck the acupoints on his back so he could expel the stagnant blood. What he said while doing so was quite a sight.
“I had no choice but to display all my true martial arts. Your martial arts were simply that exceptional.”
Cough.
The Cheongil Sect Master, still coughing blood, smiled faintly.
“I am the one impressed by you, Squad Leader. Your skill and generosity are truly remarkable. If I return to Fujian and cultivate for several years, I may gain a martial insight. It is thanks to you, Squad Leader.”
“...You praise me too highly. Please take care of yourself.”
Jeong Yeon-shin offered a clasped-fist salute, and the sect leader returned it in kind. The disciples who had struggled to their feet did the same.
There were no further exclamations or praise.
Still, the Qingil Sect experts openly wore gentle expressions.
They continued supporting one another as they left.
“Squad Leader, I have finished grinding the ink.”
Hyeon Won-chang spoke to Jeong Yeon-shin, who had returned after seeing the Cheongil Sect experts off.
The boy sat in the main hall, where the Four Treasures of the Study had been laid out.
Swish.
He picked up a brush and began writing whatever came to mind.
The core principles of the martial arts he had just experienced, viable ways to counter them, points to watch for when circulating qi...
He did not know what the Martial Alliance experts who had challenged him had in mind.
What they hoped to gain, what they wanted to confirm, or how the ulterior designs he had seen in the Acting Chief Strategist’s eyes had been arranged.
It did not matter.
They were not the only ones capable of plotting.
Jeong Yeon-shin and Hyeon Won-chang had lured in White Path martial artists through methods like today’s. They wanted to experience as many martial arts as possible.
He had no intention of merely completing his assigned mission and leaving.
Greater achievements. More merit.
That mindset had contributed greatly to his rise to Black Uniform in the shortest time possible. He intended to experience the martial arts of every potential great enemy.
‘It is killing two birds with one stone. It is helping my swordsmanship too.’
More information accumulated with every passing day. Countless countermeasures emerged, exceeding even the number of martial arts he had faced.
Jeong Yeon-shin also experienced Force Projection and aura firsthand at close quarters.
The countermethods produced from that experience would fill several thick books.
Perhaps dozens of volumes.
Comprehensive Guide to Breaking the Orthodox Sects.
He had already named it.
It meant gathering methods for breaking the White Path’s orthodox sects in one place.
He did not know how many more years he would remain the Black Uniform Leader of Demon Wings.
Still, if the Martial Alliance fully turned into an enemy, this book would guide Jeong Yeon-shin to Purple Uniform.
The Assembly’s mainstays were not the Nine Sects, but the great families. Even if a sect war broke out, he had nothing to hesitate over.
‘When will the next guests arrive?’
The boy quietly focused on his brushwork, his expression calm.
He looked as composed as ever.
From a distance, Hyeon Won-chang and Languid Flame Dragon exchanged glances and whispered.
“He is excited, is he not?”
“It seems that way.”
* * *
“They say the Cheongil Sect returned this time.”
“I heard three of them could not even stand properly. They were in a terrible state.”
“Yet they were smiling, they say. Every one of the disciples. Even the Cheongil Sect Master.”
“Again?”
It was a hermitage occupied by the Martial Alliance Assembly’s young martial artists.
The second floor was open on all sides like a pavilion by a lake, and the aura flowing from it was immense.
Orthodox martial arts generally matured slowly.
Even sects that operated in the secular world, unlike the Nine Sects, cultivated more slowly than the Demonic Sect.
Yet the spiritual medicines supplied by prestigious families allowed them to overcome the inherent limitations of orthodox martial arts.
“How many times has it been?”
“The fourth. His reputation is extraordinarily good. They say he offered instruction even to those who had challenged him with hostility. People are asking, if he is not a gentleman, who could be called a great hero?”
“Who said that?”
“Daoist Yu Hyeon of the Mount Hua Sect, the Mount Hua Hidden Dragon.”
“...”
“At this point, I am curious. What is he plotting?”
A man sat cross-legged in the center of the dharma hall on the second floor. A woman leaned against the windowsill and adjusted the flames of Samadhi True Fire with a flick of her fingers. A boy and girl lay idly on the hermitage roof...
Nearly twenty gifted martial artists had gathered freely.
The pressure flowing from the hermitage could only resemble crashing waves. Fluctuations of inner energy overlapped and spread outward like a tidal wave.
It was different from the Demonic Sect.
It felt refined.
This was where Moyong Myeong-jun had been when he suggested going to see Seom-ye of Desolate Fortress.
It was a place of exchange where renowned martial artists discussed martial arts and chivalry. They refined the pure qi of orthodox martial arts.
Even after Immortal Dragon Jegal Hyeon suffered humiliation, a quiet atmosphere had continued to prevail.
Until a woman with long braided hair parted her lips.
“Whatever it is, it cannot be for any good purpose. He must have some sinister ulterior motive.”
She stroked her white sleeve as she spoke.
Ak Ye-rim of the Shandong Ak Family.
She was the much-younger niece of Ak Su-rim, the Desolate Divine Spear.
She had been the cherished daughter put forward by the Ak Family, which had sought to expand from Shandong into Southern Zhili, and had been in marriage talks with Clear Qilin Namgung Se-jin.
That had lasted only until Namgung Se-jin became a corpse after fighting Seom-ye, Jeong Yeon-shin.
“...”
Silence fell for a moment.
Clear Qilin had been famous for his flawless appearance, character, and martial arts.
A knight-errant who wielded the Imperial Sword Art freely and cast aside the Namgung Family’s shadow.
Even those who had never met him had admired him after hearing only rumors.
Such popularity was rare in the martial world.
“I heard it was an evenly matched life-and-death duel. He could not have easily held back.”
“Who knows? I did not see it myself. It is not as though Desolate Fortress’s use of force has only been excessive for a day or two.”
“Miss Ak’s suspicions have merit. Young Hero Namgung received endless admiration and envy in life. In my opinion, there was more of the latter. Seom-ye may have deliberately used more force than necessary. Or perhaps he needed a great achievement.”
“When I saw him entering, he was incredibly handsome. I thought I was looking at someone from the elven race.”
A clear voice rang out from above.
It belonged to the boy lying beside an unfamiliar girl on the roof.
He had previously been there to see off Jegal Hyeon when he went to receive the Leader of Demon Wings.
“He is the Lord of Desolate Fortress’s disciple, and I heard from my father that he is the maternal grandson of the previous Divine Sword Squad Leader. That means he comes from a prestigious family. He is already wearing a black long robe too... Honestly, he has no reason to envy anyone. He may not enjoy authority on the level of a Family Head like we do, but that would change once he becomes the Divine Sword Squad Leader.”
“Young Hero Gongsun, you have a habit of seeing only the good in others. Visit the Huangbo Family’s territory in Jinan, and your thoughts will change. Desolate Fortress... They are beasts wearing popular support as a hide. If he is a Squad Leader, then he is a human-faced, beast-hearted savage.”
Another woman spoke.
The men beside her silently nodded.
This was the highest echelon of the younger generation from the orthodox martial world.
Many of them had known Clear Qilin.
There were women who had secretly loved him, male and female experts who had considered him a rival, and people who had admired him as a fellow martial artist.
Even those who had never met him had spent their years feeling either affection or envy toward him.
“If you feel that strongly about it, why not go and ask him in person? Ask what he thinks of Clear Qilin.”
The boy called Young Hero Gongsun spoke in a sulky tone.
People let out faint laughs.
Yet their fundamental hostility toward the new Leader of Demon Wings did not subside.
The differing opinions were dismissed, and they slowly drew in their animosity as though breathing in qi.
“If only Miss Ye were here at a time like this. She would offer a bold stratagem and give us some relief.”
A young man spoke as though complaining.
Responses came immediately from several places.
“She seems to have shut herself in her residence lately. I hope she is not ill. Come to think of it, Young Master Jegal has not appeared since then either...”
“Is that not because of the Leader of Demon Wings?”
“I miss Sister Ye. When I saw her kill that demonic fiend last time, it was clear that she had learned a profound, domineering martial art.”
“She smiled as she killed the Blood Master who had infiltrated the place. She was terrifyingly beautiful. The Force Projection force wave from the back of her hand looked like the sleeve of a fairy.”
“How can she be so highly skilled even with her eyes covered?”
Their conversation continued.
Then Ak Ye-rim abruptly sprang to her feet.
She looked ready to roll up her sleeves.
“Is the Martial Alliance Assembly’s main purpose not to embarrass the Leader of Demon Wings? I should go seek advice. If I ask Sister Ye, she might suggest a good method.”
Footnotes:
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