WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈

Episode 165: Embodiment

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Hyeon Won-chang's words were an obvious provocation. Both the situation and his expression made that clear.

Such behavior was rarely seen among the lofty martial artists of the White Path. Hostility seemed to billow from the surrounding masters like clouds.

Their gazes hardened, and the presences surrounding their bodies turned sharp.

The Languid Flame Dragon openly snorted.

"Why get so worked up over a well-wish? After taking such a beating, too."

The way he raised the ends of his words to tease them was no less than that of his Squad Leader and superior.

He truly was the Huangbo Family's Young Family Head. Anyone could see his arrogant contempt for others.

Jeong Yeon-shin's lips twitched slightly as well. He had just said that the younger generation would lower his standing as the Leader of Demon Wings.

Hyeon Won-chang's conduct no longer seemed especially reckless.

'It's always been like this.'

The boy gave a small shrug. Hyeon Won-chang's hand, which had rested on the character for Desolate, was pushed away.

The Imperial Hero cleared his throat and withdrew his arm without hesitation. For some reason, that was irritating.

The reason for having the character for Desolate embroidered so large seemed to grow hazy. It was embarrassing.

Jeong Yeon-shin inwardly shook his head.

'The feint is gradually becoming familiar. It's quite good.'

He had tried using the technique he had learned from the Lord of Desolate Fortress. It worked better than expected.

He took in the stunned faces of Moyong Myeong-jun, Ak Ye-rim, and the others.

They were middling masters. Their senses were quite sharp, yet they could not properly distinguish the aura blade Yeon-shin had released.

They might have seemed unpolished, but they were martial artists from prominent families. Their aura sense and five senses seemed to work together at a considerable level.

'That makes them easier to deceive.'

They possessed fairly good senses. Yet their martial attainment was not high enough to immediately recognize Yeon-shin's feint.

Their aura sense was sharp enough to accept an aura blade as something real, but their skill was middling. If he used a feint, it would work more than seventy percent of the time.

They had become good training partners. That alone made his visit to the banquet hall worthwhile.

'It seems useful enough in one-against-many battles, but Myriad Flowers Rain is already enough for weak opponents. I need to raise it until it can confuse absolute masters.'

The young Leader of Demon Wings looked beyond the younger generation. Along with modifying his sword art, he resolved to refine his feints.

He had to ensure that fooling the Swift Heaven Wing Squad Leader, even once, had not been mere luck.

"Let's go."

The boy spoke after further damaging the Martial Alliance Assembly's dignity. There was no reason to stay.

Hyeon Won-chang had been right. Let them enjoy themselves.

He had shown that the Leader of Demon Wings stood above them, so he had achieved the mission's intended result.

The Languid Flame Dragon raised a corner of his mouth.

"You've said everything you wanted to say. Why are you so embarrassed now?"

He spoke with a sly grin as he quietly moved to Yeon-shin's left.

The boy glimpsed the teasing smile but did not bother looking up at his unreadable subordinate.

He only nodded to Namgung Hwa-shin, who had delivered the Sword Star's message. Meanwhile, the Languid Flame Dragon's amused voice reached him.

"If we must be precise, I am part of the younger generation too. I fear this young master's rambling might lower our Squad Leader's standing. 'Don't speak to me, younger generation. You'll lower my standing'... Very impressive. Only an absolute master of that age could say such a thing."

"......"

"Let me offer some advice in advance. You're likely the only monstrous prodigy in the world, so I hope you won't be kicking your bed three years from now. You should remember that well. I think I was like that nine years ago. I cursed the heavens for giving me this damned Sun God Meridian... I said I would burn the world and make it regret it. A terribly embarrassing memory."

He grinned as he called it advice, his voice full of breath. He remained a difficult subordinate to handle.

"I said let's go."

Jeong Yeon-shin turned fully around.

He could hear the irritation in his own voice. Naturally, he thought. They were not even worth Clear Qilin's fingernail.

Originally, he had intended to make acquaintances if necessary and witness the martial arts of the prominent families one by one. Not anymore. His interest had cooled.

Step.

No one stopped him as he walked away at will. Was it because of the supreme feint that could be mistaken for a Heart Sword?

The young martial artists of the White Path did not move. They could only stare blankly at the Leader of Demon Wings, who had hurled abuse at them.

"Even if he becomes a Purple Uniform, he says we're equals?"

Only one boy in sky-blue silk muttered. He wore a strange expression and looked two or three years younger than Yeon-shin.

Standing beside him, Hyeon Won-chang explained that he was the Gongsun Family's Young Family Head.

"His evaluation is at least decent, according to the annotations beneath the facial-feature portrait at the main fortress. Perhaps because he is still young."

"Hm. The Gongsun Family does not have any particularly unsavory rumors."

The Languid Flame Dragon casually added his agreement.

"I'm not interested. The children's game is over."

After glancing at the Gongsun Young Family Head, Yeon-shin slowly stepped forward. He resolved to deal only with established masters from now on.

The Languid Flame Dragon and Hyeon Won-chang immediately followed on either side. Namgung Hwa-shin guarded the boy's back.

"The children's game is over, he says."

The Languid Flame Dragon muttered with a grin.

"Our Squad Leader is creating the next form of Bed-Kicking Leg Arts."

"As expected of a Grandmaster."

"I order you to observe silence until tomorrow morning."

The four left the banquet hall without hesitation.

Until then, Ak Ye-rim remained seated in a daze, blankly watching the young Leader of Demon Wings' black robe hem flutter away.

Moyong Myeong-jun, standing to one side, quietly bit his lip. Only confusion, anguish, and anger remained where he stood.

The lanterns in the banquet hall flickered violently once.

Night air rushed in through the gap in the door that the Demon Wings party had closed behind them. It was dark and clear.

* * *

"The Sword Star was originally a wandering martial artist."

Hyeon Won-chang spoke shortly after they returned from the banquet hall to Fragrant Rhyme Residence.

Their meeting with the Alliance Leader had been arranged for noon the next day. Namgung Hwa-shin had delivered the news earlier. The Sword Star had invited them to lunch.

Namgung Hwa-shin alone was well regarded among their group.

While gathering information throughout the Martial Alliance's headquarters, he had first stopped by Fragrant Rhyme Residence and received the Alliance Leader's message.

"There are many stories about him. No one knows how much is true. Some say he learned a sword art forbidden among Shaolin's lay disciples. Others claim he was the sole survivor of a prominent family that was wiped out, and that rumor is fairly credible. They say he roamed the world and honed his swordsmanship on the foundation arts of a renowned family. Sword Star Hyeon So-baek has a great reputation as a man capable of anything."

Hyeon Won-chang's words were unusual. Was it because the Sword Star's origins were unclear?

The Imperial Hero, who rarely acknowledged even major factions, spoke without holding back.

The Languid Flame Dragon, who had been lying in a corner with his arm beneath his head, nodded.

"There was once a saying. When Hyeon So-baek drew his sword, one could sense the quiet mountain scenery of Wudang. If he performed a sword dance on Mount Hua, plum blossoms would answer of their own accord. And if one wished to feel the ruggedness of Mount Song, it was enough to face the empty-handed Sword Star."

"......"

Silence followed for a moment. Jeong Yeon-shin examined Namgung Hwa-shin and Hyeon Won-chang's expressions. Neither showed much change.

It seemed to be a well-known saying. It meant that one could discuss the sacred mountains of the Nine Sects when speaking of the swordsman Hyeon So-baek.

"He must be considered Purple Uniform."

The boy murmured slowly, and the Languid Flame Dragon nodded.

"In truth, the Divine Sword Squad Leader and the Sword Star are often compared. It is mostly something the martial world's gossips chatter about. I hear they even argue over whose sword art is more exquisite and beautiful."

"Comparable to the Squad Leader's Formless Sword?"

Yeon-shin asked without thinking. He remembered the sword formed from inner energy that the Divine Sword Squad Leader had shown when killing the Namgung Family Head.

Could anything be more splendid than that dazzling blade? He had not seen one yet.

The Languid Flame Dragon nodded leisurely.

"The Sword Star's White Silent Sword did cut off the former Heart Martial Union Leader's head... Frankly, he is someone worthy of respect. Many revere him. I did once as well."

"The story of him stopping one hundred Heart Martial Union soldiers is famous. He took the former Heart Martial Union Leader's head from among masters equipped with armor and arrows. It happened fifteen years ago."

Namgung Hwa-shin spoke while sitting upright. He addressed Yeon-shin with complete respect.

Of the three subordinates, only Namgung Hwa-shin did so.

The boy gave a small nod.

"What is his character like?"

"The incident involving the former Heart Martial Union Leader occurred before common folk. The Heart Martial Union's martial troops obtained provisions through plunder. They were trying to turn a village into a garrison when the Sword Star appeared. They say he alone stood against one hundred masters and the former Heart Martial Union Leader. After cutting off the former Heart Martial Union Leader's head, he suffered significant internal injuries. I understand that he stayed at Shaolin Temple for a while afterward. It happened in Henan."

Namgung Hwa-shin answered. Respect for Sword Star Hyeon So-baek infused his words.

'Judging by the rumors alone, he is a knight-errant.'

Yeon-shin thought. Would the Alliance Leader be different? He had only encountered traces of chivalry a few times among the orthodox sects.

Yu Hyeon, who had gone out to save common folk without hesitation, Weiji Myo-hwa, who was famed for righteousness, the Shaolin monks who had willingly helped strike the Blood Flame Sect, and Clear Qilin. That was all.

Jeong Yeon-shin opened his lips again, hoping he would not become entangled in an unnecessary contest of wits with the Sword Star.

"Then did he obtain the Great Revitalization Pill at that time?"

"That is what is known. He likely formed a friendship with Shaolin's Abbot during that period."

"He certainly is no ordinary old man, offering the reward for the grand founding ceremony from his own possessions. And a Great Revitalization Pill at that."

The Languid Flame Dragon joined in.

He was right. Yeon-shin listened closely to his older subordinates. His mission required him, the weaker one, to contend with a master.

Ak Su-rim, the Desolate Divine Spear, said that winning the grand founding ceremony would be enough, but the boy always wanted something more.

They said a master's sword strokes reflected their character.

Someone with a rough temperament could never fully master Wudang Sect's Taiji Sword. If the Sword Star was gentle, there was a good chance he would yield the initiative.

In that case, Yeon-shin should prepare True Step, which could accumulate a considerable amount of force wave in a single strike.

Only by considering every possible kind of battle beforehand could he stand a chance.

They also discussed how he should conduct himself as an envoy. They continued until dawn broke.

"First, we need to do something about the Squad Leader's speech and conduct. In this young master's opinion, we may need to be more wary of the Zhuge Family Head than the Alliance Leader. We cannot let them seize on even the smallest fault. We do not know what tricks they might use to interfere with our participation in the grand founding ceremony."

"Speech and conduct?"

"Honestly, it is difficult to call the young Squad Leader's manner of speaking polite, is it not? Rather, you have a talent for driving someone's blood all the way to their Baihui acupoint. You were not like this when I saw you before, but lately, there is something..."

"Me?"

Jeong Yeon-shin met the day of the audience without achieving much.

* * *

The Alliance Leader's Hall, where the Sword Star resided, stood deep inside the headquarters. It appeared to be the most secluded place even within the inner compound.

Even the man assigned to guide Jeong Yeon-shin was no ordinary person.

Immortal Dragon Jegal Hyeon. His green scholar's robe called to mind an elegant scholar. They said he held the second-highest standing in the Jegal Family.

'It seems like the work of an attendant.'

Jeong Yeon-shin thought. The Jegal Family's Young Family Head had left him with a fairly good impression.

He had politely requested a duel despite it being their first meeting, and he had burned his fan for him.

At that moment, Jegal Hyeon, who had been walking beside him, spoke.

"I was not in a state to properly speak that day."

"......?"

"You readily accepted my duel. As you said, it became a lesson. I wanted to offer my thanks, even if belatedly. Thanks to you, Squad Leader, my eyes have been opened."

"What do you mean, your eyes have been opened?"

"You said that a weapon's forms were important, but achievement in body movement had to come first. It was a valuable lesson. My attainment in the Body Movement Scripture has even advanced."

His tone was calm. It was unlike Moyong Myeong-jun's feigned voice. His composed manner carried sincerity.

Had burning his fan truly not been his own idea? It might have been an order from someone in authority, like the Zhuge Family Head.

The boy nodded once.

"That's good."

Few martial artists had directly thanked him apart from his companions. Those from prominent families were even less likely to do so.

Perhaps Yeon-shin's awkwardness showed. A faint curve formed on Jegal Hyeon's lips. The boy suddenly remembered.

They said Sword Fan Dragon, Languid Flame Dragon, and Clear Qilin were of the same age.

'He is probably closer to Clear Qilin, at least.'

He had just thought of Namgung Se-jin when Jegal Hyeon spoke.

"This is the place."

Step.

The two walked over autumn leaves more brilliant than flowers. A broad garden spread out beneath their feet.

Trees enclosed all sides, and one man stood with his hands behind his back to greet them. A presence as vivid as the fragrance of autumn flowers washed over Jeong Yeon-shin.

Now that he had reached Black Uniform, he knew. This was the presence of someone who possessed an absurdly dense sword domain.

He was an absolute master who could spread a sword curtain equal to a city wall with a single blade.

Yeon-shin understood why he was mentioned alongside the Divine Sword Squad Leader.

Sword Star Hyeon So-baek.

It was clear that the blood of the elven race flowed in him. The prominent bridge of his nose beneath the sunlight was like the blade of a divine sword.

He was a remarkably handsome middle-aged man. Even the ink-dark hilt worn at his waist seemed elegant beside his white clothes.

"I greet the Alliance Leader."

Jegal Hyeon knelt on one knee and clasped his hands. The Sword Star smiled faintly and waved a hand.

"Too formal. I called you because I have business with you as well, so stay. And..."

His pitch-black eyes took in the boy's entire body. Jeong Yeon-shin did not offer a greeting. He simply stood still and watched the Sword Star.

The inspiration stirring his entire body made him do so.

A torrent of mnemonic formulas surged through his mind. His upper dantian had turned white-hot on its own.

"So you are the Leader of Demon Wings."

The Sword Star spoke with a faint smile.

"I heard from the greedy Family Heads. They said that if a sect war broke out, you would be the sprout whose head must be cut off first. Yet..."

Whoosh.

All at once, his sense of distance distorted. The boy closed and opened his eyes once. The Sword Star, who had been at least thirty paces away, stood before him.

For an Alliance Leader, the Sword Star's white attire was modest, casting a faint shadow. A fierce wind arrived a moment later.

The surrounding bushes all bent backward at once.

Fwoosh!

It was truly terrifying footwork. His speed had completely left the realm of human beings.

'My reaction was slow. I need to use the second form...!'

Jeong Yeon-shin reached for Northern Light's hilt, then flinched. The Sword Star's eyes had reddened.

"How can the heavens be so cruel? At such a young age."

Colorless flames flickered in his tearful black eyes. It was as if spiritual force filled his eye technique.

It resembled how Yeon-shin imbued spirituality into his heart method. It was the trace of a supreme divine art.

"How difficult must it have been for you? Come here. Let me embrace you once."

Though inwardly startled, the Leader of Demon Wings' body reacted independently. Hyeon Won-chang's habit came to him by reflex.

A force wave from Wind Body surged through his entire body. A small vortex climbed along his black long robe.

It was Force Projection that drove his body faster than the eye could see. It provided perfect support to his movement.

Swish!

Jeong Yeon-shin recoiled and twisted his upper body. The soft ground sank beneath the step he took next.

It was a move that redirected the Sword Star's embrace to the side. Black and white sleeves brushed past one another with a drawn-out sound. It had been a narrow escape.

The Sword Star and Jegal Hyeon's eyes widened.

Footnotes:

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