WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈
Episode 167: Embodiment (3)
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The Sword Star looked bewildered.
Jeong Yeon-shin regarded him calmly.
As silence once again settled over the garden of the Alliance Leader's Hall, he suddenly became aware of the shrubs beneath his feet. The great senior had meant every word.
He had not wanted to burden a junior with a debt. It was as though he were saying that since Yeon-shin had taken it for himself, it was his.
He was not petty. It was the bearing of a pure-hearted great man.
The boy shook his head.
“Seeing your venerable bearing has brought this junior to a great realization. I cannot shamelessly claim that I attained it alone.”
“……”
“The Sword Star has given me a fortuitous encounter simply by existing. Thank you once again.”
The young Leader of Demon Wings cupped his fists again.
Only then did the Sword Star’s expression relax. He shook his head as though something had been stolen from him.
He looked as though he had been swindled in broad daylight. His stunned expression and hollow laugh made his disbelief plain.
“Calling it a favor makes it feel even stranger.”
“Not that you are trying to tease me,” he muttered.
“It’s not as though I got the better end of the bargain. I was only impressed, yet now I find myself growing irritated for no reason. You’ve stirred the ugly side of this old man. Why didn’t you simply deny it? You could’ve said you found nothing special in the stance of a senior who also uses a sword.”
His words were shockingly unconventional for someone he had just met, especially since he was the leader of the Martial Alliance of the orthodox sects.
Yet Yeon-shin remained calm. He had received an intermediate reward for the Martial Alliance mission.
He had raised the main support beam for a new sword art. It was an enormous achievement.
‘I can’t expect anything like Bodhidharma’s spirituality from my second Divine Technique onward.’
He had no choice but to reach it through his own skill alone. He needed to contain his overflowing inspiration within the Northern Light Sword.
He had already decided that his second Divine Technique would be a sword art. Meeting the Sword Star had helped him more than any spiritual medicine.
“You wear an expression I know well. The face of someone desperate to use a sword.”
The Sword Star smiled mischievously.
“We share some understanding there. The pleasure of refining one’s swordplay cannot be compared to anything else. To be born a mere human, yet feel omnipotent. You flustered this old man with martial arts without even drawing your sword, so I’m very curious about the sword you’ll create.”
“You flatter me.”
The boy hurriedly composed his face. The Sword Star’s smile deepened.
“I mean it.”
“……?”
“There is a place where you may freely display your sword art. No, perhaps I should say there are foes. A blade is completed in an enemy’s flesh and bones, after all. Some minions pretending to be a military force have been lurking around the Alliance.”
“The Heart Martial Union?”
“You know of them? Ah, come to think of it, I heard you were the one who rescued Mount Hua Sect’s Hidden Dragon. It is rather late to say this, but you did very well. Yu Hyeon has remarkable talent, and his character is upright as well. I don’t know what will become of this Alliance, but that child has what it takes to become a great hero. I’m very grateful.”
“I have already received the Mount Hua Sect elders’ thanks. Saving a friend is not something that deserves praise.”
Yeon-shin gave a vague answer and lowered his cupped hands. If he listened any longer, his ears might start itching.
He glanced aside before speaking again.
“So, what did you wish to say?”
“This Leader of Demon Wings was clearly born with the makings of a dragon or tiger, yet……”
The Sword Star’s lips curled playfully.
“You have a side like a cat. When you live out your natural years, I hope the lifelong companion at your side will be drawn to that nature. What do you think? Countless daughters of renowned families have gathered in our Alliance. I’d be willing to play the Old Man Under the Moon, a matchmaker. If you join with a treasured daughter of one of the schools under the Alliance, the relationship between the Alliance and Desolate Fortress……”
“Thank you for the kind words.”
Yeon-shin cut off the great senior’s shameless rambling with a brief tilt of his chin. The gesture told him to get to the point.
Lately, he had become newly aware that he had been born a man. He did not wish to trouble his mind further.
‘I won’t die young and leave children behind. At least, I……’
The boy idly flicked at the sleeve of his Black Uniform long robe.
The Sword Star, who had been watching Yeon-shin closely, spoke.
“You said you owed this old man a favor. If you deal with the Heart Martial Union’s martial forces, let us call it even. I cannot allow the trash of the Thirteen Heavens to throw cold water over the excitement surrounding the grand founding ceremony. Destroy those wandering about Hanzhong.”
“Are there no masters to spare in the Alliance?”
“It seems the elders of the great sects intend to show their faces only once the grand founding ceremony begins. The Family Heads are too busy shoving one another forward. The Alliance is a sheep in a tiger’s skin. It looks impressive, but it has no substance. Hmm? Was that something I shouldn’t have said to a master of Desolate Fortress?”
“And you, Alliance Leader?”
“If I leave as well? It’ll be a complete mess. Even if I don’t have much to do while sitting here. I’ve become a petty man who can no longer speak of chivalry. I can’t abandon the Alliance that will purge the hypocrisy of these orthodox fools, so even if the Heart Martial Union causes trouble outside, I must keep my eyes on the larger picture.”
The Sword Star leisurely looked around the garden, his hands clasped behind his back.
“In any case, there’s nothing good in you staying here. You’ll only give the Family Heads grounds for conflict. The envoy of Desolate Fortress is at the heart of their discord. Until the grand founding ceremony begins, go cut off the heads of those Thirteen Heavens bastards.”
“Why should I?”
Yeon-shin asked, tilting his head slightly.
“Victory will belong to the Leader of Demon Wings anyway. Still, I need your achievements to save this old man’s face. You can refine your swordsmanship through real battles against worthy foes, while I can lessen my political burden. It’s difficult to call for harmony after handing a Great Revitalization Pill to a master of Desolate Fortress.”
The Sword Star laughed heartily.
He had spoken of harmony. Hyeon So-baek, the Sword Star, did not seem to want to turn his sword against Desolate Fortress.
He had also said he wished to purge the hypocrisy of the orthodox sects. It appeared he was engaged in a political struggle against the Family Heads.
At the same time, a demon whispered within Yeon-shin. The image of the Seventh Apostle moved its lips.
Do you not need to turn the Martial Alliance into an enemy if you wish to make effective use of the Comprehensive Guide to Breaking the Orthodox Sects?
“……”
The boy fell silent for a moment.
Perhaps sensing something unusual, the Sword Star spoke again.
“Refine your sword art while you wait for the stage where you will shine. The star of this founding ceremony can only be the Leader of Demon Wings, who has reached the realm of supreme masters at such a young age.”
Yeon-shin slowly opened his mouth.
“You mentioned elders. This does not seem like a matter to discuss so lightly. If you wish to entrust me with this mission, give me the information the Alliance has uncovered. How am I to know whether you are plotting to kill with a borrowed blade?”
“Kill with a borrowed blade?”
The Sword Star repeated. The boy’s words were exceedingly bold.
He was asking whether the Sword Star intended to borrow the Heart Martial Union’s blade to kill martial artists of Desolate Fortress.
He had said it to the face of a peerless master standing at the pinnacle of the orthodox sects. Most would not dare voice such words, even if they held them in their hearts.
Jegal Hyeon, who had remained silent until then, cautiously spoke.
“Squad Leader, even so, your words……”
Then the Sword Star grinned.
“Fine. Assemble your companions from among the Alliance’s young talents. I will handle the Family Heads. Even if you die, you will meet your end alongside the direct descendants of martial families. This Alliance Leader entrusts them to you because I believe you will bring them all back alive.”
Jegal Hyeon could not hide his surprise. Only the boy nodded.
The Sword Star was an eccentric man. There was no opportunity to ask why he trusted him in return.
What mattered was the sword art that wished to sprout from Jeong Yeon-shin’s arm at that very moment. He also recalled the horrors he had witnessed in the village where he had beheaded the Prefect.
In any case, cutting down the masters of the Thirteen Heavens would become a merit for Desolate Fortress.
The more achievements, the better. He decided to put his concerns about the Comprehensive Guide to Breaking the Orthodox Sects aside for now.
“Look into it carefully. I did not mention elders of great sects without reason.”
The Sword Star handed him a rolled letter. It appeared to contain information on nearby masters of the Heart Martial Union.
This had been the reason he invited Jeong Yeon-shin in the first place.
The boy organized what he would report to the Chief Steward's Office upon returning to the main fortress.
There were enough usable supreme masters at the Martial Alliance Assembly, yet political maneuvering had left them in a position where they had to ask a martial artist of Desolate Fortress for help.
“I’ll be going.”
Yeon-shin put the document into his robes and turned around. His steps did not hesitate.
He had decided to repay the favor owed to the Sword Star through this request. There was no reason to stay longer.
“I will take Ak Ye-rim, Moyong Myeong-jun, Gongsun Min, and the Little Sword Empress, Chwi So-ok.”
The boy spoke with his back turned. They were the only names he could remember. He excluded Yu Hyeon of Mount Hua Sect.
For younger martial artists, this could become a deathtrap. He did not wish to bring a friend along.
The same went for Jegal Hyeon, the Immortal Dragon. He had politely requested a spar and burned his fan afterward.
Jegal Hyeon, standing nearby, flinched and looked at Yeon-shin.
The boy ignored him. What was he supposed to do about it?
Amusement colored the Sword Star’s voice.
“You are taking only the best. Direct descendants of the Eight Great Families and the chief disciple of Jeomchang Sect. The Heart Martial Union’s forces stationed everywhere are as numerous as the Blood Flame Sect and as powerful as the Martial Dragon Society and Tyrant Sword Sect. I do not expect you to wipe them out. Do not overextend yourselves.”
“It seems you have changed your tune, now that I’m taking young talents with me.”
“That is precisely what makes it a burden. Such are the sorrows of a powerless Alliance Leader. Changing this rotten orthodox martial world cannot be done with a single sword. Even a sword art worthy of contending for supremacy under heaven has proved insufficient.”
Yeon-shin looked back at the Sword Star. The handsome middle-aged senior smiled faintly at him.
The founding ceremony had not even been held yet, but he already looked as though he had aged ten years.
The Family Heads had established the Martial Alliance to protect their vested interests.
The Sword Star was simply the figurehead they had placed above themselves.
One person struggled to bring change among those determined to preserve what they had. It was as though he stood on another battlefield.
It was a battlefield separate from Jeong Yeon-shin’s world.
“What is that?”
The boy suddenly nodded toward the flat stone floor beside the Alliance Leader. A Go board rested there.
The Sword Star smiled dimly and spoke.
“It seems he did not want an Alliance Leader who was entirely a puppet. The Zhuge Family Head taught me Go. He said it contained the art of conducting oneself. Make time to learn it as well. Life has many remarkable things. Once you have taken their fruits, I hope you will experience them at least once. Whether it is Go, friendship, or love.”
The peerless master spoke with clear eyes.
It was a meaningful statement. The boy calmly nodded.
He had heard that the movements of Desolate Fortress Squad Leaders were watched by every great sect.
The same would apply to Yeon-shin’s origins and his path before entering Desolate Fortress.
‘He saw through my constitution, so he must have guessed my purpose as well.’
The boy spoke one final time.
“May I ask you to keep silent about it?”
“Refine your sword art well and show it to me. You know that the winner of the grand founding ceremony must withstand one move from this old man, do you not? Your aura is remarkably spiritual, yet it is still rough around the edges. I am curious what sword you will complete through this body of mine.”
The Sword Star gave an indirect answer.
There were fifteen days left until the grand founding ceremony.
One hour later, Yeon-shin returned to Fragrant Rhyme Residence and sat in a circle with his subordinates, old enough to be his elder brothers.
It was a spacious room.
Namgung Hwa-shin sat upright, while Hyeon Won-chang kept cracking his neck from side to side.
Languid Flame Dragon lay on the floor, turned onto one side. No one could say anything about it.
He was the sort of man who chewed opium poppies because he could not endure the heat of the Sun God Meridian.
“So, the Martial Alliance Assembly is proudly celebrating, we came here to cause a little trouble for the Martial Alliance, and the sinister, vicious Heart Martial Union bastards are prowling around this land?”
“That’s right.”
“The Heart Martial Union? I heard about them from the dead Prefect. Is this going to be a three-way battle?”
“Mind your manners.”
“I was talking to myself.”
“……”
“Actually, doesn’t the Heart Martial Union have a grudge against the Squad Leader?”
Hyeon Won-chang cut in.
At a gathering of the Heart Martial Union’s younger martial artists, Yeon-shin had cut off the head of Geom Ye-hwa for trying to harm commoners during a boat outing.
When he had traveled with Namgung Se-jin, the Clear Qilin, the man betrothed to Geom Ye-hwa had even sent subordinates after him.
That man was the eldest young master of the Heart Martial Union.
“They are already irreconcilable enemies, and they regularly raid villages. We can draw our swords without hesitation. I shall earn merits worthy of being called not a great hero, but a divine hero.”
Hyeon Won-chang said as he tightly tied the Blue Uniform hero’s headband around his forehead. Yeon-shin rose after giving a vague nod.
“I received two orders bearing the Alliance Leader’s seal. I tied one to a carrier pigeon as evidence and sent it to the main fortress. We leave now. We must gather the younger martial artists before the Family Heads notice anything. Those family bastards may be colluding with the Heart Martial Union.”
He had seen the Supreme Family Head of the Sichuan Tang Clan join hands with the Blood Flame Sect. He had also been betrayed by the Namgung Family.
Jeong Yeon-shin was now a young yet seasoned man of the martial world. If he meant to draw his sword with the Martial Alliance behind him, he needed to secure hostages.
“I’ll handle that. The empty-headed Little Sword Empress will follow willingly. She seems completely taken with our young Squad Leader. The martial arts of the others aren’t even worth my time.”
Languid Flame Dragon sprang to his feet.
“Let us stop by the market first. We need supplies.”
“There’s enough jerky. We also have Golden Wound Medicine and medicine for internal injuries.”
“Not that.”
* * *
Two hours later.
Three young martial artists, including Ak Ye-rim, were dragged out without quite understanding what was happening.
The Little Sword Empress, her hair grown long, smiled as she looked at the boy in black robes. Jegal Hyeon had also volunteered to leave the Alliance headquarters with them.
Yeon-shin did not care. He did not consider them fighting strength.
He did not even pay attention to the fact that there had been no resistance from the Family Heads’ side.
“So this is what you call supplies.”
The boy muttered.
They were in an alley behind a bustling market street. Languid Flame Dragon was haggling with a merchant.
Piles of red opium poppy blossoms behind him danced in the autumn wind.
The Leader of Demon Wings stared blankly at the sight before slowly turning away.
“Let’s go.”
Footnotes:
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