Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time - Chapter 170

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈

Episode 170: Embodiment (6)

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It was said that the Heart Martial Union’s forces had split into two groups.

West Peak Road and Sevenfold Gorge.

They were not far apart. With lightness skill, the journey would take three days.

‘Considering the information Sword Star gave me and the rumors, the Spirit Sky Sword Ghost definitely possesses the strength expected of an elder from a major faction. I have to face him.’

Jeong Yeon-shin thought.

Languid Flame Dragon might be able to take him on if luck favored him. Even then, he would have to wager his life.

Yeon-shin had no choice but to divide their forces carefully.

Languid Flame Dragon had to be separated from him. The qi storage born from the Sun God Meridian was enormous.

Setting aside the density of his inner energy, Languid Flame Dragon surpassed Yeon-shin in sheer volume. His aura-sensing range was bound to be exceptionally broad.

If the group without Yeon-shin encountered the Spirit Sky Sword Ghost, they needed to act as scouts and retreat without engaging him.

“I understand.”

Languid Flame Dragon gave a casual nod after hearing Yeon-shin’s explanation, grinning as he did.

He seemed to believe he had been assigned a task worthy of a Huangbo young master.

The boy wanted to correct that misconception. The bastard irritated him just by breathing.

Yeon-shin was desperate to survive, while Languid Flame Dragon was enjoying the rest of his life without restraint. He was a little envious.

“Observe the hierarchy.”

Yeon-shin spoke.

“Ah, so an unranked disciple mustn’t stand ahead of a White Uniform.”

Languid Flame Dragon snickered as he glanced at Hyeon Won-chang. The Imperial Hero beside him puffed out his chest and cleared his throat for no reason.

Around then, the conflict between Gongsun Min and Moyong Myeong-jun came to an end.

“I’ll hang it in my room and show it off to Miss Eon.”

Gongsun Min muttered as though singing a tune.

He was still grinning at the sword hanging from Moyong Myeong-jun’s waist as if it already belonged to him. It seemed they had agreed that he would receive it after they returned.

They were both young masters from martial families. Some sort of deal must have been struck.

Whatever it was, Jeong Yeon-shin did not want to care.

Using a sword in a single attack and then treating it as a collectible was strange. It was strange in a different way from the Seventh Apostle, but no less bizarre.

“This is how we’ll divide up.”

The boy explained calmly. He began by saying that he, Jegal Hyeon, and the Little Sword Empress would form one group.

He then said that Hyeon Won-chang and Languid Flame Dragon should lead Moyong Myeong-jun, Gongsun Min, and Ak Ye-rim.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s pitch-black eyes swept across them once.

The Martial Alliance Assembly martial artists, including Gongsun Min, did not avoid his gaze. Still, each of them twitched the hand they favored.

“At death’s door, I get to see all sorts of things.”

Languid Flame Dragon curled his lips. The reckless Young Family Head of the Huangbo Family had guessed what they were thinking.

That was why they were uneasy. They wondered how they appeared in the eyes of an unfathomable young master.

The gaze of a master regarded as a genius always made weaker martial artists shrink back.

They would start reconsidering everything, from the level of movement technique revealed in a person’s gait to the depth of their breathing.

Even the finest young martial artists, praised as prodigies in their homelands, were no exception.

The black-robed boy did not care.

“Do not engage the Spirit Sky Sword Ghost.”

The young Leader of Demon Wings said it plainly. He meant that they should not draw their blades recklessly in pursuit of glory. His tone was not condescending.

His expression and voice were both calm. Even the young martial artists who bristled at once found it difficult to say anything.

Then a long arm rose.

Ak Ye-rim raised her hand and stared intently at Jeong Yeon-shin.

“I don’t understand. We are already a small force facing an overwhelming numerical majority. Why divide our forces further...?”

“If we kill the Sword Ghost quickly, fewer commoners will die. It will also be easier to wipe out the Heart Martial Union bastards once they become a disorganized rabble.”

Hyeon Won-chang shook his head as he answered.

His conduct was just as irritating as Languid Flame Dragon’s. Ak Ye-rim narrowed her eyes and parted her lips.

“That can’t be the only reason.”

“You understand well.”

“What? Speak clearly. Don’t mock me.”

“A little over ten days remain until the grand founding ceremony. It would be extremely tight to travel everywhere and face masters as well. But spending too much time in this remote place feels deeply unsettling.”

Hyeon Won-chang frowned and pointed at her.

“Your acting chief strategist played tricks during their meeting with our Squad Leader! Is that all? You told us to remain at the assembly, then gave us Fragrant Rhyme Residence as our lodging. It was in such an unsafe location that we could not even cultivate in peace at night. We had to worry that some crazed orthodox sect bastard might attack us. There’s no villainy like that!”

“...It was petty behavior. I admit it. So what?”

Ak Ye-rim lowered her lashes slightly and asked in a calmer voice. Hyeon Won-chang’s mouth curved upward.

“It means we cannot remain separated from you for too long. Who knows what your people at the main headquarters might do? To put it bluntly, you might suddenly change the grand founding ceremony’s rules. You could swiftly alter the schedule, for example.”

“What?”

“I understand how your alliance feels. What would you not do to prevent the victory of a powerful and hostile Leader of Demon Wings?”

“The Martial Alliance would never pull a trick like that. Who doesn’t know it would make us the laughingstock of the world?”

“Would it? It would still be better than letting everyone see all of your assembly’s masters get defeated by the young peerless master from the main fortress.”

“...”

“That is why we cannot drag this out. Heroine Ak, no... young hero, do you understand? Do not complain about the form of address. Our Squad Leader calls Cloud Sword Dragon Weiji Myo-hwa a great hero, and no matter how I look at it, your standing appears below that of Sword Dragon.”

The Desolate Fortress’s Glib Tongue spoke.

That was what Hyeon Won-chang was openly called within Demon Wings. It was a minor epithet of sorts, though he alone insisted on being called the Desolate Fortress Divine Hero.

In Yeon-shin’s view, both suited him.

‘Can Languid Flame Dragon and young hero Hyeon both rise to Blue Uniform at once?

Young hero Hyeon’s martial arts have improved considerably, too.’

With light steps, the boy approached and tapped Hyeon Won-chang on the shoulder.

It stopped Ak Ye-rim, insulted as she was, from rashly drawing her spear.

“I have said everything, Squad Leader.”

Hyeon Won-chang gave a martial salute with rigid precision. His posture was especially respectful.

He seemed determined to irritate the Martial Alliance Assembly martial artists even more. The boy slowly opened his mouth.

“We part ways here.”

“In my view, Squad Leader, your bad luck is quite formidable.”

Languid Flame Dragon spoke as he slung a travel pack over one shoulder.

“You might run into the Spirit Sky Sword Ghost the moment you leave. I mean you, not me. Since word has spread of her qi sword control, she must be an incredibly powerful old monster. Do not rashly consider making a solo charge. To stand alone in the martial world, one must always leave some strength in reserve. If you are trapped in an encirclement while facing a hostile peerless master, there is no way out.”

“That is advice a lesser fighter should heed.”

Yeon-shin said it to show that he understood. Languid Flame Dragon, who had lived among the martial world’s upper ranks since birth, grinned.

“If I don’t die, I’ll come find you. West Peak Road lies west, and Sevenfold Gorge should be northwest.”

“You’re asking me to come help you in a roundabout way. The Sword Ghost is mine. Don’t overextend yourself.”

The boy answered.

Sunlight fell through the smoke rising everywhere. Outside the ruined village, the group scattered in two directions.

Their steps were those of people tracking the Demonic Sect’s forces, who were stirring up the chaos of the age. No one was watching them.

Yet every leader of the Martial Alliance Assembly had their ears pricked for news of it.

Crack!

Dust swirled as the young masters struck the earth with their lightness skill. The resentment of the common people ran deep.

Leaving the bleak, dead village behind, a lively gust of wind spread outward.

It was the charge of martial heroes carrying several spears and swords across their backs and waists.

* * *

The Martial Alliance’s main headquarters had been in a festive mood every day.

The notices posted throughout the Central Plains were proving effective.

It seemed martial artists across the martial world had heard of the alliance’s formation. The number of people pouring in was enormous.

“What a shame. I heard the young peerless master from Desolate Fortress fought the Immortal Dragon of the Jegal Family. I should have come a month earlier.”

“Do not speak of that matter carelessly. Rumor has it that the alliance’s masters are spread throughout the streets. You could get into serious trouble.”

“Why would that be?”

“The young master from Desolate Fortress wore a black long robe. You are from Southern Zhili, are you not? You must have heard the epithet Seom-ye.”

“Of course. Don’t tell me...?”

The stream of wealthy people and commoners seeking rare information did not stop either. As food became scarce, the value of martial strength rose.

Great power attracted gold and food. The Martial Alliance would soon become stronger than Desolate Fortress in both name and reality.

Having drawn in half the martial world, the assembly was a spiritual beast that laid golden eggs.

Heroes of every kind filled Hanzhong. Inns and private homes around the main headquarters were packed full.

The taverns no longer had night or day.

Martial-world aficionados, some of whom even possessed epithets, gathered there alongside sword theorists who recorded the bouts of martial artists in writing and martial artists who had not earned enough renown to enter the Martial Alliance’s main headquarters.

Voices discussing the martial world rang loudly.

Its scale surpassed even Desolate Fortress. They said dozens of merchant guilds had brought wagon convoys simply to establish themselves in Hanzhong.

Few people did not anticipate the grand founding ceremony. It was a famine year, a time when people desperately needed the strength to protect even a single grain of rice.

The conversations of merchants who had rented entire taverns never ended.

“Can people like us really watch the grand founding ceremony?”

“I can read rather well. I am not some peculiar merchant like you, who can calculate but does not even know the Thousand Character Classic. If the notice on the wall is true, we will be able to see the Martial Alliance as well.”

“Oh...! Then we might be able to recruit capable martial artists after seeing them with our own eyes. Of course, we could never dream of hiring the masters who perform outstandingly at the grand founding ceremony...”

“More than that, I want to see how masters wield their swords. If I become familiar with their opening stances and their bearing, I will not be cheated when I hire wandering martial artists in the future.”

“I should keep that in mind too.”

“I heard even a master from Desolate Fortress will participate as an envoy. That is the first or second thing we need to watch closely. If Desolate Fortress makes a strong showing here, no one knows how the balance of power will change. People follow striking sights. Goods might start flowing not to Hanzhong, but to Xiangyang, where Desolate Fortress’s main fortress stands.”

“I wonder. Was it not the Martial Alliance that arranged such a grand event? I heard the Jegal Family, which had long been based here in Hanzhong, forms its core. Would they invite Desolate Fortress without confidence in victory? They must have made their calculations.”

“That is true, but... the rumors about Desolate Fortress’s young peerless master are no ordinary matter.”

“I know. I have gathered information even from Sichuan. If we want to spend money and establish ties early, we must predict the outcome. Let me tell you what I have heard. There is the most talk about Seom-ye, the Dark King Among Flowers; Eon Hwa-ryeon, the First Fist of the Eon Family; and the Mount Hua Sword Absolute. I think they are the most likely contenders as well. The elders will not participate.”

“The leader of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen has descended from Mount Hua? That noble swordsman? I had no idea! Are they trying to stop the great families from dominating everything...?”

“If you were investing, where would you place your bet? I think Eon Hwa-ryeon, the First Fist of the Eon Family, is the safest choice. The Jegal Family will surely pit Seom-ye against the Sword Absolute first.”

“...It is truly difficult.”

It was the center of a great upheaval. A new martial-world order was taking root.

* * *

Four days passed.

Jeong Yeon-shin traveled with a man and a woman, the Immortal Dragon Jegal Hyeon and the Spear Phoenix Ak Ye-rim.

The Little Sword Empress, whom he had originally intended to bring, had joined Hyeon Won-chang and Languid Flame Dragon’s group instead.

Yeon-shin had changed the formation when they split up because he was concerned about the other group’s strength.

‘The Little Sword Empress will be more useful than the Ak Family spear wielder. Young hero Hyeon and Languid Flame Dragon must return safely.’

He had made the decision as Leader of Demon Wings. Black Uniform was a rank entrusted with command. He had considered the balance of power between the two groups.

With the Little Sword Empress there, Languid Flame Dragon’s strength would be even more effective.

Before creating the Record of the Dharma Light Wheel, Yeon-shin could not have confidently claimed even a sixty percent chance of victory against Languid Flame Dragon. The group at Sevenfold Gorge should be capable of facing masters from a major faction as well.

Languid Flame Dragon was an unranked disciple.

Their talents were equally exceptional, but the gap in their years was great.

At the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, they had tested themselves purely through their senses, and Yeon-shin had gained the advantage.

Even after Yeon-shin had grown further since then, Languid Flame Dragon remained a difficult opponent. It would not be surprising if Yeon-shin lost three or four matches out of ten.

There were many variables in a fight.

The interaction of compatibilities determined by the order in which techniques were unleashed, the flow of inner energy on a particular day, minute bodily changes based on the condition of one’s minor meridians... the world of masters was deeply complex.

‘Languid Flame Dragon has a rotten personality and excels at provoking people. If I fall for it, I will have to begin half a step behind.’

The boy thought as he glanced at Ak Ye-rim, whom he had exchanged for the Little Sword Empress. It had been a good decision for Hyeon Won-chang’s group.

They said the Little Sword Empress was a swordswoman comparable to Weiji Myo-hwa. Rumors also claimed that she had mastered the Jeomchang Sect’s Four Escapes Sword Art.

If she coordinated well with Languid Flame Dragon, Hyeon Won-chang, and the others, they could at least speak of survival even before a peerless master at the Black Uniform level.

“What is it?”

Ak Ye-rim shot him a sideways glare under the Leader of Demon Wings’ gaze. Yeon-shin answered casually.

“I’m glad you came.”

“What nonsense...!”

The boy continued onward in silence. He did not care that Ak Ye-rim was startled.

They had reached their destination.

It was West Peak Road in Hanzhong Prefecture.

It was wide.

The brush on both sides of the broad, sprawling road had been cleared. The mountain ranges stretching out on either side were fully visible.

It was more accurate to call it a temporary encampment than an official road. It was where armies, merchant guilds, and escort agencies on long journeys stopped for a night.

The tents raised across the evenly packed ground felt heavily guarded.

Martial artists standing watch could be seen at intervals. Unlike ordinary martial artists, they wore leather armor. A group had clearly arrived.

Jeong Yeon-shin narrowed his eyes.

He did not need to work hard to guess.

It was the Heart Martial Union’s martial force.

“They seem to have made it an outpost.”

Jegal Hyeon, standing beside him, spoke. He drew the iron fan at his waist slightly and his eyes gleamed.

It seemed he had activated a secret art of the Jegal Family. As he closely studied the encampment, an extraordinary presence emanated from him.

Was he seeing through the insides of the tents?

A spiritually potent aura could be felt behind Jegal Hyeon’s handsome eyes. He had poured inner energy into the Tongziliao acupoint near his eyes.

It was an exceptional eye technique.

It seemed like training that had reached the realm of sorcery arts.