WeTried Translations

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◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈

Episode 175: Sword of Autumn (3)

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The newly appointed Leader of Demon Wings had mocked the Sword Venerable of Henan. Both were figures with the standing to represent their respective factions.

And these were no ordinary factions. Desolate Fortress and the Heart Martial Union. A clash between two supreme masters was an event of great consequence.

"...You've made me curious about your sword."

Baek Seo-gun, the Spirit Sky Sword Ghost, spoke quietly.

She lifted her left hand slightly. It was not the beginning of an attack. With a casual gesture, she swept back her pale white hair, which now barely covered the nape of her neck.

There was a wildness unique to the strong in her bearing.

Aura flowed from her white nape toward the Taiyang acupoint at her temple. It was tremendously powerful.

For the first time in nearly three years.

The supreme master whom the Feudal Prince had called a sword ghost had revealed her competitive spirit. It was rare enough to make the Heart Martial Union's martial army falter for a moment.

Jeong Yeon-shin silently watched her. The irregular pulses of power radiating from her were exceptionally dense.

She did not appear to have cultivated the inner energy of the Demonic Sect, yet the flow of her qi was as unrestrained as if it reflected her nature.

She was the kind of opponent whose sword path was difficult to predict.

'She's strong.'

He recalled their exchange from moments earlier.

He had originally aimed for Baek Seo-gun's head. He had intended to split her in two with a single strike.

The instant they faced each other, he had sensed that she was no ordinary swordsman.

The internal injuries he had suffered on West Peak Road and the stamina he had lost from his dash had taken a heavy toll. He had no choice but to seek a quick victory.

Her skill had stopped him.

Baek Seo-gun's defensive form was truly remarkable. She had instantly snatched back the blade she had extended as though through qi sword control, creating a trajectory for a counterattack.

Her sword thrust flashed like lightning. It seemed to say that if his head split apart, her heart would not escape unscathed either. It was a terrifying sword form.

Jeong Yeon-shin withdrew his move and struck her sword aside. He felt a heavy sword force.

The residual force wave from that sword clash swept around Baek Seo-gun's neck.

No master coated their hair in Protective Qi Technique. It could only be cut by such sharp force.

The long hair that had been an emblem of mastery in his mind was severed then.

"You talked about qualifications."

The Leader of Demon Wings in black robes spoke evenly.

Baek Seo-gun did not answer. She simply turned toward the boy without a word.

Beneath the long crimson hems of her trousers, the soft sound of her red leather shoes pressing into the stone floor echoed.

The sound of her footfalls carried dense qi.

"..."

Silence descended.

The encirclement formed by the Heart Martial Union's martial artists, layer upon layer, froze.

Many of them looked lost, as if they could not believe their eyes, despite being martial artists from a major faction.

Moyong Myeong-jun and Gongsun Min, who had arrived after the Little Sword Empress, could not speak either. Only their expressions differed.

Moyong's Young Family Head watched the younger master who had exchanged blows with the Spirit Sky Sword Ghost with a grave expression. The young master of the Gongsun Family could not hide the admiration on his face.

They appeared to feel the exact opposite.

"I'll ask again."

Facing Baek Seo-gun, Jeong Yeon-shin parted his lips.

"Do you know my paternal family?"

He held his sword lowered and carried himself as an equal before the Heart Martial Union's Sword Venerable. It was a scene difficult to imagine anywhere in vast Henan.

Yet Baek Seo-gun no longer pointed out his disrespect. It was as though she had decided to treat the Black Uniform of Desolate Fortress as an eminent swordsman of the Demonic Sect.

"I know it very well."

She smiled.

"I may know more about Jeong Family Manor than you do. I heard you left home at fifteen."

"You fall only a little short of my years. I have lived half again as long."

"Were you a guest of my family?"

"Who knows? Was Jeong Family Manor ever the kind of family that could keep a martial master as a guest?"

Baek Seo-gun curled the corner of her lips, while Jeong Yeon-shin calmly closed his mouth.

They stood facing one another in crimson martial clothes and a pitch-black long robe, creating a hushed stillness.

When the boy fell silent, the conversation stopped. The martial army surrounding them in a wide circle and the Martial Alliance's young martial artists did not dare interrupt.

"The way you speak, you'd think you were scraping through the hunger gap in a famine."

Only the Imperial Hero's spirit remained sharp.

"For someone who claims dignity through the sword."

Hyeon Won-chang paid no heed to the gazes of the encirclement focused on him.

His earlier talk of insubordination before the Languid Flame Dragon now looked absurd.

Leaving behind an unranked disciple staring in disbelief, Hyeon Won-chang spoke to his Squad Leader again.

"That Spirit Sky Sword Ghost is an eccentric. If Squad Leader intends to repel this martial army and capture her, it would be best to wager something that might tempt her. Her nature does not follow common sense. If it catches her interest, she'll gladly accept."

"The child wearing a hero's headband has considerable insight. I thought you merely looked solid."

Baek Seo-gun raised her long lashes. Her expression showed surprise.

When she turned back to Jeong Yeon-shin, her gaze slowly swept over his entire body in a peculiar manner.

It was like an artist admiring a masterpiece.

"You have grown very well. I once thought your father had a talent for teaching. He honed a vessel that a Family Head of a third-rate martial family could never dream of, then died. He must have had no regrets when he closed his eyes. This is a good thing."

Her expression was full of satisfaction. She spoke as though a burden had been lifted from her, as if Jeong Yeon-shin's existence had brought her some comfort.

"..."

The corner of the boy's mouth lifted slightly. It was a small, faint smile.

As Baek Seo-gun tilted her head a little, Hyeon Won-chang muttered from behind her.

"Looking at her now, she's a complete fool."

Yet Baek Seo-gun's eyes were now filled entirely with Jeong Yeon-shin.

"It truly was unexpected. A blood relative of Jeong Family Manor entered Desolate Fortress. Your father did not have the nature of a hero, after all. Did you have support from your maternal family in mind?"

Baek Seo-gun had remained calm even against the Leader of Demon Wings' sword art, yet she showed even greater interest in the boy.

It was impossible to tell whether her words were questions or mutterings to herself. She was self-centered, yet her eyes seemed ready to etch even Jeong Yeon-shin's breathing into memory.

Eccentric truly was the right word.

"I did not realize it after leaving, but seeing you face-to-face now gives me a strange feeling. I can see Pan Yue in your face."

She kept touching the ends of her hair. A supreme master was an incarnation of martial arts, power circulating through every part of the body.

The soft rustling caused by qi echoed all the way to the opposite side. She seemed to like her short hair.

"Pan Yue?"

Jeong Yeon-shin asked without thinking. It was his father's sobriquet. Had they been more than mere acquaintances?

"If I had not made a great choice, I might have held your hand and walked through Xinye County. This will do instead. You received all the love I could not give you. Your complexion is so healthy that I wonder how you were raised."

Baek Seo-gun smiled with her eyes.

Had she mistaken the effects of the Jeong Family Youth Technique for the care given by his parents?

That was when Hyeon Won-chang, unable to watch any longer, stepped forward.

"The Tyrant Sword Sect and the Heart Martial Union are no different. You are blind with your eyes open."

"Hm?"

"You know that Squad Leader's maternal family is connected to Desolate Fortress, but you do not know the private circumstances of his household. That is only natural. Still, speaking as if you understand everything despite that is another matter."

At the mention of family affairs, Baek Seo-gun's eyes flashed.

"Tell me more."

Her attention shifted in an instant. Baek Seo-gun was not the only one to turn fully toward him.

The Languid Flame Dragon and the Little Sword Empress did as well, along with Gongsun Min, the Martial Alliance Assembly representatives, and the Heart Martial Union's martial artists.

Their positions and factions all differed. Each had their own reason to focus.

Information about the newly appointed Leader of Demon Wings was precious. Very little of it had spread through the martial world.

There was no better clue than one's upbringing when trying to predict the actions of a mysterious supreme master.

Events that might reveal someone's character, their sect and personal grudges, matters concerning blood relatives. Books compiling the personal histories of famous martial masters were traded for enormous sums. Even then, they were rare.

Whether from personal curiosity or hostility, they could not help paying attention.

Jeong Yeon-shin's expression darkened.

'Young Hero Hyeon is buying time for me. I need to think of a way out.'

This was not how a place where they should be fighting for their lives was supposed to feel.

They were balancing between tension and ease because of the Spirit Sky Sword Ghost's free-spirited and strange nature. It was a temporary peace.

Jeong Yeon-shin's concern also played a part. He stood in the middle of enemy territory. If battle began carelessly, he might lose his companions.

Two hundred martial soldiers, along with the Spirit Sky Sword Ghost.

They could not contend with them unless the full strength of Demon Wings was brought in.

Jeong Yeon-shin had originally come thinking he could block the gorge and let his companions escape. He had believed he could manage it for a short while.

'No. It will be difficult.'

The information the Sword Star had given him was wrong.

The martial might of the Spirit Sky Sword Ghost, said to be undefeated in Henan, could not be properly measured. She was stronger than he had heard.

Even though a sword form of Jeong Yeon-shin's that she had never seen before had thwarted her technique, she had survived a single exchange.

Even after yielding the initiative, she had not suffered a loss in the world of supreme masters. It was not easy to calculate his odds of victory.

'There are soldiers here who have learned martial arts as well. We can't handle this place.'

The boy slowly parted his lips.

"Only Ma Gwang-il’s Squad is meant to know my history."

"I will keep silent."

Hyeon Won-chang shut his mouth at once. Even when the Languid Flame Dragon, who knew nothing, struck his side and asked through sound transmission to be told, he did not speak.

The Little Sword Empress and Gongsun Min also showed deep interest. They seemed to be holding back their questions only because the situation was so tense.

Doubt appeared on Baek Seo-gun's face as well.

"Speak. What did I misunderstand?"

"Return to the Heart Martial Union and find out. That is why I came."

"My purpose was to see your face."

"That is none of my concern. Stop the plundering and return. If you refuse, consider half the heads of the subordinates you brought already gone."

The Leader of Demon Wings, still holding his sword, spoke quietly. It was a calm threat.

He had already crossed swords with the Heart Martial Union's Sword Venerable and cut her hair. No one would take his words as an empty threat.

And they did not. The encirclement stirred in an instant. Even if the trained martial army's expressions remained stern, they could not hide their aura.

They could kill the Leader of Demon Wings. But if this army suffered losses close to annihilation, their achievement would become meaningless.

Baek Seo-gun stared at the boy for a moment.

Very slowly, she parted her lips.

"You are clearly Jeong Dae-myung's son, yet you are unlike him. I want to know about your life."

"I'm no longer curious about you."

"You are clearly not in perfect condition. How many days have you been running? Did you come here from West Peak Road in one rush?"

"..."

"Rest for a while. Your force wave is startlingly sharp, but I do not want to face a limp sword."

"Why are you offering me kindness?"

"I have a connection to Jeong Family Manor. I abandoned it long ago, yet seeing you has stirred strange feelings in me. Is there anyone else who survived?"

"There is no one."

"You are lying. Enough. I can find out later. Have you learned to drink?"

"I don't enjoy it."

"What a pity. With a body trained to that extent, even the ill effects of alcohol might serve as medicine. I suppose it will only loosen your body a little."

The corner of her mouth rose suddenly. It was a smile whose meaning he could not read.

"Come to think of it, I have never received a drink from a direct descendant of Jeong Family Manor in my life."

"...You're talking about drinking together here?"

"For every cup I receive, I will spare one person. Seeing how you rushed in without considering anything else, you seem to value your companions. I will send them away one by one, staking my name on it. I will keep the subordinates here."

It was a conversation difficult to follow with common sense. They said the martial world was full of eccentrics and extraordinary people. The Spirit Sky Sword Ghost was one of them.

She had become an eccentric figure. She would have been one even without the mystique of being a supreme master who wielded flying swords.

She had grown up as a maid in a rural family, enjoyed every rare treasure and lofty power for so long that her soul had become dull.

That was why she had come to Hanzhong after hearing rumors of Jeong Family Manor and following Seom-ye's trail.

She could not easily let even a small source of interest pass her by.

Like certain officials from rural areas who, after passing the imperial examinations, returned to their home villages many years later in search of peace.

A drinking gathering was arranged.

Two supreme masters sat facing each other with a single cup and a single flask between them.

Nearly two hundred people surrounded the drinking table. The widest hill in Sevenfold Gorge filled with a silent crowd and chilly tension.

"You may take the first cup."

Baek Seo-gun wrapped her long fingers around the wine flask. It was the right hand she used for the sword.

As she watched the boy with a faint smile, the boy's eyes also took in her entire body.

Her little finger moved last when she grasped the flask. It would be the same when she gripped a sword.

The aura radiating from the Shaochong acupoint beside the smooth nail of her little finger was the weakest.

It meant the movements of her sword art were free. When she did not wield flying swords, she likely used a splendid fast sword.

He also took in the right arm visible through her crimson sleeve. The sleekly trained muscles caught his eye.

She had the build of an exceptionally agile swordsman, but the shadow running from the triceps down to the finger extensor muscle below the thumb was somewhat deep.

Her body itself was a treasured sword. It had been built into a structure optimized for sword forms with strong fluidity.

It was worth incorporating into the Jeong Family Youth Technique and developing further.

'Should I blend in the principles of the Sihwa Boundless Hand too? A form like the wild wind of Sevenfold Gorge.'

Since he had begun creating a new sword art, his eye had changed once more. All things under heaven, people and nature alike, had become nourishment and inspiration for swordsmanship.

It was as if a sword had taken root within his broadened Baihui acupoint. He drew nourishment from everything without distinction.

Lightning flashed endlessly through the boy's mind. For a sword art to be called a divine art, a single form was not enough.

He grew stronger where he sat.

The young Leader of Demon Wings raised his cup beneath the sunset.

Footnotes:

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