WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈

Episode 179: Swordsman (2)

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The person holding the Martial Alliance Assembly's largest source of funds met Desolate Fortress's Leader of Demon Wings.

Their meeting immediately drew the attention of even those who had been hurriedly clearing a path.

"Miss Ye? Wasn't her hair originally red?"

"You're behind on the news. They say she achieved great mastery in her cultivation art."

"Mastery of a breathing method? What does that even mean?"

"Unmarried children of the Ye Clan do not reveal their names. Apparently, the manifestation of red-black hair resembles Blood Arts. They say black hair returns once their cultivation reaches a certain depth, and that happened during the founding ceremony."

"During the founding ceremony……? Were there many witnesses?"

"It happened before a large crowd. The Family Heads of many clans and the Alliance Leader were there. She proved her bloodline, wealth, and martial arts, so isn't it only natural that she was given the position of Internal Chief Strategist?"

"Can something like that be dismissed just because it is supposedly similar? It is far too similar……."

The man in yellow lowered his voice. The swordsman beside him smiled faintly.

"They say a master's enlightenment can come in an instant. When one crosses a wall, the qualities revealed cannot be concealed. White Qilin Namgung Hwa-shin was in danger during a match when she suddenly attained great enlightenment in the spectator seats. The sight of clear energy washing her red hair black…… Personally, I thought it matched the impression made by the Eon Family Fist. If anything, that dispelled even the smallest doubts."

"White Qilin! Right, what happened to White Qilin? I heard Namgung Hwa-shin fought a veteran master from the Hongwon School!"

"Not a veteran martial artist, but its School Leader. A seasoned master in the forties……."

Jeong Yeon-shin heard every word.

This had been the case even before the person called Ye Ha-rin approached. The Light Wheel was the culmination of the inner cultivation the boy had honed.

If it had moved on its own, even for an instant, it could not be easily overlooked.

So Jeong Yeon-shin remained still.

When Ye Ha-rin came within two paces, the Seventh Apostle briefly came to mind. It was because of her cheerful tone, as though she were strangely detached from the present world.

Had their voices been similar, Jeong Yeon-shin's suspicions might have deepened.

The masseter muscles on either side of Ye Ha-rin's tapered jaw were also slightly wider than the Seventh Apostle's. The space between her brows and the bridge of her nose were ever so slightly broader.

Those were areas where nerves and acupoints of the upper dantian were distributed. They could not be altered through a disguise art.

Even so, the distinction had to be certain.

Jeong Yeon-shin did not move even when Ye Ha-rin reached out her hand. It was the same as when the power of the Demonic Sect had been instantly identified.

The boy wanted to confirm her own qi through contact. Yet after pulsing once, the Light Wheel gave no further response.

It remained that way even after her hand fully touched his. Unless some rare treasure existed that could perfectly conceal one's nature, she was likely an orthodox martial artist.

‘Did dharma power react first?’

That could happen if someone had drawn in pure inner energy. Yu Hyeon of the Mount Hua Sect was like that.

It was because Yu Hyeon had mastered the Violet Dawn Divine Art, which was highly renowned among Daoist schools. Weiji Myo-hwa, who cultivated the Daoist martial arts of Zhongnan, would likely be the same.

Just as the boy calmly organized his thoughts, Ye Ha-rin spoke.

"You aren't as shy as you look. Despite that calm appearance, I thought you might be soft-hearted."

Tap.

Ye Ha-rin curled her lips and took a step back. Her hand, which had rested on the back of the boy's hand, was the last to withdraw, with her index and middle fingers trailing behind.

The fingers formed a sword gesture. She truly was someone who took martial arts seriously.

"Since it feels as though I've come off worse, I'll tell you this. That is my childhood name. I was given another name when I came of age. It is something I can reveal only at an important time."

"Repeat accurately the words passed on by Sword Star."

The boy spoke. Ye Ha-rin's smile deepened.

"That truly was all of it. There was only the opinion that it would be fine to make plans for later. Whether you follow it or not is yours to decide. Who here has the right to force a Black Uniform of Desolate Fortress into doing anything?"

"All right."

Jeong Yeon-shin answered shortly.

The sensation probing into the boy's aura sense through the upper dantian was ticklish. It was dense goodwill, entering through the Baihui acupoint that had opened wider in recent days.

It was coming from Ye Ha-rin, who stood smiling before him. It felt as though a piece of candy were melting in his mind. She was an exceedingly strange person.

Shaking his head inwardly, the boy slowly began to walk.

That was when Ye Ha-rin gathered her flowing white sleeves behind her back.

"White Qilin entered the grand founding ceremony in your place. Namgung Hwa-shin will be preparing for the next match."

"……Thank you."

"We will be seeing each other often from now on. Treating you with respect has become my duty. An envoy from a major faction that is not part of the Assembly must be treated with great care."

She smiled as she said it, leaving behind the implication that Jeong Yeon-shin should not turn her away if she suddenly came to visit.

After briefly hesitating, Jeong Yeon-shin began walking again.

Languid Flame Dragon, who had been sweeping his gaze over the Assembly's martial artists, immediately followed. He slightly lowered his head as he walked beside the boy.

"She seems arrogant, yet she does not cross the line. When she touched you earlier, she deliberately relaxed her forearm muscles. She even withdrew all the power gathered in her qi and blood. She appears to have learned orthodox martial arts, but her control of inner energy was remarkable."

"……."

"So that was the famous Miss Ye. They say few of the young ones here are not infatuated with her. Even those righteous riffraff who have known nothing but refinement all their lives would lose their heads over someone like that."

Languid Flame Dragon prattled on, as if trying to lighten the mood. With slyly narrowed eyes, he glanced at his Squad Leader's expression.

He understood what the Shaolin Great Revitalization Pill, the reward for the grand founding ceremony, meant to Jeong Yeon-shin.

The boy had given the Lesser Revitalization Pill received as a reward for the Sichuan mission to his grandfather, Ma Yeon-jeok.

It had been an elixir pill awarded by the Chief Steward's Office when they settled the merits. They had said the Squad Leader could use it freely.

It was an item acquired from Shaolin and held in reserve for someone worthy of the reward.

Jeong Yeon-shin had left it beside his sleeping grandfather's pillow.

After reaching the point of mutual destruction with the Blood Flame Sect Master, Ma Yeon-jeok had been reduced to a corpse-like state and frequently lost consciousness.

‘The Lesser Revitalization Pill isn't enough.’

The Great Revitalization Pill, whose fame in the martial world rivaled only the fruit of the World Tree, might be different.

Jeong Yeon-shin did not hope for Ma Yeon-jeok to instantly recover martial arts. The boy only wanted to see the grandfather move freely.

The sight of Ma Yeon-jeok holding back the Blood Flame Sect Master amid raging Azure Flame remained vivid in the boy's mind. It had been etched into him as familial love unlike anything received in his life.

The Assembly leaders' schemes were no reason to give up. The boy's grip tightened around the sword hilt.

That grip did not loosen even after Ye Ha-rin had touched his hand. Blue veins writhed across the back of it as Jeong Yeon-shin spoke.

"Focus on the grand founding ceremony first."

Languid Flame Dragon laughed quietly, as if he liked that answer.

"I like how my Squad Leader's talents are wholly devoted to one thing. It is exciting to wonder what will happen next. But didn't you say the grand founding ceremony had already begun?"

"What does that matter?"

It was not Jeong Yeon-shin who spoke. Hyeon Won-chang did. Walking toward Fragrant Rhyme Residence with the other two, Hyeon Won-chang's eyes flashed.

A colorless gleam passed through the pupils. Power-enhanced vision gleamed in the gaze. Hyeon Won-chang had been fuming ever since hearing that the founding ceremony had begun.

"I'll teach those bastards some shame. Squad Leader, it will be enough for you to swing your sword."

"That makes things easy."

Languid Flame Dragon muttered.

The Assembly's martial artists, who had stood dumbly in place, gradually receded behind them. The same went for the spectators who had come from outside.

They had seen the Assembly's Internal Chief Strategist speaking with Desolate Fortress's Leader of Demon Wings.

The sight of people of such high standing associating with one another was enough to dampen the spirits of martial artists everywhere.

Only the young lady of the Ye Clan had even slightly lifted the corners of her mouth.

She alone openly stared at the young Leader of Demon Wings's retreating back.

‘No matter what that old Sword Star babbles about, Grand Preceptor's wishes come first. I've delivered the message, so that's enough.’

With her smooth smile behind them, the Demon Wings party soon entered Fragrant Rhyme Residence.

Their residence did not carry its usual tranquil silence. There was a faint smell of blood in the air.

As the servants were startled by the sudden arrival of the boy and the young men, Jeong Yeon-shin saw Namgung Hwa-shin in the courtyard.

Namgung Hwa-shin was bent over a small pond, wetting both hands.

The Blue Uniform master's bearing was disheveled. With one foot on a rock, Namgung Hwa-shin wiped clotted blood from the corner of the mouth with the back of a hand.

It seemed Namgung Hwa-shin had wanted to appear uninjured after sensing their presence. Realizing it was too late, Namgung Hwa-shin smiled awkwardly.

"I'm glad you're safe."

Namgung Hwa-shin spoke, and the boy watched silently.

"……I heard you went up on the stage in my place."

"I had good fortune in my matches and did not lose. I was also glad not to encounter any rising juniors. All my opponents, including the martial artist I faced just before this, were veteran masters who taught me much. In any case, most young martial artists have fallen now. I heard that the remaining competitors are mainly middle-aged and older masters."

The tone was gentle. Was this the expression Namgung Hwa-shin's older brother, Clear Qilin, had often shown?

A faint smile spread across Namgung Hwa-shin's face, like ripples on the pond beside them. Yet Namgung Hwa-shin looked exhausted.

"……."

The autumn wind brushed clearly against the boy's face. Jeong Yeon-shin felt its translucent touch.

An unseen breeze lingered for a moment in the silence. The pond's ripples pushed outward in overlapping waves.

The boy thanked Namgung Hwa-shin.

* * *

The next day.

News that the Desolate Fortress party had returned did not receive much attention.

The Assembly martial artists who had seen them near the main gate knew shame. They had no choice but to keep quiet about it.

The Martial Alliance's leaders also did not make a point of spreading the news that Heart Martial Union had been defeated.

These were festive days meant to raise the Assembly's morale and public sentiment. The Martial Alliance's grand founding ceremony was a festival of martial arts unlike any other in the Central Plains, unfolding in Hanzhong, Shaanxi.

"Radiant Zen Sword, One Hero of Yeoju! Come forth and broaden the horizons of your fellow martial artists!"

A voice filled with inner energy rang out thunderously. Jegal Cheon, the acting Chief Strategist, personally stepped forward in dark green martial attire.

He stood atop the vast circular martial stage that symbolized the Assembly's orthodox martial legitimacy. Tremendous cheers filled the surroundings.

Waaaaaah!

A crowd that seemed to number a thousand surrounded the stage. The heat was like the height of summer.

Wooden watchtowers rising in every direction were packed with people. Somehow, they held.

A middle-aged man in yellow stepped onto the stage. He was Seop Un-cheol, known as the Radiant Zen Sword, a local martial artist born and raised in Hanzhong.

Dark, sword-shaped brows and an especially clear gaze attested to his extraordinary nature. He was also well known as the brother-in-law of the Zhuge Family Head.

The presence of So Jun, One Hero of Yeoju, approaching from the opposite side was equally impressive.

The instant So Jun took a step onto the stage, those who had been unable to find seats around it and were standing on the spectator watchtowers swayed.

It was caused by the force wave carried in So Jun's footwork.

Veteran masters possessed a different presence from rising juniors.

They were the true protagonists in the contest for supremacy at the grand founding ceremony.

"There are so many dragons and tigers. Was there really any need to force the schedule forward?"

"We had to account for every possibility."

"What about public opinion?"

"Hanzhong is already our Assembly's land. If we speak of the greater cause, the disgrace will fade."

"The strategist is right. From the beginning…… it was not as if there were no masters below the elder level who could face the Leader of Demon Wings. The leaders of each family's martial forces are all middle-aged and in their prime. Mount Hua Sword Absolute has descended the mountain as well, has that not happened?"

"It would be best not to mention that. Sending a boy master not even twenty years old against them was Desolate Fortress's intention in the first place. If we lost, it would have been utter humiliation for us. Even if we won, it would not have been a complete victory."

This was the Martial Alliance leaders' spectator area. Quiet conversation passed beneath the splendid canopy, within the broad shade it cast.

The confidence of people who had considered victory natural throughout their lives flowed from them with refinement.

They were martial aristocrats, living in their own world by their own rules.

To one side, a middle-aged swordsman in Mount Hua Sect robes furrowed the brow. With arms crossed and eyes shut, the expression revealed discomfort.

Little Sword Empress, seated as the Jeomchang Sect Leader's disciple and representative, felt the same. Her blank face could not hide an oddly uneasy expression.

Still, the Martial Alliance's grand founding ceremony was a raging current heralding the tide of the age. It was not something sects cultivating the Way in the mountains could easily resist.

"Radiant Zen Sword and One Hero of Yeoju. Who did you wager on?"

"I already put half of my remaining fortune each on Mount Hua Sword Absolute and First Fist of the Eon Family, but…… watching their match alone should be enough to open one's eyes. I think Radiant Zen Sword's swordsmanship will be a little sharper. He was once called Hanzhong's greatest prodigy."

"Those from near Yeoju Prefecture may think otherwise."

As the crowd discussed the match with excited expressions, Seop Un-cheol, the Radiant Zen Sword, and So Jun, One Hero of Yeoju, faced each other.

The heat rose in an instant. The cheers climbed without end.

The unparalleled festival in the Central Plains, now in its fourth day, was about to enter another round.

Then.

Bang!

A flag slammed down diagonally into the middle of the martial stage. A fierce force wave tore into the ground.

Dust swept outward in concentric rings, carried by violently surging qi within the wave of power.

A white long robe tied to the iron flagpole fluttered violently.

The character for Desolation emblazoned across its back was displayed to the world.

"Desolate Fortress's Leader of Demon Wings! Seom-ye Jeong Yeon-shin, who took pity on the common people of Hanzhong!"

The voice of an unknown young man rang out. It carried qi raised to its utmost limit.

It possessed the same nature as the colorless power rippling from the flag planted in the martial stage. The voice echoed in all directions as though Lion's Roar had been mastered.

"He has driven back the Spirit Sky Sword Ghost and Heart Martial Union's martial forces―!"

It was a tremendous roar. For an instant, the very air seemed to shake.

An unexpected incident had erupted. It was not a method easily imagined in the orthodox martial world.

Though brazen, it was a sight that stirred the ambitions of all who watched. Whispers spread in every direction like a tidal wave.

The moment hundreds of martial heroes blinked once, a boy in black robes stood beneath Desolate Fortress's white flag.

It was a startling use of the Body Movement Scripture.

Only afterward did the fierce backwash of the boy's terrifying lightness skill sweep through the area.

As the pitch-black long robe and black hair fluttered together, the young Leader of Demon Wings slowly opened his mouth.

"I agreed to participate as an envoy, yet I was late through my own failing. Was your Assembly not formed to oppose the main fortress? What meaning would there be without me? Is that not so?"

Jeong Yeon-shin acted every inch the Black Uniform of Desolate Fortress. The voice was truly arrogant.

The posture and bearing were the same. The young supreme master stood proudly between Radiant Zen Sword and One Hero of Yeoju.

With a smooth chin slightly raised, the boy looked down at the crowd below the stage.

"Leader of Demon Wings?"

"That Body Movement Scripture……!"

The boy did not even acknowledge the two veteran masters.

One hand rested behind the back, while the other gripped the banner of the Imperial Hero's long robe. Jeong Yeon-shin pulled up the flagpole embedded in the ground and spoke.

"Desolate Fortress does not avoid challenges."

With those words, the boy drove it down again.

Boom!

A heavy tremor rang out. Waves of power spread in a circle from beneath the boy's feet, accompanied by a faint gust.

The flagpole stood perfectly perpendicular to the martial stage. The flag, struck by the recoil, snapped fiercely as it proudly displayed the character for Desolation.

"I deeply acknowledge responsibility for being late. Therefore, from this moment onward, this Squad Leader will face every match alone."

The Leader of Demon Wings twisted his lips into a smile.

"You need not worry about the disgrace of a rotating assault."

"……."

For several breaths, time froze as though the world had stopped.

Footnotes:

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