WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈
Episode 216: Flash (3)
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‘The Black Uniform seniors...?’
Jeong Yeon-shin set the light wheel in his heart spinning.
A faint current of the Record of the Dharma Light Wheel immediately surged upward.
As it passed through his solar plexus, the inner energy at the Fengchi acupoint, where the meridians at the back of his head met those beneath his ears, grew denser.
The meridians along the nearby blood vessels sharpened his nerves. It was sensory training for his hearing.
The sounds entering his ears grew louder.
Even then, the Black Uniform martial artists’ conversation remained faint. Only after he spread the light wheel’s power more thickly could he catch their voices.
It seemed they had raised a barrier with their martial power immediately after the Heaven-Treading Forest Squad Leader shouted.
Xiahou Wi-jin had only shouted with power once.
After that, he used his ordinary voice. They were inside the Squad Leaders’ aura barrier, so no one but Jeong Yeon-shin could hear them.
The pure efficacy of the Record of the Dharma Light Wheel carried a young woman’s voice to him, though faintly.
“...You lunatic! How could you blurt out the name of the secret manual?!”
There were few in the world who could scold the Heaven-Treading Forest Squad Leader like that.
It was clearly the voice of Ak Su-rim, the Desolate Divine Spear. She seemed to be rushing over with Xiahou Wi-jin. His blunt question followed.
“What is the problem?”
“You know you aren’t stupid, so why are you acting like this? The name itself is the problem. It practically announces that it is Seom-ye’s handiwork while provoking every orthodox martial lineage.”
“It is an exceptionally well-made name.”
“Anyone can tell what sort of secret manual it is at once. Anyone with half a brain could at least make a guess. You big oaf, are you truly insane?”
“I simply dislike concealing it. Something like this should be widely known. Maintaining dignity and reading the room are entirely different matters. Shall we stay silent because we fear the martial strength of outsiders? That would be conduct unworthy of Black Uniform martial artists.”
“You’ve lost your mind. Do you know what will happen to the main fortress if this is revealed? Stop looking with bear eyes and see like one of the elven race! Do you think being good at eye techniques is all that matters?”
“We can handle it. The Divine Sword Squad is strong.”
“Even if more than ten Purple Uniform martial artists and dozens of Black Uniform martial artists come at us? You know this is serious enough for that. You only recently returned from the Martial Alliance Assembly, yet you’re still full of hot air. This will not end on the scale of an assembly, either.”
“The Nine Sects are secondary. But you overestimate the Family Heads. More than ten Purple Uniform martial artists?”
“Read the situation instead of picking pointless fights. Am I wrong? If you can take on any Family Head of the Eight Great Families and kill even one alone, I’ll admit it. Could you do now what you have not managed in decades, even with that huge body? And major factions are not the only concern. What about the peerless masters who stand alone in the martial world without belonging to any sect?”
“If the Divine Sword Squad’s Seventeen Squads unite...”
“Even when there were three Purple Uniform martial artists, it was difficult to bear the entire martial world. Say something possible from the start. If the main fortress abandons the people under heaven, can it still be called Desolate Fortress?”
“...”
“There is no greater fool. You wear down fox-like caution for the sake of your pride. If you die on a mission, that will be the only reason. Truly.”
“I have another plan. This is not something Black Uniform martial artists alone should keep. It would be better to raise the combat strength of the entire main fortress...”
“What use is becoming stronger only against orthodox sects while accepting that the rumors will spread? Do you think the Thirteen Heavens will just crouch like dogs? It is a hundred times better for only Black Uniform martial artists to learn it. No, look at this man who is only worth fifty exchanges talking back at every turn. Releasing something like this without discussion is madness!”
“Where in Wonpyeong One Sword Hall is there a Black Uniform martial artist who would seriously listen to me? It would have been dismissed the moment I brought it up. And fifty exchanges? That differs greatly from my recollection.”
“What?”
“Did I not unleash at least sixty forms?”
A snort sounded at once.
“Are you proud that your breathing during Static Training is so short? Your attacks are so inefficient that you are the inferior one!”
“It has already happened, so let us stop. The Heaven-Treading Forest Squad Leader was rash. There will likely be repercussions. Perhaps we should be grateful that it is late at night.”
The arguing voices gradually drew closer.
By the time the clear voice of Un So-yu, the Law Enforcement Squad Leader, reached him, three figures had entered his sight.
They approached from directly opposite the main gate of the Demon Wings residence.
Each person’s Body Movement Scripture had its own character.
Whoosh!
Ak Su-rim lightly kicked off the ground, while Un So-yu’s footwork was soundless and springy.
Xiahou Wi-jin’s Body Movement Scripture, on the other hand, was awkwardly light.
To an expert’s eye, it looked almost unsteady. He seemed to be training while taking Jeong Yeon-shin’s advice to heart.
All three moved slowly compared to their martial prowess. They had not displayed their full speed because they were within the main fortress.
Still, they were Black Uniform martial artists. The moment their forms registered in his eyes, they rapidly closed the distance.
The Demon Wings Blue Uniform martial artists, who had been on guard, retreated behind Jeong Yeon-shin toward the gate.
The hems of Cheong Myeong and Baek Mir-yeo’s blue robes brushed past either shoulder of their Squad Leader.
Pung-ran and Na Il-cheon, who had come from the Blood Guard Squad, also found themselves standing with Demon Wings.
The three Squad Leaders soon arrived.
A strong gust swept over them. Jeong Yeon-shin’s hair fluttered slightly behind him.
“It is good to see you, seniors.”
Jeong Yeon-shin offered a simple fist salute as he studied their faces.
Xiahou Wi-jin had mentioned the Comprehensive Guide to Breaking the Orthodox Sects earlier.
There had supposedly been a gathering at Wonpyeong One Sword Hall. It seemed the secret manual Jeong Yeon-shin had poured considerable effort into writing had been revealed there.
He wondered why they had come. Was something missing from the document?
‘Come to think of it... I also found a counter for the Shandong Ak Family’s Body Movement Scripture.’
Spear Phoenix Ak Ye-rim came to mind. As Clear Qilin’s betrothed, she had apologized to Jeong Yeon-shin when they parted.
She had been said to be the Desolate Divine Spear’s niece. Some of the counters would surely apply to Ak Su-rim’s martial arts as well. He did not know how she would take it.
Then it happened.
Tap.
Ak Su-rim landed before him and smiled brightly.
“Our Seom-ye’s features become clearer by the day, don’t they? Your hands and feet keep growing too, so I should make sure you learn your timing well. You know the sense of distance between transcendent masters is a lifeline, right? A difference of one chon changes the effectiveness of Force Projection.”
“Thank you for the advice.”
“You already know all of that.”
She lightly waved a hand.
A massive silhouette fell across Ak Su-rim’s head.
Under the bright moonlight, Xiahou Wi-jin’s imposing build stood out. Even his shadow looked immensely sturdy.
He was a giant of seven chi. He was called the largest fortress wall in Desolate Fortress.
Among common people, he was also known as a divine general who descended when heavenly fortune reached them.
His presence suited the epithet Thousand Fists, Dragon-Powered Divine Official. It was said that he had lived as a Black Uniform martial artist far longer than Ak Su-rim.
“How can you see and think that way?”
He asked abruptly. Jeong Yeon-shin answered with an even shorter question.
“Pardon?”
“You do not seem to have trained in a peerless eye technique, yet your eye for detail and your ideas are remarkable. To make something like that at your age, with those hands. Even I, who have learned my clan’s eye techniques, do not possess such delicacy.”
“You flatter me.”
“I only skimmed a few pages from the first half before coming here. Yes, first...”
Whoosh.
A colorless wave spread from Xiahou Wi-jin’s body as he trailed off.
It brushed across Jeong Yeon-shin’s face. A faint curtain unfolded.
It was qi given tangible form.
He had extended his martial power to form a hemispherical soundproof barrier. Ordinary internal training could not accomplish such a thing.
His facility at sending and retrieving qi was equally remarkable. It was an inner-energy technique that proved the unification of essence, qi, and spirit.
“Let us go inside first. There are matters for the Squad Leaders to discuss...”
“The Comprehensive Guide to Breaking the Orthodox Sects? What is...”
The sounds from outside grew distant, along with the voices of Demon Wings’ Blue Uniform masters.
Soon, they were completely sealed off.
The Leader of Demon Wings, the Law Enforcement Squad Leader, the Heaven-Treading Forest Squad Leader, and the Divine Sword Squad Deputy Leader.
Xiahou Wi-jin’s aura barrier enclosed only the four Black Uniform martial artists.
It was a boundary separating the dignified Black Uniform martial artists from everyone else. Its low hum showed the depth of the elven race master’s inner energy.
Even the amount of qi stored in Jeong Yeon-shin’s current Record of the Dharma Light Wheel could not reach that level.
It was fitting for a noble clan. The years Xiahou Wi-jin had spent breathing and circulating qi were different.
‘If I keep the light wheel turning without rest for about a year, could I catch up? It is truly far away.’
As Jeong Yeon-shin inwardly marveled, Xiahou Wi-jin looked down at his junior with a strange expression.
“Let me ask first about the Moyong Family’s Heaven-Treading Thirteen Sword Steps. The countermethod was written very briefly.”
There was excitement in his deep voice.
Jeong Yeon-shin recalled the Heaven-Treading Sword Squad Leader he had crossed blades with at the Martial Alliance’s grand founding ceremony.
The swordsman had seemed to bear some grudge against Desolate Fortress. As the Moyong Family’s representative, the swordsman had tried to humiliate Jeong Yeon-shin.
It had been absurd conduct. Instead, the swordsman was defeated by Jeong Yeon-shin’s swordsmanship.
‘The sword art itself held mysteries. If we meet again, it will not be so easy.’
As Jeong Yeon-shin thought that, Ak Su-rim continued with a teasing smile.
“This big fellow nearly got himself killed by the Heaven-Treading Sword Formation once. They say he charged in alone to protect his subordinates. He wanted to face a sword formation deployed by thirty Heaven-Treading Sword Squad members, each roughly at the level of a Blue Uniform martial artist.”
“It is impressive that you survived. Had the Heaven-Treading Sword Squad Leader not been lured elsewhere, you truly would have died. As you can see, there are not many normal people among your seniors. It is probably only the Law Enforcement Squad Leader and me.”
Jeong Yeon-shin lowered his lashes slightly, pretending not to hear. He felt grateful once more that his maternal grandfather’s conduct had not changed.
“I included sufficient instructions.”
Xiahou Wi-jin spoke with a solemn expression.
“That is not wrong. As far as the mnemonic formulas go, yes. But there are matters difficult to infer unless one is the author of the secret manual. For example, when breaking the Moyong Family’s distinctive solid sword force... you wrote that, at the point of contact, one should shape the qi into the character yong (冗) and put about thirty percent more power into the lower gwe (几) component.”
“The sword force of the Heaven-Treading Sword was fundamentally sinister.”
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke calmly.
“The form of the martial power surrounding their arms and extending to the sword tip was unusual, while the qi structure had clear differences in strength. To break through with a thrusting form, that character was appropriate. With an attack focused on a single point, one has no choice but to rely on luck. It would be fortunate to strike a weak point in the flow of martial power by chance, but that is no way to control a battle steadily. By regulating the projected force wave through those two strokes, one can seize the advantage.”
Slowly, Xiahou Wi-jin closed his mouth.
His thick brows twitched for an instant. The unreadable expression unique to Desolate Fortress Squad Leaders wavered.
The change stood out because he had swept his bangs cleanly back from his forehead.
He did not respond for a while. Neither did Ak Su-rim nor Un So-yu.
His words made them realize it anew.
The person who had written a countermanual for orthodox martial lineages was truly their junior.
The author of Breaking White. The new Black Uniform martial artist had returned with an achievement that surpassed martial prowess. It was no ordinary feat.
His accumulated merits might not compare to those of the established Squad Leaders.
Yet was there another Black Uniform martial artist besides Seom-ye who had accomplished so much through a single achievement?
It was astonishing and admirable, but at this point, they had to see their new junior not as a junior, but as a competitor.
They were racing together along the path leading toward Purple Uniform long robes.
It would not be strange for any of them to arrive first. They all realized it at that moment.
Xiahou Wi-jin spoke slowly.
“You should take on something larger for your next assignment. A mission where two martial units work together.”
His face had stiffened into an inscrutable expression, as if to hide his shock, and his voice came out rough, as though his throat were clogged.
Anyone could see that it was strange. Jeong Yeon-shin tilted his head slightly.
What was this? Why?
“Anyway, let us return to the Heaven-Treading Thirteen Sword Steps.”
Xiahou Wi-jin deliberately changed the subject as though nothing were wrong.
“I understand what you said about the qi structure, and about putting thirty percent more into the lower component. But if strong inner energy alone were enough, counterforms would not exist in the first place. Is the crucial point not how to apply the total amount of martial power? There were several omitted mnemonic formulas like this. Of course, I understand that you have been busy with both public and private matters.”
“You came to ask about that?”
“Is it not important?”
“I had not considered it. Is that not basic skill? The margins were narrow, so I did not add annotations. In any case, when one enters actual combat, one simply does what feels sufficient...”
At that moment, Jeong Yeon-shin saw the changes in his three seniors’ expressions.
They looked as though someone had challenged them to a spar while they were asleep.
Would transcendent masters look like that after being struck with pillows? The moment he saw them, his voice trailed off.
‘Is there a problem?’
Footnotes:
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