WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈
Episode 219: Flash (6)
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“I'd best release my qi.”
Xiahou Wi-jin spoke with a smile.
It was a somewhat savage smile. The upturned corners of his mouth made him look ferocious.
Hummm.
The wide black sleeve hanging from his massive frame stiffened for a moment. He had truly released his power and composed himself.
How much inner energy had he stored as one of the elven race? For that brief instant, his sleeve felt like metal.
He had reached a level where a long robe alone could deflect a steel sword. It was truly extraordinary.
No one said anything. Even the Grand Chief Steward merely kept silent for a moment.
The Leader of Demon Wings had provoked him.
Just as no one would rebuke a newly appointed Squad Leader, there was no reason to interfere with whatever course the Heaven-Treading Forest Squad Leader chose in his next response.
“You're right.”
Xiahou Wi-jin spoke again.
“The Comprehensive Guide to Breaking the Orthodox Sects is a tremendous achievement in itself, so it will return to you in time. Your seniors should wait with the dignity of Black Uniform martial artists. It is far better to focus on the matter at hand. For now, it will be enough to see whether your martial arts are as sharp as your tongue. There is no need to rush.”
“...?”
Jeong Yeon-shin tilted his head slightly. He had no idea what Xiahou Wi-jin meant. His tongue was sharp?
There was an innocence to the new Squad Leader's small gesture.
Seom-ye's conduct could only be taken as another provocation.
Xiahou Wi-jin's smile deepened. His words took on the old-fashioned tone peculiar to the elderly.
“No one can know which agenda will prompt you to strike.”
The meaning of his words clashed with his manner of speaking. It was the competitive spirit peculiar to elven masters who retained their youth for so long.
“How lacking in refinement.”
The Blood Guard Squad Leader ran his tongue over his lips and leaned back slightly. After casting Xiahou Wi-jin a languid glance, he lowered his eyes in silence.
His bearing was elegant. A youthful loneliness lingered over his pale face.
He had earned the new Leader of Demon Wings' respect once more.
That was why he had ignored Yeon-shin's wordless greeting. He seemed like a senior who strictly separated personal matters from official ones.
As Yeon-shin's eyes gleamed, Xiahou Wi-jin furrowed his brow.
“What did you say?”
“I said nothing.”
The Blood Guard Squad Leader answered without raising his eyes.
A few words from Seom-ye, the Leader of Demon Wings, marked the beginning of a contest of nerves.
Wonpyeong One Sword Hall was a battleground where fighting was permitted by law. It could even be called a battlefield.
Dealing with an opponent's attack was entirely the speaker's responsibility. One was free to persuade the other with words or suppress them with martial arts.
The strong devoured the weak.
That was how Desolate Fortress handled factional affairs. The Squad Leaders' decisions resembled those of a military command, yet carried the nature of a faction between orthodox and unorthodox.
Unless a matter was truly unreasonable, the stronger side received the better assignments and more capable subordinates.
“I've been curious to sample our Seom-ye's blade.”
Ak Su-rim smiled.
The curve on the lips of her girlish face was smooth. She was a peerless master who had undergone Rejuvenation, known as the second-in-command of the Divine Sword Squad.
Among the Black Uniform martial artists present, she had the most freedom when it came to the Comprehensive Guide to Breaking the Orthodox Sects. There was no special reason for it. She was simply powerful.
The same was true of her position as Divine Sword Squad Deputy Leader. The Divine Sword Squad stood apart from the other combat units.
It was an elite group led by the Divine Sword Squad Leader. Everyone knew it might be able to handle two weakened Demon Wings squads.
That was because Jeong Yeon-shin, newly appointed as Squad Leader, had yet to begin reorganizing its ranks.
“First, we will examine the current state of the martial world.”
The Grand Chief Steward gestured toward the round table with his chin.
The privilege of Desolate Fortress's Black Uniform martial artists lay there: a complete map of the Central Plains.
It was a document classified as top secret both within and beyond the fortress. A map of the Ming Empire, which no person in the martial world could examine, lay openly spread across the table, shifting slightly beneath the Grand Chief Steward's pointing finger.
It was large enough that one would struggle to cover it from side to side without spreading both arms wide.
“The land is vast, so we must account for delays in information. Remember that this is not a real-time battle report. We do not know how much the situation may have changed.”
His gaze briefly passed over the Leader of Demon Wings. It was advice for the new Squad Leader.
Yeon-shin answered with a small bow. The corner of the Grand Chief Steward's mouth rose slightly.
“First, Sichuan, directly to the west.”
The martial world in Huguang was the most peaceful in the realm because Desolate Fortress occupied the northern region.
Incidents worthy of appearing on the Squad Leader Assembly's agenda rarely occurred.
Since there was little that required martial artists from the main fortress, most matters could be handled by Desolate Fortress's Hunan branch.
That was why they moved straight to Sichuan.
“No Squad Leader will be unaware that the Dragon-Slaying Alliance has changed its name to the Golden-Wing Sect. It changed from Dragon-Slaying to Golden-Wing, and from an alliance to a single sect. It is the only one of the Thirteen Heavens that still holds power in Sichuan Province.”
The Grand Chief Steward stroked his thick beard.
“They are closer to sorcery practitioners than the martial world, and I hear they have recently clashed fiercely with the Tang Sect. There has been no notable civilian damage yet. The Tang Sect has compensated for damaged inns and homes, and merchants are apparently delighted because the demand for supplies has increased... Still, I believe this is a matter the main fortress should watch.”
“It seems they sought the Tang Sect's cooperation to catch supernatural phenomena, didn't they? The Tang Sect would have no reason to accept.”
Xiahou Wi-jin asked, and the Grand Chief Steward nodded.
“Their words and conduct are obvious. It would have been closer to coercion than a request. That is how the Thirteen Heavens operate. Well, I can understand why. With Tang Sect Master Poison Commander Dang Un-hwang having regained his ultimate art, his Full Heaven Flower Rain could bind any spiritual beast, if only for a moment. Wouldn't a wide-range ultimate technique be essential if they hoped to fulfill their long-cherished ambition?”
“Isn't there also a peerless master here who can use it?”
At Xiahou Wi-jin's words, the gazes around the table shifted.
The Grand Chief Steward and the Black Uniform masters looked toward the new Leader of Demon Wings.
Even the martial artists of the main fortress did not know how Seom-ye had come to wield Myriad Flowers Rain. There were only countless guesses.
Deep questions about ultimate arts were taboo in the martial world. By now, it had simply been accepted as one of the several mysteries Desolate Fortress's Squad Leaders typically possessed.
“Our Seom-ye should be careful when he enters the martial world.”
Ak Su-rim spoke, narrowing her smooth brow slightly.
“Your sobriquet in Sichuan is Dark King Among Flowers, isn't it? So many people claim to have seen you perform Myriad Flowers Rain alongside Poison Commander Dang Un-hwang. The Dragon-Slaying Alliance, no, the Golden-Wing Sect, is a group of lunatics. It would not be surprising if they made a sinister move against a main fortress Squad Leader walking down the road at night.”
“They call themselves dragon catchers, rather than martial artists.”
The Law Enforcement Squad Leader, Un So-yu, added calmly.
‘Dragon catchers?’
Yeon-shin's brow twitched.
This was completely different from the life he had lived until now. They said every question was permitted in Wonpyeong One Sword Hall, where mysterious knowledge was freely exchanged.
Yeon-shin had no choice but to ask.
“Do dragons truly exist in this world?”
“I don't know about now. They say one ascended to heaven during the founding of the Ming Empire. Because of that, every sort of strange superstition spread beyond Buddhism, Daoism, and the Ming Cult. They called it religion, naturally. The same was true in the martial world. Well, the main fortress crushed almost all of them, except for the stubborn Blood Flame Sect. I don't know how many branches it has.”
Ak Su-rim answered as though it were nothing.
“There were all sorts of rumors. One said our Lord of Desolate Fortress cut off a yellow dragon's horn with a single stroke.”
“You did not ask the Lord of Desolate Fortress directly?”
“How could I dare ask such a thing? In any case, be careful. The Thirteen Heavens are not called the Thirteen Heavens simply because they are strong. None of them are in their right minds. You must always stay vigilant if you do not want to be struck from behind while traveling through the martial world.”
“Thank you for the advice.”
“What is there to thank me for? We aren't seniors here, remember?”
Ak Su-rim waved away Yeon-shin's fist-and-palm salute.
Only the faint smile on her face seemed to reveal her mood. She was a senior who did not hide her thoughts.
The Grand Chief Steward cleared his throat.
“It is a faction war between the Thirteen Heavens and an Eight Great Family. It remains the same even if the Tang Sect is limiting civilian damage. The Chief Steward's Office is already keeping watch. A mediation assignment may be issued soon, so the Squad Leaders on standby should bear it in mind.”
He then moved the fingertip that had pointed at the map diagonally upward.
“From here, we will discuss assignments worthy of Squad Leaders.”
“...!”
Yeon-shin's eyes flashed.
He had no intention of resting. If he did not receive an assignment today, he would have to remain on standby at the main fortress.
Of the martial units under the Divine Sword Squad, two made up Desolate Fortress's standing force.
Ak Su-rim was excluded because she was the Divine Sword Squad Deputy Leader, while Un So-yu enforced the laws of the main fortress as the Law Enforcement Squad Leader.
He would have to compete for assignments against the Heaven-Treading Forest Squad Leader, the Blood Guard Squad Leader, and the Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit.
All were seasoned Squad Leaders. They had completed countless assignments classified at the Black Uniform level. None of them would be easy to deal with.
‘I have to secure one.’
Just as Yeon-shin made his resolution, the Grand Chief Steward's finger crossed northwest from Sichuan. That was beyond the borders of the Ming Empire, in Xinjiang.
“The Ming Cult has risen to power. Their Young Sect Master's momentum is frightening. Rumors that the Young Sect Master is a Grandmaster of sorcery-based martial arts are being accepted as fact. I hear the Young Sect Master is exceptionally powerful.”
The Grand Chief Steward kept his index finger fixed on Xinjiang as he continued.
“The Swift Heaven Wing Squad, sent to wipe them out, has been out of contact for half a month. Such a thing has never happened before. Two of the Squad Leaders here must travel there. At least this is better than the time Demon Wings went to the City of Master Craftsmen. Unlike then, additional combat units have arrived.”
“Ha Do-un could not handle a mere youngster...?”
The Blood Guard Squad Leader, Jin Myeong-jo, the Divine Blood Extreme Demon, crossed his arms. His manner itself carried a dual nature. He was aloof, yet bewitching.
His long robe was tight around the arms. The contours of his well-trained muscles showed clearly even through the sleeves.
It was the body of a master of Hand Arts. Lean bundles of extensor muscles above his wrists entered Yeon-shin's view.
Up close, the line of definition running toward his biceps was especially clear. It was a physique built for extending the hand.
‘If I use that as a reference and adjust my body through the Jeong Family Youth Technique...’
While worrying about the safety of the Swift Heaven Wing Squad, Yeon-shin memorized the shape of Jin Myeong-jo's muscles.
It seemed he would be able to launch Radiant River more quickly.
Jin Myeong-jo had sent him Blue Uniform masters, and now even let him gain an achievement merely by watching. He was a senior worth learning from.
“A mere youngster? The Young Sect Master is three or four years older than the Leader of Demon Wings.”
The Grand Chief Steward glanced at Jin Myeong-jo and shook his head.
He continued.
“Even so, it is difficult to deny that such an age makes no sense... The Young Sect Master's talent itself must be like supernatural phenomena. The Young Sect Master has likely borrowed the power of strange sorcery arts as well. Even excluding the Heavenly Demon Sect, the Ming Cult's martial lineage can be called a repository of every wicked art, can it not?”
His final words were directed at the Squad Leaders.
They silently agreed. Each nodded.
“In any event, that makes two positions. The remaining one is...”
The Grand Chief Steward's hand moved diagonally downward again, toward the Central Plains. His index finger stopped near Shaanxi.
“The Tyrant Sword Sect Master killed the Qingcheng Sect leader, then continued north and fought twenty-four Plum Blossom Swordsmen. The Tyrant Sword Sect Master clashed with Cheon Ju-jin, who commanded Mount Hua Sect's Plum Blossom sword formation, and shattered the formation in a single blow... It happened just before the Leader of Demon Wings attended the Martial Alliance Assembly's grand founding ceremony.”
“...”
“It appears the Tyrant Sword Sect Master's martial arts have improved astonishingly. The circumstances make that clear. If the battle had not taken place in Huayin County, there would have been terrible slaughter. It is fortunate that it happened below Mount Hua Sect's headquarters.”
“The monster of Shaanxi...”
The Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit, Cheon So-so, muttered.
The Grand Chief Steward nodded.
“The Tyrant Sword Sect Master was always like that. Countless peerless masters continue to grow stronger, but the current Tyrant Sword Sect Master is advancing at a faster pace. I mention this because it is something to remember when traveling to Shaanxi. The same applies to your subordinates. When they clash with Tyrant Sword Sect martial artists, make sure they exercise particular caution. Those Sword Fangs will have become far more aggressive.”
“When the main force did not take assignments in Shaanxi, Demon Wings often handled them. We selected subordinates skilled in the principle of using softness to overcome hardness long ago. They have trained in Static Training, which gives them quick reactions.”
Xiahou Wi-jin tapped the armrest with his thick fingers as he continued.
“What is the relevant assignment?”
“News has arrived that a martial artist of the Demonic Sect is posing as an orthodox sect martial artist in Gyeomyang Prefecture at the northern edge of Shaanxi. It is believed to be a Yeoryeong master wearing another person's facial skin. The Prefect wrote that Zhongnan Sect and Mount Hua Sect have no spare strength, so a main fortress Squad Leader is needed. The culprit is using the signboard of the Baiyang Sect, an orthodox sect of Gyeomyang Prefecture, to extort civilians.”
The Grand Chief Steward suddenly furrowed his brow. He looked troubled.
“Once we exclude the main fortress's standing forces and those departing for the Xinjiang assignment, only one Black Uniform martial artist remains. It must be a Squad Leader capable of avoiding the danger posed by the Tyrant Sword Sect Master. The autumn harvest has already ended this year, so there is some room for time.”
The moment Yeon-shin heard those final words, he spoke.
“I will go.”
The Grand Chief Steward had just said there was time. It was the perfect assignment to leave for after reorganizing Demon Wings.
The assignment to check on the Swift Heaven Wing Squad weighed heavily on his mind, but Yeon-shin did not arrogantly put himself forward for the Xinjiang assignment.
His martial prowess was below Xiahou Wi-jin's. His experience also fell short of the other Squad Leaders.
It was right to entrust the Swift Heaven Wing Squad's safety to the more proven Squad Leaders. Unlike the City of Master Craftsmen incident, there were multiple combat units available now.
Yeon-shin acknowledged that he and Demon Wings were not the best choice. Even to himself, it felt like a humble decision.
Then.
“I have not known you for long.”
Xiahou Wi-jin suddenly spoke. He stared at Yeon-shin from across the room.
“I did not think you would seek to avoid dangerous assignments so eagerly. Could it be that your words about the Comprehensive Guide to Breaking the Orthodox Sects were groundwork for this? I had been uneasy about it. I was trying hard to swallow it down.”
It was Thousand Fists, Dragon-Powered Divine Official, the Heaven-Treading Forest Squad Leader.
The light in his eyes had become terrifying. His colorless power surged out in fierce streams of aura.
The sunlight filtering dimly into the hall warped amid the dust.
“Hah.”
A faint breath escaped the lips of Cheon So-so, the Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit, who had remained silent.
It was an exhale mixed with a trace of mockery and a sigh. Light passed through her blue eyes.
“I thought it would pass quietly.”
Cheon So-so brushed behind her pointed ear.
Yeon-shin furrowed his brow.
“You misunderstand...”
“A misunderstanding? Who would call your arrogant and insolent words and conduct a misunderstanding after hearing them in advance?”
His voice carried immense power. The shout became a muffled echo that filled the hall.
Even the ceiling shook violently, as though struck by an earthquake.
Yeon-shin realized at once.
‘He will attack.’
They said no supreme master who had reached the realm of true mastery was without quirks.
They possessed bodies overflowing with vitality, enough to be worshipped as gods by common people. Some were so unaccustomed to using words to resolve grudges and misunderstandings that speech itself felt awkward to them.
In the raw martial world, only those weak in martial arts observed etiquette and gave matters deep thought.
Xiahou Wi-jin was strong enough that he had no need to do so.
Yeon-shin had heard that Squad Leaders fought frequently in Wonpyeong One Sword Hall.
They would seize upon insignificant words and use martial arts to establish the upper hand. It was something they did to make the following assembly easier to conduct.
Xiahou Wi-jin's words likely held both sincerity and pretense. There was a reason this place was called a battlefield.
“I learned from you and granted you the same respect as I would an elf, yet perhaps the new Leader of Demon Wings cannot cast off the ways of a petty clan after all!”
“There is no need for more words.”
Just as Yeon-shin turned the wheel of light within his heart.
Before Ak Su-rim, seated in the place of honor, could stop them.
Rumble!
A thunderous blast shook the ceiling violently. At the same time, hundreds of diagonal cracks raced across the marble walls in every direction.
Yeon-shin clearly felt it. The formation's sorcery power, which protected the Black Uniform martial artists in Wonpyeong One Sword Hall, had been shattered in an instant.
No one in the hall even had time to react.
Then.
Crash!
The ceiling collapsed all at once with a brutal tremor. It was like a landslide.
Stone dust spread like clouds, settling thickly through the air.
The Squad Leaders struck upward, batting aside, slicing through, and crushing the falling stones. At that moment, a man in pink robes descended.
“You wretched bastard!”
The man seized Xiahou Wi-jin by the back of the head.
Though he was gaunt, a hurricane-like force wave raged from his enormous palm.
A grayish vortex swept away the stone fragments around them. It was a truly enormous whirlpool, filling the hall in an instant.
“The worthless one is your jaw!”
The man pressed Xiahou Wi-jin's head down. A force wave, transformed into a raging gale, surged violently from the hand gripping Xiahou Wi-jin's head.
Even the strength of Thousand Fists, Dragon-Powered Divine Official could not resist it. His forehead slammed into the table.
Crash!
The round table shattered into pieces. Above them, a violent roar surged through the open sky.
It was a tremendous shockwave.
It was as though an invisible storm had erupted.
Footnotes:
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