WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈
Episode 222: Radiant Edge Art (2)
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Demon Wings’ Grand Training Hall.
It was broad enough to hold five hundred people, with all manner of weapons lined up on marble racks.
The vast floor had been packed hard from enduring countless True Steps.
Swoosh! Bang!
Martial artists swung every sort of weapon. Sharp force waves burst repeatedly amid their disorderly ranks.
Men and women alike were powerful. Everyone present was a master.
“I heard there was an uproar at Wonpyeong One Sword Hall?”
“They say lightning struck in broad daylight. I’m worried about our Squad Leader.”
“Stop it. Who are you to worry about a Black Uniform?”
“Would the veteran Squad Leaders not handle it themselves? With a Black Uniform’s Protective Qi Technique, it would not be strange for them to withstand heavenly punishment. Their inner energy has reached at least Three Flowers Gather at the Crown. The moment they will it, a qi shield would rise.”
“Our Squad Leader is a little worrying, but with those senses, he would have dealt with it somehow. The seniors were there too. Wonpyeong One Sword Hall is protected by the elven race’s secret formation in the first place.”
“What if it was not lightning, but an intruder?”
“Then that bastard is unlucky. There are six Squad Leaders at Wonpyeong One Sword Hall right now. They say even the Grand Chief Steward’s inner energy has reached Three Flowers Gather at the Crown, so there might as well be seven. It is rare to have so many gathered in one place. Isn’t that the most dangerous place under heaven?”
“If it had truly been serious, the Lord of Desolate Fortress would have appeared.”
“The alarm bell did not ring. Focus again.”
The atmosphere was relaxed yet orderly. It showed in the neatly dressed unranked disciples and martial artists in Blue and White Uniforms.
Their old-fashioned robes fluttered elegantly, their hems smoothly pressed. Not one looked like a martial artist’s garment.
They had been ironed. Servants attended to their appearance. It was a sight that demonstrated Desolate Fortress’s prestige.
“You should fall back there.”
“How about switching? Your force wave is strong, but it does not seem as suited to taking the initiative as a swift sword.”
Many were coordinating their movements in preparation for group battles. They practiced their techniques at close range.
Others stood on the roof with their arms folded or sat carelessly at a distance, regulating their qi.
No one worried about internal injuries. They simply watched their surroundings and kept guard for one another.
“Demon Wings has a free spirit.”
The woman in a sleeveless Blue Uniform spoke.
Her pointed ears rose like sword tips. She stood with her arms folded, calm and aloof.
The trapezius muscles beneath her archer-trained neck formed graceful curves.
She was Wi Ye-ryeong, the Moon-Shooting Bow Ghost, a master archer who had supported the rear of the Immortal Wood Spirit Squad. Her affiliation had changed after Cheon So-so was defeated in the spar.
Beside her, Baek Mir-yeo roughly brushed back her jet-black side hair.
“A martial squad’s character depends on its Squad Leader. They have not carried out missions with their new Squad Leader yet, so they are like this. Their junior became their superior, so neither side knows what to do. Discipline will settle in soon enough.”
“It seems One Lotus Sword Plum cares deeply for the young Squad Leader.”
Wi Ye-ryeong spoke, a smile like a faint crescent moon lingering on her lips.
Baek Mir-yeo glanced at her, then looked away. She spoke indifferently.
“That is not quite right. The Squad Leader is the one who cares for me. And…”
The corners of One Lotus Sword Plum Baek Mir-yeo’s mouth lowered slightly.
“Young Squad Leader. Do not let me hear those words again. It is an irritating modifier. Is your bow made from precious ebony? It would be quite a shame if it broke in half.”
“I misspoke.”
Wi Ye-ryeong’s smile deepened.
That was all.
She did not yield in their clash of wills. She was a Blue Uniform and of elven blood.
Even if One Lotus Sword Plum was considered among the strongest Blue Uniforms alongside the Blue-Eyed Demon Sword, Wi Ye-ryeong did not fall far behind.
Desolate Fortress’s elite masters.
They possessed the martial might of Blue Uniforms across the endlessly vast land. In practical terms, it meant they would have difficulty finding rivals.
The upper ranks of the martial world, such as the Apostles of the Thirteen Heavens, the Nine Sects, and the Eight Great Families, were exceedingly rare.
The elites of major factions had every reason to possess distinct personalities and towering pride.
Baek Mir-yeo said no more. It was for the Squad Leader to govern. It was Jeong Yeon-shin’s responsibility.
The veteran rising talents who had newly joined from the Immortal Wood Spirit Squad, Blood Guard Squad, and Heaven-Treading Forest Squad, along with Demon Wings’ masters, would keep order under Seom-ye’s Northern Light Sword. It was only a matter of time.
Everyone had their own task. Baek Mir-yeo was no exception.
‘If Seom-ye can breathe a little easier… then I should seriously consider what the former Squad Leader said.’
Her eyes lowered as she sank into thought.
―One Lotus Sword Plum Baek Mir-yeo is learning the lost Heavenly Demon Divine Formula alone? That is no reason to distance yourself from Seom-ye. He is, in name and truth, Desolate Fortress’s future. I do not know what others who have not seen Seom-ye might think, but there is no reason to dismiss his words as advice from an inferior. I have never heard of such talent.
Ma Jin’s words had long been a difficult question. They had made her watch Seom-ye for a long time, as a matter worth considering.
Now that he had become a Squad Leader and led a force close to that of a sect, Baek Mir-yeo fully accepted him as her superior.
She could not burden him.
She would judge his capacity by seeing how he brought Demon Wings into order.
After that, she intended to seek his help, on the condition that she fully disclose the mnemonic formula, and only to her Squad Leader.
The silence did not last long. There were too many highly accomplished martial artists.
“Overbearing. They said a properly trained Demon’s Light was a serious threat.”
“It is a martial art built thoroughly for real combat. It is close to Sensory Training.”
“They will have difficulty coexisting. The Seom-ye Martial Lineage and Demon’s Light… both are superior martial arts, so one must devote oneself fully to one of them. Learn them halfway, and one will master neither.”
“It is not unexpected. Seeing it for ourselves only makes it clearer. This is why changing martial squads is discouraged.”
The masters who had changed affiliations spoke with troubled expressions. There were six Blue Uniforms and two White Uniform martial artists. They had been watching Demon Wings’ masters train.
They had turned their backs on the martial arts they had accumulated and chosen Seom-ye’s techniques.
Doing it once was fine. Even if it went beyond supporting their original martial arts and came to replace their main martial arts altogether, they could bear it. Training was difficult, but it was their choice.
The martial lineage resembled the principles of the martial arts they had pursued, yet stood above them. The more they learned, the more enjoyable their training became.
Demon’s Light was another matter.
It had the power to turn Demon Wings, when they fought as a group, into a single treasured sword.
Their methods shared the same nature. They saw the enemy’s openings alike and moved in a similar rhythm with their comrades. In that way, they had annihilated enemies along trajectories that left no time to defend.
The benefits of combined attacks were tremendous. That was Demon’s Light. It was why Demon Wings was often compared to the Plum Blossom Swordsmen.
Though they lacked a peerless formation like the Plum Blossom Sword Formation, they displayed equal might in group battles.
“If we cannot solve this, there will be no point in absorbing so many Blue Uniforms. We will have no choice but to send them on solo missions.”
Cheong Myeong muttered while reclining against a wall to one side.
The bustle continued. No one interrupted the Blue-Eyed Demon Sword’s monologue.
It was neither a new problem nor one that could truly be called a task. It was simply inevitable.
“The thrill of racing across the wilderness with comrades is extraordinary. Did you not come here knowing that the joy of sweeping away enemies together would lessen? I would like some instruction, but the Squad Leader has yet to appear.”
Kang Chang-mu, the Dawn Tree Sword, spoke sulkily.
Kang Chang-mu was a swordsman from the Heaven-Treading Forest Squad. Like the Thousand Fists, Dragon-Powered Divine Official, who had formerly been Kang Chang-mu’s Squad Leader, Kang Chang-mu was large in build. So was the sword case on Kang Chang-mu’s back.
A dense, overwhelming aura rose from Kang Chang-mu’s entire body. If that ever-present presence was this strong, Kang Chang-mu’s qi storage was immense.
“Well. With comprehension like yours, that is your limit anyway.”
A young man in loose unranked robes spoke as he passed Kang Chang-mu, both hands resting behind his head.
He chewed a blade of grass, looking no different from a back-alley thug.
“From what I can see, you have learned the Radiant Sword Flow poorly. What a pity.”
“What?”
“It only looks impressive on the surface. In truth, it is a sword art arranged with brutal disregard for its practitioner. I think you will be stopped at around nine-tenths mastery. With ordinary senses, it is difficult to develop the sword path any further.”
His shadowed eyes looked languid. Languid Flame Dragon pointed at Wi Ye-ryeong with only his gaze.
It was the same conduct he had shown Na Il-cheon of the Blood Guard Squad.
The aristocratic way his eyebrows twitched perfectly suited the Young Family Head of the powerful clan that dominated Jinan.
“You too, and you. Phantom Wing Step and the Ultimate Realm are not things just anyone should touch. Unless you are someone like me.”
The unranked disciple of Demon Wings had all but been handed the date of his death. He could not stand the sight before him.
This was even more so when it concerned martial arts directly tied to the Leader of Demon Wings. They were part of the martial world of the person who had become the final fascination of his life.
Languid Flame Dragon thought, These halfwits do not even know their place.
“The wastrel of the Huangbo Family. I have heard of you.”
Kang Chang-mu’s temperament resembled that of the Heaven-Treading Forest Squad Leader. Kang Chang-mu said no more.
Punishing insubordination did not violate Desolate Fortress’s laws. Kang Chang-mu removed the sword case from Kang Chang-mu’s back and immediately drew a greatsword.
An incident began.
* * *
Jeong Yeon-shin fled Wonpyeong One Sword Hall as though running away.
He did not look back even when his maternal grandfather called out loudly. He crossed Desolate Fortress’s main road at once.
The shame he had to swallow with every step was immense. Only after some time did he realize he had already crossed the threshold of the Desolate Shin Family.
Even the gray main gate was enormous. It rivaled that of the Desolate Ma family.
The trees within had been beautifully landscaped. The red petals of winter clivia flowers blooming here and there licked at the sunlight.
“The Leader of Demon Wings has come in person…!”
The gatekeepers were startled.
Jeong Yeon-shin had attended several events at the main fortress. By protocol, all had been public.
His coming-of-age ceremony, promotion to Blue Uniform, promotion to Black Uniform, and even his spar with the Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit.
Few within the main fortress did not know his face now. That was true despite Desolate Fortress’s vast size.
“Please wait a moment!”
He received the utmost courtesy. A Blue Uniform came out to guide him. It was Shin Baek, the Clashing Sword.
Shin Baek was introduced as Shin So-bin’s older male cousin.
Shin So-bin was Jeong Yeon-shin’s subordinate. Even if she came from a prestigious family and possessed rare talent, that fact did not change.
Had she not left home, it might have been different. As a member of Demon Wings, she was under Jeong Yeon-shin’s command.
The Desolate Shin Family could not help but consider the Leader of Demon Wings’ feelings.
‘It is right for So-bin to be under my protection. I can take her with me as her Squad Leader. More than that…’
How could he face his Black Uniform seniors from now on? Jeong Yeon-shin’s heart sank endlessly.
There was an abyss within the abyss. His voice naturally grew low as it escaped his lips.
“Take me to the Family Head.”
The Shin Family’s masters flinched. There was no one in their residence who could withstand a Black Uniform supreme master’s anger.
The Elder Council Head had spent their strength, while the Annihilation Squad Leader was away on a mission.
No one dared meet the Leader of Demon Wings’ gaze properly. The new Squad Leader was known for his upright character, but that changed nothing.
In the hushed atmosphere, the Leader of Demon Wings, whose bare skin and empty left sleeve were striking, entered the Family Head’s hall.
Shin Seol-ha waited at the seat of honor. She sat with her back straight.
Dignity flowed from her seated form.
“Forgive my negligence in failing to show my face after entrusting my daughter to you. The family business has kept me so busy that I could not receive the Leader of Demon Wings properly.”
“I have come to take Shin So-bin back into my custody.”
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke as he sat with composed bearing.
Neither his speech nor conduct fell short of the status of a Black Uniform master of the Divine Sword Squad.
Only Purple Uniform masters and the Lord of Desolate Fortress stood above a Squad Leader in Desolate Fortress. A Family Head under the main fortress could say nothing against it.
Even so, there was something unforced about the new Leader of Demon Wings’ manner. He was exceptionally dignified.
A strange light appeared in Shin Seol-ha’s eyes.
“Straight to the point. They say the martial arts of the Seom-ye Martial Lineage share that character. I instructed a servant to prepare Dragon Well tea, but it seems that was wasted. They were precious tea leaves.”
“The matter is too serious for tea. Had you respected me as a Squad Leader, you would not have treated me so casually. You took a martial artist under the Divine Sword Squad without a Squad Leader’s permission. I could deal with it as insubordination at once.”
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke quietly. Shin Seol-ha’s eyebrows twitched.
“I have always respected you greatly. Your accomplishments alone demand it. Still, as So-bin’s mother, may I ask you to hear me out, even a little?”
“Speak.”
“My daughter’s martial arts were the problem. She has become too engrossed in the Seom-ye Martial Lineage. Our family possesses an outstanding ultimate art, the Heaven-Reaching Martial Scripture.”
Shin Seol-ha spoke while arranging her orange sleeves. Her clear voice reminded him of Shin So-bin.
“A crow may sharpen its claws like a bird of prey, but it cannot become an eagle. That is separate from your exceptional talent. Squad Leader Jeong’s martial arts are techniques suited only to Squad Leader Jeong. The Heaven-Reaching Martial Scripture is a martial art tailored to the Shin bloodline. So-bin has responsibilities of her own. To bring honor to the family name… that is the burden the direct line of a prestigious family must bear.”
“You look down on your daughter. So-bin is a bird of prey.”
“Then my words as Family Head carry even more weight. It means she is a child who can reach Black Uniform even after learning the Heaven-Reaching Martial Scripture. Your words do not persuade me.”
Shin Seol-ha finished with firm lips.
She had already made up her mind before meeting Jeong Yeon-shin. The duty of blood relatives and the authority of a Squad Leader clashed.
Silence filled the tranquil Family Head’s hall. The air was heavy and deep.
Jeong Yeon-shin unconsciously thought of the Desolate Ma family.
Their first meeting had not been pleasant, and they had used logic similar to Shin Seol-ha’s…
Boooom!
The ceiling suddenly shattered. Before the blow descending from above could even reach, pink lightning rushed in like heavenly punishment.
The roaring sound of its passage through the air was incredibly violent. It was a terrifying sight.
It was as though an irresistible typhoon had taken human form. It lunged straight at Shin Seol-ha.
Before confusion could even appear on her face.
Crack!
The Protective Qi Technique surrounding Shin Seol-ha’s body shattered in an instant.
The backblast that swept in afterward carried colorless force waves upward like shards of a mirror. Fragments of force glittered like dust in the sunlight.
Then her body fell backward with a dull thud.
There was no need to check her pulse. She had completely lost consciousness. She seemed to have barely avoided death.
“Insignificant thing.”
A man in his thirties spoke with a cold expression. He stood proudly beside Shin Seol-ha’s head.
His sudden appearance and the way he dusted off his pink sleeves were strangely mysterious.
Jeong Yeon-shin could not endure it any longer.
“Grandfather!”
Tyrant Hero immediately turned his head.
“Grandfather…?”
The youthful Ma Yeon-jeok repeated slowly.
Jeong Yeon-shin realized his impropriety. He slowly steadied his breathing and spoke as calmly as he could.
“If you intervene while this grandson is acting as a Squad Leader, it damages my standing instead. You did the same at Wonpyeong One Sword Hall. I could not tell you how difficult it made things for me, but… I hope it will not happen again.”
“…Yes, that is right. You are right.”
His acceptance came quickly. His maternal grandfather spoke again.
“This is grandfather’s fault. I am very sorry. I did not consider it. My temper got ahead of me. Your rebuke brings shame upon your grandfather.”
Ma Yeon-jeok was smiling. He seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood. An unfamiliar expression spread over his face as his lips curved into a broad arc.
“This grandfather will think twice, three times from now on. Forgive me.”
At the same time, Ma Yeon-jeok’s figure vanished. Only his kindly voice remained, echoing briefly before gradually fading away.
He had soared using peerless Body Movement Scripture. His presence raced endlessly upward. He had reached the realm of Walking Upon Empty Space.
“…”
Jeong Yeon-shin slowly lowered his head.
He blankly looked down at the Desolate Shin Family Head. There was no sign that she would rise. Outside, family members who had belatedly noticed the commotion murmured among themselves.
They did not dare rush in because of the weight carried by the name Black Uniform. Still, it would not last long.
The sound of weapons being drawn rose from all directions. A cold presence slipped through the gap in the doors with the winter wind.
‘I will have to say that I was the one who struck her.’
The new Leader of Demon Wings thought calmly.
Footnotes:
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