WeTried Translations

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◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈

Episode 229: Treasured Sword (2)

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Jeong Yeon-shin stood ten paces away from the two men. He stood there with his arms crossed, and it did not look out of place.

Only fragments of force, spreading like the wind, swept past the black cuffs of his sleeves.

"Well, well."

Kang Un-chan raised his head. He stood face-to-face with Hyeon Won-chang.

Full Cart Sword Kang Un-chan.

A faint bitter smile crossed his face. It suited the epithet that claimed he had read enough books to fill an entire cart.

That was the nature of a martial artist who guarded the Chief Steward's Office. Kang Un-chan consumed martial and literary manuals alike as nourishment.

Kang Un-chan was an expert challenging for Blue Uniform rank. A sudden strike fierce enough to stir the air would not shake his Protective Qi Technique.

Not even if his opponent was a Black Uniform supreme expert.

No force great enough to shatter his inner-energy barrier had been applied. It had been more like the petty temper Squad Leaders often displayed.

The experts of Desolate Fortress were all too familiar with such things.

Eccentrics such as the Divine Sword Squad Deputy Leader, the Heaven-Treading Forest Squad Leader, and the former Divine Sword Squad Leader roamed freely.

They fully enjoyed the positions granted to them by the laws of the strong devouring the weak and the lower obeying the higher. Moreover, Seom-ye was of the Desolate Ma family's bloodline.

Few expected anything of the Leader of Demon Wings' temperament. Only the new Squad Leader did not know that.

"This Kang has gone on too long."

Kang Un-chan rubbed the back of his head. He had put off starting the spar himself. Since it had not been an attack exchanged in the midst of battle, it was difficult to speak of fairness.

"The Leader of Demon Wings said it was bothersome."

Kang Un-chan's eyes flashed as he spoke to Hyeon Won-chang. The hand rubbing the back of his head moved strangely slowly.

He was examining the pattern of the force wave.

Kang Un-chan was mad for martial arts. They said there was not a single untalented martial artist in Desolate Fortress. The strike from moments ago had stirred his curiosity.

He simply could not bring himself to turn around and ask. The same question troubled the many heroes murmuring around them. What kind of technique had that been?

"Do not delay. I have ordered this repeatedly."

Seom-ye, the Leader of Demon Wings, spoke.

"My experience as Squad Leader is shallow, so I am not well versed in ways of provoking an opponent. Still, I know such methods are useless in a spar. Compete in martial arts. Where martial arts are concerned, I will judge fairly."

His subdued voice carried sincere intent. His calm words held the dignity of a Squad Leader.

"My apologies."

Kang Un-chan reached for his sword as he spoke. Hyeon Won-chang, who had been standing there with an odd expression, drew his own sword.

Sunlight danced wildly along the two blades. Soundless sword light gleamed.

After glancing at them, Jeong Yeon-shin briefly reviewed his own technique.

'So a palm strike can be compressed that far.'

Creating a mid-range force wave was easy enough.

It followed the principle of striking the cow across the mountain. Strike the mountain and hit the cow beyond it. With a short motion, Jeong Yeon-shin struck the air.

He struck hard with a force wave. It was much like how he had created Wind Body, a movement technique based on the elven race's secret of movement.

The instant he concentrated the striking point of a full-body Force Projection in one direction, the wind responded and delivered the blow. It resembled a technique the elven race supposedly favored.

'Does Shaolin's Hundred-Step Divine Fist also strike through this principle?'

Jeong Yeon-shin sank into the profound principles of martial arts.

The effect was not great compared to the effort he put into the strike. The Hundred-Step Divine Fist was not a supreme technique to imitate in a fit of pique.

It was among the most famous divine arts and supreme techniques under heaven, renowned beyond even the martial world. Thousand-year-old Shaolin was bound to have its own secrets. This was not the time to dwell on it.

'No one can get hurt. No one in the main fortress.'

Jeong Yeon-shin raised his head.

Clang!

A sharp noise, like brass being struck, burst out. The swords had collided. For an instant, a shockwave swept over them like a cold wind, grazing their skin.

The tendons in the wrists of Hyeon Won-chang and Kang Un-chan stood out as their swords locked together. The force waves carried by their two swords were immensely powerful.

They shimmered colorlessly, as though they had summoned the summer sun.

Beyond the blades, the corners of Kang Un-chan's mouth lifted slightly.

"Young Hero Hyeon's sword force is considerably stronger than it looks."

"Your Protective Qi Technique is what's considerable. The qi shield at the back of your head must be as thick as your face. You brought disaster upon yourself and embarrassed yourself, yet you remain so unharmed. This Hyeon truly admires Warrior Kang's skill."

Hyeon Won-chang replied with a smug lift of his brow. The words came while their strength was still locked against each other.

His inner-energy breathing was astonishingly deep. It meant he had enough breath left to keep up a lengthy exchange of words.

Kang Un-chan's eyes widened slightly.

So did those watching below.

Jegal Cheong-a, standing beside the Languid Flame Dragon, showed interest despite her indifferent expression. Her eyelashes lifted slightly.

"That breathing does not match his qi storage. It is remarkably deep."

"A wandering loafer of suspicious origins."

The Languid Flame Dragon spoke with a smile. Jegal Cheong-a shook her head beside him, but he paid no attention and plucked a red blossom. It was an opium poppy.

"Unlike this young master, he isn't transparent. He has something underhanded about him. The complete opposite of me, one might say."

"You should watch your words. They say every martial unit under the Divine Sword Squad is like a small sect, and he is your fellow disciple in Demon Wings."

"That is why I spoke freely. You only judge people unrelated to you when you want to kill them. Shouldn't that bastard be watching our Squad Leader's back?"

"..."

Boom! Clang!

The two continued watching the sparring platform as they spoke. The sound of True Steps pounding into the ground and swords crashing together rang out fiercely.

Vibrations spread beneath the platform as the two swordsmen crossed, their white sleeves fluttering.

Dozens of sword paths tangled and collided.

The crowd around the Languid Flame Dragon and Jegal Cheong-a let out low exclamations.

"Full Cart Sword's sword forms truly are marvelous. Did you see that upward slash just now? Fragments of force filled the entire front in every direction. The force wave surged like petals. It completely cut off the paths of Demon's Light."

"They said he had gone through every manual in the main fortress's Gold-Piercing Martial Treasury. It seems that was no rumor."

"He read every book on the lower and middle floors. Is that not why he is called Full Cart Sword? A genius is a genius."

"It is as if he raised his eye technique attainment through some unusual training. Just how broad is his knowledge?"

Hyeon Won-chang's sword momentum was pushed back. His advancing footwork had stopped long ago. He was stepping backward.

Anyone could see that Hyeon Won-chang was being driven back. His weaker sword force and perception stood out clearly.

Kang Un-chan spoke with a faint smile.

"You need to become humbler."

"What?"

"I know you denied my words inwardly. Is that not why you cannot fully draw out Squad Leader Jeong's ability? The world has yet to fully recognize the aptitude of the main fortress's Leader of Demon Wings."

Kang Un-chan thrust out his sword as he spoke solemnly. Sparks flew in all directions with a clang.

Though Imperial Hero Hyeon's inner-energy breathing was deep, he could not continue arguing while pressed on the defensive.

Hyeon Won-chang was not Jeong Yeon-shin.

It had not even been two years since he entered Desolate Fortress. It was far too soon to discuss Blue Uniform rank based on martial strength.

Their ages were different to begin with. Full Cart Sword Kang Un-chan was a seasoned swordsman in his thirties.

One could tell his courage and ability simply from his bearing. He possessed the virtues of a swordsman in every respect.

That was why he had not lost his composure even while facing the Leader of Demon Wings.

'Damn it.'

Hyeon Won-chang's eyes darkened.

He was steadily retreating across the sparring platform. Kang Un-chan's sword strikes brushing past his ears and sleeves truly lived up to their reputation.

His sleeves rose in response to the opponent's sword forms. The efficiency of Kang Un-chan's sword-art Force Projection was tremendous.

'He could certainly be Blue Uniform.'

Hyeon Won-chang did not grow impatient. What mattered was the significance of the martial art he would display today.

'Prestigious martial arts like the Plum Blossom Sword and Shaolin's Five Fists show their true worth through elite fighters in the middle ranks. They are as important as the presence of supreme experts. They say the combined attack of elite swordsmen forming the Plum Blossom Sword Formation can even trouble the Mount Hua Sword Absolute.'

Radiant Art Formation had to begin at that same level. It had to.

It was a martial art unique to Demon Wings, first created by a younger fellow disciple.

Jeong Yeon-shin had made it. Everyone would come to know that. That was why Hyeon Won-chang paid no attention to the crowd's chatter.

"Demon Wings was known for its strength, but how can they coordinate with hastily replenished forces? That person is the same. Great Tongue Sword Hyeon Won-chang. The Leader of Demon Wings is a remarkable hero who would be difficult for an ordinary person to support."

"His future is worth anticipating. It is simply too soon."

"This is the limit of Demon Wings, suddenly reduced to the level of a newly formed martial unit. There were so many seriously wounded."

"They barely filled the gaps, so all that remains is for them to grow alongside their new Squad Leader. There is no need to disparage them now. It would insult those who died in Sichuan."

By then, the paths of their sword strikes were colliding at their peak.

Boom!

Kang Un-chan, who had been exchanging sword strikes, planted a True Step. A surge of power exploded from the Yongquan acupoint in his forcefully stomping foot.

Colorless waves spread upward from his ankle, slicing fiercely through the air.

They rose to his waist and carried tremendous force. He immediately bent forward, and the sword strike sent outward savagely tore through the air.

Crack!

The force surrounding the blade seemed to chew through empty air. At that moment, Hyeon Won-chang suddenly swung his treasured sword down from overhead. It was a sword form that met the attack head-on.

Just before the sword strikes collided in an X, a resonance like the buzzing of a swarm of bees spread out.

It came from Hyeon Won-chang's grip. It spread alongside the light wrapping around the back of his hand.

White strands of light instantly coiled around the blade. In a brief instant, they split in every direction like tangled threads flowing from sunlight.

It was different from before.

Strands of light never seen before bloomed as Hyeon Won-chang raised a force wave, tracing a truly beautiful path.

"That...!"

The crowd sprang to their feet from the stands. Every martial artist with a discerning eye did the same.

A technique no one had expected came to life. It resembled the move the Leader of Demon Wings had shown earlier.

They had dismissed it as a secret art only Seom-ye could use, but now it was being displayed from the hands of a mere subordinate.

The assumptions frozen like ice by common sense shattered without mercy.

Crack!

Hyeon Won-chang's treasured sword shot forward, wrapped in a current of radiant light. It deflected and pushed aside the opponent's sword strike.

The force wave scraping through the air seemed to claw even at their ears.

It was an incredibly violent sword strike. Even in that fleeting instant, the nature of the martial art could be clearly felt.

The creator's temperament showed through the fierce, straight sword path. It remained so until the strike nearly reached his opponent's eyes.

'Insane!'

Kang Un-chan's eyes widened. The sword that had extended outward was driven back toward his chest, carrying Hyeon Won-chang's treasured sword atop it.

He could not withstand the sword force amplified in an instant. It felt as though his entire body would be split in two.

Beyond the delicately beautiful sword-strike force waves, Hyeon Won-chang's black eyes had sunk into a chilling stillness.

Beneath the splendid hero's headband, his narrowed eyes even held killing intent. They were terribly sharp.

He had used the same martial art as the Leader of Demon Wings, yet the difference between practitioners was as vast as heaven and earth.

Boom!

Hyeon Won-chang twisted his wrist, and the flat of his sword struck Kang Un-chan across the forehead.

A heavy shockwave spread out. Amid the tremendous reverberation that surged in every direction, pure-white strands of light danced wildly.

Each was a sword-strike force wave. Every strand became a sharp thread and shredded Kang Un-chan's upper garments to pieces.

Riiip!

Even the aftereffects of the force were like blades made of thread. Hyeon Won-chang had shown every consideration by striking with the flat of the sword rather than its edge. Controlling the remaining force waves had not been possible.

He looked at Kang Un-chan's well-trained body as if it were insignificant.

"Compared to our Squad Leader's, your external training is soft."

Hyeon Won-chang continued.

"In any case, your words were wrong. Did you say I simply met a good fellow disciple? No."

"..."

"I met an exceptionally, exceptionally good one. Far too good for Full Cart Sword's thick skull to comprehend."

Swish!

Hyeon Won-chang lowered his sword lightly, as though dusting it off.

Radiant Art Formation.

The martial art the Leader of Demon Wings had made into Demon Wings' exclusive ultimate art had finally manifested.

It tore through the noisy air with resounding aura, crumbling from the gaps between Hyeon Won-chang's fingers like a moon halo.

The lights that had blazed only moments before scattered in fragments, now terribly faint.

It was a sight that created silence, as though it demanded silence from all who watched.

For an instant, the vast central Training Hall froze. There was no one present without discernment.

"..."

They knew without seeing the mnemonic formula.

That was a Divine Technique.

The experts of Desolate Fortress gathered there all reached the same conclusion. Even without spirituality imbued within it, it would still be called that.

Sichuan Tang Clan's Full Heaven Flower Rain was also such a martial art.

It did not even feel the same as when Seom-ye, the Leader of Demon Wings, had used it. The attacks of a supreme expert ranked among the best in a faction were difficult to fully follow with the eye.

Their speed was different to begin with. Hyeon Won-chang had shown it all clearly.

Rather than revealing an unheard-of ultimate art from the start, he had concealed it like a dagger. It was the disposition of an assassin. Yet he could hardly even be called an ordinary assassin.

Force waves accumulated through ordinary forms were loaded into the revealed ultimate art in a single instant. Nothing but innate talent could explain it.

It was far removed from the nature of sects that used lowly ambushes as their specialty.

Then, without warning, the Languid Flame Dragon's laughter broke the silence. The heroes' gazes focused on two places: the Leader of Demon Wings serving as the official witness and Hyeon Won-chang, who had caused the upset.

"...That."

Kang Un-chan, standing beside Hyeon Won-chang, parted his lips. His expression had vanished, and he looked utterly blank. Only a starlike yearning rippled in his eyes.

"What is it?" Hyeon Won-chang asked.

Hyeon Won-chang raised the corners of his mouth. Qi gathered in the Renying acupoints on either side of his Adam's apple and the Lianquan acupoint just above his vocal cords.

It was an application of inner energy close to Imperial Hero Hyeon's specialty.

Even reducing the waves of energy as much as possible to avoid losing composure was no simple feat. It was an art not just anyone could imitate.

Hyeon Won-chang immediately spoke. It was not sound transmission, but a voice loud enough to hammer into the ears of every martial artist in the central Training Hall.

―Radiant Art Formation.

His refined voice spread in every direction.

Qi moved lightly within his throat, yet the voice itself was solemn. It spread with the weight of the Yangtze River's currents.

―It was created by the Leader of Demon Wings to serve as our unit's standard art.

After finishing, Hyeon Won-chang spoke again. This time, it was his ordinary voice.

"It is Demon Wings' unique art. Search the Gold-Piercing Martial Treasury for a hundred days, and you will not find it recorded there."

Footnotes:

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