WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈

Episode 230: Treasured Sword (3)

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Hyeon Won-chang spoke in a raw voice.

His voice held no inner energy, so it did not carry far.

Still, this was the central sparring platform. A promotion ceremony was a rare event at Desolate Fortress, and many martial artists remaining at the main fortress had gathered.

They sat like guests at a feast, and few among them were anything less than experts.

Their auditory Sensory Training was exceptional. They could easily hear the Desolate Fortress Great Tongue Sword's voice.

Kang Un-chan's eyes widened before he gave a dry laugh.

"I do not resent the defeat. I will advance whenever the chance comes. What interests me more is Demon Wings' debut, with every member having learned the Radiant Art Formation. The world will see Squad Leader Jeong as a Grandmaster of his generation. Demon Wings will face all manner of turmoil along the way, but..."

It was a calm admission of defeat.

"That turmoil belongs to the martial world."

Hyeon Won-chang smiled lightly and exchanged a fist-and-palm salute with him.

Officials, merchants, and members of the main fortress households had attended as guests, and they far outnumbered the martial artists. Yet none could rival the presence of Desolate Fortress's formal martial artists.

Hyeon Won-chang's final words spread through the experts, along with the origins of Radiant Art Formation as a divine art.

Whispers rose.

They began among those surrounding the sparring platform. The martial artists showed greater shock than the ordinary people.

The white and blue hems of their robes trembled slightly amid clusters of faint aura.

The energy emitted by the martial artists of the Seom-ye Martial Lineage was especially dense.

"How could there be force waves like that...?"

"It was new and powerful, even though the traces of the Seom-ye Martial Lineage were clear."

Desolate Fortress experts frequently traveled the mysterious martial world. They remained composed even before most strange events.

A renowned martial artist's composure was normally as clear and still as a mirror-like lake.

Not this time.

"This is an event for the ages. Radiant Art Formation? It is certainly something to boast about. We already knew the Leader of Demon Wings possessed the qualities of a Grandmaster, but..."

At one side of the increasingly noisy stands, a woman in a blue martial uniform gave a hollow laugh. It was Jin Mu-hwa, the Desolate Fortress Combatant.

She had sharp eyes and was an expert serving as acting Annihilation Squad Leader. She was the Annihilation Squad's equivalent of Demon Wings' Cheong Myeong.

As a prospective Annihilation Squad Leader, she had just watched matches alongside people befitting her standing.

The experts beside her began speaking in turn.

"The sword force rose in an instant. It was clearly displayed by the Great Tongue Sword..."

"Was it truly a martial art anyone could use? Not a signature ultimate technique exclusive to the Leader of Demon Wings?"

"Calling it something anyone could use is misleading. Did they not say it was unique to Demon Wings?"

"Either way, the Great Tongue Sword was not the only one to learn it."

That one statement carried great meaning. It meant Demon Wings had changed.

Exceptional martial arts could change an entire group. One silent man finally spoke.

"...It has been quite some time since I last saw Kang Chang-mu at the Martial Arena. He is mad for sparring, so I used to see him all the time."

The main fortress's Martial Arena was a large sparring platform. It served as a place of exchange where martial artists under the Divine Sword Squad compared their martial arts with experts from other combat units.

Many practically lived there while waiting for assignments. Seom-ye, Jeong Yeon-shin, had once frequented it as well.

Jin Mu-hwa replied with an understanding look.

"He must be immersed in training. Who would not be, if granted such an ultimate art...?"

The reactions of those attending the promotion ceremony varied. They spoke and moved in all sorts of ways. The merchants fortunate enough to have their identities verified and supply the main fortress did the same.

The seasoned merchants began making calculations. Some quietly slipped away.

"The Heaven-Treading Forest Squad and the Immortal Wood Spirit Squad disappeared at the same time. The Leader of Demon Wings is famous for going out on missions without rest, so Demon Wings will be next."

"Following their route alone should ensure safety. Prepare for a long journey and tell them to keep a close watch. If they head toward Myeongun Road, it may be worth following them for a while."

The movements of the Divine Sword Squad's combat units affected all manner of ordinary people.

Many gazes remained fixed on Seom-ye as he declared Hyeon Won-chang's victory. They stayed there until the next match began.

Strange emotions showed on the faces of the Seom-ye Martial Lineage's experts. Some looked as though they wanted to lose their minds.

Even as the promotion matches continued, they did not watch the sparring platform. They only stared blankly at their Grandmaster.

At that moment, they had become closer than ever to Demon Wings' reserve strength.

"Blow Thread Spear Lee Yeon has lost, and Languid Flame Dragon Huangbo So-and-so has won."

Seom-ye, the Leader of Demon Wings, delivered the judgment calmly.

"Isn't 'So-and-so' a little harsh?"

Languid Flame Dragon grumbled.

Jeong Yeon-shin approached the disappointed Blow Thread Spear and patted her shoulder. Lee Yeon had a gentle face. When she unconsciously tried to bury herself in his arms, he pushed her away again.

It was clear now. Seom-ye was no longer someone protected by the many seniors around him.

Perhaps it was because he had grown since returning from the assembly. Or perhaps the Radiant Art Formation had earned him complete recognition as a Divine Sword Squad combat unit leader.

"Get down."

Jeong Yeon-shin gave the two a slight nod of his chin.

Languid Flame Dragon had won easily.

Even his qi storage had changed since he first met Jeong Yeon-shin. The same was true of his heat-infused hand movements.

With the leisurely bearing of an idler, he shattered his opponent's sword. Blow Thread Spear's martial skill fell short of what Blue Uniform demanded.

She could not withstand the Hand Arts of the Huangbo Family's eldest young master, tempered through the Sun God Meridian.

The two stepped down from the sparring platform.

Jeong Yeon-shin repeated the words he had used most often that day.

"Next."

It was a grand event.

Time passed with unusual speed.

Before anyone realized it, the sun had reached the horizon and draped itself in a crimson night robe.

The final rite of the promotion ceremony began.

The Lord of Desolate Fortress was not present. The absolute expert acted according to mood rather than custom.

It was difficult to catch even a glimpse of the Lord. The same was true for Jeong Yeon-shin. Perhaps the Lord was not even at the main fortress.

"Having seen the martial artists' marvelous skills, how could one not be glad...?"

It was a verse adapted from the Book of Odes, one of the Four Books and Five Classics. Dancers with broad hanging sleeves filled the sparring platform alongside musicians with their hands upon flutes and zithers.

They danced and played with a delight that would not dry up even in famine, their artistry no less impressive than martial arts. The dances and melodies were all beautiful.

Jeong Yeon-shin remained until the ceremony ended.

Standing beside the Grand Chief Steward at the seat of honor, he lent silent weight to the speech.

"This is called Entering the Desolation. You have stepped deeper into the wild wasteland. As the main fortress's treasured swords, conduct yourselves with a treasured sword's keen edge. The great cause of this land will stand with you. How very, very noble."

The Grand Chief Steward bestowed martial uniforms upon the rows of promoted martial artists.

Hyeon Won-chang and Languid Flame Dragon received blue robes as well. It was a sight that stirred strange feelings in Jeong Yeon-shin.

May the sunlight on your path never fade.

The Lord of Desolate Fortress's clear voice came to mind again. It had been a gentle blessing. The hands that had personally placed a blue long robe over his shoulders remained vivid in his memory.

Warmth still lingered in the touch upon his shoulders. Fingertips capable of unraveling the principles of supreme martial arts had focused solely on Jeong Yeon-shin.

'What a pity.'

It was the Grand Chief Steward, not the Lord.

Small joy, along with greater satisfaction, lingered in the Leader of Demon Wings' eyes as he watched his two subordinates.

For a brief moment, Jeong Yeon-shin set aside his worries about the Zhongnan Sect. In his heart, he celebrated Demon Wings' good fortune.

Before leaving Desolate Fortress, his home, once more.

* * *

"From unranked disciple to Blue Uniform. Won-chang, is that not a promotion you never even dared imagine?"

"It is Hyeon Won, Huangbo So-and-so."

"Either way, no one in Demon Wings will be able to look down on this young master now. You have no idea how sick I was of hearing about insubordination. Running errands for the younger ones was too much. Hm."

"What a pity. You will still be insignificant in the Squad Leader's eyes."

"Did you not know even that is this young master's joy? It is a hundred times better than being bored."

"I worry for your mind. It seems opium poppies have not only accumulated in your body, but seeped into it. Are you not practically pickled in the stuff?"

Two pairs of shadows stretched long.

The group was returning to the Demon Wings hall. As Hyeon Won-chang and Languid Flame Dragon alternated who walked ahead, Jeong Yeon-shin and Jegal Cheong-a walked side by side.

The atmosphere was calm, accompanied by quiet conversation.

"Then an eye technique uses the Baihui acupoint more than the Tongziliao acupoint?"

"Yes. The head matters more than the eyes. The key is how intuitively one receives profound martial principles. Eye techniques that do that well are superior. The art of seeing is secondary. So long as the qi circulation around the inner eye corners interlinks properly, one can improve it personally."

"Like the aura around your Sibai acupoint, Cuanzhu acupoint, and Yintang acupoint? It is woven densely from your face to your eyes."

"...Yes."

Jegal Cheong-a pressed her lips together slightly.

Jeong Yeon-shin thanked her and fell into thought.

Recently, he had been considering which martial art to create next.

Now that his relationship with the Ma family had recovered and he could examine the upper floors of the Gold-Piercing Martial Treasury as a Squad Leader, there were many martial arts he could cultivate simply by reaching out for them.

Yet no ultimate art could compare to martial learning tailored to him from the opening of its mnemonic formula.

Martial arts were, at their core, methods of using the body.

Every minor meridian and acupoint throughout the body differed in position, thickness, size, blood flow, and contained energy.

These factors became especially clear at higher levels.

Jeong Yeon-shin had always thought highly of the benefits of unique martial arts. Even the efficiency of inner energy and its application differed. Without reaching Three Flowers Gather at the Crown, he had still exchanged swords with supreme experts.

'Eye technique and Protective Qi Technique.'

He had only learned enough to use as references.

If he created them properly, they would be of great help. Since he had not achieved the union of essence, qi, and spirit, he would have to compete through the variety and depth of his martial arts.

That was even more necessary if he was to face the supreme experts of major factions without end.

He might meet the Tyrant Sword Sect Master.

It was a weighty thought, slowly cutting into Jeong Yeon-shin's heart.

The silence that had settled over Jeong Family Manor at night, the fishy smell that seeped past the threshold, blood soaking into the floor, moonlight flowing across dark-red stains, the Tyrant Sword Sect Master's ruinous aura as the great sword hung at his side...

"Hm?"

Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly raised his head.

A familiar wall entered his sight. They had nearly arrived. The Demon Wings hall was close.

"The front gate is wide open. As expected of our family, welcoming this Desolate Fortress Divine Hero's promotion... Hm?"

Hyeon Won-chang stopped.

Languid Flame Dragon, walking with both hands clasped behind his head, also stopped.

"Squad Leader?"

"Stay still."

Jeong Yeon-shin answered shortly as he watched from a distance. An unusual confrontation was unfolding.

It was not only Demon Wings' experts and Miss Ye from the Martial Alliance Assembly. The back of a black-haired figure with short hair caught his eye.

Desolate Divine Spear Ak Su-rim.

She had likely come to drink tea, but now she spun a silver spear in one hand.

The sunset shimmered along its long path. Rather than beautiful, the sight looked utterly bold. She had not regarded Miss Ye kindly in the Lord's office before.

That was not all. The man crouching atop the highest roof among the halls was also a problem.

Pink robes fluttered in the wind, scraping against the tiles. With no one noticing, Tyrant Hero Ma Yeon-jeok looked down at the three-way standoff.

His gaze moved strangely between Miss Ye and Ak Su-rim. An odd anger could be felt from him.

It was a frightening sight.

He seemed so focused that he did not immediately sense his grandson in the distance.

"......"

Jeong Yeon-shin traced the left-side form of the mound radical with his index finger. It was Demon Wings' hand signal, used when even the aura of sound transmission required caution.

It meant to suppress their presence and withdraw, so the Squad Leader quietly turned first. He kept his grandfather, who was said to be about to receive an imperial summons, in sight.

The other three silently followed.

They crossed the main fortress's broad road until the halls disappeared from view.

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke first.

"Demon Wings did not appear to be in danger."

"Well, few could withstand the combined attack of Blue Uniform martial artists using the Radiant Art Formation and the Desolate Divine Spear at the same time. There would be only a handful even among the leaders of major factions."

Languid Flame Dragon spoke as though it were nothing. He rolled one shoulder slightly, looking somewhat amused.

Jeong Yeon-shin gave a short nod.

"I need brush and ink."

"I have them."

Jegal Cheong-a's gray sleeve moved at once.

Rustle.

She took a small inkpot and a short brush from her robes.

They were writing tools kept in excellent condition, as neat as her spotless, carefully pressed sleeves. The small sheet of paper she took out afterward was the same.

"This too."

"Thank you."

Jeong Yeon-shin immediately placed the paper against Jegal Cheong-a's back. An invisible inner-energy barrier lay between them.

"...?"

"I have used Protective Qi Technique, so do not worry about your clothes."

He began writing the letter.

It was not long. He finished it quickly. Then he carefully reached into his robes and took out a pure-white swallow. The Squad Leader's spiritual beast, which had been sleeping soundly, appeared.

Screee!

White Swallow let out a brief whistle-like cry.

White Swallow narrowed her black eyes. Her little eyes, looking up at her master, were round and bright.

Jeong Yeon-shin smiled faintly, tore the letter in two, rolled each piece, and tied one to each leg.

"This is for the Blood Guard Squad Leader. This one is for Senior Cheong Myeong or Senior Mir-yeo."

For a moment, Jeong Yeon-shin's voice became clear and resonant. It carried a quality like that of the elven race, a trait that had become prominent after he cultivated the Record of the Dharma Light Wheel.

"Visit Senior Jin, the Blood Guard Squad Leader, first, then go to Demon Wings."

When spoken to as though she were an ordinary person, White Swallow usually understood. She would likely understand this time as well.

Flap!

White Swallow rose with a few small beats of her wings and quickly flew away. Within a few blinks, she became a white speck.

As Hyeon Won-chang and Languid Flame Dragon blankly looked up, Jegal Cheong-a quietly asked,

"Can we really leave like this...?"

"We had to split up anyway. Shaanxi is a den of demons now. The Tyrant Sword Sect has risen in force, and Yeoryeong is rising as well.

"There is no need to draw the attention of two of the Thirteen Heavens first. We should disguise ourselves, leave, and join up with them one by one."

"I meant leaving without discussing it first..."

"I am the Squad Leader."

Jeong Yeon-shin answered as he began walking.

The sound of dirt crunching beneath his leather soles rang unusually loud.

Vast Desolate Fortress was bustling with the lingering excitement of the promotion ceremony. Boisterous sounds spread faintly through the air.

The crimson shadows cast across the sky seemed to dance with them.

The cheerful songs, bold shouts, laughter washing away fatigue, and clinking cups all felt deeply familiar.

Step.

Languid Flame Dragon, Hyeon Won-chang, and Jegal Cheong-a followed behind. Their relaxed, bold, and composed footsteps approached with a reassuring presence.

The more halls they passed, the more people offered fist-and-palm salutes. It continued until they reached the front gate.

"I wish the Squad Leader good fortune in battle."

That was all a gate guard said.

With orange light flowing from the setting sun at his back, the Leader of Demon Wings set out into the world.

Footnotes:

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