WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
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◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈
Episode 231: Treasured Sword (4)
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“I am Baek Seo-gun of the Heart Martial Union.”
The woman spoke. Her short ash-gray hair, like a lion’s mane, fell to the nape of her neck, and her orange silk long robe gleamed with a splendid sheen.
A sword and an ornate travel bag embroidered with orchid patterns caught the eye. Her belongings were as simple as her introduction.
It had taken several days for the Spirit Sky Sword Ghost to defeat the Chaneum Twin Demons and reach Weiji Myo-hwa.
Weiji Myo-hwa had not missed the opening created by the clash between the Demonic Sect’s major factions. The saying that an enemy’s enemy was an ally was a luxury. That was simply the reality of the situation.
Not only her own life but young Jeong Hye’s was at stake. She could not readily ask the second-in-command of a major Demonic Sect faction for help.
More than seven days and nights passed that way.
There were many pursuers besides the Chaneum Twin Demons. Yeoryeong and the Tyrant Sword Sect had joined forces, so they would not lack manpower. That was why they had formed a Heavenly Net.
Weiji Myo-hwa hid Jeong Hye in a mountain cave and lured the enemies away, drawing their attention by unleashing her aura with great fanfare. It was the best she could do.
She had been driven entirely to the brink until Baek Seo-gun suddenly appeared and slaughtered twenty-two people with a single act of qi sword control.
“You ran well. Even I had trouble catching your trail.”
“……”
The mist-shrouded Qinling Mountains stretched out like an ink-wash painting.
The Heart Martial Union was not far from the Zhongnan Sect. Baek Seo-gun recognized Weiji Myo-hwa at a glance.
With the comprehension that had enabled her to master an elven race Divine Technique, she recalled the facial-feature portrait of Zhongnan’s sect master’s disciple.
The Cloud Sword Dragon of the Zhongnan Sect was already renowned as one of the younger generation’s rising talents. Her martial arts, appearance, and standing were all exceptional.
To the Sword Dragon, Baek Seo-gun was that sort of person.
“…Spirit Sky Sword Ghost.”
Weiji Myo-hwa’s lips moved.
Even as she asked, her hand never left her sword hilt. She was the successor of a prestigious major sect that had suffered the calamity of annihilation.
Her vigilance was at its peak. Even her naturally straight eyes had risen slightly at the corners.
She was alone, and her appearance was disheveled. Her once-neat clothes were stained with dirt and blood.
Blood marked her lips from internal injuries as well. The bearing of a noble Zhongnan swordsman had taken on the harsh air of a battle ghost.
A flash of interest crossed Baek Seo-gun’s eyes.
‘They said she had a connection with Seom-ye.’
She studied Weiji Myo-hwa. Her beautiful features and clear eyes were striking.
What stood out even more was the aura surrounding her body. It was sharp, as though she had wrapped herself in a biting wind.
‘She maintains unity of sword and self at all times… A finely tempered sword.’
Cloud Sword Dragon Weiji Myo-hwa.
Even the strange feather ornament binding her black hair was distinctive. So was her waist.
A white treasured sword hung from a jade-decorated belt. It was not what one would expect of a Daoist sect disciple, yet it suited her strangely well.
“Didn’t you take the Jeong Family Manor’s kin with you?”
Baek Seo-gun asked without preamble. She was not one to weigh every little thing.
Weiji Myo-hwa reacted quickly.
Whoosh.
Formless aura rose sharply from her entire body. It was a colorless wave of inner energy.
It spread with an exceptionally sharp edge. Her blue garments, dulled by dirt, tightened as inner energy filled them.
“For what reason has an elder of the Heart Martial Union come here…?”
The Sword Dragon spoke while raising inner energy worthy of her epithet. She looked ready to strike at any moment. The whites and blacks of her eyes stood out with unusual clarity.
It was not recklessness so much as resolve. Even if death closed in on her, she would not reveal Jeong Hye’s whereabouts.
Baek Seo-gun’s lips curved upward.
“You have quite the spirit. But you have no right to hear my reasons. It is enough that you recognize my assistance.
“Have I not personally shaken off the leeches who followed you? Whether they were from the Tyrant Sword Sect or Yeoryeong, it was not an easy task even for me.”
The connections within the Thirteen Heavens were tangled and chaotic.
They were major Demonic Sect factions throughout the world, and there was no order to their movements.
At times, they joined forces to strike orthodox sects. At others, they fought sect wars among themselves. Unlike the orthodox martial world, they were not friendly with one another.
Even so, the balance between the orthodox and demonic paths remained intact. It was commonly said that the world’s balance would change if the Thirteen Heavens formed an assembly. That was the prevailing view among those fond of discussing the martial world.
“…Even so, I cannot trust a martial artist of the Heart Martial Union.”
Weiji Myo-hwa’s gaze was unwavering.
Protect Jeong Hye. Consider even the slightest possibility as carefully as crossing a stone bridge. If that led to death, then it could not be helped…
Her spirit was beautiful. It was the face Seom-ye had once said belonged to a great hero.
Baek Seo-gun watched her quietly, and her smile deepened.
“You are a child with loyalty. With that spirit alone, you could contend for the world. Seom-ye was right to befriend you.”
“Seom-ye…?”
Weiji Myo-hwa’s eyes widened slightly. Baek Seo-gun continued calmly.
“I have often heard that you have a connection with the Leader of Demon Wings. So do I. Mine runs no less deep than yours. It has continued since the previous generation, and we became friends through the sword.”
“What do you mean?”
“Have you ever shared a drink with him? You possess the comprehension to be called Shaanxi’s foremost talent of the younger generation, so even memories from years ago must be as clear as if they happened today.”
Baek Seo-gun asked suddenly. Weiji Myo-hwa could not answer at once, but the Sword Venerable with short gray hair continued without concern.
“Whether it was liquor or tea makes no difference. If you learned the eye technique of a prestigious orthodox sect, you must have noticed Seom-ye’s habit. Whenever he reaches for a cup, he watches the other person. Even then, he does not grasp it right away. He brushes it with his fingertips, then lifts it only when the person across from him does the same. Every time. Every single time. As if watching others’ moods had become second nature to him. He was born into a good family, so he must have learned tea etiquette early.”
“……!”
“I wondered whether he did it because he was wary of me, or because he grew up in a household where he had to behave that way. If he only did it with me, it would have been the former. But judging by your expression… it was not.”
A heavy breath colored Baek Seo-gun’s voice. Bitterness lingered in it.
Weiji Myo-hwa’s brows rose. Surprise and confusion both showed on her face.
“So it was true.”
Baek Seo-gun murmured. At some point, her long eyelashes had lowered.
“Jeong Ban-ak brings me shame. Endlessly. It seems that madman treated his own child that way. If I had been there, things would have been different…”
The emotion in her monologue was deep and natural. Shame and anger seeped through it. Her muttering did not feel out of place.
The slight twist of her lips was the same. Weiji Myo-hwa had never imagined she would see such an expression on Henan’s Sword Venerable.
Shaanxi and Henan bordered each other. Weiji Myo-hwa had long heard of the Spirit Sky Sword Ghost’s great reputation.
Sword Venerable Baek Seo-gun was an absolute master who had no need to hide her emotions. Her claim to have shared drinks with Jeong Yeon-shin had not been an empty lie.
Weiji Myo-hwa had enjoyed tea with Seom-ye several times since he stayed at Mount Zhongnan. She even remembered the small habits the Spirit Sky Sword Ghost had not mentioned.
‘He is Junior Brother Jeong’s younger half-brother.’
Had he been unable to live comfortably with his family? He had seemed like nothing more than a young master from a noble household.
“…I will draw my sword. Please allow this junior a distance of one chi.”
She meant that she would guide Baek Seo-gun with her sword point trained on her from close range. Desperate for help, she accepted the Sword Venerable’s goodwill.
Yet the condition she set, that she would thrust her sword at Baek Seo-gun in an emergency, was bold.
‘Her Protective Qi Technique must be strong. Wounding her is likely the limit.’
Weiji Myo-hwa thought.
Baek Seo-gun’s reaction speed would far surpass hers as well. Even so, she had no choice. Jeong Hye had already been left alone for nearly three days, and the Heavenly Net formed by two Thirteen Heavens factions was still closing in.
A sharp whistling arrow had just sounded in the distance. Weiji Myo-hwa had few other options.
Baek Seo-gun raised her head and showed no particular anger. She only nodded slowly.
“Then hurry your steps.”
They did not speak after that.
The two moved as if flying. Using their superb Body Movement Scripture, they headed for an unnamed gorge in the Qinling Mountains.
Neither hesitated as they descended. A cave wedged between the enormous cliffs rushed toward them.
The Sword Venerable and Sword Dragon landed and entered.
A gloomy wind howled through the cave like the cries of ghosts.
A faint breeze carrying an odd emptiness brushed past their collars. Then the stone walls shrouded in dim darkness swiftly fell silent.
“Ah…”
Weiji Myo-hwa let out a low groan.
No one was in the cave they had reached.
Faint sunlight entered through a narrow crack in the ceiling. The flattened grass where the child had curled up lay silently beneath the light.
Fragments of a shattered sword were scattered all around.
* * *
Xi’an, Shaanxi.
Even with Mount Zhongnan beside it, the city’s clusters of pavilions stretched on without end. Its scale differed from other parts of Shaanxi Province. There were people everywhere.
Merchants chatting as they folded up their stalls, inn attendants hanging lanterns above inn entrances deep into the night, wandering martial artists searching for an alley where they could lie down comfortably…
It was immensely vast.
Even during famine, enormous quantities of goods passed through in the caravans of merchant companies and escort agencies.
It had prospered since long before the nation’s founding. People from every walk of life lived busily there. Even after sunset, the city brimmed with a vibrant energy of every kind.
The same was true of Xian Chivalrous Swordsman Gal Do-jin’s strike.
Bang!
He grabbed a man by the back of the head and slammed him into a table. A moment later, the force released by the blow swelled like a gust of wind.
Cracks spread in every direction from the man’s forehead. Then the wooden table shattered into pieces and collapsed. The man fell facedown with it.
“This one has nothing on him. Take him away.”
Gal Do-jin, dressed in a splendid silk long robe, spoke with cold eyes.
Orange lanterns hung from the ceiling, casting their light in rows throughout the inn.
It was under the control of the Sungyeo Branch, which had submitted to Yeoryeong of the Thirteen Heavens.
Gal Do-jin was the Sungyeo Branch’s First Protector. His epithet, Chivalrous Swordsman, was a nickname used only when members of the Demonic Sect praised one another.
“……”
The guests silently moved their chopsticks, keeping their voices down. Famine had struck repeatedly, and the protection of the great Zhongnan Sect had vanished.
The people who could afford to buy food at an inn in such times could not be ordinary. At the very least, they were not the sort to spare a glance for the common fights that broke out.
A burly subordinate received the order.
The unconscious man was dragged away.
The youth beside Gal Do-jin snickered. A vivid blue hero’s headband was tied above his sharply contrasted black-and-white eyes. It suited him well. He was a talented youth of the dark martial world.
He was also Gal Do-jin’s sworn younger brother.
The youth spoke.
“Has dining without paying become more common?”
“Say it properly. There are more food leeches. Shameless ones.”
Gal Do-jin answered indifferently.
The youth, Xian Young Hero So Yu-rang, smiled.
“Why let him leave alive? He tried to enjoy the finest delicacies at Xi’an’s greatest inn without a single coin. You should have broken his arms and legs at least… Shall I go after him? May I kill him? I can polish my sword path while I’m at it.”
“I told them to kill him outside so our honored guests would not lose their appetites.”
“Was that necessary…?”
“Weren’t there plenty who wet themselves when they were in pain? Cleaning that up costs money too. Time is money.”
“Ah, right. Your little brother had not thought that far. I’ve been so absorbed in Zhongnan martial arts lately.”
“Pay special attention to your training. The Sect Master has been showing you consideration.”
“You’ll wear my ears out.”
“You mad bastard. The Nine Yang Unified Art you were granted is the martial art the Zhongnan Sect’s Sword Dragon uses as her signature technique. If not for this incident, it would have been a Divine Technique you could not have dreamed of even witnessing. Shouldn’t you forget that damned gambling and focus only on improving your attainment?”
“Don’t use such fancy words. You sound like some scholar retired to the countryside.”
“You little bastard.”
The martial artists of the unorthodox sects spoke of the sword lineage’s legacy, which Seom-ye of Desolate Fortress had restored alongside the Sword Immortal of Zhongnan.
No one dared say anything despite Zhongnan’s affiliated secular sects being established throughout Shaanxi.
Xi’an’s ecosystem had changed drastically after the Zhongnan Sect’s annihilation.
Lackeys of the Tyrant Sword Sect and Yeoryeong had pushed in. They interfered with every source of profit, including merchant companies, escort agencies, and shops around official roads.
Even officials such as the Prefect and county magistrates had been won over with wealth. In a famine, every kind of supply was precious. Even upright and incorruptible officials had no choice but to yield.
Xi’an’s new order had quickly solidified.
The people silently concentrating on their meals showed as much. Martial artists sat here and there among merchants and commoners, yet no one raised their head.
That remained true until a winter wind suddenly blew in through the inn’s reopening doors.
Whoooosh.
Someone stepped inside, surrounded by clear air. Perhaps the figure carried more weight than the body suggested. The footsteps were strangely loud.
Step.
It was a boy who had grown fairly tall.
Long lashes cast shadows over his face. His features were as distinct as a painting, and he carried an unusually calm air.
Then the door closed with a creak. The black cloak covering the guest’s ankles streamed behind him.
Plain white sleeves briefly appeared beneath the garment fastened around his neck, then disappeared.
“Welcome!”
The inn attendant, dressed in brown hemp clothes despite the winter, stepped forward. Until just moments earlier, they had been watching the familiar banter between the Chivalrous Swordsman and the Xian Young Hero.
“Do you have no companions? It is a dangerous world to travel alone.”
The attendant smiled to themself and asked in a suggestive tone.
It sounded odd. The inn’s atmosphere was subdued, yet scenes like this had become familiar in Xi’an.
The city had nearly become a lawless land where the Great Ming Code no longer held meaning.
“Three more will come. They said they could not sleep here, so I told them to find somewhere to stay.”
The unfamiliar guest answered readily.
The attendant nodded with a broad smile.
“The great heroes of the Sungyeo Branch are staying here. Thanks to them, our inn is still famed for the finest delicacies under heaven.”
“Is there a table available?”
From afar, So Yu-rang’s brow twitched. In the area, the Sungyeo Branch was known as Yeoryeong’s proxy sect within the Thirteen Heavens.
Its authority was considerable. This wandering stranger was in no position to disregard them upon their first meeting.
“A newcomer to the martial world.”
So Yu-rang clenched and opened his fist once.
Gal Do-jin noticed his sworn younger brother’s irritation but did not bother to say anything.
Having trained in the Sword Dragon’s Nine Yang Unified Art, So Yu-rang was worthy of being called the strongest among Shaanxi’s younger generation. It was enough to silently observe the wanderer in the cloak.
‘His appearance is quite neat. His complexion is good, and he shows no sign of being thin. That means he has been eating well.’
Gal Do-jin thought.
A rare sight.
A young master from a decent clan had come out while concealing his identity.
It was difficult to know the reason. If it was trivial, his martial strength would likely be nothing special. If he had an important reason, then just as he concealed his identity, he would conceal his martial arts as well.
Disciples who received secret orders from great sects were skilled at hiding their abilities to the very end.
Step.
By then, So Yu-rang was striding toward the guest.
A Demonic Sect martial artist with a territory was closer to a beast than a human. They followed the law of the jungle thoroughly.
They were called unorthodox because they valued the sword in their hands above the Great Ming Code, and demonic because they used violence to vent their emotions.
To someone who took the Four Books and Five Classics as common sense, they did not look like people.
So Yu-rang’s temperament was no different. It was exceedingly strange.
He approached the boy in the cloak, who was drinking the water poured by the inn attendant, without hesitation. He smiled brightly at the sight of someone who did not even acknowledge him.
Anyone who did not respect the dignity of Xi’an’s unorthodox sects was not a guest but an unwelcome intruder. So Yu-rang raised the corners of his lips and imitated the words and bearing of Gal Do-jin, his sworn elder brother.
“Your way of speaking and bearing violates Xi’an’s rules. Once you finish that water, you must receive my instruction. I’m thinking of breaking your throat first…”
Then.
It began at the lips of the unwelcome guest as he raised his cup.
Sssaaa...
The wooden cup began to turn to powder. Fine dust caught the orange lantern light and scattered like an illusion. It crumbled upward in tiny fragments until it reached the fingertips holding it.
It was as if the callused yet smooth fingers had brought the sunset with them. The sight was so natural that it felt unnatural.
So Yu-rang stopped walking.
“What.”
Jeong Yeon-shin, who had burst the water cup, said curtly.
Footnotes:
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