WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈
Episode 232: Treasured Sword (5)
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The question sounded brusque at first.
The boy even seemed like an impetuous adolescent in the throes of rebellion.
Those with sound judgment saw it differently.
Even Gal Do-jin, standing some distance away, took it for an incomprehensible technique. He swore it had not been So Yu-rang's doing.
The fragments had naturally scattered upward from the hand of the unwelcome guest, who had held the wooden cup only moments earlier.
‘That, with martial power...? No way.’
If what he had just displayed was purely a martial technique...
It would have to be a method so profound that its principles were impossible to grasp.
Perhaps such a sight could only be found in great sects where immortals were said to dwell. Even exceptionally pure inner energy could not easily produce it.
‘There are no identifying marks on his clothes. The inner sleeves beneath his cloak were the same. Did he deliberately choose plain garments?’
A colorless gleam passed through the eyes of Gal Do-jin, the Chivalrous Swordsman.
Someone with such extraordinary skill and bearing could not be a wandering martial artist. Rather than dismissing him as a mere drifter, Gal Do-jin had to see him as someone from a distinguished sect concealing his identity.
By then, his sworn younger brother was letting out a dumbfounded gasp.
“Uh... uh.”
They said the Demonic Sect followed the law of the jungle.
So Yu-rang was talented enough to learn the Zhongnan Sect's divine art. He had properly begun studying the martial manual plundered by the Tyrant Sword Sect and Yeoryeong.
There was no way his comprehension was lacking. He was quick to assess a situation as well. Yet fully accepting the sight before him was another matter.
“Just now...?”
So Yu-rang's heel twitched.
He started to step back, then stopped. He could scarcely react.
That was the sort of world the Demonic Sect's martial world was. Direct and crude.
The weak lived or died entirely at the mercy of the strong. So Yu-rang had lived that way as well, if only briefly.
‘I didn't sense any aura. Could it have passed too quickly...?’
The world was vast enough to be called boundless. Even with Desolate Fortress and countless great sects in the martial world, they were but a handful compared to the continent.
It was not easy to encounter someone strong enough to look down on the Sungyeo Branch. He had been able to enjoy a life of taking whatever he wanted.
What about now? Was he the weak one?
A peer had displayed that move. Sitting there as though it were nothing, he had performed a dreamlike technique. The wooden cup had vanished without a trace.
Could he say with certainty that it was not some bizarre sorcery art? Yet if it was, what would change? The result was the same.
As So Yu-rang, the Xian Young Hero, wavered over how to conduct himself...
“You.”
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke from his seat.
“I heard you learned the Nine Yang Unified Art.”
So Yu-rang and Gal Do-jin had the same thought at once.
Had he come for that?
Anyone might think so. The Nine Yang Unified Art was a sword art left behind by an unparalleled master of the previous generation. A sword grandmaster who had survived receiving the Lord of Desolate Fortress's sword had cultivated it.
Though it was a secret art from outside the sect, the Zhongnan Sect had set aside its pride and made it part of its successor's training.
Step.
Gal Do-jin, who had been slowly approaching, narrowed his eyes.
‘Where is he from? The Sobaek Sect? I have heard nothing of such a young master.’
Greed for martial manuals transcended seniority and sect. It would not be strange for any sect to send someone.
Xi'an was a vast land, with countless sects scattered throughout it. Since the Zhongnan Sect's annihilation, all manner of people had been pouring in.
Having received the Nine Yang Unified Art, the Sungyeo Branch was a tempting prize for other unorthodox sects.
Yeoryeong's actions had been secretive, so the matter was not widely known. Still, many had entered the city seeking the Zhongnan Sect's martial manuals, spiritual herbs, and secret training methods.
People of every imaginable background had settled in Xi'an. There were countless Demonic Sect factions and wandering martial artists alike. It was a world apart from the martial world outside.
Gal Do-jin suddenly spoke.
“May I ask which sect the honored guest belongs to? I am Gal Do-jin of the Sungyeo Branch.”
“I heard that bastard learned the Nine Yang Unified Art.”
The unwelcome guest answered calmly. It was merely a repetition of what he had said before.
The slight lift of his chin looked arrogant. It strangely suited his handsome features.
“I asked you. Speak.”
It was practically an order. His voice quietly rang out along the wall that shielded them from the cold wind.
It was as though he did not regard the two martial artists as people. For a moment, all movement around them ceased.
“...”
The lantern light illuminating the inn seemed quieter than ever. Something had happened that the people of Xi'an could scarcely imagine.
The Sungyeo Branch was subordinate to Yeoryeong of the Thirteen Heavens, and it was an extremely powerful sect in its own right.
In Namjeon County, Xi'an, it wielded greater influence than the factions that served the Tyrant Sword Sect. Even influential local clans were crushed beneath it.
“What is this...?”
“An assassin from the Sobaek Sect? Didn't he come to attack the Sungyeo Branch?”
Several people in the inn began to speak. Xi'an had always drawn martial artists of every kind.
Even commoners who traveled outside were known for being fairly fearless.
They had merely held their breath under the tyranny of Demonic Sect factions that had entered beneath the banners of two of the Thirteen Heavens.
“An assassin? What assassin would walk in so openly?”
“They say that if no witnesses remain, it is an assassination. Killing everyone to silence them, you see.”
“Then it would be more believable to call him the Xian Dark Guest.”
“The Dark Guest? He has only avoided capture so far... His martial ability is far too lacking to face a branch of the Thirteen Heavens. It cannot be him.”
“This is making me nervous...”
The swords of the Demonic Sect had replaced the Great Ming Code.
It was an order firmly established in a short time. That was the reality of Xi'an's martial world today.
Then an unfamiliar wanderer entered the picture. Like a stone cast into a lake, he sent strange ripples through it.
“That is quite high-handed.”
Gal Do-jin spoke, then immediately realized his mistake.
It was not something a martial artist of the Demonic Sect should say. He had sounded like a fool.
The unwelcome guest's strange bearing had overwhelmed him. Gal Do-jin, the Chivalrous Swordsman of Xi'an, frowned and rebuked himself.
Damn it.
The corner of the unwelcome guest's lips curved ever so slightly.
“How sturdy is your throat?”
Seated in an old chair, he asked while looking slightly up at So Yu-rang. Though his dark eyes were raised, he still gave the impression of looking down on him.
It was a bearing difficult to possess unless one had been born arrogant.
Gal Do-jin considered the possibility that the unwelcome guest was a disciple of the Demonic Sect. He had to be a young master of no ordinary standing.
‘They say the Apostles of the Blood Flame Sect have black hair. Judging by his temperament, he could be from the Ming Cult or the Heavenly Extreme Sect. I doubt someone from the Thirteen Heavens would come personally, but...’
Just as he thought that...
“I asked two questions, yet you have not answered either.”
Jeong Yeon-shin murmured quietly.
Swish.
He slowly rose from his seat. So Yu-rang, who stood close by, and Gal Do-jin, who had been approaching, both flinched.
The long hem of the cloak he had changed into to conceal his identity unfurled in black. Its rustle rang out clearly.
Jeong Yeon-shin thought of the Blood Flame Sect's masters and the Languid Flame Dragon before speaking. This was not a place where he could remind people of the Leader of Demon Wings of Desolate Fortress.
“You leave this young master no choice but to follow Xi'an's rules.”
He deliberately spoke with pride. Strangely, the words seemed to fit him well. It made him uncomfortable, as though the Languid Flame Dragon's scent of opium poppy had rubbed off on him.
He even suspected it might be because of his maternal grandfather. He did not show it.
‘There are far too many arrogant people around me.’
With the thought that he should beware of becoming like those around him, he put the matter aside.
Then he spoke again.
“You insignificant wretches.”
They were people who did not hesitate to slaughter commoners. Their martial arts were insignificant compared to their conduct.
Jeong Yeon-shin kept his aura concealed and raised his right arm. He suppressed the Record of the Dharma Light Wheel, which was about to whirl from his heart through the minor meridians of his arm. It took but an instant.
The power permanently dwelling in the acupoints throughout his body strengthened his muscles. It was the effect of the Jeong Family Youth Technique.
The black sleeve, rather than a Desolate Fortress long robe, blurred. His hand had moved without warning.
Crack!
He seized the back of So Yu-rang's head.
The feel of hair filled his grip. The man whose throat he had just mentioned could not follow the movement of his right hand with his eyes. His eyes only widened in belated shock.
Whoooosh!
Wind spread through the room. The lanterns hanging from the ceiling swayed briefly. To Jeong Yeon-shin, it was an aftereffect hardly worth calling force.
It did not seem that way to the others.
“A master...!”
Gal Do-jin kicked off the floor. The sound of his orange robes fluttering was loud. Using advancing footwork like a lightness skill, he rushed forward.
Perhaps because this was the martial world of the Demonic Sect, he seemed to judge that the life of the man whose vital point had been seized was in danger.
The way he moved in urgency to save his sworn younger brother stirred a strange feeling in Jeong Yeon-shin.
Shing!
The path of his drawn sword was uncharacteristically straight for the Demonic Sect. He thrust it directly forward.
Dark red stains stood out on the sword's tip. It was as if he treated the weapon as wholly expendable.
Crunch.
Keeping his eyes on Gal Do-jin's strike, Jeong Yeon-shin tightened his grip on the head of the man struggling in his grasp.
So Yu-rang immediately stopped moving. He must have felt grip strength surpassing his faint Protective Qi Technique. It was perfectly faithful to the law of the jungle.
By then, Gal Do-jin's pinpoint thrust had reached within arm's reach. It was aimed at Jeong Yeon-shin's throat.
The sound of fluttering clothes was fierce. Gal Do-jin had properly trained in martial arts.
Jeong Yeon-shin swung the back of his left hand. Air split between his five fingers and streamed out with a drawn-out whistle.
Clang!
He struck the flat of the blade with precision. A sharp impact traveled from the back of his hand through the sword.
The struck sword swayed outward. Gal Do-jin had somehow not lost his grip, but he had come right before Jeong Yeon-shin's face. He could not overcome the momentum of his charge.
Jeong Yeon-shin saw the bewilderment on his face. It was as expected.
To a master, the limits of a lesser fighter's mind and techniques felt almost like foreknowledge. That was true even for a Black Uniform supreme master concealing his true martial arts.
“Look up at this young master from below, trash.”
Qi exploded from the Yongquan acupoint on the sole of Jeong Yeon-shin's right foot. It was Leg Arts.
The tip of his leg blurred in black, then kicked Gal Do-jin in the abdomen as swiftly as drawing a sword.
The faint inner-energy barrier that rose from Gal Do-jin's crossed arms was crushed beneath the toe of Jeong Yeon-shin's leather shoe.
It happened in an instant. With a sound like paper tearing, the kick struck the center of Gal Do-jin's abdomen.
Boom!
“Cough!”
An enormous impact surged through his blood vessels. Jeong Yeon-shin had fully unleashed the Jeong Family Youth Technique's force wave, so it traveled with tremendous speed.
Jeong Yeon-shin felt it clearly through his foot. He did not retract his leg until Gal Do-jin opened his mouth wide and vomited bright-red blood.
He withdrew it at once. By the narrowest margin, his clothes remained clean.
To those watching, it looked like an exceptionally elegant movement. Every motion had been anticipated through inspiration flashing from the Baihui acupoint like lightning.
He was fast, yet he did not look rushed. His temperament was the same. Everything about him was the bearing of a master of the highest refinement.
“...”
The inn was gripped by shock. Surprise spread in all directions like crashing waves.
Some dropped their chopsticks, while others stood with their mouths hanging open. Several hurriedly gathered their belongings, as though preparing to leave the inn.
“They say fights between lesser fighters are refreshing to watch. Hm?”
Jeong Yeon-shin ignored the words that had slipped out unintentionally.
He slowly turned his gaze and glanced at the man trembling beneath his right hand.
Even after facing him for so long, So Yu-rang showed no sign of guessing his identity.
It confirmed the value of his disguise. In the vast martial world, few people had memorized the facial-feature portraits of every important figure from major factions.
It also helped that portraits of supreme masters from the upper ranks of the martial world were close to top-secret documents.
The Desolate Fortress branch martial artists connected to the authorities were not people who handled their work carelessly.
He had not used any martial arts that symbolized Seom-ye, either.
‘My age is the problem. I need to make sure no one can connect me to him.’
After the mission had been decided, he received a letter from Ma Jin. It contained advice.
- It would be best to avoid wearing a human-skin mask. It will only catch the sharp eyes of masters. You do not need one anyway. If you make your speech and manner a little bolder, people will take you for a young master of an unorthodox faction like the Thirteen Heavens. Your grandfather and I were the same. I have many thoughts about this... but since it concerns a mission, I will relay only the facts. I watched over you as your uncle and Squad Leader, and Yeon-shin, I do not think you will be very different. In any case, you have the disposition suited to a martial artist of the main fortress. I wish you success.
The words made him want to tilt his head.
He did not fully understand them, but he could not disregard the advice of the former Leader of Demon Wings.
‘Do as I please.’
The unwelcome guest naturally lifted his chin. His slender jawline was revealed. Crimson lantern light fell from above and gathered beautifully upon it.
“Name.”
“So... So Yu-rang.”
The Xian Young Hero answered with trembling lips. His sworn elder brother, who had seemed so strong moments ago, lay sprawled on the ground, while the indifferent voice of a peer drilled into his ears.
“So Yu-rang of the Sungyeo Branch. Tell me how you came to cultivate the Zhongnan Sect's Nine Yang Unified Art.”
“...If you came alone, you will not escape death. It cannot be done this way. Xi'an's unorthodox martial world is enormous, and it is on edge over the interests left behind by the Zhongnan Sect's destruction. They fight among themselves, but they react sharply when outsiders from the martial world encroach upon them. The masters of the Demonic Sect will unite.”
So Yu-rang was a talent among the unorthodox sects. Rather than simply being frightened, he sought another method. He thought of an approach those orthodox sect fools with rigid minds would not consider.
Persuasion.
Calming his twitching lips, he continued slowly. His voice grew clearer as he spoke.
“Y-you have made a mistake. Only unparalleled masters can stand alone in the martial world. Xi'an's martial world is even more so. Even a supreme master of no ordinary caliber cannot endure alone. It would be safer for you to become an honored guest of our sect, even now...”
It was not wrong.
Even after reaching lofty realms, many founding masters settled in favorable places and established sects. Few kept only a small number of disciples.
It was difficult to survive alone in the wilderness that was the martial world. It was also why the Sword Star, who had risen to the supreme realm despite coming from a wandering background, had been treated with caution at the Martial Alliance Assembly in Hanzhong.
The martial world was also a world made of people. The sect one belonged to was valued as highly as one's own martial strength.
That was when it happened.
“I left this alone because it was amusing, but what insignificant trash has appeared...?”
The mutter came from outside the inn. Anger seeped into the languid voice.
Slaaash!
One side of the wall began to split away in the shape of a person. It was an overwhelmingly powerful force wave, as though sword qi had arisen from the person's entire body.
The thick wooden wall, erected under the influence of dwarven race craftsmanship, shattered in an instant. There was no particularly violent tremor. Only a hazy cloud of dust rose thickly.
Then the smell of alcohol suddenly spread through the room.
Step.
Someone walked through the broken wall.
The silk martial clothes were spotless, yet the figure looked worn-out. The carelessly loose, disheveled hair was the same.
Dark shadows lay beneath his eyes. He looked completely ruined.
The slow smacking of his lips, as though his mouth felt empty, even carried a hint of obsession. Irritation that seemed to have no outlet clung to him.
The Languid Flame Dragon slowly opened his mouth. He looked at the sprawled Gal Do-jin and So Yu-rang, held in one hand, then gave a snort of laughter.
“The boss got into a scrap too.”
“...”
Whooom!
The aftereffects of qi circulating through his entire body were terrifying. The inn's dishes trembled. The lanterns hanging nearby struck one another.
Even with a hole in the ceiling at the center of the room, the brief clamor echoed loudly. The disturbance looked frivolous at first glance, yet it forced the surrounding silence.
Those seated before the long tables and those leaning against the upper-floor railings closed their mouths.
They stopped moving as well.
Into Xi'an's martial world, which had grown so entrenched...
Demon Wings had entered.
Footnotes:
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