WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
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◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈
Episode 236: Treasured Sword (9)
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Inside a cozy room at Fruit Cloud Inn.
“Ghost-Spirit Divine Sword Yeo So-hyang. She is the Tyrant Sword Sect’s Elder Council Head and manages the unorthodox sects under the Tyrant Sword Sect in Xi’an. According to an investigation conducted with the Beggars’ Sect, she also led the annihilation of Jeong Family Manor in Xinye County.”
Jegal Hyeon spoke.
He sat across from Jeong Yeon-shin at a round tea table. Only two teacups had been set on it.
Even without rice grains, people still boiled tea to drink. A faint tea fragrance lingered in the room.
“The annihilation of my family manor?”
The pleased expression vanished from the Leader of Demon Wings’ face.
“I understand that the Blood Flame Sect’s Third Apostle gave the order.”
Yeon-shin spoke quietly, recalling what had happened at the Blood Flame Sect’s main headquarters.
“You enjoyed fertile land beyond your station.”
Those had been the Third Apostle’s words during his confrontation with the Seventh Apostle. He had confessed that he had ordered the destruction of Jeong Family Manor.
Then the Lord of Desolate Fortress’s sword had severed his head.
Only one enemy remained. With the same resolve he had held when creating the Jeong Family Youth Technique, Yeon-shin had counted the culprits behind Jeong Family Manor’s destruction, determined to uphold the bonds of family.
He could think of no one but the Tyrant Sword Sect Master.
He had no choice but to take Jegal Hyeon’s words seriously.
“Ghost-Spirit Divine Sword, who oversees Xi’an’s unorthodox sects, was once the Tyrant Sword Sect Master’s wet nurse. She is an aged swordswoman of the elven race.”
His gaze flickered toward Yeon-shin’s limbs, which had grown longer in the meantime, as though he found them strange.
“She was once said to possess martial skill capable of contending with a lord of the Thirteen Heavens, but she is known to have declined after learning domineering martial arts. Even so, she is formidable. Other than the leaders of major factions, the only one said to be capable of facing Yeo So-hyang was Cheon Ju-jin, the Mount Hua Sword Absolute...”
“I’d like you to tell me about Jeong Family Manor.”
“She is an eccentric who enjoys surveying the land through sword flight. It is said that she examined the earthly energies of Xinye County and reported them to the Tyrant Sword Sect Master. She often boasts about the peerless expert she raised. Apparently, she revealed this while claiming that the Sect Master had dealt Desolate Fortress countless blows...”
“Ghost-Spirit Divine Sword Yeo So-hyang.”
Yeon-shin murmured the name.
The Tyrant Sword Sect’s Elder Council Head. The general overseer of the unorthodox martial world that had pushed out the Zhongnan Sect.
His upper dantian aura sense detected no falsehood from Jegal Hyeon. The man had cultivated an immortal art more impressive than any supreme art.
Nor did Yeon-shin particularly want to doubt him. Jegal Hyeon was a chivalrous man with a disposition entirely unlike Yeon-shin’s own brothers.
“Let’s focus on what is in front of us.”
Yeon-shin closed his eyes, then opened them. He set aside the thoughts raised by this unexpected revelation.
If he drove out Xi’an’s unorthodox sects, he would meet her eventually.
“We agreed to settle this at Daewol Gorge at noon. It was in the Sungyeo Branch Master’s letter.”
“Ghost-Spirit Divine Sword will not come down immediately.”
“Why not?”
“She considers everything besides the Tyrant Sword Sect Master beneath her notice. She would not involve herself from the outset in a brawl between subordinate sects, no matter how vast their forces may be.”
“That’s true. The unorthodox sects here are stronger than I expected. They aren’t merely underworld thugs. They’re closer to mid-sized sects.”
“I came after receiving intelligence that they were committing every kind of atrocity. I heard they treated the lives of common people like sweets in their pockets. To confirm the truth, I had no choice but to come myself.”
What Yeon-shin had seen was no different. Before crossing the city gate, he had witnessed countless corpses.
They were the bodies of people plundered because of the famine. Remnants of force waves from Demonic Sect martial arts lingered on them, rippling transparently like smoke rising from incense.
“Their numbers are overwhelming. Every one of them has properly learned Demonic Sect martial arts. Retreating may be worth considering. The whole city is hostile toward Squad Leader Jeong...”
Jegal Hyeon spoke cautiously.
The Martial Alliance Assembly had investigated this thoroughly. The unorthodox martial world differed from an orthodox sect alliance.
They could not conduct business openly or receive generous donations such as offerings. All they could do was lay their hands on other shops or blatantly collect protection money.
Naturally, they were extremely sensitive about territory.
They fought among themselves, but the moment they faced an outside incursion, they united. They were not major factions. Their nature was a mixture of mid-sized sects and back-alley gangs.
They were so orderly that even orthodox sect connoisseurs found it bizarre. With that unity, they had swiftly torn apart the Zhongnan Sect’s former order and divided its interests among themselves.
They were like brothers who wounded one another.
Their response to the appearance of a hostile supreme master could only be swift as lightning.
As Languid Flame Dragon had experienced, they restricted the procurement of food, while the sect leaders all disappeared.
They feared being defeated one by one. They seemed intent on not showing themselves until the eve of the decisive battle.
They had an excellent eye for recognizing the strong.
“The unorthodox martial world thoroughly follows the law of the strong devouring the weak. Powerful unorthodox sect leaders are always wary of a supreme master appearing. To protect their livelihoods, they must intercept even a supreme master by any means necessary.”
Jegal Hyeon continued in a gentle voice.
“There are also ways to destroy them little by little from within. Sweeping them away all at once in open battle may take less time, but it carries immense danger. That is why I recommend that Squad Leader Jeong withdraw for now. Even a peerless expert would struggle against ten thousand martial soldiers...”
He spoke while absently running his fingers over the fan he had taken from his robe. It appeared to be a habit.
The steam from the teacups had dispersed. Only the invisible tea fragrance filled the room. Silence passed briefly through the tranquil room.
Yeon-shin did not answer.
* * *
Daewol Gorge, with the vast Guanzhong Plain spread out to one side.
Martial artists carrying sinister auras poured in from every street. This was the depth of the Demonic Sect.
They differed from street thugs who merely imitated martial artists with shallow martial arts. The killing intent tightly wrapped around their bodies made that clear.
Several hundred people headed for the mountain range beyond the city. For some reason, this place had been named Daewol Gorge.
“I don’t understand why we’ve gone this far.”
“You’re right. Only seven days and nights ago, we were cutting each other down.”
“They say the one who refuses to leave Xi’an is a supreme master. If we fight in the city center, everything will be reduced to rubble. Isn’t that all our property?”
“A supreme master... is that really true?”
“Sect Master Wi, the Radiant Demon Sword, has an eye technique acknowledged even by our Family Head. If it’s a lie, the Sungyeo Branch will be annihilated. Not by us, but by the elders of Yeoryeong.”
People in every sort of attire climbed the mountain. Some had hair hanging to their feet, while others were bald. Many carried unusual weapons.
There were curved sabers with strangely bent blades, great swords with circular holes through their centers, gauntlets with blades attached to the backs of the hands, sickles hung with chains, and flexible swords whose blades bent softly.
They climbed the mountain amid boisterous chatter.
No one was tense. Anyone would have felt the same when faced with auras gathering and swelling together like clouds.
There were hundreds who had properly learned unorthodox martial arts. Some laughed as though they had come out for amusement.
“At this point, we might as well set our sights on other fertile lands.”
“How about Xiangyang?”
“Are you insane? You want to strike Desolate Fortress?”
“I hear the land there is incredibly rich. With forces like this, aren’t we invincible beneath heaven?”
There was a reason they had not attacked the inn occupied by the group led by the “leader.” Rather than the roads, which had limited capacity, the mountains of Daewol Gorge beside the broad wilderness made it easier to display their strength.
They intended to use this supposedly powerful supreme master as an example and completely solidify the order of Xi’an’s unorthodox sects. Their patience had endured until the day of the decisive battle.
Even more commoners, merchants, and wandering martial artists followed from afar.
“So they’ll hold a public execution?”
“I hear neither that leader nor the sect masters have left their doors.”
“The side that avoids a fight out of fear is the loser. I’d bet on the sect masters. How could one outsider endure the territorial bullying of Xi’an’s unorthodox sects?”
“Even so, the scale is that of a sect war...”
“It happens from time to time.”
The people of Xi’an had two sides to their nature. They lowered their heads when they needed to, yet eagerly acted when their curiosity had been stirred.
This had long been a great city where the Zhongnan Sect and Mount Hua Sect fought the Demonic Sect. There were an enormous number of bold local residents.
They filled the vast yet sparsely populated gorge completely.
Then the leaders of Xi’an’s unorthodox sects appeared. There were seven men and women. Leaving disciples and subordinates behind them, they stepped onto the plain below the gorge.
Each radiated an extraordinary presence. It seemed as though the splendid mountain range itself held its breath.
The Sungyeo Branch, Sobaek Sect, Chamjeol Pavilion, Great Spirit Might Shaking Sect, Sword Demon Sect, Jongcheon Saber Sect, and Hwigwol Family.
Every leader of the unorthodox sects had arrived.
They had reason to call themselves invincible. In most regions, they truly could have been.
“I wonder how formidable this person is. For the famed Sect Master Wi to arrange such a grand affair.”
A man with thick eyebrows and glaring eyes spoke.
A long scar crossed his cheek. He wore an old-fashioned ink-colored bamboo hat that concealed much of his white hair.
The aura radiating from over his pure white long robe made smoke rise from the earth. It was mystical and severe.
Baek Mu-ryang, Hwigwol Family Head.
Alongside Wi Il-hwa and Jang Gi-il, he was counted among Xi’an’s three great masters of the unorthodox sects.
“Could it be that a Black Uniform from Desolate Fortress came alone? If Sect Master Wi is making such a fuss, perhaps that is the truth. If it is, this old man is willing to flee without looking back.”
Baek Mu-ryang spoke. The corners of his white beard* curled in a relaxed smile.
Wi Il-hwa, standing in the center, snorted. She knew the Hwigwol Family Head well.
He was more sinister than anyone present. It was difficult to dismiss his words as a simple joke. She had to answer it as a provocation.
“I won’t bother stopping you. If you wish to make yourself the laughingstock of the martial world, what can I do?”
“Sect Master Wi remains as cold as ever.”
Baek Mu-ryang looked around and smiled. The auras of the Demonic Sect that filled the plain below the gorge were immense.
They could at least be compared with the martial forces of the Heart Martial Union of the Thirteen Heavens.
What a spectacle, Baek Mu-ryang thought.
That was why the unorthodox sect leaders had gone along with Wi Il-hwa’s words.
The people of Xi’an and its surrounding regions were watching this sight. They filled the gorge, looking down with reverence for those above.
With this, the sect leaders had achieved their goal. It was already over.
This was an immense martial force. No one could see it up close without being overwhelmed.
Countless commoners from Shaanxi, a province comparable to a modest nation, had gathered here. With a little exaggeration, the whole world was watching.
There could be no greater display of force. The talk of Desolate Fortress’s Black Uniform was meaningless as well.
Hundreds of irregular auras gathered, tangled, stretched outward, and gouged into the ground beneath their feet.
The plain looked as though it were filled with a great army. It was a truly overwhelming sight.
It was power none of those present had ever encountered.
Other than the Tyrant Sword Sect and Yeoryeong beyond the heavens, there was no force worth discussing as an opponent. They had gained complete control to squeeze the common people during a famine.
Those who dreamed of resisting would take up plows instead of swords, and the people would work without complaint, filling the bellies of Xi’an’s unorthodox sects.
Whenever famine came, would they not have to work even harder?
The orthodox sect members had been driven out, and unorthodox sect members had risen to power.
Their martial world was complete, Baek Mu-ryang thought.
His smile remained until one person suddenly landed before them.
Step.
The black garment covering his back fluttered. His black hair, which fell over his shoulders, billowed once with his cloak.
A boy had stepped onto the ground in black leather shoes. Despite the distance he had leaped, his landing made no sound.
“...What terrifying Body Movement Scripture. He had looked like a dot in the distance.”
Baek Mu-ryang muttered, the furrows between his brows deepening.
His opponent did not answer.
Only his black eyes shone with calm brilliance. He lifted his sharply defined chin and merely swept his gaze across the hundreds of unorthodox martial artists gathered on the plain.
His gaze alone brought strange pressure. Silence spread wherever his eyes passed.
Seeing his appearance for the first time, Wi Il-hwa lightly bit her lip.
“He looked like such a brat?”
“He cannot be as young as he appears. I will treat him as a veteran of the martial world.”
Baek Mu-ryang deliberately smiled as he spoke.
“One can recognize your skill without crossing blades. You are capable of walking the martial world alone. In an ordinary region, you could go wherever you wished. No matter how severe the famine, you would be able to survive.”
“...”
“But look at this side. A fight involving a master without a force behind him is very complicated and demands much attention. It is nothing like a one-on-one fight. There is no romance of the martial world here. Even if you withdraw now, no one will fault you for it.”
The young-faced swordsman parted his lips.
“You are the Hwigwol Family Head?”
“I am.”
“Those gathered here are only the unorthodox martial artists of the Seven Great Sects of Xi’an, then.”
“You have it exactly right. There are no rabble here. I guarantee it.”
“You made plunder, assault, and murder your way of life. Intelligence says you repeatedly enslaved common people and used every possible means to cultivate practical martial arts.”
“What pointless words. You have no intention of withdrawing, do you?”
Dust rose fiercely beneath Baek Mu-ryang’s feet. It was a force wave that swirled as though it had summoned a whirlwind.
It was the prelude to the Hwigwol Tyrant Art, passed down through his family for generations. He intended to sweep his opponent away with their martial forces if the boy blocked his first strike.
Whoooong!
Stones collided across the dirt floor as a strong wind roared. To one side, Wi Il-hwa’s silk robes billowed magnificently.
Following the curve of her raised lips, the aura sweeping through the air resembled a bolt of silk. It was simply far too transparent.
Hwaaaak!
The presences of the other sect leaders were no weaker. Light scattered by their blades flashed continuously.
The noise was deafening. Soon, any spoken words would be swallowed by the roar of force waves.
Amid it all, Yeon-shin nodded once.
“So you admit it.”
His bearing was more proudly aloof than anyone present. Only the unorthodox sect leaders before him saw his lips move.
“In this Squad Leader’s name, I command.”
“...?”
“Demon Wings of Desolate Fortress, punish these vermin.”
The instant he spoke with sound transmission mixed into his voice, an arrow rose from the ridge behind him.
Fweeeeeeeet!
It sounded like the long cry of a gigantic bird. It was the sound of a whistling arrow. The inner energy carried within it was immense.
It was a strike from Moon-Shooting Bow Ghost Wi Ye-ryeong. The arrow, carrying a storm-like cry, swallowed the sect leaders’ force waves as it passed.
The powerful inner energy of a Blue Uniform martial artist of the elven race from Desolate Fortress was fully infused into it. It shot overhead like a beam of light.
Boom!
It pierced through three unorthodox martial artists and embedded itself in the ground. Three thunderous impacts, as though skin had been whipped apart, rang out at once. It was archery close to artillery fire.
No screams escaped. The tightly packed crowd recoiled in horror and scattered in every direction.
“What... was that?!”
“He has reinforcements!”
Wi Il-hwa and Baek Mu-ryang’s eyes widened.
A monstrous presence rose from above the side of the gorge. White haze rose with it. It was no longer comparable to clouds. It was closer to the sun.
From a slope they had ignored because martial artists could scale cliffs as easily as flat ground, it stirred powerfully as if dawn were rising again.
Twenty-eight light swords appeared. Sunlight shimmered across energy materialized around their entire bodies.
The people looked like swords. Even those without weapons in their hands looked the same. They themselves produced sunlight.
They were only a handful compared to the people gathered on the plain below.
Their presence was different.
A few martial artists of the elven race could be seen among them. They wore martial uniforms of different colors, yet gave off a terrifying sense of unity. Their dispositions were alike.
Rumble!
The moment they appeared, they all kicked off the ground and descended. Nearly thirty men and women dove from the peaks like kites.
Each time they stepped on a rock, the white radiance surrounding their weapons and bodies grew thicker. At a glance, it seemed auspicious.
One of the Seventeen Squads of the Divine Sword Squad was called Desolate Fortress’s wing that annihilated all demons beneath heaven.
“Uh, uhh...?”
“What is that?! What is it?!”
The martial forces of Xi’an’s unorthodox sects began to hesitate. They were too fast. In an instant, they drew near. The advance of these unidentified masters using lightness skill became a huge mass of light.
With only a few blinks, they grew faster and faster, until their movements themselves flashed like lightning.
Demon Wings spread their wings. Force waves from the Radiant Art Formation burst in every direction.
Kwooooooong!
It happened in an instant. The released force shook the earth and tore through the air.
A wave of brilliantly white radiance crashed into the unorthodox martial artists. A monstrous shockwave surged in all directions.
*White Uniform is the locked rank rendering when the source term denotes a uniform rank. Here, it simply describes the color of Baek Mu-ryang's beard.
Footnotes:
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