WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
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◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈
Episode 265: Master of the Martial Book (2)
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The commotion that had filled the broad mountainside died down at once.
Only the ominous auras churning below, out of sight, remained.
It was after the early glow of sunset had appeared and a dull crash had echoed from the opposite hill.
Heat spread from the corpse severed in two. The snow gradually turned red.
A pale mist rose from the Blood Flame Sect noble's blood, making for a bleak sight. Yet the Mount Hua Sect Leader, who had unleashed that terrifying slash, seemed unmoved.
She simply stood behind the Leader of Demon Wings.
She had split an Apostle in two with a single move, yet her breathing had not faltered. Jeong Yeon-shin could tell from the sound of her breathing.
The Starflower Sword God, Yulha Nangnang.
The honorific Nangnang, used for Taoist deities, suddenly felt fitting.
Her supreme presence pressed down on him. It was as though irresistible flower blossoms brushed across his skin.
“...”
Jeong Yeon-shin did not move. He merely sensed the Mount Hua Sect Leader's presence.
A peerless master who held everyone's lives in her hands had appeared, and he had just witnessed a move too difficult to grasp at a glance.
The Fourth Apostle, at death's door, had uttered the name of a peerless secret art. He had called it the Purple Haze Divine Technique.
A martial art counted among the immortal arts of the immortals of the Nine Sects. For the first time, he had seen in full the Divine Technique he had only heard of through rumors at Jeong Family Manor.
He had known Yu Hyeon, the sect leader's disciple who had inherited the Purple Haze martial lineage, for a long time. Yet that Taoist friend would live an exceptionally long life. It had been too soon for Yu Hyeon to show Yeon-shin the sunset.
Blue light flickered through the Leader of Demon Wings' eyes.
‘It looked somewhat like Radiant River... but its application was different.’
It had not been formed by clashing two opposing qis. The sensation of iron filings drawing together felt closer to the principles of taiji.
By following the natural order, it had created a union like the sunset. From the sword path that had suddenly appeared like the horizon, Jeong Yeon-shin felt heaven and earth meeting.
It was far removed from arts like Radiant River and Ultimate Thunder, which placed a burden on the body.
Rather than a method that might consume even one's lifespan without mastering the Jeong Family Youth Technique, it carried the mysterious profundity unique to Taoist sects.
‘This is worth training in as well. I cannot simply sit back and take it once Ultimate Thunder ends.’
Jeong Yeon-shin's eyes gleamed. How had she done it?
That was when it happened.
“How?”
It was Yulha Nangnang's voice.
After holding Jeong Yeon-shin in place with her overwhelming presence, she seemed to have looked over the book's pages.
The pages of the Comprehensive Guide to Annihilating Evil Demons circled through the air with Myriad Flowers Rain. Each fluttered on its own, so she could not have helped seeing them.
Jeong Yeon-shin cautiously opened his lips.
“You saw it?”
“It has no name, but this is the Loyal Severing, Wilderness-Breaking Sword Art. The sword forms described here are exact copies. It is a martial art learned only by high-ranking figures even within the Tyrant Sword Sect. They do not accept just anyone into their ranks.”
“A person said to have been the Tyrant Sword Sect Master's wet nurse used it.”
“The great slash is Shattered Wall, while Gazing at Flowers tempers sword qi with force waves. It is the tyrant's sword that has killed hundreds, yet... these later passages, the parts used despite not belonging to Loyal Severing, Wilderness-Breaking Sword Art. The cadence of sword strikes that turn aside slashes, the handling of force waves that pulverize sword qi... This... could truly be useful...”
The Mount Hua Sect Leader fell silent for a time.
Even Jeong Yeon-shin could scarcely fathom her prolonged cycle of inner-energy breathing. What was she thinking of? It felt as though an abyss had settled into her breath.
Step.
Jeong Yeon-shin slowly moved and turned to face her.
The solemn Starflower Sword God looked as she always had.
The hem of her pink Taoist robe trailed behind her, and she wore only white socks. Her appearance, as though transparent petals wrapped her entire body, remained unchanged as well.
The Protective Qi Technique that occasionally flashed colorlessly around her was mysterious. It carried even a sense of transcendence.
“There are counterforms written here that even the Tyrant Sword Sect's main branch would not possess.”
Yulha Nangnang lifted her gaze from the book and met Jeong Yeon-shin's eyes.
“It says it was written by Seom-ye. That means you wrote it.”
“Yes.”
“I cannot believe it. Even seeing it with my own eyes, I cannot accept it.”
“If one examines an opponent's martial arts carefully, wouldn't anyone be able to understand them? All it takes is for one's eye not to be dull. I believe martial artists do not habitually seek counters against one another because the martial world still preserves its own sense of honor. For the sake of pure contests of martial arts...”
“I do not understand the point you are making.”
“At the main fortress, the only ones who studied counterforms were the Code Enforcement Squad, which handled discipline. I intend to endure the shame myself, earn merit, and use these to defeat my enemies. So please do not look at me with reproach. You are not even the Fortress Lord.”
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke almost under his breath. It sounded like an excuse.
‘Even if the world does not do this, I must.’
It had been possible because he had good companions.
Even when he created the Comprehensive Guide to Breaking the Orthodox Sects, Hyeon Won-chang and Languid Flame Dragon had not particularly criticized him.
The Desolate Fortress Divine Hero had refrained from commenting from the start. Perhaps the Desolate Fortress Divine Hero knew that Jeong Yeon-shin's sharp eye came from his lifespan.
Languid Flame Dragon, on the other hand, seemed to be suppressing his surprise with the ease of a young nobleman.
That scoundrel came from the Huangbo Family, so he surely found it difficult to point out that it violated martial honor.
White Qilin Namgung Hwa-shin, who had been there at the time, had shown no particular reaction as usual. Namgung Hwa-shin was a companion of astonishingly deep heart.
Perhaps that was why the prospective next Leader of the Swift Heaven Wing Squad had such a temperament. Contrary to common sense, the Black Uniform seniors at Wonpyeong One Sword Hall had gladly welcomed the Comprehensive Guide to Breaking the Orthodox Sects.
The boldness of Desolate Fortress's battle-minded supreme masters was exceptional. They had even offered advice on the annotations.
That was why the Comprehensive Guide to Annihilating Evil Demons existed today.
‘Have Senior Xiahou and Senior Cheon returned after finding Senior Ha?’
He recalled the seniors who had gone to Xinjiang to protect the current Leader of the Swift Heaven Wing Squad. Xiahou Wi-jin, the Heaven-Treading Forest Squad Leader, and Cheon So-so, the Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit. They had said they would defeat the remnants of the Ming Cult and return.
Jeong Yeon-shin soon set aside the thought and looked at Yulha Nangnang. Taking care of himself came first. His seniors might instead be worrying about him.
“...”
The Mount Hua Sect Leader's expression was difficult to read.
She faintly furrowed the bridge of her high nose, looking strangely detached for a peerless master. That made her all the more bizarre and frightening.
An oddly chilling silence passed. It felt as though blades had seeped into the air.
The leaders of major factions were said to be beings who embodied supernatural phenomena, having cast off ordinary limits through martial arts.
Having discarded the limits of common sense as though they were clothing, there was no way to know what they were thinking. Even the sight of a sleeve fluttering in the wind felt like an unknown movement.
“The Leader of Demon Wings surely does not mean to jest with this poor Taoist...”
Yulha Nangnang slowly moved her lips.
“I will accept your words sincerely and treat you with the respect due a Grandmaster.”
“That is a little...”
Jeong Yeon-shin turned his head slightly, embarrassed. He did not want to be called that because of a book that compiled the weaknesses of countless sects.
It was like showing the Jeong Family Youth Technique, which contained his childhood diary, to a complete stranger.
‘No. That would be worse.’
After blinking once, Jeong Yeon-shin said,
“You said the martial learning of major factions is extremely vast. Although this is called a counterform, my knowledge is not broad, so it is limited to several main martial arts...”
“Uncharacteristically for a Taoist, I took your circumstances into account.”
“...?”
“This part.”
Yulha Nangnang's finger lightly pushed aside the cover of the Comprehensive Guide to Annihilating Evil Demons. Her fingertip touched the words, “Written by Seom-ye.”
“You should erase this. I was thoughtless.”
“Is that necessary...?”
The Mount Hua Sect Leader's lips curved slightly. A violet sunset rippled within her eyes.
“I would like to see a Comprehensive Guide to the Orthodox Path. There is no reason only one side should be possible.”
“There is no such title...”
Jeong Yeon-shin answered without thinking. It was true.
Yulha Nangnang's smile deepened. Her flawless, clear smile revealed the bearing of a noble chivalric master.
Were all Taoists trained upon the vital energy of Mount Hua, the Western Peak, like this?
“If it does not exist, it cannot be helped. Yet if you place your epithet here, you will inevitably have to bear the world. Black Uniform of Desolate Fortress is a sufficiently high rank, but... it seems a little early.”
Jeong Yeon-shin unconsciously realized that he had just crossed a great hurdle.
“...I will do so.”
As soon as he answered, he flicked a finger.
Sparks burst forth with a sharp snap and scattered in eight directions. The moment they touched the covers of the books floating in the air, they left soot behind and vanished.
Only the part marked “Written by Seom-ye” disappeared. It was a move that blended sparks formed with Samadhi True Fire into the currents of Myriad Flowers Rain.
“Even your bearing lives up to your fine looks, with such exquisite handiwork.”
Yulha Nangnang laughed as though she found it amusing.
Unconcerned, Jeong Yeon-shin briefly waved a hand.
“These are counterforms against some unorthodox martial lineages. Take one each.”
Two books flew into the arms of Jang Sun-il and Bukgung Rin. The eyes of the others, including Bukgung Hu, widened.
“Sun-il, I think it would be better for you to keep yours hidden and train in secret. Martial artists are usually vicious, and few can stand quietly by when others possess something they do not. Consider reporting the identities of your enemies to Desolate Fortress as well. I'll step in.”
“Traveling companion, why do we...?”
Bukgung Rin asked, her white and blue hair fluttering in the wind. Jeong Yeon-shin took out the orb the Ice Palace nobles had given him.
“You said there was Ice Essence in the North Sea. I'll visit soon, so don't treat me poorly.”
“Are you coming to be my bride?”
“I would like every martial artist of the Ice Palace to learn it. The Comprehensive Guide to Annihilating Evil Demons is not something to keep as a secret legacy. Before long, many martial artists will know of it.”
Jeong Yeon-shin opened his pack and prepared to descend the mountain.
In case the Blood Flame Sect's Fourth Apostle killed him, he put every copy of the Comprehensive Guide to Annihilating Evil Demons that he had laid out into his pack.
He knew there was another root of thousand-year-old he shou wu near the summit of Seven Maidens Peak. Yet this was no time to be greedy.
Yulha Nangnang had climbed here to feed he shou wu to Cheon Ju-jin, who was critically ill.
The Mount Hua Sword Absolute had suffered grave injuries from the Blood Flame Sect's First Apostle, so there was little chance she would yield it to anyone.
The fact that she overlooked the spiritual herb already in Jeong Yeon-shin's possession alone showed the conduct expected of the Mount Hua Sect Leader.
She gave no sign of trying to seize anything. She was a being who embodied supernatural phenomena and acted according to chivalry and honor.
In his current condition, he could not challenge the Mount Hua Sect Leader anyway. Unless he activated Ultimate Thunder, he would struggle to withstand even one move.
“Thank you for everything.”
Without putting away the final copy of the Comprehensive Guide to Annihilating Evil Demons, he handed it to Yulha Nangnang.
“...This poor Taoist does not know how to refuse.”
That was when it happened.
Boom!
It felt as if the sky had shaken. An aura that had suddenly descended surged across the ridgeline.
Like the omen of a monstrous landslide, it felt as though something other than a human had manifested. It came from the foot of the mountain.
A complicated expression crossed Jeong Yeon-shin's face. Not today.
“I know the Tyrant Sword Sect Master is climbing up. Please stop the Tyrant Sword Sect Master.”
The Leader of Demon Wings presented the Mount Hua Sect Leader with an offer she could not resist. Her sunset-colored brows rose slightly.
“I would like you to test the counterforms.”
Jeong Yeon-shin made his request calmly.
* * *
Mount Taebaek in Shaanxi was vast. It was a mountain branch leading to the highest peak of the immense Qinling Range.
That meant there were countless paths to Seven Maidens Peak, and many approaches had been set with the Two-Flame Blood Spirit Formation.
The snow-covered mountainsides rippled translucently everywhere.
The great formation that had once hidden the Blood Flame Sect's main altar had enclosed Mount Taebaek. Its scale was extraordinary.
Formation artifacts and rare martial artists skilled in sorcery arts had been mobilized. That was why the Blood Flame Sect's Second Apostle had accepted Yeoryeong's proposal.
―Kill the Desolate Fortress Leader of Demon Wings.
The Second Apostle had no reason to refuse.
The Apostles, who revered blood and flame, were free beneath their greater doctrine.
They carried themselves as figures of great authority. Each had led a branch sect through independent power, so cooperating with Yeoryeong's Young Lord was also a decision for the Second Apostle to make.
“The Tyrant Sword Sect Master has entered!”
“Close it now. The Leader of Demon Wings must not escape.”
The Second Apostle was an extremely slender man.
His unusually black hair trailed long behind him, while his thin forearms seemed to blaze with irregular waves visible to the eye.
Floating half an inch above the ground, he appeared to have no need for physical strength. The Pure Blood Robe he wore suited him no less than it suited the Seventh Apostle standing beside him.
“So.”
He slowly opened his lips.
“So you are saying that First Apostle bastard put you on a pedestal against your will.”
“I'm interested in something else.”
The Seventh Apostle answered shortly, touching the eyepatch over her left eye.
The Second Apostle's lips curled upward.
“Why have you not regenerated it? Do you not harbor an impure heart?”
“An impure heart?”
“I mean, do you not revere Seom-ye, the Leader of Demon Wings, more than our blood and flames? I do not understand why you left the First Apostle's side and came to me.
“It also makes no sense that you lost the Rogue King so helplessly. It would be wise to clear my doubts here.”
The surroundings fell silent.
The area was filled with the bodies of martial artists and commoners who had wandered at the foot of the mountain.
The number of Blood Flame Sect masters who had carried out repeated massacres reached into the hundreds, filling the lower reaches of the mountain. Countless gazes fixed on the Seventh Apostle amid a grotesque silence.
She spoke indifferently.
“The Grand Preceptor is strong. He has even cultivated dharma power.”
“Opposing qi is meaningful only when the attack lands. Was the Blood Flame Sect's Seventh Apostle's martial art so shallow? If you intend to make such an implausible excuse, you would be better off dwelling within me.”
The Second Apostle spoke in an archaic tone.
Silence passed for a moment. It was cold, yet it held a certain heat.
The excitement unique to a strange religion gradually filled the lower reaches of Mount Taebaek. Had they received prior instructions? More than a few people gripped weapons.
There was no end in sight to the encirclement. The Blood Flame Sect had always been a major faction known for its numbers. Crimson heads spread across the snow, completely covering it.
“Seventh Apostle, I am the one worthy of the Sect Master's rank.”
The Second Apostle smiled strangely.
With his arms crossed as though he intended to watch, he slid backward like a spirit. He appeared to be waiting to take her vital blood once the Seventh Apostle weakened.
Now that the Two-Flame Blood Spirit Formation covered such a wide area, they would immediately notice where the Leader of Demon Wings broke through with dharma power.
There was also a network of spiritual beasts linking the Tyrant Sword Sect Master and the Blood Flame Sect.
It meant death was a foregone conclusion. It was the scheme of Shaanxi's Thirteen Heavens.
The Seventh Apostle began to walk, muttering quietly. That hundred-year-old geezer is far too perceptive.
Step.
Her softly placed step overlapped with the leather shoes of Grand Preceptor Jeong Yeon-shin. His voice was breathtakingly decisive.
―Do not appear before me carelessly. As long as you lead blood demons, you and I cannot coexist. It is only natural.
Madness settled into the Seventh Apostle's smile.
Footnotes:
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