WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈
Episode 277: Inaction (5)
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Step.
Jeong Yeon-shin glanced at the Divine Sword Squad Leader as he walked.
The leader had mentioned eye level. Surely the leader did not mean a monkey’s hunched gaze.
The Divine Sword Squad Leader of Desolate Fortress. Jeong Yeon-shin held his sole direct superior in the highest regard.
Even now, he could scarcely fathom how the leader had drawn that radiant Formless Sword to kill the Namgung Family Head.
“You needn’t give me anything easy.”
“Needless worry, you impudent brat. You may look forward to it.”
The Divine Sword Squad Leader grinned.
Then it happened.
“This is the place.”
A clear voice rang out from above. It was the elven race expert acting as their guide, though Jeong Yeon-shin would have known without hearing it.
An unfamiliar radiance filled his vision. Beyond the brush, the view opened wide.
A lake.
It brimmed with moonlight. Not even the slightest ripple disturbed its surface.
At some point, the winter air had faded.
The fresh scent of spring drifted through the air. The vast moonlight seemed to coat the water’s surface in blue pigment.
It was a windless place. The faint breeze that had been blowing seemed to unravel behind Jeong Yeon-shin’s back in a gesture of respect.
“Go in first. This Squad Leader will lie down and sleep. The water qi is exceptionally spiritual, so I must first settle my qi. Besides, I have no hobby of looking at naked men.”
The Divine Sword Squad Leader promptly lay down on the spot. Unconcerned with whether the guide left, the leader even closed their eyes.
Jeong Yeon-shin silently nodded, then removed his uncle’s long robe and martial-uniform jacket.
Rustle.
His bandage-wrapped upper body was exposed. Bloodstains still marked several places.
Sword wounds inflicted by supreme experts did not heal easily. The qi lingering in them was simply too powerful.
As Jeong Yeon-shin moved to remove the bandages as well, his hand abruptly stopped.
‘Gazes. More than one or two.’
He felt eyes fixed on him from all directions, along with extremely dense aura.
At first, he thought it was Dark Night Hall.
It was not. It felt closer to orthodox sects than the Demonic Sect. This was the inner energy of the Heavenly Pillar Gate. The form of its power fluctuations was familiar.
Perhaps because it was a rural sect, its members did not conceal the nature within their qi at all. His upper dantian caught their curiosity in full.
They seemed to want to see how his body was built. Did the lofty elven race sect have different standards from the outside world?
‘Indecent.’
Jeong Yeon-shin frowned and walked straight into the lake. Only then did the presences of the elven race experts vanish one by one.
The sound of splashing rose from his feet to his thighs. Just as the gentle water wrapped around his waist,
Thump.
The radiant wheel in his heart pulsed.
‘The Fortress Lord’s...?’
Jeong Yeon-shin’s lips parted slightly. A hazy wave of light spread across the moonlit lake.
* * *
Within a hall where tree trunks sprawled freely,
“The children were greatly interested.”
“That is only natural. How long has it been since we welcomed outsiders?”
The walls on every side were a deep brown.
Amid vines and leaves of beautiful hues, five people sat around a rounded tree trunk.
Two elders with wrinkles around their eyes, Gate Leader Cheong Bo-hwa, and a young-looking man and woman.
As the elderly man and woman spoke, the younger man and woman occasionally added their thoughts.
“The fist art of that child called Shin So-bin was extraordinary. To wield such powerful fists with that sort of build... I wanted to ask about the mnemonic formula for Force Projection. Shamelessly so, of course. Her movements were exceptionally refined.”
“She must be blood kin of the Desolate Shin Family. Did a single True Step not break Nan-song’s fighting spirit? They say Desolate Fortress martial artists, honed through real battle, are like a single sword. Still, I never expected one so young to overwhelm him. Those force waves writhing in an instant along a straight trajectory... She controlled the wind through Force Projection.”
Their murmurs flowed like a gentle breeze.
“I believe she released force waves in a straight line from the Tianzong acupoint near her shoulder blades. Only Demon Wings and the Leader of Demon Wings would know the mnemonic formula embedded in her minor meridians, but it seemed to be a powerful strike that would be difficult to attempt without tempering the body far beyond the ordinary level.”
“Anyone could conceive of such an idea, but is it not worthy of being called a supreme technique because she fully manifested that intent through martial arts?”
“Even so, losing in a single move is shameful. Nan-song will refine his Linked Way Heavenly Image Sword, so before they leave, he should reclaim his honor...”
“Elder Gwon, you speak like a Han Chinese. I thought you had forgotten those with whom you formed ties during the Ming Cult’s great war, but it seems those from the secular world have stirred your fighting spirit.”
“Madam...”
It was a gathering to discuss swordsmanship.
They did not idly argue over forms. They discussed the essence of the martial arts they had witnessed that morning.
Their detached expressions were gone, replaced by an unusual degree of interest.
“They called it the Radiant Art Formation. That was even more astonishing. Is not Formation a name given to martial arts with a great underlying flow? It suited that martial art perfectly. A mnemonic formula that multiplies power through colliding force waves... Even with exceptionally precise control of qi, it would be difficult to conceive of. In the intricacy of its qi circulation paths alone, it may rival the orthodox martial arts of the Nine Sects. I am so, so curious about its principle.”
“You are right. It possessed a degree of completion that could not easily be produced by ordinary insight. The flow of force waves accumulating upon one another was remarkable. All manner of martial arts had been blended into it.”
“Madam, at this point, we may discuss something else. I saw traces of our clan’s movement arts in the way the current Leader of Demon Wings moved. He could not have been Black Uniform from birth, so Cheong Myeong must have taught him. In that case, he cannot be called entirely an outsider. I believe it would be proper to ask him to fulfill our sect’s long-held wish...”
“Elder Gwon, no. Though the Leader of Demon Wings may have features rarely so distinct in the secular world, his ears clearly have their own curve. He does not qualify. It was never something to be handed to one outside the sect. Furthermore, Cheong Myeong is an expelled disciple.”
“...I understand for now. In any case, I wonder where Cheong Myeong is. No aura can be felt from his residence.”
“He is at Cheong-su’s grave. He must miss his younger brother.”
The younger black-haired man answered.
Then Gate Leader Cheong Bo-hwa spoke.
“You must not carelessly speak the name of an expelled disciple. That settles the matter of Desolate Fortress. Discuss martial arts freely, but I hope no one speaks to one who abandoned this sect’s principles. We have more than enough reason to remain vigilant against Dark Night Hall. Their recent movements have been far from ordinary.”
“The flow of natural earth qi outside is strange. It is greater than ever before. We must keep Ten Miles One Kill in mind...”
“...It means certain death has come for us once again. They have noticed that we welcomed honored guests. We must not count the Divine Sword Squad Leader and the Leader of Demon Wings among our available strength.”
“I understand, Gate Leader.”
The man lowered his head.
“How many days do you intend to keep the lake open?”
The younger woman asked. Like the man, she had black hair. She was Gi Geom-hyang.
Despite her defeat against the Languid Flame Dragon, she had attended the gathering. One hand pressed against her solar plexus, where she had suffered an internal injury.
“Until the two can move naturally.”
Geom-hyang’s eyes widened.
“You mean a complete recovery? I will pretend I did not hear that.”
“I was moved by the Leader of Demon Wings’ humble character. Such a disposition is exceedingly rare in one of his caliber. I have not seen anyone like him, even in the secular world.”
“Ah.”
“Everything he said was sincere. The praise he gave Nan-song and Geom-hyang was the same. Not one sweet word meant to win favor could be felt from him.”
A small curve formed on Cheong Bo-hwa’s wrinkled lips.
She swept her gaze over the experts in the gathering hall.
“You all felt the same, did you not?”
The experts nodded. Voices followed, agreeing that their sect leader was right. Even the elderly woman who had spoken of qualifications said so.
“Hm. The current Leader of Demon Wings should receive courtesy equal to that which he has shown us.”
Just as she finished speaking, the brush throughout the hall shook wildly. An urgent shout burst out from outside.
“The birds of Hayeon and Maehyang are dead! Arrows! Arrows imbued with force waves! You must come outside!”
* * *
The noble clan raised spiritual beasts.
They were incomparably more intelligent than carrier pigeons. The comprehension of animals raised through spiritual secret arts rivaled that of humans.
They were connected in spirit to the elven race experts who had raised them. If the master who had nurtured them from birth died, they died as well.
Word from one person stopped coming. The next day, another martial artist did not return.
It continued. All of them had been experts assigned to scout the mountain slopes. Their linked spiritual beasts were found pierced by arrows or had died peacefully in the village.
The number of those who did not return had sharply increased after the Divine Sword Squad Leader and the Leader of Demon Wings arrived.
There was no other explanation. The Heavenly Pillar Gate had an archenemy.
Those who could not be called the Bright Ones, the major faction of the dark clans, Dark Night Hall.
The refined elven race entered combat readiness.
“A few of them getting in by luck has happened from time to time, but there seem to be unusually many this time.”
“Dusk is falling. Be careful.”
“After half an hour, their aura sense will be several levels above ours.”
They each drew swords and bows, maintaining power fluctuations around themselves at all times. No one paid further attention to the Desolate Fortress group.
The cool breeze turned as biting as a winter gale. It reached even the stone house where Demon Wings was staying.
The dwelling, whose walls peerless swordsmen had carved from rock and stacked like fortress walls, stood bleak and desolate.
“This is unsettling.”
Hyeon Won-chang muttered from atop the stone wall, tapping its surface with his heels.
The end of the hero’s headband fluttering behind his head held none of its usual cheer. It had not since his defeat against Gi Geom-hyang of the Heavenly Pillar Gate.
Step.
Black hair scattered beside him. Shin So-bin had stepped onto the wall. She spoke at once.
“If they’re archenemies, it hasn’t been going on for merely a day or two. We aren’t in any position to worry about the Heavenly Pillar Gate in the first place. The problem is your expression, Senior Won-chang. Blue Uniform Opium Poppy says you look gloomy and unpleasant.”
“It’s Hyeon Won.”
“Relax your face. Don’t look so pathetic over losing once.”
“Lost once? Our Squad Leader has never been defeated. Even I lost while using the Radiant Art Formation. I tarnished the name of Demon Wings.”
“We only expect the Great Tongue Sword to talk, though.”
“A weakling like you sure is bold.”
A faint smile appeared on Hyeon Won-chang’s lips.
The character mun means “house,” and pa means “branch.”
Close bonds and martial secret arts tied people together. Demon Wings was becoming more like a sect united under the Seom-ye Martial Lineage.
They were bound together like fellow disciples under Squad Leader Jeong Yeon-shin. In the harsh martial world, it might become a bond stronger than blood.
“Didn’t the Squad Leader tell Senior Won-chang anything? He’s practically living by the lake. It feels as though I haven’t seen him in ages. He could at least show his face.”
“So that was your aim.”
“I can’t go see him myself. What if I run into the Squad Leader naked?”
“You’re pretending to be troubled. You look like you want to go.”
Shin So-bin did not answer. She only smiled sweetly. Hyeon Won-chang shook his head and spoke again.
“Don’t let your guard down too much. This place isn’t like an overwhelmingly powerful major faction such as the Blood Flame Sect. Their formation is not built without a single gap. It is better to see it not as sturdy walls, but as a camouflage screen that disrupts perception.”
“I thought it was strange. They said we were inside a formation, but they were far too vigilant.”
“It seems several intruders really do enter periodically. They say the grudges between the clans of old run deep, and madness hangs over the battles here. I can feel it. The killing intent is immense.”
“Cheong Myeong’s younger brother was caught up in it. Come to think of it, Senior Demon Sword has not come in at all either... Anyway, what is the Squad Leader doing?”
“The Squad Leader and the Divine Sword Squad Leader have been speaking without pause while recovering. It did not look like an ordinary conversation.”
“Uh...? Is the Squad Leader receiving special instruction from the Divine Sword Squad Leader? Has that ever happened before?”
“No. It has not.”
Hyeon Won-chang nodded readily.
* * *
Son Sang-myeong of Dark Night Hall’s Endless Squad possessed an expansive field of vision.
He had been born into a noble clan. His field of vision itself differed from that of Han Chinese experts of the same level.
Even against opponents with the same inner-energy attainment and equal skill in their hands, he could handle two or three. Given distance, he could face even ten.
Whoosh!
Son Sang-myeong, the Dark Heaven Bow Ghost, ran. Though he pushed his lightness skill to its limit, only the sound of grass beneath his feet rustling could be heard.
His vast field of vision kept narrowing. It was a world of speed granted only to his clan. The very foundation of their Body Movement Scripture was different.
He smiled as he ran.
At last, he had been chosen.
He had entered the village built by traitors to his clan. It was time to punish those lowly wretches.
‘They told me to inspect the lake first.’
He had to identify the target of the absolute secret art, Ten Miles One Kill, and coat that person in Pursuit Incense. He did not think about what came after.
They said the target would be difficult to approach through martial skill alone. He might die the instant he scattered the Pursuit Incense.
That was fine. His task was to bring death to someone like that. Once the spiritual incense marked them, they would become the target of an archery formation covering a vast distance.
Ten Miles One Kill, fired by Bong Gong, would never miss.
It was the secret art that had raised Dark Night Hall to the Thirteen Heavens.
Generation after generation, it had killed even several Black Uniform martial artists of Desolate Fortress. That was how its reputation as a peerless assassin sect had endured.
‘There will be a grand end.’
Step.
The next moment, his vision opened wide.
The scent of water mingled with the moonlight flowing through the silence. Before him lay a broad lakeshore. He saw the back of a woman with ears as sharp as sword tips.
Golden hair fell to the middle of her back. She appeared to be watching something ahead.
There was no reason to avoid her. He did not want to, either. There was no benefit in it.
Ssssh.
‘Lowly clan.’
Son Sang-myeong charged to kill her. Qi from the Yongquan acupoints in his soles silently wrapped around the earth, and the wind brushing past his eyes grew soft.
A dagger drawn from his robes settled into a reverse grip. It was a soundless motion of superb skill.
In an instant, he stepped within arm’s reach. The woman’s back grew larger in his vision.
Whoosh.
Just before he struck, his body twitched to a halt.
The moonlight suddenly seemed to deepen. Something caught his eye.
A presence abruptly bloomed with clarity. He sensed a quiet presence not far ahead. Slowly, he raised his head.
In the middle of the lake bathed in soft moonlight,
Splash, splash.
Clear water spread in concentric ripples with every step. Someone was walking toward him, stepping across the bluish moonlight reflected on the lake’s surface.
Black hair, seemingly long enough to reach the shoulder blades, swayed with a chillingly self-assured presence.
It was a boy with a strange air about his youthful face. His power was exceptionally dense, as though he declared that he alone existed beneath the heavens.
Son Sang-myeong’s field of vision widened above and below. Without realizing it, his eyes had opened wide.
‘Treading Duckweed, Crossing Water...!’
The boy came walking across the full moon.
Footnotes:
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