WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈
Episode 290: Lotus (9)
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As soon as Jeong Yeon-shin returned to the Gongya Family, he sent White Swallow to inform the senior Black Uniforms of the situation. At the same time, he spread his aura sense wide and scanned the surroundings.
The First Fist of the Eon Family had discovered his identity. First, he had to assess the consequences.
Perhaps because his martial attainment had improved, he felt the power contained within the Zhuge Family Head's gaze even more strongly.
Honestly, the Zhuge Family Head's level did not seem attainable by humans. The Family Head had refined martial arts beyond any Jeong Yeon-shin had encountered to their utmost limit and become a peerless master.
‘It doesn't seem like my identity has been revealed.’
Jeong Yeon-shin thought.
Desolate Fortress Black Uniforms stood close to the pinnacle of the martial world.
They were greatly feared by every martial sect, yet received treatment befitting their rank.
While the leaders of major factions were seen as distant as mountaintops hidden behind clouds, the supreme masters directly beneath them were threats one could feel against the skin.
It was a rank that represented a great sect.
The current Leader of Demon Wings held a position no less revered in Shanxi than the Gongya Family Head or the Gwi Family Head.
If his identity had been exposed, trouble should have broken out already. At the very least, there should have been some suspicious sign.
‘The First Fist of the Eon Family seemed to have changed greatly. Still, there's no way to know.’
Fist Exemplar Eon Hwa-ryeon.
She was the Zhuge Family Head's companion.
Jeong Yeon-shin could not blindly trust her merely because her reaction had been strange. He had to consider the possibility that the Zhuge Family Head would appear at the Gongya Family.
That remained true even if the damned upper dantian denied the possibility.
His immediate survival was at stake. Just imagining the worst-case scenario sent cold sweat down his spine.
For the first time during a mission, Jeong Yeon-shin was deeply concerned about dying before his time at another's hands. He had heard that several senior Black Uniforms before him had lost their lives on missions.
Crack.
How could he deal with a peerless master's sorcery arts and martial techniques?
Sitting cross-legged on a smooth wooden chair, Jeong Yeon-shin wrapped his fingers around his thumb and cracked the joint.
‘I must use footwork, lightness skills, and movement arts all at once. Somehow close the distance and drive a single short-range strike into a vital point. Whether it's Thunderclap Flash-Ridge Sword Art or Radiant River.’
It would not be as simple as that first thought.
Even Desolate Fortress, which handled intelligence, had only a few clues about the Zhuge Family Head's martial arts.
The nature of the forms, their trajectories, and their directions were all unknown. The Zhuge Family Head was an insidious figure, unlike what one would expect from an ultimate master.
Commanding Wind, Calling Rain.
All the intelligence said was that the Zhuge Family Head could wield winds and rain akin to natural disasters. Jeong Yeon-shin needed to devise a method of battle on the assumption that he would be facing nature itself.
Fortunately, he possessed a constellation-based lightness skill drawn forth through Cheong Myeong's younger sibling.
He needed to incorporate every martial art he had created so far into the Body Movement Scripture to find a chance of victory.
Huu...
As his thoughts progressed, Jeong Yeon-shin's breathing deepened.
Long inhalations and exhalations joined into a single passage, drawing his consciousness inward. Visualization training. A meditation method devised by wise monkeys.
The Zhuge Family Head's appearance during their single exchange at the Martial Alliance Assembly gradually became clearer.
Inhumanly cold eyes, the elegant sweep of a fan, an opening stance that had seemed strangely like that of someone standing alone in all the world, and the immense gaze he had felt only recently...
The clearer the image became, the more overwhelming it felt. His breath caught.
As he pictured attack trajectories branching into hundreds through Ten Miles of Deep Light, Sihwa Boundless Fist, and Thunderclap Flash-Ridge Sword Art, his heart pounded without pause.
He truly understood that he might die for reasons unrelated to the upper dantian.
‘Hm?’
Then a familiar fluctuation of inner energy entered his aura sense. Without realizing it, Jeong Yeon-shin received it with a sense of warmth.
It could not have been otherwise. It was an aura blooming like dawn light, following the mnemonic formula he had painstakingly woven while thinking of the monkeys.
His mind settled in an instant.
His family had arrived. It was the presence of the Radiant Art Formation.
* * *
The Demon Wings members who had been unable to keep up with Ten Miles of Deep Light gathered belatedly. A quiet, brown-toned room filled with powerful auras.
Hyeon Won-chang, Shin So-bin, Languid Flame Dragon, and Jegal Cheong-a sat around a square table with their Squad Leader.
Since Eon Hwa-ryeon had already learned Jeong Yeon-shin's identity, there was no reason to be excessively cautious.
The moment Jeong Yeon-shin leaned back in his chair, Shin So-bin spoke.
“Senior Opium Poppy caused trouble. I clearly tried to stop Senior Opium Poppy, but they ignored me and barged in anyway. It wasn't the first or second time, either. Since we're on the subject, that palanquin triumph ceremony last time... Mmph.”
A transparent haze rippled around her, and her mouth stiffened. It looked as if her mute acupoint had been sealed.
A faint heat rose from Languid Flame Dragon's fingertips. He had suddenly released Finger Wind.
It was a common sight. Demon Wings had always been famous for being combative.
Jeong Yeon-shin, seated at the head of the table, tilted his head slightly.
“A palanquin triumph ceremony?”
“It was quite a fine event. Nothing you need concern yourself with as Squad Leader. It was entertainment for the underlings after they completed their mission.”
Languid Flame Dragon blew on his fingers, extinguishing the wisps of heat rising from them.
Perhaps he had slept poorly lately, for the shadows beneath his eyes were darker than usual. Still, he wore an unusually serious expression.
Jeong Yeon-shin let it pass. There were too many pressing problems.
“Imperial Hero, you do not look well. Is something wrong?”
He asked as the Squad Leader.
Hyeon Won-chang gave a faint smile. The listless appearance did not suit the Imperial Hero, but Languid Flame Dragon answered instead.
“Hyeon Won-chang's face has been pale since we set out. Well, if something were wrong, Hyeon Won-chang would surely tell us after making a great fuss about it.”
“Are you truly all right?”
Only after Jeong Yeon-shin asked again did Hyeon Won-chang speak.
“Please do not worry, Squad Leader. I have no good memories of my homeland.”
“What a shame. So the Great Tongue Sword and I have something in common.”
No one responded to Languid Flame Dragon's languid jest. He snickered alone, then glanced at Jeong Yeon-shin and made a face as if he had realized something too late.
The conversation among Demon Wings' younger core swiftly moved on.
“I exchanged blows with the First Fist of the Eon Family. The Zhuge Family Head was not there.”
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke.
Shin So-bin and Languid Flame Dragon reacted immediately.
“So Fist Exemplar Eon Hwa-ryeon saw you, Squad Leader? Everything's gone wrong. Because of Senior Opium Poppy too...!”
“My problem is nothing beside that. Looking at it now, our Squad Leader's problem is far greater. In any case, what happened? You blew off an arm, didn't you? Perhaps she is already paying the ferryman of the Sanzu River.”
Jeong Yeon-shin did not answer. Instead, he looked at Jegal Cheong-a.
He had told her about the mission before leaving the main fortress, but had received no proper response.
“I am sorry,” Jeong Yeon-shin said.
“...”
The Zhuge Family Head's daughter lowered her long lashes.
Brushing back the black hair tied in white silk behind her neck, she inclined her head toward Jeong Yeon-shin at the head of the table.
Deep Still Eye Jegal Cheong-a.
She was Immortal Dragon Jegal Hyeon's younger sister, and an eye-technique prodigy who had greatly helped Jeong Yeon-shin complete the Heaven-Displaying Eye Technique.
“...It should have happened at the Martial Alliance Assembly.”
Her quiet voice emerged as she raised her head.
“The Zhuge Family Head had already walked the path of the Demonic Sect when I was young. Countless collateral relatives were sacrificed. The Zhuge Family Head implanted new qi circulation routes for sorcery arts into their bodies and used my eyes to observe the results. More than a hundred starved to death while the Zhuge Family Head sought a method to freely switch between the life gate and death gate of a formation. Everyone was used to complete the Family Head's martial arts.”
Jegal Cheong-a continued with difficulty.
“...I saw living bodies torn apart countless times. Extracting counterforms through autopsies was easier, if anything. My brother learned formations among corpses.”
“So Immortal Dragon was not simply raised in comfort.”
Languid Flame Dragon spoke with a long yawn. He nodded carelessly, as though he had seen similar things in the Huangbo Family.
He had once said that martial families could not be called orthodox sects.
The topic changed amid the somewhat heavy mood.
“I heard you knocked out Shanxi nobles. Will that restrict your movements?”
“It seemed the large one saw my face when his eyes rolled back... but what does that matter? How could the worthless eyes of lowborn vermin possibly capture this young master's precious face? Even a facial-feature portrait would not mean much for our Squad Leader, would it?”
“...Find a separate safehouse and stay hidden like mice. This place has become dangerous. Do not go wandering about using a half-baked Radiant Art Formation. I will call you if there is a need.”
“Just make sure to provide wine. I have plenty of herbs.”
“You really do love herbs.”
* * *
Two days later.
Was it fate? They said the great and small affairs of the martial world unfolded indifferently like the mighty current of the Yangtze River. Jeong Yeon-shin sensed a vicious turn of fortune.
Strange corpses hung in a row at the market north of Ping'an Prefecture, where the Gongya Family had settled.
Ominous rumors spread. Among those tied to stakes, people said there was the corpse of a peerlessly handsome young master carrying a fan.
The Prefect of Ping'an Prefecture remained silent.
Perhaps the Prefect had been bribed with wealth too difficult to refuse during a famine, or perhaps ultimate masters had seized control of the Prefect's life. Either seemed plausible.
Martial Alliance Assembly.
Tyrant Sword Sect, Yeoryeong, and the newly founded Wolsung Sect.
The shadow war between major factions had risen to the surface.
Tyrant Sword Sect and Yeoryeong had drawn their swords to drive the Martial Alliance Assembly from the edge of Shaanxi. Then the Zhuge Family Head's Wolsung Sect finally rose up.
They were clearly on the same side, and it appeared to have occurred amid a struggle among themselves.
Many had seen the plaque hung above the corpses' heads.
“The self-styled Martial Alliance shall not meddle in Wolsung Sect's affairs. Who besides This Seat dares claim to be the rightful successor of the Jegal martial lineage? The only one who has wholly inherited the history of Eon Family Fist is Fist Exemplar Eon Hwa-ryeon.”
They said the threat had been carved in vigorous, dragon-and-serpent script.
The Zhuge Family Head, possessing an otherworldly face, had supposedly written it personally while treading empty air.
There was an addition as well.
“Wolsung Sect has established a proper foundation and intends to accept those of outstanding talent as disciples. I will observe the Shanxi martial arts tournament.”
The Martial Alliance Assembly's Pursuit-and-Kill Squad, sent after the news of Wolsung Sect's founding, had instead been annihilated by the Zhuge Family Head.
Among them was the Zhuge Family Head's biological son. Immortal Dragon Jegal Hyeon's corpse was secretly carried under cover of moonlight by his sister and her companions.
To the annex of Sect Leader Geom Un-bi of the Huangcheon Sect, within the Gongya Family.
“A Pursuit-and-Kill Squad had no choice but to be sent. Even if they knew there was no chance of victory, it would be the same. A leak of martial arts? The martial world would sooner tell them to drain their blood.”
Languid Flame Dragon's voice held no inflection. Of the three who had formed a bond around Clear Qilin Namgung Se-jin, two were now dead.
“Are they mocking my fate of dying young? Those bastards who went on and on about the Four Books and Five Classics with healthy bodies.”
Softly, Jegal Cheong-a's trembling hands lowered the corpse.
The pale face had sharply chiseled features. The Zhuge Family Head's exquisite acupoint sealing had preserved the body.
It had likely been done to display Wolsung Sect's power. Thanks to that, Immortal Dragon still looked handsome.
Even the hand tightly holding the White Crane Fan, stained with blood, still looked strong.
The current Leader of Demon Wings had once stood atop that White Crane Fan and cut down the Tyrant Sword Sect's Elder Council Head.
“I am glad I could help. It was hardly a pleasant memory, but the ways of the world are truly strange.”
It was Jegal Hyeon's farewell, recalling the fan exchange they had shared at their first meeting.
The death of one who walked the martial world was this futile.
The expression vanished from Jeong Yeon-shin's face as he looked down at him.
* * *
“It has been a long time. I did not expect the Gwi Family Head to come personally.”
“My son, who inherited my true teachings, has ended up in that state. It is only proper that I come. I do not blame the Gongya Family Head.”
It was beneath noiseless, dazzling moonlight.
Two ultimate masters in middle age crossed the bright night air. Both figures possessed imposing builds.
The dark blue atmosphere warped beneath their unhesitating steps.
“I hear you have taken in a new guest.”
“It is my family's good fortune. He appears no older than my son, yet wields a sword like a master.”
“I have heard. Sect Leader Geom Un-bi of the Huangcheon Sect. I hear he was acquainted with the First Fist of the Eon Family. A talent of that level could certainly knock my son unconscious in a single strike. I intend to meet him and demand answers.”
“That cannot be allowed. You seem to have come with a plan, so this Gongya Mo can guess your intentions. Using your son as an excuse to take this household's guest...”
“The Gongya Family Head's words are not pleasant. I intend to punish him, even if I must mobilize every capability of the Shanxi Noble Family.”
“What nonsense! This is neither a general's residence nor a Green Forest mountain stronghold. Gwi Il-tae's conduct is notorious for being like a softshell turtle with a rotting shell. If you intend to rashly turn a blade against the future of a talent under heaven, this Gongya Mo will not stand idle.”
“How laughable. Do you still believe the Gongya Family is Shanxi's leading martial lineage? Even after seeing Wolsung Sect's formidable strength?”
There was a dignity unique to noble families in their soft-spoken argument.
Fine silk robes scattered moonlight, and the refined bearing of the Body Movement Scripture attested to the status of two of Shanxi's foremost Family Heads.
Rumble.
The threshold of a hall they were passing suddenly shook.
Rumble!
The sudden vibration spread rapidly.
The tremor raced from the threshold to the rafters, then to the roof tiles. Soon, even the main beam shook as if struck by a gale.
“What is this? Did you dare lay a trap?”
“Absurd! Over there! It is coming from the annex!”
The Gongya Family Head pointed toward the distant sky.
At the same time.
Whoooosh!
Pale smoke shot high into the air in dozens of streams from that direction. An immensely spiritual aura had been released without restraint.
It was the distinctive energy of a divine art of an unimaginably higher level.
The faintly white current swelled in a wide spiral, scraping through the air. Each time the energy generated friction on its own, the white light grew denser.
Record of the Dharma Light Wheel. Radiant Art Formation, Flame River.
“Gasp...!”
“What is that? What is happening?”
Every martial artist sleeping within the Gongya Family bolted awake in alarm.
Fluctuations of qi so powerful they seemed capable of flaying their skin called to them.
It was close to an order from the strong.
Jeong Yeon-shin, the Leader of Demon Wings, no longer concealed his inner energy.
Footnotes:
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