WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈

Episode 296: Lotus (15)

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'I should fulfill my duty.'

Jeong Yeon-shin thought, recalling his seniors.

Divine Blood Extreme Demon Jin Myeong-jo was already tracking the Zhuge Family Head's location with his uniquely broad aura sense, concealing himself well enough to escape even the Tyrant Sword Sect Master's notice.

He could not simply rest easy, trusting that the absolute master of sorcery arts and martial arts would not descend here.

Ak Su-rim and Jin Myeong-jo had to keep the Zhuge Family Head in check.

'They may have clashed by now.'

He had seen the Zhuge Family Head reveal his martial prowess at the assembly. He also knew how formidable Ak Su-rim and Jin Myeong-jo were.

When the Desolate Divine Spear and the Divine Blood Extreme Demon joined forces, they could not be killed anywhere.

People said they could guarantee their survival even in the harshest wilderness, so no one could criticize how they conducted themselves in the world.

The two seniors were known as stern Squad Leaders even within Desolate Fortress. If he tarnished the main fortress's honor here, they would scold their youngest junior.

'I can't become a junior Senior Jin would be ashamed of.'

No one moved as he walked.

Swish.

Only the occasional rustle of the tattered hem of his black long robe broke the silence.

It remained that way as he removed the secret manual from Eon Hwa-ryeon's bosom, closed her eyes, and carried her body away.

"Hah..."

Only after the Leader of Demon Wings approached one side of the noble families' canopies did the silence break.

"The imperial family's black sword... Its reputation is well deserved."

"They said there were only seventeen in that vast Desolate Fortress. Now I understand how he became a Squad Leader at that age."

"Let us return. We have seen all there is to see."

"From this moment onward, punish anyone who violates our rules severely. Tell them not to leave freely, either. We must tighten security for the time being."

"It is as though the Zhuge Family Head's peerless gauntlet has been shattered. I no longer know what will become of Shanxi..."

More and more people began speaking, while some of the noble families started moving busily.

A life-and-death duel that would become a major topic throughout the martial world had reached its conclusion.

A Desolate Fortress Squad Leader had slain an ultimate master from one of the Eight Great Families. Those in power now had to prepare for the repercussions.

Many left the arena with darkened faces.

"I would like you to bury her."

Jeong Yeon-shin paid no attention to the chorus of crickets.

Swish.

He handed Eon Hwa-ryeon's body to Gongya Jeong, the tall woman known throughout the world as the Iron Flower Sword Phoenix, a crag of a woman.

The eldest daughter of the family lowered her eyelids slightly.

"Are you not a Black Uniform master of Desolate Fortress? You may speak informally to me. If my family has committed any discourtesy until now..."

Her tone was as gentle as ever, with barely any rise or fall. It suited the Young Family Head of a house with strict standards.

As she accepted the body with hands covered in calluses, even the soft rustle of her sleeves sounded neat and restrained.

"You deserve to be addressed with respect."

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke without showing the cold sweat gathering at the nape of his neck.

Every time he faced her, he felt the vastness of time.

It was because of her senses, as solid as stone, and her disposition, like rock.

Even the way she spoke of ten years made it clear that she was innately superior to him. Compared to the Gongya Family's eldest daughter, he was a mayfly that lived for a day.

Whenever he saw her, a sudden inferiority made him gloomy. He would rather wander through a forest packed with sword-wielding monkeys.

A martial forest. He might not understand the monkey-like antics they conveyed through their movements, but at least they were entertaining to watch.

"Where will you be going?"

She asked from the same eye level.

She was nearly as tall as Jeong Yeon-shin, even though his arms and legs had grown considerably longer.

"I must head north."

Jeong Yeon-shin gave a vague answer. The whereabouts and movements of a Black Uniform member of Desolate Fortress were fundamentally classified.

"You may return and stay whenever you wish. Su-a will be waiting."

The calm in her pitch-black eyes suited a member of a noble family.

To Jeong Yeon-shin, her stone-like eyes brought obsidian to mind. Perhaps it was a trait inherited from the Gongya Family Head, who stood silently behind her.

Among the Shanxi nobles, only the father and daughter remained calm.

The others could not meet the Leader of Demon Wings's gaze. Their faces still showed shock and unease they had failed to conceal.

"Please, please come again..."

Second Young Master Gongya Su only peeked out from behind the Family Head. He seemed less bold than before.

Rather than fearing the Leader of Demon Wings of Desolate Fortress, he looked embarrassed to step forward. It did not suit his sharply upturned eyes.

"We'll see each other soon."

Jeong Yeon-shin gave a casual wave and turned away.

If he failed to find the Zhuge Family Head, he would have to investigate the Gongya Family. Both his mission and his duty demanded it.

His comrades in Demon Wings would handle the aftermath here.

Having spent even this short amount of time, his doubts about his seniors' whereabouts had begun to deepen.

Crack!

The lightness-skill aura of Ten Miles of Deep Light warped white at the tip of his foot as he kicked off the ground.

* * *

One side of the tournament grounds was still in an uproar.

The Leader of Demon Wings's figure rapidly receded.

In the instant everyone blinked once, he became a black dot.

Even his back, gradually vanishing from sight, carried the bearing of a powerhouse racing across the wilderness.

His features, growing clearer as he matured, were distinctive as well.

Even the wind trailing in the wake of his lightness skill felt like a divine breeze, at least to some of the common people.

"They say the Black Uniform ultimate masters of Desolate Fortress use lightness skills like Shrinking Earth..."

"It's difficult to believe even while seeing it."

"Child, did you see that gentleman's face? He must be an immortal."

"Pray that our families live long! The Ten Symbols of Longevity! Think of the Ten Symbols of Longevity!"

A few spectators even bowed as if before a mountain god. Some nobles looked upon the sight with displeasure.

They could not act as violently as they did within their own territories, though. They feared that the Leader of Demon Wings might have subordinates nearby.

That was when it happened.

"It seems this has no owner. I should take this chance to travel the martial world and deliver it personally to the former owner's family..."

A middle-aged man stepped forward with a dry cough.

He was headed for the dharma treasure Eon Hwa-ryeon had thrown, the pebble. It had been flung far away by the aftermath of the clash between ultimate masters.

It rolled close to his feet, raising a faint puff of dust.

The nobleman did not hide his greed.

There was something extraordinary about the way he brazenly cut through blade-like gazes. The blue silk of his robes also gleamed richly.

He appeared to be a man of lofty status, but the cautious way he glanced toward the distant mountains betrayed him. He was looking in the direction the Leader of Demon Wings had vanished.

Step. Step.

Dharma treasures were wondrous objects. Some had strange uses, while others chose their own masters.

There was even a saying that the first person to pick one up became its owner. Eon Hwa-ryeon was dead, so anyone could covet it.

Whoosh!

The Demon Wings masters who had been watching their Squad Leader raced over from afar. Their footwork from the Body Movement Scripture was monstrously fast.

"You turtle of a man, showing everyone how poorly you were raised! Have you no shame?"

"Do you want to melt to death? My eyes are rotting just looking at you."

"Hey! Stop! There's a limit to how much filth you can splash around!"

The trio's voices rang out clearly even as they used their martial arts. It spoke to the excellence of their qi control.

"Why are young people these days using martial arts like that...?"

"W-what is that?"

"Move! They're coming from behind!"

The surrounding crowd recoiled in terror and hurriedly widened the distance between themselves.

Lightness skills that seemed to fly without a trace of presence, heat that warped the winter air like midsummer noon, and force waves flashing white at intervals surged forward violently.

The ownership of the treasure did not matter. The problem was that a thief in broad daylight was about to put the final touch on Jeong Yeon-shin's life-and-death duel.

Languid Flame Dragon was overwhelmingly faster.

Whooom!

With every step he took, Hyeon Won-chang fell two paces behind, and Shin So-bin four.

Their specialties, ages, conditions, and martial attainments were all different.

At present, Languid Flame Dragon was about to arrive first as he employed the Elegant Verse Heavenly King Scripture with the extreme yang power of the Sun God Meridian.

It was an ultimate lightness skill that only direct descendants of the Huangbo Family could learn. White vapor rose wherever his feet struck the ground, carrying the smell of scorching.

"Those people...?"

The nobleman flinched at the sight in the distance, but still bent down.

His hand, stretched toward the pebble, was large. He was apparently a powerful figure in Shanxi, for invisible energy rippled between his fingers.

'What duty is there in a famine? Righteousness and chivalry are dead. This is a martial world where those who cannot look after themselves die alone far from home.'

The middle-aged man smiled.

The attainments of those charging at him like boars fleeing a forest fire were astonishing, but he did not recognize any of them. They were also far away.

On the other hand, the place the Leader of Demon Wings had left behind was naturally the domain of Shanxi's noble families.

Every powerful noble master from his home region stood on his side. There was no reason to fearfully avoid the treasure.

'I should take this to the Zhuge Family Head. No matter how formidable that Black Uniform member of Desolate Fortress is, how will he bear that person's wrath? I am acting correctly.'

The man thought this as he reached for the pebble.

Anyone with even a little knowledge of current affairs knew Desolate Fortress was severely short-handed. As long as he had the Zhuge Family Head's protection, there was nothing to fear.

Things would have been different if such power had pursued dominance like the old Ming Cult. Yet in the martial world of this age of chaos, it was difficult to find a powerful person who did not run rampant.

"Your lightness skills are quite impressive, but fortune is not on your side."

He sneered and grasped the dharma treasure.

Or so he thought. A cold sensation suddenly filled his hand.

Squelch.

When he blinked once, he saw something unfamiliar. It was a dark blue-black sword hilt. No, it was more accurate to call it the hilt of a dagger.

In an instant, its blade had pierced through the back of his hand. The aftermath of the strike raised a chilly gale a moment later.

"Aaaargh!"

The nobleman threw back his head and screamed. Terrible pain flooded through his hand, as though dozens of long needles had sprouted from within it.

It was impossible to tell whether the dagger had been poisoned or whether qi force waves had been manipulated in some strange way.

Step.

It sounded beside the middle-aged man.

Along with light footsteps, an unfamiliar melody rang out clearly.

The lotus bearing swordlight shines brilliantly,

Yet the dust across the martial forest remains thick.

The tune exalted the Leader of Demon Wings's sword and Eon Hwa-ryeon, drawing on the lotus in her name, while crushing the nobleman's dignity.

A man had somehow stepped beside the middle-aged man.

He wore a sheer black conical hat and had wrapped his lower face in black silk.

His nose bridge was remarkably high, and his eyes gave anyone who saw them the impression of a bold, open spirit.

Hyeon Won-chang, running over with graceful footwork, flinched.

"Slayer Hero? That is the Slayer Hero of the Owol Grand Slaughter Sect!"

"Young Master! Please look this way just once!"

"Hey, Sect Leader Gwan! Is it difficult for you to move? I shall come to you at once!"

"You bastard! How dare you unleash such a disgraceful strike in a place like this? You are being insolent again!"

The surroundings became noisy in an instant. It was as though a rare celebrity had appeared in this vast land.

Men and women of all ages wore broad smiles or looked at him with admiration, while the nobles openly showed their displeasure and rested their hands on their weapons.

Slayer Hero did not lose his smile.

"Sect Leader Gwan ruined my amusement. I was applauding after witnessing an exquisite duel, and then this fellow began behaving so crudely."

"That judgment is not yours to make!"

"The tournament must continue. Family Head Gi still cannot tell shit from piss, I see."

The deliberately polite reply caused the nobles' auras to surge rapidly, along with every sort of curse.

"Stay right there."

"Do you think this sect ignored your actions because we feared the Owol Grand Slaughter Sect?"

Dozens began slowly approaching as violent gusts spread out in every direction. Their thunderous footsteps accompanied their savage power.

They did not appear intent on punishing an arrogant rising talent. Their eyes were fixed on the pebble at Slayer Hero's feet.

"Idiots."

Slayer Hero muttered listlessly, tapping the hilt of the long sword at his waist with his index finger. Even that small gesture looked strangely stylish.

By then, the Demon Wings masters occupied one side of the tournament grounds.

Languid Flame Dragon stared at Slayer Hero.

"Who's that? He looks familiar."

"..."

Hyeon Won-chang did not answer. He only glanced at Slayer Hero with an unusually subdued expression.

It was unlike him to look intimidated, so Shin So-bin, standing proudly with her arms folded, tilted her head.

"He looks a little older. Is he Great Tongue Sword Senior's older brother?"

"...Something like that."

At the quiet mumble, Languid Flame Dragon shook his head.

"Forget it. I should burn those noble scum first. That guy who is supposedly some kind of older brother does not look like he intends to pick up the dharma treasure."

Slayer Hero and Shanxi's powerful families.

Even some noble families, including the Gongya Family, tried to stop them, but they would not listen. The standoff was close to exploding.

Like thunderclap bombs about to detonate, overlapping auras shook the ruined tournament grounds once more.

Rumble. Rumble.

"This won't be easy..."

Shin So-bin clenched her fists and cracked the joints in her fingers.

[Reveal the whereabouts of the Leader of Demon Wings.]

The command rang down from high in the sky.

Sunlight vanished along with a woman's somewhat hoarse voice. For an instant, it seemed as though an eclipse had come.

That was not the case.

A woman stood on a sword with both feet, looking down at them.

Gray sleeves covering both her hands billowed with aloof dignity, while hair cut to her nape swayed with a half-white sheen.

An immense density of inner power flowed out in strands from her ash-gray long robe and short hair.

Sword flight.

The Demon Wings masters' eyes widened.

"Sword Venerable, Baek Seo-gun...!"

At Hyeon Won-chang's groan-like murmur, the crowd scattered in terror.

The masters of the Thirteen Heavens were regarded as living monsters. Even more so when the person was the Heart Martial Union's second-in-command.

As the nobles' auras died away in an instant, Slayer Hero's pitch-black eyes watched Baek Seo-gun.

It was as if black lightning was held within them. They were the keen eyes of an exceptional assassin strengthened by an eye technique.

In an instant, he examined every detail of Baek Seo-gun's expression. He missed neither her slightly lowered eyebrows and subtly furrowed brow nor the temperament shining from her eyes.

He watched until she turned her head and looked down at the Demon Wings masters.

Then.

Slayer Hero's eyes narrowed into crescents.

"That person went in that direction, and I believe this dharma treasure now belongs to the Leader of Demon Wings as well."

After gesturing at the pebble lying below, he raised an unusually long finger and pointed in the direction Jeong Yeon-shin had gone.

His speech had become exceptionally archaic, as though he were mocking the nobles.

Footnotes:

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