WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
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◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈
Episode 298: Lotus (17)
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No answer came.
“...”
Jeong Yeon-shin stared at the wild boar for a moment, then swept his gaze across the surroundings without easing his expression.
It was terribly quiet.
Dry pine needles and pure white snow concealed the intruder’s presence.
Amid that vast stillness, it was difficult to guess where the hidden person was.
Not even a breeze stirred, yet they seemed to have completely gathered their aura with Return to Simplicity and blended into their surroundings.
‘What is the range of sword control?’
He considered it inwardly. It was the stance one strong martial artist had to take when encountering another in the wilderness.
All the more so against sword control, which far outstripped even the fastest sword techniques.
Crunch.
Snow compressed beneath his feet as he subtly turned them according to the mnemonic formula of the Phantom Wing Step.
The Leader of Demon Wings rested a hand lightly on his sword hilt as he kept watch.
‘What do they intend?’
Sword control was an art of the highest level.
Even after activating the Heaven-Displaying Eye Technique, he had been unable to work out the principles behind the Ghost-Spirit Divine Sword’s sword flight.
That was not strange. Qi sword control was said to be a realm where one imbued a blade with one’s mental image.
It was a method that went one step beyond the realm of inner-energy arts. Anyone who mastered sword control could be called an immortal.
‘It felt strangely familiar.’
Even if sword control was a marvel that emitted almost no aura, it still left behind a faint echo of power.
Jeong Yeon-shin’s senses, which perceived aura like a blade’s edge, clearly caught it.
It immediately reminded him of the Spirit Sky Sword Ghost of the Heart Martial Union. The principles of sword control were not something one encountered often.
“Sword Ghost, come out.”
His voice was dry.
He had witnessed Immortal Dragon’s death, then seen his two Black Uniform seniors injured. The shocking wound that had pierced Jin Myeong-jo, the Divine Blood Extreme Demon, still lingered vividly in his mind.
“I have no intention of turning my back on you and leaving. Come out and talk.”
As a Squad Leader under the Divine Sword Corps, Jeong Yeon-shin had to maintain impeccable conduct.
He could not show his back after an exceptionally powerful master had identified his position. That was the meaning behind his words.
“...”
Silence followed.
Before long, irritation began creeping up through Jeong Yeon-shin’s Baihui acupoint.
What was this?
Then it happened.
“You are a very kind child.”
A woman’s voice rang out, slightly husky.
Hummm.
A heavy sword resonance rang out from high in the air to his right. Jeong Yeon-shin immediately raised his head.
A lofty swordswoman descended while riding a sword.
“You cannot leave me behind... Was that something you had kept in your heart?”
It was a mysterious sight. Sword flight made even the Sword Venerable of the Demonic Sect look like an immortal.
The transparent wind parting from the blade with a soft hiss resembled the fluttering hems of splendid ceremonial robes. It suited Baek Seo-gun’s fierce aura remarkably well.
She spoke again without meeting Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes.
“If this is about the Ghost-Spirit Divine Sword, there is no need to repay the favor.”
She spoke in a low, almost reciting voice.
‘What is she talking about?’
Jeong Yeon-shin listened only halfheartedly as he looked up.
Baek Seo-gun, the Spirit Sky Sword Ghost.
Her hair, faded to gray-white by the effects of her inner cultivation method, was still cut short.
Much time had passed, enough for Jeong Yeon-shin’s black hair to reach his shoulder blades, yet the ends of her gray hair still swayed just below her nape.
It was as though time had stopped since the day they first met.
It was a look difficult to maintain without cutting it regularly. The Heart Martial Union’s second-in-command was said to normally wear her hair wild like a lion’s mane.
‘Did I give her an unnecessary advantage back then?’
The insight of the current Leader of Demon Wings, honed through experience, shone through.
There was nothing else to consider. Feeling the cool hilt of the Northern Light Sword beneath his fingertips, Jeong Yeon-shin inwardly furrowed his brow.
‘She is wary of close-range unarmed combat.’
An exceptionally powerful master who was meticulous in all things was difficult to defeat.
One had to put great effort into countering martial arts and analyzing the structure of their Protective Qi Technique. That was even truer when the opponent was the second-greatest swordsman of the Heart Martial Union, one of the Thirteen Heavens.
“I also heard about you from the sect leader of Mount Hua Sect. Tell me why you have been following me. Do you wish to fight a life-and-death duel?”
He still had not lowered his stance, poised to assume the opening stance of a sword technique.
Swish.
Baek Seo-gun’s leather shoes touched the ground.
Though she stepped onto the snow, it did not sink beneath her feet. She had reached the level of treading snow without leaving a trace.
From sword flight to the Body Movement Scripture, she seemed more like one of the elven race than most elven masters. Perhaps the martial arts she had learned belonged to one of their lineages.
“I have no reason to fight you to the death. At least not now.”
“Tell me why.”
Jeong Yeon-shin stood still and pressed for an answer.
The Sword Venerable’s demeanor was unlike before. She was no longer the person who had boldly told him to pour her a drink.
It was difficult to find the Heart Martial Union’s Sword Ghost in the face she held slightly lowered.
“...”
Her hesitant breaths continued for a long time. White vapor repeatedly rose from Baek Seo-gun’s lips and vanished.
If Jeong Yeon-shin had activated Ultimate Thunder, the lotus would have vanished by now. He might have been massaging his muscles because of the aftereffects.
‘What is it?’
His wariness rose at the sight of her refusing even to meet his eyes. Had the Spirit Sky Sword Ghost melted the principles of time into the domain of her sword?
They said the Martial Emperor of the Prince of Commandery, the leader of the Heart Martial Union, controlled space and time with the principles of the Dull Sword, which allowed no evasion.
‘If she does not answer again, I will have to attack first. She is an opponent who leaves me no choice but to use Ultimate Thunder.’
Jeong Yeon-shin was about to speak again when the Sword Venerable of Henan spoke first.
“I...”
“I was... your father Jeong Ban-ak’s maidservant.”
The reason for her hesitation became clear. A person whose dignity had been established by a single sword had revealed her origins.
She was the sword ghost of the Demonic Sect. How difficult must it have been to confess her status to the descendant of her former master?
She had not approached him with lies.
Unlike when he faced those with ill intent, Jeong Yeon-shin’s upper dantian was calm.
As he had grown older, it had become easier to control its ability than during his White Uniform and Blue Uniform days. Yet at this moment, it gave no reaction at all.
That meant she was telling the truth.
Still, the heart of the Heart Martial Union’s Sword Venerable did not matter to the Leader of Demon Wings.
It did not take him long to accept it. Perhaps because something else immediately came to mind, he spoke at once.
“I know you had a connection to Jeong Family Manor. You told me before.”
His tone was even. He spoke as though it were nothing important.
Baek Seo-gun’s lips twitched slightly. She had spent a long time with Jeong Family Manor’s second son in Xi’an, Shaanxi.
She knew what kind of environment the youngest, Jeong Yeon-shin, had grown up in. His present manner struck her as consideration ingrained in him from having long lived with his spirit crushed.
‘Ah.’
His expression as he quietly watched her overlapped with the image of him unfolding the sword stance of sacrifice stones to seize initiative.
The boy who had left Baek Seo-gun the swordswoman and Baek Seo-gun the maidservant in long torment let her shame pass in the moment of their reunion, displaying immense breadth of character.
Baek Seo-gun’s lips parted unconsciously.
“...You are different from Ban-ak. Your caliber is greater than his. Your looks will likely surpass his someday as well.”
“That is a pointless thing to say. Have you ever seen my mother?”
“No. I left before Jeong Ban-ak married. After obtaining the Static Training that would become my true martial art, I abandoned the family that raised me.”
“Then that is enough. Live well. I will not kill you for now.”
The timing was poor.
Jeong Yeon-shin ended the matter curtly and quickly lost interest. Ak Su-rim and Senior Jin, the Blood Guard Squad Leader, were waiting for him. If he entered a prolonged battle with the Sword Venerable, the result would be hard to predict.
“Thank you for the wild boar.”
The Leader of Demon Wings’ indifferent gaze brushed over the Spirit Sky Sword Ghost before shifting to the dead beast. Baek Seo-gun felt it clearly.
At the same time, the tip of the divine sword floating beside her trembled slightly. Sword control was a supreme art greatly affected by one’s mental image.
‘He intends to repay the favor to the end. With martial strength so greatly improved, with the status of Desolate Fortress Black Uniform, he could have aimed for my life.’
At this moment, Seom-ye of Jeong Family Manor felt more impenetrable to her than any fortress.
If she wished to restore her pride as the Sword Venerable, she had to earn the favor of the current Leader of Demon Wings. Yet there was no opening to break through. She had to say something.
“I am sorry. I judged you carelessly and spoke as I pleased. I should not have spoken of Ban-ak to you. You are someone who grew up on your own...”
“I grew up with my mother. That is not something you need to concern yourself with. If you truly were my father’s maidservant, you would have become a nursemaid to my elder brothers, not me. We would never have crossed paths.”
Thud.
Jeong Yeon-shin grabbed the wild boar by a foreleg and slung it over his shoulder.
“None of the servants assigned to me had exceptional talents. Most of them had exceptional dispositions, though. They were indifferent, or warmhearted.”
“...”
“Do not move until I have taken a hundred steps. The moment I sense anything unusual in your presence, I will take it as an attack and strike first.”
Step.
He had just taken a step when Baek Seo-gun spoke.
“Sword control.”
“What?”
“I will teach you the art of sword control.”
* * *
The grounds of the Shanxi Martial Arts Tournament.
“Will the Dragon-Calling Sword of the Azure Sky Gang please step onto the tournament platform!”
A scholar-like man shouted from the tournament platform, which had been shattered into large pieces.
There was more murmuring than cheering.
Even after the tumult, many people remained in the arena.
Most were members of influential local clans with seats beneath the awnings, merchants hoping to establish ties with martial houses, or connoisseurs who wandered in search of peerless techniques because entertainment was scarce in the world.
During a famine, crowds of such influential people did not disperse easily.
Rumble, rumble.
Yet quite a few mounted groups were also kicking up dust as they rode down the hill.
At times, carrier pigeons nearly comparable to spiritual beasts rose into the sky with rolled documents tied to them.
Many people were rapidly writing letters as well. They muttered as they moved their brushes, seeming to value the accuracy of their reports over secrecy.
“A Black Uniform of Desolate Fortress has appeared... The current Leader of Demon Wings... slew the First Fist of the Eon Family, the Fist Exemplar... One of the foremost forces of Desolate Fortress’s Divine Sword Corps has moved north, so a clash with the Zhuge Family Head may follow...”
“Ask the elder what the aftermath was after a Squad Leader under the Divine Sword Corps was slain.”
“Write that they must closely watch the movements of Desolate Fortress’s main fortress in Huguang. They are to thoroughly investigate changes in the number of carriages coming and going. Even if the horses and riders cough blood, we must receive a reply within forty days.”
“Don’t worry about that. Their caution is excessive. Desolate Fortress cannot easily pull more than three Squad Leader-level figures away right now. It is more urgent to send a letter to the Zhuge Family Head’s Wolsung Sect and escape blame for the death of the First Fist of the Eon Family. Write that we did our utmost to stop the Leader of Demon Wings. Quickly!”
Their voices carried all the way to the hill beyond the rise where the tournament platform stood.
Languid Flame Dragon, whose inner energy had reached an extreme level, heard it all.
He stood at a spot overlooking the gathering of Shanxi local clans, rubbing his chin before turning his head to the side.
“Why are you so downcast? You said he was something like your elder brother, so is that Slayer Hero fellow from the direct line while you are from a branch family?”
“It is the other way around, but...”
Hyeon Won-chang shook his head.
“This is not the time to speak of it. I have not sorted out my thoughts yet.”
“Do as you please. Just keep a close eye on your purse.”
Languid Flame Dragon gave a short laugh and turned away. As though he had expected it, Hyeon Won-chang reached behind his waist and snatched up a letter.
The instant he unfolded it with both hands, vigorous handwriting that seemed ready to fly from the page filled his vision.
[You have grown well. Let us meet at the safehouse where we trained in the Tortoise Breath Method. You may bring your companions. I know the headquarters of Wolsung Sect, founded by that Zhuge scoundrel.]
It was a letter from the Slayer Hero.
* * *
Night had fallen.
The snow-covered ground shone faintly beneath the moonlight.
Crackle. Pop.
The campfire burned with a sharp crackling sound. Though the flames snapped loudly, there was no particular smell.
The Samadhi True Fire born from the Record of the Dharma Light Wheel had dried the firewood in a mystical way. Amid intermittent silences, only the firelight the group warmed themselves by grew deeper.
“I’m a sorry sight.”
The man leaning against a tree suddenly spoke.
His pale face stood out because he had pulled his black clothing up to his neck.
Still wearing coal-black clothes nearly like a cloak, he had wrapped the long robe of the one-armed Black Uniform around himself like a blanket. It was the attire of the current Leader of Demon Wings.
“I heard the clothes are woven with heavenly silkworm silk in places. I am glad they could help even this much. The same goes for us escaping the Zhuge Family Head’s territory for now.”
Jeong Yeon-shin sat across from him beside Ak Su-rim and spoke calmly.
Despite possessing profound inner energy, his senior’s body temperature continued to fall.
Jin Myeong-jo, who had inherited the bloodline of a noble clan, was gradually recovering from his wounds, even though the injuries left by the Zhuge Family Head had nearly been fatal.
‘The ability to regenerate is probably something I cannot learn. It must have been refined through training as well...’
It was truly remarkable.
“You do not use essence absorption?”
“Animal blood is enough.”
“I understand that most practitioners cannot restrain their violent urges.”
“What a laughable notion. Do not compare your senior’s self-discipline to that of a mere blood demon. The dignity of Wonpyeong One Sword Hall is supreme.”
Jin Myeong-jo spoke coldly.
With his clothes tightly drawn around his entire body, he resembled a large bat. Yet the bearing he gave off made him look more refined than most noble local magnates.
It was a manner that could not help but earn the admiration of countless juniors.
Jeong Yeon-shin, whose eyes had brightened, suddenly spoke.
“There is something I need to tell both of you.”
“Hm?”
Ak Su-rim responded from beside a tree trunk, where she had been dozing off.
She chattered in a sleepy voice.
“Are you talking about the sword-wielder I was about to skewer to death?”
Footnotes:
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