WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈

Episode 388: Divine Sword Corps (4)

──────

At last.

The Divine Sword Corps' Squad Leaders had come face-to-face.

They looked at one another atop a hill ravaged by countless corpses and weapons. The flutter of their sleeves weighed heavily in the air. Not one enemy remained alive.

It was an overwhelming sight.

The crowd gathered along the mountain slopes surrounding Unhoe Peak had fallen silent. The scene before them demanded it.

Those dressed in silk or carrying weapons, people who appeared to know even a little of the martial world, could not so much as twitch a finger.

Only those unfamiliar with worldly affairs whispered among themselves, their faces pale.

"The Golden-Wing Sect Master's head has been cut off...!"

"Is that true?"

"How could a phoenix that spread its nest fall to a person...?"

Three major factions had suffered losses bordering on annihilation. The Ten Perfect Sect and Golden-Wing Sect would never rise again, while the Pure Demon Alliance's elite demonic martial artists lay dead as well.

It was as though the Demonic Sect had vanished from vast Sichuan.

It would bring upheaval not only to the people's lives, but to the entire martial world. Countless people held their breath, unable to move from where they stood.

Meanwhile.

On a hill no one else could approach at this moment, a girl crouched atop a spear planted at an angle and slowly spoke.

The ends of her short, dark-red hair stirred across her small shoulders, as though her tension had only now eased.

"See? I told you not to force your way in. Seom-ye, these people were trying to spoil the achievement that would make you the next Divine Sword Squad Leader."

Ak Su-rim said this to Jeong Yeon-shin as she glanced around.

The Divine Sword Squad Deputy Leader, Desolate Divine Spear.

She was the eldest among the Squad Leaders gathered here in unprecedented numbers, and every Desolate Fortress Black Uniform present was a superhuman.

Was she trying to keep up appearances?

Her expression was unlike her usual one. The corners of her small mouth were drawn tight.

Her eyes, blazing with pitch-black lightning, darted between Jeong Yeon-shin and the Golden-Wing Sect Master. She seemed to be doing everything she could not to make a fuss.

"Get it right. Every time you thrust your spear from afar, you looked over there at least once."

Crack!

The sound of bone and flesh splitting apart rang out.

A rope that had pierced through the abdomens of ten corpses like a skewer was pulled free. It was a Silken Rope Lasso, one of the eighteen martial weapons.

Wi Ji-geuk retrieved the divine weapon, a single cord twisted from bundles of heavenly silkworm silk, and grinned.

"If another seven or eight minutes had passed, your spear would have flown."

Blood-Rope Strange Dragon Wi Ji-geuk, the Heaven-Treading Dragon Squad Leader, was famous as a murderous ghost of the northern martial world.

Dark blood marked his sharply defined jaw. Earlier, Jeong Yeon-shin had watched his rope bind the Ten Perfect Sect Master.

"They said he had already turned the Ten Perfect Sect Master into half a corpse and defeated the Pure Demon Alliance Leader in a single move. We could not have expected more."

The long-armed Azure Sky Squad Leader spoke while sheathing their sword.

Their gaze swept over the Golden-Wing Sect Master's severed head, as though the rumor that they had nearly been killed at the Golden-Wing Sect Master's hands was true.

Ak Su-rim shook her head and leaped down from the spear.

"I saw confidence in Seom-ye's eyes. You simply did not understand your junior."

"You look after him like a grandchild born to you in your old age."

Wi Ji-geuk spoke as he wound the rope around one arm. Ak Su-rim's brow furrowed as she walked toward Jeong Yeon-shin.

"My husband! Not my grandchild, my husband!"

"May I throw up? No one would notice here."

He pretended to retch theatrically.

Yet Wi Ji-geuk's eyes did not match his behavior. Astonishment flickered in eyes that always carried a bluish killing intent.

The sight reflected in them was a young man who looked barely twenty, standing blankly with the Golden-Wing Sect Master at his feet.

'He killed Sichuan's Greatest Martial Artist alone...'

Jeong Yeon-shin, Leader of Demon Wings.

His long robe had been torn apart, exposing his bare upper body. Sharp cuts covered him from head to toe.

His whole body was drenched in blood, yet the sleek muscles, graceful as the blade of a divine weapon or rare artifact, could not be concealed.

None of the Squad Leaders made a fuss over their junior's condition.

During missions, returning with a body battered beyond recognition was commonplace. They were all masters forged through countless battles.

Step.

Only Ak Su-rim's footsteps sounded softly amid it all.

The atmosphere was weighty. The Squad Leaders traded light remarks or silently watched Jeong Yeon-shin.

Desolate Fortress was a faction that stood on the boundary between the military and the martial world. Rare among martial factions, it valued outward dignity.

It was meant to inspire awe in the martial world and trust among the people. That tendency was especially strong among the high-ranking figures who occupied the stone seats of Wonpyeong One Sword Hall.

There were too many watching eyes.

They could not behave carelessly. The Divine Sword Squad Deputy Leader and Heaven-Treading Dragon Squad Leader were the unusual ones.

Even if the youngest Black Uniform had achieved an unbelievable feat, the Squad Leaders had to remain composed before the crowd.

'I'm glad nothing happened to them.'

Jeong Yeon-shin paid it no mind. From the moment he confirmed his seniors were safe, he had been examining his body's condition.

The battle's aftermath had left his minor meridians and acupoints in ruins. It felt as though his muscles were packed with waterlogged cotton blankets. His body was terribly heavy.

Jeong Yeon-shin had just slain Sichuan's Greatest Martial Artist. Internal injuries were only natural.

Then.

Cough!

A sharp sensation grazed the inside of his throat. Jeong Yeon-shin had unconsciously coughed up blood.

At the same time, the sound of air tearing apart rang out from all directions. With sharp whistles cutting through the air, his vision turned black.

In an instant, it was filled with pitch-black robes.

"So-so, your inner energy is the purest. Press his Mingmen acupoint. I'll guard you."

"Take out the spiritual medicines you've been saving."

"Am I not the only one here who received help from Seom-ye? As for the purity of qi, this Thousand Fists, Dragon-Powered Divine Official, whose blood runs pure..."

"Big guy, do not interfere with his energy circulation. Just stand guard. Can't you see that Code Enforcement old fogey watching?"

The senior Squad Leaders had surrounded him using swift Body Movement Scripture techniques. The presence of Wishspring Leader Bukgung A, who had spoken in a rather casual tone, even drew out Xiahou Wi-jin, the Heaven-Treading Forest Squad Leader.

Jeong Yeon-shin chuckled inwardly.

Swish.

Cool fingertips touched his back. Jeong Yeon-shin recognized the person by the transparent aura spreading through him. It was Cheon So-so, the Lord of the Immortal Wood Spirit.

"You did well."

She spoke almost in a whisper.

Those words held both gratitude and astonishment. They carried all the time that had passed since the Flood Dragon Formation.

There was a warmth like that shared between fellow disciples.

Jeong Yeon-shin closed his eyes.

Hummm.

The qi of the Immortal Wood Spirit Squad's Frostless Heavenly Ice Art entered through his Mingmen acupoint.

Was it because Cheon So-so carried a World Tree sapling with her? Her astonishingly pure inner power blended with the energy of the Jeong Family Youth Technique.

The acupoints heated by the fierce battle began to cool in an instant.

Heavy auras formed a protective ring around them.

"That head ought to be put on display."

"Of course. They say Sichuan's birdbrained fool had a weakness for pretty faces and stripped Seom-ye bare."

"Senior Ak, if you're going to stand guard, perhaps you should watch the outside instead..."

As the Azure Sky Squad Leader, Ak Su-rim, the Burning Abyss Squad Leader, and many others searched their robes for elixir pills hidden deep within for desperate battles, the Martial Extreme Hall Master offered Jeong Yeon-shin a pill.

"Someone of your peerless mastery should be able to move even while circulating inner energy. Take this. It is Wudang's Seven Star Pill."

Along with the clacking of a prosthetic leg, the elixir pill entered his mouth. A rich medicinal fragrance filled his nostrils. The Martial Extreme Hall Master, whom Jeong Yeon-shin was meeting for the first time, had offered a Wound-Healing Pill.

The Seven Star Pill was a treasure of the Wudang Sect, which rivaled the Heavenly Extreme Sect for supremacy among the world's sword sects.

'Thank you.'

When Jeong Yeon-shin moved his lips, an amused reply came back.

"I'm the one who should be grateful."

"...?"

"Many things will happen because of you."

It was a meaningful statement. As he filled the acupoints throughout his body with qi, Jeong Yeon-shin committed the Martial Extreme Hall Master's words to memory.

Time passed.

By the time the footsteps of the crowd cautiously descending the mountain could be heard through the earth below,

'It's done.'

Jeong Yeon-shin had recovered enough strength to remain standing. Proper recuperation would take several more days and nights, but it had not taken long to regain enough strength to move, if only as a temporary measure.

Flap.

The moment Jeong Yeon-shin opened his eyes, a dark-red long robe flew over and settled across his shoulders. He raised his head and saw Senior Jin, the Divine Blood Extreme Demon, standing in the distance with his hands behind his back.

Senior Jin appeared to have thrown it by hand rather than using Remote Object Manipulation, which required qi. That made the praise behind the gesture feel even greater.

It was a masterful way to win a subordinate's loyalty.

'So this is another way to earn the goodwill of those beneath you.'

Jeong Yeon-shin inwardly admired it and slowly looked around.

The brilliant senior Squad Leaders were watching from nearby.

A strange feeling stirred in his chest.

Jeong Yeon-shin parted his lips with difficulty.

"How did you know to come?"

"We can talk about that later. Come on. Your recovery is more urgent."

Ak Su-rim said with a bright smile. Jeong Yeon-shin's eyes filled with confusion.

"Where to?"

"We occupied the Ten Perfect Sect. It's quite comfortable there."

* * *

Four days had passed since the Battle of Unhoe Peak.

Storymongers who frequented Sichuan's markets and inns had filled their purses for the first time in a while. There were more tales to tell than ever before.

"So, the Dark King Among Flowers defeated three Lords of the Thirteen Heavens one after another...!"

"There were hundreds of terrifying masters gathered on that hill. You have no idea how oppressive it was. I would have believed they were about to march north at once. Of course, if they had truly reached Beijing, His Majesty would have crushed them in one move!"

"The might of the Divine Sword Corps' Squad Leaders gathered in one place was truly overwhelming. It was not a sect war, but a one-sided massacre."

"That Phoenix Among Men who spread a wondrous nest... The sight of the Golden-Wing Sect Master's long life ending at the Leader of Demon Wings' sword..."

As rumors tended to be, some tales were exaggerated. Yet there had been an enormous number of witnesses.

Unlike ordinary rumors, accounts close to the truth spread rapidly.

Sichuan was shocked.

Every part of society had no choice but to make major moves.

At that very moment, even a carriage carrying both the Regional Military Commissioner and the Provincial Administration Commissioner stopped at the Ten Perfect Sect's main gate on an official road bathed in blue sunlight.

Inside the carriage.

"I should have seen it myself..."

An official in crimson robes muttered.

It was the Provincial Administration Commissioner, who oversaw Sichuan's livelihoods and civil affairs.

The official was skilled at dealing with people, yet the wrinkles never left the fleshy face.

"Do not worry too much. Were you not busy with state affairs?"

Seated across from the Provincial Administration Commissioner, the Regional Military Commissioner spoke. The commissioner was responsible for Sichuan's military affairs.

"None of those gathered beyond that gate are Purple Uniforms. At least our heads should be safe for now. We are officials of the second rank, after all."

"That cannot be known."

The Provincial Administration Commissioner shook their head and continued.

"I heard a Surveillance Censor's account. The kind of words and actions the Leader of Demon Wings showed that monster from the Golden-Wing Sect... Regional Military Commissioner, you should not lower your guard carelessly either."

"What is so difficult about merely telling them to disband? What I fear most is reprimand from the imperial court. As the highest local officials, we stand by while such tremendous power remains gathered in one place? I guarantee we will be summoned before His Majesty and made to replace Shaolin's One Hundred Eight Arhat Formation."

"..."

"Let us ask them one thing."

The Regional Military Commissioner rose from the enormous carriage, the sword scabbard at the waist clattering.

"When will they go tend to the world, which has fallen into misery because of the Divine Sword Corps Squad Leaders' absence? No matter which Black Uniform comes out, that is our only question. The Leader of Demon Wings, the Divine Sword Squad Deputy Leader, the Annihilation Squad Leader, Wishspring Leader... Whoever it may be."

"Isn't that lineup rather too illustrious...?"

"Even so, there is only one question. Keep that in mind."

"...Understood."

The Provincial Administration Commissioner slowly nodded.

Firm resolve passed between those who governed Sichuan. Satisfaction appeared on the Regional Military Commissioner's face.

"Open it."

The commissioner spoke.

Creak.

The large door of the carriage swung open to either side, revealing a mass of soldiers radiating a stern presence, along with snorting fine horses.

They were martial soldiers personally trained by the Regional Military Commissioner.

The Regional Military Commissioner's lips drew into a line.

Then, suddenly.

Long black hair poured down from the carriage entrance like a waterfall. It was as though someone were hanging upside down. An extraordinarily beautiful face peered down.

The features were exceptionally distinct, the skin snow-white, and the black sleeves hung long on either side.

There was only one Divine Sword Corps Squad Leader of northern lineage.

"W-Wishspring Leader, Dragon Fist Bukgung A...?"

The Provincial Administration Commissioner stammered, and the martial soldiers around them hurriedly drew their weapons. Metal rang loudly.

Until then, Wishspring Leader Bukgung A had said nothing.

Bukgung A merely looked blankly at the two officials with blue eyes. One of Desolate Fortress's Three Strongest Black Uniforms, Bukgung A's inhuman bearing chilled the officials' hearts.

"I hardly know how to thank you for coming out to welcome us."

The Regional Military Commissioner cleared their throat and continued.

"Judging by your expression, you do not wish to have a long conversation, so I will state our business first. Listen."

The Regional Military Commissioner then signaled to the Provincial Administration Commissioner. The Provincial Administration Commissioner had even experienced the Forbidden City, unlike a commissioner from the military.

It was better for someone skilled in speaking to deliver the same words. The Regional Military Commissioner was equally burdened by the might of Desolate Fortress's Black Uniforms.

A grave expression appeared on the Provincial Administration Commissioner's face. For a brief moment, the official seemed to think deeply.

'This is fortunate.'

The Regional Military Commissioner thought so. Whenever the Provincial Administration Commissioner wore that expression, timely wisdom followed.

The official had once diverted imperial grain meant for Shaanxi all the way to Sichuan with a single letter. The Provincial Administration Commissioner was someone who could avoid disaster with a single sentence.

The Provincial Administration Commissioner opened their mouth.

"May I respectfully ask what delicacies the Leader of Demon Wings prefers?"

"I... don't really know?"

Confusion crossed Bukgung A's face.

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried