WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈
Chapter 42: Natural Enemy Martial Art (3)
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It was a middle-aged figure emitting an aura strong enough to make one suspect a Blood Master.
Jeong Yeon-shin was behind the figure in an instant. Even if he had exploited the lapse in vigilance as usual, it was still astonishing.
His speed was a level faster. He had expected an entirely new class of power.
‘But.’
The force wave released from his descending hand blade was unlike what he had expected.
It was strange, even as he dealt a lethal blow to the figure’s head. The martial art he had expected did not emerge.
He had struck with physical strength alone. Even that was monstrous strength.
Thud!
The figure collapsed, chin hitting the ground first. The entire body twitched as it lay face-down.
The figure was already dead. It was a final convulsion.
“You killed someone like that in one move...!”
“Truly profound martial learning!”
The exclamations of a Heart Martial Union youngster and Hyeon Yu-ryang meant nothing.
The movements that had seemed faster were merely the result of repeatedly contemplating and realizing the principles, improving the efficiency of his qi.
Jeong Yeon-shin’s senses, having reached the realm of intuition, dissected the phenomenon completely. He understood at once.
The new mnemonic formula he was trying to develop was still crude. Its parts had not yet meshed precisely together.
Inspiration that would pierce through everything.
It was always like this. Jeong Yeon-shin needed only a single bolt of lightning to weave his scattered mnemonic formulas into one martial art.
‘I’ll obtain it soon.’
He did not grow impatient. They said that when the upper dantian communicated with heaven and earth, moments of foresight would occasionally come.
He felt that he would soon create a martial art of dharma power. Perhaps it would even be today.
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke to Hyeon Yu-ryang.
“The Blood Flame Sect has infiltrated the escort agency. Can the Heavenly Sword Sect handle it?”
“Of course. The affairs of Mount Pingzhong are our affairs as well. We are only grateful to Seom-ye for discovering it.”
Hyeon Yu-ryang clasped his hands in salute once more. He, too, was the heir of a prestigious family.
That was the sort of competence one displayed when handling affairs. The quality a direct descendant properly raised in a renowned family should possess.
It was something Jeong Yeon-shin, the troublesome burden of Jeong Family Manor, did not have.
Yet Hyeon Yu-ryang’s gaze upon him was strange. It did not seem to be mere admiration.
“Excuse me, but may I ask your age?”
“...I am sixteen this year.”
“You are of marriageable age. If you have no betrothed, might I show you my younger sister? She is a very pretty and kind child.”
Hyeon Yu-ryang spoke in an utterly casual tone.
What had he just said? Jeong Yeon-shin was rarely flustered, but he was now. He simply did not show it.
‘Marriage.’
Was it not the matter farthest from him? A life of having children with someone and growing old together. It felt like something he might only reach in a dream.
He politely declined.
“I am grateful for the offer, but I barely have enough time even to keep hold of my sword. I would hardly be a good match. My family suffered annihilation.”
“A promising master of Desolate Fortress is, in itself, an excellent match. I hope you will consider it over time.”
Jeong Yeon-shin paid Hyeon Yu-ryang’s smiling words no mind. He cast his gaze north.
It was time for Demon Wings to regroup after their brief separation.
* * *
“I knew you would be safe! You have done truly well, Young Hero Jeong!”
Hyeon Won-chang greeted him amid more than a dozen large, immaculate halls.
There were quite a few wounds on Hyeon Won-chang’s body. Perhaps due to the Blood Arts qi, the bleeding did not seem fully stopped.
Blood seeped through the strips of cotton cloth wrapped around him, yet a smile remained.
After their brief reunion, Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly asked,
“Do you have any internal injuries?”
“Fortunately, none. Young Hero Jeong appears unharmed as well.”
“I slipped out to the outskirts and boarded a boat.”
“Ah! Now that you mention it, I heard you captured those vile Heart Martial Union youngsters. That was truly well done too.”
Hyeon Won-chang laughed heartily. Though his wounds seemed to reopen and he briefly grimaced, the smile did not vanish.
There were different reasons why the major unorthodox sects were collectively called the Thirteen Heavens.
Jeong Yeon-shin had seen Geom Ye-hwa attempt to kill a woman without a second thought.
Hyeon Won-chang had shown an inexplicable hostility toward renowned great sects, but Jeong Yeon-shin thought that this smile was now that of someone wholly walking the righteous path.
Jeong Yeon-shin walked with Hyeon Won-chang. They passed through shafts of sunlight shining brightly between the halls.
He had just declined the Heavenly Sword Sect’s offer to assign him attendants.
Hyeon Won-chang, who had already eaten several meals, explained what had happened.
The remaining members of Demon Wings had broken through the encirclement and pushed straight to Mount Pingzhong.
Baek Mir-yeo had worried about Jeong Yeon-shin, but after torturing a Blood Flame Sect member, what she learned had reassured her.
Everyone had been certain. The half-baked young talents of the Heart Martial Union could not possibly do anything to Seom-ye.
Before long, Jeong Yeon-shin saw Ma Jin and the senior members of Demon Wings.
The scar on Ma Jin’s chin curled faintly upward.
“Even in that situation, you returned having earned merit.”
“How are things with you, Squad Leader? And the Seventh Apostle’s head...?”
Jeong Yeon-shin asked calmly. The Leader of Demon Wings, known as Hell Slayer, turned away.
“That witch’s movement technique is a bad match for mine. If Cheong Myeong had reached my level, Cheong Myeong could have killed her.”
“Are you calling that an excuse?”
Cheong Myeong grinned while rebuking Ma Jin.
As usual, Baek Mir-yeo gripped Jeong Yeon-shin’s shoulder and looked over his body. She nodded.
“You are excessively healthy. Your bearing seems to be changing once again. At your age, you should normally be forming your vessel, yet you continue advancing without pause.”
“...Thank you, Senior.”
Baek Mir-yeo had been acting like an older sister for some time. Jeong Yeon-shin shifted slightly, removing her hand from his shoulder.
He was grateful, but it was still awkward.
Jeong Yeon-shin turned his gaze.
“Then what will happen to the mission to hunt down and kill the Blood Flame Sect? The Seventh Apostle appears to possess information on their main headquarters.”
“We wait. We will coordinate with the Heavenly Sword Sect and respond.”
After speaking briefly, Ma Jin continued.
“The Seventh Apostle’s demeanor was strange. It seemed they had also received an order to annihilate us. From the perspective of Desolate Fortress’s main fortress and the Blood Flame Sect’s main headquarters, this may be a local battle. For us, it is total war.”
“Can you estimate when it will happen?”
“The fact that we do not know is their strength. We must strike back. We have a secret measure. The Heavenly Sword Sect’s mechanism formation. We will not be caught by surprise.”
It was said that prestigious martial factions were generally halls built atop corpses and blood.
Prestigious families had many enemies. Their methods of preparing for invasion could only develop.
‘Mechanism formation.’
He had heard of it. It was said to create strange phenomena by combining unusual mechanisms with the principles of nature.
Naturally, Jeong Family Manor, a third-rate martial family, had no mechanism formation.
“They say dwarven race craftsmen from the main fortress came in person to build it. Those blood demons will not know.”
As Ma Jin spoke with a hint of amusement, evening fell.
Jeong Yeon-shin met Demon Wings’ Second Unit and greeted them. They, too, were relieved that their junior was safe.
After reuniting with the Chief Steward of Jeong Family Manor and Young Divine Monk Gak Jeong, he entered his quarters.
Rather than sleeping at once, Jeong Yeon-shin sat on the bed.
‘Let’s organize my mnemonic formulas.’
Sitting in the lotus position, he wore the moonlight as his clothing. His meditation continued until dawn.
The blanket wrapped around him changed from moonlight to sunlight, yet he did not move a muscle.
* * *
After breakfast, Jeong Yeon-shin received an invitation from Hyeon Yu-ryang. The message was amusing.
Hyeon Yu-ryang said he was with his younger sister and would appreciate it if Jeong Yeon-shin paid attention to his comportment.
He even sent splendid silk garments, as though determined to keep his earlier word.
Jeong Yeon-shin lifted the clothing between his thumb and forefinger. He stared at it strangely for a moment.
“Demon Wings!”
Ma Jin’s voice was filled with qi. The wooden door, fashioned from fine timber, shook for a long time.
For an instant, Jeong Yeon-shin felt the air boiling. It was a summons from the Leader of Demon Wings, a signal of an enemy attack.
He immediately picked up the Desolate Sword. Sunlight glimmered threateningly across its black blade and scabbard.
When Jeong Yeon-shin stepped out of his room, he was already fully prepared.
The seniors had gathered in the courtyard. Hyeon Won-chang came running in a hurry as well.
Before Ma Jin could explain the situation, Hyeon Won-chang caught the concealed weapon flying toward his head.
His lips curved smoothly upward.
“Interesting.”
Hyeon Won-chang crushed the long needle in one hand and laughed.
“This time will be different.”
He muttered while glancing at Jeong Yeon-shin.
Ma Jin lightly patted Hyeon Won-chang’s shoulder, then spat the words through clenched teeth.
“A fire bomb exploded at the south gate. Those lunatics are completely mad. The formation must have been utterly ruined.”
“They care nothing for the imperial court either.”
“There were rumors, but did the Tang Sect go mad and make them after all? The one that just exploded must have been leaked.”
Baek Mir-yeo and Cheong Myeong each added a remark.
Before they knew it, they were watching a Blood Flame Sect Apostle approach gracefully after smashing through the back gate.
The number of Blood Masters and Blood Flame Sect members behind the Apostle was enormous. There appeared to be at least two hundred.
“Surely not.”
The Seventh Apostle’s elegant gait oddly drew everyone’s attention. She slowly moved her lips.
“The Tang Sect is, at least in name, an orthodox sect.”
Her smile was bewitching. Her lips were red.
Ma Jin stepped forward.
“You are sowing distrust. Witch, you need not make such an effort. Desolate Fortress watches every sect under heaven. It has always been that way.”
“All martial sects and noble families under heaven, Desolate Fortress. The hypocrisy of grasping the world and refusing to let it go.”
“A witch of a heretical cult certainly has a long tongue.”
“The Blood Flame Sect’s blood flames shall wash over the world. Even in death, you shall witness the Blood World.”
Was this how all those immersed in heretical cults spoke? Jeong Yeon-shin thought to himself.
The Seventh Apostle closed her mouth with a faint smile, then arrogantly tilted her chin.
At the same time, the momentum unique to the Blood Flame Sect advanced like a military formation. The fierce battle had begun.
Clang!
Materialized aura raked across the earthen ground. Ma Jin collided with the Seventh Apostle.
Masters of the Heavenly Sword Sect rushed in. Shaolin monks and Demon Wings mingled with the Blood Flame Sect members.
From the beginning of the battle, Jeong Yeon-shin kept the two supreme masters in sight. The enemies had caught his side off guard with the fire bomb, and their momentum was fierce.
The ominously surging waves of qi stabbed at his skin.
While Hyeon Won-chang blocked the blade of a Blood Master, Baek Mir-yeo passed by and cut the Blood Master’s neck.
It was a life-and-death duel. Even concern for fair play among martial artists was laughable in group combat.
Splurt!
Jeong Yeon-shin cut off the arm of a Blood Flame Sect member.
Holding the Desolate Sword, he moved through his surroundings like a fluttering leaf.
Even so, he did not take his eyes from Ma Jin and the Seventh Apostle.
The occasional gust of wind was thick with the scent of blood.
‘There, too.’
Support had joined the Seventh Apostle. The eye techniques of the three Blood Masters surrounding her and Ma Jin were remarkable.
They released sword strikes only when major blows collided, seemingly distracting Ma Jin. They were outstanding even among the Blood Masters.
“Good.”
Jeong Yeon-shin muttered softly.
Then he slowly began to walk. At the same time, he lightly twisted his body this way and that.
The weapons of the Blood Flame Sect members passing by seemed to betray their bewilderment.
His movement technique was gradually approaching completion. Martial prowess nearing the Blue Uniform rank was already taking shape.
Step. Step.
The closer he came, the more the Seventh Apostle’s aura strongly stimulated his entire body. Was it Bodhidharma’s voice?
An intent that guided his qi anew arose in his mind.
A sinister force surging like a storm was carrying Jeong Yeon-shin into another realm.
Clang! Boom!
Amid an exchange where force waves from the supreme masters swept the surroundings, Jeong Yeon-shin entered calmly.
The Blood Masters were dissipating the force waves to aid the Seventh Apostle, clearing Jeong Yeon-shin’s path.
Ma Jin’s eyes widened upon catching sight of him, while the corner of the Seventh Apostle’s lips rose slightly.
“You do not know your place.”
The Seventh Apostle’s long fingers gathered qi. Though she was exchanging moves with Ma Jin, it possessed immense density.
Even while focusing on her opponent, she had the leeway to casually strike out with her left hand. The three Blood Masters only directed their sword strikes at Ma Jin.
For Jeong Yeon-shin, it was a welcome development. The Seventh Apostle’s hand was already slow enough.
The upper dantian, the Baihui acupoint blazing atop his head.
Jeong Yeon-shin’s head turned icy.
Young Divine Monk Gak Jeong’s fist and leg arts, the teachings of the Shaolin monks, and all the mnemonic formulas he possessed tangled together and burst like lightning.
The radiance that arose in his mind formed a mnemonic formula of light. An inspiration that descended in an instant blazed and wrote five characters.
Demon-Slaying Azure River Hand.
Jeong Yeon-shin formed a hand blade and thrust it out. Sacred energy gathered in the force wave. It was an exceedingly faint blue light.
Thud!
The hand the Seventh Apostle had casually extended was flung aside. It felt as though Jeong Yeon-shin’s force wave had unraveled hers through a perfect counter.
Storm-like winds gathered and broke apart in every direction. A foreign sensation caught on Jeong Yeon-shin’s hand as it continued straight ahead.
At the end of the straight force wave containing a pale blue light was her left eye.
Screeeech!
“Aaaah!”
It was said that learning the Blood Arts sharpened every sensation in the body. Perhaps pain was the same.
The first Blood Master Jeong Yeon-shin had killed was like that. When a sword had lodged in the Blood Master’s abdomen, the figure could not regain its senses.
The Seventh Apostle clutching one eye appeared to be the same.
Blood seeped through the gaps between her white fingers. Her slender body trembled as well.
“You, you...!”
She could no longer contend with Ma Jin. Using her remarkable movement technique, she opened the distance between them. It happened in an instant.
It was an opportunity. Ma Jin cut down all three Blood Masters at once, but even he could not hide the shock that spread across his face.
Everyone began to look this way, one after another.
Amid the uproar of the battlefield, silence filled the field.
“You said Blood World. You will only see half of it now.”
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke calmly and flicked his left hand once. Blood had scattered widely, yet what remained on the back of his hand bothered him.
Footnotes:
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