WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈
Episode 426: martial lineage (7)
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* * *
Faint moonlight seeped into the silence.
Precious lanterns hung in rows throughout the banquet hall.
The hall had fallen silent from the moment the Peng Family Head stepped inside, but the appearance of a Desolate Fortress Purple Uniform blanketed it in an icy stillness. No one spoke.
It made no difference to Jeong Yeon-shin.
The years he had spent teaching Shin So-bin carried more weight than the presence of the crowd, people said to be renowned throughout the orthodox martial world.
“How did you do that? What movement technique is it?”
“As your attainment rises, your ability to wield inner power becomes incredibly fast. What were you thinking when you created it? Squad Leader, you do not even use the privy because you have attained major circulation. Huh? Maybe you do when you are on a mission, but at least teach me this! I am joking!”
Jeong Yeon-shin was taller than the Peng Family Head. He could clearly see Shin So-bin’s sidelocks hanging beneath her ears, while a large hand gripped the nape of her neck.
As befitted a martial artist of the warlike Demon Wings, she was not trembling. Still, if the Peng Family Head wished it, Shin So-bin’s life could end at once.
‘Bastard.’
Blue lightning flared in his eyes. It was the gaze of the Heaven-Displaying Eye Technique, awakened by fierce anger.
At that moment, Jeong Yeon-shin saw the back of a middle-aged figure clad in a splendid yellow long robe that hung to the ankles. Yet what truly flickered in his vision was the Peng Family Head’s aura, spreading hundreds of layers of colorless concentric circles.
It was incredibly dense, unmatched by anyone else in the banquet hall.
This was not someone he could face carelessly. If he let down his guard, he might be struck by a killing move capable of overcoming even slim odds.
Jeong Yeon-shin did not care. He reached for the back of the Peng Family Head’s neck.
In that instant, the mnemonic formula of the Sihwa Boundless Hand flashed through his forearm like lightning, and his right hand raced against the falling moonlight.
Space split apart in an instant, like a swamp parting.
Swish.
The Peng Family Head’s nape settled firmly into his grasp.
It felt as though he had seized an invisible wall of water. It was likely the Protective Qi Technique of a Peng Family secret art. The sensation of surging qi was deeply unpleasant.
“...!”
A startled flinch travelled through the grip into his hand.
It was not only the Peng Family Head. The alarm of the monkeys filling the banquet hall prickled against his skin.
Gasps erupted from all around, shattering the silence. In that brief moment, everyone began shouting at once, filling Jeong Yeon-shin’s ears with noise.
“Desolate Fortress... a Purple Uniform?”
“What is happening?”
“We must help the Family Head...!”
“Stop! You lack both justification and standing!”
Without a word, Jeong Yeon-shin stamped his foot.
Boom!
A translucent shock wave spread out in a circle. Tables and wine cups shook violently beneath the heavy vibration as dust rose in chaotic clouds.
The crowd fell silent. Jeong Yeon-shin slowly parted his lips instead.
“Quiet.”
It was not an outburst of anger. He was merely reminding them of the standing of a Purple Uniform.
He knew they had done nothing particularly wrong.
How many people in the world could restrain one of the Eight Family Heads? Aside from the leaders of major sects, there would be very few.
Thus, all the martial world’s scattered pebbles could do was watch as Shin So-bin of Demon Wings, the foremost disciple who had faithfully inherited the teachings of Desolate Fortress Seom-ye, was subdued by this fellow called the Peng Family Head.
‘Dust.’
Jeong Yeon-shin lowered his gaze slightly.
A bluish blade rested against his side. The wave patterns engraved along its surface alone revealed the weapon’s identity.
It was the Peng Family Head’s unique weapon, the Grand Lofty Divine Saber, whose fame resounded throughout the martial world.
The instant Jeong Yeon-shin had extended a joint lock, the Peng Family Head had drawn it like lightning and placed it there.
The Peng Family Head gripped the saber’s hilt in a reverse hold without even turning around.
The bearing was that of a master.
“...I know you well.”
A deep voice flowed out.
“The bloodline of the Tyrant Hero... You are as hot-tempered as I heard.”
The Peng Family Head spoke. The night air quivered in fine ripples, stirred by waves of inner power carried in the voice.
The mastery of qi-enhanced speech was profound, lending weight even to casual words. It suited the head of a martial-nobility clan who often stood before crowds.
Jeong Yeon-shin’s expression did not change. There was no reason to grow impatient over words far removed from the truth.
What mattered more was the conduct of the one who still refused to release Shin So-bin’s nape.
“Peng Family Head, it seems you mistake this place for the domain of the Peng martial nobility.”
Jeong Yeon-shin moved his lips slowly.
“Is this a declaration of war against the main fortress?”
Words no one could utter without fully representing Desolate Fortress. Yet the long robe he now wore was no longer Black Uniform.
“Your words go too far. This does not warrant speaking of a sect war.”
The Peng Family’s supreme figure spoke in a coaxing tone. Jeong Yeon-shin did not even sneer.
“Peng Family Head, remove your hand.”
“Would it not be better for you to withdraw yours first? High though your position may be, you disregard seniority too greatly. Strictly speaking, you have received my family’s favor.”
“Favor?”
“You cannot be unaware that my family contributed to your promotion to Purple Uniform.”
The voice did not waver. The Peng Family Head seemed to genuinely believe it.
The tone implied that if there was giving, there should be receiving in return. Here stood the head of one of the eight martial-nobility clans, whose people were treated as royalty on their own lands.
Still facing away from Jeong Yeon-shin, the Peng Family Head moved only the chin.
“In any case, this has become regrettable.”
“You would do well not to keep barking.”
“You could have avoided hearing the whistle blowing from Huguang... Had there been no variable like you, that surely would have been so. It is truly regrettable.”
The Peng Family Head spoke. The whistle from Huguang referred to the whistle that had become the symbol of Yong Hui-myeong, the Divine Sword Squad Leader. It was a provocation.
“You are piling up karma with your mouth.”
Jeong Yeon-shin’s response was calm. From the moment he saw his enemy holding Shin So-bin’s life in hand, his Baihui acupoint had turned white.
Only the surrounding crowd showed increasing shock at his words and actions. One of the Eight Family Heads was being subjected to such abuse.
Yet the Peng Family Head merely moved their lips indifferently.
“On the count of two, we will each let go at the same time. I stake my family’s honor on it.”
It was an offer he could not refuse for now. The life at stake was not Jeong Yeon-shin’s, but that of the foremost disciple of the Seom-ye Martial Lineage.
* * *
Languid Flame Dragon and Hyeon Won-chang stood roughly twenty paces from their Squad Leader.
They were close enough to be caught up in the force waves of powerful martial artists, yet near enough to rush in if necessary.
“That robe... It is the same color as the Divine Sword Squad Leader’s, is it not?”
“It appears purple to my eyes as well. Orange, violet, reddish purple... Even the material that appears differently colored depending on the angle is the same. How mysterious...”
“Hah.”
“Yes, finally...!”
Hyeon Won-chang raised his tightly clenched fist.
Languid Flame Dragon, who had let out a rare low exclamation, fell silent for a while. Then he quietly stroked a blossom half drawn from his robes.
Opium poppies were short-lived plants that lived no longer than two years. Jeong Yeon-shin had put on the Purple Uniform robe just before the flower that had bloomed when Languid Flame Dragon joined the sect was about to wither.
“So it can be done...”
Languid Flame Dragon muttered.
For now, that was the limit of the reaction Hyeon Won-chang and Languid Flame Dragon could show.
They let out long breaths as they watched Shin So-bin being freed from the Peng Family Head’s grasp.
Then they watched the Peng Family Head turn toward Jeong Yeon-shin, as though already having lost interest in Shin So-bin.
Two peerless masters faced one another.
The air was taut with imminent violence.
The Peng Family Head spoke first.
“We will leave it at this today. This is, after all, a sect war. Should we not observe proper form? The pairings have not even been announced.”
“The first martial duel will be between Desolate Fortress and the Peng Family. I have just returned from confirming it.”
Jeong Yeon-shin answered in a cold voice.
Languid Flame Dragon and Hyeon Won-chang sensed an unprecedented hardness in their Squad Leader. It was the fury one might expect from the head of a sect.
“Ah.”
The Peng Family Head smiled.
“Yes, you were the beginning of all this. A man who must certainly be killed later. Yet every great undertaking has its proper order. My family is not yet prepared, so as its Family Head, I request that our martial duel be held at the appointed time. As the Peng Family Head, I also deeply apologize for the discourtesy shown to a Desolate Fortress martial artist...”
The Peng Family Head avoided an immediate clash.
Many people were watching.
Once this much formality had been shown, it was not easy to force a fight. The Peng Family Head’s worldly conduct overwhelmed even Jeong Yeon-shin’s resolute presence.
At the same time, the Peng Family Head’s eyes constantly swept over Jeong Yeon-shin’s entire body. Colorless light trails followed the gaze in every direction.
“That...”
Languid Flame Dragon had once been the eldest young master of the Huangbo Family. That meant he understood the workings of the martial world well. He immediately recognized what the Peng Family Head was plotting.
“He intends to delay the duel as long as possible, then use the Tianzhu Yoga Art.”
“The Tianzhu Yoga Art?”
Hyeon Won-chang asked while casually patting Shin So-bin’s shoulder as she returned to them. The three did not bother exchanging words such as “Are you all right?” or “I am fine.”
Languid Flame Dragon folded his arms.
“The Peng Family changed greatly after Ghost-Cry Tyrant King Peng Yeo-ran, their former Family Head. It is because of the Yoga Divine Art, a kind of Bone-Shrinking Skill. They can alter their bodies freely. They have become a strange lot that can lengthen and shorten their acupoints, muscles, limbs, and everything else as they please to suit their opponents.”
“Then that is...?”
“Since the Peng Family Head has seen our Squad Leader up close, every possible advantage will be squeezed from it. When the formal duel comes, they will appear with a body built to counter the Squad Leader’s body. Even this young master cannot guess what form that will take...”
“So the Peng Family Head will stall for time and avoid this fight for now?”
Hyeon Won-chang furrowed his brow. In that brief moment, he had grasped the Peng Family Head’s intentions.
The Peng Family Head intended to inspect Jeong Yeon-shin’s body with the exquisite eye technique unique to a peerless master, avoid the immediate duel, and then enter a life-and-death duel.
It was the natural conduct of a martial family that pursued the interests and practical gains of its clan.
Certain death.
The Peng Family intended to kill Jeong Yeon-shin.
Not now, but after reconstructing the Yoga Divine Art with the full resources of the Peng Family.
“This is a time that calls for a tongue.”
The Imperial Hero stepped forward. It had been a long time since he had been able to loosen his tongue. The Great Tongue Sword of Demon Wings excelled in situations like this.
Then.
“What is your mother’s given name?”
“What?”
“Was it Peng Yeo-ran, the Ghost-Cry Tyrant King? A criminal who murdered the main fortress’s Swift Heaven Wing Squad Leader.”
Jeong Yeon-shin asked quietly as he looked down at the Peng Family Head, who had somewhat sharp features and held a huge saber in a reverse grip in one hand.
For the first time, an expression appeared on the Peng Family Head’s face.
“Sichuan, the Dark King Among Flowers... Golden-Wing Sect... Could it be you...?”
“The saber work was superb.”
Jeong Yeon-shin’s words were brief. Yet their impact struck the hall with terrifying force. The crowd that had been holding its breath stirred loudly.
Hyeon Won-chang returned to his place with his mouth agape. As he watched the two peerless masters, he suddenly remembered the Divine Sword Squad Leader and the Namgung Family Head facing one another like this in the past.
He remembered the one-exchange duel that had endlessly passed through the mouths of gossipmongers after the martial duel between Desolate Fortress and the Namgung Family.
“You wretch.”
The Peng Family Head was unlike the Namgung Family Head of that time.
Perhaps it was because the head of a great martial-nobility clan had endured repeated insults that were difficult to bear. Their face seemed to show some loss of composure.
“Come.”
Jeong Yeon-shin said as he drew a sword utterly unfamiliar to Hyeon Won-chang. A long, pure-white sword light flickered through the night air.
Then the two peerless masters disappeared.
Boom!
Hyeon Won-chang had not yet released seventy percent of his restraints. He could not properly track the two figures as they blurred away like scattered afterimages.
!
The aftermath of their collision arrived before the sound. An indescribably immense pressure poured down.
As his skin seemed to be crushed from all directions, sand and dust rose like a tidal wave and swept over the gathering.
Hyeon Won-chang barely endured by joining his feet to the ground with the principle of the Thousand-Pound Hammer.
Beside him, Shin So-bin struck the air with the Sihwa Boundless Fist. She did so to neutralize the force waves left by the peerless masters’ attacks.
[Three-Blade Defying Sealing God.]
It was the Peng Family Head’s voice. The intent dwelling in the upper dantian flowed out upon energy as dense as clouds.
It was a phenomenon impossible without Transcendent Martial Art. For an instant, the night sky lit up brightly before sinking back into darkness.
Jeong Yeon-shin’s voice, on the other hand, could not be heard.
One breath seemed to stretch into eternity. It was difficult to breathe.
Then, after only a moment, Hyeon Won-chang suddenly exhaled heavily. He even raised the brows he had lowered against the sandstorm lashing at him like hidden weapons.
Had it truly been a one-exchange duel?
At the center of the banquet hall, Jeong Yeon-shin stood upright and intact, looking down.
He held the sword tightly and let it hang toward his feet. Blood streamed along its hilt as though the hand gripping it had been completely torn apart, yet he was clearly standing.
His opponent was different.
The lord of Peng martial nobility, which had ties to the imperial court. One of the Eight Family Heads revered by the entire martial world.
The entire left half of the Peng Family Head’s body had been blown away. It was impossible to tell what sword strike had struck the Peng Family Head.
The Peng Family Head lay fallen with only their eyes wide open. Anger, fighting spirit, and the bitter sense of defeat showed on their face. Judging by the twisted lips, the Peng Family Head seemed to have realized their crushing defeat in the end.
“...”
No one dared stir. Every person who had entered Green Jade Sword Manor was renowned throughout the martial world, yet no one moved.
At this moment, only one person had the right to speak.
“As Jeong Yeon-shin of the Jeong Family, the party who invoked this life-and-death duel of the Pact of Mount Hua, I bear witness and announce the result of this martial duel.”
Jeong Yeon-shin flicked the Lingering Thunder sword downward. Bright red blood pattered onto the ground as hazy moonlight settled over it.
“The Peng Family has suffered one defeat.”
He bore witness alone and announced it himself.
A Purple Uniform of Desolate Fortress.
Before the death of one of the Eight Family Heads, brought about in full view of the crowd, everyone fell silent.
Footnotes:
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