WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈

Episode 46: Preparation (2)

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The Imperial Grandson approached.

Jeong Yeon-shin stood still with a sword in hand.

Sword Song. At that moment, the foundation for an art capable of handling groups had taken shape.

“Let us meet from time to time.”

Prince Ju Yun-myeong said no more. He showed no further emotion, as though that was simply how he had always lived.

‘Is that his way of telling me not to die somewhere far from home?’

After offering a salute, Yeon-shin raised his head. The Imperial Grandson had already entered the armory.

Cheong Myeong approached slowly and put an arm around Yeon-shin’s shoulder.

“That’s how a person’s goodwill works. You can’t earn it all at once. If you want the position of Divine Sword Squad Leader, goodwill alone won’t be enough. You must build trust as well. Consistency is the answer, I suppose.”

“You’re right. In any case, earning merits comes first.”

Yeon-shin answered nonchalantly.

He sheathed the sword and fastened it at his waist beside the Desolate Sword. Blades were consumables. Swords whose edges never dulled were said to be rare treasures in all the world.

The newly acquired Northern Light carried a pleasantly cool sensation.

“You should go in first. I have somewhere to be.”

“Very well.”

Cheong Myeong answered simply and turned away.

Blue-Eyed Demon Sword Cheong Myeong. Though he seemed warm and friendly, he never appeared to have many regrets about anything.

Yeon-shin watched his retreating figure briefly before setting off.

It was nearing sunset, the time of his appointment. Walking through the gathering dusk, Yeon-shin arrived at the Lord of Desolate Fortress’s main fortress.

No one stopped him as he entered and climbed the stairs.

Since rising to Blue Uniform, Yeon-shin had begun to feel completely at home in Desolate Fortress.

“Seom-ye....”

The instant he spoke the name that had become his courtesy name after the coming-of-age ceremony, the thick stone doors to the Lord’s office opened on their own. It was just as it had been during the Desolate Exam.

Yeon-shin could now sense aura, if only faintly.

It was called Remote Object Manipulation, a realm where one could touch all things without laying a hand upon them.

Could this have been a glimpse of the martial arts that had allowed the Lord to destroy the Dali Kingdom’s royal family alone?

The period immediately after the founding of Ming was said to have been tumultuous.

Although the Lord of Desolate Fortress could have entered the imperial palace, she had never married anyone.

Even the former Grand Empress Dowager, who was said to remain vigorous to this day, had repeatedly urged her to marry, only to be refused.

Instead, she had lived as Great Ming’s Divine Sword, teaching the emperor’s heirs as Grand Preceptor.

That was how the Lord of Desolate Fortress’s earth-shaking martial strength had been forged.

‘My inner energy still needs to increase.’

Yeon-shin imagined himself becoming the Divine Sword Squad Leader and floating two swords in the air.

If the swords could move on their own while he unleashed the Sihwa Boundless Fist, the benefits would be enormous.

At that level, perhaps he would no longer need to worry about martial strength when earning merits. It was still a distant prospect.

“You have become rather relaxed, to be thinking of something else in my presence.”

A clear voice rang out, drawing Yeon-shin’s gaze.

The thick tree trunks piercing through the office were strange no matter how often he saw them.

A woman reclined against a branch.

Her presence was as overwhelming as ever.

Her beauty made her appear only four or five years older than Yeon-shin, and was said to be a symbol of immortality.

Her deep green eyes, intense enough to stiffen the soul, were overpowering. They differed from the piercing gaze of any ordinary supreme master.

Her long, pale-green hair did not stir in the slightest. It meant she had completely contained her aura.

‘Yet I can still feel the difference in our levels. Just what realm has she reached?’

Yeon-shin first apologized.

The Lord of Desolate Fortress slowly opened her mouth.

“It seems you have made up your mind.”

“Yes. I ask the Lord to teach me a cultivation method. I would like a martial art that quickly absorbs energy through breathing and meditation.”

Yeon-shin had come to claim the martial art promised earlier.

It was a reward made possible because Ma Se-in of the Desolate Ma family had insistently demanded a spar, and because the Lord was acquainted with Yeon-shin’s maternal grandfather, Ma Yeon-jeok, the former Divine Sword Squad Leader.

There was no need to delay any longer.

Yeon-shin now clearly understood what he lacked most.

“A cultivation method. Very well. The amount of qi is important too. Once you have polished the vessel, you must fill it with water.”

She smiled and continued.

“I have something in mind. Come here.”

“Yes.”

Yeon-shin moved without hesitation.

His vessel of martial arts had just been completed. The Jeong Family Youth Technique was beyond compare for tempering the body.

Yet there were many breathing methods in the world for accumulating energy. The accumulation of qi was called qi storage.

‘I need to create a cultivation method that stores qi quickly.’

This was not something Yeon-shin could gain inspiration for by watching another person circulate qi.

The right approach was to experience a divine art firsthand. It would be enough to understand the principle by which it rapidly drew in the world’s energy.

Afterward, he intended to devise a cultivation method best suited to his own body.

“What are you doing?”

The Lord of Desolate Fortress seemed to ask because Yeon-shin had come before her and stood there blankly.

“You told me to come.”

“Closer.”

“When you say closer...”

The corners of her lips lifted slightly at Yeon-shin’s puzzled question.

“It seems this is your first time receiving proper instruction in a breathing and qi-circulation method. If martial arts could be learned through manuals alone, there would be no need for teachers. Reciting the mnemonic formula is not enough.”

She slowly raised herself. Her long, outstretched legs folded inward.

The hem of her pale-green martial robe brushed against the bark with a faint rustle.

She placed each foot over the opposite thigh and sat in the lotus position.

“Sit properly before me. I will guide your qi. A cultivation method must be learned like this, in a single sitting.”

“Yes. Before that...”

Yeon-shin stepped back three paces.

Then he slowly began to bow.

It was because of the significance of martial arts in the martial world. This was an age when a sect’s honor was valued more highly than personal advancement.

When someone passed down a supreme technique that would remain in history for ages, one could not help but acknowledge them as one’s master.

A master-disciple relationship was forbidden? The Lord stood above the laws of Desolate Fortress.

‘She isn’t stopping me.’

It seemed she accepted it. Yeon-shin bowed once before rising.

That was enough. One did not bow more than once to the living.

That was the custom of the Central Plains, where Daoism had taken root. The martial world remained the same.

Yeon-shin sat before the Lord of Desolate Fortress, who wore a curious smile.

Facing her at such close range, he saw that her skin was astonishingly pale and clear.

She gave a soft laugh.

“Not like that. Turn your back to me.”

A faint breath brushed Yeon-shin’s cheek. It was a very faint exhalation.

Her breathing was so deep that Yeon-shin wondered just how much inner-energy cultivation she had accumulated.

Feeling reverence anew, he turned around.

‘I thought she would teach me the mnemonic formula first, then begin guiding my qi.’

She seemed intent on finishing the transmission early. Yeon-shin remembered giving the energy of the Purple Cloud Pellet to Yu Hyeon, disciple of the Mount Hua Sect leader.

Yeon-shin could circulate qi while speaking. It seemed the Lord of Desolate Fortress could do the same.

“It is called the Moon Spirit Harmonization Formula. It is my personal martial art.”

As she spoke, her hand touched Yeon-shin’s back. It was remarkably warm.

Despite her appearance, which made her seem like an older sister, Yeon-shin wondered if this was what a mother he had never seen might feel like.

Hummm.

Inner energy purer than Yeon-shin could have imagined entered his body.

A stream of clear energy flowed in, as though it held the energy of nature itself.

The minor meridians and acupoints throughout Yeon-shin’s body began filling one by one. Its movements taught the qi-storage path of the Moon Spirit Harmonization Formula.

“This is how it is done. Feel it.”

Yeon-shin closed his eyes and calmed his mind.

Along with the Lord’s voice reciting the mnemonic formula, he felt the flow of qi.

As time passed, Yeon-shin’s will began circulating the energy on its own.

“Yes. That is it.”

Her low voice encouraged the flow.

Half a shichen was enough.

The Lord’s fingertips left Yeon-shin’s back, and her inner energy dispersed as well.

Yeon-shin learned the divine art after experiencing a single cycle while listening to the mnemonic formula. Nothing more was needed.

A breath laced with laughter tickled the back of Yeon-shin’s neck, followed by her whisper in his ear.

“If anything troubles you, come ask me.”

“Thank you for the reward.”

Yeon-shin stepped down, turned around, and respectfully clasped his hands in salute. She smiled again.

On the way from her office to the Demon Wings pavilion, Yeon-shin was elated.

The world of martial arts was vast, he realized once more.

This differed even from the qi circulation of various sword arts, fist arts, and Leg Arts.

There were supreme martial arts for drawing in the energy of nature and storing it within the body.

Perhaps it was the Lord’s consideration. The Moon Spirit Harmonization Formula did not reject the energy of the Jeong Family Youth Technique.

Just like her bearing, which seemed to embrace all things.

“This is excellent.”

The words slipped out without thought. Yeon-shin felt as if inspiration were surging from every direction.

It seemed possible to create a cultivation method that far surpassed third-rate techniques at once.

‘I miss Se-in.’

Yeon-shin felt deeply grateful to his distant relative Ma Se-in and his disappointing maternal grandfather, Ma Yeon-jeok.

* * *

Until the following evening, Yeon-shin devoted himself to practicing and devising a cultivation method.

It was the first time since childhood that he had cultivated inner energy while seated on the floor beside his bed.

Focusing solely on the energy breathing within and outside his body felt better than expected.

After completing one full major circulation through his body, Do Yu-won from the Chief Steward’s Office visited Yeon-shin’s room.

“This is truly something to congratulate you on. The Lord has gained another direct disciple.”

Do Yu-won spoke with a broad smile, two sets of blue martial robes draped over one arm.

“What are those...?”

“You received a new martial robe only the other day, but you must wear something different.”

With careful hands, Do Yu-won unfolded one set of clothes.

It was a martial robe. There was little difference between it and the blue martial robe the Lord of Desolate Fortress had given Yeon-shin during the promotion ceremony.

Only the color of the embroidered character for desolate on both shoulders and the back had changed.

The character had been embroidered in golden thread.

“Those who receive instruction in the Lord’s martial arts have a symbolic status regardless of their martial robe’s color. They cannot help becoming known throughout the martial world. Therefore, it is only proper for Young Hero Jeong to receive the formal ceremony at the main fortress, just like the members of the imperial family. The Chief Steward’s Office prepared this.”

“I see. Thank you.”

Yeon-shin accepted the blue martial robe with golden thread.

Do Yu-won suddenly looked as though something had just come to mind.

“To be honest, we were mindful of the Imperial Grandson, who is already her disciple. The Lord pays it no mind, but those beneath her cannot do the same. Still, for some reason, we heard that His Highness allowed it without complaint.”

Yeon-shin nodded calmly and saw Do Yu-won out.

He immediately changed clothes and left the room because Ma Jin had summoned him.

The golden characters were extremely conspicuous.

The eyes of senior members Yeon-shin encountered along the way widened in surprise.

After vaguely saying that things had simply worked out that way, Yeon-shin arrived at the Grand Training Hall, where Ma Gwang-il’s Squad and Ma Jin were gathered.

Shin So-bin, the junior newly assigned to Ma Gwang-il’s Squad, was there as well.

“Y-Young Hero! What is that dazzling golden splendor?!”

After Yeon-shin gave a cursory response to Hyeon Won-chang’s fussing, Ma Jin spoke.

“I’ll speak plainly. We have all agreed to short intervals between missions. First, under Blue Uniform Seom-ye’s leadership, Hyeon Won-chang and Shin So-bin will head out on a mission. The three of you are suited for it. We need young faces.”

“Young faces?”

Yeon-shin asked quietly. The Young Divine Monk of Shaolin who had spoken of the romance of young martial artists suddenly came to mind.

“There is a family the world considers righteous and honorable. You have likely heard of them. The Huangbo Family.”

Ma Jin said this, twisting the scarred corner of his mouth.

“In truth, they are different. The Azure Sky Squad uncovered their secret long ago. Those bastards are forcing commoners to build a new family estate, without compensation and without allowing them to work for their livelihoods. They are forcing labor upon the people without an imperial order.”

“Those scoundrels!”

“It happens often enough.”

Hyeon Won-chang and Shin So-bin’s reactions stood in contrast.

Martial artists of great sects were superhuman. Their martial strength was enough to let them act as gods over the people’s lives.

There were countless people they could command with a point of the finger, and some could not bear to refrain from wielding that power.

“There are over a thousand forced laborers. The people’s livelihood is directly tied to tribute, making this an extremely sensitive matter. There are limits to how long we can overlook the powerful martial families of the provinces. Yet punishing an orthodox sect requires great care. The people must entirely support Desolate Fortress, both in sentiment and perception...”

Ma Jin trailed off briefly before continuing.

“They completely rule Jinan in Shandong. They act like a royal family already. There are limits to exposing their conduct. Seom-ye, you are important.”

“What is the mission?”

“Join the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering with two White Uniforms while concealing your identities. This Dragon-Phoenix Gathering is being held in Southern Zhili under the Namgung Family’s supervision. Shandong lies directly north, so the Huangbo Family’s Young Family Head will come as well.”

Ma Jin paused, then spoke again. At last, Yeon-shin received his fourth mission.

“Your mission is provocation. Get under the Young Family Head’s skin until they lose their mind. Make them unable to endure without mobilizing the family to kill you. The Huangbo Family’s power must make a major move, creating gaps in their control over all of Jinan.”

“What happens if I succeed?”

“While you are in Southern Zhili, we will immediately secure reliable witnesses and evidence. This has been prepared for a long time. Three of the Divine Sword Squad’s Seventeen Squads will assemble. All of Demon Wings, the Azure Sky Squad, and the Annihilation Squad will strike the Huangbo Family together.”

They intended to wipe out one of the Eight Great Families of the orthodox martial world.

It was an enormous undertaking.

The fact that three martial units of the Divine Sword Squad would cooperate was just as extraordinary.

There were thirteen major unorthodox factions in the Central Plains alone, and the Seventeen Squads existed to carry out missions across the vast world.

With three forces gathered, they could be called invincible.

‘This is insane...!’

Yeon-shin felt a thrill run through him. Hyeon Won-chang and Shin So-bin also seemed stunned, their eyes wide.

Yeon-shin spoke while maintaining the calmest expression possible. He needed to ask the most important question.

“This Huangbo Family Young Family Head. If their conduct or the situation warrants it, may I take their head?”

“That is left to a Blue Uniform’s discretion. That is the authority of the Blue Uniform rank. Whatever happens, a Blue Uniform can personally take responsibility.”

Ma Jin answered with a smile. Baek Mir-yeo, standing beside Ma Jin, spoke with a worried expression.

“Seom-ye, understand that this is an extremely dangerous mission. Do not overdo it. That Young Family Head is doomed to die anyway. They were born with a constitution that grants extraordinary talent at the cost of a short life. It is already well known.”

Cheong Myeong added, “I hear that Young Family Head is a genius with the Sun God Meridian. They will be quite strong.”

Footnotes:

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