WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈

Chapter 5: Recognition

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"Crazy bastard!"

"Kill him!"

They were the companions of the nearby man.

Their faces full of fury as they charged forward, but the boy did not move from where he had planted his sword.

He only stared at the Tyrant Sword Sect Master.

‘Whether I die now or later.’

Today was the day he had learned the shocking truth of his limited lifespan.

One of the pillars supporting his reason had shattered completely. It seemed as though it would never return.

"Stop."

A deep voice rumbled as though it rose from the bottom of a cave.

The Tyrant Sword Sect Master's voice was as imposing as his bearing. The charging men stopped.

"Your spirit."

The Tyrant Sword Sect Master gazed at the boy.

As those abyss-like eyes regarded him, Jeong Yeon-shin thrust out his chest and met his gaze as though daring him to cut open his belly.

"It surpasses that of everyone in this manor combined."

The warriors of the Tyrant Sword Sect visibly stirred.

It was immediately apparent that the man did not often praise others.

"Just kill him and silence him! Even Desolate Fortress cannot question a man reduced to a bloody corpse about who struck him!"

He had openly suggested murdering everyone to eliminate the witnesses.

The man seemed to be a companion of the red-haired woman who had died last.

His crudely cut crimson hair and red martial robe matched hers exactly.

He appeared to be a warrior of the Blood Flame Sect who had come with the Tyrant Sword Sect.

‘I only hope they do not know there has been no contact.’

At that moment, Yeon-shin realized the terror of the Thirteen Heavens.

The surprise attack had been carried out only after every factor was considered. This was how factions that reached across the realm operated.

They knew that someone from an insignificant place like Jeong Family Manor had ties to Desolate Fortress.

"Chief Steward!"

Yeon-shin shouted. The man sprawled in the gap by the threshold flinched.

He had been pretending to be dead.

"Y-Yes, Young Master."

Even the Chief Steward, who staggered to his feet as he answered, was no ordinary person. Yeon-shin spoke again.

"You said you were building an intelligence network covering Xinye County. These men arrogantly sought to slaughter the manor with roughly fifteen people, without even forming an encirclement. Surely Jeong Family Manor's ears and mouth can reach Xiangyang?"

"Of course. Xiangyang... Xiangyang is close."

Xiangyang, at the northern end of Huguang Province, was a border city of Nanyang, where Xinye County was located.

No matter how vast the Central Plains were, this distance was close.

If an intelligence agent trained in martial arts ran with purpose, they could reach it without mishap.

‘Perhaps they really did go to seek help from Desolate Fortress.’

From the family's actions in the face of danger, it was impossible to tell whether they had expected help from Yeon-shin's maternal relatives.

Still, even the Tyrant Sword Sect could not have seen through the private affairs of a place like Jeong Family Manor beyond matters of blood relation.

"If you cannot kill me."

Yeon-shin tightened his grip on his sword.

"Do not make another move."

He pulled the sword from the dead man's back. The long trail of blood cast the manor into silence.

A boy who looked about fifteen had taken control of a place occupied by the leader and subordinates of a great faction.

The Blood Flame Sect warrior screamed.

"We have already earned your resentment! You are bound to talk. How can we not kill you?"

He was speaking to Yeon-shin, yet seemed to be protesting to the Tyrant Sword Sect Master.

This moment was important. The atmosphere made it seem as though the positions of the strong and weak had reversed.

Yeon-shin spoke sharply.

"You fool. Even if Desolate Fortress is the foremost power in the martial world, do you think it would strike the Thirteen Heavens directly to avenge a grievance voiced by the maternal grandson of a former Divine Sword Squad Leader?"

If he had been the Lord of Desolate Fortress's grandson, perhaps it would have been different.

The Lord of Desolate Fortress, whom the emperor himself recognized as the equal of a Prince of Commandery, was the guardian of the immense Heavenly Tree and keeper of its fruit, said to grant eternal youth and longevity.

However, Yeon-shin was not a blood relative of the Lord of Desolate Fortress.

If he had been, the people of Jeong Family Manor could not have been swayed by the discomfort of mere superstition, no matter how he had been born.

"The maternal grandson of the former Divine Sword Squad Leader?"

Cliff Edge Sword, who had been checking Ye Yil-sin's condition, muttered.

A boy whose maternal grandfather had headed one of Desolate Fortress's martial units before retiring.

His was a position where it was harder to predict the repercussions of killing him than the trouble he might cause while alive.

The Thirteen Heavens were great names that claimed dominance throughout the realm.

But harming the grandson of a Desolate Fortress elder was another matter.

It was as burdensome as taking the family of a Hanlin Academy Grand Secretary in the Imperial City hostage.

"An imperially chartered martial sect established by the imperial elven race to prevent martial rebellion. It is certainly troublesome."

The Tyrant Sword Sect Master spoke.

"But that is not why I am letting you live."

"Sect Master!"

Crack!

The Blood Flame Sect warrior's head burst apart.

No one had sensed the Tyrant Sword Sect Master make a move, yet invisible sword qi had exploded.

"Blood Flame Sect. I told you to stop."

The Tyrant Sword Sect Master spoke to the corpse.

The remaining red-haired warrior trembled, but the sect master's dark eyes turned once more to Yeon-shin.

"I like you. Your aptitude and spirit. You are a vessel capable of reaching the heights as a martial artist. If you had no connection to Desolate Fortress, I would have accepted you as my disciple."

"Gasp!"

"The Tyrant Sword Sect Master..."

Gasps and cries of shock erupted from all around.

Not only his subordinates, but even the masters of the Zhongnan Sect could not hide their surprise.

The Tyrant Sword Sect Master continued without concern.

"If it is a sparring match, I will accept it at any time. Come and seek your revenge."

"..."

Yeon-shin sheathed his sword. He soon turned and walked toward the family members whose breaths were faint but who still lived.

The Tyrant Sword Sect Master watched the boy with an inscrutable expression before turning to the Zhongnan Sect warriors.

"This land. No other sect will be permitted to enter it. I will give you one day."

He looked at Ye Yil-sin, whose expression had twisted.

"Leave."

* * *

"Young Master."

"Chief Steward."

There was no time to exchange greetings with the approaching Chief Steward.

The bodies would have to be dealt with later.

Doctors were present, but none was a divine physician comparable to Hua Tuo. For those whose injuries were grave, all they could do was lay them down and let them pass away in comfort.

He saw his eldest brother, Jeong Nam-san, and his sister-in-law. They were corpses.

He carefully pushed them aside, then forcefully stomped on the floor where the couple had fallen face down.

Clunk.

The underground chamber opened. It was a secret room where the brothers had entered together and giggled when they were very young.

As expected, a five-year-old girl was there, curled up with her eyes closed.

The sleep acupoint at the back of Hye-ah's neck had been pressed by a qi-filled hand, forcing her to sleep.

"Hye-ah."

Yeon-shin picked up his niece and left the room.

The young man speaking with the Chief Steward turned his head.

Jeong Joong-san, the second son of Jeong Family Manor, had been designated an honorary disciple of the Zhongnan Sect.

When their eyes met, Joong-san avoided Yeon-shin's gaze. It seemed he had been hiding somewhere.

Yeon-shin walked up without a word and thrust Hye-ah into Joong-san's arms.

"Raise Hye-ah in Zhongnan. Do whatever it takes."

"Y-You?"

"I will be busy enough looking after myself."

Yeon-shin spoke firmly.

"Raise Hye-ah in Zhongnan? That cannot possibly be..."

Unlike before, Joong-san could not even meet Yeon-shin's eyes and only fumbled over the words.

It seemed he had hidden near the main residence and watched his half-brother through the entire fight.

Pathetic.

Only then did Yeon-shin notice the foreign sensation on his cheek. He wiped away the bloodstain with the back of his hand.

"Do you know less about the Nine Sects than I do? Children who enter as disciples at five or six become the backbone of a sect. Beg however you must. Hye-ah's talent is greater than yours, so they will accept her."

"Y-Yes."

Joong-san bit his lip and lowered his gaze to Hye-ah.

Yeon-shin watched Joong-san closely for a moment. Fortunately, Joong-san seemed to feel responsibility rather than humiliation.

Then the masters of the Zhongnan Sect approached.

As always, Ye Yil-sin was at the front, with Cliff Edge Sword and the martial artist known as Tranquil Fist following half a step behind her.

Though their faces were pale from apparent internal injuries and stained with blood, they had helped with the aftermath. They were undoubtedly righteous martial artists.

"Young hero."

The form of address had changed. Only yesterday, they had called him the Family Head's son.

Ye Yil-sin's expression was complex.

Separate from her self-reproach, when she looked at Yeon-shin, there was also wonder, as though facing a talent beyond imagination.

"Will you go to Desolate Fortress?"

"I suppose I must. There is nowhere else for me to entrust myself and grow stronger."

"The road does not lead only to Xiangyang."

"...?"

"How would you like to ascend Mount Zhongnan with me? I earnestly invite you."

"Gasp!"

Only the Chief Steward and Joong-san were surprised.

Cliff Edge Sword and Tranquil Fist, standing behind Ye Yil-sin, looked at Yeon-shin without the slightest change in expression, as though it were a natural offer.

Their faces showed how much they coveted his talent.

For the Great Elder of the sect to personally invite him to enter meant he was an extraordinary young swordsman.

"The Great Elder of one of the Nine Sects... I truly do not know how to repay this honor."

Despite his words, Yeon-shin's expression remained calm. He had already decided on his destination.

Ye Yil-sin, seemingly growing impatient, added, "I intend to recommend you as the sect leader's direct disciple. For a young hero such as you, I can make that recommendation."

"...!"

This time, no one could hide their surprise.

The direct disciple of the Zhongnan Sect's sect leader was a position where one could learn peerless divine arts.

Needless to say, one would also gain the immense backing of one of the Nine Sects.

Moreover, the current sect leader of Zhongnan was always counted among the Ten Great Swordsmen of the realm.

His powerful sword art had already been witnessed by people several times during his chivalrous exploits.

‘The people of Shaanxi praise him as one of the Five Great Masters of the Central Plains!’

The Chief Steward screamed inwardly.

Yeon-shin had to go. No matter how vast and powerful Desolate Fortress was, Yeon-shin was only the grandson of a retired martial artist.

The ceiling might be uncertain, but the floor was undoubtedly higher as the Zhongnan Sect leader's direct disciple.

It was the characteristic mindset of Jeong Family Manor, which valued the head of a snake over the tail of a dragon.

‘Young Master! Please!’

The Chief Steward's silent cry did not reach Yeon-shin.

The boy performed a fist-and-palm salute.

"I will not forget your offer, Great Elder."

It was a courteous refusal.

Resignation appeared on Ye Yil-sin's elegant face. As though she had expected this, she gave up quickly.

"You have confidence. Confidence that you can rise higher within Desolate Fortress."

"..."

"I coveted that vessel of yours. The Tyrant Sword Sect Master likely did as well."

"I apologize."

"Not at all. Just remember that Zhongnan's doors are always open."

Yeon-shin looked steadily at Ye Yil-sin and spoke.

"I understand that you are advanced in age even among the elven race. Do you know of a way to obtain the World Tree fruit?"

"The World Tree fruit? Then, young hero, you truly...!"

A look of realization crossed Ye Yil-sin's face. Soon, she spoke with regret.

"I have not yet lived even half of my allotted lifespan. I have no authority over the World Tree either. Only the Lord of Desolate Fortress can bestow it upon another."

"Then I must go to Desolate Fortress after all."

"It will not be easy. It is sacred even among our elven race."

"I know of no other way. I have no choice but to become the Divine Sword Squad Leader and render some great service."

"I will support you from afar."

Ye Yil-sin returned his fist-and-palm salute. Her upright character would likely remain in Yeon-shin's memory for a long time.

"Then."

The courtesy they exchanged served as their farewell.

Mount Zhongnan in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, and Xiangyang lay in entirely different directions. She intended to leave quickly to bring news to the sect, even if she had to go alone.

Cliff Edge Sword and Tranquil Fist, who had come with her, had lightness skills inferior to the Great Elder's.

Joong-san decided to leave the next day with the remaining two.

For now, he had to watch over the Family Head's final moments.

The Family Head was still alive.

He was on the verge of closing his eyes forever.

"It is I, your third son."

Yeon-shin knelt on one knee and supported the back of his father's neck. His eyes trembled faintly.

The sword wound carved into the heartless Family Head's abdomen was beyond saving.

‘If you were going to leave like this, you should have treated me better.’

"Why... why are you so strong? How did you...?"

His lips trembled as his strength faded.

Yeon-shin knew there was no time. It was a feeling close to foresight. Jeong Dae-myung, the Family Head, would only speak a few more words before dying.

"It is something I created and mastered. I call it the Jeong Family Youth Technique."

Instead of voicing resentment or grief, he spoke proudly of himself.

How his father received it was up to him.

Long disillusioned with his family, Yeon-shin left it to his father whether to take it as a gift or an unfilial act.

"Jeong Family Youth Technique. I see."

The Family Head opened his trembling mouth.

"A divine art founded by a Jeong. This foolish, ignorant Jeong Dae-myung... I fathered a son, the third Jeong son of this worthless Family Head, who founded such a divine art."

"..."

The boy listened in silence. His father spoke his final words.

"You... possess... the aptitude... of a Grandmaster..."

Footnotes:

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