WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈

Episode 52: Assembly

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No one would readily admit it. That was especially true of those who professed to be orthodox sects.

Huangbo Myeong-rin snorted again. Her brows did not so much as twitch.

"You say I used your junior sister as bait? You must have seen something that was not there. Or..."

Her lips curled upward. A smile without the slightest hesitation settled on her face.

"Are you trying to slander me? You rootless wretch."

"Aren't you the one without roots?"

It was not Jeong Yeon-shin. The hand he had raised to restrain the two of them was brushed aside as Hyeon Won-chang pushed past it.

The Desolate Fortress Divine Hero stepped forward. Lightly adjusting the hero’s headband across his forehead, he smiled as though he had stepped out of a painting.

"Language like that hardly befits an educated person."

"What?"

"You must have received countless spiritual medicines since childhood. I hear Shandong has Lu cuisine, and among its dishes is one where all sorts of ingredients are wrapped in dumpling skins. Perhaps you tore the Four Books and Three Classics apart page by page, wrapped them around your spiritual medicine, and ate them. Is that how your family taught you the principles of Confucius and Mencius? I heard the Huangbo Family was a prestigious family, but I suppose that was a lie."

The words flowed from him like a stream.

"How dare this lowborn..."

Huangbo Myeong-rin's mouth fell slightly open. Hyeon Won-chang regarded her with a cold smile.

"They say Shandong food is salty. Your conduct, on the other hand, is terribly bland. Two people witnessed your atrocity, yet you shamelessly deny it? I have never heard of a fool like Huangbo Myeong-rin among Shandong's prominent martial clans. Isn't that so?"

Hyeon Won-chang looked around as he spoke. One by one, those who met his eyes averted their gazes.

A bright smile touched his lips.

"You want to die!"

Huangbo Myeong-rin took a step forward with a movement technique. The aura gathered around both her hands was fierce.

At that moment, Jeong Yeon-shin's hand blurred.

Crack!

Her body spun through the air.

He had slapped her across the cheek, putting his inner energy into a body trained through the Jeong Family Youth Technique.

"Puhuk!"

Huangbo Myeong-rin crumpled to the ground.

The younger generation from the other families each assumed a ready stance. Eight sabers and swords flashed beneath the bright sunlight.

"If what you say is true, then this is justified as well. Still, try to understand us."

"There is no neutrality in the martial world. If we do not know the truth, we have no choice but to side with those we share ties with."

Two of the younger generation spoke. A faint wariness lingered in their voices.

They differed from those who had shown favor toward Jeong Yeon-shin after he exchanged blows with the Languid Flame Dragon.

Not all orthodox sects were alike. The disciples of the Nine Sects served either the Buddha or the Primordial Heavenly Venerable.

As ascetics living in the mountains, most had risen above fame and profit.

The great families were different. The term referred to powerful houses that had endured for generations.

They professed righteousness while pursuing profit. Their ways of practicing chivalry were entirely different.

Some martial artists with formidable skills spoke bluntly.

It was not easy to find chivalrous people outside the mountain sects.

'I had heard that some of them enjoyed acts of chivalry.'

But not these scions of the great families. They stood before him now, the powerful scions having colluded.

Huangbo Myeong-rin held the initiative over the group. Their composition alone showed it. Southern Zhili lay south of Shandong.

The Huangbo Family was said to rule Jinan, Shandong Province, like royalty. The scions of nearby martial families had no choice but to treat them differently.

'Huangbo Myeong-rin's side held greater value.'

He had deliberately not killed her. That was his judgment as a Blue Uniform. The Languid Flame Dragon was a Young Family Head already destined to die.

He seemed to exist only to elevate the family's reputation. The siblings Jeong Yeon-shin had beaten were the Huangbo Family's future.

"I heard there are spiritual beasts."

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke as a young man hurried over to support his younger sister.

He was the Huangbo Family's Second Young Master, the one who had picked a fight with Jeong Yeon-shin on the Huizhou official road and been sent flying with a single strike.

"You bastard, after doing this..."

"I'm speaking."

The Second Young Master flinched beneath Jeong Yeon-shin's gaze. Unable even to meet his eyes, he turned away.

"I heard the elven race uses secret clan arts to raise intelligent animals. They are called spiritual beasts."

"..."

"They understand human speech and display mysterious abilities. Call the family's martial artists. As many as possible. Isn't it possible that the Blood Flame Sect has sent reinforcements?"

The Eight Great Families of the martial world were called clans, but that was all. They possessed regional foundations as solid as princely estates, along with towering martial strength.

It was a world where spiritual beasts could be bought with gold. A direct descendant of the Huangbo Family would surely possess at least one means of communication.

Whether it was a carrier pigeon or something else did not matter. Shandong was not far from here. They needed to keep sending news.

The moment part of the Huangbo Family's forces was drawn away, Desolate Fortress could secure grounds for punishment and march north at once.

Sure enough.

The instant he finished speaking, wings stirred inside the Second Young Master's lapel. It was a small bird resembling a swallow.

Using the small brush and ink pot he carried for the journey, the Second Young Master wrote a brief message and tied it to the bird's leg. Yet he did not release it.

He spoke.

"The moment I send the message, we will lose our value. You might come at us ready to die. We decide when it flies."

"Think. Sending it once is not enough. Consider the size of Southern Zhili and Shandong. That bird needs to make constant trips."

"...You're right."

He silently admitted his mistake. He seemed wary of Jeong Yeon-shin's martial strength.

Even with internal injuries, the Second Young Master believed Jeong Yeon-shin could still bring about mutual destruction. In the martial world, it was called mutual destruction.

'This one has grown rather cautious.'

Jeong Yeon-shin lowered his gaze after watching the bird's retreating tail.

Huangbo Myeong-rin had regained consciousness and glared at him as if she wanted to kill him. The Second Young Master, on the other hand, could not lift his head.

They could never coexist peacefully. Even so, they had to travel together.

"Whoever brought the blood demons, we need to join forces. It looks like they came to kill even the young talents of the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering."

It was the Languid Flame Dragon.

After glancing at both sides, he popped a poppy flower into his mouth.

As he chewed the flower bud, his eyes soon settled quietly on Jeong Yeon-shin.

* * *

Twenty days passed. They shook off the Blood Flame Sect's pursuit time and again.

It was a Heavenly Net cast from the south. They could not return to Huizhou.

It would be faster to receive the protection of the Huangbo Family forces coming down from Jinan.

Everyone in the group looked like beggars. They had been forced along mountain paths far from the official roads.

They had reached a plain at the end of a long mountain range. Shandong was now close.

'Now it comes down to speed.'

Jeong Yeon-shin had grown accustomed to hunting birds to eat.

Even while sleeping, one of the three Demon Wings members had to remain awake.

They could not fully trust the younger generation, including the Huangbo siblings.

Enough time had passed. The mission had succeeded. The Huangbo Family and Desolate Fortress would be rushing toward them from opposite directions.

It was a clash between the martial clan that ruled Jinan, Shandong Province, and Desolate Fortress, which governed the entire Central Plains.

If the battlefield was in Shandong Province, it would not be strange for either side to arrive first. It was an unexpected mission, after all.

'They will arrive at the same time.'

They said it was difficult to place spies within the Blood Flame Sect because of its sorcery. The Huangbo Family was different. They had rushed out without understanding the situation.

Once they crossed north of Southern Zhili, they could never escape Desolate Fortress's eyes.

Desolate Fortress had watched them for a long time. This was an old operation.

There was a strong chance that forces, including the Demon Wings, were already concealed behind them.

"The Huangbo Family Guard Corps is coming. It is over now."

Huangbo Myeong-rin had completely regained her confidence. She said it openly.

Once the Huangbo Family Guard Corps arrived, the Blood Flame Sect's pursuers would no longer pose a threat. Ignoring the Languid Flame Dragon and the Second Young Master, she led the group.

"There they are."

Hyeon Won-chang muttered. As they descended the mountain, he spotted martial artists charging toward them.

A group clad in crimson martial robes raced toward them. There were a little over thirty of them, and the aura pouring from them was immensely powerful. They even carried the disciplined bearing of soldiers.

"Rin!"

A huge middle-aged man rushed forward from the front. His lightness skill was remarkable.

His dash, with its energy held in check, closed the distance in an instant.

Jeong Yeon-shin compared the man to himself before he was injured. Their accumulated years were different. He was not confident he could win easily.

"Uncle Tyrant Sword!"

The martial world's free-spirited atmosphere apparently extended to the great families as well.

Huangbo Myeong-rin threw herself into the middle-aged man's arms. His large hands stroked her head as he laughed heartily.

"Thank goodness. Thank goodness you're safe. You've done well. Truly."

From the side, Hyeon Won-chang sent Jeong Yeon-shin a sound transmission.

Tyrant Sword Huangbo Jun.

He was said to be the younger brother of the current Huangbo Family Head, and one of the finest swordsmen in Jinan, Shandong Province.

"But where is the Young Family Head..."

Tyrant Sword turned his gaze. At its end sat the Languid Flame Dragon, sprawled carelessly on a rock.

"We dressed an illegitimate son in the heir's robes. You should be grateful. How dare you put the direct bloodline through such hardship?"

"I'm only an heir for another five years anyway. Why should it matter how I live?"

"You brat!"

"You speak boldly of calling me the heir when you do not even show me courtesy."

The Languid Flame Dragon gave a snort of laughter. Tyrant Sword stared at him silently for a while, then turned away.

'That family is not normal either.'

Jeong Yeon-shin's eyes met Tyrant Sword's fierce gaze.

They had said the Languid Flame Dragon was born out of wedlock.

If they had valued the life of a blood relative doomed to die young, they would have severed ties with him and sent him to join Desolate Fortress.

Jeong Yeon-shin had already guessed the truth. They seemed to be using him as firewood to elevate the family's name and create a noble tale.

"A Blue Uniform robe without a crest, martial garb, and a young face. So you are the one. Your story was written in the cramped space of the message."

Tyrant Sword looked at Jeong Yeon-shin and smiled. The killing intent in that smile pressed down with authority.

"Gu Gwa of the Chusil Sect. Cut off one of your arms and offer it yourself. I will forgive your disrespect."

"You should take his head. The humiliation was severe."

Huangbo Myeong-rin cut in. Tyrant Sword's smile turned benevolent. He even nodded.

"As you wish."

It was clear now. Were all martial great families like this? They should not be viewed as orthodox martial artists, but as regional clans.

"We will grant you the honor of becoming Shaolin's Huike. We will stop the bleeding and keep you alive until you reveal your identity. Or shall we begin the fight at once?"

Huangbo Myeong-rin smiled smoothly as she spoke.

She was referring to Master Huike, who sought Bodhidharma's teachings and cut off one of his own arms. It was outright mockery.

Other martial artists stopped the Languid Flame Dragon as he tried to intervene. Huangbo Myeong-rin pressed Jeong Yeon-shin.

"Shall we begin? Is that all the spirit you have?"

Jeong Yeon-shin silently touched the Northern Light Sword. Its feel was still a little unfamiliar.

Sword Song, his cultivation method, and thunderclap bombs. Those were the questions that had circled through his mind for twenty days.

If fire bombs were weapons no one could resist, then the many sects could never have risen to power in the first place.

He could not picture the Lord of Desolate Fortress, Ma Jin, or even Cheong Myeong falling to thunderclap bombs.

'I think I could deflect them with soft sword forms. At least now.'

His opponent happened to cultivate a hard sword style. Jeong Yeon-shin knew the instant he sensed Tyrant Sword's sword intent.

Behind Tyrant Sword, Huangbo Myeong-rin sneered.

"That mouth that always ran so well is silent now. The Huangbo Family is the foremost prestigious family among the clans of Shandong Province. We are personally asking whether the Huangbo Family may begin punishing you."

"Enough. He's vermin from some sect I have never even heard of. Do not waste your effort on a rootless fool."

Tyrant Sword strode forward. He ignored the distance between them entirely. How deeply did he look down on him?

The Second Young Master wore a broad, delighted smile.

The younger generation watching from behind and the Huangbo Family martial artists did not even change their expressions.

"Gu Gwa of the Chusil Sect. We are beginning now. Are you ready to receive the family's interrogation?"

Huangbo Myeong-rin seemed to take pleasure in it. She even wore a playful smile.

Jeong Yeon-shin did not answer. He was about to draw upon the sword form he had newly comprehended when Tyrant Sword stopped abruptly.

Whoooom! Boom!

Someone landed behind Jeong Yeon-shin. A tremendous shockwave rang out.

It seemed they had leaped from the hill behind them. The ground shook with a force incomparable to a thunderclap bomb.

He knew without looking back. The wildly surging aura was deeply familiar.

"Squad Leader!"

Shin So-bin cried out. Jeong Yeon-shin's maternal uncle, Leader of Demon Wings Ma Jin, had arrived.

Boom! Boom!

Two auras of similar strength crashed down like meteors. They seemed to have landed on either side of Ma Jin.

Thick clouds of dust rose and drifted toward them.

One presence resembled a lonely blue sky, while the other was sinister yet grave. Neither felt unfamiliar.

The leaders of the Azure Sky Squad and Annihilation Squad. The Azure Sky Squad Leader had given Jeong Yeon-shin an elixir pill when he first joined, while the Annihilation Squad Leader had overseen his Blue Uniform promotion examination.

There were more. They were the people who had always eaten and slept beside him since he joined.

Fwaaaash!

Gusts from the lightness skills of the Demon Wings Blue Uniform masters swept through the area. There were around twenty of them.

They halted behind their squad leaders using peerless Body Movement Scripture. That was not all.

More groups of similar size descended and immediately spread to the left and right. Their aura was equal to that of the Demon Wings.

They were the Azure Sky Squad and Annihilation Squad of Desolate Fortress.

The Seventeen Squads of the Divine Sword Unit upheld the people's lives across the realm. It was said that when two or more gathered, they were invincible.

"Seom-ye!"

Whoosh!

With Cheong Myeong's shout, a long object flew toward the back of Jeong Yeon-shin's head.

Jeong Yeon-shin merely twisted his body and caught it at once. The cool sensation settling in his palm was extraordinary from the start.

It was the Desolate Sword. He immediately tucked it at his waist alongside the Northern Light Sword.

One more object flew toward him. The white pill that landed in Jeong Yeon-shin's hand gave off a fragrant scent.

Cheong Myeong seemed to have seen through his internal injuries. It was Shaolin's Myeongjeong Pill.

This was the end. Seom-ye had completed the resupply.

Thud!

The Divine Sword Unit of Desolate Fortress.

Jeong Yeon-shin trembled at the spectacle of aura rising like a wildfire.

Could there be a force stronger than this in the world?

It felt as though an intangible presence supported the right hand that drew his sword.

At the same time, Hyeon Won-chang approached. His steps were light, as though he might fly away.

With one hand, he tore away the fabric covering Jeong Yeon-shin's shoulder.

Riiip!

The golden character for "Desolate" was revealed. It signified a direct disciple of the Lord of Desolate Fortress.

Someone drew in a sharp breath.

"Tyrant Sword Huangbo Jun."

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke calmly.

He slowly rolled the Myeongjeong Pill between the fingers of his left hand. By then, a silence as though time had frozen spread across the plain.

"You may begin."

He spoke while holding his sword lowered.

Footnotes:

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