WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈

Episode 67: Reputation (2)

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Accumulating a different type of qi was normally dangerous. It was called qi deviation.

No one knew what conflicts inner energies of differing natures might cause within the fine meridians.

Jeong Yeon-shin was different. After completing a cycle, he could immediately circulate his qi again and alter its nature.

He had been born with exceptional qi control. That was also why he could readily absorb spiritual medicine, including standard elixir pills and Purple Cloud Pellets.

He had even removed the madness inherent in the formula. This meant there would be no side effects even if he used the Mara Roaring Blood Art.

"You've already begun learning it? Really...?"

Surprise spread across the Seventh Apostle's face.

Those who practiced extreme demonic martial arts could not help but be sensitive to martial arts of the same kind.

The martial arts' characteristics were distinct. That meant they could immediately sense a superior martial art.

The First Blood Art practiced by ordinary cultists was naturally suppressed by an Apostle's Mara Roaring Blood Art.

Moreover, this was a cult.

"Such pure aura..."

"Could he be pure blood from the Sect Master's lineage?"

The Blood Flame Sect cultists began to bow. The sound of knees striking the ground rang out in every direction.

"Grand Preceptor! Grand Preceptor!"

"Lead our sect to Beijing!"

"Blacken the hair of these unworthy cultists and bestow upon us a more perfect First Blood Art!"

Fervent words erupted everywhere. The atmosphere was solemn.

Their desperate voices carried the sincerity born from fanaticism.

Things had not gone as Go Jong-hak intended. What had been a platform for stirring expectations had become a place of praise and supplication.

Jeong Yeon-shin stood still as he circulated the Mara Roaring Blood Art.

It was the presence of superior Blood Arts, stripped of madness and serene in nature.

The cultists widened their eyes as if they wished to etch even the softly fluttering hem of his blood-red robe into their minds.

Did he appear noble in their eyes?

At this moment, Jeong Yeon-shin was the Blood Flame Sect's Grand Preceptor. From the perspective of those unorthodox sect members, he seemed wholly to be just that.

"...."

Without responding, he turned aside. No ordinary cultist dared approach him.

He also ignored Go Jong-hak's silent glare.

Only the Seventh Apostle followed Jeong Yeon-shin at once.

"I never thought you'd achieve minor success in a single night. So you're not merely talented at creating martial arts? Your very vessel for martial arts is vast."

The distinctive gleam of a martial master flickered in her red eye.

Jeong Yeon-shin only glanced at her before looking ahead again.

Then he spoke slowly.

"I should inspect the main headquarters. It can't be a one-time thing. I need to do it regularly."

"Is there a reason?"

"If I'm to draw out and organize new formulas, inspiration won't come from sitting cross-legged in a room."

"Mm."

"Wall-facing meditation was something Bodhidharma did. I'm very different. I can't do that. I need fresh air and nature. I also need to observe the nature of your cultists' martial arts. The Mara Roaring Blood Art is no exception."

He suddenly stopped and looked at the Seventh Apostle.

She did not seem flustered. Her heated single eye met his gaze.

"I've never created martial arts for someone else. I need to know many things."

Jeong Yeon-shin continued.

"Your usual breathing, footsteps, gestures, even the beliefs that form the foundation of your intentions. To circulate inner energy along the optimal path, I need to know everything about the practitioner. It isn't something I can fully grasp while sitting in one place."

"Yes, what you say..."

"The First Blood Art is the same. I need to experience the Blood Flame Sect's ways to transform it into a martial art with broad application."

Even after Jeong Yeon-shin cut her off, the Seventh Apostle panted. She seemed incredibly excited.

Did she feel joy? He had only used the promise of giving her a properly tailored martial art as an excuse.

‘So that really is it. She sees me as prey already caught.’

Words he had thought a madwoman might accept had worked.

He had gained freedom of movement. As long as he brought the Seventh Apostle along, he seemed able to go anywhere.

"Starting with the inner grounds of the Sect Master's Hall."

Jeong Yeon-shin began walking without hesitation as he spoke.

‘I trust the main fortress, but I still need to make preparations.’

Realistically, Desolate Fortress could not immediately mobilize much force.

Incidents never ceased in the martial world. It was said that even three tenths of the Divine Sword Squad's Seventeen Squads rarely gathered at the main fortress.

They were spread throughout the Central Plains, carrying out missions.

He had entered the Blood Flame Sect. He had to do everything he could.

"Wait."

He spoke to the Seventh Apostle.

"Okay."

She nodded and stood still. She was strangely obedient. Her one eye held Jeong Yeon-shin in its red gaze.

"Grand Preceptor."

Thirty-six steps led up to the Sect Master's Hall. The Blood Masters standing guard offered brief bows.

He merely nodded in return.

Jeong Yeon-shin placed a hand on the railing and drew up qi.

He could not conceal the spreading aura. But he had already laid the groundwork.

The reason he had been captured by the Blood Flame Sect became justification for moments like this.

His Grandmaster-level talent for creating martial arts could rationalize every action as inspiration.

‘Demon-Slaying Azure River Hand.’

Just as dharma power was about to rise, Jeong Yeon-shin altered its circulation route with the Mara Roaring Blood Art.

Wooooong.

His qi changed in a strange way. The nature of the Demon-Slaying Azure River Hand lay hidden deep within the energy of the Blood Arts.

It was control over power at a miraculous level. At that moment, he took another step forward.

He could fine-tune the innermost structure of qi with a historically peerless sense.

‘It doesn't affect the power's strength, though.’

In short, it was deception. The power of the Demon-Slaying Azure River Hand wore a shell of Blood Arts.

Even a master of the highest realm would be unable to imagine its true nature.

Leaning lightly against the railing, he raised his hand and casually asked, "It's marble. Where was it brought from?"

"I understand it was brought from Dali Kingdom in Yunnan before its destruction, Grand Preceptor."

A Blood Master standing nearby answered respectfully.

Jeong Yeon-shin nodded vaguely and ran a hand along the railing. At the same time, he planted the power of the Demon-Slaying Azure River Hand, disguised as Blood Arts qi.

That was not all. He drew upon the insight he had gained from the Two-Flame Blood Spirit Formation surrounding the Blood Flame Sect's main headquarters.

It was an art of formations. He locked the energy in place so that it would not disperse.

His power immediately melted in. It sank deep without releasing even the slightest trace of aura.

"It's sturdy."

He spoke as he touched the smoothly carved wall.

It could not hold a large amount like spiritual medicine.

Still, if his plan succeeded, he might truly receive even a piece of the World Tree's fruit.

"I'll return."

At Jeong Yeon-shin's farewell, the Blood Masters bowed.

The Seventh Apostle followed him with a bright smile.

"You have some discernment. Every structure in our sect has stood for at least several decades. If you look carefully, you might find objects imbued with spirituality. I'll show you noble and sacred sights that can only be seen in our sect."

"All of it is inspiration. It truly is impressive."

Jeong Yeon-shin answered with an indifferent expression. The Seventh Apostle smiled brilliantly.

* * *

Time passed.

Two fortnights passed. Sunset and dawn crossed paths more than thirty times. The Blood Flame Sect cultists had grown quite accustomed to their young Grand Preceptor.

Jeong Yeon-shin repeated the same task for an entire month.

Railings, stairs, rafters, dirt floors, rooftops... He moved throughout the Blood Flame Sect, planting the Demon-Slaying Azure River Hand everywhere.

He mainly followed routes centered around the Sect Master's Hall.

He also studied various formations, including the Two-Flame Blood Spirit Formation.

‘Unless it has been activated, the medium of a formation is only an inanimate object. Even martial artists can't sense it. The Sect Master is no different.’

It might have been different for the elven race.

Yet there were no elven cultists in the Blood Flame Sect. That was likely because the elven race was a people closely tied to the imperial family by birth.

During that time, the Seventh Apostle was set to depart on an expedition.

She came to see him with an excited expression. The killing intent flowing from her entire body was fierce.

"It's obvious. Bringing you here was a decision that made both me and this sect take a considerable risk. They must have searched the entire area within about a month's journey from Clear Night Valley. Whether they intend to retrieve you or wipe out this sect, I don't know."

"Both, most likely."

Jeong Yeon-shin replied casually from where he sat cross-legged.

‘It's begun.’

He had felt it when he went outside today. The Blood Flame Sect's main headquarters was in an uproar.

Martial artists were searching the surrounding area. It was said to be a fairly large force.

"The reports so far mention Shaolin, Zhongnan, and Mount Hua. Even the nearby riffraff sects have gathered. There are said to be well over five hundred people, including White Uniform and Blue Uniform warriors from Desolate Fortress."

The Seventh Apostle's eyes narrowed as she spoke.

She stretched out a white hand.

Her long fingers brushed through Jeong Yeon-shin's hair, and overwhelming power seemed to live in every joint.

The heavy aura she released was immense.

"I won't give you to anyone. Don't entertain futile hopes. You already belong to me."

"This place has gone undiscovered for centuries, you said."

"That's right."

The Seventh Apostle's lips curved upward.

"The Two-Flame Blood Spirit Formation does not belong to the mortal world. Even an army of a million could pass by without noticing it."

"...."

Even to Jeong Yeon-shin, their formation technique seemed beyond the realm of humans.

He had become able to use a formation formula simply by seeing through part of its structure, so it must have been profound enough for the Blood Flame Sect to trust in it absolutely.

They had an ancient supreme formation at their backs. He needed to understand their scheme.

He looked steadily at the Seventh Apostle and spoke.

"Yet you're setting out? Wouldn't it be enough to stay hidden and wait for the storm to pass? If you reveal yourselves, you'll only make them more certain of your location."

"Are you worried about me? Mine! I'm so happy!"

The hand reaching out to embrace him held the madness of someone handling a possession.

Wooooong!

Jeong Yeon-shin raised the Demon-Slaying Azure River Hand in his knife-hand.

The movements of supreme masters were so exquisite that they were difficult to hit, but if it struck, it could inflict a fatal injury.

Just as when he had taken her eye.

"When will you stop being so sharp with me?"

Jeong Yeon-shin stood, disgusted by the Seventh Apostle's sulky tone. He had been here for quite some time, but his hatred for the Blood Flame Sect had only deepened.

These people did not feed on food. They fed on people.

Every day, they captured martial artists and commoners, drained their blood and qi, then discarded them.

They even possessed the medical knowledge to guard against epidemics, so they regularly burned the corpses.

He shook his head inwardly and organized what he needed to do.

‘I requested a meeting with the Blood Flame Sect Master.’

He had just been planning to place today's portion of the Demon-Slaying Azure River Hand's power within the Sect Master's Hall.

"We need to learn where those orthodox sect bastards are so this sect can continue operating, don't we? I'll be taking a short trip, so stay put and behave yourself."

The Seventh Apostle answered belatedly. Jeong Yeon-shin left the room without replying.

The end was drawing near. His instincts told him so.

He had reached the point where even encountering an unwelcome face stirred no particular emotion.

"At this point, I've begun to think this."

Go Jong-hak, the Third Apostle's son, blocked his path while stroking his thick jaw.

For the past month, he had tried hard to weaken Jeong Yeon-shin's standing. He could not be dismissed entirely.

The martial arts he had cultivated were powerful enough to subdue even an ordinary Blood Master within ten exchanges.

"I heard the Grand Preceptor possesses talent worthy of being discussed as the greatest under heaven."

Go Jong-hak's lips curled slightly.

"I cannot imagine how you deceived the Sect Master's divine eyes. I have shown proper respect until now, but as a cultist, I am deeply concerned that you have no achievements to show for it."

Perhaps because Jeong Yeon-shin had calmly ignored every provocation, Go Jong-hak's words and actions had become blatantly hostile of late.

"Say what you want to say."

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke. The response reached him through sound transmission.

-Kill yourself, lowborn trash with no one to rely on.

Go Jong-hak's words were strange. Everyone knew that the Seventh Apostle favored and protected the Grand Preceptor.

Did he intend to launch a surprise attack while she was briefly away?

That was when it happened.

‘Hm?’

A sudden gust of wind seemed alive as it passed by, drawing his collar closed.

The breeze that brushed his ear seemed to whisper something.

It was a familiar sensation. During his first mission, Cheong Myeong had demonstrated a movement technique, and the elven race's power had come to him as a mysterious wind.

"Think as you wish."

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke in an even tone and turned away.

He did not care whether Go Jong-hak raged in fury or followed after him instead of leaving.

He headed toward the outskirts. There was no hesitation in his steps.

He arrived at once.

Wooooong.

It was the place where he had first encountered the Two-Flame Blood Spirit Formation with the Seventh Apostle. A place with a mysterious atmosphere, as though space itself rippled.

She was beyond that barrier.

"Ah."

A quiet sound escaped him.

He saw her at once. The moment she entered his sight, she was carved into his mind.

His lifeline. His salvation.

She was a woman wearing a pale green martial robe that looked almost like court dress, its long fabric trailing down.

She stood in profile with her head slightly raised.

Her pale skin, white as porcelain, held a smooth sheen.

Every other sight seemed to lose its color. Sunlight formed a halo around her beautiful nose.

The bushes swaying around her appeared to stand as one body.

Her light green hair, as though touched by a spring wind, flowed down long enough to cover her back, spreading an air of mystery.

Her presence was not that of a human. Though she had completely concealed her inner energy, she gave off a terrifying aura.

At last.

She turned her head.

Green eyes that held the brilliant sun above were revealed. They were eyes that contained an overwhelming abyss.

Footnotes:

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