WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈

Episode 72: Reward

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How long had he been drifting through that pitch-black haze?

Then, suddenly, he felt sunlight. It was white. At the same time, it felt as though a deep mass of cotton were pushing his soul forward.

“Mm.”

He was waking up. A broken groan escaped him, then died away.

The feel of the bed was familiar. It had the distinctive softness of the Demon Wings residence.

The scent in the air was the same. It was warm and cozy. It meant he was safe.

‘Ah.’

The moment he became aware of himself, his mind flashed like a beam of light. In an instant, he calculated how much time had passed.

It was a habit of thought that had already become instinctive.

From the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering to the Huangbo Family, then back to Southern Zhili to save Hyeon Won-chang and help him recover, then to the Blood Flame Sect's main headquarters before the eyes of those Namgung Family bastards.

The travel time alone had been immense. On top of that, there had been no shortage of serious incidents.

Eighty-seven days had passed.

The lifespan he had lost to the Sword Song amounted to roughly half a month.

And how long had the return journey taken?

He judged by his hunger. His stomach was empty, but he was fine. His body had not weakened too severely.

He examined his body as well: the acupoints throughout his body, the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, the twelve regular meridians, and all three dantians.

Their strength and resilience had greatly diminished. It seemed to be the backlash from repurposing the Two-Flame Blood Spirit Formation with the principles of a demon-subduing formation.

The burden the Baihui acupoint placed on his upper dantian had also increased.

‘I need to recuperate.’

He would need time to return to peak condition.

“I can sense you're awake. Are you up?”

Power overflowed from the deep voice. Martial power surged from it even without conscious effort.

An extremely powerful master spoke without even opening the door.

He knew at once.

It was Ma Jin, his maternal uncle, who had begun watching his nephew's reactions after learning of their blood relation.

“Yes, Squad Leader. Come in.”

“Good.”

The door creaked open.

A huge man entered and closed the wooden door behind him.

His muscles were so densely built that they showed even beneath his Black Uniform, and the scars on his face spoke of countless battles.

The Leader of Demon Wings had likely become even more renowned after annihilating the Huangbo Family's main house.

Jeong Yeon-shin looked at his uncle anew. After being captured by the Seventh Apostle, countless thoughts had crossed his mind.

He had thought he might never see him again.

“How is your body? You must have fought the Huangbo Family Head.”

Yeon-shin asked as he looked him over.

Ma Jin sat at the edge of the bed. He gazed silently down at his nephew before speaking.

“It was war, so we fought together. The Family Head's martial arts were quite formidable. They used some martial art I had never even heard of, calling it a secret technique. The Annihilation Squad Leader and I joined forces, and only after more than seventy exchanges did we take their head. I recovered from my internal injuries on the way back. How about you?”

“There are no problems with the flow of my qi. My blood is circulating well too. If I eat and rest for a little while, I should be fine. But.”

“Mm?”

“What day is it today?”

“...The summer solstice is five days away.”

That meant it was the fifteenth day of the sixth month.

Yeon-shin briefly closed his eyes. Half of his sixteenth year had already passed.

Around three years and six months remained. He would have to account for roughly half a month as lifespan spent on the Sword Song.

He raised his upper body using his abdominal muscles.

“I acted alone often. I should report directly to the Chief Steward's Office.”

“No need to rush. Those who went to strike the Blood Flame Sect's main headquarters are still returning. And... I got back a little later than you did, but the main fortress was already in an uproar then. I heard the Lord carried you back personally. It seems the Lord traveled alone using a movement technique.”

“Then?”

“You know how strict the Chief Steward's Office is about procedure. But after seeing that, they cannot press you to submit a report. I'm saying it's fine for you to take your time.”

“Understood.”

He got fully out of bed. His actions contradicted his words.

He set aside his need to recuperate. He had to go to the Chief Steward's Office at once. He could hardly endure the wait for his merits to be assessed.

As he slowly lowered his legs from the bed, Ma Jin was unwittingly pushed back.

“...What are you doing?”

“Merely lying down cannot be called recuperation. I should get some sunlight and feel the breeze of late spring.”

“What? It's not as if you're of the elven race.”

He stopped his uncle from following and left the inner quarters.

The moment he stepped outside, he had to stop. His seniors passing through the Demon Wings pavilion approached him with bright expressions.

“Seom-ye is awake.”

“Are you all right?”

“I heard your exploits were quite eventful. Will you tell us about them?”

“More importantly, is it true that the Lord carried you back? I wonder whether you experienced that peerless Body Movement Scripture in full. How fast was it?”

It had been a while since this had happened.

They were his Blue Uniform seniors from Demon Wings. They had always taken an interest whenever their youngest member completed a mission.

Yeon-shin had left the lower ranks behind after advancing to Blue Uniform and with Shin So-bin's enlistment, but they still seemed to see him as a young junior.

His goal was the Purple Uniform rank of the Divine Sword Squad Leader.

Blue Uniform warriors formed the backbone of Desolate Fortress. He needed to care about his reputation among them.

He answered each question as they walked together past the Grand Training Hall.

Perhaps because things had grown lively for the first time in a while, more seniors kept gathering around them.

Before long, they began talking among themselves.

“The main fortress has certainly become restless. The Lord personally taking care of Seom-ye and bringing him back is part of it.”

“Has something else happened?”

At Yeon-shin's question, another senior spoke.

“The entire martial world is entering an age of chaos. The Seventeen Squads are desperately short-handed, and the families under the main fortress have become inflamed by their desire for glory. Word is that they're beginning to fight over mission assignments. Your maternal family, the Desolate Ma family, is involved too.”

Even when speaking of families, they did not hold back.

That was only natural. Blue Uniform warriors of Desolate Fortress were masters who could carry themselves as the strong anywhere in the Central Plains.

Their temperaments were as bold as their martial prowess. They were masters of equal standing, each capable of defeating a hundred people with a single sword.

“I see.”

Yeon-shin silently nodded. He was the same way.

“There is something else. That so-called genius.”

Another senior's voice came from the side, and the area grew noisy again.

“I've heard about that one. The one locked in the thunder prison? The one with the Sun God Meridian?”

“If you mean the Young Family Head of the Huangbo Family, yes. There has been plenty of talk over how to handle him.”

“I don't understand why they haven't killed him. Isn't it a future threat for the Huangbo Family's martial arts to remain?”

“A future threat? He was already captured and brought to the main fortress. How could he possibly escape?”

They were talking about the Huangbo Family's Languid Flame Dragon. Yeon-shin asked another question.

“Did the White Uniform warriors from the Shandong expedition return first?”

“Yes. Their achievements were considerable as well. Even after losing to the family alliance and the Blood Flame Sect, they somehow held on to several captives. That Languid Flame Dragon was one of them. He was dragged in with quite the proud bearing.”

Yeon-shin recalled the madman with an opium poppy clamped between his lips. He was a different kind of madman from the Seventh Apostle.

‘Compared to the conflict among the families under the main fortress, this is nothing.’

Yeon-shin inwardly shook his head.

His smiling seniors pestered him to tell them about his missions.

They were people who did not even enjoy common gambling. They said there were few pleasures in life.

Martial arts, tales of the martial world, heroic exploits, and bits of personal gossip were all they had.

“I'll tell you later. We can spar together.”

He gently extricated himself and headed straight for the Chief Steward's Office.

“Are you Jeong Yeon-shin of Demon Wings?”

“Yes.”

The scribe managing the entry register checked Yeon-shin's Desolate Fortress token.

It was an identification plaque engraved with a vivid golden tree design, plated in gold. Beneath it was the name Seom-ye.

Seom-ye was no longer a name used only as an epithet. It was the courtesy name formally bestowed upon him by the Lord during his coming-of-age ceremony.

The scribe promptly returned the token. The question had apparently been a mere formality.

Yeon-shin had come dressed in his Blue Uniform. There was no way the scribe could fail to recognize the golden character for Desolate, which marked him as the Lord of Desolate Fortress's direct disciple.

“Young Hero Seom-ye, may I ask your business?”

“I am here to submit a mission report and have my merits assessed.”

For an instant, a gleam seemed to appear in the scribe's eyes.

“Understood.”

Yeon-shin entered the massive hall at once. The scent of ink washed over him.

Long rows of desks gave the place an ancient air, while the scribes filling the broad room each held a brush and wrote away.

It was an enormous office, seemingly no smaller than an ordinary Training Hall.

There were easily dozens of scribes inside.

Ma Jin had been right. The atmosphere was as stern as any gathering of warriors.

He sent a sound transmission to the person seated at the place of honor at the far end.

-This is Seom-ye of Demon Wings. I wish to submit a mission report...

A burly man in a brown long robe rose to his feet.

The middle-aged man had a thick black beard, and his response was incredibly swift.

“This way, please!”

He practically shouted as he extended a hand. His manner was exceedingly courteous.

He seemed wholly unconcerned with the atmosphere. Was that the head of the Chief Steward's Office?

They said Desolate Fortress's Grand Chief Steward controlled the budget and personnel appointments, and could even rebuke Black Uniform warriors. Yeon-shin wondered if this was really that person.

Then he realized.

‘It is because the Lord bestowed a martial art upon me.’

For a moment, everyone's gaze fell on him.

Some scribes returned to their work, while others whispered among themselves.

Yeon-shin did not move. His past experiences in the martial world made him act that way. Losing sword contests had taught him how to conduct himself.

“I greet the many pillars of the main fortress. I am Seom-ye of Demon Wings.”

He gave the scribes of the Chief Steward's Office a cupped-fist salute. They said warriors throughout the world generally looked down on those who recited texts.

He could not do the same. He was young, and those who held the power of appointment were like kings.

“...”

The silence was brief. The scribes rose one after another and returned his salute.

Their expressions were strange. Yeon-shin was the direct disciple of the Lord of Desolate Fortress. They said it was a status once held only by imperial royals.

Scribes had never before received courtesy first from a master bearing the golden character.

‘Good.’

This was enough. It was sufficient to plant a small seed of goodwill.

Yeon-shin turned around.

As whispers gradually spread behind him, he followed the Grand Chief Steward's lead. The man guided him with an indescribable expression.

Another office awaited them in an annex. The two sat facing each other.

“I was going to offer you Dragon Well tea. Would that be all right?”

“I would be grateful.”

The Grand Chief Steward called for an attendant and ordered Dragon Well tea to be served.

During that time, Yeon-shin studied the Grand Chief Steward's face. The man's eye level was remarkably high because of his large frame.

Though he headed the Chief Steward's Office, he had trained in martial arts. Yeon-shin could tell from the intense presence that touched his skin.

He did not look like someone skilled at flattery either.

“Just a moment.”

The Grand Chief Steward took a stack of papers from a drawer. They were densely covered in writing.

After scanning the bundle, which was closer to a book, he parted his thick lips.

“The mission at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering and the Huangbo branch family in Pingyin County, destroying Blood Flame Sect branches while moving through Shandong and Southern Zhili, and wiping out blood demons before those Namgung vermin.”

He continued.

“It has been quite some time. There were many witnesses, and our side has looked into the matters thoroughly. We also received a report from White Uniform warrior Shin So-bin, as well as letters from the Prefects of two prefectures, the Blue-Eyed Demon Sword, and One Lotus Sword Plum. Even the Sword Dragon of the Zhongnan Sect has sent word.”

“...Are you saying the matters you mentioned have already been assessed?”

Yeon-shin asked, keeping his expression calm for the moment.

“That is correct. After a simple verification, you will receive your rewards as a Blue Uniform warrior.”

The Grand Chief Steward smiled broadly.

Then he continued slowly.

“However, the events that took place at the Blood Flame Sect's main headquarters... the Lord has not informed us of those matters, so we will need a detailed report. It will take some time. Before that, though.”

He paused before speaking again.

“Let us discuss the rewards that have already been assessed. Fifty taels of silver, a martial robe woven entirely from heavenly silkworm thread, the right to request martial instruction from the Divine Sword Squad Leader, high-grade spiritual medicine from the main fortress... Of course, you may choose. If there is something you particularly desire...”

“The spiritual medicine would be best.”

Yeon-shin answered without hesitation. The Grand Chief Steward's eyes widened slightly.

“Mm? That is not what I meant.”

“Yes...?”

“I was only asking about the spiritual medicine. Whether you would like to take it now or have it stored at the Medicine Hall. Even if you choose the latter, you may collect it whenever you wish. The Medicine Hall Master is of the elven race and can preserve medicinal pills in their finest condition, which is why I asked. With neither humidity nor temperature to worry about, it is certainly a place worthy of trust.”

“...I find it difficult to understand what you mean.”

The Grand Chief Steward smiled at Yeon-shin's words.

“They are all yours, Young Hero. Everything I mentioned.”

Footnotes:

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