Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time - Chapter 93

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

◈ Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time ◈

Episode 93: Instant-Kill Martial Art (5)

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Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly recalled the martial arts he had left in Desolate Fortress's Gold-Piercing Martial Treasury. He had donated every one of them except the Jeong Family Youth Technique.

His martial arts continued to advance without pause. Compared to his lifespan, martial arts that remained confined to secret manuals were insignificant.

How much merit would he receive in return?

Donating a unique martial art to the main fortress was converted into merit. Its value was assessed according to the general increase in combat strength it could provide.

That meant they did not rely solely on the judgment of supreme masters.

It differed from the values held by martial artists in the martial world. The imperial court had standards of its own.

‘The Demon-Slaying Azure River Hand brought high merit despite having no initiates. They said it was because martial arts using dharma power were rare.’

There was a reason he had suddenly thought of the merit earned from donating martial arts.

Jeong Yeon-shin raised his eyes and fell silent.

“I asked for your hand.”

Namgung Mi stood before him with a provocative smile.

Her wet hair hung to her pale nape as she gazed at Yeon-shin, as though she had never been annoyed by the summer rain.

‘Did she notice something?’

Yeon-shin recalled his disguised identity in the Blood Flame Sect. It would be troublesome if it had been exposed.

He suddenly wondered whether Namgung Mi's head would be worth as much as the Sihwa Boundless Fist. She was a direct descendant of one of the Eight Families.

It might be worth no less than the Tyrant Sword Sect's Eight-Fiend Rakshasa Sword. Regardless of martial skill, she was valuable.

Namgung Mi spoke again, laughter in her voice.

“Don't misunderstand. I'm only curious how much you've trained your swordsmanship.”

“You intend to openly assess an enemy's attainment?”

“Enemy? How could you be my enemy? Unless you become a stepping stone that lets my family display its prestige once more.”

“You truly have no shame. Your opponent is young hero White Qilin.”

“This lady is curious about you.”

She even leaned closer. She was thoroughly bewitching.

The gleam in Namgung Mi's eyes reminded him of the Seventh Apostle. It meant she was plotting something.

“......”

Yeon-shin gave no further answer and walked on. They had reached the Namgung Family. There was no reason to give them an excuse.

“They might have made quite a fine pair.”

The Young Family Head made an absurd remark. Their smile, directed at their younger sister and the boy, was gentle.

It felt different from Namgung Mi.

Yeon-shin decided not to speak with the siblings any further.

He walked on silently with Namgung Hwa-shin before they came upon the largest complex of halls in Huizhou.

Even the walls stretching out on either side were as vast as fortress ramparts.

He had seen it once while heading to the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, but it was still far too large to be called the estate of a single family.

The reason people called them great families was evident from their appearance alone.

Namgung.

“Namgung......”

Namgung Hwa-shin murmured while looking up at the plaque above the main gate.

Yeon-shin quietly watched his companion. The firm spirit Namgung Hwa-shin usually carried was nowhere to be seen.

The reason Yeon-shin had easily defeated Namgung Mi was the compatibility between the Jeong Family Youth Technique and her freezing martial arts.

Could Namgung Hwa-shin defeat her? Namgung Hwa-shin would have to overcome the oath of loyalty enforced by sorcery arts and her vicious cold.

‘The Chief Steward's Office spoke of total victory.’

They had said the Desolate Fortress expedition party had to kill every opponent for the mission to be meaningful. The Namgung leadership had to be replaced with collateral relatives.

“It is an honor to welcome such outstanding guests to our family.”

The Young Family Head nodded to the gate guards and smiled.

There was ease in the gesture inviting them toward the main gate. Yeon-shin gave a faint nod and stepped forward.

At last, it was the Namgung Family.

* * *

After unpacking his belongings, Yeon-shin bathed and purified himself. In the guest room assigned to him, he changed into a fresh Desolate Fortress martial uniform.

He was then invited to the Namgung Family's formal dinner.

Was there a martial art for cultivating such thick skin?

Yeon-shin thought this as he took his seat in the neatly decorated room.

Men and women dressed in exceptionally luxurious silk robes, along with the Young Family Head and Namgung Mi, sat around a massive oval table.

Namgung Hwa-shin sat beside him.

Namgung Hwa-shin trembled ever so slightly. All ten people at the table could likely notice it. At a glance, there was no one here who was not a master.

Every one of them differed from the Young Family Head. Did they regard a child born of a concubine as someone nonexistent?

No one showed any interest in Namgung Hwa-shin. The direct descendants' eyes were focused entirely on Yeon-shin.

“So you are Seom-ye.”

Yeon-shin looked toward the person who had called him.

He was a middle-aged man in an old-fashioned indigo long robe that suited him. He was said to embody the Namgung Family itself.

His facial features were sharply defined. The Young Family Head, Namgung Mi, and Namgung Hwa-shin all bore traces of his face.

Yeon-shin's gaze suddenly fell to the Namgung Family Head's waist. A bluish sword hilt hung there.

An inscription carved into the sword hilt caught the lantern light.

“Though one's ambitions may soar beyond the clouds, the southern wall stands too high.”

The story associated with the sword made that paraphrase well known. It was the symbol of the Namgung Family, also called the Southern Wall Sword.

They said it was a peerless treasured sword forged by the dwarven race. Yeon-shin could feel the spiritual energy enveloping the Namgung Family Head.

Had the Namgung Family Head sensed Yeon-shin's gaze? A faint smile appeared.

“Do you know of the Ming Cult's rebellion in Tian Shan? The former Supreme Family Head of our house slew the Ming Cult's Three Venerables. This is a family treasure bestowed by the Emperor, and there are few occasions to draw it. I can only thank you for giving me a reason. When else would I have the chance to compare martial skill with the Divine Sword Squad Leader?”

“I cannot bear such praise from the Family Head. I have already heard the apology and gratitude from the Young Family Head.”

Yeon-shin answered calmly. It was a pointed remark about how the Namgung Family Head had not apologized for the Clear Night Valley incident.

He immediately heard Namgung Hwa-shin draw one rough breath beside him.

Yeon-shin pitied Namgung Hwa-shin now.

“It is remarkable that you can speak that way even after seeing the Southern Wall Sword.”

A woman seated to the Family Head's left spoke. She was the most lavishly dressed expert in the room.

“The wall guarding all of Southern Zhili is my husband and children. Desolate Fortress speaks of the people's welfare? If that were truly so, you would not have sent a life-and-death duel challenge. This happened because you are too narrow-minded. You may not see the world broadly, but how dare you speak of an apology?”

She was the Namgung First Wife.

Her shamelessness surpassed even Namgung Mi's.

“I see that the Changnyeong Flower Lord inherited her temperament from her mother's side.”

Yeon-shin spoke calmly.

The Namgung First Wife's brows drew together. It was likely rudeness she had never experienced as a noblewoman. Aura immediately spread from the bodies of five or six people around them.

Yeon-shin rose without holding back.

None of them could do anything to him or Namgung Hwa-shin right now. They had arrived openly. This was an incident watched by the entire martial world.

When he entered the Namgung Family, he had sensed many presences behind him.

The Beggars’ Sect of the Nine Sects and One Gang, the bat-like Hao Clan, Yeoryeong of the unorthodox Thirteen Heavens. There had to be far more than one or two.

“Last time, you used me and then discarded me, though I was your ally. Now I am an enemy who walked defenseless into your inner quarters, yet your family endures without casting aside all propriety and killing me. Your patience is astonishing. Perhaps you have not shown your true nature because of the attention the people of the world have placed upon this duel.”

“Young Family Head, do not grant that child an easy death.”

The Namgung First Wife spoke coldly.

The Young Family Head's face twisted in disgust. They had looked uncomfortable throughout the exchange.

“This is my matter now! Elders, please...!”

At that moment, a powerful vibration erupted from beyond the high ceiling. Even the table and furnishings shook violently.

[You wretched scum! What did you just say?!]

An elderly voice struck in all directions like a massive earthquake. It carried tremendous qi.

Six Directions Voice Transmission.

It was a supreme technique that filled heaven and earth in every direction with a single shouted voice.

The ceiling shattered with a cracking roar.

Boom!

A purple figure crashed down directly into the center of the table like a lightning bolt.

The aura surging from the imposing body seemed ready to choke the breath from everyone in the room.

Clouds of dust rose a moment later. Within the thick haze, an old man rose to his feet.

“Say that again.”

The voice that had used Six Directions Voice Transmission rang with fury.

His eyes were sharply defined like blades, and his body was enormous.

A pure white beard fell to the pit of his stomach, elegant as a famed calligraphy brush.

The high collar of his purple long robe, draped over a body corded with muscle, stood straight like the old man's temperament.

‘Maternal Grandfather.’

Jeong Yeon-shin stared blankly at Ma Yeon-jeok.

He was not the only one.

The Namgung Family's masters had all gone pale, while an old man seated to the Namgung Family Head's right let out a low groan.

“Divine Sword Squad Leader......”

“Namgung Elder Council Head. Are you still trapped in the distant past? How long has it been since I passed the title of Divine Sword on to the next generation?”

Ma Yeon-jeok, the Desolate Ma Family Head, spoke mercilessly.

He looked back at the Namgung First Wife. Someone with no justification at all had pressured his maternal grandson.

It was absurd.

Fury once again appeared on Ma Yeon-jeok's wrinkled face.

“You ungrateful wretches dare discuss my maternal grandson's death! The Lord of Desolate Fortress has not ordered the annihilation of the Namgung mongrel family!”

“My wife misspoke. Desolate Ma Family Head, please calm your anger.”

The Namgung Family Head spoke evenly. Alone amid the waves of power, he appeared calm.

Ma Yeon-jeok glared at him for a moment before speaking again, as though forcing down his rage.

Only his eyes, ready to flare at any moment, burned with a colorless blaze.

“The duel will be held on the Qixi Festival. Prepare in humility.”

“So we shall.”

The Namgung Family Head answered.

Only then did Ma Yeon-jeok turn away. His eyes trembled when they met Yeon-shin's.

As though looking to his maternal grandson for a cue, he slightly tilted his head. His demeanor changed in an instant.

“I am sorry I could not accompany you from the beginning.”

“It is all right. I heard you received a mission from the Lord of Desolate Fortress.”

“I completed it early. I saw you around the time you entered Huizhou, but a rather powerful blood demon was nearby, aiming for your back. I could not step in carelessly.”

“A blood demon?”

“They appeared to be an Apostle of that heretical cult.”

Ma Yeon-jeok continued with an annoyed expression.

“You need not worry now. The Elder Council Head of the main fortress is pursuing her. That old fool may be unreliable, but their martial prowess is beyond doubt. They will soon bring back that demoness's head.”

“The Elder Council Head......”

“Let us move to another residence. How can you circulate qi and regulate your breathing comfortably in this filthy water?”

Yeon-shin nodded slowly and followed Ma Yeon-jeok. Namgung Hwa-shin silently stood beside him, only glancing back once.

* * *

They unpacked again at the largest inn in Huizhou. Everything, including the beds and drinking water, was of the finest quality.

Jeong Yeon-shin gave himself over to time and contemplation.

In the midst of it, Namgung Mi sent him a proposal for a winner-stays-on format.

She suggested that they begin with the youngest, with the victor continuing on to the next duel.

She seemed to intend to surrender after cutting down Namgung Hwa-shin and Jeong Yeon-shin.

“That insignificant thing does not know her place. The Namgung lot are much the same, overlooking arrogance like this.”

Ma Yeon-jeok clicked his tongue as he read the letter. Yeon-shin looked at Namgung Hwa-shin.

“I hope we accept it. What do you think, young hero Namgung?”

If they accepted, White Qilin would have no chance to shine. It would only be Namgung Hwa-shin's turn after Yeon-shin was defeated and killed by the Young Family Head.

The youth would prefer it that way. Having traveled with the Namgung siblings, he knew Namgung Hwa-shin's state of mind was the problem.

Namgung Hwa-shin had been raised to lead Sword Night, the Namgung Family's assassination organization. The prohibition against harming direct descendants had penetrated their intent through sorcery arts.

A dramatic victory by White Qilin was an empty expectation. That was the reality.

‘It sounds like something from a hero's tale.’

Yeon-shin thought.

“......”

Would Namgung Hwa-shin burden Desolate Fortress? Or struggle to avenge their mother with their own hands?

After considering it at length, Namgung Hwa-shin said they would accept the winner-stays-on format. Another chance to overcome the past would come.

That day, Yeon-shin silently remained beside his companion for a long while.

Days passed.

As he polished his martial arts, the Qixi Festival arrived before he knew it. Perhaps it was because he had moved nonstop throughout that time.

He had simply begun to contemplate martial arts in quiet, yet another world unfolded before him. A great change in perspective came over him.

‘The fourth form of the Sihwa Boundless Hand... I can complete it in actual combat.’

On the day of the life-and-death duel between Desolate Fortress and the Namgung Family, Jeong Yeon-shin reclined against his bed.

He suddenly closed the Diamond Sutra scripture he had been reading. The words, “Let the mind arise without dwelling anywhere,” folded with it.

“Today's the day! It truly makes my heart race.”

“Who did you bet on?”

“Surely the Namgung Family in Southern Zhili. There cannot be more than a handful among the rising generation who could defeat the Young Family Head.”

“That means nothing. What do you take the Divine Sword Squad Leader of Desolate Fortress for?”

“Then what about the Namgung Family Head?”

It felt as though only yesterday the Young Family Head had spoken of poor harvests, yet Huizhou was enjoying an untimely boom.

It was thanks to people from across the martial world who had gathered to watch the earth-shaking duel. They said martial artists, merchants, commoners, and royalty alike had all come.

The uproar in the great city had reached its peak.

He had heard gambling with money was rampant as well. Madness seemed to boil through the streets.

“Young hero Jeong.”

Namgung Hwa-shin called to him with a rigid face. Yeon-shin slowly rose.

‘Namgung Mi is not the problem.’

The boy recalled the Young Family Head. Each time he thought of them, his mind burned white with excitement.

Fear of death, the competitive spirit he had gained as a martial artist, and interest in the peerless Divine Technique, the Imperial Sword Art.

Now, it was enough.

He could see nothing else.

Not the cityscape that spread before him when he left the inn, nor the unfamiliar Divine Sword Squad Leader who glanced at him, nor even the Divine Sword Squad, said to be the strongest among the Seventeen Squads under the Divine Sword Squad Leader.

Before he knew it, he had reached the center of Clear Night Valley, where he had once been captured by the Seventh Apostle. He had moved there while lost in a daze.

―――!

The vast gorge was packed with people.

“Changnyeong Flower Lord! Please look this way just once! I adore you!”

“Seom-ye of Desolate Fortress! Do not dare touch a single hair on our young lady!”

“Seom-ye! Young hero Jeong! Set the martial world's justice right!”

They had gathered and shouted like an army about to fight a decisive battle. It was a spectacular sight, as though the entire martial world of the Central Plains had gathered here.

“I wanted to know who you were, but I suppose I will have to examine the inside of your corpse instead.”

Namgung Mi stood with an irritating smile. The duel seemed to have just begun. Martial artists of the Namgung Family and the Divine Sword Squad surrounded them on every side.

“I could never have grown fond of either you or Hwa-shin.”

Namgung Mi's lips moved.

The treasured sword in her hand shone brilliantly. Power coiled upward, carrying freezing cold as it rushed toward him.

Hummm!

Jeong Yeon-shin drove the Jeong Family Youth Technique to its limit. Since consuming the high-grade elixir pill, it was the first time he had done so other than when facing the Seventh Apostle.

He regarded the enemy before him as the Blood Flame Sect's Seventh Apostle.

Only then could he end it quickly.

The Jeong Family Youth Technique at great mastery surged within him. His Eight Extraordinary Meridians and twelve regular meridians began to fill with solemn flames.

Step.

Namgung Mi executed mysterious footwork. She approached with light steps, yet it was difficult to predict her next direction.

They said Namgung Family martial artists studied the Book of Changes among the Four Books and Five Classics, making them well versed in the Eight Trigrams. Their Body Movement Scripture contained formation principles.

At that moment, Jeong Yeon-shin took a step using Phantom Wing Second Step.

Just as he had when he broke through the Lord of Desolate Fortress's pressure to seize the Thunder Immortal Treasure Wine.

Step.

Wind rose from his toes and pushed away every aura. One step unraveled everything that clouded his eyes.

Namgung Mi's elegantly swaying body came to a clear stop, like a curtain being drawn aside.

“Ah...?”

Had the foresight of her upper dantian reached her as well? Extreme fear appeared on her beautiful face.

Her features were so distorted that they were barely recognizable. Perhaps the incomplete palm technique he had shown before had made her lower her guard.

She had underestimated him far too much.

‘Even though we are no longer companions.’

Kiiing!

Light gathered in Jeong Yeon-shin's right hand. He drew his sword like a comet and swung it upward.

The blade of the Desolate Sword cut deeply, brutally tearing through the Namgung Family's secret protective qi.

The trail of the Radiant Sword Flow extended without hesitation. In an instant, the white light dimmed at Namgung Mi's neck.

He felt it through the hilt.

Her head had been completely severed.

Fwoooosh!

The force gathered at the sword tip unleashed a fierce wind. The Desolate Sword returned, drawing a sword path like a lunar halo.

It passed by Namgung Mi's collapsing body and slid back into Yeon-shin's scabbard.

It had taken one sword strike.