Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time

Chapter 37 – A Monk’s Debt of Gratitude

Yeon-shin slowly drank the Thunder Immortal’s Treasure Wine. As he drank and activated the Jeong Family Dynamic Training, a strange phenomenon occurred.

New qi slowly accumulated in his middle dantian. He looked through his body. There was no change at the Baihui acupoint at the crown of his head.

‘Because of this.’

He needed to distance himself from futile desires.

This was why Yeon-shin didn’t lean on the kindness of the Lord of the Desolate Fortress.

He didn’t have high expectations, but he felt his strength draining a little.

At times like these, even the power of his middle dantian was of no use. Despite experiencing something good, his mood was sinking.

The Lord of the Desolate Fortress, who wore a mysterious smile, came into his view. It was the first time he found her annoying.

Yeon-shin looked around and clasped his hands together.

“I thank the many heroes who have witnessed this rite of passage.”

The humble etiquette of the spirited young man was a picturesque sight.

One by one, people started to look pleased. They began to murmur among themselves.

“Is he a descendant of the Ma family?”

“Indeed, the spirit of a noble family doesn’t abandon its descendants.”

“He intends to stand alone without relying on his family? Isn’t that the demeanor of a grandmaster?”

“He will establish his own legacy someday.”

Yeon-shin bowed once more and descended from the stage.

He passed by his maternal grandfather, Ma Yeon-jeok, who trembled slightly, and stopped at Ma Se-in’s feet.

Since Ma Se-in was kneeling on one knee, Yeon-shin had to look down at him.

Ma Se-in’s face was filled with a sense of emptiness. His thick eyebrows drooped as he wore a vacant expression.

Yeon-shin could somewhat empathize with him. The boy, having discarded his pride first, would have fully submitted to him.

‘Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to discuss succession.’

Though it was a decision that would determine Ma Se-in’s life, Yeon-shin brushed it off with a drink.

He sipped the Thunder Immortal’s Treasure Wine he had earned himself and spoke of the martial world.

Wandering alone in the martial realm.

It meant he was content with roaming the world alone as a warrior of the Desolate Fortress. Anyone would feel a sense of futility.

Yeon-shin opened his mouth.

“You look like you’ll become a good family head.”

“What…?”

He walked past Ma Se-in, who flinched and looked up. It was confirmed today.

His maternal grandfather, Ma Yeon-jeok, was not as good as the Sword Immortal of Zhongnan. Despite designating his two grandsons as successors, he kept an eye on Yeon-shin.

If he could see the state of the upper dantian, his behavior would have been different.

‘The Sword Immortal seemed to have sensed my constitution.’

Facing his bustling maternal family reminded him of the Sword Immortal of Zhongnan and Weiji Myo-hwa. The peaceful days of training.

He thought spending the rest of his life in a famous mountain filled with the immortal energy of Zhongnan Mountain wouldn’t be bad.

‘I hope that life lasts at least thirty more years.’

Praying to Buddha and Yuanshi Tianzun, he left the banquet hall. Ma Jin was already waiting for him, having left ahead of him.

Confirming there was no one around, Yeon-shin asked directly.

“Have you not married, Captain?”

“What?”

“Aren’t you the eldest son of the Ma family? You seem to be in your prime, yet there’s a commotion about succession. I can’t understand any reason for it.”

“……”

The scar crossing Ma Jin’s face twisted slightly. He seemed somehow burdened.

At that moment, Cheong Myeong leaned in from beside Yeon-shin, smiling brightly.

He had also watched Yeon-shin’s coming-of-age ceremony.

“Shouldn’t Lightning Flash know? I’ll tell him.”

“……Go ahead.”

Cheong Myeong waited until Ma Jin, who had turned his back, was quite far away.

Yeon-shin, looking at the two with a puzzled expression, quickly closed his eyes and questions.

Even a moment of time was precious. He was contemplating his middle dantian when it happened.

“When the Captain was in a white uniform, he returned from a mission holding Mir-yeo’s hand.”

“You mean Senior Baek Mir-yeo?”

He opened his eyes. Cheong Myeong smiled casually.

“Yeah. Back then, she was a little girl. About this tall?”

Cheong Myeong tapped his waist and continued speaking.

“They said she was brought from a sect with secret transmissions. She was to become a major force of the Desolate Fortress. But that wasn’t the problem. The mission site was Xinjian, a battlefield where the remnants of the destroyed Demonic Cult were rampant.”

“The Demonic Cult?”

Yeon-shin asked reflexively. He knew it as the place where the Kunlun Sect, once counted among the Nine Great Sects, had perished together.

They had assisted in founding the Ming dynasty but became a deceptive religion.

He had heard the stories of the old cult, where the supreme master of the Demonic Sect, known as the Heavenly Demon, often appeared and caused chaos.

“Yeah. It was a dangerous place for someone in a white uniform. The Captain, who wanted the position of the Azure Dragon Squad, volunteered. They completed the mission, but during a fight with a powerful practitioner in Xinjiang…”

Myeong trailed off. The smile that usually hung on his lips faded.

Seeing Yeon-shin urge him with a look, he sighed and spoke again.

“He suffered a blow from the Internal Family Unarmed Arts. It was a vital point. The enemy struck his face with a leg technique, and the opponent dodged while closing in.”

“What?”

“They said he was a vicious fellow. Some seniors who went on the mission with him became captains, but even those not on good terms with him don’t mention that incident.”

“…….”

“Since then, Captain Ma has been unable to perform a man’s duties. That’s why Mir-yeo regards him as a benefactor. How could she not?”

“I understand.”

In fights between masters, it was said to be common to rise using the body.

If one had learned the Demon’s Light, they couldn’t avoid using leg techniques, and lifting a leg to kick was akin to exposing the vital points at the center.

The martial world was a perilous place. Injuries leading to disability were not uncommon.

A young Ma Jin in a white uniform came to mind. Yeon-shin slowly opened his mouth.

“Kunlun Sect’s Cloud Sword Dragon, Shaolin’s Buddha’s Light Flow.”

“Hmm?”

“I understand they are techniques for moving through the air. I’d like to see them.”

Myeong smiled.

“It just so happens that the next mission might be in Hanam. We’ll cooperate with Shaolin, so if luck is on your side, you might see it. Buddha’s Light Flow, I mean.”

A month of rest was granted after the coming-of-age ceremony. It was a meaningless affair.

Yeon-shin wanted to go on missions without rest.

“It might be a good idea to settle in Hanam in advance.”

Ma Jin, seated in the chief seat of the office, said.

He interpreted Yeon-shin’s usual gaze as something strangely awkward. Yeon-shin didn’t mind and asked.

“What exactly is the mission?”

“Annihilation. In this mission, we will sever one arm of the Blood Flame Sect. If we’re lucky, we might learn of their main headquarters.”

Taking a sip of tea, he spoke again.

“There was an apostle I fought while you were capturing Stealthy Demon. He was entirely black-haired. Not a single red hair remained. A monster surpassing the Blood Master’s sword. We’ve tracked his movements.”

“Did he move from Shaanxi to Hanam?”

“They say his trail ended at Pyeongjeong Mountain in Hanam. That’s Shaolin’s territory.”

“Isn’t Shaolin located on Mount Song in Zhengzhou? That’s quite a distance.”

“They are the foremost orthodox sect. It’s said that ‘All martial arts under heaven originate from Shaolin.’ There are few sects in the Central Plains where Shaolin martial arts haven’t permeated. The number of secular sects is countless. You can consider all of Hanam province under Shaolin’s influence. You, being from Hanam, must feel it.”

Ma Jin turned his gaze as he mentioned Yeon-shin’s origin. As his uncle, his heart seemed troubled.

Yeon-shin nodded, surprised in another aspect.

It was the first time he saw a supreme master of the Desolate Fortress respect a martial sect so much.

In an era where the identity of the group one belonged to was their identity.

It was said that few among the experts of the Desolate Fortress observed the martial world from a perspective of the people.

To them, martial artists were potential rebels with power and rogues disrupting public order.

‘Mount Song’s Shaolin. Truly a sect that reaches the world.’

Their power and reputation were stronger than anywhere else in the martial world. Yeon-shin felt his heart pounding for once.

Mount Song was the birthplace of martial arts in the Central Plains. He wondered what inspiration Shaolin’s martial arts would give him.

“But isn’t dealing with the Blood Flame Sect something the Shaolin can handle?”

“Though monks chant ‘destroy evil and uphold righteousness’ and ‘eradicate demons and evil,’ this is the Desolate Fortress. We can’t just sit idly by. We’ll personally sever their heads. Apostles, and many Blood Master’s swords.”

“What’s the composition of the team?”

“Demon Wings squad one and squad two will accompany me.”

Demon Wings squad one. After completing the mission in Shaanxi, Ma Jin formed it.

Jeong Yeon-shin, Hyeon Won-chang, Cheong Myeong, and Baek Mir-yeo were grouped together. It was a reorganization of Demon Wings by group.

He said it was to make it easier to coordinate.

“Does our group not need to rest?”

“They’re all like you. Either they love gaining merits or enjoy wandering the martial world.”

It seemed like the former referred to Yeon-shin and Mir-yeo, while the latter referred to Won-chang and Myeong.

“I understand. Then, I’ll take my leave.”

“Rest.”

Leaving Ma Jin, who was completing the arrangements, behind, he exited the office.

As he descended outside, a crimson shadow was cast across the sky. Instead of heading to the training hall, he made his way to his room.

Yeon-shin immediately lay down on the bed.

The sound of bustling activity was ringing. It seemed seniors in other rooms were having a drinking session.

From farther away, he sensed the clashes in the training hall. The singing of swords, the grand shouts, the laughter washing away fatigue, the clinking of cups…

Sunlight smeared on the paper door swept beside his face. It was the touch of the sunset hanging at the end of the day.

His crown felt hot. It was always like this around this time. Since when was it?

The upper dantian invited the energy of nature to dance within him.

The more he played, the larger his house became. Regardless of the owner’s will.

It was when the boundary between day and night blurred.

The laughter of seniors enjoying drinks and songs grew louder. It seemed they were having fun.

Suddenly, he imagined shouting loudly for them to stop.

Yeon-shin closed his eyes. In his darkened vision, blue clothes shimmered.

It was like being doused with cold water. In an instant, all senses in his body returned to reality.

No one was watching now. He curled up in bed.

‘Once more.’

Before him lay the final mission of the Azure Dragon Squad.

The wind sweeping across his cheeks was fierce. It was because he was galloping on a horse.

Yeon-shin glanced around from atop the fine steed.

‘This proves the magnitude of this task.’

Eight others were riding alongside him. It was a number he had never experienced in a mission before.

A formidable company. There were nine experts of Demon Wings from the Desolate Fortress.

“Whether it’s a guesthouse or a tavern, we’ll rest there.”

Entering the marketplace, Ma Jin’s voice echoed as if imbued with a thread of qi.

The pedestrians, who had been running with anxious faces, brightened upon seeing the warriors of the Desolate Fortress.

The Desolate Fortress was not merely a sect that stayed in a desolate state.

It was said to have won the hearts of the people more than most inspectors. They broke the swords of the martial artists who threatened them.

The party stopped in front of a tavern.

It looked quite large but appeared roughly constructed. However, it was the best building in the vicinity.

Hyeon Won-chang, who dismounted from his horse, looked around.

“Is this Xinye County? It’s different from what I heard.”

To pass through Hanam from the Desolate Fortress, they had to go through Xinye County. They had already passed the site where the Jeong family’s estate once stood.

It was completely in ruins. It seemed Stealthy Demon’s words were true. Not a single tree was visible on the mountain behind it.

‘He said they burned it all down.’

Baek Mir-yeo glanced at Yeon-shin’s expressionless face.

She soon began fiddling with her long, white fingers and spoke.

“With the old guard gone, it’s only natural that the black factions would run rampant. The back-alley thugs are probably managing it all.”

It was then.

“……With the Jeong family gone, it’s like heaven. The leader was astonished. The income from the forests they monopolized is just…….”

“The Blood Flame Sect did us a favor. I thought I’d have to resort to gambling if I got kicked out of the organization.”

“A coward like you learning Blood Arts? What a joke!”

Rowdy voices were echoing outside. It was the largest tavern in Xinye County.

The identity of the gathered people was obvious.

The fact that they casually discussed joining the Blood Flame Sect showed they lived without fear.

Yeon-shin’s brow furrowed.

‘Income from the forests.’

He recalled the day he left to join the Desolate Fortress.

The Chief Steward had said he would manage it. It was not money meant to fall into the hands of the black faction.

“Let’s go in.”

While Cheong Myeong entrusted the horses to the stable boy, Yeon-shin took the lead.

Even the experts of Demon Wings Two Group, being his seniors, followed his lead. They were good people.

As they parted the fluttering curtains and entered, the noise momentarily ceased.

Contrary to its appearance, the interior was quite spacious.

There was a bald man with an ax, a man performing tricks with a dagger, and another with an open shirt.

Men of various appearances, each accompanied by a courtesan, were laughing slyly.

They seemed to be warriors of the black faction, but none of them looked familiar. It was as if they had all come from other regions.

Yeon-shin took a step forward and spoke calmly.

“You all. Explain about the Jeong family’s land.”

“What?”

One of them sneered. Just as he was about to say something about kids, it happened.

Hyeon Won-chang suddenly stepped forward and flipped the hem of Yeon-shin’s robe over his shoulder.

The skill surpassed that of most joint locks. Yeon-shin understood now.

It was the way seniors who had ventured into the martial world skipped over nuisances.

Upon seeing the character for ‘Desolate’ (荒), the lips of the man who was about to speak froze as if they had turned to stone. The crowd began to murmur.

“Speak.”

Yeon-shin said without concern.