Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time

Chapter 107 – Divine Technique

***

The warriors spoke with one voice.

Their voices calling Lightning Genius Grandmaster gently shook the night air.

[TL Note- A lot of people are confused about the title Grandmaster. Its different from normal master-disciple relationship. Grandmaster is a high ranking title who studies/creates/teaches martial arts or an expert in martial arts verses, the person doesn’t have to be strong necessarily, think of it like a scholar but in martial arts.]

The voices all originating from well-cultivated internal martial arts were very solid.

‘What.’

An impossible event occurred. That’s what Zhu Lianting thought.

This was no ordinary matter.

Even white martial clothes were rare. Looking at the entire murim, that was true.

Desolate Fortress’ white robes were proof demonstrating rare martial arts.

Indeed, formal warriors of the main fortress were beings who could serve as main forces in any martial sect.

They gather together to support one person? What could this mean.

“Now.”

Thorns rose in Zhu Lianting’s voice.

“What are you doing? Do you dare violate the main fortress’ laws before the Desolate Ma family?”

“How does Lady Zhu try to mislead our hearts with that mindset?”

Stepping forward with a thick voice. It was Crimson Day Sword of the Annihilation Team. His blue robe felt like a military uniform.

While shabby as if not particularly maintained, it looked very solid filled with qi.

“Mislead? What nonsense are you speaking to this lady…?”

Zhu Lianting’s eyes grew fierce. But Crimson Day Sword paid no mind.

“I understand why you mention laws. You mean the main fortress’ guidelines that forbid master-disciple bonds as taboo? Truly amusing words. Not the law but Lady Zhu.”

“Continue. Try laying out your sophistry.”

She snorted mockingly. Inwardly she wasn’t like that.

She had wanted to make Lightning Genius Jeong Yeon-shin Ma Se-in’s sword.

She had already prepared considerable wealth, weapons, and even rare spirit medicines.

Though a branch member, Zhu Lianting was royal family. She knew ones like Jeong Yeon-shin. He wasn’t one to break oaths.

If she received a vow of loyalty, it was clear he would become a precious sword to use long-term.

‘Radiant Demon Wing annihilated. Just when the time came to embrace Lightning Genius.’

She had been inwardly blaming her mistake of speaking with conditions like negotiating.

Even so, she thought another chance remained.

Besides the transcendental Desolate Fortress Lord, maternal Ma family, and Radiant Demon Wing whose whereabouts dimmed in Sichuan, what remained for Lightning Genius?

He was a sixteen-year-old boy who entered the main fortress alone.

Eventually he would have no choice but to rely on her side. Then she just needed to embrace him gently.

So he couldn’t escape from her warmth and authority.

That’s what Zhu Lianting thought. She wasn’t wrong.

Until Crimson Day Sword brought warriors to pay respects to Lightning Genius.

‘One who rolled around as white suddenly became blue.’

She glared at Crimson Day Sword’s scarred face while taking in Jeong Yeon-shin in her peripheral vision.

She didn’t show her glance. But it was meaningless.

The boy’s face she glimpsed was colored with unprecedented wavering.

Even that was small, but interest and surprise were clearly felt.

The reason was understandable. Zhu Lianting too was a martial arts master.

She received a feeling similar to Lightning Genius from the temperament of the warrior group now confronting her.

They were of the same legacy. Bonds had to form.

‘The variable is martial arts.’

It was also the method she used to shake the Desolate Ma family. But two things were different.

Lightning Genius had not intended this situation.

Furthermore, he began receiving respect as grandmaster by creating martial arts himself. Even now in this place.

“…Lady Zhu, are you listening?”

Crimson Day Sword stared blankly at Zhu Lianting.

She suddenly came to her senses. Nothing went as intended when involved with Lightning Genius.

Though only the second time now, it came as a very strong impression.

“I’m listening.”

Zhu Lianting raised her chin elegantly. At least bearing must be maintained with dignity.

Whatever happened in her mind, however the situation changed.

“You said it wasn’t a clasped hands greeting to a master? Hard to comprehend. Your respect shown to an absurdly young blue-rank was too much. Can you explain with words besides master-disciple bonds? Unless directly challenging the main fortress’ taboo.”

She said. It was a very stern tone.

Crimson Day Sword wasn’t particularly intimidated.

Zhu Lianting had no main fortress position. She wasn’t even the Desolate Ma family’s formal mistress.

A figure far removed from Desolate Fortress’ organization. Crimson Day Sword maintained this precisely.

Meanwhile Crimson Day Sword himself had worn blue clothes after living decades as a white warrior.

It was thanks to cultivating Lightning Genius’ recently released Radiant Wing Step.

Radiant Wing Step’s second key principle matched Crimson Day Sword. The footwork formula creating intervals touched even his life experience.

Lady Donkey Roll. He had never hesitated to roll his body on the ground during duels.

It means he was proficient at measuring distance during fierce fights.

Radiant Wing Second Step.

He glimpsed a heaven-given realm in the formula creating intervals.

Crimson Day Sword trembled at the stepping method formula that wholly supplemented his lacking talent.

It was divine technique. At least for him. It was enough to pass the blue rank advancement examination he had taken over dozens of times without difficulty.

Therefore.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

‘Lightning Genius is benefactor and truly grandmaster.’ All warriors gathered here thought so.

***

Read only at nineheavens.org

Translated by Nine Heavens!

https://discord.gg/XC9DTsTQ9Z

***

Crimson Day Sword stood firmly. This was a place discussing Desolate Fortress’ laws.

His accumulated years and rank were not lacking at all.

He lightly opened his lips.

“Lady Zhu is royal family. The whole world knows the Ming imperial court keeps close to Buddhist sects, isn’t there reason Shaolin is particularly strong among the Nine Great Sects? Even more so when even Little Divine Monk is noble.”

“Don’t stray from the point.”

Even Zhu Lianting’s cold voice didn’t come heavily. Crimson Day Sword continued without minding.

“I know royals have a tradition of climbing Mount Song as incense offering guests. You must have gone once too.”

“And?”

“Isn’t the pagoda forest enshrining Shaolin high monks’ relics the temple’s famous sight? I know no royal doesn’t make joined palms to the nirvana-entered Bodhidharma and Venerable Huike. When making offerings.”

[TL Note- Venerable Huike or Dazu Huike was the successor of Bodhidharma.]

Zhu Lianting’s eyes widened.

“You now…”

“It’s the same case with Radiant Demon Wing’s Lightning Genius. No, the only small difference is that our martial legacy’s grandmaster is still alive and even young. We are like Shaolin’s incense offering guests. We paid proper respects to our legacy’s grandmaster, what main fortress warrior would be angry at that? Unless their mind is strangely twisted.”

He mockingly returns her earlier tone exactly.

Perhaps because it was humiliation she had never experienced?

Her eyes largely showed whites for a moment as she lost in reasoning and was refuted in words. Her pupils rolled slightly.

Lightning Genius now had nothing to want.

Those bound to the martial legacy he created more than made up for supplementing forces.

Clear facts struck Zhu Lianting’s head like lightning. Only Ma Se-in beside her was restless.

“These ones truly…”

Crimson Day Sword turned his gaze from her great anger.

It was a look toward Ma Yeon-jeok, the purple supreme master who had been silently watching them.

“Ma Family Head Elder has truly excellent blood relations.

Something Lightning Genius legacy’s practitioners will always be grateful for.”

While flattering, he also left room for the opponent to retreat. It was skilled speech.

Jeong Yeon-shin even imagined himself speaking honeyed words to the Desolate Fortress Lord.

“…Your words are not wrong. Yeon-shin has gained strong allies.”

“Family Head!”

Ma Yeon-jeok’s bearing ignoring Zhu Lianting’s cry was surprisingly calm.

He only opened his mouth while blankly staring at his grandson who was building his own reputation.

“Born with talent of ages, building both martial arts and martial legacy simultaneously.”

“…Grandfather.”

“I showed many shameful sights. I’m ashamed. If you return safely, then you can see a changed main family…”

Kuluk.

His words cut off with coughing blood.

“Family Head!”

“What is this…”

While Ma family figures stepped forward with shocked faces, Ma Yeon-jeok smiled bitterly seeing the blood leaking between fingers covering his mouth.

“Already this state? Though I only went to South Zhili once.”

He ignored Zhu Lianting and the elders. He only shook his head while reaching toward surprised Jeong Yeon-shin and Ma Se-in.

“It’s karma. The unorthodox path I walked in youth returns as arrows. Not knowing what overdoing meant, I truly took many heads. Natural for martial arts built up quickly to collapse.”

“The reason you can’t go to Sichuan…”

Ma Yeon-jeok shook his head at Jeong Yeon-shin’s words.

“Law. Because of law. Protecting the main fortress comes first. Only that.”

They were words carrying the former Divine Sword Group Leader’s stubbornness.

Body worsening with declining skill.

Divine Sword Squads fighting forces scattered across the chaotic world. Even if both were reasons, he only spoke of law.

Yet while looking at Jeong Yeon-shin with only pride in his eyes, he soon turned away. His purple clothes swirled with him.

“I pray for your martial fortune. Always have, always will.”

Ma Yeon-jeok spoke showing his back.

“Ma family members follow this old one after seeing out guests.”

The following command wasn’t toward Jeong Yeon-shin. Ma Yeon-jeok spoke distinctly.

“Zhu Lianting showed behavior beyond reason. The many elders silently cooperated with that conduct. Listening quietly, I didn’t know it would be this extent. I cannot tolerate today’s insubordination. Imperial Golden Immortal Eight Methods? No, if truly discussing family revival, I must first establish rules and principles properly. Even throwing away my face and disregarding life and death, I must punish.”

Even his suppressed pronunciation was different. Age seemed to drop heavily.

The purple master Desolate Ma Family Head spoke of punishment. Was it truly unprecedented?

For the first time bewilderment carried in Zhu Lianting’s voice.

“Family Head Elder…!”

“I said follow. How deep is you b*st*rds’ martial arts to look down on this seat so? Having suffered great shame before my grandson, I must know. I won’t draw my sword. I might kill in one strike.”

Those were the final words.

Jeong Yeon-shin left the Desolate Ma family with the Lightning Genius legacy warriors. It was that kind of atmosphere.

But a warrior’s keen senses clearly detected the energy rising beyond the threshold.

Kung!

The explosion sound of foot technique energy striking abdomen, the trace of Zhu Lianting’s long breath scattering miserably, even Ma Yeon-jeok’s dignified coughing sound.

“My, savage.”

Lazy Flame Dragon who stuck close to Jeong Yeon-shin said.

The boy moved silently. While pushing worry for Ma Se-in to a corner of his heart.

The presence of warriors following behind him was tremendous.

Forces enough to form a fighting force overnight had come seeking him.

This much and the Administration would gladly permit departure to Sichuan. What remained was persuasion.

“I heard about Radiant Demon Wing.”

Crimson Day Sword suddenly said.

Step.

Jeong Yeon-shin stopped abruptly and turned. Crimson Day Sword’s words continued.

“Following the Grandmaster’s trail, we also stopped at the Administration. Such incidents must spread widely in the main fortress anyway.”

“…”

“If you need us, please say so.”

“I need you.”

Jeong Yeon-shin answered without hesitation.

His vision turned back takes in the warriors’ faces.

Those silently nodding or raising lips. Traces of the unique martial arts Jeong Yeon-shin created were clearly felt.

They threw words one by one with reverent tone. They also shared opinions among themselves.

“What Grandmaster should also know is, Sichuan’s murim… can be called chaos spread in the central plains.”

“Mm. One of Eight Families and Three of Nine Great Sects, Three of Thirteen Evil Sects. Seven major factions entangled region. Can you imagine?”

“Nowhere else in the world is like that. As both masters and civilian numbers are enormous talents are also countless, and it’s a region where martial artists die in droves. Schemes are also tremendous.”

“Well, we finished talking on the way anyway. Said it’s suitable place to demonstrate Lightning Genius legacy martial arts. Also we are going to rescue comrades, how could we not follow? Hot-blooded spirit boils up.”

At some white young warrior’s words, Crimson Day Sword turned to Jeong Yeon-shin.

Moonlight pouring from the wide open night sky raised shadows of the boy and warriors simultaneously.

“Though Sichuan’s murim is vast and endless, this side has warriors bound by heaven-given teacher.”

He made respectful clasped hands. “Draw the Desolate Sword at the front. Our complete Grandmaster.”