Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time

Chapter 23 – Middle Dantian (3)

An escort followed them. He was a native of the village.

There is a certain image that comes to mind when thinking of commoners who do not know martial arts and engage in their livelihood.

The man who introduced himself as ‘Mr. Jang’ was like that.

“Master, is it really just you? Are you sure you’re going to the Mantis Sect?”

His eyes trembled, and he was shorter than Yeon-shin.

In his shabby hemp clothes and the loose pouch he held, the appearance of a family breadwinner was reflected.

Yeon-shin understood his reaction.

The Demonic Sect was different from the black market thugs in the back alleys.

The black market thugs would find and retaliate against anyone who informed the authorities, but the Demonic Sect members were skilled in martial arts.

It was natural to be anxious.

“I am enough.”

“Y-Your righteous spirit is truly admirable. H-However, please reconsider. The Mantis Sect is not an ordinary group. Dozens have learned martial arts, and it was said that even a single one of their underlings could sweep the alley of Liangu.”

“Righteous spirit? You seem to have some educational background.”

It was not a world where letters were common. In some places, expressions that were taken for granted were known only to scholars in the countryside.

“I am just a country bumpkin who didn’t pass the imperial examination.”

It was fortunate that they could communicate. Xi’an was a big city, so they had to stay overnight to reach Lianhu County.

“Could you tell me more about the Mantis Sect?”

Yeon-shin spoke while walking ahead. At the same time, he took out a small salt pouch from his chest and handed it over.

The monthly salary from Desolate Fortress was paid in silver coins, but giving it to someone was too much, and there were no copper coins.

Ma Jin had taken care of the travel expenses.

Mr. Jang, who subtly opened the pouch, widened his eyes and spoke.

“They came in three years ago, subduing Liangu Street. There are not many places in Xi’an without Zhongnan Sect branches, and Lianhu County was one of them. They took over ten people as maids. Their villainy was severe, but it seemed they had bribed the magistrate well.”

“…Did anyone see their martial arts? What about their martial arts?”

“I heard they use all kinds of weapons. I also saw them from afar a few times, and there were not only swords and spears but also strangely curved blades… They were so fast that it was hard to follow with the eyes. With one swing, they could cut off the heads of two people.”

They were quite strong. Even if they didn’t have a structured martial arts system, they seemed to have learned martial arts.

That was enough to call them members of the Demonic Sect.

“Are there still many people captured? What is the government doing?”

“The magistrate is also in league with the Mantis Sect, so there is no place to turn to…”

Yeon-shin suddenly had a question. Could a martial artist from Desolate Fortress behead a government official?

They stayed overnight at an inn they came across while traveling. Yeon-shin and Mr. Jang arrived at Lianhu County.

After crossing the hills, a vibrant village came into view.

They passed several times the caravan procession loaded with all sorts of goods.

Although it was said to be on par with Xinye County, it was much more developed. It seemed to be somewhere between a city and a village.

“I see where it is.”

Under the clear blue sky without a cloud in sight, there was an unusually large and splendid building at the end of the road.

The letters on the plaque were visible even from here.

Although it was not as grand as the Demon Wings’ mansion, it was incomparable to the Jeong family manor.

Even the spacious front yard seemed usable as a training hall.

“You can go now. Thank you for the guidance.”

After exchanging greetings, they turned away. As he headed towards the largest street that ran through the village, he felt someone following.

It seemed to be Mr. Jang. He didn’t know why.

‘Did his family get captured?’

Maybe his wife or daughter was taken.

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They entered a street that looked like a market.

Merchants were quietly exchanging meat or grain at the lined-up stalls.

The voices of haggling were not loud.

When he turned his head to a place where everyone seemed to be cautious, he saw a surprising sight.

“……”

There were people tied up as if they were traitors. They were all women.

Five martial artists with swords were sitting carelessly, while their families were just weeping, unable to approach.

Would their heads be cut off if they made a sound?

The atmosphere on both sides was extremely different, as if it were a village custom.

” …This really just serves to justify the existence of the Desolate Fortress.”

He spoke deliberately as he approached. Because of martial artists, the laws of the Great Ming Dynasty were trampled.

The Central Plains was said to be a vast land beyond the comprehension of the human mind.

If a few magistrates and a powerful gang colluded, it would be extremely difficult for the imperial family to know the local situation.

“Are they government soldiers? Are those tied up really criminals?”

No answer came. As soon as Yeon-shin finished speaking, a throwing knife was hurled at him, tearing through the air.

It didn’t even carry any strength. Yeon-shin caught it directly and performed a Swift Sword strike, releasing the grip in his hand.

Even so, the sword’s force was properly exerted. The dagger shot out like a flash, piercing through the air.

Thunk!

The one hit on the forehead fell as if nailed to the ground.

The four, who had been momentarily bewildered, soon got up one by one.

“Quite a skilled lad. Where did you study martial arts?”

“Your knife-throwing technique was odd. Did you really learn it properly?”

“It was pretty fast. You must have been biding your time for today. What was that martial art you just showed?”

Maybe because he threw it casually, the reaction was quite calm.

When thinking of the Demonic Sect, one might imagine a reckless bandit, but the ones in front of him seemed to have tasted all the pleasures in the world.

“Just random skills, no names.”

Yeon-shin murmured calmly, drawing his Desolate Sword.

The white blade of the meticulously maintained fine sword scattered the sunlight under his hand.

Their gazes changed.

“If we present this to the sect leader…”

Splash!

At the end of the dazzling trajectory of the blade, a burst of blood shot up.

The one who had mentioned the sect leader knelt with blood-stained lips and then collapsed.

Before they knew it, Yeon-shin was standing in the middle of them.

With a leap like treading on the wind and a rotation like a leaf, the sword strike erupted.

Before the other three could even turn around, the white sword path flickered.

Demon’s Light, Swift Sword. The sensation of cutting three times transmitted through the sword wave to his hand. It was a very familiar feeling.

“Shit…”

It was a curse muttered by one of them before dying.

Yeon-shin turned around and cut the ropes binding the captives.

The women, thanking him with folded hands, could not openly rejoice.

The direction they glanced at repeatedly with Yeon-shin was the Mantis Sect’s building.

‘It doesn’t seem like they were taking in maids.’

With doubts, he walked along the road, his blade unsheathed.

Now the street was completely quiet.

Everyone retreated, trying to stay out of sight.

He could hear the murmurs of old people clicking their tongues, thinking an innocent hero would die.

Only Mr. Jang was quietly following behind.

‘A group battle.’

It was said that the absolute masters who reached invincibility could handle an entire army alone.

The supreme masters of Desolate Fortress would be no different.

Since the fight with the Blood Master, he had consistently thought of solo missions.

No matter how much he pondered, there were limits to the merits he could achieve by moving with the experts of Demon Wings.

To walk the martial realm alone, one must be capable of facing dozens or even hundreds of swords.

A duel with a rival was usually the romance of dilettantes. One must also be equipped with martial arts capable of handling a group’s swords.

He was learning from every fight. Even he did not know what his mind would create.

‘Mantis Sect.’

He looked up at the main gate before he knew it. Up close, the plaque was even bigger.

The calligraphy writing ‘Mantis Sect’ was impressive. It felt so lively, like a dragon moving.

‘Did a third-rate Demonic Sect threaten a fallen scholar?’

Thinking it excessive, he kicked one side of the gate hard.

Did they claim Lianhu County as their territory?

About thirty martial artists lined up in a training hall to greet the swordsman who had just slain five of their own.

The news traveled incredibly fast.

“Is that kid supposed to be a threat?”

A middle-aged man standing alone on the steps leading to the main building frowned.

Yeon-shin’s eyes were drawn to his clothes. They were incredibly lavish.

From mythical beasts to dragons, all sorts of spiritual creatures were embroidered on his long robe.

‘He must be crazy.’

Was he a rebel? Wearing a robe with dragons embroidered on it. It was a stark reminder of how detached martial artists were from the state.

“Cut off his limbs and bring him here… Actually, don’t. I haven’t felt the taste of a sword in a while. I’ll do it myself.”

The man, who appeared to be the sect leader, descended the steps.

Yeon-shin felt a sense of discord. The Mantis Sect was said to be a vicious Demonic Sect. He expected them to take hostages.

These were the kind of people who would forcibly take women.

If it were a lawless sect, they would have women at their side, yet only men were present.

‘Where have the captives gone?’

While he was pondering, the Mantis Sect disciples surrounding him were generally burly.

They exchanged a few words and just grinned wickedly, not appearing kindly at all.

“It’s not often you get to meet a hero.”

The Mantis Sect leader drew his sword as he descended. The narrow sword emitted waves of qi.

Yeon-shin would not have been able to defeat a master of his caliber during the Desolate Exam.

The sect leader continued to speak.

“Why did you have to appear in front of this sect? Why commit suicide at your age?”

“What’s your name?”

“Why would a dead man need to know my name?”

“To claim my merit, I need to know who the sect leader is.”

Yeon-shin spoke slowly and simultaneously activated the energy of Jeong Family Dynamic Training.

At the moment when the Desolate Sword and his qi became one, he sensed the sword technique of the opponent.

Swoosh~

Even the humble skewer of the sect leader felt threatening since his blade followed the winds.

To counter, Yeon-shin used Swift Sword. After discovering how to properly control force through the Eternal Blossom Fist, he could now see the path of the sword.

Clang!

He struck upwards. Although it looked calm, True Qi was overlaid.

The sect leader’s face turned from surprise to bewilderment at the force of Yeon-shin’s strike that overwhelmed his power.

“Attack!”

At the sect leader’s shout, the surrounding Mantis Sect disciples charged in. A sharp spear obstructed his view first.

As if to prevent him from giving the second strike to the sect leader, the Desolate Sword struck and passed through the thrusting spear.

Slash!

The spear shaft was cut, and at the same time, the other disciples’ weapons were approaching. Throwing knives flew towards him.

All the sharp weapons cutting through the air from all directions stimulated Yeon-shin’s entire body.

It was his first time facing so many weapons at once.

Swish!

He dodged a slash on his right arm, only to get scraped on his back by a chakram. He swung the Desolate Sword horizontally in a Swift Sword strike.

The man holding the circular blade handle grinned but his head flew off with the same smile on his face.

The sight of his lips freezing in place flashed across Yeon-shin’s vision.

‘It hurts.’

The stinging wound sharpened his senses and extended his perception.

In that moment, his unbelievable talent revealed itself.

He saw the lines created by all the blades. The sword path he should follow began to emerge in his mind.

‘Strike, pass through, and strike again.’

The combined pressure from the weapons evolved Yeon-shin’s Swift Sword, creating a new form.

Following the trajectory visible only to him, he slashed down.

His Desolate Sword, faster and sharper than anything else there, deflected the weapons and led them to clash against each other.

The throwing knife deflected by the Desolate Sword pierced another disciple’s heart.

He deflected one man’s spear, which then impaled another man who was swinging a blade.

“Argh!”

“Ugh…”

Yeon-shin’s eyes moved swiftly.

All the approaching weapons seemed to fuel a strange sense.

It was as if another self was watching from above, observing every blind spot.

It surpassed the realm of prediction.

With movements as light as the wind, he weaved through the space of the blades. Sand thrown by one was caught by another.

The sect leader’s Swift Sword, however, was clearly of a different level. As Yeon-shin spun and moved in a gust, he swung at the side of the sect leader’s narrow blade.

Clang!

The sect leader, almost dropping his sword, disappeared back among the disciples and shouted.

“Incredible accomplishment! But your sword path is simple. I’ve already seen through your Swift Sword…!”

It was a voice laden with the experience of countless battles. It did not sound impatient.

It seemed so leisurely, but as he confronted Yeon-shin, who had crossed all the attacks like a leaf in the wind, the sect leader fell silent.

‘Overwhelm them with initiative,’ Yeon-shin thought.

In an instant, True Qi surged like wildfire throughout his whole body. He thought of his hand as a fist.

The energy of the Eternal Blossom Fist began to climb up his arm. The second move, Point-Blank Blast, was now possible.

The still somewhat unfamiliar intangible force was contained in his grip.

Naturally, he felt the augmenting force of the Demon’s Light enhancing his balance.

Boom!

Closing the distance like a storm, he was suddenly in front of the sect leader.

In a flash, he focused the force from the Point-Blank Blast into his sword arm, releasing a sword wave.

The sect leader’s eyes widened in surprise. From above the sect leader’s head, Yeon-shin brought his sword down.

“Th—”

At the moment the sect leader opened his mouth, a pure white blade light flashed, the sensation coursing through Yeon-shin like lightning.