Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time

Chapter 89 – Instant Kill Martial Arts

The extermination of Virtuous Teacher Sect was a major incident. It was talked about daily in recent Wuchang.

It was because the influence of martial sects holding local hegemony extended to civilian lives. Evil sects were even more so.

Evil sects established in cities were ones who increased peop’s tribute burden three or four times.

They collected protection fees claiming to maintain security. They didn’t discriminate between copper coins, silver coins, daily necessities, and even people.

It was because government office control rapidly declined as poor harvests continued.

For Wuchang street’s hot topic to change, it meant ordinary incidents weren’t nearly enough.

“A blood demon?”

“Lower your voice. They said not just any blood demon. Those Namgung family warriors in an instant…”

“That’s right. They say it’s a noble bloodline of the evil sect. If martial might is to that extent, they’re certainly capable. Watch your nape. Never know when you’ll become sacrifice for blood techniques.”

People gathered in groups of four or five at a marketplace corner spoke in lowered voices.

“Haa… nights will become quiet. Must stay home as soon as sun sets.”

“Should be that way for a while.”

“Quiet…!”

A middle-aged man whispered with a startled face. He seemed to exhale surprise through his breath.

The surroundings were becoming quiet from far away.

Three people passed through the street.

The appearance of one woman in the middle stood out.

With jade-like snow-white skin wearing dark blue light armor, she looked like a fairy descended to the mortal world.

She was a martial artist everyone here would know.

She was the Namgung family’s Flourishing Spirit Flower Master who recently earned local people’s praise for beauty, martial might, and achievements combined.

“Then those are…”

Someone muttered.

Rumors had spread extensively.

The touching story of Namgung Mi who lost her guard warriors to a Blood Flame Sect noble and became alone.

The tale of White Qilin Namgung Hwa-sin and Lightning Genius Jeong Yeon-shin welcoming her as companion to protect their life-and-death match opponent.

They said the Wuchang martial artists present admired their composure.

Desolate Sect’s outstanding new talents.

They couldn’t help but draw attention. If they didn’t unfortunately die away from home, they would become masters counted among the murim’s finest.

The strange companionship of those who would fight to the death was gradually becoming known.

“They say your title is Lightning Genius?”

Namgung Mi suddenly opened her mouth. It was a plain tone as if looking down from above.

She seemed to no longer mind outside gazes. Perhaps because she too knew there was nothing she could do.

It wasn’t the tone she showed publicly.

Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t answer.

They had already exchanged harsh moves. The boy couldn’t be thick-skinned.

It felt awkward to answer casually just because the other didn’t know his real face.

Besides, she would soon die. He didn’t particularly want to exchange words.

“Now even these b*st*rds provoke my mood?”

Namgung Mi said with her lips raised crookedly. Leisure flowed in her bearing as she stepped with mincing steps.

The dark blue hem of her light armor convenient for movement looked like palace clothes.

Though she too must know protection was just an outward pretext and she was closer to Desolate Sect’s prisoner, she acted this way.

“……”

Jeong Yeon-shin just glanced at her.

She seemed born that way. Raised like royalty of South Zhili.

Through Namgung direct line blood, she built her own solid world.

Even after experiencing major events, her attitude toward the world remained unchanged.

She didn’t know the blood-robed demon mask was Jeong Yeon-shin. Even most Desolate Sect warriors would find it hard to imagine.

‘Worthless.’

The boy thought. How would he appear in Namgung Mi’s eyes raised with innate arrogance.

Judging by the nature he experienced once, she seemed to regard him as just a trouble-maker who sparked Desolate Sect versus Namgung’s life-and-death matches.

‘No need to reveal unnecessarily. It’s an identity that could be usefully employed in other missions too.’

Jeong Yeon-shin maintained an indifferent expression. He didn’t treat Namgung Mi as a person.

Only Namgung Hwa-sin’s face became noticeably uncomfortable seeing his half-sister’s speech and behavior.

“Namgung Mi. Keep courtesy in your speech and behavior. Young Hero Jeong is the Fortress Lord’s direct disciple. He’s no less noble status than you.”

“Our Hwa-sin, your jokes have grown more than your martial arts.”

The corners of Namgung Mi’s mouth curled up.

“A disciple of a monstrous divine being barely clinging to life is noble? Unless the word precious has become laughable.”

“What?”

“How long will the Desolate Sect Fortress Lord stay above the clouds? The major murim factions aren’t fools. The Hwangbo family, Blood Flame Sect’s main hall, and now our family. Where next? Their actions are absurdly arrogant and excessive, do you think the Eight Families and Thirteen Evil Sects will just wait quietly?”

“……”

Namgung Hwa-sin closed his mouth with a heavy expression.

To Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes, he looked very soft.

Perhaps because he experienced loyalty brainwashing sorcery while growing up as Sword Night’s young master in childhood.

It was frustrating to see him yield even in small arguments while facing his mother’s enemy.

Namgung Mi turned her head with a smirk and glanced at Jeong Yeon-shin.

“You too, little one. You probably haven’t received all the true divine martial arts? Those connected to the imperial family wouldn’t give all of theirs. What’s different from our Eight Families where blood kin is everything? You pitiful half-b*st*rd.”

“Eight Families sounds strange.”

Jeong Yeon-shin said calmly.

“What?”

“Now it’s Seven Families. No, Six Families might sound better. What do you think? They’re just things that easily decrease anyway.”

“You’re now…”

It seemed like an unexpected retort. Namgung Mi’s eyes widened as she opened her mouth with a dismissive smile, but Jeong Yeon-shin quietly cut her off.

“Maintain the meaning of formal martial matches. Though your Namgung surname is the only reason we are showing you courtesy, our level for comparing martial arts depends on our opponent. No weight to one who will contest life and death with me? How empty that is.”

“……”

“If you don’t understand, feel free to babble as you wish. It would just mean that’s the extent of your capacity.”

Jeong Yeon-shin turned his head again as he finished speaking.

Though he caught a glimpse of Namgung Mi’s fine features completely distorted, he only thought the conversation had been excessively long.

She wasn’t worth spending more than ten breaths of time on.

“A half-b*st*rd speaks of capacity?”

After one sneering retort, Namgung Mi’s mouth fell quiet for a while.

Though she engaged in arrogant and unreasonable behavior, she was still a daughter of a renowned martial family. She seemed to have nothing else to say to one who spoke of level.

Afterwards.

Her expression subtly changed when looking at Jeong Yeon-shin.

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Translated by Nine Heavens!

Though her proud attitude of looking down on subordinates remained unchanged, Jeong Yeon-shin observed signs that seemed to examine his whole body occasionally.

Flourishing Spirit Flower Master Namgung Mi. What kind of feeling did she get?

He momentarily recalled the demon mask then dismissed the thought. The Blood Flame Sect noble and Radiant Demon Wing’s Lightning Genius were different.

‘Starting from the tone. It wasn’t even words meant to provoke.’

He considered it nothing to worry about.

Meanwhile, the boy suddenly apologized to Namgung Hwa-sin.

“The Namgung I mentioned…”

“No, it’s fine. It was rather satisfying in its own way.”

Namgung Hwa-sin waved his hand with a cheerful laugh. Both of them ignored Namgung Mi’s snort.

That’s how this strange company formed.

Namgung’s half-siblings and Jeong Yeon-shin, and even the Seventh Apostle shining red eye light from afar.

It was a relationship that would only last until the life-and-death martial matches against the Namgung family.

Namgung Mi and the Seventh Apostle had to die. But they said the wind of the dusty murim is merciless. Perhaps not just two but all four might perish.

‘Seventh Apostle, Azure Qilin.’

Jeong Yeon-shin recalled both targets. He hoped he and Namgung Hwa-sin would complete the mission with bodies intact.

* * *

To reach Huizhou in South Zhili where the Namgung family was located, they had to pass through Huangzhou.

The post station route was like that. It was the only road leading from Hubei’s Wuchang land to South Zhili.

The group entered a large inn.

“We’d better stay here once, then march straight through. Troublesome rumors seem to be spreading.”

“You said Huizhou is right after this road. That would be good.”

Jeong Yeon-shin who exchanged words with Namgung Hwa-sin walked to find empty seats.

Namgung Mi and Namgung Hwa-sin followed right after.

Jeong Yeon-shin and Namgung Mi sat side by side at a table for four. Namgung Hwa-sin sat across from them.

It was an intentional arrangement. Jeong Yeon-shin trusted the eyes of Namgung Hwa-sin who had long trained in the family’s eye technique arts.

The White Qilin’s sharp gaze carefully watched his sister who was both blood kin and enemy. His bearing was ready to strike immediately if she moved rashly.

Namgung Mi herself seemed unconcerned. After ordering food from the waiter, she stared steadily at the Diamond Sutra book Jeong Yeon-shin took out.

“Buddhist scripture? Were you pretending to be a Buddhist?”

Jeong Yeon-shin ignored her as always.

From here was close to Huizhou. It meant it was within the Namgung family’s sphere of influence.

News of the martial matches must have spread more widely than any other region. It meant they had to guard against variables.

Even this inn was bustling.

“Prosperous times, prosperous! Martial artists are gathering from all over the murim.”

“Desolate Sect versus Namgung martial matches. Where else could we see martial arts of such lofty martial artists?”

“Will the Divine Sword Group Leader and Namgung Family Head really compare martial might? Hard to believe. I’ll probably feel this way until seeing it directly.”

“Namgung should win though. If Desolate Sect happens to fight well…”

“Even Huangzhou’s market prices would shake. For our merchant group to survive, no change is best.”

It seemed already a daily topic here.

There was no other reason to talk loudly as if for Desolate Sect warriors to hear.

Because it was common talk, all sorts of conversations reached the ears of Jeong Yeon-shin’s group.

Those who had already seen Jeong Yeon-shin and Namgung Hwa-sin’s martial robes were silent.

Those who hadn’t kept running their mouths.

“Hasn’t it been a while since the Namgung young master revealed his sword? They say his opponent is a rising talent called Lightning Genius? Who achieved great merit during the Blood Flame Sect incident.”

“Must be martial matches competing for the future peak of the martial world. Wonder which side is truly foremost among the rising ones.”

“The young master is the young master. How can we measure him with words like rising talents?”

Namgung Mi’s lips smoothly curved up as she listened to the conversation from beside Jeong Yeon-shin.

She slightly turned her head to look at Jeong Yeon-shin, and spoke with a faint smile while laughing through her breath.

“Their words aren’t all wrong. To your eyes that only see what’s near, our Namgung might not seem different from evil sects. But at least to commoners, we’re truly an orthodox sect unmatched under heaven. When floods come we release food for relief, and when evil sect things cause trouble, Namgung warriors step forward.”

“……”

“Rising talent level can’t receive the main family direct line’s Emperor Sword Form. Moreover, my brother has trained it to a level hard to even estimate form achievement. Isn’t that enough reason for your defeat? Furthermore, since our Namgung lacks nothing in civilian welfare…”

Namgung Mi said with a hazy smile.

“I mean you can peacefully close your eyes under my brother’s sword.”

“Isn’t your mouth tired? Speaking meaningless words.”

At Jeong Yeon-shin’s indifferent retort, her smile deepened. The expression on her white face was strange.

“Or.”

“…?”

“It would be good to surrender first and throw yourself to the main family. I’ll let you just wash my feet. I mean it.”

Washing feet. It was words Jeong Yeon-shin had spoken while acting as Blood Flame Sect noble.

‘Is she testing me?’

Or was it just vicious behavior with no particular meaning?

It was when Jeong Yeon-shin was thinking about what intent lay behind her words.

WHOOSH!

Suddenly dozens of sharp wind streams blew in. It was black wind carrying human figures.

Jeong Yeon-shin and Namgung Hwa-sin reacted to the bearing that rushed in at amazing speed. Rather than drawing swords, they first activated true qi.

It was because truly mighty energy waves came in as if to tear their whole bodies to shreds.

However, the uninvited guests didn’t target them.

BOOM!

Hair black as ebony distorted with transparent gloss.

A hand extending like a swift sword while cutting the air grabbed both of Namgung Mi’s cheeks.

They were fingers as white as hers.

Ominous waves spread from the gesture lifting Namgung Mi into the air. It was overwhelming martial might.

“You.”

The Seventh Apostle’s red lips drew an arc.

“What did you say?”