Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time-Chapter 423: Exhausted (4)

The forest exhaled a humid breath.

The moisture carried by the summer breeze deepened the green hues of the leaves, while the juniper trees' leaves swayed gently in the sunlight.

Around them, the pale, yellowish cliffs stretched out, forming an expansive view.

It was a picturesque sight.

But it didn’t matter.

What mattered now were the figures before him, far clearer than the scenery of Songshan.

Their presence and aura were unmistakable. There was no one here whose reputation did not fall short of that of Ma Gwang-ik from Ipwang Fortress.

"Looks like the message got through. Thank you for arriving on time."

A young boy dressed in a white robe, his hands behind his back, walked down from the air. The pine-patterned fabric of his robes rippled like soft clouds.

The highest-ranked sword of the Dae Mu Dang faction.

Jeong Yeon-shin's expression grew grim. His toes tingled with a sudden, overwhelming impulse, as if something inside him needed to be released by kicking something.

“I pay my respects to the True Master.”

Jeong Yeon-shin slowly brought his hands together. There was an unfamiliar formality in his posture, a gesture meant for protecting his future.

“I apologize for my previous discourtesy. I deeply regret my actions.”

"The frequency of your rudeness was unbearable. You pushed your way into the Shin Geom Dan’s feast without any awareness."

The high-ranking swordsman, the Grand Master of the Mu Dang Sect, waved his hand dismissively. Jeong Yeon-shin’s complexion lightened a little.

The oldest and most influential sage of the land was here.

‘Almost like the Grand Elder of the Mu Dang Sect...’

Jeong Yeon-shin felt a deep sigh of relief inside.

"More than that..."

The young-faced old Taoist, with a lowered gaze, surveyed Jeong Yeon-shin from top to bottom. Soon, the smile on the Grand Master's face grew.

"Congratulations. It seems your memorial submission to Beijing paid off. His Majesty has especially taken good care of our faction."

"I heard it from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. I have nothing but gratitude..."

"Wansiyanjin. We are the ones who should be grateful."

The Grand Master waved away Jeong Yeon-shin's words. Whatever the meaning of his response, Jeong Yeon-shin did not care. At least, not for now.

“Situation, True Master.”

Jeong Yeon-shin raised his hands once more towards those visible behind the Grand Master. It was a gesture appropriate for the occasion.

The undisputed rulers of the vast land of Sichuan, the heads of both the A-mi and Cheongseong factions, were watching him.

An elderly nun and a prestigious Taoist master.

"Another step forward from the hundred-foot-long spear."

As expected, White Medic (Baekyak Satae), whose gentle smile was as serene as ever, stood beside her, but the expression of the Taoist master was unusual.

"Purple..."

The leader of the Cheongseong faction murmured with an unreadable expression.

The master of the Yin-Blessed Sword, Cheongsu Jin-in. The man who had raised the once-declining Cheongseong faction with astounding speed after losing the previous leader.

His skill was said to be so immense that he could be called a giant, surpassing even a gentleman.

And what of White Medic, the Taoist of the Thunderous Observation?

Behind that smile, there was time. She had defended the land of Sichuan from the scattered, sporadic attacks of the Bloodflame Sect with Golden Letters, Tenfold Gate, and the Silver Moon Art for decades.

Her alias, “Bodhisattva of Compassion,” symbolized her mastery in patience and deep mental control.

“When we drank together last time, but even when you are fine, your expression remains vacant and detached. It’s like you’re a bit of a strange reflection of your true self, isn’t it?”

The young Taoist, Go Geomjin, looked up at him as he spoke.

Jeong Yeon-shin, while reflecting on the faces of the gathered individuals, realized that even the weight carried by the Grand Master could not be underestimated in comparison to the Taoist's.

‘The Grand Elder of the Mu Dang Sect...’

For reasons unknown, the leader of the Mu Dang Sect had stood in for the Master for over a decade. He was the living embodiment of the Taeguk Mu Maek of the Mu Dang Faction, a spiritual leader of unparalleled influence.

Despite facing him, Jeong Yeon-shin could not easily gauge the odds of victory.

"Hey, can’t you see me?"

A voice from the nearby was heard, interrupting Jeong Yeon-shin's thoughts. It was Yu Hyun, the boy from the Hwasan faction.

Jeong Yeon-shin said nothing. It was said that true friends were those who, though always cherished, could often feel unimportant.

For Jeong Yeon-shin, this moment of reunion with the Hwasan faction's absolute master was far more significant than the scenery.

"Faction Leader."

Jeong Yeon-shin bowed his head and raised both hands.

A woman, her robe tied at the waist with an old sword, opened her eyes wide. Was it the energy of her unconscious movements? In that instant, a transcendent martial aura flowed from her sword.

The dry blades of grass, crushed under her white socks, suddenly regained their vibrant green hue.

The Sacred Swordmaster Yulha.

After losing to the Master of the Patgeum faction, she had once been carried down the snowy mountain by Jeong Yeon-shin. Now, she gazed at him from a lower vantage point.

Though their heights had clearly shifted, her eyes were now filled with reverence.

“You’re... Seomye?”

Yulha Nangrang's voice trailed off. Perhaps because she wasn’t from a prestigious family, her eyes, tinged with a faint purple hue, searched Jeong Yeon-shin’s face for recognition.

She seemed unable to find the familiar features he once had.

‘No,’ Jeong Yeon-shin thought. It must be his limbs.

A true master always observed his opponent through alignment, not just through facial features.

“You’ve grown well. In such a short time.”

Yulha Nangrang expressed her admiration openly. She, like the scattered petals of plum blossoms, was as flamboyant and free-spirited as her nature.

She had provocatively taunted even the Patgeum faction leader in the past. It was not an empty compliment.

A slight satisfaction filled Jeong Yeon-shin as he lowered his posture and slowly parted his lips.

“I used the medicine you sent through Yu Hyun when we last drank together. I should have thanked you in person, but I’m glad we’ve met again this way.”

"Though it's true that your study has helped you greatly, it seems that what I gave you was used very well. I didn’t expect to be able to indulge in such a view here."

"...?"

"Even without that, I had things to take care of before coming here. Now that you're here, it's like Ipwang Fortress has taken its seat."

Yulha Nangrang had once been carried on Jeong Yeon-shin's back, having experienced his battles firsthand. That was on the snowy mountain of the Heavenly Trap.

In this moment, Jeong Yeon-shin was now standing in front of her, with his eyelashes raised due to the transformation, but she seemed hardly surprised by his purple robes.

If Hwasan’s Sect Leader were present, he would be a fierce competitor to the powerful Hwasan’s General.

Jeong Yeon-shin questioned the words about things to be handled, while silently observing Yulha Nangrang for a brief moment.

‘I can’t read her.’

It was just like when he first met her in black robes.

A perfect rebuttal of intentions. He couldn’t feel anything from her. All that came to mind were the fleeting images of a red plum blossom petal.

As he sharpened his senses a bit more, a scene of the sky and earth meeting at the horizon in a straight line appeared in his mind.

Then, suddenly, his gaze met hers.

Yulha Nangrang’s eyes softened into a gentle curve.

"Your sword is too deep. How far do you intend to go?"

Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t respond. He simply lowered his eyelids slightly, giving off the aura of a swordsman immersed in his own thoughts.

"...Was I being too sensitive? Anyway, follow me."

With a slight tilt of her head, Yulha Nangrang turned and began walking. The sound of her pants swishing against the ground distorted the realism of the moment.

Next to her, the face of Go Geomjin showed a mischievous smile, directed at Jeong Yeon-shin.

It was clear.

The most unassuming figure among those on this peak was Yu Hyun, the youngest disciple of Plum Blossom Swordsmanship.

‘Here...?’

Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly realized that he stood in the middle of the people he had admired when he was younger.

The very top of the martial world. He now had to compete with beings at the highest level, standing on the pinnacle of martial arts that stretched endlessly across the land.

White Medic from Ami and Cheongsu Jin-in from Cheongseong.

Go Geomjin from Mu Dang and Yulha Nangrang from Hwasan.

And before, there was the Swordsman Lord, who was somewhere out there, and even the Shaolin Temple Leader, whose whereabouts were unknown.

Except for Cheongsu Jin-in, the others had been at the top of the martial world for decades, some even for over a century.

Their reputation and position were unparalleled compared to any other martial artist in the world. When Jeong Yeon-shin was just the youngest of the Jeong family, they were already long-established as absolute figures.

The seventeen-year-old felt an overwhelming sense of disparity. Me, here...?

‘This is where the Sect Leader should be.’

The factions gathered to participate in the Hwasan General Meeting in Ipwang Fortress didn’t concern him.

Even the Pyeong Family, one of the Eight Great Sects, was no longer on Jeong Yeon-shin’s mind.

"Truly impressive. To think that you'd still savor the air of Songshan even after arriving here."

Cheongsu Jin-in looked at him thoughtfully as he spoke. The wrinkled neck of White Medic next to him slightly shifted as she let out a small laugh.

"It should be called courage. Such an unparalleled martial master at that age must possess [N O V E L I G H T] not only profound skill but also an unshakable confidence alongside the perfect control of energy."

"Indeed, Satae’s words are correct."

"Take your time and follow. We’re about to discuss the world’s grand matters, so make sure to organize your thoughts properly."

Go Geomjin added, looking at Jeong Yeon-shin.

Step by step, the four unparalleled martial experts turned around and began climbing the narrow path.

For a moment, Jeong Yeon-shin stared blankly at their figures before turning his head. Yu Hyun had nudged his back.

"Are you alright?"

"What do you mean?"

Jeong Yeon-shin asked in an intentionally indifferent tone, but Yu Hyun’s eyes were sharper than the martial arts of most prestigious families.

"You’re giving off an incredibly sharp aura. It feels like you’ve been forged in the Eight Hells of the Blood Abyss."

"What?"

"That outfit... It doesn’t look like the grand general's parade armor. You must feel some kind of responsibility. Or maybe it's because you haven’t stopped fighting for so long? The rumors about you are full of blood. It’s a miracle you’re still in one piece."

"It has been a bit exhausting."

"I’ve never seen our master so tense before."

Yu Hyun whispered carefully. Jeong Yeon-shin shook his head inwardly.

He didn’t know how the other sect leaders felt, but he was sure that, in this moment, he was the most nervous person in the room.

—"Your sword is too deep. How far do you intend to go?"

Yulha Nangrang’s words. To speak those words, one must feel the depth of another’s energy, body, and mind.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

"You measured my energy with your perception earlier, right? Why not try going all the way in? Our master may be calm on the outside, but within his own faction, he’s practically a tyrant..."

Yu Hyun’s head suddenly dropped. As Jeong Yeon-shin lifted his gaze, he saw Yulha Nangrang wiping her hand, performing a motion resembling a strike.

It was the Fist of the Overlord.

He had just spoken without hesitation about scolding the master. It was only natural for him to be scolded in return.

‘But...’

In terms of the power they would possess as a result of the Hwasan General Meeting, Jeong Yeon-shin couldn’t help but smile in response.

Yu Hyun was a good friend. He might even be the only one in his life.

"Be good to our master."

Jeong Yeon-shin said, remembering Ipwang Fortress's leader. A faint smile curved his lips.

As Yu Hyun hurriedly rubbed his own head, Jeong Yeon-shin prepared to move forward.

"We’ll go now. Don’t be surprised when you see the Sect Leader."

"You know, Ma Se-in, of the Ipwang Faction, is the same age as us. If you get lonely, you should visit him."

"Ah, Ma Se-in? Of course, I know him. He’s famous in Ipwang Fortress. He gets beaten by the monk all the time."

"Ma Se-in...?"

For a split second, Jeong Yeon-shin’s gaze flickered. Yu Hyun nodded nonchalantly and motioned ahead.

"Quickly now. Don’t be surprised when you meet the Sect Leader. May you be victorious."

Yu Hyun was right to urge him. The heads of the Buddhist and Taoist sects were waiting for him.

In a gathering of such unparalleled martial masters, discussions wouldn’t just revolve around martial competitions. There were pressing matters to be addressed as the head of the Dae Mun Sect.

Jeong Yeon-shin had to leave his friend waving behind and move forward. Towards the temple built on a secluded peak of Songshan.

The sunlight scattered at the ends of his pants.

Following those rays, purple, orange, and golden glimmers intermingled, settling into colors that calmed Jeong Yeon-shin’s mind.

‘I’ll dominate the Hwasan General Meeting.’

It was the day the highest-ranking officials of Ipwang Fortress and the Hwasan Sect would meet to discuss the fate of the martial world.