Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time-Chapter 393: Hidden in the Shadows (2)

A noblewoman from a prestigious clan with black hair cascading down to her shoulders lifted the sleeve of the Sungmok and revealed a hidden detail. Her blue eyes sparkled as she did.

Sraik—

The long needle, still stuck in the palm of the dead man's hand, was now exposed. It was the very hand that had been pointed at Jeong Yeon-shin.

It was clearly an assassination technique.

"I can kill with a single leaf, so I haven't harmed the innocent," was the sentiment behind the action.

Sungmok, as the Sect Leader of the Shin Sword Sect, had intended to express this sentiment to protect the people’s hearts.

"...?"

It was a meaningless action. The gaze of the onlookers, who had gathered around, quickly shifted elsewhere.

Suddenly, the wasteland outside the city became visible, stretching far and wide.

It was densely packed with a vast forest, and even the tall structures scattered across it exuded an old-fashioned, oppressive feel.

The formation had completely collapsed.

It was not unlike when the Bloodflame Cult’s headquarters, hidden in the shadows, was shattered at the feet of the Sect Leader of Ipwang Fortress.

To the common folk, and even to the more seasoned martial artists, this was a mystical sight. The true form of the Thirteen Heavens had just been revealed to the world.

The Dark Night Sect.

A massive faction of assassins wielding bows. Their reputation for cruelty surpassed that of any other assassin faction in the world.

Their actions, like other factions of the Thirteen Heavens, were just as vicious. They believed that the lowly Han people, who had been blessed by the land, should not be allowed to live peacefully, and they frequently plundered the grain-producing regions.

Sungmok’s life or death was no longer the focal point of the crowd's attention.

At least, not for the common folk. It was clear that they had witnessed something that would drive them to panic.

"Wh-what...?!"

"What's going on here?"

"Divine spirits... A young immortal has descended! Their appearance was extraordinary!"

A very small group of people reacted differently.

Those dressed in fine clothing or with healthy complexions narrowed their eyes in silence.

Without thinking too much, some individuals quickly turned and fled.

"Hah... I thought it was odd that the volume of goods hadn’t dropped much despite the famine..."

"If this really is the Dark Night Sect, this will be trouble! Blood will flow through the streets!"

"We need to leave. We should lock up the gates tightly."

These were individuals well-versed in the ways of the world.

The high-level martial artists, along with some of the rougher, second-rate martial artists who had learned martial arts through observation, began to back away, slowly.

As the dark forest spread across the wasteland, an immense power began to emanate from the outsiders. A grand, uninterrupted flow of energy was creating a powerful gust of wind.

The presence of the small group, consisting mostly of young men and women, was interpreted by the people of Gui-ju as the manifestation of divine warriors they had never before encountered.

A large cloud of dust rose from the earth.

Jeong Yeon-shin glanced down at the sword in his hand. The bright white blade now had cracks all over it. It was the recoil from the sword’s resonance.

"A sword is a consumable," he thought.

Even though the Ten Trigrams School’s weapons were all divine creations, breaking one of these weapons to disrupt the formation of the Dark Night Sect was worth the price.

Suddenly, Jeong Yeon-shin lightly touched the sword at his waist. The Hwae was not just a weapon; it was his very soul.

Swish.

He silently nodded to Sect Leader Cheon So-so before walking over to Hahoe Wi-jin.

Cheon Lim Sect Leader, carrying a bundle on his back, was carrying valuable supplies, including the Ten Trigrams School's eighteen weaponry, dried meats, water bags, salt, and other precious items.

As a Sect Leader of the same rank, Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t say much but took a sword ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) from the empty air without question. However, returning it was not as simple.

Jeong Yeon-shin considered himself a well-versed and disciplined junior.

"How did you do it? The intricacies in that one sword were extraordinary."

Hahoe Wi-jin, bending slightly, asked.

Jeong Yeon-shin once again wrapped the sword from the Ten Trigrams School into Cheon Lim’s bundle. There might come another time soon when it would be needed.

"That was clearly Sword Song, wasn’t it? A style rarely enjoyed by the royal family in Beijing."

Sect Leader Wei Ji-geuk walked up, his steps heavy. His eyes betrayed his astonishment as they shifted toward Jeong Yeon-shin.

"Yes, the Crown Prince inspired me," Jeong Yeon-shin replied. A look of intrigue passed over Wei Ji-geuk’s face.

"The Crown Prince? You’re on familiar terms with His Highness?"

"Now that I think about it, the golden shoulder insignia used to be said to be gold. The Lord of the Fortress must have taught you, so you're like brothers."

It was Master of Geuk Techniques, who slowly approached, the clank of his prosthetic leg audible. His interest seemed to be more in Jeong Yeon-shin’s sword skills than in the forest beside him.

"Thank you for expanding my knowledge. The Sword Song from the Forbidden City is different, isn’t it? It wasn’t just about enjoying music like the royal family. There was a clear intent to kill. It was extremely interesting."

"Do you know the martial arts from Beijing?" Jeong Yeon-shin asked. Master of Geuk Techniques smiled warmly.

"I’ve seen them quite often. I secretly worked as a bridge for the Golden Army’s martial arts. Anyway, that was earlier. The form of the single strike, the way it controlled direction, wasn’t that part of the Dark Moon Martial Arts?"

The Sect Leader and the others turned their attention toward Jeong Yeon-shin. He felt a little embarrassed.

He gave a short "yes" and stepped forward, with Ak Su-rim smiling and following behind him. The ashen forest now spread before them.

Jeong Yeon-shin glanced down at Ak Su-rim’s head and spoke.

"Do you think the Dark Night Sect's Sect Leader is inside?"

"No. If something happened to Sect Leader Yong, then no matter how vast the martial world is, we need to first think about them."

"You understand Sect Leader Yong, but the other one, the Sect Leader of the Dark Night Sect?"

"Yes. The one who can shoot a single arrow from twenty miles away... That’s all thanks to what happened before with Sect Leader Yong. They carry deep grudges."

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"Twenty miles...?"

Not a human. A transcendental being.

The person who single-handedly subdued the army of a country, loaded with Thunderbolt Cannons, their martial prowess reaching a level beyond the heavens.

"With such a far-reaching vision, they would never stay with the main branch of the sect. That place is probably being guarded by the Sect Leader."

Ak Su-rim pulled the spear strapped to her back and spoke. She didn’t seem particularly tense, but she also didn’t look like she was out for a casual stroll.

Jeong Yeon-shin muttered quietly.

"The Sect Leader of the Dark Night Sect..."

“The descendants of the Thirteen Heavens are a bit different. They are quite rare. If we catch one, there will be rewards.”

Thud.

The senior Sect Leaders who had diverted their gaze from Jeong Yeon-shin began walking in unison. They had realized that their humble junior was uncomfortable with their attention.

Sect Leader Wei Ji-geuk of the Heavenly Dragon Sect gestured with a flick of his wrist and casually untied the rope at his waist, chuckling.

“Rare, my foot. Does it look like I’m the head of a minor clan?”

At that moment, Ak Su-rim’s spear struck his head, followed by the words “Backwoodsman from the North.”

“It’s because he’s tied to the Beijing Imperial Family. The faded clans see him as a royal. He’s considered the leader of traitors.”

The faded clans.

Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly recalled a childhood memory of reading the Grand History of the Ming Dynasty countless times.

It was the story of a small, long-eared tribe that had returned to their homeland to overthrow the wicked Yuan and establish a nation alongside their founder, Taizu.

The faction that had supported the Yuan Dynasty at the time was called the Dark Night Sect. Even after being branded traitors following the Ming Dynasty's founding, they were never truly driven out.

The main branch had been hidden, exceedingly secretive.

Masters who could wield a bow and become legendary in the martial world.

“You broke it, so you should lead. This will be the finishing touch.”

Ak Su-rim jabbered on.

Jeong Yeon-shin could guess what was left unsaid in her words.

The service rendered up to the purple rank. The humid air that brushed against his skin in the forest before him made him continue silently, pushing his shallow footprints back into the dirt.

His seniors followed him.

***

“Suspicious figures have entered?”

“They are martial artists from prestigious clans. Their figures and attire are all exceptional.”

The voices, monotone and indifferent, exchanged words. A young man, half-lying on a bamboo mat woven with vines, was listening to the report.

His pale skin, a grayish tint, and ears sharply pointed upward.

His skin was of the Mongol race.

But his ears proved his noble bloodline.

Though treated with disdain compared to the Han people, he was from a prestigious clan just as noble. The silk blue robe embroidered with dragon symbols matched him well.

On the young man’s shoulder sat a bird with sharply elongated feathers, tilting its head.

The man kneeling before the young man looked up at him with everyday reverence.

“The state of the martial world is chaotic; we must not let our guard down.”

“Yes. They might be the Dark Night Sect’s notorious experts. I will alert the outer scouts.”

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The kneeling man lowered his head, speaking in an old-fashioned manner. His demeanor was one befitting a royal, not simply a subordinate.

His appearance resembled that of the young man—pale skin and long ears akin to those of a traditional noble.

The Sect Leader of the Dark Night Sect nodded quietly. He picked up a red grape from the silver dish on the armrest of the bamboo chair and placed it into his mouth.

At that moment.

The Sect Leader’s eyebrows twitched suddenly.

“...The Huangjin Formation has been broken.”

“I will go check.”

The attendant did not question him. He immediately stood and looked back at the Sect Leader.

The indifferent command fell from the Sect Leader's mouth as he chewed the grape.

“Open the gates of the Ten Miles Killing Formation. All ten of them.”

“I obey.”

The attendant immediately began muttering the necessary incantations. Among the numerous techniques of the Dark Night Sect, the Ten Miles Killing Formation was one of the most difficult to master.

It took only a moment for the orders to be relayed to the watchtowers surrounding the Sect Leader’s residence.

“...I have informed them. Now, for the outer...”

“Get the children of those who’ve gone out to safety first. The Ten Miles Killing alone won’t be enough. Activate the Night Demon King Formation, the Nine Calamities Sky Bow Formation, and the Broken Palace Formation. I authorize the use of one hundred of my direct troops, the Thunderbolt Wall.”

This referred to the Dark Night Sect's history of over a hundred years.

Everyone except the ones leading the Shin Sword Sect was included. It was nearly the entire faction’s strength.

The Sect Leader gently stroked the head of his personal bird.

“The Ten Miles Killing will buy us time at the entrance.”

At that moment, a deafening sound echoed. The interior decorated with black marble trembled violently.

Dust fell from the ceiling, and the vibrations from the outside spread into the main hall. The Ten Miles Killing formation was now in action, resembling an artillery barrage.

It was a thunderstrike, an unprecedented occurrence for the Dark Night Sect.

The attendant lowered his head.

“You must leave now. We don’t know what’s going on, but they’ve found the main faction and disrupted the formation... I estimate there are at least three Black Sects among them.”

His voice was urgent. There was a deep sense of loyalty in his words, as though he was addressing a king rather than just a Sect Leader. But the young man rose from his seat and shook his head.

“Do you know the meaning of dignity?”

“Sect Leader...!”

“It’s the decorum befitting your status.”

The next moment, the Sect Leader of the Dark Night Sect held a massive bow in his hands as if it were a lie.

The central string of the bow was wrapped in red leather, and the ends of the bow were carved into the heads of dragons— a grand bow of great power.

“How many of the men from the main faction will die, and how can the common folk, the clan’s people, continue walking forward with their backs turned?”

“....”

“I was born into a lowly station, so it is only fitting that I die running. My actions have consequences.”

At that moment.

Boom— Thud—

The arrows and weaponry clashed, followed by the loud sounds of collapsing structures. Faint cries of battle echoed.

A slight smile crept onto the Sect Leader’s face.

“So, the Night Demon King Formation has been dispelled by a young girl’s spear attack? That’s probably the Ipwang’s formation. And in the southwest, the Nine Calamities Sky Bow Formation hasn’t even managed to hit the Blood Prince with a single shot. Since the Sect Leader was supposed to bring back the Shin Sword Sect's head... What is going on?”

“The Broken Palace Formation was breached by five of them. One, three, six... the internal energy is being disrupted...! The Ten Miles Killing formation is collapsing! It seems the Black Sect members are striking! You must leave immediately...!”

The voice of the attendant trembled as it reached its peak.

In an instant, the unique composure of the clan was shattered. The unexpected events had thrown everything into chaos.

Without any warning, a natural disaster struck. The danger arrived too quickly to even give them a moment’s peace.

No martial faction, no matter how prepared, could have faced this situation without total disarray.

The Sect Leader's personal bird flapped its wings as it stood atop the Sect Leader's shoulders.

“I cannot turn my back on these lowly beings. That is my nature.”

With a slow motion, the Sect Leader strung a long arrow, his voice still calm.

“It’s already a dead end. I wonder what kind of person will arrive first here...”

Boom—

Before the Sect Leader could even finish his sentence, the ceiling shattered into pieces.

In that instant, an arrow shot from his great bow, cutting through the air in a trajectory as dark as the night sky. The faint dust from the ceiling parted as the leather-clad foot that descended crushed the flying arrow precisely.

It was a remarkably graceful stride. The dust scattered in a whirlwind as long legs emerged from the shadows.