Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time Chapter 3

The destruction of a clan (2)

‘what?’

I quickly lowered my head again. It was a look of incomprehension, but I didn’t put much meaning into it.

‘The Jongnam faction’s masters won’t be showing off their martial arts skills here.’

It was enough for me to see it directly and feel the prayer.

The Seon-gi of Jongnam Mountain, the birthplace of Taoism, were indeed different from the martial artists of Jeonggajang who were entangled in worldly times.

I wondered how profound the function of the Naegongsim method was that it gave me a refreshing feeling on my skin.

“Raise your head. I’m not here to brag about the distribution.”

The words of the goddess were still mixed with laughter. People stood up and straightened their postures.

Jeong Dae-myeong, the head of the household, quickly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and opened his mouth.

“You came here on a whim, but I feel it is rude of you to set up Jongnam’s swordsmen. I will show you around.”

The Jongnampa masters walked along the path of Gaju.

Yeo Il-shin passed by the family members and looked at Jeong Yeon-shin strangely once again.

“I think you saw me.”

“It wouldn’t be you, it would be me.”

The grumbling behind me was annoying.

What does it matter what that famous Jongnampa elder thinks of anyone? He probably won’t accept anyone as his disciple.

Jeongyeonshin turned around. She headed straight to the training ground and thought deeply.

‘There is nowhere higher for Jeonggadonggong to go.’

What should I practice now?

After mastering one martial art and facing the momentum of the Jongnam faction’s masters, my perspective seemed to change.

The desire for achievement began to overtake the feeling of rejection.

‘Sword······. Now, let’s practice swordsmanship.’

What would it feel like to experience the realm of greatness through proper swordsmanship?

Jeong Yeon-shin headed to the training ground, dismantling each and every piece of the Jeong Jong-shin sword she had seen as a child. Her steps were light.

* * *

The family was in an uproar, but the training ground with only one boy was extremely quiet.

He raised his sword to his torso and held it still. His breathing was calm.

The deep breathing through the pupils of the eyes created a cloud-like fullness in one breath.

And the exhalation, the exhalation, melted away all thoughts like rain washing away the earth.

Jeong Yeon-shin has reached the state of no-self. With just one breath, she completely immerses herself in the sword.

Jeongjongsingeom, Gihwailryeongsik.

The sword moved.

The Jeongjongshin sword, consisting of three swords and twenty-one spears, was majestic.

The unique feeling of the Taoist Hyeonmunjeongjong is felt by bringing in the Jongnam sword technique, albeit at a shallow depth.

If it is the main mountain martial arts, it will be both elegant and mysterious. The Jeongjongshin sword was just elegant.

Unnatural. It’s like a worldly swordsman imitating a Taoist priest.

Jeongyeonshin felt it instinctively before she thought about it.

What do worldly swordsmen who came down from the Taoist school pursue? Wealth and fame.

Anyone who blocks my path can be killed with a single stroke of a sword.

What does a shallow swordsman need? Speed. The sword must be fast.

WHEEK!

The sword has changed. The sword that used to be swung with a sense of weight has become lighter.

The energy was racing through the blood vessels of my body, following the new idea.

The resonator vigorously wriggles, contracting the muscles throughout the body.

The secret of the quick sword was added to the sword technique, and naturally, a new sword path was opened.

Swish!

The night air is scattered with the sound of birds chirping as the iron sword tears through the air.

It was a strike that was not seen anywhere else in Jeongjongsin Sword. It was a completely new sword technique.

“ha.”

I let out a deep breath of overwhelming fulfillment.

Jeongyeonshin looked down at her hand holding the sword.

When I started the swordsmanship, I had all five fingers firmly clenched according to the Jeongjongshin sword technique, but now the strength in my thumb and index finger was somewhat relaxed.

This is how you do it.

“This is so refreshing.”

The boy who realized the quick sword technique and created a sword was very excited.

It was different from the deep craftsmanship of Jeong Ga-dong, who completed it with patience, stitch by stitch.

After seeing the masters of Jongnampa, an idea came to mind and I immediately created a new norigae.

“It’s fun. Really.”

Jeong Yeon-shin, who was unfolding the newly acquired Quick Sword a few more times, suddenly raised her head.

A pitch-black sky, as if covered with dark silk.

The sky was covered with clouds so not only were the stars not visible, but neither was the moon.

‘I should go to bed now if I want to practice my pupils at dawn.’

He smiled proudly and headed straight to his bedroom.

His body, honed through hard work, didn’t shed a single drop of sweat.

The boy, who did not feel the need to wash, fell asleep right away.

* * *

Jeong Yeon-shin, who woke up early and finished her morning practice, headed straight to the breakfast room.

Normally, I would have the servant eat breakfast alone, but now it was different.

It was clear that Gaju would be having a meal with the Jongnam masters, who might not know how long they would stay.

‘Being shameless is no big deal.’

Wasn’t it inspiring just to see their clear prayers?

The boy, who had tasted great accomplishment, attended the family breakfast with a proud face.

He doesn’t care about the servants who look at him with surprised eyes.

Jeong Yeon-shin turned her gaze to the Jongnam faction figures sitting at the top.

“Okay. If you’re here, sit down.”

“I’m sorry,” said Jeong Dae-myeong, the head of the household, who had been coughing in vain.

It would have been difficult to show off your child in front of such famous people.

That was what Jeong Yeon-shin was aiming for.

The meal has begun.

The boy tried not to show off and glanced at the other men of letters, including Yeo Il-shin.

I wondered what kind of study I had to do to be able to have the kind of consistent prayer they displayed.

The nature of a person’s energy varies depending on their emotions, but the clear energy that seemed to have been brought directly from Jongnam Mountain was amazing.

Then, my eyes met with the elder of the Ming tribe, Yeo Il-shin. She smiled brightly.

“Your Majesty the King has such clear eyes. He seems so intelligent.”

“Hmm······! I’m really sorry. My third son’s cultivation is very lacking······.”

Jeong Dae-myeong, startled, slightly pulled back and glared at Jeong Yeon-shin.

The boy lowered his head slightly and ate the vegetables.

Strangely enough, Yeo Il-shin’s faint smile was more burdensome than Jeong Dae-myeong’s open expression.

Something is different.

‘It’s not all clear. It’s thick. Is that what you call extreme aerodynamics?’

It was my first time seeing a state where the energy accumulated within the body was naturally expressed outside the body.

It is a power that can be clearly felt even if it cannot be seen.

It felt like I had broken the limits of my knowledge about how strong my internal energy could become.

‘Jeong Ga-dong is not the end. We can develop further.’

The vegetables that were going into my mouth stopped.

I caught a glimpse of a new martial arts technique.

Come to think of it, the body that Jeong Yeon-shin had been using as a mirror up until now was her own body.

Dumbly, I didn’t know what came next.

Because no one told anyone, amidst everyone’s indifference and subtle hostility.

‘The body is a vessel. To have such a prayer, you must train your energy.’

There was nothing wrong with what we had been doing.

Thanks to this, I was able to focus solely on training and completely establish a foundation for the circulation of true energy.

Seonjeonghugi (先精後氣). Wash the bowl first, then fill it with water.

Now, all you have to do is breathe life into it.

Jeong Yeon-shin has now completely realized the most basic and yet ultimate truth.

Jeong Ga-dong can go further.

It will evolve once again and transform into a new martial art.

‘This time it’s really deep.’

I hummed to myself.

All sorts of inspirational thoughts were striking my mind like lightning.

Countless methods of receiving energy from heaven and earth through the method of induction are intertwined to form a cocoon.

‘What should I say next after Jeong Ga-dong?’

For a moment, the boy’s eyes glowed blue, but the only person who witnessed this was Jongnam’s female companion.

A sense of doubt arose in her heterogeneously beautiful face.

* * *

“It’s a better place than I thought.”

“That is certainly true. With this much earthly energy, even a swordsman would be tempted.”

There were two disciples from the Jongnam faction who accompanied the elder to carry out his orders.

The three warriors, including Yeo Il-shin, were drinking tea in the VIP room provided by Jang Ju, the head of the Jeong family.

They seemed to be conscious of being disciples of the old school, and the neatly decorated room and subtle tea scent gave it a unique charm.

“It’s certain that they’ll arrive. The plan to counterattack is good, but······. This family’s sacrifice is truly regrettable.”

Yeo Il-shin said.

“The office is always open.”

“Can’t we get out there and defeat them before they get over the wall?”

Confidence flowed from their faces as they passed the age of thirty.

Yeo Il-shin, who sensed the speculation emanating from the disciples of Samun, did not say anything more.

They are the elite of the nine factions of the world.

It was something that could not be called excessive.

She changed the subject.

“Do you like the child you are receiving as a gift?”

“I don’t know.”

“Me too······.”

The two people showed a bland reaction.

After living for over two hundred years, even if it was the first time meeting someone, you could guess their character and qualities from their demeanor and words, so in Yeo Il-shin’s eyes, there was nothing particularly extraordinary about the second son of the Jeong family.

“Rather, the third child’s eyes were firm.”

“I saw it that way too.”

“Even at first glance, it doesn’t look like an ordinary vessel. It may one day become famous as the sword representing this family. If you become a named disciple of the main temple, you won’t be able to continue the family business, so I wonder if the head of the family is intentionally sending his second son.”

Yeo Il-shin’s words were a guess, but her tone was close to certainty. The two disciples’ faces showed surprise.

“Is that all you mean?”

“Huh. If that’s the case, then bringing the third child to the main temple······.”

“It is against the law. The main text has already decided on the disciple. Even if you change your mind now, the head of the household will not accept it, and it is as frivolous as the event of the great lord.”

The disciples bowed their heads at the elder’s soft shout.

As they reflected on how frivolous their words and actions were, Yeo Il-shin tapped the table with her long fingers.

‘He is a strange child.’

He has always shown a strange temperament.

It wasn’t the kind of quality that is referred to among the nobility as being ‘loved by Mother Nature’.

If that were the case, things that were visible only to Yeo Il-shin’s eyes would have surrounded the child.

It was different from that.

‘That child seemed to stand out among the rest of the world.’

Extremely powerful masters like her communicate with heaven.

The true energy that penetrated the Baekhoe point of Jeongsu-ri was truly mysterious, and there were often times when it would provide supernatural abilities such as prophecy through the upper abdomen.

Why did Yeo Il-shin feel this much of a sense of alienation? This child was definitely something out of the ordinary.

But now was not the time to worry.

“The Sword of the Fallen is a great enemy. Don’t let your guard down and sharpen your sword spirit.”

* * *

After finishing breakfast, Jeong Yeon-shin received a visit from the general. The matter was easy to guess.

Because his polite face was looking this way with an embarrassed expression.

“General.”

“The Three Princes.”

“I don’t know if I did something wrong. I’ve been thinking that way more and more lately.”

“The Three Princes.”

“Did your mother’s energy run out when you were born? Is that why you can’t even show your face to the family’s distinguished guests?”

“······It is the Lord Jang’s will.”

The general answered. Jeong Yeon-shin, seeing his weary face, shut her mouth.

The director is a good person.

He was the hand and foot of the family, who took charge of all the household affairs according to the wishes of the eldest son and head of the household, Jeong Dae-myeong, regardless of his own wishes.

At times like this, I would miss my maternal grandparents whom I had never seen before.

One of them didn’t send it to Jeonggajang.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s maternal family is a very powerful force.

Although he had never visited his grandchild since his biological mother passed away, the family members who treated Jeong Yeon-shin poorly were always wary and uncomfortable.

“Sorry.”

The boy said. A look of regret crossed the governor’s face for a moment.

“···I understand that your highness, the training ground is short on training materials. I will prepare new ones.”

“Thank you. I’ll wait.”

Jeongyeonshin turned around and blamed herself.

Every time I see the masters of Jongnampa, I feel enlightened and show my impatient mind.

That was not the case.

‘Let’s try weaving a deep connection.’

I calmed my mind by breathing according to the instructions of Jeonggadonggong.