Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time Chapter 6

be recognized (2)

The late cold was freezing the early morning air on the mountain behind Jeonggajang.

Jeongyeonshin thought.

If the wind blowing through the valley had a color, it would be gray-white.

The Jeong family, who once ruled the county, laid down their lives under the seeds that would bloom next year.

They carried and buried the bodies all night long.

The actions of Jeong Yeon-shin, the commander, the few surviving workers, and Jeong Joong-san and the Jongnam faction masters were nothing but dust.

My nephew, curled up on one side, cried and fell asleep repeatedly.

Jeongyeonshin glanced at Hye-ah and opened her mouth.

“It’s finished.”

“I see. It will be a sad mountain. It doesn’t even have a name.”

The director agreed. Jeong Yeon-shin shook her head.

“No. The regular season is over.”

“······.”

“Dan-ae-geom Daehyeop, Mu-ryeong-kwon Daehyeop. Thank you again for your help.”

He left the bitter-looking general behind and bowed to the Jongnam faction’s soldiers.

Even though they were covered in dirt, their eyes were full of energy.

He faced the lottery with a sincere attitude, and it was obvious that he was showing respect even to a mere boy.

“Now that we are a priest’s family, that’s not true.”

“Also······ it would be difficult to say that we are not responsible for not being able to stop it.”

Following the story about the Dan-ae Sword, a serious look was seen between the thick eyebrows of the Muryeong Kwon.

Jeong Joong-san, who was ready to leave with them, was holding his niece Jeong Hye and looking gloomily at his third younger sister.

It seemed like people had changed a little after going through the ordeal.

“How can I apologize for something that has piled up over a long period of time with just one word?”

Jeong Joong-san said. His face looked tired.

“When we meet again, I will be your older brother. I will try my best, so you survive.”

“Even though he entered the martial arts of Jongnam late, he doesn’t have any outstanding talents. That’s what I think.”

For the first time in her life, Jeong Yeon-shin honestly told the truth to her superiors.

It was such a relief that I wondered why I hadn’t done it sooner.

“You will have to train until you die. Take good care of Hye-ah.”

“···I get it.”

The Jongnam faction masters, the second oldest brother, and the young nephew left like that.

When I turned around, I saw the general carrying a bundle standing with his workers.

“Where is the general going?”

“I said I had created a source of information. There are small branches of the Jeong family all over Namyang. Since the Jeong family’s bloodline is still alive, it is only natural that we should support them with the remaining family assets.”

“Jeong Ga-jang is ruined, right?”

The general smiled faintly.

“They are a large landowner family. The farmland owned by the family is not only in Shinya.”

I didn’t know he was such a godly person. He was such an amazing person that I thought he was more than worthy of the title of Jeong Ga-jang.

“As you know, I’m going to Ip Hwang Seong. I hope I can see you sometimes.”

“Of course.”

The general has also learned martial arts. He will be able to protect me.

“I hope the governor can enjoy a long life. He should take care of himself.”

“I pray for your good health, my lord.”

It was a farewell to the general and the chief. The general silently looked at the boy’s back without looking back.

‘I wish I could live a long life······? After receiving grace from my ancestors, have you ever heard such words from your blood relatives?’

Jeongyeonshin felt the presence, but she didn’t bother to turn her head.

As I walked through the grass, a fresh air was in the air.

* * *

It was my first time coming out of Shinya-hyeon.

I was able to follow the official route after getting detailed directions from the general, but I couldn’t help but attract a lot of attention.

The sun had already risen and the dirt road was beginning to welcome the sunlight.

The official road between Nanyang and Yangyang was also the road connecting Hanam-seong and Hogwang-seong.

There was also a road leading to Seomseo not far away, so I had to check every now and then to see if the bag I carried on my back was still intact.

I’ve met that many people.

“For a beggar, his clothes are unusual.”

“Isn’t that silk? Wearing silk as a uniform.”

“Silk? But that appearance······.”

The passing merchants of the Pyogwan chattered among themselves.

I’ve heard that there are cases where groups of merchants or signposts you encounter on the road turn into bandits.

Jeongyeonshin walked silently, never taking her hands off the sword.

‘It’s a humiliation.’

However, it was not possible to use the mountain path where there were few people.

Now, I am a rookie who has just come out into the world, so I lack experience. If I were to get lost, it would be a disaster.

But it wasn’t something that could be solved just by being on guard.

There were lynxes everywhere, targeting clothes and treasures. It was a world where robbery and murder were common.

Eventually, he got into an altercation with some sword-wielding vagabonds, and the ronin ended up paying the price for underestimating the young swordsman.

Compared to the thirteen thousand warriors, they were so weak that it was almost bewildering.

‘What are you believing in that makes you jump in?’

They say they are ronin, but among the common warriors you see on the street, there were few who had properly mastered internal energy.

It was a world where learning was precious.

From Shinya to Yangyang.

It is a short distance for experts who can use lightness that makes them feel like they are flying in the sky.

However, Jeong Yeon-shin, who was not good at light martial arts, experienced the hassles of martial arts and bloody real-life battles.

Among them, there was no one who could block the quick swordsmanship, and while cutting down the ronin with swordsmanship, Jeong Ga-dong-gong became absorbed in swordsmanship.

It was different from when I only trained my body alone.

As I swung my sword and manipulated my pupils in real combat, my body changed once again.

The muscles of the entire body adapted to the instantaneous explosive power, and flexibility increased.

Quick, quick, and more quick.

The quick swordsmanship that had been fast to begin with was now invisible to his own eyes.

Since the body, which can be said to be the foundation of martial arts, is actively changing, the utility of the true energy is bound to increase.

‘Did you say it was a divine power?’

Whether it was because he had practiced Jeonggadonggong for a short period of time and achieved great success, he could see the transformation of his body with his own eyes.

A week.

It was the time of enduring my first night out, a hard bed, and the cold night air.

“Phew.”

The boy entered the guest house with a sigh and unpacked his bags. He had arrived in Yangyang.

A city that has been on the path to prosperity and growth since the establishment of Iphwangseong Fortress.

Tens of thousands of people come and go every day, and thousands of types of goods come and go.

It can be said to be one of the largest cities in the Central Plains in terms of trade volume and cultural level.

“Not now! My brother is really angry! He said he can’t sell because there is no alcohol.”

It was a conversation between people who appeared to be merchants.

Jeong Yeon-shin, who had come down to the room and ordered food from Jeom So-yi, listened.

“They come from all over the Central Plains with dreams of great success. I heard there are even martial artists who spread silver coins.”

“These days, there is no day or night in the barracks. The people who came to take the entrance exam are drunk!”

“The entrance exam is really amazing.”

“Of course! Isn’t this like holding onto a dying sheep and feeding it to the point of almost bursting its stomach?”

“Oh, what an analogy! Hahaha!”

I don’t know about anything else, but Jeongyeonshin also agreed with the last words.

I could feel the extremely high cost of living through the accommodation costs, and it was obvious that I would run out of money if I stayed for just one more month.

I thought you had secretly brought a lot of swords.

That was when.

“Have the younger brothers also come to enter the Imperial City?”

A young man sat across from me with a cheerful smile.

The sword hanging from his waist was no ordinary sword at first glance, and the blue band around his head was particularly impressive.

An object called a hero gun.

These days, it is an accessory that is not worn unless it is quite stylish, but it had a dragon engraved on it with gold thread.

“Your Majesty?”

“Ah! I didn’t introduce myself. I was just curious to see a younger challenger.”

The young man continued with a smiling face.

“My name is Heonwonchang. I come from far away Shanxi.”

“This is the true nature of Shinya.”

“Shinya? Where is Shinya?”

“It is a county in Nanyang, Habuk.”

“You came from a nearby place! The journey must have been easy. I crossed swords with the bandits of the Green Forest and raced with the watermen of Surochae! The water skills of the Surochae guys were very fierce!”

“Well······ I guess I was comfortable.”

Jeong Yeon-shin gave a vague answer.

“Yes, it seems that you are a comrade preparing to enter the Imperial Palace.”

“What is your business?”

“Let’s make friends! If there’s information, we can exchange it. There are very few who pass the entrance exam on the first try. It happens maybe once in a thousand, and even then, they are the later ranks of famous families who are trying to make a name for themselves. I know that most people pass after accumulating the first, third, and tenth exams.”

“Is there a test?”

He opened his eyes wide as if to say, “Didn’t you know that?” The exaggerated expression suited him very well.

“It’s called Ip-Hwang-si! Isn’t Ip-Hwang-seong different in nature from the ordinary sects? Just like you have to take the military or civil service exams to become a government official, there is a separate exam to enter Ip-Hwang-seong.”

“That’s why there are so many people······.”

“Regardless of whether you have a foundation or not, the moment you enter, a place of learning and opportunity opens up, so it’s no wonder that the world’s martial artists don’t flock here. There must be thousands of people who practice all kinds of martial arts to pass through here.”

Yellow color.

If you want to strike down the world with just one weapon, go to Iphwangseong, where even the officials will watch your every move.

It was a common saying. The cradle of martial arts that would make anyone’s heart tremble.

It was said that since the imperial family that ruled the entire Central Plains took direct action to suppress the martial arts schools, there were many elixirs and martial arts skills gathered from all over the world.

“Some people say that the traditional great sect is more important. They really don’t know what they are talking about. A sect established by a commoner is stronger than the Iphwangseong? Then, they establish an empire and act as emperors. How can the Great Ming Empire be maintained? In their own regions, they collect protection taxes and receive donations, and they are treated like kings.”

“okay.”

Jeongyeonshin roughly agreed. I thought he was someone who held a grudge against a large sect.

“Anyway, coming to see the Emperor’s visit was an excellent choice. ······If only I could get through.”

He speaks with a suddenly gloomy expression.

Jeong Yeon-shin found the person in front of her, Heonwonchang, quite strange.

It was the first time I had seen such a chatty person with such ups and downs in his mood.

“If you pass, you will immediately gain the reputation of being the best among your juniors! If you are the same age as the Ihwangseong martial artist, wouldn’t you be an outstanding new master?”

The tone of Heonwonchang’s voice, which had been speaking with a smiling face, lost its strength again.

“······As majestic as it is, the walls of Ip Hwang Seong are dizzyingly high.”

“Yes, I see.”

Just when Jeongyeon Shin was starting to get tired, the food came out.

Chicken and vegetable dishes, including kung pao chicken and sochae.

I hadn’t eaten properly for a few days, so I was happy just from the smell.

Heonwonchang, who had been watching him eat with a complicated expression, opened his mouth.

“So, how about we go take the test together tomorrow?”

“Let’s do that.”

Jeongyeonshin answered nonchalantly.

In fact, I was glad that I could get in just by taking the test.

I didn’t want to ask for help from someone on my maternal side whose place I didn’t even know or what they looked like.

It was a determination and determination not to be swayed even if one’s life was at stake.

* * *

The next day.

“You came to the right place.”

Jeong Yeon-shin, who stood before Iphwangseong, was no longer the third daughter of the Jeong family.

A swordsman who had survived a particularly harsh week for a boy with wealth. The boy had become a martial artist.

‘It’s amazing.’

He looked up at the main gate and was amazed. It was on a scale he had never heard of.

The castle, spread out shoulder to shoulder against the clear, purple sky, showed off its grandeur.

“It’s impregnable.”

Heonwonchang, standing next to her, muttered with a bewitched expression. Jeongyeonshin inwardly agreed.

The double-layered, towering walls looked sturdy.

A shape that covers a very wide area with a beginning and an end that are very far apart.

A moat was dug around it, forming a vast belt of water.

The large, wide open main gate is the pride of a place that claims to be the best in Gangho.

Jeongyeonshin slowly stepped forward.

There was a fenced-in smokehouse in front. This must have been the first testing site that Heonwonchang had mentioned.

“Let’s go.”

“Okay.”

The two approached the front reception desk and stated their personal information.

The receptionist in formal attire followed suit and asked again.

“Hanamseong, Namyang. Is that right, Jeongyeonshin of Shinya-hyeon?”

“yes.”

“Enter the training ground.”

He turns around, handing me one of the round paddles piled high on one side of a fairly large desk.

The number thirteen was engraved on the badge.

‘It’s noisy.’

There weren’t only examiners and candidates around.

In addition to the young warriors who dreamed of climbing the ladder of success, there were also many onlookers, merchants, and bettors.

It seems that they are not specifically restricting it from being seen and enjoyed in the imperial palace.

“think.”

As they passed through the fence gate with Heonwonchang, the warrior in charge of the test called out to them.

The neat uniform and the tightly condensed spirit gave off a feeling that was no less than that of the masters of the thirteen heavens.

The examiner said.

“The first test is a quick test.”

“yes?”