Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time Chapter 9

Entry

“······You say it’s bloodline.”

“It seems like you already know. How reckless.”

The green eyes of the Emperor of Heaven were calm. The overwhelmed Jeong Yeon-shin slowly nodded her head.

“I am indeed the blood relative of the previous Shingeomdan leader. I am his grandson.”

“You are a stubborn child, even though you will soon be the head of the Senate. You are wounded.”

“It’s not something the lord should be concerned about. It’s a trivial family matter.”

“That’s not trivial. It’s just hidden by your well-polished body, but you seem to have only lived for about fifteen years. But… It’s true that outsiders can’t say anything. Blood relatives should resolve their own blood relatives.”

“I’m sorry.”

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke with no sign of apology or embarrassment.

I think that the transcendent atmosphere of the absolute being and the words and actions that touch on family matters are separate things.

As if he sensed that feeling, the corners of Ip Hwang Seong Ju’s lips went up slightly.

“I like it. It’s funny how he comes in with what he wants and doesn’t give up.”

‘I saw through it.’

It wasn’t surprising. The upper abdomen’s Baekhoe point was abnormally open? It was a constitution that Jeong Yeon-shin herself realized.

It was not strange for a peerless master like Iphwangseongju to see through it at a glance.

“Can someone like me survive by eating the fruit of the Heavenly Tree?”

“I feel like the efficacy has been distorted, but yes. You will definitely be able to achieve what you want.”

“Can I get it?”

Her smile grew a little wider at Jeongyeonshin’s bold question.

“It depends on what you do.”

“That’s enough for now. Thank you.”

Jeongyeon Shin took the lottery. And asked again.

“Am I now a civilian of Iphwangseong?”

“Okay. You may come down now. Next Shingeomdanju.”

I couldn’t tell if she was just teasing me or if she really recognized his talents.

It was also said that if you become the new sword master, you will be able to obtain the fruit of the world tree.

Jeongyeon Shin left the office filled with trees, leaving her with a slightly mischievous smile behind.

As he came down to the first floor, Heonwonchang greeted him with excitement.

“What on earth happened up there? Please tell me! Prince Jeong took a particularly long time. What did you hear from the Lord of the Imperial Palace? Did you pass?”

“It’s a personal matter, so it’s hard to talk about. I did pass, but why did the number of people decrease like this?”

“All the people who were standing there blankly except for Namgung Sohyeop have all left! I’m so anxious I could die!”

The story was that everyone except Baek Gi-rin and Namgung Hwa-shin had returned.

When I turned my gaze, our eyes met, and he smiled and nodded.

Jeong Yeon-shin, who had just returned the greeting, turned her head and saw Heonwonchang climbing the stairs with a body that looked as if it was about to die.

“Nothing much. Have a nice day.”

It was Heonwonchang who weakly waved his hand to Jeongyeonshin’s support.

* * *

“Hahahaha! Ip Hwang Seong! I am Ip Hwang Shin Hyup!”

Heonwonchang passed. The sight of them cheering in silence was truly unsightly, given the location.

It was a good thing that they had a brief friendship, but honestly, Jeongyeonshin had no idea what the passing criteria were.

“Ip Hwang Seong was a place with a door that was wider open than I thought.”

“What does that mean?”

Heonwonchang blinked.

Jeong Yeon-shin, who didn’t bother to answer, looked at the middle-aged man with a literary demeanor approaching.

“Welcome. I am Gidae Seung under the General Office. Please follow me as I will guide you to your quarters until you are assigned to a position.”

“When will the affiliation be decided?”

It was Jeong Yeon-shin’s question.

“Each of the great lords will select you, so it will take at least seven days and nights. Now that you have become a true warrior, I will tell you······ Ah, let’s talk as we go.”

Jeong Yeon-shin, Namgung Hwa-shin, Heon Won-chang, and another swordsman who passed the exam.

The four people who passed the interview with the Iphwangseongju followed the literary scholar Gidae Seung.

“Hmm, do you know what the main thing that the Emperor does is?”

“Preventing treason from the martial arts masters?”

“The words of Heonwon Sohyeop are correct, but that is something that should be done on a large scale rather than primarily. There is something else that is more detailed and consistent. It is the work of preventing or suppressing conflicts between martial artists that are larger than a certain scale. Baekgirin Sohyeop will know. Namgung Sega’s events have been blocked by Iphwangseong time and again.”

“yes.”

Namgung Hwasin nodded briefly.

Jeong Yeon-shin glanced at him and felt puzzled because his expression seemed better than expected.

As he left behind a prominent family, it seemed that he had his own circumstances that were difficult for outsiders to understand.

Moreover, Gidae Seung, who said such things in front of me, is no ordinary person.

“No one knows how the fights of the martial arts world will turn out. Even if there is a rumor that the tomb of the Heavenly Demon has been discovered, the Central Plains will be in an uproar. If those who covet the secrets of peerless martial arts and elixirs were to fight each other and end it, that would be enough, but the fact that the martial artists who have risen up from all over the place are moving around is a problem in itself.”

After taking a deep breath, Gidae Seung continued speaking.

“The cruel acts of the vicious martial artists do not discriminate between other martial artists and the common people. The public order is in such disarray. When I see that hellish scene, it feels like a world far removed from the Great Ming Empire. The tomb of the unnamed Heavenly Demon summons the King of Hell.”

“The rebellion at Cheonmachong (Heavenly Demon Tomb)······.”

Heonwonchang muttered. His face looked somewhat serious.

Gidae Seung nods.

“It’s been seventeen years now. It’s not just Sima Weidao that is the problem. It’s not uncommon for the old factions and the eight great families to fight over power or gain advantage, as well as the Hundred Path factions. It’s even worse for the regional mid-level factions or the schools that have handed down their martial arts to a small number of people. The groups are diverse, but the individuals within them are even more diverse. If we leave them alone, the people will suffer, and if the people’s hearts become hostile or tributes are not paid on time, there will be problems in governing.”

“······.”

“That is why the imperial family provides a huge amount of wealth, elixirs, secret supplies, and experts. Here in Iphwangseong. That is what you must do. You must cut off the heads of the martial artists who disrupt the people’s lives.”

“That was something I already knew, but when I asked about my affiliation, why did you say something like that?”

Heonwonchang asked.

“It’s a lack of people. To be exact, it’s a lack of people with great potential who are trustworthy and reliable. There’s so much work to do and the areas that need to be handled are so big.”

“Just today, the corn fell off. I stuck to it.”

“······So, it takes time to distribute the selected talent to the right positions. About seven days and nights. Ah, you’ve arrived.”

Gidae Seung, who had a slightly daunted expression on his face, pointed to a building. It was an equally luxurious pavilion.

‘Jeong Ga-Jang was a stable.’

While Jeong Yeon-shin was thinking about it, Gidae Seung gave them a lottery ticket.

“Good luck. Once you enter the palace, the attendants will guide you.”

* * *

Seven days and nights passed.

The palace they were staying in was even more luxurious than it looked from the outside, and as if to prove that they were receiving enormous support from the imperial family, each person had an entire luxurious room.

There was even a training ground at the back of the building, so they could train at any time.

And finally, we moved to a new place.

After being assigned a platoon, they headed to the dedicated quarters and training ground of the 17th platoon.

“I wish you good luck.”

“I hope Namgung Sohyeop also prospers.”

After exchanging greetings, they parted ways.

Meanwhile, strange rumors were circulating in Iphwangseong.

It was said that the seventeen commanders of the Shingeomdan held a military parade to recruit new warriors.

“The subordinates who came back after seeing the Emperor’s visit were in an uproar. They said that one of the two, Baekgirin and Seomye, had to be brought.”

Ma Jin, the leader of the Seventeenth Sect of the Shingumdan, was someone with terrible scars.

A hideous scar ran diagonally down his face from the left to the right.

As the wounds were so strange that it was strange to be alive, the body also had a rough and strong aura.

“You, Seomye.”

He looked at Jeongyeonshin.

The glare in his sharp eyes seemed to show powerful aura, but Jeong Yeon-shin came down after saying everything he wanted to say to Iphwangseongju.

“yes.”

A strange answer. Margin nodded, seeing that her expression didn’t change at all.

“I see your spirit. People like you don’t die easily.”

The place they were was Ma Gwang-ik’s training ground.

An impressive sight with a wide range of weapons lined up on one side in a space large enough to accommodate at least five hundred people.

The pavilion next to it was also huge, on a different level from the one used while waiting.

Around them, about thirty men and women were sitting or standing, watching the two new recruits.

“The armed forces under the Iphwangseong Shingumdan are like a single school in the Central Plains. You will learn martial arts here at Magwangik and carry out your missions. Everyone is your disciple and master.”

“Your Majesty, I have a question!”

Unlike Jeongyeonshin, he was not overwhelmed by spirit, Heonwonchang. He looked so excited right now that he didn’t know what to do.

“Speak.”

Margin nodded.

Ma Gwang-ik brought two of the four new recruits.

While waiting, Jeongyeonshin heard that Margin was the strongest among the seventeen leaders of the Ip Hwang Seong, and seeing it today, she thought that it was not an empty claim.

Meanwhile, Heonwonchang was pouring out his words with an excited look on his face.

“Thank you for allowing me to ask a question! Does learning martial arts from Magwangik mean that everyone shares the same martial arts?”

“That’s not true. The Dokmun martial arts are yours alone. You are the only ones who can teach and learn the martial arts of Ma Gwang-ik. The rest are not mandatory.”

“Ahh! Anyway, that famous magic knot······!”

A deeply moved expression. Even after entering the castle, the Hwangryong Youngwoonggeon, which had not been released, flutters about as if reflecting the owner’s feelings.

‘It’s a magic light.’

It’s a martial art that even Jeongyeonshin has heard of.

To begin with, Ma Gwang-ik was a very famous member of the Seventeenth Division of the Shingumdan.

This is because there was an incident where he clashed with the 24 Plum Blossom Swordsmen, the most elite swordsmen of the Hwasan faction, without suffering a single casualty.

It was an incident that added strength to the claims of the wealthy who said that the imperial palace was the best in the world.

“You will have to study hard to survive.”

Margin said. The face of the general on the northern border was truly serious.

“Even though the Imperial Clan is an imperial sect, attacking the Imperial Clan’s unmanned personnel does not constitute treason. Therefore, you must learn and practice here and become endlessly stronger. If you fail, you will die.”

“If it’s not treason, then why is that?”

Jeongyeonshin asked. Before Majin could say anything, Heonwonchang opened his mouth first.

“From the perspective of the imperial family, treason must be uncovered and its entire family destroyed. If not, the dignity of the empire will be undermined and the absoluteness of the imperial family will be tarnished. At least that’s what they think.”

“······That crazy guy.”

Margin chuckled but didn’t stop the story.

“However, there are many weirdos in the world of martial arts. There are many who have lost their sense of humor while learning magic, or who have the ability to escape to deep mountains and valleys after provoking an official because their lightness is so obvious and fast. That’s why it’s impossible to grant the dignity of the royal family to a martial artist who is not even an ordinary official, but rather a martial artist whose job is to clash with the martial artists.”

Jeongyeon Shin nodded slightly.

There were times when the man named Heonwonchang showed flashes of ingenuity, unlike his usual seemingly insignificant self.

This was mainly the case when talking about the origins of a sect or its power structure.

It is the same with guessing the intentions of the palace based on the state of affairs in Gangho.

It seemed that he had a hostility towards the Daemun faction, and that he had a history that was in contrast to his usual light-hearted atmosphere.

“Heonwonchang’s words are not wrong. That’s why you have to become stronger. If it were that guy who went on a mission and came back stabbed by Namgung Jeilgeom, he would have said it better.”

In the place Margin pointed to, a handsome man wearing a blue hood was sitting roughly spread out.

A gentle expression with strangely distinct facial features.

The atmosphere itself was free-spirited, and a gentle breeze constantly swayed the hem of the scarf on the back of his head.

It was obviously out of the ordinary at first glance.

“The Emperor’s Sword Form is incredibly scary.”

He said, waving his hand.

I couldn’t help but be surprised.

If it is the Emperor’s Sword, it is a swordsmanship that is considered one of the best in the world and is a peerless martial art that only the direct successor of the Namgung family can learn.

It was a name that Jeongyeonshin heard even though she lived in the countryside.

‘Even if he’s Namgung Jeilgeom, isn’t he the best swordsman in Namjikrye?’

The hooded man’s prayer itself did not look particularly strong, but upon closer inspection, the qi waves writhing around his body were thoroughly controlled.

The fact that he came back alive from a master like Namgung Jeilgeom is proof of his skills.

“Then, let’s take a look at Seomye first!”

The hooded man stood up abruptly. Margin took a step back, as if they had already talked.

A man strides towards Jeongyeonshin. His gaze is strangely drawn to the sword dangling loosely around his waist.

He chuckled.

“If you’re that age and you’re here, you must be quite talented. Let’s take a look. Your sword skills, that is. I’m really good at checking that kind of thing.”

“You said you were good at seeing talent?”

Jeong Yeon-shin asked back absentmindedly.