Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time

Chapter 72 – Rewards

How long had he been in pitch-black unconsciousness?

Suddenly he felt sunlight. It was white. At the same time, it felt like a deep cotton mass was pushing his soul.

“Mmm.”

It was the moment he was waking. A cracked groan started but stopped.

The sensation of the bed was familiar. It had the softness unique to Radiant Demon Wing’s quarters.

The air’s smell was the same. A very cozy and neat feeling. It meant safety.

‘Ah.’

The moment he became aware of his spirit, consciousness flashed like a beam of light. He instantly counted the time that had passed.

It was a habit of thought that had already become an instinct.

From the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering to the Hwangbo family, then back to South Zhili to save and help Hyeon Won-chang recover, then to the Blood Flame Sect headquarters before the Namgung family b*st*rds.

Just the time spent moving was enormous. Significant incidents had also overlapped.

The days spent were eighty-seven.

Lifespan lost to sword song was about fifteen days total.

How long had the return taken?

He guessed from his hunger… Though his stomach was empty, it was fine. His body hadn’t weakened too much.

He also observed internally. His entire body’s blood paths, eight extraordinary vessels, twelve meridians, and three dantians.

The strength and mobility had become very weak. It seemed to be the recoil from changing the Two Flame Blood Spirit Formation into demon-subduing formation key points.

The burden his Hundred Meetings point placed on his upper dantian had also grown larger.

‘I’ll need recuperation.’

He would need to take time to bring back peak condition.

“There’s movement. Are you awake?”

Power overflowing from the thick voice could be felt. It was inner power rippling even without consciousness.

A very powerful supreme master spoke without opening the door first.

He knew immediately.

Both the familiar voice and Ma Jin who had become mindful of his nephew after learning of their blood relation.

“Yes, Squad Leader. Please come in.”

“Alright.”

The door opened with a creak.

A large-built man entered and closed the wooden door.

Muscles tightly woven enough to show through black clothes, scars on his face meaning hundreds of battles.

It was the Radiant Demon Wing’s leader who had made his name even more renowned while exterminating the Hwangbo main family.

Jeong Yeon-shin looked at his maternal uncle anew. He had thought many things right after being captured by the Seventh Apostle.

He thought he might never see him again.

“How is your body? You must have fought the Hwangbo family head.”

Jeong Yeon-shin asked while scanning his body.

Ma Jin sat on the edge of the bed. He opened his mouth while looking down intently at his lying nephew.

“They said it was war so they attacked together. The family head’s martial might was quite powerful. He used martial arts I’d never heard of called secret techniques. I joined hands with the Annihilation Team leader, and only after passing seventy exchanges did I take his head. I recovered from internal injuries while returning. How are you?”

“There’s no problem with true qi flow. Blood circulation is good too, and it seems I just need a little rest with meals. However.”

“Hmm?”

“What day is it today?”

“…Five days before summer solstice.”

He meant the fifteenth of June.

Jeong Yeon-shin closed his eyes slightly. It meant he had already spent half of his age sixteen.

Three years and six months remained. About fifteen days had to be counted as lifespan drawn for sword song.

He raised his upper body using his abdominal muscles.

“I acted alone a lot. I should report directly to the General Administration Office.”

“No need to hurry. Those who went to strike the Blood Flame Sect headquarters are still returning. And… My return was a bit later than yours, but by then the main sect was already in an uproar. They say the Sect Lord personally carried you back. She seemed to have used lightness technique alone.”

“Then?”

“The General Administration Office’s strict handling of matters is well known. However, they cannot rush you to report after witnessing such a sight. It means you can take your time.”

“I understand.”

He completely got up from the bed. His actions differed from his words.

He set aside his body’s condition that needed focus on recovery. He had to go to the General Administration Office right away. He couldn’t bear waiting for the merit settlement.

As he slowly stretched out his legs, Ma Jin was pushed back inadvertently.

“…What are you doing?”

“Just lying down can’t be called recuperation. I should feel the sunlight and at least sense the late spring breeze.”

“What? When you’re not even an elf…”

He stopped his uncle who tried to follow and left the inner quarters.

He had to stop as soon as he came outside. It was because senior disciples passing through the Radiant Demon Wing hall approached with bright faces.

“Lightning Genius is up.”

“Are you alright?”

“I heard your activities were quite dramatic, would you tell us about it?”

“More than that, is it true you were carried by the Sect Lord? I wonder if you fully felt the peerless body technique. How was the speed?”

It was something he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

They were Radiant Demon Wing blue-ranked seniors. They had shown interest every time their youngest completed a mission.

Though Jeong Yeon-shin had escaped the lower ranks with the blue rank promotion and Shin So-bin’s entry, in their eyes he still seemed like a young junior.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s goal was the Divine Sword Squad Leader’s purple rank.

Blue-ranked warriors were the core of Desolate Sect. He had to mind his reputation among them.

He walked together with them to the path passing the great martial arts grounds while answering each question.

Perhaps because it became noisy for the first time in a while, other seniors also kept gathering.

Eventually they began talking among themselves.

“The main sect has certainly become turbulent. Including how the Sect Lord returned caring for Lightning Genius.”

“Are there more incidents?”

At Jeong Yeon-shin’s question, another senior opened his mouth.

“The entire murim is entering chaotic times. The seventeen squads’ hands are very lacking, but the ambition of the families under the main sect has caught fire. Word spreads they’ve begun fighting over mission assignments. Your maternal family Desolate Ma family is involved too.”

Their words and actions were uninhibited even when discussing families.

It was warranted. Desolate Sect blue-ranked warriors were masters who could act as strong ones anywhere in the Central Plains.

Their personalities were as magnanimous as their lofty martial might. They were masters of the same rank who could easily defeat a hundred with one sword.

“I see.”

Being like that himself, Jeong Yeon-shin silently nodded.

“There’s more. The genius fellow.”

Another senior’s voice was heard from one side. The surroundings became noisy again.

“I’ve heard well. Is it the one locked in the prison? The Scorching Divine Meridian they said.”

“If you mean the Hwangbo family’s young master, that’s right. There’s much talk about his treatment.”

“I don’t understand why they don’t kill him. Isn’t the Hwangbo family’s martial arts remaining itself a future trouble?”

“Future trouble? He’s already captured in the main sect. How could he escape?”

It was the talk about the Hwangbo family’s Lazy Flame Dragon. Jeong Yeon-shin asked once more.

“Did the Shandong expedition team’s white ranks return first?”

“Yes. Those fellows’ merit is great too. Even after losing to the family alliance and Blood Flame Sect, they somehow protected several prisoners. The same goes for that Lazy Flame Dragon fellow. He was brought in quite proudly.”

The madman who had a rose in his mouth came to mind. He was a different kind of madman from the Seventh Apostle.

‘Compared to the conflicts between families under the main family, it’s nothing special.’

Jeong Yeon-shin inwardly shook his head.

The smiling seniors pestered him to tell stories about his mission.

They were ones who didn’t even enjoy common gambling. They said they had few pleasures in life.

Martial arts, murim affairs, and personal trivia including war stories were everything.

“I’ll tell you later. Let’s have a sword discussion together sometime.”

He shook them off with kind words. He headed straight for the General Administration Office.

“Radiant Demon Wing’s Jeong Yeon-shin. Is that correct?”

“Yes.”

The clerk managing the entry register checked Jeong Yeon-shin’s Desolate badge.

A vivid golden tree pattern was gilded on it. It was an identity badge with the characters for Lightning Genius (閃藝) engraved below the pattern.

Lightning Genius was no longer just a name used as an alias. It was the courtesy name officially bestowed by the Sect Lord during the coming-of-age ceremony.

The clerk immediately returned the badge. It seemed he had only formally asked for identification.

Jeong Yeon-shin had come wearing his Desolate Sect blue martial robe. There was no way they wouldn’t recognize the golden character ‘Desolate (荒)’ meaning direct disciple of Desolate Sect’s lord.

“Young Hero Lightning Genius. Could you state your business?”

“Mission report and merit settlement.”

For a moment, a glint seemed to appear in his eyes.

“Confirmed.”

Jeong Yeon-shin immediately entered the large hall interior. The scent of ink wafted over strongly.

The long stretched-out desks were very classical, and clerks filling the seats widely were each holding brushes writing down characters.

It was a very vast office. It seemed no smaller than an ordinary martial arts ground.

The number of clerks filling the interior easily reached several dozens.

Ma Jin’s words were right. There was an atmosphere no less stern than among warriors.

He sent sound transmission to the one sitting in the seat of honor at the far end.

-Radiant Demon Wing’s Lightning Genius. I wish to report my mission…

A robust man wearing brown robes stood up.

He was a middle-aged man who had grown a thick black beard, and his reaction was very quick.

“This way please!”

He stretched out his hand while practically shouting. His bearing was very courteous.

He seemed unconcerned with the atmosphere. Could this person be the head of the General Administration Office?

They said Desolate Sect’s Grand Administrator could shout even at black ranks regarding budget and personnel. He wondered if this was right.

But he soon realized.

‘It’s because I received martial arts from the Sect Lord.’

Gazes turned once.

Some clerks refocused on work while others whispered.

Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t move his steps. His previous murim experience made him that way. He learned conduct while losing in sword discussions.

“I greet the many pillars of the main sect. Radiant Demon Wing’s Lightning Genius.”

He clasped his hands in respect to the General Administration Office clerks. They said most warriors under heaven tended to keep their distance from those who recite writing.

He couldn’t be like that himself. He was young, and those holding personnel authority were like kings.

“……”

The silence was brief. The clerks who rose in numbers returned the courtesy.

Their faces were strange. Jeong Yeon-shin was Desolate Sect’s lord’s direct disciple. They said it was a status originally held only by imperial family members.

The clerks had never received courtesy first from a master wearing the golden character.

‘Good.’

This was enough. It was sufficient to sprout a small goodwill.

Jeong Yeon-shin turned his back.

Following the Grand Administrator’s guidance while feeling the whispers gradually spreading behind him, the man led Jeong Yeon-shin with an expression hard to describe.

There was another office in a separate building. The two sat facing each other.

“I was thinking of serving dragon well tea, if that’s alright.”

“I will gratefully enjoy it.”

The Grand Administrator called a servant and ordered dragon well tea to be brought.

Meanwhile, Jeong Yeon-shin looked at the Grand Administrator’s face. His eye level was quite high matching his large build.

Though head of the Administration Office, he had learned martial arts. He knew from the intense momentum touching his skin.

Indeed, he didn’t seem like someone skilled at flattery.

“One moment.”

The Grand Administrator pulled out a bundle of papers from a drawer. Some writing was densely written on it.

He parted his thick lips while scanning through the bundle close to a book.

“The Dragon-Phoenix Gathering and Pingyin County Hwangbo branch mission, destroying Blood Flame Sect branches while roaming Shandong and South Zhili, sweeping away blood demons before those Namgung b*st*rds.”

He said.

“It’s been quite a while. There were many witnesses, and our side clearly observed the matters. There was also white-ranked warrior Shin So-bin’s report, and we received letters from two branch officials and Blue Eyed Sword Demon, Bewitching Sword Demon. Even Zhongnan Sect’s Sword Dragon sent word.”

“…Are you saying the matters you mentioned have already been settled?”

Jeong Yeon-shin first asked while maintaining a calm appearance.

“That’s right. With one simple cross-check, you will receive rewards as a blue-ranked warrior.”

The Grand Administrator raised the corners of his mouth. His smile was big.

He slowly continued speaking.

“However, regarding the incident at the Blood Flame Sect headquarters… Since the Sect Lord hasn’t given word about this, we need to receive a clear report. It will take long. So before that.”

After briefly pausing, he opened his mouth again.

“Let’s discuss the settled rewards first. Fifty taels of silver, martial clothes made entirely of thousand-cocoon silk, the right to request martial arts instruction from the Divine Sword Squad Leader, the main sect’s high-grade spirit medicine… Of course you can choose. If you specifically say…”

“Spirit medicine would be good.”

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke without hesitation. The Grand Administrator’s eyes grew slightly larger.

“Hmm? That’s not what I meant.”

“Pardon…?”

“I was just asking about the spirit medicine. Whether you’ll take it now, or request storage at the Medicine Hall. Even if you choose the latter, you can receive it anytime. The Medicine Hall master is an elf. I mentioned it because they can keep the pills in optimal condition. Since it’s free from humidity and temperature, it’s certainly trustworthy to leave it there.”

“…It’s difficult to understand your words.”

The Grand Administrator laughed at Jeong Yeon-shin’s words.

“Everything is yours, Young Hero. All that I mentioned is so.”