Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time

“Kill him!”

The shouts came from the comrades of the man nearby.

With anger etched on their faces, they charged, but the boy did not move, leaving the sword embedded.

He only glared at the Master of the Sword Sect.

‘Whether I die now or later.’

It was the day he realized the shocking truth of his terminal life.

The pillar that had supported his sanity was completely shattered. It seemed it would never return.

“Stop.”

A deep voice echoed as if from the bottom of a cave.

The Master of the Sword Sect’s voice was as imposing as his presence. The charging men halted.

“Your spirit.”

The Master of the Sword Sect fixed his gaze on the boy.

With eyes like an abyss, he stared, and Yeon-shin faced him with his chest out, as if daring him to cut him open.

“It surpasses that of everyone in this manor combined.”

The warriors of the Sword Sect visibly wavered.

It was clear that the man rarely gave compliments.

“Just kill him and silence him! Even if he’s related to the Desolate Fort Sect, a corpse can’t talk!”

The man speaking seemed to be a companion of the last red-haired woman who had died.

His roughly cut red hair and crimson martial robe were identical.

He appeared to be a warrior from the Blood Flame Sect who had come with the Sword Sect.

‘I just hope they don’t know about the connection.’

At this moment, Yeon-shin was feeling the terror of the Thirteen Heavens.

The sudden attack considered all elements. This is how the hands of the sects that dominate the world move.

They knew that a young noble of the Jeong family was connected to the Desolate Fort Sect.

“Chief Steward!”

Yeon-shin shouted loudly. The man who had been lying between the door frame flinched.

He had been pretending to be dead.

“Yes, yes, Young Master.”

The Chief Steward, who staggered to his feet, was not an ordinary person either. Yeon-shin spoke again.

“You said you were completing the network of information encompassing Xinye. These men arrogantly attacked the manor with just over ten people, without even forming a blockade. Is it true that the Jeong family’s ears and mouth cannot reach as far as Yangyang?”

“No, no. Yangyang… Yangyang is close.”

Yangyang, at the northern end of Hoguang Province, was a border city near Xinye County.

No matter how vast the central plains were, it was close enough.

A trained messenger could reach there without major incidents.

‘They might have gone to seek help from the Desolate Fort Sect.’

It was unclear if the family considered his maternal relatives in an emergency.

But even the Sword Sect would not be fully aware of the personal matters of a minor family like the Jeong family.

“If you can’t kill me,” Yeon-shin said, gripping his sword tighter.

“Stop acting now.”

The sword was pulled from the dead man’s back. The long trail of blood enveloped the manor in silence.

The fifteen-year-old boy had dominated a place where the leader and subordinates of a major sect were present.

The Blood Flame Sect warrior roared.

“You’re already on our hit list! How can we not kill you when you’re bound to talk?”

He spoke to Yeon-shin but seemed to be pleading with the Master of the Sword Sect.

Now was crucial. The atmosphere felt as if the roles of the strong and the weak had reversed.

Yeon-shin spoke sharply.

“You fool. Do you think the Desolate Fort Sect, the greatest in the martial world, would directly attack the Thirteen Heavens over a grudge confessed by the grandson of a former commander?”

If he were the grandson of the Desolate Fort Sect lord, it might be different.

The Desolate Fort Sect lord, recognized by the emperor as equal to a prince, was the guardian of the great ‘Heavenly Tree’, known for its life-extending fruit.

However, Yeon-shin was not a blood relative of the Desolate Fort Sect lord.

If he were, the Jeong family would not have dared to treat him poorly due to some superstitious discomfort.

“The grandson of the former Desolate Fort Sect commander?”

Cliff Edge Sword, who was checking on Yil-sin’s condition, muttered.

The boy was the grandson of a retired commander of the Desolate Fort Sect’s military organization.

Killing him could lead to unforeseen consequences greater than leaving him alive.

The Thirteen Heavens were mighty names claiming dominance all over the world.

But harming the grandson of a Desolate Fort Sect elder was different.

It was as troublesome as taking the family of a Hanlin Academy scholar hostage.

“The royal families established the Desolate Fort Sect to prevent martial uprisings. It’s definitely troublesome.”

The Master of the Sword Sect spoke.

“But my decision to spare you is not based on that.”

“Master!”

Splat!

The Blood Flame Sect warrior’s head exploded.

The intangible sword energy had burst without anyone sensing its release.

“Blood Flame Sect, I said stop.”

The Master of the Sword Sect spoke to the corpse.

The remaining red-haired warrior trembled, but the master’s dark eyes turned back to Yeon-shin.

“I like you. Your talent and spirit. You have the potential to reach the peak as a martial artist. If you had no ties to the Desolate Fort Sect, I would have taken you as my disciple.”

“Gasp!”

“The Master of the Sword Sect…”

Gasps of shock echoed everywhere.

Not only the subordinates but even the Zhongnan Sect’s masters couldn’t hide their surprise.

The Master of the Sword Sect continued unbothered.

“I will respond to any challenge. Come seek revenge.”

“……”

Yeon-shin sheathed his sword. He then turned and walked towards the still-breathing family members.

The Master of the Sword Sect, who had been watching the boy with a peculiar expression, turned to the Zhongnan Sect warriors.

“This land. No other sect shall enter. You have one day.”

He looked at Yil-sin with a distorted expression.

“Leave.”

“Young Master.”

“Chief Steward.”

There was no time for reunion with the approaching Chief Steward.

Gathering the bodies was also for later.

Even if there were doctors, there were no divine healers like Hua Tuo here, so for those with severe injuries, the best they could do was make them comfortable.

He saw his eldest brother Jeong Nam-san and his sister-in-law. They were corpses.

He carefully moved them aside and forcefully stomped on the floor where they had fallen.

Thud.

The underground chamber opened. A secret room where he and his brothers used to sneak in and giggle when they were very young.

As expected, there was a five-year-old girl huddled with her eyes closed.

She had been paralyzed. A hand filled with qi had pressed the sleep acupoint on the back of her neck, forcing her into a deep sleep.

“Hye-ah.”

Yeon-shin picked up his niece and left the room.

A young man, talking with the Chief Steward, turned his head.

Jeong Joong-san, the second son of the Jeong family, who was destined to become a disciple of the Zhongnan Sect.

When their eyes met, he avoided his gaze, showing that he had been hiding somewhere.

Without a word, Yeon-shin approached and handed over Hye-ah.

“Raise her in Zhongnan. By any means necessary.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll be too busy taking care of myself.”

Yeon-shin spoke firmly.

“Raising her in Zhongnan… Is that even possible?”

Unlike before, he couldn’t even meet his eyes and stammered.

It seemed he had been hiding close to the main house, watching his half-brother fight.

Pathetic. Yeon-shin then felt an unfamiliar sensation on his cheek and wiped the bloodstain with the back of his hand.

“Don’t you know more about the Nine Great Sects than I do? Children who become disciples from the age of five or six become the main force of the sect. Beg if you have to. Hye-ah’s talent is better than yours, so they’ll take her.”

“Y-Yes.”

Jeong Joong-san, biting his lip, lowered his gaze to his niece.

Yeon-shin watched him intently for a moment but was relieved to see that he felt responsibility rather than contempt.

At that moment, the Zhongnan Sect warriors approached.

As usual, Yil-sin was at the forefront, followed half a step behind by the Cliff Edge Sword and a martial artist known as Tranquil Fist.

Though they had suffered internal injuries and bore bloodstains, they were helping with the aftermath. They were certainly righteous warriors.

“Young Hero.”

The title had changed. Just yesterday, they called him the family head’s son.

Ye Yil-sin’s expression was complex.

Apart from her self-reproach, when she looked at Yeon-shin, she seemed to see an extraordinary prodigy.

“Are you going to the Desolate Fort Sect?”

“I must. I have no other place to strengthen myself.”

“Yangyang isn’t the only road available to you.”

“….?”

“How about joining us at Mount Zhongnan? I sincerely invite you.”

“Gasp!”

It wasn’t just the Chief Steward and Joong-san who were surprised.

Cliff Edge Sword and Tranquil Fist behind her looked at Yeon-shin without a change in their expressions, as if it was a natural suggestion.

Their faces were filled with the desire for talent.

For the Great Elder to personally invite someone into the sect indicated that the boy was an extraordinary swordsman.

“The Great Elder of one of the Nine Great Sects is inviting me… I am truly honored.”

Despite his words, Yeon-shin’s expression remained calm. He had already decided on his destination.

Yil-sin, sensing his decision, added with a hint of urgency.

“I intend to recommend you as a direct disciple of the Sect Leader. You would be able to learn supreme martial arts. I know you are capable of learning them, Young Hero.”

“….!”

This time, everyone around could not hide their shock.

The position of the direct disciple of the Zhongnan Sect’s Sect Leader was one of immense privilege, allowing one to learn unparalleled martial arts.

Moreover, the current Zhongnan Sect Leader was renowned as one of the top ten swordsmen in the world.

His powerful sword techniques, frequently witnessed during his chivalrous exploits, were legendary.

‘The people of Shaanxi call him one of the top five martial artists in the Central Plains!’

The Chief Steward screamed internally.

He must go. No matter how grand and powerful the Desolate Fort Sect was, Yeon-shin was the grandson of a retired martial artist.

The higher option would undoubtedly be becoming the direct disciple of Zhongnan Sect’s leader, which was the better choice by far.

The Jeong family traditionally valued the head of a snake more than the tail of a dragon.

‘Young Master! Please!’

The Chief Steward’s silent plea did not reach Yeon-shin.

The boy bowed respectfully.

“I will remember the Great Elder’s generous offer in my heart.”

A courteous refusal.

Yil-sin’s elegant face showed a hint of resignation. She quickly gave up, as if she had anticipated this outcome.

“You have confidence in yourself, it seems. You believe you can rise to the top within the Desolate Fort Sect.”

“……”

“I covet your talent. I suppose the Master of the Sword Sect felt the same way.”

“I apologize.”

“No need. Just remember that the doors of Zhongnan are always open for you.”

Yeon-shin looked at Ye Yil-sin.

“I understand you are one of the elders among the noble race. Do you know of a way to obtain the fruit of the Heavenly Tree?”

“The fruit of the Heavenly Tree! Then you are indeed…!”

Yil-sin, having realized something, looked regretful as she spoke.

“I have not even lived half of my allotted lifespan. I have no authority over the Heavenly Tree. Only the Lord of the Desolate Fort Sect can grant access to its fruit.”

“Then I must go to the Desolate Fort Sect.”

“It will not be easy. That fruit is sacred even among our noble race.”

“I have no other choice. I will strive to make great contributions as the commander of the Divine Sword Brigade.”

“I will support you from afar.”

Yil-sin returned the gesture. Her noble demeanor would be remembered by Yeon-shin for a long time.

“Then.”

The farewell between the two was final.

The path to the Zhongnan Sect in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, was entirely different from the path to Yangyang. She wished to return quickly to convey the news to her sect.

Cliff Edge Sword and Tranquil Fist, who had accompanied her, lacked the Great Elder’s skill in movement techniques.

Joong-san decided to leave the next day with the two remaining warriors.

He needed to stay and watch over the dying family head.

The family head was still alive, barely holding on.

“It is I, your third son.”

Kneeling on one knee, Yeon-shin held the family head’s head in his hands. His eyes trembled slightly.

The fatal sword wound on his father’s abdomen was beyond repair.

If he was going to die, he could have treated him better.

“Why are you so strong? How did you become so powerful…?”

His lips trembled as his energy faded.

Yeon-shin knew there was no time. He could tell… The family head, Jeong Dae-myung, would die after saying only a few more words.

“I created and mastered it. I call it the Jeong Family Dynamic Training.”

Instead of lamenting or expressing grief, he spoke of his achievement.

How his father received it was up to him.

Yeon-shin, long disillusioned with his family, left his father’s feelings to chance.

“Jeong Family Dynamic Training. I see.”

The family head, trembling, opened his mouth.

“It is a divine art created by a Jeong. My foolish and ignorant self… My son… The third son of this family has created a divine art.”

“……”

The boy listened silently. His father spoke his final words.

“You… have… the potential… of a Great Master…”