Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time-Chapter 528: Male-Dominated (7)

Only a Buddha sees with Buddha’s eyes.

It was said that a royal teacher once uttered this line to a king who had mastered peerless divine archery. It meant: in the Buddha’s eyes, only the Buddha can be seen.

—That aura... An undeserved fate has reached the hands of a madman.

The voice was the same as before.

It tore through my mind with the disorienting force of a Zen master’s shout.

I didn’t expect the first words I’d hear from the Head Master of Wudang to be like this.

He was always named whenever martial artists debated the world’s greatest swordsman. To be honest, I’d expected some acknowledgment—that I’d refined my swordsmanship well, at least.

“Swordsmanship and inner technique are inseparable.”

Meanwhile, Hyun Gong Zhenin’s figure was slowly drawing closer, drifting across the air toward me. Backlit by an intensely radiant sun, all I could see was his shadowed silhouette.

Whoosh!

The pressure was crushing—like my skin was being warped inward. It felt as though all the world’s natural energy had turned against me.

A faint dizziness swept over me, but I regained my balance by bringing my hands together in a practiced gesture of respect—appearing natural, but purposeful.

Two birds with one stone. I preserved both the dignity of the Deputy of the Divine Sword Corps and my composure. If the Grand Commander had seen me, he’d have praised me thoroughly.

“I am Jeong Ga, Seomye of Ipwang Fortress.”

—To Seomga Jeongye, I say: the purest sprouts in the world do not grow from the heart of a lunatic. Naturally, they cannot bloom. That is your limit.

A strange voice.

It was like exhaling and inhaling were happening simultaneously, without rhythm. The breath behind his voice was unstable, and his words broke off abruptly, even over a few short phrases.

I asked, “Is the sprout the Three Purities Force, and the bloom its great awakening?”

—How pitiful. Just as Zhu Bajie’s tongue could never appreciate the taste of ginseng. So tragic... If Yongga had acquired it instead, Ipwang Fortress might already be the sun that rises over this chaotic world.

It seemed Hyun Gong Zhenin had long departed from worldly reason. Only a Buddha sees with Buddha’s eyes. In the eyes of a madman, everyone must appear mad.

When I’d taken that earlier step using Hwanik Step—empowered by what I believed to be the Three Purities Force—his words suggested it was evidence that I wasn’t mad.

And yet, he still seemed intent on striking.

—A shame.

Hah—

Hyun Gong Zhenin’s sigh manifested as a hazy sword gale, lashing toward me like a whip. It struck the ground right in front of my feet.

With a loud crack, the earth caved in across more than ten jang.

To be precise, it was ten jang, three cheok, five chon, and a sliver more—just about the size of the sleep crust I once flicked off my niece Hye-a’s eye.

The range of that strike was excessive. Had it hit me, even my defensive aura would’ve likely shattered.

Together with Abbot Beomheo, he was considered a towering master of orthodox martial arts. One of the few to have sparred swords with the late Emperor Gunreung himself.

Even his breath became sword wind.

A celestial...!

Goosebumps rose along the back of my neck, not from fear—but awe. And then, unexpectedly, I felt a shock.

Possession deviation.

It happens when your mental image diverges sharply from your martial heart. Naturally, it strains your meridians. The longer it lingers, the more your martial arts deteriorate.

If Hyun Gong Zhenin had been in this state for years, then it meant he had already fallen considerably from his prime.

And yet he’s still at this level...?

Could I truly face him?

A fear crept in—that I might leave behind so many bonds and meet an untimely end.

My current martial skills, even as Acting Leader of the Divine Sword Corps, did not yet match the abbot of Shaolin whom I saw in Hangzhou. And Hyun Gong Zhenin was suffering a severe bout of possession deviation.

Still, I spoke with respectful resolve.

“It may be presumptuous to say upon our first meeting, but stimulating the upper danjeon with a rising sword force could clear away senility with ease. If you truly intend to strike again... may I take the first move instead?”

“......!”

All eyes widened—Master Jade Veil, Master Jade Leaf, Master Jade Cliff, and even Ju Se-hwa.

As if they’d just heard something completely unthinkable. Their heads snapped toward me, but no one dared say a word more.

Violet robes of Ipwang Fortress.

And Acting Leader of the Divine Sword Corps.

My rank must be equal to any Head Master of any sect. The celestials of Wudang were revered—but I was no longer a child craving swings on Dragon Boat Festival day.

Meanwhile, Hyun Gong Zhenin now hovered directly before me.

He blocked out the sun completely from my sight. His hair was wild and unkempt, robes tattered and worn—both tinged in a faded grey.

His face was hidden.

A misty haze swirled around it like bandages.

—Leave. The path of a lunatic is not yours to walk.

“This.”

Seomye Jeong did not waver at Hyun Gong Zhenin’s fleeting words.

Swoosh.

He simply lifted the cloth bundle in his hands to chest height. The box holding the head of the greatest swordsman under heaven.

I was not a man of many words.

But this—I had to say. Just as Lord Yong would have.

—They are lost all too easily. After my gold-dusted ablution, I intend to visit each of their homelands. There are many places I must go.

I slowly opened my mouth to speak.

“I’ve come to deliver this to the Head Master of Wudang. Master Jade Sword was a hero unlike any other in the world. He was nobler than any martial artist I encountered in Hangzhou at that time. On behalf of the Divine Sword Corps of Ipwang Fortress, I offer my condolences. Perhaps it’s thanks to his cultivation of high celestial energy that his body remains whole. I ask only... that you lay eyes on him, even just once.”

I ended my words carefully.

But Hyun Gong Zhenin’s response was subdued. He simply stared down at the box, as though nothing about it moved him. Like nature itself, indifferent and still.

—That is but a delusion blocking the path of my Natural Sword. I must cast it aside. Leave.

“The Head Master must change.”

—What did you say?

I flinched slightly, despite keeping a calm expression. The thought had slipped out. Just like that time in Hangzhou, when I lost my left arm.

Why?

But I had no time to dwell on it.

“......”

Hyun Gong Zhenin stared intensely at the box I held up. In those ancient Daoist eyes, a sharp fury began to simmer. An emotion too complex to name.

—Take it and disappear. Now.

Was this the morning air of Wudang Mountain? A chill swept over me. It was the sensation of the surrounding natural energy grinding to a halt.

Even my brow furrowed with quiet anger.

“What sect leaves the remains of a fallen comrade in the hands of an outsider? It is the Head Master who must see to this. Who else could possibly be fit to honor him? It must be you, Head Master of Wudang, who sends off Master Jade Sword’s spirit.”

The Head Master of Wudang had refused to accept Jade Sword’s body.

That was something that should never have happened.

Why...?

I did not look away.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

The image of my senior brothers—what was left of them—still lingers in my mind like a swamp. Only their heads remained.

“Sir Jeong.”

Master Jade Leaf suddenly closed the distance with a troubled smile and grabbed the hem of my violet long robe at the shoulder. His grip was firm—the persistent kind unique to senior Daoists, more annoying than painful.

“Please consider the Head Master’s condition. Right now, there's no helping it...”

—Very well.

Hyun Gong Zhenin’s voice cut him off mid-sentence.

—Those called the leaders of the Divine Sword Corps have always been reckless. You don’t even possess your personal divine sword yet, and you’re already trying to force that box on me.

I looked up at him clearly and answered.

“You see correctly.”

—Do you truly have the qualifications to stand alongside me?

There was a hint of laughter in his voice. But it was not pleasant—eerie, like it echoed from the bottom of a deep, dark well.

Unlike me, whose inner flow was like a serene mirror, it was as if he had lost himself entirely.

I thought to myself—

“Ask.”

The divine dragon that drifted deep in my heart suddenly coiled around Yeorae at my hip. Kiiiiiing—a sharper vibration than usual rang out.

The divine sword, drawn of its own will, descended to my feet.

Fan Dragon Treads the Blossoms.

Sword Flight Under Command.

Step.

As soon as I stepped onto the radiant sword, Yeorae lifted me into the air. I rose gently, naturally matching Hyun Gong Zhenin’s height.

Even amidst the turbulent winds that swept ceaselessly across Wudang Mountain, my balance did not falter.

“Sir Jeong!”

“Head Master...!”

Master Jade Leaf cried out, followed by even Master Jade Cliff—who had earlier pressured Ju Se-hwa with overwhelming force.

But it was too late.

Hyun Gong Zhenin was already reaching out his arm.

Whoosh—

The air bent and warped. A single motion, and the world trembled. The strike of a Wudang elder could shake heaven itself.

I answered with my right hand, imbued with Hwan-gang.

As I was taught by the three previous leaders of the Divine Sword Corps—I stomped hard onto Yeorae.

***

Wudang Mountain, shaken again by landslides.

Rumble.

A deep echo resonated from afar. Likely a boulder, dislodged from the peaks, finally slamming into a cliff and shattering into pieces.

Wudang Mountain had once been a quiet place, but not in the past three days.

It was still one of the world’s most sacred peaks.

But it did not make noise of its own accord. Something had stirred the massive natural energy of this vast range.

“What is the status of the Head Master?”

“Unknown.”

“And Seomye Jeong?”

“Likewise. Occasionally we observe the trajectory of his sword flight from afar... but the divine power of the Buddhist sects has disrupted the vision of the Wudang Eye Technique.”

“The disciples of the Mystic Eye Palace have done well.”

The summit of Wudang—Heavenly Pillar Peak.

There stood a towering temple with a plaque that read Three Purities, constructed like a grand palace.

Bathed in a sea of white clouds, the conversation of its residents remained calm. Each person sat in a lotus position on different stone outcroppings.

And there were more than a few.

Though united under the name of Wudang thanks to Grandmaster Sambong, the various Daoist halls of this mountain each had their own lineages and traditions.

Even now, each sect governed by its own Palace, held council regarding Wudang’s affairs.

Among them, Ju Se-hwa was the master of Mangogung (Ten Thousand Drafts Palace).

She was the youngest palace master among the sects, yet still had the right to attend this leadership council—and a voice to speak with.

“Should we not act now, rather than sitting idle? Though the Three Purities Hall is still safe for the moment, there’s no telling when the Head Master’s sword aura might reach this summit.”

“We are aware of that, but...”

From within the mist came an elderly voice.

An old Daoist elder with power equal to Hyun Gong Zhenin. Though his internal balance had long collapsed due to the aging of his essence and excess of life force, his voice still rang clear.

“Our current Head Master and the violet-robed envoy from Ipwang... Neither can be handled by force unless it’s the Seven Star Sword Formation. Moving the Seven Pillars of Wudang against such madmen...”

At that moment, the voice of the next Head Master of Wudang—Master Jade Cliff—cut in.

“Would be no different than feeding the common folk below the mountain to monsters. In two days, we’ll need to scatter again to reseal the gates.”

“A small sacrifice in a time of great need is—”

“Ju Se-hwa. You are a Daoist of Wudang, not a sovereign. If you intend to look upon the common people with royal eyes, you should return to your palace.”

“......”

Ju Se-hwa fell silent.

The conversation among Wudang’s elders, shrouded in the mist of the Three Purities Hall, continued.

“The violet envoy will not perish on the mountain, I assume?”

“His divine aura is remarkable. The rumors passed down by the outer disciples don’t seem to be unfounded. I imagine he’ll be fine, even after clashing with the Head Master. He is, after all, the Acting Leader of the Divine Sword Corps...”

“What of Master Jade Sword? The box that Seomye was said to be carrying?”

“We must finish what we’ve been focusing on, if only to retrieve that box swiftly. Once the Head Master recovers from his possession deviation, all will fall back into place.”

“Do you truly believe that is possible?”

Ju Se-hwa now understood the reason behind that voice of unease earlier.

Before she ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ invited Jeong Yeon-shin to Wudang—

Wudang had already been fighting on two fronts: guarding its gates and working on something else entirely.

The Demon.

He had once been Hyun Gong Zhenin’s disciple—highly praised among Wudang’s Daoists. Then, one day, he vanished from the mountain.

Years later, he returned, having studied under the one known as Shintu, mastering stealth, concealment, Yin arts, and all manner of forbidden techniques—then fusing them into Wudang's own inner doctrines.

The Tai Chi of Sambong’s lineage embraced all things.

So Wudang did not expel him. They accepted him once more, as a fellow Daoist who had simply lost his way.

That’s when Hyun Gong Zhenin began to change.

He began seeing illusions, became obsessed with strange sword paths. He abandoned his duties overseeing all the Wudang palaces and sealed himself into isolation.

Disciples from the Mystic Eye, Ten Thousand Drafts, and Sword Leaf Palaces were deployed to investigate the cause.

In the end, they discovered the truth—rooted in the internal energy system Shintu had embedded into the Demon’s techniques. A chaotic Qi structure unique to the Northern martial world lay hidden in every aspect of his skills.

Even the Yin Gong the Demon had used to refine his master’s internal energy.

Even the tea ceremony with which he once served his master.

There were no traces of demonic or heterodox Qi.

And in front of his disciple, Hyun Gong Zhenin was no transcendent master. He was merely an old man who suppressed all suspicion.

Once the truth was revealed, the Demon fled—but he never truly left the vast stretches of Wudang.

His movements made it clear: his sole purpose now was to keep his former master in isolation forever.

He even occasionally played a flute—laced with Yin Gong—to worsen Hyun Gong Zhenin’s condition.

In other words, their opponent was... someone who had mastered Three Harmonies Energy Manipulation...

A co-disciple of Hyun Gong Zhenin and Shintu.

Adorned with artifacts so rare they’d require the military strength of a nation to retrieve.

The Mystic Eye Palace suspects many of his tools are steeped in concealment techniques.

It was a disgraceful truth—one Wudang could never reveal to the outside world.

And the violet envoy they’d finally managed to summon...

“We can’t count on him either, can we.”

Ju Se-hwa shook her head quietly.

Just then, from the Three Purities Hall—

“The landslides have stopped! It seems the fight is over!”

“A swordsman with a straw hat and only one arm... has begun ascending the main mountain. But our disciples report that none of them can get close to him!”

Two reports rang out in succession.

The air grew tense. Urgently so.