Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time

“No, I do not.”

“You seem curious about the method of the test. It’s simple.”

The examiner spoke in an indifferent tone.

“Demonstrate the fastest sword strike you can manage. One strike is sufficient. I will observe and judge.”

‘Simple enough.’

Yeon-shin felt relieved.

He had expected a more complex procedure.

Although Won-chang, who appeared anxious, seemed to have different thoughts, judging someone’s skill based on a single strike might seem narrow-minded but was also quite generous.

In Yeon-shin’s experience, actual combat involved countless variables.

The first test seemed to serve merely as a filter.

“Can I start right away?” he asked, taking a few steps back. The examiner nodded.

“I… I’ll go first!”

It was Won-chang. He looked at Yeon-shin with an apologetic expression and mouthed his words.

‘I’m too nervous. Sorry.’

Yeon-shin, who didn’t mind much, nodded his head slightly.

Standing where the boy had stepped back, Won-chang grasped his sword hilt.

He glanced at the examiner, who stood with his arms crossed as if to draw his sword at any moment, and then fixed his expression into one of seriousness.

Although his stance was not particularly exceptional, Yeon-shin sensed the wave of qi emanating from Won-chang’s entire body.

‘Strong.’

It was a well-honed aura. Even more so than any of the wanderers he had encountered on the way to Yangyang.

‘With refined energy, there is no waste. It allows all the power to be concentrated in the sword.’

Just as Yeon-shin was thinking this, Won-chang’s sword flashed through the air.

“Wow! That warrior is different.”

“I didn’t even see it.”

“I only saw a faint blur.”

The onlookers burst into exclamations of admiration. There were even gamblers quickly betting on the outcome.

“Not bad.”

The examiner nodded.

A bright smile spread across Won-chang’s face, and the examiner took his number token from him.

Returning to Yeon-shin’s side, Won-chang whispered.

“If the examiner takes your token, you’ve passed the first test. If he tells you to return it to the reception desk, you’ve failed.”

“Have you taken the first test many times?”

“Hmm. The second test, the sparring, has always been the problem.”

“Is there a third test?”

“An interview with the Lord of the Desolate Fortress. Some warriors come to Yangyang just for that, hoping to gain enlightenment.”

“I see.”

Yeon-shin nodded and stepped forward.

Those who had shown contrasting reactions to Won-chang’s gamble and those with doubtful expressions all reacted with curiosity.

“Is he really a candidate?”

“He’s a young swordsman with spirit.”

“Well, if he’s from another place, when else would he have the chance to showcase his swordsmanship in front of the warriors of the Desolate Fortress?”

“Even a single word of advice would be valuable.”

Among the murmuring crowd, even the gamblers did not place any bets.

Some wore smiles as if watching a child perform tricks.

Yeon-shin silently placed his hand on the sword hilt and looked at the examiner.

The examiner nodded indifferently.

“You may begin.”

The next moment.

“……”

Nothing happened.

The only difference was that at some point, Yeon-shin’s sword had been drawn.

It was truly as if the action had fragmented in the blink of an eye. Only the examiner, with a rigid face, nodded.

“The future of the Desolate Fortress is here.”

An incredible compliment. The onlookers and Won-chang reacted with utter astonishment.

Some gaped with their mouths wide open or looked at the person next to them as if they had misheard, especially Won-chang, whose dumbfounded expression was quite a sight.

Yeon-shin was surprised for a different reason.

‘I didn’t even see myself draw the sword.’

It seemed the examiner had seen a swift sword art that even Yeon-shin himself could not perceive.

Could that be what true martial eyesight was? They said that reading an opponent’s attacks was also a martial skill.

“Give me your token.”

“…Yes.”

“Number thirteen.”

Receiving the token, the examiner traced the characters with his hand as if engraving them in his mind.

His eyes, scrutinizing Yeon-shin, seemed to reflect a mix of various emotions.

Then, as if resigning himself to something, he closed his eyes briefly and nodded. It was a signal to leave.

“Then.”

Putting his sword away and clasping his hands in a respectful gesture, Yeon-shin left the training hall.

Hyeon Won-chang, who had been standing still, hurriedly followed.

The glances from those nearby were slightly bothersome.

“What’s the matter?”

“That, uh… Are you perhaps a scion of a renowned family?”

Yeon-shin smiled at the cautious inquiry.

“Does it make any difference? Once inside the Desolate Fortress, all that matters are martial skills, potential, and effort.”

“Hah… You truly intend to pass the Desolate Exam.”

“Isn’t that why we’re here? Not just me, but you as well.”

“…That’s true. You’re right.”

Won-chang fell silent.

Staying at a different inn, he eventually said his farewells and disappeared without speaking for a while.

Yeon-shin hoped to pass the second test together with this kind and talkative man.

The intervals between the first and second tests were one week and two months, respectively.

At the point when Yeon-shin passed the first test, there were about three weeks left until the second test.

During this time, he practiced the Jeong Family Dynamic Training, the Swift Sword, and the qi amplification art he named “The Fatebreaker’s Codex”.

In the mountains outside the current town where the inn was located, he trained all three. When he returned to his room, he practiced his qi amplification art.

While creating new martial arts was beneficial, he believed that mastering his existing skills was more appropriate given the upcoming challenges.

The sparring test. It involved comparing learned martial arts.

The final Desolate Exam ended with demonstrating one’s martial prowess alongside an opponent.

Yeon-shin devoted all his remaining time to martial arts, and during this period, Won-chang did not visit once.

-Murmur, murmur.

And now.

“Here…”

Inside the Desolate Fortress, there were dozens of grand and splendid pavilions.

All the martial artists passing by exuded a stern aura.

Clusters of numerous pavilions were situated, neighboring the breathtaking scenery of the endless horizon and the vast natural beauty.

Following the servant’s guidance, Yeon-shin saw others in the same situation as him.

“This place is truly the foremost learning ground for martial arts under heaven…”

“I heard that warriors in white robes are novices, yet their aura is so powerful.”

“Isn’t that obvious? Even wearing white guarantees a prosperous future.”

“I wonder what hidden talents will emerge this time…”

“I, Cho Moo-ryang of Hangsan, will now stretch my wings and become a dragon!”

They seemed to converse easily despite being strangers, and then Yeon-shin saw a familiar face.

That person also seemed to have noticed Yeon-shin and approached with a delighted expression.

“Young Master Jeong! You seem to have grown taller!”

“Hyeon hyung’s complexion looks good too.”

“Well, I’ve made some small achievements.”

Still wearing the noticeable Yellow Dragon Heroic Scarf on his forehead, Won-chang scratched under his nose.

“But it’s hard to tell. Winning isn’t the only important thing in this test. Even if you spar once out of the two bouts, it’s enough to catch the eye of a Desolate Fortress expert, but that’s the hardest part.”

“Does that mean you can win in sparring and still fail?”

“Exactly. Especially today, it’s obvious that the examiners’ standards will be even higher.”

“Why is that?”

“You must not have heard. There’s a rumor that a White Qilin is participating in the Desolate Exam today.”

“The White Qilin, you mean from the Namgung family?”

“Yes. He’s already famous in Namjikrye. They say he wiped out a notorious bandit gang before turning fifteen, killed the master of the Unorthodox Faction’s Tyrant Sword Sect, and at around eighteen, defeated all the younger generation prodigies at the Yongbong Assembly. The Yongbong Assembly is where the young prodigies of prestigious families socialize, and no one has denied those rumors, so it might be true.”

This time, even Yeon-shin couldn’t hide his surprise.

If that were true, he was indeed a strong enough warrior to be nicknamed after a legendary creature like the qilin.

The reality of the martial world he had only heard about in fragments from Xinye Country felt much closer, and his journey into the martial arts world felt more real.

“If he’s a young master of the Namgung family, isn’t he already well-established? Why come to the Desolate Fortress?”

“It’s because he’s an illegitimate son. He can’t become the head of the family.”

Won-chang whispered, covering his mouth.

Yeon-shin, feeling the breath on his ear, quickly stepped away, frowning.

Hyeon Won-chang laughed, as if he had never maintained any distance.

“The Lord of the Desolate Fortress is an elf and has kept his youthful appearance for over two hundred years, but even being a chief steward is more prestigious than being the head of one of the Eight Great Families. The influence is even greater. It’s a position that coordinates the order of the martial world from the center of the Central Plains.”

“Is it really that significant?”

“The Desolate Fortress has a say in almost every major event in the martial world, so it’s only natural. Are you from some remote village?”

Yeon-shin kept silent and continued walking.

With an expression of seeing a beloved younger sibling, Won-chang smiled brightly and followed.

“Wait here. When your name is called, walk to the training hall.”

The attendant left the thirty or so hopeful candidates behind and departed.

They had stopped at a small garden behind a large training hall.

There was another group of people gathered on the opposite side.

The newly sprouted green shoots and the blooming flower petals scattered here and there. But no one paid attention to the scenery.

Some stood with their eyes closed, meditating, while others stared blankly into space, each in their own way.

Yeon-shin waited, revolving the Jeong Family Dynamic Training with subtle movements.

Soon, people started being called out from both sides.

They fought in the center, encircled by the warriors of the Desolate Fortress.

After the fight, those heading northward had their shoulders lifted as if reaching for the sky, while those going south were slumped over.

“How can they be so…”

Won-chang couldn’t hide his anxiety once again.

“Among the warriors who passed the first test, there probably isn’t anyone who hasn’t been called a genius of martial arts at least once. I was called a martial arts genius in our village.”

He seemed pitiable, trying to joke to alleviate his tension.

“It’s a cruel and difficult task to be selected among such talents. To demonstrate martial arts among the experts of the Desolate Fortress.”

“Isn’t it thrilling?”

“Hmm?”

“Being recognized for your talent is exciting. At least it’s much better than being ignored as a weirdo.”

“You, Young Master Jeong…”

Just as Won-chang was about to say something.

“From Hanam Province, Namyang! Yeon-shin from Xinye Country, step forward!”

An attendant who had run to the garden called out.

“I hope to see you again. Here, in the Desolate Fortress.”

With his left hand on the sword hilt at his left waist, Yeon-shin walked leisurely out of the garden. Hyeon Won-chang’s shout echoed from behind.

“Let’s make sure of it!”

The first sparring match was uneventful.

The opponent seemed strange, as if he had trained alone in some remote village.

Though the world has the Four Books and Five Classics, and various sects each have their teachings, most martial artists who did not learn orthodox martial arts lived in their own worlds.

Their only principle was the law of the jungle.

The Central Plains had all kinds of people, making it impossible to predict others’ values and actions.

“A moth struggling without knowing it has met its end. That’s what you are!”

The swordsman, showing his yellow teeth with a sneer, said.

As soon as the sparring started, Yeon-shin struck the opponent’s mouth with his sword sheath.