Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time-Chapter 90: Instant Kill Martial Arts (2)

It was while lying on a high tree, gazing at the window.

The Seventh Apostle saw and heard it clearly. The trivial murmurs of an insignificant individual reached her ears with crystal clarity.

It was due to the Sensory Pathway of Blood Arts. She had cast it to catch even the faintest breath of the small cult leader's focused breathing.

Her heightened senses captured everything.

"You should surrender and pledge yourself to the main family first. I'll let you clean my feet. I'm being sincere."

The despicable voice of the Namgung mongrel tainted her ears.

Step.

She took a step forward, almost unconsciously. Someone who dared not know their place needed to be disciplined.

As always, the Seventh Apostle’s movements were executed the moment she willed them.

Shrouded in the storm of her Preservation Energy Technique, she shattered the inn’s entrance in an instant and entered.

Before anyone noticed, she had already grabbed the Namgung mongrel by the cheek, lifting her slowly. The feel of the powder on her face was utterly repulsive.

She refrained from frowning. After all, the young boy who would one day create the world’s most unparalleled divine martial arts was watching her.

She offered a smooth smile.

“You.”

The cold gaze of the young Taesa—the boy who always aroused her excitement—pierced her. The Seventh Apostle thought to herself:

My precious and noble Taesa, your dignity is my honor.

“What did you say?”

She directed her question to the Namgung mongrel she held.

Namgung Mi could not respond. Her eyes were wide open, and pained breaths escaped her lips.

A tense silence filled the inn.

Only the delayed, clattering shards of the broken door disrupted the stillness. The Seventh Apostle’s arrival had been that sudden.

Her overwhelming presence amplified the impact. The explosive force of her Energy Surge as she stormed in left a staggering impression.

“......”

All eyes in the inn turned toward Jeong Yeon-shin and his group. This was a place where debates about Ipwang Fortress and Namgung matters often took place.

Many seemed to recognize Ipwang Fortress’s martial attire at a glance. A ripple of astonishment spread.

“Ipwang Fortress... Is it?”

“A Blue Rank, at that age...”

“But more importantly, that... that one!”

A martial master with such extreme sensory control was a rare sight. There wasn’t one present in this inn.

Yet the Seventh Apostle’s power instilled fear regardless of one’s level of perception.

Her sinister aura seeped naturally into her surroundings, carving through the spines of those present. It was a hallmark of a high-ranking evil martial artist.

‘Her robe is bright red.’

Jeong Yeon-shin observed. The crimson long coat draped over the Seventh Apostle was unmistakably a Pureblood Robe.

It was peculiar for someone of the Bloodflame Cult’s stature to disguise themselves. For someone as exalted as her, it would have been more fitting to conceal her presence with Refined Preservation Energy Techniques.

‘There’s no choice.’

She had to be dealt with. Even if the Pureblood Robe bore no Bloodflame Cult insignia, it didn’t matter. For now, Jeong Yeon-shin and Namgung Hwa-shin were nominally part of Namgung Mi’s group.

‘If she intends to uphold the justification of the duel...’

The boy exchanged glances with Namgung Hwa-shin. Their eyes communicated everything in an instant.

At that moment—

“Huuurgh...!”

A painful groan, mixed with labored breathing, escaped Namgung Mi’s lips. The Seventh Apostle’s fingers pressed harder into her cheek.

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She now appeared to be outright torturing her. Invisible Finger Techniques seemed to have already sealed Namgung Mi’s qi points.

“No response?”

Her tone was casual, and her expression unchanged. Yet the faint smile on her face was horrifying.

Her silky black hair and ominously gleaming red eyes gave her an almost demonic allure.

“......”

The inn was utterly still.

With her immense martial energy imbued in her grip, it would take but a moment to crush the girl’s face.

Jeong Yeon-shin reconsidered. If Namgung Mi were to die here, Ipwang Fortress could be held accountable.

He needed to pacify the unpredictable Seventh Apostle. He sent her a telepathic message immediately.

"What do you think you’re doing?"

No response came. She remained as silent as Namgung Mi.

Jeong Yeon-shin continued to watch the Seventh Apostle. She did not turn toward him, only showing her profile.

However, the grip on Namgung Mi’s face seemed to loosen slightly. It meant she was listening.

‘Disgusting blood fiend. Impossible to read.’

The boy placed his hand on the Ipwang Sword’s hilt, lifting his right heel slightly. It was a standard ready stance for drawing his blade.

Yet his internal energy was anything but ordinary. The moment he activated his Righteous Core Technique, a solemn aura radiated around him.

Namgung Hwa-shin mirrored his stance with a stern expression. Energy ripples emanated from his body as well.

A faint breeze stirred within the room, carrying a trace of killing intent.

"It was a vow made in our names," Jeong Yeon-shin sent through telepathy once more.

"You’ve broken it so flagrantly. Three hundred strokes have turned into a single offense."

“......”

"You’ve deeply disappointed me, Seventh Apostle."

In an instant, the Seventh Apostle’s shoulders flinched. It was an almost unbelievable sight.

For a fleeting moment, the delicate figure concealed by her overwhelming aura became fully visible.

The Pureblood Robe no longer seemed like an impenetrable garment.

‘A feint?’

Jeong Yeon-shin calmly assessed the opening. He resisted the urge to attack immediately.

A hasty strike would lead to a counterattack. Was this exalted member of the Bloodflame Cult mocking him? For a moment, he almost faltered in continuing his provocation.

"Are you nullifying our agreement regarding martial arts trade?"

“......”

"The pact over Mara’s Roaring Blood Technique and a single strike has twelve seconds remaining. Your current actions suggest you intend to sever everything with your own hands."

“No...”

The Seventh Apostle murmured faintly, her head tilting downward slightly.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s brows furrowed.

It was unsettlingly unfamiliar. It reminded him of Namgung Mi’s deceitful pretense.

The Seventh Apostle had taken the lives of countless individuals, reducing them to nothing. Her behavior now mocked their suffering.

How much blood must she have spilled to refine her overpowering blood energy?

Her absurd display infuriated him. The surge of Righteous Core Energy chilled his Tianzhu Acupoint at the nape of his neck.

The Seventh Apostle had intended this. Her tactics, even in feigned compliance, were those of a true apostle.

‘Her opening is blatant. Could I kill her here?’

Jeong Yeon-shin had already begun activating the Lightburst Sword Style. Within his mind, translucent paths of sword trajectories emerged.

As the sharp, imaginary lines stretched toward her, they shattered as soon as they neared the Seventh Apostle’s body.

It meant no single strike from the Lightburst Sword Style would be effective. His instincts confirmed it.

‘I need to coordinate with Namgung So-hyeop.’

Namgung Hwa-shin understood Jeong Yeon-shin’s instincts. They didn’t need to discuss the sequence of techniques.

Their current mastery was enough to work in perfect harmony.

If all their sword strikes were to be blocked, they needed to create variables through a brief exchange of blows.

Jeong Yeon-shin was preparing to draw his blade when—

Swish!

“This... is why.”

The Seventh Apostle’s lips twisted, her smile disappearing.

With a single motion, she spun Namgung Mi’s body and grabbed her by the nape.

It happened in an instant.

She slammed Namgung Mi’s head into the table. The sequence was as fluid as if it were a practiced martial form.

Bang!

The table and Namgung Mi’s forehead collided violently. The shock was tremendous, and it didn’t end with one strike. The Apostle didn’t even use significant internal energy.

Her actions seemed fueled by pure spite, heedless of the crowd’s gaze.

Bang! Bang!

Namgung Mi’s lips parted as if expelling the wind from her lungs. She was a martial artist in her own right, so she didn’t lose consciousness immediately.

Each time her head struck the table and lifted again, raw gasps filled the air.

‘A provocation.’

To Jeong Yeon-shin, it was a clear taunt.

Wasting no more time, he activated the Lightburst Sword Style’s key formula.

The brilliance of his Righteous Core Energy took on a radiant, concentrated aura.

Before even half a breath passed through his body’s circulation of inner energy, Jeong Yeon-shin reacted. A brilliant white light emanated from his right hand.

Simultaneously, the Lightburst Sword Style, a technique of rapid strikes, erupted from his waist like a streak of light.

Sssaaaak!

As expected, there was no sensation of impact. The Seventh Apostle had already stepped back, executing her footwork to retreat.

Before evading, she flung Namgung Mi onto the table. No one spared a glance at the sprawled Namgung Mi.

‘That’s enough for now.’

Jeong Yeon-shin briefly glanced at the table while keeping the Seventh Apostle in his sights. He noticed Namgung Mi’s face, red from the impact, her eyes dazed and unfocused.

“Haah...”

“That... Was that a sword technique? They say Ipwang Fortress has many promising younger generation talents.”

“What an extraordinary display of martial arts!”

The onlookers exclaimed in admiration, as if they were watching someone else's house burn down. Even now, the sudden outburst of martial arts didn’t seem strange to them.

To their eyes, it must have appeared as if a young Blue Rank martial artist from Ipwang Fortress had unleashed an awe-inspiring display of power, engaging in an intense standoff.

‘At least that’s fortunate.’

Jeong Yeon-shin was somewhat relieved but found the situation strange.

Not a single person in the inn had fled. Their irregular, heavy breaths were evident—nervous yet excited.

They seemed determined to witness such a rare clash between martial masters, reasoning they might never see such a spectacle again.

The city of Hwangju had three major roads leading out of it, each connecting to Hoguang Fortress, Jiangxi Province, and Nanjili.

Given the significant flow of trade and supplies, martial artists frequently traveled through the area. It appeared the rumor that only bold souls ventured out here held true.

Even when a clash between martial masters erupted, they didn’t flee blindly.

‘The range of ordinary people’s behavior is truly diverse.’

Despite this idle observation, Jeong Yeon-shin remained vigilant. He couldn’t take his eyes off the Seventh Apostle, her head bowed low.

Who knew when she might unleash a sudden, decisive strike? No matter how many fire grenades one might carry, none could be as fearsome as her.

“Namgung So-hyeop.”

“Don’t worry about the fraction of a second difference. I’ll cover your back immediately.”

A dependable voice came from the diagonal rear. Jeong Yeon-shin gave a faint nod.

It was his first time fighting in such a cramped inn. He trusted that Namgung Hwa-shin’s mastery of Clear Stream Movement would allow for fluid responses.

It was then—

Step.

Suddenly, the Seventh Apostle turned her body. Her movements still seemed dejected.

She took a light step and began walking out of the inn, her actions so graceful they appeared surreal.

"Come back. I’ll let you land one strike."

Her telepathic message was clear. She withdrew while issuing a challenge for an ambush.

As soon as she stepped out of the inn, her presence soared onto the roof and gradually faded into the distance.

Jeong Yeon-shin stood still, lowering his grip on the Ipwang Sword.

‘If what she says is true, I should sever her right arm first. She wouldn’t offer up her neck.’

He paid no attention to the Seventh Apostle’s inscrutable thoughts.

Neither the potential merit nor the recognition for taking down a Bloodflame Cult Apostle mattered much. Like Namgung Mi, she simply needed to be killed.

“Oh... The young master of Ipwang Fortress has driven out a demonic sect pawn.”

“What could her identity have been? She looked like she was from the Bloodflame Cult.”

“She couldn’t have been a blood demon. Her hair was black. But... could she have been an Apostle?”

“Her eyes were red, weren’t they? I’m not sure. I only saw her profile from the side.”

The spectators didn’t dare approach Jeong Yeon-shin and his companions. They simply muttered among themselves.

Even if they weren’t afraid of dying, it seemed they held a different view about confronting martial masters directly.

The unexpected chaos wrapped up anticlimactically.

Although it might have seemed impressive, to Jeong Yeon-shin, it felt absurdly spontaneous.

Had he really managed to control the Seventh Apostle? Jeong Yeon-shin found it hard to believe.

‘I must stand firm purely on strength. Relying on the enemy’s whims has its limits. This goes beyond common sense.’

He made a mental note as he sheathed his sword. Namgung Hwa-shin, who had also not sheathed his blade, approached.

His expression grew complicated as he looked at Namgung Mi.

“We need to find a physician. If we leave her as is, she won’t be fit for the duel.”

“...You’re right.”

Jeong Yeon-shin slowly nodded.

The day, which had started calmly, had turned chaotic. They couldn’t leave Hwangju immediately.

Namgung Mi needed to recover before their mission could hold any meaning.

Four days passed.

During that time, they found a physician in the city to tend to Namgung Mi and rented an annex of the inn where the three of them stayed together.

Whenever Namgung Mi’s groans broke the night’s silence, Namgung Hwa-shin was the only one to respond.

‘Perhaps even enemies are still family.’

Jeong Yeon-shin silently focused on creating new stances and refining his inner energy techniques. Lying down, he sank deep into thought.

His meditation was deeper than ever, continuing until the soft light of dawn swept across the guestroom.

When the fifth day’s sun illuminated the world—

Jeong Yeon-shin and Namgung Hwa-shin received visitors: a group of martial artists. They announced their arrival with boisterous noise even before reaching the inn.

It was as if a festival had begun.

The immense aura and presence they carried could only lead to such a commotion. Even Namgung Mi’s energy seemed to revive.

Her pale face on the bed turned toward Jeong Yeon-shin, her expression tinged with mockery.

Amidst the noise, her gaze seemed to speak: No matter your identity, you must heed my words.

“Blue Qilin! It’s the Blue Qilin Young Master Namgung!”

“Namgung Se-jin is in Hwangju...?”

“That inn! Didn’t they say Ipwang Fortress warriors are staying there?”

The Blue Qilin Namgung Se-jin.

The young master of the Namgung Clan had arrived, having heard rumors about his sister.

Wooong!