Surviving as a Genius on Borrowed Time

The streets of Guando were teeming with people.

Yet, it was quiet.

A merchant caravan carried half-empty wagons, their contents already dwindling. Vendors stood behind stalls with sparse displays of fruit and grain, while a few errant drifters loitered near the inns, forcing the junior attendants to cautiously navigate around them in their attempts to attract customers. But all of this faded into the background of Jeong Yeon-shin’s mind.

He was recalling the steps of the Lord of Yeouicheon.

The way the air split and rose along the tip of the foot. The ripple of force distorting alongside the leg muscles.@@novelbin@@

As the creator of Hwanik Steps, he could dissect the modified footwork instinctively. The subtle mnemonics layered into the technique naturally unraveled in his mind, flowing backward through his calculations.

The structure of the Gyeongpa Step felt somewhat sluggish at first glance. Yet, that made it even more remarkable.

There was a pattern in how the energy entwined above and below the patella. It resembled the precise interlocking of finely crafted gears.

How far down did she lower her perspective?

It was fundamentally different from the carefree approach of the previous Bright Wing Lord. Unlike an intuitive flow, this was akin to teaching a beast how to drink water.

She anchored her center of gravity in six directions and channeled the energy of Yongcheon Acupoint all the way down to the Tri-Essence principle. By narrowing the range of movement, she made it more accessible for beginners...

The original Hwanik Steps, as Jeong Yeon-shin had designed, were structured to be adaptable in all directions. The technique allowed for countless variations depending on the situation, even making it easy to dissipate an opponent’s force by stepping backward. The flow of internal energy could be adjusted dynamically in real time.

But the steps of Bukgung Ah, the Lord of Yeouicheon, were different.

She had fixed her direction. To make it easier for beginners and seasoned practitioners alike, she restricted the step orientations to just six paths. She distilled the propulsion force into three core forms.

Rather than maximizing adaptability, she had narrowed the range of applications in favor of faster mastery. All that remained was the echo of simple movements—advancing, retreating, and leaping.

"They say Senior Bukgung is the greatest prodigy of her generation."

Jeong Yeon-shin found himself inwardly astonished. Was this the essence of a living Buddha?

He recalled the story of Lord Ling of Wei from The Analects, which he had read at Jeong Household Manor. A lesson in self-sacrifice.

She had killed her own dignity to teach her subordinates. To endure simplicity as steadfastly as stone—such patience could only be seen as boundless kindness.

"And I'm supposed to be competing against someone like this for the seat of the Sword Corps Leader?"