WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Alyo

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◈ Memoir of a Regressor ◈

Chapter 16: The Eldest Son's Rebellion

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It felt like I had a troublesome lump stuck to me.

“Why are you following me?”

“Following you? I simply happened to find you on the road I was taking. Heh heh.”

At first, I had intended to go to Golden Guesthouse, but going there with such a troublesome burden attached to me would be an absolutely terrible choice.

Others might not recognize the level of the Thousand-Faced Assassin, but Myo Man-ri certainly would.

There was no need to invite trouble, so turning back was the sensible choice.

That was why I was heading for the Yi Clan.

Then I abruptly stopped.

Myo Man-ri, who had been following me, stopped as well.

“What do you want?”

“What do I want? There is one thing.”

A warm smile spread across Myo Man-ri’s lips.

“You.”

“...”

“I like you.”

“Why do you like me?”

“Why? The path you have taken so far has been truly impressive. It has been enough to make you the future of our Asura Sword Sect, which prizes the Path of Hegemony. And what of your character? Ignorant people like the Hyeokri Clan may see you as a demonic fiend, but I see only decisiveness. Your methods may have been excessive, but results are what matter. In the end, did you not steer every result in a direction favorable to yourself?”

I listened in silence.

“Those who know nothing will say all of it was only possible because you were lucky, but only fools would say such a thing. If all this could be explained by luck, why would the martial world be the martial world? You calculated every move before acting. Am I wrong?”

A small laugh escaped me.

He was right.

“You have provoked the Jang Clan and the Hyeokri Clan, and you intend to swallow all of Jangnyeong County. Did you truly think I would not know, you sly little brat?”

I had calculated everything before acting. In the case of the Hyeokri Clan martial artists who struck Jo Hyeon on the head, I had very little time to calculate, but I had still acted in a way that benefited me.

The Hyeokri Clan?

Of course I intended to get rid of them.

The Jang Clan?

That went without saying.

I intended to keep calculating every move I made.

“I still cannot believe it as I say it. You reached the Circulation Realm at only seventeen, possess such decisiveness, and even have a mind capable of such thorough calculation. Good. Very good. This will not do. We must leave at once.”

“Where are we going?”

“To the Asura Sword Sect. Come with me, and I will pass down my secret arts, the Five-Thunder Demon-Burning Sword Art and the Divine Shadow Returning-Sequence Technique.”

“Thank you for the offer, but I must refuse.”

Myo Man-ri was greatly flustered by my firm refusal, as though I had not needed to consider it at all.

“...You little brat? Think carefully. This is not just any place. It is the Asura Sword Sect. I am its Great Elder. Do you understand what that means? You would become the direct disciple of the Asura Sword Sect’s Great Elder. Rather than living as an illegitimate son in a backwater like Jangnyeong County, would it not be better to swim in a bigger pond?”

“I am sorry, but my mind is already made up.”

“...Heh heh... You are certainly not a fool, so there must be a reason you refuse my offer. I am curious what it is.”

There was no reason to tell him.

Nor did I want to.

I already had a master. Even though I had not met that person at this point in time, there was only one master I would serve for my entire life.

“You do not wish to say?”

“Yes. I do not particularly wish to. Besides, do you really have time to be standing around here?”

“Hm? What do you mean by that?”

“I heard a summons has been issued to the Asura Sword Sect. Should you not be going?”

Myo Man-ri’s eyes flashed.

“You are quite something. How did you learn that?”

“A small talent.”

“That cannot possibly be a small talent. You have a broad view of the world, and truly, there is not a single thing about you I do not like. Fine. Then let us have a spar.”

Myo Man-ri did not seem to have any intention of listening to my answer.

His hand shot toward me.

I caught it.

Thud.

“Ho... You are certainly not an ordinary Circulation Realm martial artist.”

Myo Man-ri’s feet moved with uncanny grace, and in an instant, he closed the distance between us to within an inch. He drove his shoulder in deeply.

Iron Mountain Shoulder Strike.

I immediately kicked off backward, softening the impact. I retreated about one step. Strength flowed into my legs, and my eyes flashed.

Whether he was the Great Elder of one of the Eight Great Sword Sects, one of the Ten Greatest Masters Under Heaven, or even the greatest martial artist under heaven, it made no difference.

If he attacked me, he had to pay the same price.

I kicked off the ground at once.

Surprise crossed Myo Man-ri’s face as he leaned back. My foot swept past his face, then changed direction and came crashing down.

Myo Man-ri, who had seemed to have completely lost his balance, moved.

Boom!

My foot slammed into the ground.

Myo Man-ri had already moved to my side, grinning.

I used my footwork.

Heavenly Steed Divine Steps churned across the ground. I swung my left elbow. Myo Man-ri raised an arm to block, but before our arms even touched, my foot moved once more.

My body spun.

My right elbow slipped into Myo Man-ri’s blind spot. The moment he turned his head.

Crack!

My elbow struck his jaw.

He retreated two or so steps.

Judging by his blank expression, he did not seem to understand what had just happened.

“...Huh... Huh...”

The strange sounds he made even had me wondering whether my attack had dealt a heavy blow to his head.

Of course, that could not be the case.

Myo Man-ri had not drawn upon his internal energy, but he was still a Creation Realm master.

Even his ordinary body was fundamentally different from that of an ordinary person.

As Myo Man-ri rubbed his jaw, a broad grin spread across his face.

“Even though I matched my physical ability to yours, for you to be this capable... I have changed my mind. I will not take you to the Asura Sword Sect.”

“That is good to hear. I am glad you are someone who can be reasoned with.”

“Yes, if I brought you to the Asura Sword Sect, that bastard Sect Leader would certainly steal you from me.”

Something about that was a little strange.

“...Remarkable. Your movements, footwork, and judgment differ from those of people who have reached the Circulation Realm. You certainly possess heaven-given talent. There is no questioning your talent for martial arts, but your judgment is remarkable as well, and your judgment in battle is even better. Taking you to the Asura Sword Sect would not be good for me.”

“...”

“If I leave the Asura Sword Sect, I will accept you as my disciple then. Yes, that would be better.”

It was not just a little strange. It was very strange.

He took two books from his robes and handed them to me.

“Take them.”

“What are these?”

“Take them first.”

I was not the sort of person to refuse something given for free, so I accepted them.

One book bore the title Five-Thunder Demon-Burning Sword Art, while the other was titled Divine Shadow Returning-Sequence Technique.

“The Five-Thunder Demon-Burning Sword Art should include the corresponding Nameless Life-Stealing Steps. Learn them.”

I could not understand what was happening.

“You will not be able to obtain such profound martial arts in a backwater like this, so learning them will benefit you as well. Am I wrong?”

I answered with silence.

“You are quite tight-lipped. Perhaps that is why I like you even more.”

Myo Man-ri smiled.

“Until next time. Heh heh heh.”

With that, Myo Man-ri kicked off the ground and left.

It had been a truly strange day.

I stared at the two secret manuals in my hands.

I did not trust people easily.

I knew what Myo Man-ri was thinking, but I did not know every detail of his plan.

Standing there in silence, I opened the manuals.

I read through them quickly from beginning to end.

Then I returned to the beginning and read them again.

Again and again.

Perhaps two hours passed.

I remained rooted to that spot, reading the secret manuals the entire time.

Snap.

The moment I closed the manuals, a hollow laugh burst out of me.

Of course.

The martial arts were certainly powerful. They were impressive as well.

But whatever else might be true, this inner cultivation art, the Divine Shadow Returning-Sequence Technique, had a major problem.

The final formulas had been tangled and twisted.

I would stake everything on it. If I continued practicing the Divine Shadow Returning-Sequence Technique, both my meridians and my mind would inevitably suffer problems later.

Myo Man-ri had definitely tampered with it.

If I learned it immediately without thinking, I would only notice the side effects later. Once that happened, I would inevitably come to rely on Myo Man-ri, allowing him to easily take me as his disciple.

As expected.

There was a reason he was a great demonic fiend.

Still, the Five-Thunder Demon-Burning Sword Art was quite useful.

After putting the two secret manuals inside my robes, I headed for the Yi Clan.

* * *

The Yi family members who had arrived at the Sang-un Trading Company were facing its executives.

They had already exchanged many words.

And now.

Sang Myeong-gil, the head of the Sang-un Trading Company, deeply furrowed his brow.

“...So you are saying you cannot provide support?”

“That is correct.”

Yi Se-geuk remained unshaken.

“This matter occurred solely because the Sang-un Trading Company failed to handle its affairs properly. How can you ask the Yi Clan to share the burden of those losses?”

“...Listen, Clan Head Yi. No, son-in-law. You should not treat me this way.”

Yi Se-geuk let out a sigh.

“Father-in-law, I do not wish to do this either, but our clan has its rules. Our clan has suffered substantial losses as well, but we will not seek compensation. Simply prepare the tribute goods for the War King again. That is all we ask.”

“How can our Sang-un Trading Company bear all that cost? The amount is far too great. In particular, the [Yangyeong Pill] that was there has become so expensive that it is difficult to obtain. You know that well.”

“Even so, there is nothing to be done. I apologize.”

Sang Myeong-gil’s hands trembled.

That fucking bastard.

When he needed something, he had eagerly taken everything he could from them. Now that the Sang-un Trading Company was about to suffer losses, he acted as though it had nothing to do with him?

They should cover the losses themselves?

Sang Myeong-gil was so dumbfounded that he could barely believe it.

The executives of the Sang-un Trading Company wore the same expressions, but Yi Se-geuk’s expression did not change.

His shamelessness was nearly unmatched under heaven.

“There is much work waiting at the clan. It seems things have been roughly settled, so we will be taking our leave.”

Yi Se-geuk rose from his seat.

Sang Myeong-gil called out to him.

“...Clan Head Yi.”

“Yes. Speak.”

“When exactly do you intend to finalize who will be Young Clan Head?”

An enigmatic smile appeared on Yi Se-geuk’s face.

“I intend to finalize it when the time comes, so do not worry.”

“...You said the same thing last year, the year before that, the year before that, and the year before that as well. When exactly will that time come?”

“Well, that is for me, as the Clan Head, to decide. At present, I have nothing further to say.”

“....”

“I will be going now.”

Yi Se-geuk turned and left the meeting hall. Yi Jeong and Lady Sang were about to follow him when Sang Myeong-gil spoke.

“Yeong-a.”

Lady Sang turned at her father’s call.

“Come here for a moment.”

Yi Se-geuk nodded. He intended to give the father and daughter some time alone.

Lady Sang approached Sang Myeong-gil. The people nearby were merchants, quick to read the room. In an instant, the meeting hall was empty.

Sang Myeong-gil asked, “Do you think that bastard will give the position of Young Clan Head to Jeong?”

“Yes.”

“Are you certain?”

“...Yes.”

“You hesitate. You know as well as I do what that bastard is thinking.”

There was no way she could not know.

Yi Se-geuk held the Sang-un Trading Company and the Yun Clan in one hand, enjoying the authority that gave him.

There was certainly a right time to decide the Young Clan Head.

But Yi Se-geuk had missed that time, drunk on the power of wielding both forces at once.

If he appointed the eldest son now, the Yun Clan would turn away. They likely would not provide the same support as before.

If he appointed the second son, his relationship with the Sang-un Trading Company would grow even colder.

“I did not intend to say this much, but how long do you plan to remain so soft-hearted?”

“...What? Father, what do you mean?”

“If that bastard does not hand over the position of Young Clan Head, all the funds our Sang-un Trading Company has provided to the Yi Clan will become meaningless. That bastard intends to keep enjoying power while holding the Sang-un Trading Company and the Yun Clan in his hands. What else can we do? We have no choice but to act.”

“...Act?”

Sang Myeong-gil took a small box from his robes and handed it to Lady Sang.

“The decision is yours.”

“Father. What is this?”

“Poison.”

“...Poison?”

“It is called [Soul-Severing Demon Poison]. The moment he consumes it, all the meridians in his body will twist as if he had suffered qi deviation. He will be unable to speak, unable to walk, unable to move his body at all. He will be alive, but it will not be a life worth living.”

“...Surely you do not mean...”

“Yes, what else can we do? I have watched that bastard’s attitude for over ten years. As I see it, he will not help our future. Should we not get rid of him now?”

How much money had they lost last night?

The amount of money alone was not what mattered.

What mattered was that their opportunity to establish trade with the War King had vanished.

There were countless goods they could not procure immediately, and the head of the Sang-un Trading Company had asked Yi Se-geuk for help, only to be refused.

The Sang-un Trading Company was large, but it was not large enough to bear all those costs at once.

They only had so much capital.

Yi Se-geuk certainly knew all of this.

He knew, yet he acted as though it were someone else’s problem, as though they should deal with it themselves. Sang Myeong-gil had already turned his heart against him.

“When the time comes, begin. We will take responsibility for what follows.”

“...All right, Father.”

“Yes. Harden your heart. For Jeong’s future, if nothing else.”

Lady Sang’s eyes turned vicious.

“Of course. Do not worry. And...”

“What now?”

“...Please lend me some money.”

Sang Myeong-gil tilted his head.

“Money?”

“I intend to commission the Assassin Fortress.”

“Who are you trying to kill?”

“The third son.”

Sang Myeong-gil’s brow creased slightly.

“...That impotent bastard?”

“He is not the same as before. Father, he has already reached the Circulation Realm at seventeen.”

Sang Myeong-gil was greatly shocked.

“Even a grub has a trick or two. It seems his talent for martial arts is exceptional. Perhaps he inherited more from that concubine bitch than from Yi Se-geuk’s blood.”

“...”

“Fine. Do not worry about it. I will commission them myself. A top-tier contract should do?”

Lady Sang’s expression brightened.

All that remained was to remove every nuisance and swallow the Yi Clan whole.

“Thank you, Father.”

“Of course.”

Footnotes:

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