WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Alyo

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Memoir of a Regressor ◈

Chapter 26: Do You Truly Not Understand?

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I silently looked around.

Judging from the dates recorded in the ledger, all of this had continued for more than ten years.

Yet only one elder within the clan had known about it. That meant they had acted in utmost secrecy.

It was baffling.

After going to such lengths, they could not even deal with a single poison, and their martial realm had remained stuck at the Circulation Realm?

How could that be possible?

Normally, a true human sacrifice required the offering of thousands, even tens of thousands, of human hearts. With this many, it could truly be called a human sacrifice.

I set the box down and picked up the book beside it.

It was quite thick.

Silently, I opened it and began to read.

The Iron-Blooded Demon Emperor, Sima Jongcheon.

This was Sima Jongcheon’s final record.

It rambled on about how a month had passed since Sima Jongcheon had painted the martial world in blood, how an unforeseen existence was about to ruin Sima Jongcheon’s great undertaking, and how Sima Jongcheon cursed Jeok Yu-gang of the Kunlun Sect for stopping Sima Jongcheon when ascension to immortality had been within reach. The record promised power to whoever read it and asked them to promise to destroy Kunlun.

“My Boundless Thunder-Spirit Sword Formula and Thunder-Shaking Dantian Technique are supreme among supreme arts. Master them to their limit and carry on my legacy...”

And so on.

Then, at the end, I found the line I had been looking for.

- Offer ten thousand human hearts, cultivate the Myriad-Phenomena Arising Chaotic-Mist Formation, and consume the Heavenly Spirit Root Pill I left behind. Then you will possess the power of an immortal.

A hollow laugh escaped me.

Kunlun?

It had been gone for over three hundred years.

If nothing else, I knew the name Jeok Yu-gang.

Jeok Yu-gang had been the greatest martial artist under heaven four hundred years ago and the final Sect Leader of Great Kunlun.

At some point, Jeok Yu-gang had completely vanished from the world. Great Kunlun had already had many enemies coveting it, and from that moment onward, it fell into decline before eventually meeting its destruction.

And the Heavenly Spirit Root Pill?

I had never heard of anything like it.

Had there ever been such a spiritual medicine?

I had no idea.

There was no way I would consume it right away. Why the hell would I gobble it down before I even knew what it was?

It would be better to keep it for now, ask my master about it when I had the chance, and only then take it.

For the moment, I tucked it into my robes.

Next, I examined the martial arts manual.

I skimmed through it once.

Then I returned to the beginning and read it again. I went over the formulas, read through the entire text, then read it again.

“Ho...”

An exclamation of admiration escaped me for the first time in a while.

This martial art.

Honestly, it was very good.

The Five-Thunder Demon-Burning Sword Art Myo Man-ri had given me also handled the power of lightning, strictly speaking.

Its core was cutting down an enemy in an instant, as though five bolts of lightning struck with every thrust of the sword. Yet the Boundless Thunder-Spirit Sword Formula I had just read went even further.

This was a martial art that turned the practitioner into lightning itself.

It went beyond pursuing ultimate speed. It was a martial art meant to turn one into a force of nature.

The Thunder-Shaking Dantian Technique left alongside it was an inner art that stored lightning within the body. The more one trained it, the more the internal energy in one’s body transformed into thunder energy.

Gather the power of lightning, then wield martial arts through the power of lightning.

Interesting.

Myo Man-ri had given me three martial arts: the Five-Thunder Demon-Burning Sword Art, the Nameless Life-Stealing Steps included alongside it, and the Divine Shadow Returning-Sequence Technique.

The Divine Shadow Returning-Sequence Technique was not even worth learning. It was painfully obvious that he had tampered with it. Learning it would be foolish.

The Nameless Life-Stealing Steps fell far short of the Heavenly Thunder Divine Steps.

The Five-Thunder Demon-Burning Sword Art. The Boundless Thunder-Spirit Sword Formula and Thunder-Shaking Dantian Technique I had just obtained.

I thought I could combine them.

I immediately sat cross-legged and reviewed the three martial arts in my mind.

A martial art that infused a sword with thunder qi. A martial art that brought down five bolts of lightning at once. An art that let the energy of lightning seep into the dantian whenever I circulated it, changing ordinary internal energy into thunder energy, in other words, thunder qi.

The martial arts broke apart and came together.

It was lacking.

They broke apart again. Several formulas came together, but I did not like them. I broke them apart and combined them again, then broke them apart once more and combined them yet again.

Quite some time passed.

Slowly, I opened my eyes.

I rose to my feet and drew the sword at my waist.

Immediately, I swung it broadly before me.

KRAAA-BOOOOM-!!

With a peal of thunder, a trail of lightning formed along the sword’s path.

I swung it to the side again.

KRAAA-BOOOOM-!!

A bolt of lightning shot out and struck the wall. I watched fragments of stalactite rain down, then sheathed my sword.

There was no need to force exactly five variations into a single swing.

I could put in ten variations, twenty, even a hundred. That was swordsmanship.

But.

The heart of swordsmanship was ultimately [One Sword].

No matter how many hundreds or thousands of variations one added, if that central sword strike was pathetic, those variations were no more than tricks fit for a children’s talent show or a sixtieth-birthday banquet.

I had created it.

Ultimate speed.

All I needed was a perfect single sword strike that could descend as lightning itself. A martial art that could draw even a little thunder qi from the air to replenish what I expended whenever I swung my sword.

Its level was still low, but once I reached the Four Realms of Heaven and Earth, it would display its true power.

The martial art I had created by combining those three arts...

I thought for a moment.

What word would suit it?

What was I now?

I was nothing more than an infinitely weak martial artist.

I wanted to cross the heavens.

My realm in my previous life had been the Creation Realm, but I had to go beyond it.

[Heaven-Crossing Thunder Sword Formula].

I had obtained a fine martial art.

I got to work.

First, I burned every corpse and every heart. I destroyed what looked like an altar at the front, then smashed the platform as well.

If this place was ever exposed and even a trace remained, the Yi Clan would become the enemy of the entire martial world.

It was better to prevent such a thing before it could happen.

There were thousands of hearts left in the pit that resembled a well.

I burned every last one of them.

It consumed a considerable amount of Properly Aligned Qi, but it could not be helped.

After cleaning everything up, I left the hidden cave.

I could use this place for secluded training from now on.

I had gained a good training ground.

I stepped outside. After moving the bed to hide the entrance to the hidden cave, I opened the door and stepped out again.

Yeom Gil-seong, who had been waiting outside, hurried over.

“Young Master!”

“What is it?”

“...The Clan Head is looking for you right now.”

“Me?”

“Yes. He is in your residence right now... Young Master.”

Yeom Gil-seong looked quite serious.

When I waited for him to continue, he quickly spoke again.

“I... Earlier, I secretly overheard what was being said in the Clan Head’s Hall.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes... I should not have done it, but the Yun Clan Head and Lady Yun are planning to...”

“To do what to me?”

“Ah... Forgive me. I’m poorly educated, so I can’t think of the right word. It is not easy to say this, but... I think they are planning to sell you out.”

A strange smile came to my lips.

“Sell me out?”

“Yes. They said that someone important from the Emperor Sword Sect would definitely come, and that the Yi Clan could only stay safe if they sold you out to that person... Forgive me.”

“Forgive you? For what?”

“I know that you take the clan’s rules very seriously, Young Master, but... I have served you for over six years now. Do you not remember? You were the one who recommended me as a servant of the Yi Clan when I was working as an attendant at a tavern.”

To be completely honest, I did not remember.

“I wanted to repay your kindness somehow. You will rise to heights someone like me cannot even dare to imagine, but if I have helped you take even one step forward, I would be satisfied even if I were punished here and now.”

That was unexpected.

So I had done something like that in the past.

I had thought it odd that this servant named Yeom Gil-seong obeyed me so faithfully. I had not expected there to be such a reason behind it.

I patted his shoulder.

“Do not worry. As you know, there are very few people in the Yi Clan I trust. Since we are speaking of it, I do not trust you either. I simply make my judgments.”

I smiled at him as he stood there somewhat frozen.

“You did well. Come to think of it, I have quite a deep connection with attendants. You worked as a servant for six years? Then it is about time you rose in rank.”

“You mean...”

“Yes. From now on, you will become the General Steward. I heard there are several trade caravans headed to Suju County. I will place you with them. Accompany three or four caravan runs, then take charge of one. Understood?”

For a martial artist, rewards and punishments had to be clear.

I felt sorry for Yi Won, but I needed at least one or two people within the clan to serve as my ears.

Thud.

Yeom Gil-seong dropped to his knees.

He said he would never forget this kindness for the rest of his life. I patted his shoulder once more, then headed for my residence.

* * *

The moment I entered, I found Yi Won pacing restlessly.

“Brother.”

“Oh, you’re back. Where in the world have you been?”

“I was training.”

“Ah... Training? Then I suppose it couldn’t be helped.”

I stared at Yi Won.

His reaction was quite strange.

It felt like looking at a puppy that desperately needed to poop.

He came closer and lowered his voice.

“Have you heard the news?”

“What news?”

“...They say the Golden Heaven Divine Sword is coming to Jangnyeong County.”

My brow twitched.

The Golden Heaven Divine Sword.

They were one of the elders of the Emperor Sword Sect, one of the great heroes of the martial world known for an upright character.

They were also the master of Jang Un-yeon, the Young Clan Head of the Jang Clan.

“And Mother and Uncle are planning to sell you out to the Golden Heaven Divine Sword. What are we supposed to do?”

He passed.

Honestly, I had been a little suspicious.

I already knew Yi Won was easily swayed, so I had wondered whether he might be taken in by Un Mu-jeong of the Yun Clan and Lady Yun’s coaxing and sell me out.

But that was not the case.

My second brother had not hidden it from me.

I had no choice but to give him a passing grade.

Still, he did not seem able to control his emotions at all.

Fear, terror... Any word would fit.

“Brother. It does not matter who is coming.”

“...But it is the Emperor Sword Sect. Not just any place, but the Emperor Sword Sect of the Eight Great Sects...”

“Do you still not understand what it means to join hands with me?”

“That... isn’t the case.”

“Whether the Emperor Sword Sect comes or all Eight Great Sects come at once, none of that will change the situation in the slightest, Brother.”

“...All right. Go on.”

“Whatever happens, you must stay with me until the end. Even if that road leads to hell, you must walk it. I will praise you for not deciding how to solve this problem on your own, but you should have kept a tighter rein on Mother and Uncle.”

“Mm...”

“Do you think the Yi Clan will remain safe if you sell me out to the Emperor Sword Sect?”

“...”

“You seem to know far too little about the Emperor Sword Sect. They will never leave the Yi Clan alone. Either the Emperor Sword Sect will be destroyed, or the Yi Clan will. One of the two.”

Yi Won’s face turned pale.

“Also, the Emperor Sword Sect will have no attention to spare for Jangnyeong County in the future.”

“What do you mean by that?”

The Great Righteous-Demonic War would break out ten years from now.

But wars did not suddenly erupt out of nowhere.

The demonic martial artists hidden in the shadows would gradually reveal themselves, problems would arise throughout the martial world, and debts and grudges would continue to pile up.

Then it would explode ten years from now.

When that time came, not only the Eight Great Sects but the Five Great Schools and every other force worth mentioning in the martial world would turn their swords on one another.

It was called the Righteous-Demonic War, but in truth, it would be nothing less than a complete reshuffling of the martial world.

At this point in time, there were countless masters at the Creation Realm, Divine Entrance Realm, and even the Divine Transformation Realm. Yet after the Righteous-Demonic War ended, more than half of those countless masters would die.

The demonic martial artists had already begun to stir.

The Emperor Sword Sect?

If I handled the Golden Heaven Divine Sword’s matter well, I could deal with everything afterward. I was certain of it.

“I have my reasons.”

I did not particularly want to explain all of it to Yi Won. It would be a waste of breath.

“Mm... Hah...”

I clicked my tongue as I watched Yi Won make strange noises.

“...It is just that... those two are so stubborn.”

“Stubborn? Look at it another way, and it means they take your authority lightly.”

Yi Won’s eyes widened.

“Mother and Uncle are both ultimately members of the Yi Clan. Who is the master of the Yi Clan? Is it not you, Brother? They are challenging your authority right now. Insolently so.”

“...Mm...”

“Perhaps they still have not properly realized whose favor allows them to enjoy wealth and glory. At times like this, you should bring them to heel and strengthen your authority as Clan Head. How can you let subordinates play you so easily with their nonsense?”

“...But those two are my...”

I reached out and grabbed Yi Won by the shoulder.

“I will handle the Emperor Sword Sect. Make those two shut their mouths.”

“...But...”

Yi Won could not continue.

I tightened my grip.

His face twisted slightly from the pain, but I ignored it and continued.

“Brother, if you cannot persuade Mother and Uncle, and those two become frightened and eventually sell me out to the Emperor Sword Sect just to save themselves, and themselves alone...”

A gentle smile settled on my lips.

“Do you truly not understand what will happen?”

Footnotes:

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