WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

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◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈

Chapter 126: The Black Flame Dragon Who Steals an Opportunity

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At the mention that they had entered secretly, I asked again in disbelief.

"Secretly? There should have been guards posted."

"It appears they entered during a shift change."

"..."

The Martial Arts Academy's security had been breached?

As I pieced together the rough outline of what had happened, anger slowly rose within me. But the urgent matter was not how they had slipped past the guards.

No matter how many safeguards had been put in place, anyone who carelessly stepped into the Soul-Destroying Formation would be unable to leave it.

Why had those who recklessly entered the Soul-Destroying Formation never been found, even though so many people had survived on Demon Spirit Plateau?

There was no way to find people who had entered somewhere among its two hundred thousand routes.

"W-what should we do?"

Yu Jiryang's voice would not stop trembling.

It seemed the people from the Nine Sects One Gang had already held him accountable before I arrived.

"Please... wait a moment."

I quickly looked around. If the security had been breached, those responsible would surely be under questioning.

I spotted two people at one side of the Grand Training Ground, looking miserable as they were being interrogated.

I hurried over to them.

Yu Jiryang followed after me, panting.

"May I speak with these people for a moment?"

"..."

The person who appeared to be the guards' superior stopped questioning them and turned away. I asked the guards who had been on duty the previous night a few questions.

As I listened to them, someone suddenly cut in.

"Yu Jiryang, and Academy student Jin Sowoon."

Yu Jiryang jolted and turned. An academy instructor stood there, glaring at us both with the expression of a demon.

"The Alliance elders wish to hear an explanation. Come with me."

"..."

#

A platform had been erected in the middle of the Grand Training Ground for the demonstration, with more than thirty chairs set before it.

Every seat was occupied now, and officials crowded behind the chairs as well.

Yu Jiryang was trembling so violently that I could feel it as I walked beside him.

I briefly placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Hero Yu, why don't you calm down a little?"

"...Ah, yes. Yes, I should."

"If this is too difficult, I'll go alone."

Yu Jiryang's face brightened at my words, but after a moment of thought, he shook his head.

"Whatever the case, I am responsible for this Soul-Destroying Formation. I have to go."

"..."

Yu Jiryang trudged toward the platform like an ox being led to slaughter.

Unlike what I had seen from afar, the platform was already occupied by the Martial Alliance Leader, Hyeok Mugang, the Grand Strategist Jegal Somyeong, and every member of the Elders' Council.

"What in the world happened?"

"How did you manage things so poorly that children could freely enter such a dangerous absolute formation?"

"What is there to hear? Break the formation at once and hold those responsible accountable according to Alliance Law."

The moment we arrived, angry voices erupted from every direction.

The Elders' Council members seemed unable to restrain their emotions. As they spoke, killing intent poured from them, and those who had gathered for the demonstration all fell silent at the ominous atmosphere.

The tension was so perilous that it felt as though we were crossing a bridge of sword edges.

"How long will the Academy Representative keep his mouth shut?"

"Speak at once!"

"This is what happens when you make someone with no grasp of the basics a representative. Replace the representative immediately."

Soon, those accusations began pouring toward me as well.

Sharp voices filled the space like a battlefield. Unable to bear it any longer, Jegal Somyeong spoke.

"Silence!"

"..."

"..."

At Jegal Somyeong's shout, the elders fell quiet. Silence enveloped the area as though we had entered the Soul-Destroying Formation itself.

"How many people entered?"

As Jegal Somyeong took control of the discussion, everyone's attention turned toward them.

Under all those gazes, Yu Jiryang stammered out an answer.

"F-from what I was told, a total of six people entered."

"From what you were told? Are you saying you are not certain?"

"N-no. Their companions said so, so the number is certain."

"Good. They entered. Why is that such a problem now?"

"Normally, those who enter the Soul-Destroying Formation should emerge within one shichen, about two hours. But the people who entered at Tiger Hour yesterday have still not come out, and it is now Snake Hour. That means they have lost their way inside."

"If they lost their way, can they not come out again?"

"The Soul-Destroying Formation has no reference points. They must follow the rules and walk the correct route according to each step they take. If they make even one mistake..."

The elders' expressions darkened at Yu Jiryang's words.

"Why have the safety mechanisms not activated?"

"The safeguards are meant to stop people from entering anywhere other than the formation's entrance. They were never meant for those entering through the entrance itself."

"So there are no safeguards?"

"It is an absolute formation for which safeguards cannot be made. That is why access was strictly controlled, and people were limited to entering through the designated life and death gates..."

As Yu Jiryang tried to rebuke those who had entered without permission, Daoist Myeonghyeon abruptly interrupted him.

"So our children are trapped in a dangerous absolute formation with no safeguards."

"...Ah, that..."

Jegal Somyeong frowned, but Daoist Myeonghyeon continued as if they did not care.

"What are the chances they will emerge in time?"

"...None."

"Good grief."

Daoist Myeonghyeon wore a deeply exasperated expression as they addressed the Martial Alliance Leader.

"Alliance Leader, this is a grave matter that may take the lives of academy students who will carry the Alliance's future. We must break the Soul-Destroying Formation at once and save them."

The Martial Alliance Leader turned to Yu Jiryang.

"I heard the Boundless Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation cannot be broken, as its name suggests. Is there a way?"

"T-the fifty pillars that form the central axis of the Soul-Destroying Formation were designed to break after one month, so the formation will disappear after a month, but... there is a problem."

"A problem?"

"The flow of time felt inside the Soul-Destroying Formation differs from the outside. Even staying inside for one day is the same as remaining there for seven days and nights."

"Though it is not real, it has a direct effect?"

"Those trapped in the Jegal Clan's Water-Demon Grand Formation suffocate to death..."

"Ha..."

"We only experienced this effect for the first time while constructing it. The problem is that those who entered without permission yesterday..."

"Wait!"

Yu Jiryang stopped mid-sentence and looked at Daoist Myeonghyeon.

"Do not keep using words like 'without permission' or 'nonparticipants' to evade your own responsibility. This is entirely your fault for neglecting your management duties."

"..."

"..."

"..."

The elders nodded as though they agreed with Daoist Myeonghyeon. Yu Jiryang's face had gone white, and he looked utterly dazed.

"Continue."

"Y-yes. The people who entered yesterday did not bring emergency rations."

Daoist Myeonghyeon shook their head, then spoke to the Alliance Leader.

"Alliance Leader, there is nothing more to hear. We must forcibly break the formation at once."

The Martial Alliance Leader nodded as though they agreed with Daoist Myeonghyeon.

"Is there a way to break it by force?"

Yu Jiryang's lips trembled as he answered.

"If the fifty pillars I mentioned earlier are destroyed at the same time... it may be possible."

"Then carry it out at once."

Yu Jiryang looked as though he was about to die at Daoist Myeonghyeon's words.

Unable to watch any longer, I stepped forward.

"That is not possible."

"...This does not seem to be your place to speak. We will question you later, so stay out of this for now."

Ignoring Daoist Myeonghyeon, I looked at the Alliance Leader and the Grand Strategist.

"To forcibly break the Soul-Destroying Formation, fifty people must enter through the life and death gates, establish the correct bearings, and destroy the pillars at the same time.

"But that is only a theoretical example. You must consider that if it fails, fifty more people may be trapped in the Soul-Destroying Formation."

The moment I finished speaking, deep sighs rose from all around.

"Ha!"

"How could..."

"Why would anyone create such a thing?"

Even the Martial Alliance Leader and the Grand Strategist fell silent.

Unable to contain their anger, Daoist Myeonghyeon finally shouted.

"How do you intend to take responsibility for this? Did this not happen because you insisted on keeping the position of representative?"

I slowly turned my head.

Then I looked at Daoist Myeonghyeon, whose face had turned bright red.

"Why should I take responsibility?"

"W-what? You dare..."

"After speaking with the people on guard last night, I learned that twenty people arrived and ordered an early shift change. The Orthodox Society's name was mentioned during that process."

"That is absurd..."

I cut off Daoist Myeonghyeon and continued.

"How does the Mount Cang Sect deal with someone caught secretly stealing a look at another person's martial arts?"

"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"

"Because of limits in funding and space, I placed a limit on the number of participants. The event was held to pass the Soul-Destroying Formation's secret teachings to those who officially participated. Yet people who did not participate secretly tried to steal those teachings and caused this disaster. Should they not naturally be punished instead of rewarded?"

The faces of Daoist Myeonghyeon and the elders turned red.

"Naturally, I bear no responsibility for this. Neither does Yu Jiryang. They brought this danger upon themselves, and it came entirely from their personal greed."

I laced my voice with internal energy so that everyone gathered here could hear me.

"As I just explained, there is a way to break the Soul-Destroying Formation. The elders who can endure for roughly one hundred days on only minimal food and water can risk their lives to break it. If they succeed, they may save the academy students who committed this foolish act."

At the mention of one hundred days, none of the elders answered.

"If not, those who conspired and carried out this act should step forward. Those who pressured and threatened the guards, forcing this matter through."

I turned and looked over the Grand Training Ground.

Among the academy students, members of the Orthodox Society glared toward us with murderous eyes.

"Who will step forward? Will it be the elders and sect seniors, or those who ignored the representative's words as academy students? Who will it be?"

No one spoke after I finished.

The Grand Training Ground was so quiet that one could have heard an ant crawl across the ground.

No longer caring about their reactions, I filled my voice with internal energy and shouted.

"No one? Academy students are dying inside the Soul-Destroying Formation right now. Is there no one willing to risk their life for them?"

I looked toward where the Orthodox Society members had gathered.

Then I addressed the person at their center.

"Academy student Ilgak! I do not believe you were uninvolved in this. Do you have no intention of stepping forward?"

"..."

It was truly a strange sight.

The Shaolin Sect monks were all glaring at me as if they wanted to kill me.

Even the demonic martial artists from my previous life had probably never received looks like those.

As I prepared to press them again, Jegal Somyeong stepped forward.

"Enough."

Jegal Somyeong swept their gaze over the Elders' Council members as though looking at trash, then continued.

"The pressing issue is not who bears responsibility. It is how to save them. Is there no way?"

"If we can search all two hundred thousand routes, we can save them."

"There may be two hundred thousand routes, but the paths you taught are only three. If we count the routes that branch from those, there should not be so many possibilities."

As expected, not just anyone could become the Grand Strategist.

I nodded.

"That is correct."

"Then the most likely course would be for people who know the Soul-Destroying Formation well to enter and rescue them."

Yu Jiryang cautiously raised his hand.

"My sect's formation masters and I created the Soul-Destroying Formation, but we cannot move freely through it. The people who have rescued those trapped inside until now have..."

Yu Jiryang trailed off and looked at me.

Jegal Somyeong nodded as if they had expected that.

"You must step forward."

Jegal Somyeong, the Martial Alliance Leader, and all the elders looked at me and nodded.

As though it was only natural for me to go.

I shook my head.

"I refuse."

"What?"

"What the Grand Strategist said is only theoretical. In reality, I would have to risk my life. I see no reason to stake my life on something that may become my responsibility."

"You call yourself the Academy Representative?"

I answered Daoist Myeonghyeon's shout.

"I may be the Academy Representative, but most academy students have never acknowledged me as their representative. Should I take responsibility and risk my life for people like that? Why should I? I refuse."

"Ha..."

Daoist Myeonghyeon and the elders trembled with rage.

Jegal Somyeong watched me expressionlessly for a moment before speaking.

"The Academy Representative is right. Those who entered the Soul-Destroying Formation broke academy rules and ruined an important event funded by the Alliance. They must pay for their grave crime, equal to stealing another's martial arts."

"Grand Strategist!"

"That cannot be allowed!"

"You cannot mean that!"

Jegal Somyeong glared at Daoist Myeonghyeon and the others.

"Then will you watch your disciples die?"

"..."

Jegal Somyeong shouted loudly enough for the entire Grand Training Ground to hear.

"Those who led this incident and those who brazenly entered the Soul-Destroying Formation will be expelled from the academy. Anyone connected to this matter will also be disciplined."

Whatever the others whispered after hearing Jegal Somyeong's declaration, Jegal Somyeong looked at me and spoke.

"Can the Academy Representative bring the academy students back so they may receive their rightful punishment?"

I could watch those Orthodox Society bastards get expelled?

"I will bring them back without fail!!!"

Even if my life was at stake, this was an opportunity I could not pass up.

Footnotes:

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