WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Chen
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈
Chapter 127: The Black Flame Dragon Who Steals an Opportunity (2)
──────
“Are you really going in?”
I slung a bundle stuffed with Fasting Pellets and jerky over my shoulder and hung a waterskin as long as my leg from my waist.
“What other choice do we have? We can't just leave them to die.”
“...Why does Young Master Jin have to clean up the mess those bastards made?!”
Seong Moran shouted loudly enough to shake the Great Training Ground. Each time she did, the Nine Sects One Gang and the elders shot her icy looks, but she only raised her voice further.
“Tell those lofty elders to go in themselves! If they failed to raise their little brats properly, the adults should take responsibility!”
It was disrespectful enough to warrant calling the Enforcement Hall at once, yet no one stepped forward. If they made a scene and offended me, their disciples would be the ones to die.
“Um, Brother Sowoon. Are you all right?”
Eun Seollan, who had come with Saryeon, spoke cautiously. Namgung Seonhwa, Seong Moran, and Hong Saryeon stared at her with wide eyes.
“Brother Sowoon?”
“You called him Brother Sowoon?”
“Did you just call him Brother Sowoon?”
Eun Seollan froze under the three women's questioning, then quickly blushed.
“He said his little sister’s friend was his little sister too, so he allowed it...”
“...”
The three women suddenly glared sharply at me.
“You seem to like being called big brother.”
“What a shame. I'm too old to call you big brother. What should I do?”
“I'm disappointed in you, Senior Brother.”
I sighed at them.
“Is that really important right now?”
After the brief commotion subsided, Yu Jiryang led me to the Soul-Destroying Formation as everyone watched in concern.
-You'll be able to come back out, won't you?
At the sudden sound transmission, I turned my head. Jegal Somyeong stood at one side of the Great Training Ground, watching me.
-If I try to find them safely, everyone inside will die.
It took two hours to make one circuit through the Soul-Destroying Formation. If I inspected every route they had taken one by one, everyone who had entered would be dead before I had checked even twenty routes.
-If it comes down to their lives or yours, save your own life first.
I could only tilt my head at Jegal Somyeong's words.
Jegal Somyeong did not know me as well as I knew them.
From their perspective, I was someone who had repeatedly used them and caused them harm. Why were they speaking as though they cared about me?
-Are you trying to give them a free pass?
The expressionless Jegal Somyeong gave a brief snort.
-If you bring them out, they will be expelled from the Academy without exception. In addition, they will be made to compensate the sects they harmed for the damage.
-I will bring them back alive.
The moment I took a step forward, the noise from the Great Training Ground vanished, and I entered a space of perfect silence.
#
Even if one memorized all two hundred thousand routes through the Soul-Destroying Formation, it was not a place where one could move through them as one pleased.
If I stepped incorrectly while following the third route, there was no way to know whether I would enter the 160,000th route or the 85,000th route. That was what set the Soul-Destroying Formation apart from other arcane formations.
Trying to find people inside, where there were no landmarks or objects to use as reference, was like searching for a needle in the Taklamakan Desert.
“They must have gotten confused while calculating the Sexagenary Cycle.”
The Academy's regular examination did not test even the most basic common sense, so there were plenty of idiots who could barely write their own names.
They had learned three routes by watching over someone's shoulder, then blindly stepped into the Boundless Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation. This was not something that could be dismissed as ignorance breeding courage.
In truth, leaving them here to starve to death might benefit the Martial Alliance, and even the entire martial world, in the long run.
“But then I wouldn't be able to properly screw over the Orthodox Society.”
Honestly, when I had made a scene in the Great Training Ground, at least a few elders or Academy students from the Nine Sects One Gang should have stepped forward.
The fact that none of them intervened while a Taeul Sect disciple they considered worthless shouted at the top of his lungs was not merely about their disciples' safety. It would make everyone following the Orthodox Society uneasy.
“So you bastards have to make it back alive.”
Having made that resolve, I recalled every step I had taken so far.
I had found Eun Seollan quickly because someone pursuing her remembered exactly which step she had taken wrong before disappearing.
For now, I simply had to find them as I predicted.
I stood at the point where the Sexagenary Cycle first began.
“Phew... To think I have to do this myself. If it weren't for the Grand Strategist's words, I would have left you bastards here to starve to death.”
I pushed the Taeul True Scripture to its limit.
I opened all five senses and examined the route.
I traced the hidden flow of the Soul-Destroying Formation that I had realized after taking a wrong step on Demon Spirit Plateau.
Two hundred thousand streams of energy flowed endlessly beneath my feet.
The instant I stepped to the side, all two hundred thousand streams changed in a flash.
Everything around me was still white, and the silence remained the same, but the energies flowing beneath my feet were completely different.
The Boundless Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation revealed its inner workings.
“Phew... Let's go.”
I began taking steps again.
#
“Who was it? Who came up with such a stupid plan?”
The elders of the Orthodox Society could not hide their fury as they looked at disciples from their own sects.
Although they had lost the top-student position, they held the majority and threatened the Academy Representative position. Unless something extraordinary happened, they could use the Academy students' refusal to follow the representative as grounds to remove him.
“...The Academy students were too unsettled. We had no choice.”
“You call that an excuse?!”
At someone's words, Daoist Myeonghyeon felt like beating the people before them into pulp. Too many eyes were focused on the Great Training Ground, however.
“At the very least, you should have stepped forward to break the formation!”
“...”
Had they done so, the elders could have personally restrained the disciples on the grounds of safety. Yet the disciples could not casually enter a Soul-Destroying Formation where even elders might die if they made a mistake.
“Enough. Let us stop this, Daoist Myeonghyeon.”
Revisiting what had already happened would only make them angrier. It would not produce a solution.
“They say the Soul-Destroying Formation has two hundred thousand routes. Bringing someone out from within it won't be easy.”
“It will be fortunate if he even manages to come out alive.”
“...”
If, by some chance in a thousand or even ten thousand, that brat managed to save those who had entered...
“The best outcome would be for him to disappear inside as well.”
Those who heard Daoist Myeonghyeon mutter under their breath were startled, but did not show it.
At present, that would be the best possible result.
They had known from the start that a rescue was impossible.
Jin Sowoon had saved thousands of people during the Demon Spirit Plateau Incident, but there had only been one route in and out.
How could a human mind memorize two hundred thousand routes, much less find the people who had vanished among them?
This thought was not limited to Daoist Myeonghyeon and the Orthodox Society.
A short distance away from Daoist Myeonghyeon's group, Martial Alliance Leader Hyeok Mugang asked the person who always had an answer to problems that seemed impossible to solve.
“What do you think, Grand Strategist? Do you believe he can save them?”
“I don't know.”
At Jegal Somyeong's calm reply, Hyeok Mugang could only widen his eyes. To think the words “I don't know” had come from their mouth.
“I've lived long enough to see this day.”
Hyeok Mugang stroked his white beard a few times, then spoke again.
“There are things even the Grand Strategist does not know?”
“I say that because, no matter how much I think about it, I do not know how one could save people from in there.”
The answer that came back was astonishing.
“Then why did you tell the Academy Representative to save them?”
“Because he said he could.”
“What?”
Hyeok Mugang might have been old, but his memory had not deteriorated that badly yet.
“Was I the only one who did not hear it? Didn't that child clearly say it was impossible?”
“He said he would have to risk his life. He never said it was impossible.”
Hyeok Mugang continued stroking his beard, wondering whether that was not the same thing.
Jegal Somyeong continued.
“When he first recognized the problem and stood before the elders, he never showed even a moment of panic. This concerned life and death. The finest disciples of the Nine Sects One Gang had entered and caused this situation.
“Even though he knew that assigning responsibility would certainly affect him as well, he appeared unconcerned.”
“...”
“He was confident that he could rescue them.”
“But Jin Sowoon did not step forward until the end.”
“Because he did not yet have justification.”
“Justification?”
“If he had immediately brought out those who entered the formation, he might have been held responsible for failing to properly manage and supervise the Soul-Destroying Formation.”
Hyeok Mugang's mouth fell open.
“Surely not...”
“He waited until responsibility would clearly fall upon the Nine Sects One Gang.”
Jegal Somyeong turned toward Hyeok Mugang with a faint smile.
“More than that, did he not make his voice resound through the entire Great Training Ground at the end, using internal energy, publicly seeking people willing to break the Soul-Destroying Formation?”
“Why does that matter?”
“He made something clear to those who follow the Orthodox Society. The Orthodox Society will not protect you. They do not care about you as much as you think.”
“...Huh.”
“He turned something that might have brought blame upon himself into a perfect opportunity.”
“...”
Hyeok Mugang was so shocked that he simply closed his mouth.
It was astonishing that Jin Sowoon had used such political maneuvering, but it was equally astonishing that Jegal Somyeong understood it perfectly.
Jegal Somyeong was even smiling broadly now.
“I did not believe it until now either, but today's events have made me certain. His mind is more exceptional than his martial arts.”
“Ha ha. This is the first time since Maeng Juwon that the Grand Strategist has praised someone's mind.”
“It is also why he must join the Mantong Office.”
Hyeok Mugang could only smack his lips at Jegal Somyeong's needless addition.
“None of that will happen unless he brings them back.”
“That is true.”
“Shouldn't we prepare for the possibility that he fails? It has already been...”
The sun had completely set. Six hours had already passed.
“I have summoned High Heaven Hall's finest members from the Alliance.”
“Will High Heaven Hall alone be enough? Wouldn't it be better to summon Tiger Hall as well?”
“We can only attempt formation breaking once, at the end. If we make a mistake, Martial Alliance members could be swallowed by the Soul-Destroying Formation one after another and become wandering spirits.”
“Phew...”
Hyeok Mugang let out a long sigh without realizing it.
#
“What do we do?”
“Haah...”
“They should never have gone in...”
Jin Sowoon's companions stood around the Soul-Destroying Formation with worry written across their faces.
Fifty elite members of High Heaven Hall sent by the Alliance carried Fasting Pellets and water like Jin Sowoon. Mount Mao Sect formation masters were teaching them about the Soul-Destroying Formation.
A day and two hours had passed.
Nearly ten days had passed inside the Soul-Destroying Formation, yet no one had emerged.
Most of those gathered in the Great Training Ground, including the Martial Alliance Leader and the Grand Strategist, wore worried expressions.
“Phew...”
The time for a decision was approaching.
They had set one day as the limit from the outset.
They had told Jin Sowoon that if it took any longer, they would attempt formation breaking. Two hours had already passed beyond that limit.
It was time to decide whether High Heaven Hall's members would risk their lives to break the formation or leave those trapped inside to die.
After considering it for a long while, Jegal Somyeong finally made a decision and nodded toward Hyeok Mugang.
“...”
Hyeok Mugang also deliberated for a moment before rising from his seat.
“Members of High Heaven Hall, listen. We will begin breaking the Soul-Destroying Formation now.”
At Hyeok Mugang's words, the Orthodox Society elders rushed forward.
“Alliance Leader, what do you mean? Break the formation?”
“Can we simply watch those who went in die?”
“Even Jin Sowoon, who knows the Soul-Destroying Formation best, has been unable to come out. Will you put High Heaven Hall's members in danger as well?”
“The Alliance once responded too slowly during the Demon Spirit Plateau Incident and was ridiculed by everyone under heaven. We cannot repeat the same mistake.”
“You are correct, but I believe the solution is wrong. Wouldn't it be better to use this incident as a lesson, permanently seal the Soul-Destroying Formation, and designate it as a forbidden art?”
At Daoist Myeonghyeon's words, Hyeok Mugang turned and glared at them.
“Elder Myeonghyeon, do you not care if Academy students die inside the Soul-Destroying Formation?”
“No one grieves the children's deaths more than I do. But I say this because I fear something even worse may happen and leave a great hole in the Alliance.”
Clear contempt appeared in Hyeok Mugang's eyes.
“When the Soul-Destroying Formation is broken, I do not wish to see the Academy students who starved to death inside it.”
“...”
That ended the conversation.
Hyeok Mugang looked again at the High Heaven Hall warriors.
“Prepare yourselves!”
Mount Mao Sect formation masters once again positioned themselves beside each of the fifty High Heaven Hall warriors and gave them instructions. The warriors listened intently, careful not to miss a single word.
They knew well how terrifying the Soul-Destroying Formation was. Even the brave High Heaven Hall warriors had gone pale.
When Jegal Somyeong raised a blue flag, the High Heaven Hall warriors all looked toward it.
The instant it fell, they had to step into the Soul-Destroying Formation precisely.
“Break the...”
Hyeok Mugang stopped before he could give the order. Jegal Somyeong's blue flag, which had been about to descend, froze in place.
Hyeok Mugang and Jegal Somyeong both looked toward the formation's life and death gate.
The white mist churned, and a hollow-eyed figure carrying something on his back staggered out like a doll.
“...”
The person who emerged from the Soul-Destroying Formation threw his burden onto the ground, then crawled madly on all fours toward where the elders were seated.
Crash!
The elders themselves took one or two startled steps back as he gulped down the water and devoured the food from their table. Only then did he manage to speak.
“Haah... I almost died...”
“E-Eldest Senior Brother?”
Dongryong was the first to speak. Jegal Somyeong came to their senses at those words and shouted.
“W-Water! Bring water and food!”
At Jegal Somyeong's command, everyone waiting in the Great Training Ground began moving in a panic. Then someone examined the six people lying sprawled on the ground and shouted.
“T-They're alive! Everyone who entered the Soul-Destroying Formation came back alive!”
At those words, everyone gathered in the Great Training Ground stopped what they were doing and began cheering at once.
“Waaaaah!”
“““Waaaaaaaah!”””
Footnotes:
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried