WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈

Chapter 201: The Uninvited Guest Who Visited the Academy (6)

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Rumble.

The violent trembling in the air made the martial artists grimace.

They looked as though they had no idea how to respond.

I expanded the range as far as I could, drawing as many of them as possible into the Mad Heaven Divine Palm.

Its destructive power would drop as a result, but...

The noise was louder than ever.

Kwararararang!

A thunderous explosion erupted as if the sky itself had collapsed.

Half the small hill behind the training ground vanished.

The damage to any one spot was weaker because the range was absurdly wide, but everyone still wore sickened expressions at the sight of such impossible destructive power.

"He's trying to escape! Stop him!"

The Ak Clan martial artists maintained their encirclement and tried to seize me, but I made no effort to flee.

‘There was no reason to run now!’

Hummm.

Blue sword force gathered over the Black Dragon Sword.

Then I swung it straight at the stunned Ak Byeongbi.

Kwakwang!

The floor of the training ground shook and tore up as the force of my sword wave crashed down on Ak Byeongbi.

"You bastard..."

For the first time, Ak Byeongbi's face crumpled like paper.

Yes. That was the expression I wanted to see.

I immediately followed the Lesser Heaven Sword Art with the Twin Heavens Sword Art.

Illusion swords and real swords surged toward Ak Byeongbi without restraint.

He must have cultivated powerful body-hardening external martial arts, because deep wounds did not appear on his body.

So what?

‘I’ll keep cutting until they do.’

Ak Byeongbi swung his iron spear wildly, dispelling the Twin Heavens Sword Art as I attacked without giving him an opening.

Kwakwakwakwang.

I followed up with the Myriad Blossoms Invincible Fist, then immediately unleashed the Ten Thousand Seas Heaven and Earth Sword Art.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Like smashing apart solid rock, I poured all my strength into each blow, striking again and again.

His iron spear occasionally stabbed sharply through a gap, but I narrowly evaded with the smallest possible movements before swinging my sword again.

Whether you died or I did, I would keep going until one of us fell.

The familiar heat began to warm the air, turning the spear aura red.

It looked like he was about to unleash the Blaze Spear, the Ak Clan's secret spear art.

Once I saw what he intended, I snorted.

"Do you think the Ak Clan is the only one with fire arts?"

If he intended to unleash the Blaze Spear, then I had the Sacred Flame Demon-Extinguishing Hand, an art born from demonic martial arts.

As I raised the blazing Sacred Flame Demon-Extinguishing Hand, I unleashed the Myriad Blossoms Invincible Fist at the same time.

Papapapapapapapapapak!

The heat of the Blaze Spear could not compare to that of the Sacred Flame Demon-Extinguishing Hand.

Ak Byeongbi was engulfed in flames in an instant, and soon his entire body was swallowed by the Sacred Flame Demon-Extinguishing Hand.

"Aaargh!"

Even Ak Byeongbi, who had mastered body-hardening external martial arts, could not endure its heat. He abandoned his defense and frantically tried to brush away the flames clinging to his body.

Watching him, I drew upon the Ten Thousand Seas Heaven and Earth Sword Art once more.

Swoosh.

The Lesser Heaven Sword Art pouring from four swords sharply targeted nothing but Ak Byeongbi's vital acupoints.

"...!"

Ak Byeongbi hurriedly swung his iron spear to block the Lesser Heaven Sword Art as it closed in without warning.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

He managed to block several strikes, but the pain from the heat burning into his skin eventually became too much. He allowed the Black Dragon Sword to pierce his body.

Slice. Stab.

None struck a fatal point or vital acupoint, but blood began to flow from his arms, legs, stomach, and every other part of his body.

One of the Ak Clan martial artists shouted.

"Damn it... Everyone, gather!"

As Ak Byeongbi's condition worsened, the Ak Clan martial artists prepared to form a spear formation.

I ignored them and charged straight at Ak Byeongbi.

"Jin Sowoon!"

Ak Byeongbi now looked like a blood demon, finally worthy of his epithet.

I asked him, "Did you think I was a pure White Path martial artist?"

I sheathed the Black Dragon Sword as I drew upon the Sword Demon's martial arts.

Ak Byeongbi glared at me like a wounded tiger.

I did not bother avoiding his gaze.

"Perhaps that judgment was correct."

I'd never expected to be treated as an elite disciple of a White Path sect anyway.

Three White Moon Heaven-Subduing Forms

First Form, Extreme Swiftness

Then what did I have to hold back for?

Screech.

The Black Dragon Sword rang out as it slid free from its scabbard.

Perhaps sensing that something was wrong, Ak Byeongbi also brought out his ultimate technique.

But the Sword Demon's martial arts were not so easy to stop.

Slash.

There was not a single drop of blood on the Black Dragon Sword as I swung it.

But...

Sliiide.

The tie of Ak Byeongbi's robe fell away, and a line of crimson blood appeared across his exposed, rock-hard chest.

"W-what is this...?"

Rip.

The bloody line deepened, leaving a long wound that began at his left shoulder and ran down to his right side.

Watching blood stream down his body, Ak Byeongbi dropped to his knees before me as if he could not believe it.

"Cough..."

"Y-you bastard! How dare you attack our Department Master!"

The Ak Clan martial artists had already formed their spear formation and were fully prepared to attack.

Tremble.

In contrast, I had poured out every bit of my internal energy. I had no strength left to fight.

My goal from the beginning had been to overwhelm Ak Byeongbi with superior internal energy.

I had never even considered fighting the Ak Clan's spear formation.

As I barely remained standing, an ice-cold voice fell from above me.

"If you had come with us quietly, you could have kept your life."

The Ak Clan martial artist looking at the fallen Ak Byeongbi had a face full of hatred.

He looked ready to beat me to death on the spot.

"No matter what happens afterward, you will be buried here today!"

He looked around and shouted.

"Activate the formation!"

At the command, the Ak Clan martial artists shouted in unison and raised their spears.

It was clearly a dangerous situation.

"Still, what a shame..."

A smile forced its way onto my lips.

Everything was already over.

"What do you think you're doing in the sacred and solemn Martial Arts Academy?!"

A resounding voice tore through the air like an arrow.

The Ak Clan martial artists forming the spear formation turned their heads in shock.

There stood the Academy Head of the Martial Arts Academy and a victim of Taeul Sect's tangled seniority.

The Three Pure Supreme Sword, Buk Wonpyeong, swept his burning gaze across the scene.

Ha, just look at that presence.

He could not have been more dependable.

‘Senior Brother, you're finally here!’

Of course. He was a senior brother as lofty as the heavens.

#

"Who are you people?!"

Under Buk Wonpyeong's sharp pressure, the Ak Clan martial artists stood mute.

Buk Wonpyeong's gaze moved to their clothes.

The Ak Clan emblem was clearly embroidered on them.

Yet he raised his voice again.

"I asked who you are!"

When he unleashed the Lion's Roar with internal energy behind it, the Ak Clan martial artists looked even more flustered.

I quickly dropped to one knee, clasped my hands, and said, "Jin Sowoon, the Academy Representative, will report the situation. People who had not properly identified themselves infiltrated the Academy, so I desperately tried to stop them."

"...Is that true?"

He was asking the Ak Clan martial artists, not me.

Buk Wonpyeong had only asked what they were doing at the Martial Arts Academy, yet they could not even answer such a simple question.

I stepped forward and answered in their place.

"My guess is that they may be spies connected to the events in Sichuan."

An uproar broke out the moment I finished speaking.

"Spies from Sichuan?"

"W-what are you talking about?!"

The Ak Clan martial artists were visibly rattled.

Even if they claimed it was unfair, what could they do?

After all, I was the only one able to speak right now.

"Last night, someone also tried to abduct me while impersonating an Inspectorate agent."

I took out the Ak Clan Lord’s Token and showed it to him.

"He was clearly wearing Ak Clan clothing, using Ak Clan martial arts, and pretending to be from the Inspectorate. Given that they impersonated the Inspectorate during such a sensitive and important time, when the Martial Alliance is too busy to catch its breath, I believe they may have sinister intentions."

Buk Wonpyeong accepted the token and looked coldly at the Ak Clan martial artists.

"Is this true?"

"...N-no, that is..."

At the moment, all the Martial Alliance's attention was fixed on Sichuan.

If they had abused the Inspectorate's name under such circumstances, it would become shackles the Ak Clan martial artists could not easily escape, no matter who they were.

That was why their faces could only turn pale as they stood there, unable to do anything.

Buk Wonpyeong clenched the hand holding the token into a fist.

"Then did the Inspectorate act officially?"

"..."

"Then produce the command order!"

As if they could have one.

Buk Wonpyeong's angry voice shook the silence hanging over the area.

"Why can none of you answer? Are you truly spies, as Jin Sowoon said?"

The Ak Clan martial artists remained tight-lipped.

Buk Wonpyeong looked genuinely furious as he ground his teeth.

"Then I will formally arrest you on suspicion of espionage!"

"T-that..."

The Ak Clan martial artists had no idea what to do.

"I will explain everything, Brother Buk."

At that moment, Ak Byeongbi stepped forward.

What was with that man?

‘Were his bones made of solid iron or something?’

I'd held back some strength when I used the Three White Moon Heaven-Subduing Forms, but he still should not have been able to get up yet.

Amazingly, Ak Byeongbi had recovered enough to walk on his own, though someone was supporting him.

"Ak Byeongbi?"

"I apologize for causing a disturbance."

The two seemed to know each other, but Buk Wonpyeong's attitude remained as cold as ever.

"You came here yourself?"

"That is correct."

"Then did you truly cause this disturbance while carrying an Inspectorate command order?"

"..."

Buk Wonpyeong's brow twisted.

"Clearly not."

Ak Byeongbi lowered his head in shame.

Buk Wonpyeong clicked his tongue.

"You brought Ak Clan martial artists with you and impersonated an official Inspectorate operation... Do you understand how serious this is?"

Ak Byeongbi hunched into himself.

"...I-I will explain everything."

"Good. Then let us move elsewhere."

"Now?"

Ak Byeongbi suddenly clutched his wound and pretended to be in pain.

Look at that petty act from a man built like a mountain.

Buk Wonpyeong, however, did not lose the coldness in his eyes.

"The time you have left is only until the Enforcement Hall investigators arrive. If you wish, go receive treatment first."

Realizing it would not work, Ak Byeongbi finally nodded obediently.

"...No. I will go now."

"Academy student Jin Sowoon, you will come as well."

"Yes."

Buk Wonpyeong turned sharply and walked away, and his back looked strangely reassuring.

Wow, our old senior brother really was the best, wasn't he?

#

Not even a cup of tea was brought into the Academy Head's office.

A chilly tension hung in the room, broken only by Ak Byeongbi's occasional groans.

"Explain yourself."

"..."

Ak Byeongbi's eyes shook violently at Buk Wonpyeong's question.

What could he possibly say?

When the silence dragged on, Buk Wonpyeong finally slammed the table.

Bang!

"Do you not understand how critical the Martial Alliance's situation is right now? Did I not tell you to explain why you did this?!"

Our old senior brother kept pounding his fist against the table as if he wanted to split it apart, while Ak Byeongbi repeatedly lowered his head like someone guilty of a crime punishable by death.

It was about time for me to step in.

"Ahem, Academy Head. Do you happen to know him?"

I asked shamelessly.

Buk Wonpyeong seemed to consider what I meant for a moment before nodding.

"Yes. He is a friend I studied with and a member of the Ak Clan."

"Then the chance that he is a spy is low."

"...That is true."

Ak Byeongbi also raised his head as I continued.

Did he think the matter was over because it had been revealed that they knew each other?

What exactly was this man feeling so relieved about?

"Then I have an idea of what may have happened."

"What is it?"

"I could not tolerate Ak Jupyeong's misdeeds, so I punished him. It seems the Ak Clan tried to retaliate against me because of that."

"What?!"

"...!"

Ak Byeongbi, who had looked relieved, widened his eyes.

"You must have heard about my disciplinary action as well, Academy Head. They considered the punishment insufficient and held a grudge, then tried to punish me by exploiting the Inspectorate's name."

Buk Wonpyeong glared at Ak Byeongbi.

"Is that true?"

Ak Byeongbi only opened and closed his mouth. In the end, he could not speak and lowered his head.

Bang!

"I asked whether that is true!"

The table was already shaking.

When Buk Wonpyeong pressed him, Ak Byeongbi finally forced out a voice as faint as an ant crawling.

"...I have nothing to say."

"Then it is true."

"..."

Buk Wonpyeong let out a long sigh, looking utterly dumbfounded.

"What were you thinking, exploiting the Inspectorate's name at a time like this?"

This must have been unbearable for Ak Byeongbi.

His plan likely had never included meeting the Academy Head.

He had only intended to drag me to the Inspectorate, lock me in the Golden Prison, then force even nonexistent crimes out of me with the usual method, "Water Knows the Truth."

Afterward, he would have declared that the Inspectorate's actions could not possibly be a problem.

As always, he had acted out of habit.

Buk Wonpyeong stared at his former friend with disappointment in his eyes.

"On top of that, you bore a grudge because Ak Jupyeong was injured? Do you properly understand how these events are connected?"

"...What do you mean?"

"Ak Jupyeong spent the last half year bullying and beating a student as part of a group, driving that student to the brink of death. Jin Sowoon acted against Ak Jupyeong while saving that student."

His eyes held more than disappointment now. There was contempt as well.

Bang!

Buk Wonpyeong struck the desk again and thundered, "Ak Jupyeong was the one who should have been disciplined from the beginning, not Jin Sowoon!"

Ak Byeongbi's face darkened.

Only now did he seem to understand how grave the matter was.

"In any case, this matter will be formally reported to both the Inspectorate and the Mantong Office. Know that."

Buk Wonpyeong showed no mercy.

Ak Byeongbi had tried to use their regional and school ties to somehow smooth things over, but he had sunk before he could accomplish anything.

In the end, Ak Byeongbi slumped his shoulders and prepared to leave the Academy Head's office.

"Academy Head, you are not ending it like this, are you?"

"...What?"

This would be a little disappointing if it ended here.

I pointed at Ak Byeongbi with my chin.

"That man brought members of his clan here, caused trouble in the Martial Arts Academy, and destroyed property. Is that not the same as committing violence within the Martial Arts Academy?"

"So?"

I widened my eyes and answered, "Naturally, they should compensate us for the damages."

Buk Wonpyeong looked at me with an expression that said, Of course you would say that.

What was with that look?

I took back what I said about him being a senior brother.

To think he could not even grasp the thoughts of his eldest senior brother, lofty as the heavens.

These days, junior disciples truly had no manners.

While I was considering how to restore discipline in my thoughts, the youngest junior brother, no, Buk Wonpyeong, shifted his gaze to Ak Byeongbi.

"Naturally, the Ak Clan must compensate the Academy for everything concerning this incident. Is that not so?"

Oh, our senior brother really was the best!

Ak Jupyeong gritted his teeth and replied, "...I will do so."

Ak Byeongbi clutched his wounds and tried to leave again.

No, but why did he keep trying to leave before the conversation was over?

The most important part remained.

"Wait, what about me?"

"Hm?"

"...Ahem?"

Both men looked at me in confusion.

I tilted my head at their gazes.

"Did I not nearly get dragged to the Inspectorate and tortured with water until I confessed to crimes I did not commit? On top of that, I will probably be unable to sleep properly for some time due to the trauma of the Inspectorate suddenly descending upon me..."

I hugged both shoulders with my hands and put on a sorrowful expression.

"Why has there been no mention of compensation for my mental and physical damages?"

Buk Wonpyeong stared at me as though I were absurd, then asked Ak Byeongbi, "What will you do?"

Ak Byeongbi's body trembled with rage as he ground his teeth.

What a rude Ak Clan bastard.

"I suppose he intends to just let it go."

I looked sorrowfully at my senior brother, no, Buk Wonpyeong.

"Ha... Then I suppose I must vent my anger on Ak Jupyeong. I broke both his feet, so should I break both his arms this time?"

Buk Wonpyeong looked sick of it and urged Ak Jupyeong on.

"C-cough... Are you really going to let it go?"

Ak Byeongbi glared at me with bloodshot eyes.

"Rrrgh... I will compensate you."

"How much compensation will you give me?"

"...How much do you want?"

"Just give me an amount equal to Ak Jupyeong's life."

"...Then can you promise not to touch Jupyeong?"

I nodded broadly.

"I will not touch a single hair on his head."

"Fine. I will pay it."

"I will look forward to the price of Ak Jupyeong's life."

When I smiled brightly, Ak Byeongbi ground his teeth and hurried out of the Academy Head's office.

The moment the door closed, Buk Wonpyeong looked at me strangely and asked, "When I went to Taeul Sect, its financial situation did not look particularly difficult. Why are you behaving as if possessed by a money demon?"

There were absolute truths that did not change, even in a second life.

"Do you think the money earned there will make its way to me? They will be too busy spending it on the junior disciples. So I need to save money whenever I get the chance."

The more money, the better.

And anyone who caused harm had to pay ten times the price.

As I thought of the price of Ak Jupyeong's life that would soon fall into my hands, a grin escaped me.

Buk Wonpyeong seemed to be looking at me as if to ask what kind of lunatic I was, but so what?

When there was an opportunity to squeeze someone, I had to squeeze them hard.

Footnotes:

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