WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

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◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈

Chapter 22: The Third-Rate Martial Artist Welcoming an Uninvited Guest (3)

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Gye Cheolyeong was carrying a wooden box containing a Golden Toad when he tried to enter the annex.

"It's better not to go in right now."

Hong Saryeon, peeking through the outer gate of the annex, spoke up.

"What do you mean?"

"Senior Brother Jin went in, but the atmosphere doesn't seem good."

"Jin Sowoon came?"

"Yes. He's inside now."

"What do you mean the atmosphere isn't good?"

"I don't know. It feels like they're walking on thin ice."

Gye Cheolyeong knew Namgung San had come here because he had business with Jin Sowoon.

Still, why would the atmosphere between them be so bad? Jin Sowoon, who lacked all sense of propriety, must have made some mistake.

The thought made Gye Cheolyeong anxious.

"I said the atmosphere isn't good."

"That's exactly why I need to go in. What if Sowoon makes a mistake?"

"No..."

Before Saryeon could stop him, Gye Cheolyeong entered.

* * *

I hated the Martial Alliance.

I especially hated the Nine Sects One Gang and Five Great Clans that formed its core.

I hated how they committed acts of rudeness as though they were justice itself.

They and we had never stood on equal footing to begin with.

That was why they could behave so rudely.

"What do you want?"

Namgung San had stared at me in silence for a long time before finally speaking. I shook my head.

"Nothing."

"No one truly wants nothing. I simply don't know what you want."

"I sincerely hope the Academy Admission Token never reaches your hands, Great Hero."

Namgung San had no use for an Academy Admission Token. He had already graduated from the Martial Arts Academy with outstanding marks and was an officer of the Martial Alliance, one of the elite among the elite in the Dragon-Phoenix Association.

The reason he was so obsessed with the token was likely Namgung Seonhwa, his younger sister, who needed to enter the Martial Arts Academy this year.

Collateral branches like Namgung Sangwon had weakened the direct line. Unlike in Namgung San's time, they could no longer use the clan's influence to secure her admission to the Martial Arts Academy. He must have found that situation desperate.

That was why I hated it even more.

Their devotion to their own family made my skin crawl.

Watching them shed tears over a wound on their palm while our hearts were being torn out disgusted me.

"Then..."

Just as Namgung San was about to speak.

"Great Hero Namgung! Are you inside?"

Gye Cheolyeong strode in with a booming shout.

"Great Hero Namgung! This Gye has come to pay his respects."

"...This is not a good time. Let's speak later."

"Hahaha! What could possibly be bad? Did you have a good talk with our Sowoon? You! You didn't make some mistake before Great Hero Namgung, did you?"

If Gye Cheolyeong had a tail, it would probably have been wagging too fast to see.

"Could you step out for a moment?"

"If he isn't listening to reason, please tell me. I'll teach him a proper lesson..."

"Listen. Didn't I just tell you to leave?"

Namgung San's chilled gaze fixed on Gye Cheolyeong, and his expression became that of a dog abandoned by its owner.

"Ah, ah... Yes. Um, this, this is what my father told me to deliver... I'll leave now. Please continue your conversation."

Even then, Gye Cheolyeong opened the wooden box and showed him the Golden Toad.

I couldn't help but admire him.

What kind of expression would he make once he learned that, after all that groveling, the Martial Alliance would discard him in the end?

"Did you see that just now? I could have spoken to Gye Cheolyeong. I have been this considerate of you."

"Do you call hiding your weakness consideration?"

"..."

"The moment people learn that the Academy Admission Token is in Lady Namgung Seonhwa's hands, she will become a target in the martial world as well. Does the Namgung Clan currently have the means to protect that token?"

"!!!"

For the first time, Namgung San's expression cracked.

"How do you..."

"Is there anything more we need to discuss?"

Only then did Namgung San's expression turn serious.

I waited without rushing him.

* * *

After leaving the annex, Gye Cheolyeong huffed and fumed, unable to hide his resentment.

Hong Saryeon, who knew what had happened without even looking, snorted as though she found it satisfying.

"I told you not to go in."

"...Who does that Jin Sowoon think he is, treating me like..."

"Honestly."

Unable to contain his anger, Gye Cheolyeong kicked at the stones on the ground. Then he suddenly raised his head as though struck by lightning.

"I need to see the Sect Leader now."

"...What nonsense are you talking about?"

"Something serious is happening in there. Jin Sowoon may offend the Namgung Clan and put the Taeul Sect in danger."

"Is Senior Brother Jin really someone who can't tell right from wrong to that extent?"

"This isn't the time for that!"

For some reason, Gye Cheolyeong suddenly began running toward Daehyeon Hall as though his life depended on it.

* * *

"...Did you know why I came and what situation I was in?"

"Is that important to you?"

"...No. What's important to me is the Academy Admission Token."

"I'll say it again. I have no intention of handing over the Academy Admission Token."

Namgung San shook his head, then sighed.

"Then how about this? Let's have a spar."

What was Namgung San talking about? Did he think I would accept a wager just because something was at stake?

"You only need to stake the Academy Admission Token. I will stake the Seven-Colored Jewel, this Heavenly Silkworm Thread, and..."

His hand paused as it emerged from his robe. After hesitating for a moment, he finally took out another wooden box.

"This Great Lotus Divine Pellet."

Like the Steel Body Protection Pellet, the Great Lotus Divine Pellet was a spiritual medicine bestowed only upon the Namgung Clan's direct line. Its effects were similar to the Snow Plum Pellet. It was valuable enough, but not enough to persuade me.

"Do you think I would accept such an unfair wager even if you put the entire Namgung Clan on the line?"

"That depends on the conditions."

"..."

"You have already rejected my offers several times. Yet you remained seated here. If you truly meant to refuse, shouldn't you have left?"

"Go on."

"I will use only the Changgung Unhindered Sword Art. As for internal energy... what if I use only thirty percent of my internal energy? If you win, I will give you the Seven-Colored Jewel, the Heavenly Silkworm Thread, and the Great Lotus Divine Pellet."

Namgung San likely possessed about one gapja of internal energy at most.

That was the level one would expect from the heirs of renowned sects, so he would be similar.

Thirty percent of one gapja amounted to about twenty years.

And he was limiting his martial art to the Changgung Unhindered Sword Art.

He probably thought he had cast an irresistible lure.

"This wager will remain secret, correct?"

Namgung San's eyes widened at my unexpected response.

"Even if it remains secret, you and I will know. There must be no breaking the agreement. I will collect the price in blood."

I currently had forty-five years of internal energy. Recently, I had proved through the Changgung Merchant Group's Hidden Palace Unit that the Sword-Breaking Form was effective against the Changgung Unhindered Sword Art.

It would have been foolish to let such a good opportunity pass.

"Your answer?"

* * *

"What are you talking about?"

Jin Taesan and Hong Mungi could not understand Gye Cheolyeong, who had suddenly burst into Daehyeon Hall and rattled off his words.

He claimed that Jin Sowoon was angering Namgung San, that a life-or-death duel might break out if things went wrong, and that they needed to stop them immediately because the Taeul Sect would suffer otherwise.

Why would Jin Sowoon anger Namgung San in the first place, and why would the two fight a life-or-death duel?

Unless Jin Sowoon was simply beaten senseless by Namgung San.

His opponent was Namgung San, the Heaven-Opening Divine Dragon.

One of the rising masters of the martial world and a member of the Dragon-Phoenix Association.

Even a hundred fighters like Jin Sowoon would not be a match for him.

Still, Gye Cheolyeong's plea looked desperately sincere.

"I tried to mediate between them somehow. I even presented the gift my father told me to deliver, but Great Hero Namgung did not even glance at it. He was glaring at Jin Sowoon as though he wanted to kill him. This could become a serious disaster."

Hong Mungi and Jin Taesan looked at each other, deeply debating whether they should believe him.

If even one part of Gye Cheolyeong's words was true, disaster would fall upon the Taeul Sect. Yet from beginning to end, his story sounded absurd.

"The meeting has gone on long enough. Let's take a walk and see for ourselves."

"Let's. He came as a guest, so we should show him some consideration regardless."

Hong Mungi and Jin Taesan took the lead, with Gye Cheolyeong trailing after them.

Then they saw two men walking from the direction of the annex, their expressions cold enough to stir an icy wind around them.

Just as Gye Cheolyeong had said, neither looked pleased.

Namgung San met their eyes and gave a slight nod, while Jin Sowoon respectfully performed a fist-and-palm salute.

Jin Taesan hurried to his son.

"Where are you going?"

"To the training grounds."

"The training grounds? Why?"

"Senior Namgung asked to have a match."

Jin Taesan, Hong Mungi, and even Gye Cheolyeong gaped.

* * *

The children practicing alone at the training grounds were the first to notice and clear out.

Those who came down from the training grounds scattered throughout the Taeul Sect to tell their friends about the spar. Hall lords and deputy hall lords who overheard passed the news to others, and the words eventually reached the Elders' Hall. It took less than half an hour for everyone in the Taeul Sect to gather at the training grounds.

"Wow!"

"Isn't that the Namgung Clan's eldest young master?"

"That's the Heaven-Opening Divine Dragon?"

"Why is he sparring with Senior Brother Jin?"

The young disciples chattered from every direction.

To them, he was like a hero who flew through the sky.

It was only natural for them to be fascinated and curious after seeing someone they might encounter only once in their entire lives.

"Taesan, what is going on?"

"They agreed to spar. Namgung San's conditions are that he will use only the Changgung Unhindered Sword Art and a portion of his internal energy."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"Won't the children be terribly disappointed at this rate?"

There was no way the Taeul Sect's martial arts could withstand the Namgung Clan's martial arts.

The wall of reality was that high. When children learned that, would they not be even more disappointed than adults?

Shing.

As Namgung San drew his sword, the noisy training grounds fell silent in an instant.

I drew my own sword and took my opening stance.

"I have imposed restrictions, so there is no need to hold back."

"Begin."

Before I had even finished speaking, a clear, cool breeze brushed the tip of my nose.

I quickly lowered my head to evade Namgung San's sword. At the same time, I unleashed the Lesser Heaven Sword Art.

Clang!

"Wow!"

The children, who had only seen the plain swordsmanship of the Taeul Sect, could not hold back their exclamations at the dazzling Changgung Unhindered Sword Art. The adults hushed them.

Clang, clang, clang!

We exchanged three moves in an instant.

The Lesser Heaven Sword Art was clearly faster, yet Namgung San's Changgung Unhindered Sword Art offered no opening to exploit.

"Your internal energy... seems to have accumulated well enough. But is that all your sword art has to offer? It is insufficient for pouring out your internal energy."

"Do you have enough leisure to offer advice?"

Namgung San's sword came at me again.

His blade split into three paths, each one darting sharply for a vital point.

I immediately unleashed the Sword-Breaking Form.

Clang!

Namgung San's gaze shook violently, and his move stopped short.

"!!!"

After briefly glancing at his sword, Namgung San resumed his sword art.

He had apparently already realized sword qi, as a faint blue-green aura clung to his blade.

I poured qi into the Blue Steel Sword to keep from being overwhelmed by his sword qi.

Clang! Clang, clang, clang!

Fragments of the Blue Steel Sword scattered in every direction.

Namgung San's sword did not budge.

After another dozen exchanges, the sword that had come to cut my waist was blocked by the Sword-Breaking Form and knocked back.

"..."

Namgung San stopped again in confusion.

I took two steps forward and began driving him back.

Clang, clang, clang!

Namgung San struck with speed too fast to follow.

He blocked every strike of the swift Lesser Heaven Sword Art, but he had been driven seven steps back from where he first stood.

"Wow!!!"

"Wow!!"

The adults were too absorbed in the spar to think of quieting the children.

"What in the world..."

Namgung San wore the same disbelief as the Taeul Sect's adults.

The form had been designed to exploit the weakness of that sword art. Unless Namgung San had reinterpreted the Changgung Unhindered Sword Art into a sword art of his own, there was no way for him to stop it.

Namgung San had achieved far more than others his age, but he had not reached that level yet.

Slice.

The first cut landed on Namgung San.

His sleeve was severed and fell to the ground.

"Wow!!!"

"Wow!!"

When the Changgung Unhindered Sword Art failed, Namgung San began attacking with formless moves.

Even if the Lesser Heaven Sword Art was a basic sword art, it was not so weak that it would be pushed back by the formless moves of someone who had yet to surpass the Peak Realm.

Whenever he used the Changgung Unhindered Sword Art, I unleashed the Sword-Breaking Form.

When that did not work, he tried to overwhelm me with internal energy. But how could forty-five years of internal energy lose to twenty?

"...What trick are you playing?"

"Are you saying the same thing as Seong Mohyeon?"

"..."

"Is it impossible for your skill to be lacking?"

I began using the Breaking Strike Form of the Lesser Heaven Sword Art.

My momentum intensified, and killing intent surged around me.

Swish, slice.

At last, Namgung San's sword could no longer keep up with the Lesser Heaven Sword Art.

His clothes tore in several places, and his neat appearance began to fall apart.

Clang, clang, clang, clang!

After more than twenty exchanges in an instant, Namgung San had been driven to the edge of the training grounds.

I swung my sword desperately, as though I stood in the middle of a battlefield facing a demonic cultist.

The difference from then was that internal energy poured endlessly from my dantian, making my sword stronger than it had ever been.

Bang! Bang!

Whenever Namgung San's sword collided with mine, a heavy sound rang out like a hammer striking an anvil.

Bang!

Then, in an instant, Namgung San's sword was knocked back and his body lay completely open.

Without hesitation, I slashed for his neck as though beheading a demonic cultist.

Boom!

The moment I swung my sword, a tremendous impact sent my body flying. I fell in the center of the training grounds.

The grounds, which had been filled with cheers, went cold as though doused with ice water.

Namgung San's eyes shook violently, as though he too was startled by what he had done.

"Didn't you say you would use only the Changgung Unhindered Sword Art?"

That final strike had been the Emperor Sword Art.

The Namgung Clan's strongest sword art, passed down only through the direct line.

And that strike had clearly contained not thirty percent of his internal energy, but at least fifty percent.

"He won!"

"He won!"

Someone began shouting, and the confused children soon joined in.

"Haha..."

Namgung San let out a hollow laugh.

"I lost."

He shook his head.

"The Academy Admission Token is yours."

"The Heavenly Silkworm Thread, Great Lotus Divine Pellet, and Seven-Colored Jewel as well."

Namgung San laughed bitterly.

"Yes."

I had used the Academy Admission Token as bait to obtain not only the Great Lotus Divine Pellet, but the Heavenly Silkworm Thread and Seven-Colored Jewel as well.

The Heavenly Silkworm Thread was as precious as the Great Lotus Divine Pellet. The Blue Steel Sword was nearing the end of its life, and I had acquired a useful item. It was time to seek out the craftsman Old Man Wang.

While I made pleasant plans for the future, Namgung San spoke.

"But the spar will continue."

"What?"

"I should have realized when the Grand Strategist spoke that you were no ordinary person. The fact that this was taken from me was not a coincidence either, was it?"

I could not understand what Namgung San wanted.

"Even if I lost the wager, I cannot lose the spar. That is what it means to be a Namgung."

Pride did not sustain itself. It could only be maintained through constant effort and striving.

Namgung San naturally began swinging his sword again.

Now he poured out more internal energy, as though the restriction no longer mattered.

"Now that I see it, you had been hiding quite a lot of internal energy."

As his internal energy became overwhelmingly stronger, Namgung San's movements grew faster.

I used all my strength to unleash the Sword-Breaking Form against the Changgung Unhindered Sword Art.

Whoosh!

Boom!

Namgung San's internal energy was far greater, but the Sword-Breaking Form still worked.

Namgung San looked surprised again, but quickly began wielding the Emperor Sword Art.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Each time the Emperor Sword Art struck, my body was lifted from the ground.

It was heavier and sharper than the heavy-sword strike I had endured from the Iron Sword Sect.

'Damn it.'

The Jegal Three Forms that Jegal Cheongi had transformed were the martial world's final choice for responding to the Demonic Cult, but not every member of the Nine Sects One Gang and Five Great Clans agreed with that decision.

They believed that if the Demonic Cult vanished one day and the Martial Alliance came to rule the martial world, the Jegal Three Forms would become shackles around their own ankles. So aside from their primary martial arts, they had not converted lethal arts like the Emperor Sword Art into forms of the Jegal Three Forms.

"This is becoming more interesting. You cannot withstand the Emperor Sword Art?"

"Don't say something so absurd. How am I supposed to stop the Namgung Clan's secret art, which is not even widely known, when you are using unrestricted internal energy?"

"Yet you defend against the Changgung Unhindered Sword Art quite well. Do you know its weakness?"

"If I knew that, would I be getting beaten like this?"

Namgung San did not seem easily convinced by my excuse.

He alternated between the Emperor Sword Art and Changgung Unhindered Sword Art as though testing something. I felt the danger that my secret might be exposed.

'I have to end this quickly.'

The Emperor Sword Art was also beginning to become familiar to my eyes.

I kicked off the ground and rushed toward him.

"!"

Caught off guard by my sudden momentum, he hurriedly withdrew the Changgung Unhindered Sword Art and tried to use the Emperor Sword Art.

At that moment, I poured every last scrap of internal energy into my left hand. My hand trembled under the rushing qi.

'Thrust toward the vital acupoint, then return to the lower left.'

Following the move of the Emperor Sword Art I had memorized, I desperately deflected his blade. Then, as his sword tried to return to its original position, I seized it with my hand.

Thunk! Squelch!

Namgung San's sword was instantly stained with blood.

Blood bursting from my palm soaked Namgung San's clothes and mine.

"...You're insane!"

Before Namgung San could pull his sword free in his shock, I placed my sword against his throat.

Drip. Drip.

Blood ran from my hand, down Namgung San's sword, and onto the ground.

"Will you continue?"

"..."

Namgung San did not answer.

For the first time, his face had gone pale with disbelief.

Instead, the young disciples screamed with cheers as though they might faint.

This time, the hall lords joined them.

Wow!!

Wow!!

Footnotes:

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