WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Chen
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈
Chapter 237: Catching the Hidden Murderer (2)
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“So... you accepted?”
Dam Ak's expression stiffened slightly, and Gun Yuhyeon’s face hardened along with it.
“I said I'd hear Strategist Dam’s opinion first, just in case. Did I make a mistake?”
“It isn't that. I was only surprised because I was worried about you, Lord Gun. Please don't take it to heart.”
Dam Ak shook his head, but Gun Yuhyeon continued watching him carefully.
“It seems I involved myself in something unnecessary. I gave my approval because I thought it would help you, Strategist Dam...”
“No, it will help me. I only said that because I was worried you and your sect might suffer consequences once this is over.”
The hierarchy within the Black Path martial world had been turned upside down now, but Tian'gwan Sect and Gun Yuhyeon had originally been Dam Ak’s benefactors.
Had it not been for Gun Yuhyeon, Dam Ak would never have survived the bloody massacre at the Blue Tile Academy, just like his other academy fellows.
That was not all. Gun Yuhyeon had helped Dam Ak rise again after he fell into despair and cursed the world. He was even searching for the families of the academy fellows who had gone missing.
Dam Ak only feared that someone who had shown him such boundless kindness might be placed in a difficult situation because of Jin Sowoon’s selfishness.
Gun Yuhyeon’s expression relaxed, and his usual smile returned.
“You don't need to worry about that. Tian'gwan Sect may not be powerful, but we aren't a sect weak enough to act cravenly wherever we go.”
“...”
His words made it sound as though there was nothing to worry about, but the real situation was entirely different.
Even if the Martial Alliance delegation, a thorn in everyone's side, exposed the real culprit, Gun Yuhyeon could be branded an internal informant. There was no telling what retaliation he might face.
If something happened to him...
Just as Dam Ak was about to sink into deep thought, Gun Yuhyeon spoke.
“Ah, that reminds me...”
He pulled a sheet of paper from his sleeve.
“I found the family of one of your academy fellows, Shin Ilseong.”
“R-Really?”
How long had he waited for this?
Dam Ak forgot his concerns from moments ago and unfolded the paper to read it.
Then...
“...”
With every word he read, his face twisted a little more.
Gun Yuhyeon’s calm voice disturbed the silence that had settled over the room.
“My condolences.”
“...”
Crunch.
Without realizing it, Dam Ak clenched the paper until his hand turned white.
The news he had longed for so desperately...
Was news he never wanted to hear.
“It seems their livelihood was cut off, so they went up the mountain to escape starvation. There, they fell into the hands of bandits...”
“Stop. Please... you don't need to say any more.”
As if barely holding back his emotions, Dam Ak slowly closed his eyes.
Worry filled Gun Yuhyeon’s face as he watched him.
“I no longer know whether continuing this is truly helping you, Strategist Dam.”
At that regretful sigh, Dam Ak forced himself to regain his composure and spoke as if nothing were wrong.
“...Please keep looking for the remaining families. That truly is what I need.”
Gun Yuhyeon slowly nodded.
“Understood.”
After looking once more at Dam Ak, who still could not let go of the paper, Gun Yuhyeon quietly rose from his seat.
Leaving Dam Ak's quarters, he stared blankly at the sky and began counting the constellations.
The more gracefully his fingers swept through the air, the more the worry on his face faded. In the end, a satisfied smile bloomed across his lips.
“The stars are favorable. This will end well. What a relief.”
He lowered the hand that had been counting the stars and began walking again.
Gun Yuhyeon disappeared into the darkness.
Around dawn, when the stars had vanished from sight,
Gal Munjeong of the Four Dragon Sect was found dead.
#
Before sunrise, in the dim light of dawn, Ilmyeong was preparing to head to the market.
“I'll focus on buying emergency provisions.”
Ever since poisoned food and water had entered the pavilion, Flame Ghost Consort had interrogated the servants relentlessly to find the one responsible, but the culprit had never been uncovered.
When Cha Seokdu learned that poison had been found in the delegation's food, he flew into a rage and ordered meals to be brought directly from the Black Alliance Lord’s Pavilion dining hall.
Yet poison was found in some of that food as well, proving that the servants were not the problem.
“The poison isn't very strong. You can eat it after detoxifying it.”
Dang Seohui said this as she casually ate poisoned food, but there was no way someone trained in the Sichuan Tang Clan's poison arts would have the same resistance to poison as an ordinary person.
There were even injured people among us, so Ilmyeong had no choice but to slip out at night and obtain food from outside.
“Is there anything else you need?”
“These are needed for the commander's treatment.”
Dang Seohui handed him a sheet listing medicinal ingredients.
Ak Byeongbi had survived through sheer tenacity, but his condition was still poor. Treating him was another problem.
If food could be poisoned without anyone noticing, medicinal ingredients could no longer be considered safe either.
The situation was inconvenient in every way.
I handed Ilmyeong, who had just finished preparing to leave, a bundle and the Black Token.
“If you tie this at your waist and walk around the market, someone will ask who Senior Ilmyeong is.”
“They'll ask that even if I'm just standing around?”
I placed the Black Token in his hand and smiled.
“Displaying this Black Token marks you as someone who has visited a certain place.”
Ilmyeong tilted his head, unable to understand.
I leaned close and whispered into his ear.
“The Hao Sect.”
“...!”
Ilmyeong’s eyes widened.
“Surely, Benefactor Jin... you're a guest retainer of the Hao Sect?!”
I calmly nodded.
“Yes.”
“...”
Ilmyeong looked back and forth between me and the Black Token with an incredulous expression.
“No... you're talking about being a Hao Sect guest retainer as casually as if you're telling me you became a regular at the noodle shop down the street...!”
That wasn't the important part, you bald bastard.
I calmed Ilmyeong down as his scalp turned red with excitement, then added, “Tell them my name and what you need. They'll obtain it as quickly as possible. And please deliver this bundle.”
“What is it?”
“The only key to solving this case.”
“A key...”
Ilmyeong stared at the bundle before hiding it deep in his robes.
Looks like he's calmed down now.
I dipped my head slightly toward him.
“Then be on your way.”
Just as Ilmyeong opened the door to leave,
Thud.
A martial artist clad in iron armor blocked the doorway and stepped inside.
Though he had been pushed aside without warning, Ilmyeong politely asked, “Who are you?”
It was none other than Hwang Busik.
“...”
Hwang Busik shoved Ilmyeong back again as he tried to leave and finally entered the room. He stared fixedly at Ilmyeong, who stood by the door.
His eyes flashed fiercely, as though he might bore straight through Ilmyeong’s scalp.
I stepped toward him.
“What brings you here at this hour?”
At my question, Hwang Busik slowly turned his gaze toward me.
He looked at me once with utterly emotionless eyes, then shifted his attention back to Blood Brawl.
“...Sir, was Ilmyeong here all night?”
What was the meaning behind that question?
Could it be...
Feeling an ominous premonition, I looked at Blood Brawl.
Blood Brawl tilted his head at the sudden question and answered, “Yeah.”
Hwang Busik did not back down.
“...Are you certain?”
“Eh?”
The suspicion and distrust on Hwang Busik’s face were unmistakable.
Blood Brawl’s voice turned cold in an instant.
“Do I need to answer that question?”
“...”
Hwang Busik turned to look at Flame Ghost Consort.
He did not say anything, but everyone could tell he held the same suspicion toward her.
“You...!”
Blood Brawl’s face gradually reddened, and Flame Ghost Consort let out a small sigh.
“...That's right. Ilmyeong didn't take a single step out of here last night.”
She stepped toward Hwang Busik with a faint smile.
“But little brother... aren't you going to explain why you're being so rude?”
Hwang Busik saw the smile she wore to hide her anger, then finally sighed and bowed his head.
“...My apologies.”
He shook his head as if trying to regain his senses, then slowly lifted it.
“Last night, Gal Munjeong, the Four Dragon Sect Leader, died.”
“...!”
“Huh?”
Then he glared at Ilmyeong.
“Clear traces of the Vajra Finger and Vajra Fist were found on the corpse.”
“Hah!”
“What do you mean...?”
Everyone in the room knew.
Ilmyeong had not killed him.
Yet everyone thought the same thing at the same time.
People would believe Ilmyeong had killed him.
I asked Hwang Busik, “Are you certain those traces were from the Vajra Finger and Vajra Fist?”
“...What do you mean?”
“I'm asking whether you are certain the marks are genuine. Could they simply be similar, like someone imitating the Ak Clan’s spear art?”
Killing intent flared from Hwang Busik as he gritted his teeth.
“I am. I was struck by the Vajra Finger in the past.”
Hmm, is that so?
I nodded readily.
“Then they must be genuine.”
“...What will you do now? You even missed your chance to flee.”
Why was he angry when we were the ones who had missed our chance to flee?
What a strange man.
I shrugged.
“Before that, I'd like to ask another favor.”
“Don't ask me to open an escape route. I have no intention of becoming a public enemy of the Black Alliance...”
“No, not that. Please go to the market.”
“...The market?”
Hwang Busik looked utterly dumbfounded.
I explained it to the dazed man.
“Senior Ilmyeong has been branded an assassin. It would be a disaster if he were caught moving about freely.”
“...”
So you go to the market and buy what we need instead.
#
Anger simmering within the Black Alliance was now like a Thunderclap Bomb on the verge of exploding.
Those who had drowned their frustrations in drink, and those who had waited for orders from above, picked up weapons and headed toward one of the pavilions.
A full day had passed since Do Bongsu's death.
The investigation had not even begun, and they had yet to determine his exact cause of death. When Gal Munjeong’s corpse was found, the patience of the Black Path martial artists finally ran out.
Worse, word quietly spread that the clean, unmistakable fist marks on Gal Munjeong’s corpse pointed to Ilmyeong of the delegation as the culprit.
It was only natural that they were enraged by their superiors’ conduct. They had not arrested the delegation, and they were even standing aside as Jin Sowoon ran around claiming he would catch the culprit.
They forgot even the cause of standing united against the Martial Alliance. All that remained was the rage boiling in their chests, which they poured into stones and broken roof tiles clutched in their hands.
Crash!
Crash!
Boom!
Some even threw spears and axes issued by the Black Alliance.
It showed just how far the Black Path martial artists’ fury had risen.
“The Martial Alliance must surrender and pay for its crimes!”
“How long will you keep resorting to these cowardly tricks?”
“What are we waiting for? Let's go in and cut off those bastards' heads!”
With people continuing to die, the Black Alliance leadership stood with its hands behind its back. Even though the delegation was clearly the culprit, they sat by and watched Jin Sowoon strut around claiming he would catch the killer. To the crowd, that had become completely intolerable.
“Wasn't Cha Seokdu wrong from the beginning to request that a Martial Alliance delegation be sent to the Black Alliance's founding ceremony?”
“Cha Seokdu and some of the leadership have already formed close ties with the Black Flame Dragon. They must be using the Black Flame Dragon to eliminate their political rivals!”
“Hang every last member of the delegation and Cha Seokdu!”
The crowd's anger began flowing in only one direction, and no one stood against it.
They needed different evidence to counter this one-sided accusation, yet every piece of evidence only strengthened the suspicion that the delegation was guilty.
Gun Yuhyeon, who had come to the pavilion where we were staying as promised, carefully asked me as he took in the scene outside.
“Are you... all right?”
“Thanks to the two absolute masters working so hard over there, we're at peace.”
Stones, spearheads, arrows, and hand axes lay scattered around Blood Brawl and Flame Ghost Consort, but Gun Yuhyeon’s expression did not brighten.
Hmm. With the place in such a mess, did those fools outside realize the Black Alliance would have to spend money repairing all of this?
My calm demeanor only made Gun Yuhyeon more uneasy.
“We can't let this continue. I'll speak with Strategist Dam and ask him to dispatch warriors from the Four Emperors Association at least.”
“Ah, it's all right. The two of them were about to go out and break the ankles of everyone gathered outside, but I stopped them.”
“...Pardon?”
I loosened my shoulders and smiled brightly at Gun Yuhyeon.
“I'm going to solve this now, so there's no need to trouble a busy man.”
“S-Solve it?”
“Yes.”
If I had seen only Gu Gyeak and Do Bongsu’s deaths, I might have had more trouble finding the culprit as well.
But I had learned new information while going around to investigate.
And after seeing the clear fist marks on Gal Munjeong's corpse, I was certain of the culprit, even if no one else was.
“Who is the culprit?”
Gun Yuhyeon, who was always so composed, asked cautiously.
“Ah, I need Lord Gun's help with that. Will you come with me?”
Gun Yuhyeon knew a great deal about most of the people staying in the Black Alliance, not to mention us of the Martial Alliance.
His calculations were also incredibly fast, and his mind worked quickly.
It would be most convenient to move together.
At my suggestion, Gun Yuhyeon looked uneasy.
“...I have to come too?”
“Yes.”
He had said he would help, but joining me in a dangerous situation like this seemed to be something Gun Yuhyeon hesitated to do.
He's more timid than I thought.
I patted his shoulder.
“You don't need to worry. We have the finest bodyguard with us.”
“What bodyguard?!”
Blood Brawl, who had been stretching and making all sorts of faces off to the side, suddenly shouted.
Gun Yuhyeon glanced at Blood Brawl, then carefully whispered to me, “Can you really catch the culprit?”
I could say it with certainty.
I could catch them.
I already had an idea of who they were.
To think those bastards had been here.
I had thought they would make their move only after the war began in earnest.
‘The Double Shadow Demon Brigade.’
Even among the Demonic Cult's special units, they were an espionage unit so vile and cunning that they made my teeth grind.
Those fucking bastards had been carrying out a kill-with-a-borrowed-knife scheme within the Black Alliance.
This worked out better.
“I won't catch them.”
“Pardon? What do you mean...?”
This was not only for the grudge from this incident.
It was time to repay the grudge from my previous life as well.
“I’ll tear those bastards apart and kill them.”
Footnotes:
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