WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Chen
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈
Chapter 24: The Second-Rate Martial Artist Preparing to Soar (2)
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Step. Step.
Only one man's footsteps echoed across the silent training ground. Wang Geumsan stood with his shoulders squared even before Gye Yeonseok, a man the people of the Taeul Sect found so difficult to deal with.
“Must you pay the price for ruining the Gyerong Merchant Group's important business?”
At Wang Geumsan's words, Gye Yeonseok's teeth chattered.
“Th-that is...”
Before Gye Yeonseok could finish, Wang Geumsan cut him off.
“More importantly, since when has the Gyerong Merchant Group been able to look down on the Wang Family Estate like this?”
“N-no! How could I ever look down on you?”
Gye Yeonseok flinched and hurriedly bowed.
“I came here today to see my benefactors, yet I find you making such an ugly spectacle. I am not pleased.”
“W-what? Benefactors...?”
Instead of answering, Wang Geumsan swept his gaze over the martial artists brought by the Gyerong Merchant Group.
“Leave. Before I become any more displeased.”
“...”
Thrown into confusion by Wang Geumsan's sudden appearance, Gye Yeonseok stammered incoherently before dragging the merchant group's martial artists away.
Gye Cheolyeong, who had been so triumphant moments ago, could only read the room before following his father back to the Gyerong Merchant Group.
Hong Mungi had been caught off guard by Wang Geumsan's arrival.
“...Sowoon saved Estate Lord Wang's daughter?”
Unable to believe it, Hong Mungi asked twice. Wang Geumsan simply nodded with a kindly smile.
Hong Mungi knew about Wang Soso's disappearance.
Wang Geumsan, the Golden King who practically held the commerce of Anhui Province, no, all of Jiangdong, in his grasp.
Even Hong Mungi, who kept his distance from worldly affairs, had heard until his ears rang that Wang Geumsan's precious only daughter had gone missing.
And Sowoon had saved her.
“Come to think of it...”
Hong Mungi remembered Sowoon barging into Daehyeon Hall a few days ago and demanding tea.
Could the child he said he had saved then be...
“I believe she was my child.”
“...”
Hong Mungi could not close his mouth.
Kidnappings were common among slash-and-burn settlers and nomads who had not settled in villages.
He had assumed Sowoon had merely saved one such child...
“To be honest, I was surprised as well. No one in Anhui Province is unaware of this incident, yet he simply left the child at Wang Residence Village and departed.”
“He simply left her at Wang Residence Village?”
Hong Mungi's mind cleared at once.
Sowoon had spoken of saving Wang Soso as though it were nothing, and he had simply left her at Wang Residence Village. The two facts now fit together.
“...I see.”
“Do you know something?”
“No. I simply understand the child's feelings a little better.”
Wang Geumsan looked faintly surprised.
“I do not believe Sowoon attached much significance to what he did.”
“He did not?”
“If he places significance on saving your daughter, would he not be unable to place the same significance on the kidnapping of a poor family's child?”
If he accepted compensation for saving Wang Soso, he might come to expect compensation when saving the children of poor families as well.
“That is not the teaching of the Taeul Sect.”
Wang Geumsan nodded, seemingly moved.
“May I meet the child?”
#
The Taeul Sect held a feast with the gifts Wang Geumsan had brought.
There were heaps of precious fabrics and ornaments, a wagon laden with grain, and another carrying sealed boxes of unknown contents.
He was more generous than I expected.
Just seeing the corners of my father's mouth twitch, after his brow had remained furrowed over the sect's finances for so long, showed how much wealth Wang Geumsan had brought.
“Estate Lord Wang asks whether he may see you for a moment.”
A man who appeared to hold a fairly high position among the procession respectfully led me away. I met Wang Geumsan in the same detached residence where Namgung San had once stayed.
“Good to see you.”
The moment I entered, I sensed faint presences throughout the detached residence, unlike before.
Concealment arts?
Perhaps because my internal energy had reached a gapja and my energy sense had improved, or perhaps because even Wang Geumsan's wealth could not hire truly skilled guards, I could clearly sense their presence.
As I stared toward a corner of the ceiling at the faintest presence I had ever sensed, Wang Geumsan's expression shifted strangely.
“You can sense them?”
“Pardon? What...”
“Did you not just sense someone?”
“Ah... Yes.”
“Hahaha!”
With Wang Geumsan's hearty laughter, the presences became clearer. Their breathing had faltered.
“The kidnappers took Soso while evading them. ...No, it would be more accurate to say that they ignored them.”
Martial arts could replace technique.
There was even a saying in the martial world that a path deeply pursued could encompass its lesser branches.
It seemed the Namgung Clan's elites had found it effortless to disregard guards who had trained only to protect others.
“A youth not even twenty years old rescued my daughter from experts capable of ignoring them. It is difficult to believe.”
Wang Geumsan continued staring at me as though examining me.
There was no fighting spirit or killing intent, yet the accumulated experience of his life pressed down on me with no less weight.
“Furthermore, you saved her by chance and simply left. I must be able to believe even that.”
It seemed my actions, which he could not understand, were making him misunderstand me instead.
“I apologize if I have given you the wrong impression.”
“No. No. It has been a long time since I felt such pride. ...Of course, that is only if it was not a misunderstanding.”
His tone now carried a distinct chill.
It seemed this ordeal had broken something within him.
In truth, it was inevitable that I would appear suspicious. If not for me, Wang Soso would never have been seen again.
Still, it did not leave me in a good mood, and my tone gradually grew colder.
“What is it that you wish to discuss?”
“I investigated you thoroughly. Yet in the end, I learned nothing.”
Of course not. In my previous life, I had been the sort of person whose every thought could be read plainly.
“So if there is anything you have concealed from me, I would like you to tell me. I will certainly pay the price for the discourtesy I have committed.”
“I do not know what might heal the heart of a wounded man. What are you most curious about?”
Wang Geumsan's expression no longer wavered.
“First, I wish to know why you did not come to Wang Residence Village with her.”
Wang Geumsan seemed unable to understand why I had not immediately accepted the enormous reward he would have offered.
“First, because it was difficult to explain the full circumstances at the time.”
Wang Geumsan's suspicion deepened.
“When I saved your daughter, it was the third day after I began pursuing the kidnappers. Your daughter was in terrible condition then, and they were about to kill everyone involved to erase the evidence. I had no choice but to act without informing anyone.”
“...Ahem.”
No matter how composed a person was, it was difficult to hear that their child had nearly died.
“Second, because I expected an enormous reward.”
“You did not reveal that it was your doing because of the reward?”
Wang Geumsan's enormous reward might seem desirable on the surface.
However, without the strength to protect it immediately, it was no different from a disaster.
“Third, saving Wang Soso was no more than the result of a personal vow I made.”
“What vow?”
“Never overlook injustice.”
More accurately, I would never overlook those who committed injustice against me.
In any case, what I needed was a patron powerful enough to drive the Gyerong Merchant Group away. It did not matter who that patron was.
I had chosen Wang Soso only because it was connected to my personal grudge against Namgung Sangwon.
Moreover, I now had the Seven-Colored Jewel I had obtained from Namgung San.
It no longer mattered whether the Wang Family Estate stood behind me.
“The gifts you brought today are already greater recompense than I could have wanted. I do not believe you need to seek me out again.”
“Did I offend you?”
“If a kind act is repaid with suspicion, no one will be able to perform another kind act afterward. I do not want that, so I have no desire to continue my relationship with you, Estate Lord.”
He was a man who had fought for profit all his life and reached its pinnacle. I understood well how little faith he might have in people.
But that was his position. I had still been offended because of it.
I rose and respectfully performed a fist-and-palm salute.
Then, just as I turned to leave.
Thud.
My mouth fell open at his actions.
“W-what are you doing?”
Those who had been using concealment arts in the ceiling appeared before me as well.
They could not remain hidden while their employer knelt and bowed.
“Please forgive me for failing to recognize the benefactor Heaven sent us and suspecting you first. You saved my precious daughter. I will engrave that grace into my bones for the rest of my life and offer thanks every morning.”
“““Please forgive us.”””
Even the guards prostrated themselves together, leaving me utterly flustered.
Who was this man?
He could build mountains out of gold, a great figure who bore the livelihoods of countless people across the land.
Even the powerful nobles of Beijing could not treat him carelessly, yet he was kneeling and bowing deeply before me. I hurried over to help him up.
“Please do not do this. How can you bow to a mere martial artist?”
“First, you saved my daughter. Second, through her, you saved me. Because of that, my household was saved, and the families of my household were saved as well. How could I not bow to you?”
I could not force someone who would not budge to stand, so I could only nod.
“I understand, so please rise. I fear someone may see us.”
“Do you forgive me?”
“I understand, so please rise.”
Once Wang Geumsan stood and sat down, a bright smile appeared on his face.
The title of a giant of the business world had not been bestowed on him for nothing.
This man was really playing me.
“Thank you.”
“Please stop speaking to me so formally. If you continue, I will truly leave.”
“Ahem, forgive me. Yet no matter how much I think about it, I could not believe it. I committed this discourtesy because there were things beyond the limits of my understanding. I apologize again.”
“I understand. Please stop now.”
The strange, untouchable air around him had vanished. Only an expression mixed with fatigue and ease remained, creating a strange sense of dissonance.
He spoke to the guards.
“Please withdraw for a while.”
“Yes.”
The guards disappeared before my eyes like ghosts. I could no longer sense a trace of them in the ceiling or anywhere within the building.
“May I ask one thing?”
“It is about the medicine, is it not?”
The reason he had gone so far as to put on this performance to discover my true feelings could only be related to that medicine.
If not for the medicine, there would have been no need for him to probe me. Even if I had belonged to the kidnappers, he could have watched me over time and eventually exposed my intentions.
“Ho, so it is true that you possess a clever mind.”
“My memory is simply needlessly good.”
“That... medicine, what exactly is it? Even the physicians who treated her before do not know its nature. They are worried because it contains poisonous herbs. They say there is a possibility of addiction. Yet Soso says she will take it even if it kills her.”
Before I parted ways with Soso, I had written down the formula for the medicinal pills she had to take every day and given it to her.
As long as she took one pill each day for the rest of her life, she would no longer suffer because of her Solar Yang Physique. Of course Wang Soso did not want to give it up.
“It is true that it contains poisonous herbs. The possibility of addiction must also be considered.”
“...Then is it not dangerous?”
“I taught her the Taeul Mind Method to neutralize it. It would have been better if it were a higher-level mind method, but the situation was so urgent that it was all I had at the time.”
“Then... does she only need to take that medicine and cultivate the mind method for the rest of her life?”
“Of course, since she has already cultivated the Taeul Mind Method, she will not be able to cultivate another mind method. I apologize once again, even though I obtained your daughter's permission in that matter.”
“No, no. That is not what I mean. If she takes only that medicine, how much longer can she live?”
The medicine was not some divine elixir. How could I know the span of a human life?
“I am not a fortune teller. How could I know a human being's natural lifespan?”
Wang Geumsan's eyes widened like bells.
“Then she can live out her natural lifespan?”
“Unless she suffers from a serious illness or an accident, I believe so.”
“How do you know such a formula?”
This required a small fabrication.
I could not reveal that it came from a classified document of the Mantong Office.
“Once, I was bitten by a venomous snake in the mountains and nearly died. An elderly man saved me using poisonous herbs. His herbal techniques were so remarkable that I persistently followed him afterward and learned various methods of preparing medicine.”
“He treated snake venom with poison?”
When I embellished the story with a method of using poison to counter poison from the Myriad Herbs Compendium, Wang Geumsan thought for a long time before speaking.
“You have encountered a fateful opportunity.”
“A fateful opportunity?”
“Yes. In all the world, the only person who detoxified poison with poison was the late Divine Physician of Life and Death. I thought that knowledge had been lost because news of their death was never made public, but it seems you have found such a connection.”
Because his daughter had been ill, Wang Geumsan possessed extensive medical knowledge.
Thanks to that, the conversation flowed smoothly.
Then Wang Geumsan suddenly seized my hand.
He lowered his head.
“Thank you.”
“If I hear that one more time, my ears will grow calluses.”
Hot droplets fell onto the back of my hand.
“Every morning when I rise, I will pray for you. I will not forget this grace until the day I die.”
The resentment I had felt toward him quickly melted away as his tears fell upon my hand.
#
In the end, Wang Soso decided to enter the Taeul Sect.
Considering what had happened to her, one might have expected her to be cautious, but Wang Soso insisted strongly. Wang Geumsan also appeared to have no objection.
He carefully asked whether she could be accompanied by a guard. Considering that the Gyerong Merchant Group had placed a hall lord in Busaeng Hall as an instructor, every hall lord agreed that it was nothing worth worrying about.
The person who had led me to Wang Geumsan called for me separately.
Introducing themself as the Wang Family Estate's chief steward, they had moved all the mysterious boxes that had filled one wagon into the detached residence after Wang Geumsan left.
“What are all these?”
“They are gifts from the Estate Lord to the young master.”
“...?”
The gifts he had brought to the Taeul Sect had already been immense, and he had promised future support. Was there still more to give?
The chief steward first presented a long box that gleamed with a noble aura.
“This is one of the most precious treasures in the Estate Lord's treasury. It is called the Black Dragon Sword.”
Inside lay a sword as black as ink, from blade to hilt.
“Wow...”
Its flawless blade and hilt, wound with two dragons as though they were ascending to heaven, made it closer to a work of art than a weapon.
“The hilt and scabbard are forged from black iron, while the blade is forged from Vajra Indestructible Iron. Even should it clash with any divine weapon, its edge will not be damaged.”
With no ornamentation, it could almost have appeared utterly plain, yet it possessed a demonic qi that drew the eye.
While my gaze remained fixed on the sword, the chief steward opened the next box.
“This is the Heavenly Silkworm Treasure Robe, clothing made through a special process handed down within the Wang Family Estate for generations.”
The close-fitting treasure robe, unlike anything I had seen before, seemed ideal for martial artists to wear beneath their outer garments without restricting their movements.
“It is made by twisting together Heavenly Silkworm Thread, vajra thread, and silver thread. It is elastic, does not hinder movement, and possesses tremendous defensive power. The Martial Alliance has tried several times to purchase it, but it was never sold because so few could be made.”
The chief steward spoke on and on, looking even more excited than I was.
“If it is so precious, should Estate Lord Wang or Lady Soso not use it?”
“Ah, both already do. It is so difficult to make that the Wang Family Estate produces one whenever the materials can be secured. This is the first time every member of the family has one, with a single robe left over to be given as a gift.”
A chief steward would be deeply involved in managing the family's wealth. It was difficult to grow accustomed to seeing such a person explain things with such joy.
Perhaps noticing my confusion, the chief steward scratched their wrinkled cheek.
“I do not think you understand how grateful we are.”
“...No, I believe I understand well enough.”
“The Estate Lord lost his parents while young, and his wife passed away while giving birth to Lady Soso. Lady Soso is his only family, which is why he treasures her so dearly.”
Compared to Gye Yeonseok, the master of the Gyerong Merchant Group, who had five wives and concubines combined, it was a striking contrast.
“We were truly preparing for war after losing the young lady. The Estate Lord intended to hire three sects at once to carry out assassinations. He was liquidating the family assets to do so. Had that happened, we would likely no longer have remained at the Wang Family Estate. Young master, you saved tens of thousands of people.”
The chief steward looked at me with eyes full of gratitude.
“The Estate Lord says you need only ask if there is ever anything we can do for you. If it is difficult to speak to him directly, please speak to this chief steward.”
“Haha... This is wonderful, but it is also burdensome.”
“You need not feel that way. We all believe that you have granted us the grace of saving our lives.”
“I understand. Please stop before I become too embarrassed. But what are the rest of these? Did you empty the Estate Lord's entire treasury?”
Five boxes still remained.
“Not at all. These are things the young lady no longer needs.”
“She no longer needs them?”
The moment I opened the first box, an icy chill poured out as though I had entered an icehouse.
“I hear that is the inner core of a Snow Carp.”
Snap.
Startled beyond belief, I shut the box.
“Then what is this?”
“I hear it is a Snow Lotus Seed. I heard that the Dragon Slaying Escort Agency suffered greatly in the Northern Sea to obtain it.”
Within the box, the fruit of a lotus emitted a blue, frigid glow.
She had said she had spent her entire life in a place like an icehouse. It seemed it had been filled with spiritual medicines and objects that emitted such cold energy.
“Then all of these are...?”
The chief steward smiled as gently as Wang Geumsan had.
“Yes.”
Long live the rich.
Footnotes:
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