The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything - Chapter 286

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

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◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈

Chapter 286: The Right to Have a Chance (2)

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[Whether you give up or not isn't the right question. You'll still try either way.]

Jin Sowoon's words had lingered in Cheol Sunjik's mind for two days.

He knew Jin Sowoon was exceptional.

He had defeated Ilgak, called the strongest martial artist at the Academy, in a spar. In the practical strategy and tactics examination, he had led an inferior unit to victory.

That did not mean the Taeul Sect possessed overwhelming martial strength.

Rather, Jin Sowoon achieved what he wanted by maximizing supplementary abilities such as quick thinking, improvisation, adaptability, and resourcefulness.

For example, Jin Sowoon might have defeated Ilgak in a spar.

But could the other Taeul Sect disciples truly defeat Ilgak as well?

‘There isn't even a need to think about it.’

Ilgak's victory was certain.

The Taeul Sect's martial arts could not even be compared to Shaolin Sect's martial arts.

In that sense, Jin Sowoon resembled him.

They both used every means available to make up for their shortcomings in absolute strength.

Yet that depended entirely on Jin Sowoon's individual ability.

Once they entered a world where sect fought sect and faction fought faction, the influence of one person's extraordinary abilities could only diminish.

That was why Jin Sowoon's calm expression, as though he had said something completely obvious, would not leave Cheol Sunjik's mind.

Another question arose.

[Can Jin Sowoon truly face Mount Zhongnan Sect?]

The gap between the two groups was clear, both historically and in terms of their current scale.

On top of that, Mount Zhongnan had pushed its sect's martial strength to the limit.

What could five Taeul Sect disciples possibly do?

Yet why was it?

Part of him looked forward to it.

If Jin Sowoon could do it, then that meant...

‘It would prove that I can do it too.’

A strange anticipation filled his heart.

Anticipation, was it...?

‘Heh. What nonsense.’

Cheol Sunjik gave a quiet laugh as he emerged from his thoughts.

After being beaten several times, had he reached the point of idolizing his opponent?

He was doing something only fools would do.

Since entering the Academy, he had felt that his resolve had weakened somewhat.

Then...

“Hmm?”

Cheol Sunjik, who had been leaning against his sword in thought, raised his head.

The surroundings were dark, and the torches that had burned through the night were slowly dying out.

Judging by the moon's position, it was still Tiger Hour.

This was when even those protesting against Mount Zhongnan should have been asleep.

‘People?’

Cheol Sunjik rose from the rock he had been leaning against and spread his energy sense.

He sensed people climbing the mountain.

There were not just one or two of them.

‘There are more of them?’

At a rough estimate, there were dozens.

They moved through the night in secret, yet they did not seem to care about concealing their presence or footsteps.

No, some were even talking among themselves or shouting.

‘An ambush?’

The worst situation Cheol Sunjik had imagined was a large-scale clash caused by all the pent-up dissatisfaction.

The damage would fall entirely upon Mount Zhongnan's lay martial sects.

When Cheol Sunjik got up and headed for Mount Zhongnan's camp, Cheol Hyeonjik, who had been dozing, startled awake.

“Sunjik, what's wrong?”

“People are gathering.”

“People? At this hour?”

Cheol Sunjik gave a small nod.

“We should prepare, just in case.”

“Understood. Let's go together.”

When Cheol Sunjik arrived at Mount Zhongnan's camp, the disciple on watch narrowed their eyes.

“What is it?”

“May I speak with the Hall Master?”

The disciple was around Cheol Sunjik's age.

They had failed this Academy examination.

Was that why?

“What is this about?”

The Mount Zhongnan disciple was not friendly toward Cheol Sunjik in the slightest.

‘No, perhaps this is simply how they normally treat lay sects.’

Cheol Sunjik swallowed his sneer and lowered his head.

“People are climbing the mountain.”

“The mountain?”

“Yes. Since they aren't even concealing their presence, it seems they have some other scheme in mind.”

The Mount Zhongnan disciple gave a snort.

“Whatever scheme they have, it won't matter.”

The privilege of those in power. Arrogance.

“May I report this to the Hall Master?”

“Do you think it's appropriate to wake the Hall Master over something this trivial?”

“...If they intend to start an armed conflict...”

“Do you truly think Mount Zhongnan would be pushed back by the likes of them? How dare you?”

And what brought down those in power was also arrogance.

Cheol Sunjik swallowed another cold laugh.

As he continued his pointless argument with the Mount Zhongnan disciple...

Kwararararararara-boom!

The entire world lit up for an instant, as though lightning had struck repeatedly.

“W-What was that?!”

“An attack?”

“Wake everyone!”

The ominous explosions, like Thunderclap Bombs going off, jolted the sleeping people awake.

Among them was Gongson Su, the chief hall leader of the Nine Palaces Hall.

“Find out what happened!”

At his command, a group of disciples raced toward the source of the explosions, while others climbed trees to survey all of Mount Zhou Dang.

As expected of disciples from a well-trained sect, the treasury reports came quickly.

“People are climbing Mount Zhou Dang!”

“A large cave has appeared where the explosion occurred.”

“From what we're hearing, it's a new entrance into Heavenly Cave.”

Gongson Su's eyes bloodshot as he heard the treasury reports.

“What?! An entrance?! What were you all doing for things to get this far?! Who was on watch during Tiger Hour?!”

The Mount Zhongnan disciple who had been arguing with Cheol Sunjik trembled as they stepped forward under the intense pressure.

“I-I'm sorry. I was watching the area around the camp... J-Jukhyeon Sect! Jukhyeon Sect was assigned to watch for anyone approaching!”

As Cheol Sunjik stepped forward to explain the truth behind this absurd situation...

‘Huh?’

Cheol Hyeonjik grabbed his hand, stopping him, and stepped forward instead.

“My apologies, Hall Master.”

Cheol Hyeonjik bowed deeply, but a harsh blow was all he received in return.

Slap!

“Are you really Mount Zhongnan's lay sects when you can't even handle such a simple task properly?!”

Cheol Hyeonjik touched his reddened cheek and bowed again.

“My apologies. Our training was insufficient, so we failed to properly notice those approaching.”

Gongson Su looked unable to contain his rising anger, but time did not allow it.

“Go!”

“The Five-Spirit Flower Dew is mine!”

“Mount Zhongnan isn't guarding that entrance!”

After the explosions, shouts and battle cries erupted all across Mount Zhou Dang as though it were broad daylight.

Gongson Su bit his lip and turned around.

“Stop them at once! We cannot let them enter Heavenly Cave!”

At that order, Jukhyeon Sect, two other lay martial sects, and thirty members of the Nine Palaces Hall headed for the newly opened entrance.

But...

“This is bad...”

There were too many people already entering to count.

“Stop them!”

Mount Zhongnan's forces, arriving too late, tried to block those climbing the mountain.

“Stop at on... Urgh!”

After seeing so many people already entering the cave, no one could tolerate Mount Zhongnan's conduct any longer.

It would have been one thing if nobody had gotten in.

But since people had already entered, that changed everything.

Chaeng! Chaeng! Chaeng! Chaeng!

“Move, you bastards! I spent twenty silver taels on that map!”

“Do you think the Five-Spirit Flower Dew belongs to you?! We have the right to it too!”

“Push through! Even if they're Mount Zhongnan, most of them are lay sects!”

A crowd was enough to conceal each individual's fear.

People who had not even dared meet Mount Zhongnan's eyes now drew their swords and charged in, one after another.

The battle that began without warning was just as bewildering for Mount Zhongnan's disciples.

Furthermore, Mount Zhongnan's lay sects had nothing to gain from this incident.

They naturally fought passively, and a chaotic melee erupted around the entrance.

Cheol Sunjik and his brother were among them.

“Sunjik, people are getting in.”

At Cheol Hyeonjik's report, Cheol Sunjik, who had been lightly swinging his sword as he gradually retreated, turned his gaze.

Taking advantage of the melee, people were entering the newly opened entrance one by one.

“...”

Soon, Mount Zhongnan's disciples were completely pushed away from the entrance by the crowd's numbers, and the number of people entering the cave visibly increased.

Now was the best time to enter.

Cheol Sunjik looked at his brother.

“Brother. I'll be back shortly.”

“Huh?”

When his younger brother's gaze shifted toward Heavenly Cave's entrance, Cheol Hyeonjik shouted in alarm.

“What are you talking about?! Do you know what might happen if you recklessly go in there...?!”

Even in the middle of the melee, he gripped his younger brother's sleeve tightly.

At that powerful grip, Cheol Sunjik looked back at his brother.

His swollen red cheek.

It was remarkably visible, even in the middle of the night.

Cheol Sunjik removed his brother's hand.

“...There's something I need to confirm.”

“Confirm?”

“Yes. I'll explain after I return.”

Then he immediately launched himself toward the newly opened entrance.

‘This cannot be a coincidence.’

What had happened tonight must have been carried out according to a meticulous plan.

Naturally, one person came to mind.

[Whether you give up or not isn't the right question. You'll still try either way.]

[Those Mount Zhongnan bastards. Let's see what happens.]

Jin Sowoon, letting out a wicked “Heh heh heh” with a despicable grin.

He wanted to see him.

He wanted to confirm with his own eyes whether Jin Sowoon could truly achieve such an absurd result.

As martial artists who discovered that a new entrance had opened into Heavenly Cave fought fiercely to enter it...

Martial artists in Xi'an who had not known about the new entrance also began climbing Mount Zhou Dang one by one.

The loud noise and explosions alone were enough to make their expectations soar.

If those damned Mount Zhongnan bastards were still blocking the entrance like constipated fools, there was no way such a commotion would be happening.

The martial artists who climbed Mount Zhou Dang grew excited by the chaotic scene and threw themselves into it.

Unable to prepare for the new entrance, Mount Zhongnan hurriedly gathered disciples and tried to block it.

“There's an opening! An opening...!”

As a result, even the entrance they had already been guarding began to give way.

“Attack! Nobody knows who's who anyway!”

“Overwhelm them with numbers!”

“Let's gooooo!”

After throwing a bucket of cold, filthy water over Mount Zhongnan's event and teaching its martial artists what shit tasted like, Jin Sowoon's junior disciples were digging at the exact opposite side of the newly opened third entrance.

“Senior Brother! I think something happened!”

Eunho stopped digging, his eyes wide like a startled rabbit's.

Geumpyo's expression hardened as he looked at him.

This bastard is scheming again, isn't he?

“Eunho, why did you stop moving your hands?”

“...No, I'm saying something really seems to have happened.”

Hong Saryeon shot him a sharp look from beside them.

“Junior Brother, hurry up. We're falling farther behind.”

With Hong Saryeon joining in, Eunho had no choice but to lower his head and resume digging.

No, something might really have happened. Why were they all so strange?

They had clearly become strange after spending so much time with that Head Disciple.

When Eunho discreetly turned his head, Jin Sowoon was crouching down and tearing into some jerky.

Huh, that sight felt very familiar... Hmm...

“Ah.”

He had been wondering where he had seen it before. It was exactly like the street thug from his childhood who blocked the alleyway and extorted money from people.

‘No matter how I look at him, he feels experienced at this...’

The head disciples of other sects at least tried to appear upright and proper.

Their Head Disciple could not seem to stand properly even once.

“Eunho.”

“Yes!”

“Your hands are slow.”

“...”

Besides, why were they digging their way into Heavenly Cave when their Head Disciple had already made such a huge entrance?

Eunho swallowed his frustration and dug like mad.

Not long afterward...

They completed the tunnel, digging into the mountain exactly as far as their Head Disciple had instructed.

“Pant, pant...”

“Senior Brother... We're done.”

“Argh! This is different from swinging a sword...”

As the four junior disciples sprawled across the ground, Jin Sowoon, who had been squatting behind them, walked forward.

Then...

Tap. Tap.

“Ugh...”

...He lovingly patted his junior disciples with his feet(?).

“You're already panting after digging a little. Are you really disciples of the Taeul Sect?”

You were sitting down the whole time...!

No, what does being a Taeul Sect disciple have to do with digging?

The question rose to their throats, but they were too out of breath to ask it.

“Ah, the Taeul Sword Emperor must be so heartbroken in the heavens. Tsk, tsk.”

“...Senior Brother, why did we have to dig a separate tunnel? You already made a huge entrance.”

At Hong Saryeon's question, Jin Sowoon, who had been mourning while looking at the sky, replied as though she had asked something obvious.

“When you sneak into someone else's home, you have to give the dogs meat.”

“Huh?”

“Don't you know how to make a feint in the east and attack in the west? There needs to be a disturbance somewhere else so they won't pay attention to us.”

Wow, their Head Disciple was not a back-alley thug after all. He was a thief.

...Was that something to be pleased about?

The thief Jin Sowoon continued speaking smoothly.

“Mount Zhongnan will be too busy dealing with the martial artists to pay attention to us, which is good. The martial artists gathered here get their chance, which is also good. Isn't that good for everyone?”

Mount Zhongnan probably felt as though it had been kicked in the groin and struck in the back of the head at the same time.

He was their Head Disciple, but his mind was so sharp that he seemed like a con man...

“Hm? Eunho, why are you looking at me like that?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Hmm, you look like you're staring at something contemptible.”

...His Head Disciple was the greatest genius in the world even when it came to reading people.

Eunho hurriedly lowered his head slightly.

“Hehe. How could that be? I'm trying to remember every word spoken by our Head Disciple, words as precious as golden rules.”

“Hmm? Really?”

Jin Sowoon then stood at the end of the tunnel with an expression that somehow looked pleased.

“Enough time has passed that the Mount Zhongnan disciples inside Heavenly Cave should know external intruders have appeared. That means nobody will be on this side.”

Then he gathered internal energy in both hands.

He began repeatedly striking the cave wall.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Each time he swung his hands, he unleashed the Great Yang Palm, an older Taeul Sect martial art.

Great Yang Palm lacked both destructive power and speed.

Yet at this moment, it was the finest martial art for digging through the wall without making much noise.

“While they deal with the commotion, all we have to do is sneak quietly into Heavenly Cave and take the Five-Spirit Flower Dew.”

Jin Sowoon continued firing palm force into the tunnel as he spoke.

The junior disciples could not hide their admiration for his prowess as he continuously launched palm force without rest, unconcerned by the clumps of dirt striking their faces.

Before the Taeul Sword Emperor's martial arts were restored, Great Yang Palm had been one of the Taeul Sect's more internal-energy-consuming martial arts.

Each of the disciples' minds grew complicated as they watched his power.

‘That palm force from earlier too... Just how much internal energy does he have?’

‘His martial arts alone already seem strong enough. Why does he keep coming up with schemes?’

‘If I ever become enemies with Head Disciple... Ugh! Never! It wouldn't just be difficult. It feels like my soul would be threshed apart...’

How much time passed like that?

Thud! Rumble.

The mound of dirt flying toward them suddenly collapsed onto the opposite side.

Just as Jin Sowoon had expected, they had connected directly to Heavenly Cave.

Jin Sowoon turned to his junior disciples and curled his lips into a grin.

“Did you see? This is what military strategy is.”

It was very strange, but cool.

Cool, yet also somewhat crazy... No, strange.