The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything - Chapter 310

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈

Chapter 310: The Spark of Malice (3)

──────

After sunset, Hefei's entertainment district became a sight unlike anything seen during the day.

Vendors lit lanterns at every stall as they hawked their wares.

Young men and women in splendid clothing, nowhere to be seen in daylight.

Attendants calling out to passersby, and high officials and nobles hurrying somewhere in large sedan chairs.

‘Was it always this dazzling?’

Most of my nights in my previous life had been spent collapsing from exhaustion and resting, or working overtime.

The only reason I could spend my time so leisurely now was that I was living a different life from before.

[You bastard, if you spend your entire monthly wage today, how are you going to live afterward?]

[Is there any guarantee we'll still be alive tomorrow?]

[Huh? You're right.]

[Over here! Another bottle of liquor that costs fifteen silver nyang!]

The image of those bastards spending their entire wages as though there were no tomorrow, then hoping they would receive another paycheck next month, passed through my mind.

“...”

A bitter feeling began creeping in, so I quickly bought a sweet and put it in my mouth.

By the time I reached my destination, a crowd had gathered outside.

‘What's going on?’

I wondered whether there was some spectacle worth seeing, but that did not seem to be the case. The people standing in the long line were all dressed extravagantly.

“Hey. You planning to go in here?”

A man standing at the very front with three women beside him spoke to me.

Why the hell was this bastard speaking informally to someone he'd just met?

“I'm meeting someone.”

“Dressed like that?”

He slowly looked over my clothes and smirked.

The women beside him covered their mouths and gave me dismissive smiles.

What a face made for getting slapped.

“Did you make a reservation?”

“A reservation?”

“You don't even know that Sohwa Tower requires reservations?”

A mocking smile hung on his lips.

“...I've never come here that way.”

“Tsk. Half-baked fools hear a place is famous and come running without knowing a thing.”

“...”

“What are you standing around for? Go line up back there. You won't get in today anyway.”

“Really? I'm supposed to meet someone here today.”

If I'd known a reservation was required, I should've suggested we meet somewhere else.

No, but Yang Gunbaek was the one who arranged this meeting in the first place.

As I wondered what to do, the man made me an offer.

“Show us a talent. If I like it, I'll take you inside with me.”

“A talent?”

“You're carrying a sword, so you seem to be a martial artist... Don't tell me you don't even have one skill worth showing?”

At his words, the women burst out laughing as though they could no longer hold it in.

One of them even clutched her stomach.

They looked like they were having a great time.

I looked over them one by one and answered calmly.

“I don't have any talents besides killing people. Should I show you that?”

“...”

The mood suddenly went cold.

The women who had been laughing turned even paler, despite their faces already being white with powder.

The man, who had been about to retort, cleared his throat and turned away while muttering, “Martial artists, always like this.”

Then...

Creak.

Sohwa Tower's doors opened, and an attendant came out holding what looked like a guest ledger.

“Next...”

The man and the women prepared to go inside at once, taking their eyes off me.

“Oh? Young Master?”

The attendant suddenly spotted me and closed the ledger.

“Why are you standing out here? You should've come in as soon as you arrived.”

“...I heard I needed a reservation, so I was wondering what to do.”

“Oh, please! What are you saying? Young Master, you may visit anytime without a reservation.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Please come in quickly. Your guest is waiting inside.”

“All right. Ah...!”

As I followed the attendant inside, I turned toward the man and his group.

Their faces had gone blank before I knew it.

I looked them over from head to toe and asked, “Do any of you have a talent you can show me?”

“...”

The man pressed his lips together.

Then again, what talents could he have when all he did was drink himself senseless day and night?

Under the attendant's extremely respectful guidance, I entered Sohwa Tower.

“Ah?”

It was the same private room marked A where I had met the Hao Sect leader before.

There, I saw a welcome face for the first time in a while.

“It has been a long time, Young Master.”

“Weren't you in Hunan Province?”

“I move around from time to time.”

It was Haeryeong, Pavilion Master of Manbin Pavilion.

“Have you been well?”

Yang Gunbaek, whom I had asked to meet, greeted me next.

“Thanks to you.”

The table was covered with enough delicacies to break its legs, and the scent of fine liquor filled the air, but there were no musicians or entertainers inside.

After exchanging a few cups and asking after each other, we quickly began the real discussion.

“This is the information we have on the Jeondeung Sect and Lightning Saber O Ilsik.”

I paused halfway through drinking when Haeryeong handed me the documents.

I hadn't told her anything.

Haeryeong gave a strange smile.

“We are always watching you, Young Master. Was that not what you wanted?”

I truly understood why, during the Orthodox-Demonic War in my previous life, the Hao Sect had been able to rival the Beggar Sect despite the Beggar Sect having the Martial Alliance behind it.

‘So that's why the Beggar Sect was wary of the Hao Sect's rise.’

Feeling strangely emotional over another part of the past I had not known, I examined the documents.

Still, nothing particularly unusual stood out in the information on the Jeondeung Sect and O Ilsik.

The Jeondeung Sect had been founded independently, without help from the Qingcheng Sect or Fenghyang Sect, while O Ilsik was said to have trained alone and attained mastery in a style of his own.

Then I noticed something odd.

When my gaze lingered on one part of the documents, Haeryeong spoke.

“It would be a waste for you to remain only a martial artist, Young Master.”

When I tilted my head and met her eyes, a smile appeared on her lips.

“You found the strange part among all that information, didn't you?”

“For a sect founded by one man, its growth was remarkably rapid.”

When I heard about the Venom Fang Sword, I had expected it would take at least ten years for a martial arts school to transform into a sect.

Establishing oneself and expanding one's influence could not be done through martial strength alone.

Yet...

The martial arts school that had prepared people for escort agency examinations took less than five years to become a sect.

Moreover, the Jeondeung Sect disciples I had faced had not been a motley crowd. They looked like people who had received training and instruction for a long time...

“Three years.”

Haeryeong held up three fingers.

“It took exactly three years for it to go from a martial arts school to a sect.”

“Did it have a patron?”

With massive support, it was not entirely impossible.

But...

“No. The Jeondeung Sect rose to that position entirely through its own efforts.”

“...”

I couldn't readily accept that.

Then what about the identical martial uniforms the sect disciples wore?

Their well-maintained swords?

How could one explain their full cheeks and healthy bodies, without a trace of hunger?

“Hehe, even you found this difficult to predict, didn't you?”

“I'm not omnipotent.”

“Hehe. That is why I'm so grateful. It means I can be of help to you.”

With that, Haeryeong handed me another document.

I roughly scanned it, then was startled.

“You find it strange too, don't you? Most of those people met O Ilsik because they wanted to become escort warriors. But after enrolling in the martial arts school and becoming sect disciples, they forgot their original purpose and began bringing him money.”

Their own money, their parents' money, even money borrowed from relatives.

It was more than enough money to establish a respectable sect without any other backing.

“...”

The fucking slogan the Jeondeung Sect disciples had shouted came to mind.

Sect disciples who had tried to protect O Ilsik by burning themselves up as though possessed, no different from fanatics.

Then, as soon as O Ilsik died, they acted as though they had come to their senses and became busy looking after themselves.

‘...Did he practice dark arts too?’

Yet the Venom Fang Sword, who had accompanied me at the time, had been completely normal.

“Did someone place a saber in O Ilsik's hands?”

O Ilsik had become a different person before and after he took up a saber.

If that was the case, he must have learned demonic martial arts around then.

Contrary to my expectations, Haeryeong shook her head.

“After leaving Fenghyang Sect, O Ilsik did not serve anyone else as his master. He also did not work at a single escort agency for long, moving around from place to place.”

As I listened, O Ilsik's final moments came back to me.

[The Heavenly... Demon Returns, and Ten Thousand Demons Bow!]

Even as death loomed before him, rather than seek a way to live, he shouted the name of the Demonic Cult, which did not even exist in the world yet, and died.

...Just like the demonic beings in my previous life.

I ground my teeth.

It pissed me off no matter how many times I thought about it.

“...Young Master?”

“Ah, sorry. Where were we?”

“We were discussing how no one had taught O Ilsik.”

“I see.”

“Hm, why are you so certain that O Ilsik had a master?”

O Ilsik had produced demonic fire at the moment of his death.

That meant he was a lunatic thoroughly devoted to the Demonic Cult.

But if he had no master, just how had someone turned O Ilsik into a demonic being?

And what method had they used to brainwash his followers into obeying O Ilsik even at the risk of death?

I told them only about the fact that O Ilsik had willingly chosen death.

Haeryeong furrowed her brow, as though she too found it strange.

“That is certainly unusual.”

“Are there any others like O Ilsik, people whose strength suddenly increased or whose influence expanded rapidly?”

Haeryeong thought for a moment, then nodded.

“There is one.”

“Who?”

If someone else was following the same path as O Ilsik, I had to suspect that bas... No, that person might also be a demonic being.

Even if I had to rip out the very foundations of their sect...

“Jin Sowoon of the Taeul Sect.”

Huh? Why was my name suddenly coming up...?

Haeryeong smiled brightly.

“By your reasoning, Young Master Jin Sowoon is the most suspicious person of all.”

Ah, right.

That was the most fucked-up part of this problem.

I had already thought about it when I destroyed the Jeondeung Sect. This was never going to be easy to solve.

“I should be investigated first.”

“Of course, there were some questionable points, but you have already cleared yourself of suspicion, Young Master. You need not worry.”

Haeryeong smiled lightly.

Wow, this person... She was terrifying.

She had already finished investigating me.

Should I be happy about this or not?

In any case, even if there were more people like O Ilsik, there was no way to prove they were demonic beings.

It wasn't as if I could force them to swallow a Bloodburst Pellet.

“Still, we have begun investigating. We need to gather information before we can analyze it.”

“It will take a long time.”

“Isn't it important?”

Haeryeong's face was more serious than ever.

“Young Master. We take the importance of this matter very seriously. You do not need to worry.”

For a while, I couldn't say anything.

Until just moments ago, I had nearly fallen into deep despair without realizing it, thinking this would become even more difficult.

But I wasn't the only one solving this.

That thought made my heart feel much lighter.

“Thank you.”

When I lightly bowed my head, Haeryeong brought out a bundle from beside her and set it down.

“I brought this just in case. It contains the publicly known martial arts of Fenghyang Sect and the distinctive martial arts of Lightning Saber O Ilsik.”

Oh? There had been nothing like this when I searched the Jeondeung Sect.

“The Venom Fang Sect people were very cooperative. Fortunately, we were able to make these before the Martial Alliance's investigators arrived.”

Haeryeong's eyes suddenly turned serious.

“I heard that Deung Gohyeon's irises had turned black like obsidian... Is that true?”

As an information broker, she couldn't help being curious about this.

She was probably asking around everywhere to secure Deung Gohyeon's corpse.

But it would be difficult.

A corpse in that abnormal state was connected to dark arts, and that meant it would affect one's evaluation.

No one would trade their chance at advancement for a few coins.

“Are you curious?”

“We might not be able to dissect it, but it would still be useful if we could at least see it. ...Could the Academy's top student perhaps arrange it for us?”

“That would be difficult.”

“...”

Haeryeong and Yang Gunbaek's faces stiffened.

They seemed slightly disappointed.

“...Ah, I made an unreasonable request...”

“Why would we need to go through the trouble of traveling back and forth?”

I pushed the bundle I had brought in front of them.

It rattled as it moved.

Yang Gunbaek tilted his head and slightly opened the bundle. His eyes widened like a rabbit's.

“W-What is this?”

Bones blackened as though they had been coated in ink.

“They belong to O Ilsik.”

What I had brought was O Ilsik's bones, left after the demonic fire burned him away.

Haeryeong also sprang to her feet and examined the bones carefully beside Yang Gunbaek.

“...You brought us something precious.”

I could see the corners of Haeryeong's lips twitching.

Looking at her expression, I gave a small nod.

“Then I don't have to pay for drinks tonight, right?”

Haeryeong, who had been forcing back a smile, burst out laughing.

“Of course. Would that be all? We should serve you something even more precious.”

Haeryeong clapped twice. A moment later, a young woman entered the inner room carrying a bottle of liquor.

“Allow me to pour you a drink.”

While Yang Gunbaek and Haeryeong examined O Ilsik's bones, the young woman filled my cup and quietly sat beside me.

“...”

When I looked at the woman as though I found this strange, Haeryeong spoke.

“Ah, she will remain by your side.”

I never asked for this kind of thing.

I wondered if I had misunderstood the Hao Sect.

Glug, glug.

Then, as I watched liquor fill my cup, I realized something.

“It's cold...”

The liquor was so cold that moisture quickly formed on the cup.

When I drank it in one gulp...

“Oh!”

An exclamation escaped me.

“It is called Frosted Flower Dew Liquor.”

Cold dew settled upon flowers... Its taste and fragrance suited the name perfectly.

As I marveled at it, Haeryeong's gentle voice reached me.

“Frosted Flower Dew Liquor is at its very best when served cold.”

Pride was clear in her voice.

Thinking about it, there was a reason Sohwa Tower remained packed despite Hefei having so many high-class taverns.

‘They sell liquor using ice arts...’

After such a strange experience, even high officials, nobles, and wealthy people would surely lose their minds over it.

Even I, someone who practiced martial arts, found it fascinating.

Ice arts had many uses.

If someone in this caravan had practiced ice arts, we would not have had to endure the rotting stench from Deung Gohyeon's corpse.

They were also convenient to use during sweltering summer days.

Some Hall Masters in the Martial Alliance even gave extra points to people who had learned ice arts.

‘But it isn't something you can achieve through effort alone...’

What a pity.

From a martial artist's perspective, even having an employee who practiced ice arts pour liquor was a rare sight.

I should enjoy it as much as I could while I had the chance.

I raised Frosted Flower Dew Liquor to my lips again. Yet perhaps it had warmed from the heat of my hand, because it no longer had its original scent or flavor.

“If you empty your cup, I will pour you a fresh one.”

As though the proper way to drink Frosted Flower Dew Liquor was to finish one cup and fill another, the woman who practiced ice arts quietly held out an empty cup.

But the liquor seemed too precious for me to empty the cup so easily.

Damn, how much did this all cost?

‘Hm... Should I try this?’

Was I too drunk?

Recalling how Eun Seollan used ice arts, I circulated my internal energy.

Of course, there was no way that would let me use ice arts.

I did not know the cultivation formula, and the nature of my internal energy itself was not suited to ice arts.

So I was only fooling around because of the alcohol.

Sizzle, sizzle.

That was definitely all it was...

“Y-Young Master?!”

“N-No way!”