The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything - Chapter 349

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈

Chapter 349: Revenge (5)

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In my previous life, my impression of Je Geumhak had been that of a typical mastermind lurking in the shadows.

A man who hid half his face beneath a shadow, covered even the rest with a fan, wore a strange smile, and devised every manner of wicked scheme.

When I faced Je Geumhak in this life, with that polished face of his as though he had stepped out of a painting, unbearable fury welled up inside me.

He had succeeded in killing Jegal Somyeong, the brain of the Martial Alliance, helping hasten the Alliance's collapse.

I had no reason not to be furious.

On top of that, his laid-back, unhurried attitude only made my anger burn hotter.

Wouldn't the casual confidence of a man born with everything be enough to grate on someone born with nothing but two balls?

That was certainly how I had felt.

“Jin- Sowoon-”

But seeing him glare at me while rolling his mismatched eyes, barely wedged into that grotesque face...

“Hmm...”

I wasn't as enraged as when I first saw him.

‘Probably because I'm stronger than I was then.’

Yes, that had to be it.

His face was still so vicious it made me want to look away, yet somehow, I felt far more at ease looking at it than at the clean-cut appearance he had worn before.

Perhaps because it suited his filthy schemes so much better.

His awkwardly moving left arm and the eye that seemed to twitch on its own could have been frightening.

But appearances no longer stirred my emotions.

If anything, it was nice...

“Ahem...!”

I had thought we'd meet again someday when we parted.

Still, I never expected to reunite like this, at a time like this, with him looking like that.

I looked at him warmly and asked, “Did you enjoy the gift I gave you last time?”

Je Geumhak's eyes trembled as though they were about to roll back.

“I-I did- You'd be sur-prised if you knew what I did for you-”

His hand moved toward the Life-and-Death Unit.

Ha. Did this bastard take me for a scarecrow?

Whoosh!

Sword force rippled from the tip of the Scarlet Radiance Sword as a flash of light shot toward Je Geumhak's throat.

He had let his guard down so badly that he couldn't even turn his head.

The moment I thrust out my sword with all my strength, intending to slit his throat before he could play any tricks...

Boom!

That familiar [Ice Wall] formed around him.

He was still careless, just as he had been before.

And my internal energy had grown tremendously since the time of the Black Alliance.

Just as I was about to break through the ice and sever his throat in a single blow...

Thunk.

The Scarlet Radiance Sword, which had been piercing through the Ice Wall, stopped an inch from Je Geumhak's neck.

“What...?”

“Idiot-!”

Je Geumhak twisted his mouth into a smile and flicked a finger.

At that moment...

“Get away!!!”

Boom!

A massive explosion sent a pillar of flame rising from within the Life-and-Death Unit.

“Argh!”

“Cough!”

“Urgh!”

Pained cries rose from those whose injuries had already made it difficult to move.

Tug.

I tried to pull out my sword, but it wouldn't budge, as though it had been embedded in solid rock.

“Did you think- I'd fall for the same thing as before-?!”

His voice scraped out like metal dragged across stone, and bloody tears streamed from his glaring eyes.

I raised my internal energy and poured it into the Scarlet Radiance Sword.

A brief gap formed between the sword, fixed inside the ice, and the Ice Wall.

The instant the sword loosened slightly, I pulled it free with all my strength and added rotational force to the motion.

Whoosh!

I spun around, intending to cut off Je Geumhak's head.

Thunk.

The familiar [Ice Wall] appeared again and stopped my sword.

Crack.

No, it did more than stop it.

Whoosh.

The cold spread outward, trying to swallow the Scarlet Radiance Sword whole.

‘The cold has grown stronger?’

When I saw it at the Black Alliance, [Ice Wall] had been nothing more than a defensive measure.

It had been a disposable tool, yet now it carried an intense cold capable of freezing everything.

Clang! Clang! Clangclangclang!

Its hardness had increased beyond belief.

It wasn't so tough that sword force couldn't cut it, but layers upon layers of ice possessed defensive power that put black iron to shame.

It appeared and vanished too quickly. No matter how often I shattered it, my sword could never reach his body.

“What the...”

[Ice Wall] had become more than a defensive technique. It was now a means of counterattack.

What had happened to him while I hadn't seen him?

As I fought, Je Geumhak flicked his fingers and attacked the Academy students.

Five small flames shot from his hand and fell among the Life-and-Death Unit members, immediately setting the air ablaze.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Pillars of fire rose again.

Fuck, this bastard...!

It was as though he were doing it on purpose. Without even looking at me, he continued attacking the Academy students.

A few students rushed out to attack him, but the flames extending from his other hand were too threatening for them to approach.

I immediately drew on the Sunfire Monkey's qi.

The fire energy I poured into the Scarlet Radiance Sword slowly raised its temperature.

A red glow began at the center of the blade and spread across its entire length.

Before long, the Scarlet Radiance Sword turned red-hot, as though it had just been pulled from a furnace.

With Je Geumhak's ice arts sharply lowering the surrounding temperature, the air around the blade rapidly vaporized and released white smoke.

The moment the Scarlet Radiance Sword, leaving a white trail behind it, collided with [Ice Wall]...

Crack!

A fissure spread through the thick wall of ice before it began to split apart.

‘I can break it...!’

When I struck the Scarlet Radiance Sword against it again...

Bang!

Rumble.

“How dare- you-!”

Shards of [Ice Wall] scattered across the ground.

Je Geumhak frowned, and the black, leather-like stitches on his face twisted as blood seeped through them.

“Did you learn- the Yang Family Qi Art?!”

“Ah, it looked like you hadn't quite mastered it last time. So I learned it, so I could cook you properly the next time we met.”

“I'll- kill- you!!!”

Enraged, Je Geumhak began using both hands against me.

Ice spears poured from one hand, fireballs from the other.

I withdrew my solar yang energy and unleashed the Twin Heavens Sword Art, sending out sword qi.

Three different energies collided, creating a storm from their energy clash. At the same time, I used the Taeul Eighty Thousand Divine Steps and moved behind him.

“To be honest, it worked so well last time.”

Just as I grabbed the back of his neck and tried to activate the Azure Dragon Bangle...

‘Huh?’

His body vanished without a trace.

Then...

“Jin- Sowoon-”

His voice came from about thirty feet to my right.

“Did you think- I learned nothing from our last fight-?”

A huge fireball formed above his head and came flying straight at me.

I was about to evade it when I realized there were Academy students behind me.

‘Damn it.’

Rumble.

I was about to respond with the Mad Heaven Divine Palm when...

“Eldest Senior Brother!!!”

Geumpyo's voice rang out.

“We've got your back!”

Geumpyo and my group members came running over, Geumpyo carrying the Vajra Shield.

When had they grown this much?

This time, I could trust them with my back.

I immediately used the Taeul Eighty Thousand Divine Steps and positioned myself to Je Geumhak's left.

The instant he threw the fireball, I unleashed the Mad Heaven Divine Palm.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

The shockwaves that followed the explosions crashed in from both sides, making it hard to stay on my feet.

I hurriedly turned toward Geumpyo. Fortunately, it looked as though they had dealt with the fireball without suffering any serious harm.

I moved at once. Against an opponent like him, I couldn't afford to wait for the dust to settle.

I unleashed the Ten Thousand Seas Heaven and Earth Sword Art and drove the Twin Heavens Sword Art into the place where my energy sense detected him.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The sensation in my hand was clear.

Boom! Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

Then a huge blast sounded from Ice Flower Witch's side.

Explosions rang out one after another where Cheol Sunjik and the others were facing that grotesque woman, as though Thunderclap Bombs were going off. The number of people collapsing to the ground steadily increased.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

That wasn't all.

More and more people were being injured where Ilgak, Nam Hwaseong, and the others were fighting the beast.

My body tensed, but I couldn't move yet.

A clearly hostile killing intent was still pouring out from the thick dust before me.

Whoosh!

A figure burst through the dust.

Je Geumhak charged at me, one hand red as though it were burning and the other blue as though frozen solid.

Clang!

Boom!

Even though I blocked with the Scarlet Radiance Sword, the lingering force of the explosion drove me backward.

The spot struck by his blue hand had gone numb, as though I had frostbite.

More than anything, his overwhelming strength was difficult to handle.

‘What kind of strength is that...?!’

For some reason, his striking hands and feet felt as though they had become stone.

Every blow carried a crushing impact.

Boom! Boom!

He had originally been a man who played his games from behind a desk, someone who focused on tormenting opponents with Yin-Yang Energy in battle.

Yet he had suddenly turned into something with monstrous strength.

Fuck, don't tell me...

“Hey, did you start doing push-ups or something?”

“You don't- know! What I- sacrificed-!”

I immediately began blocking all his attacks with my right forearm.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

After I stopped three of his strikes that way, he seemed to notice something strange and furrowed his brow.

“Y-you...”

“Ah! You recognized it?”

I rolled up my sleeve a little and grinned.

“It’s new equipment, and there’s nothing better for defense.”

The Devouring Gauntlet I had taken from him in our previous fight.

“I'm putting it to good use. Thanks.”

“...!”

Je Geumhak's mismatched eyes widened.

“You- bastard! Tearing you apart- wouldn't be enough!”

A massive vibration spread out from around Je Geumhak, powerful enough to warp the space around him.

I readied my sword faster than ever.

“I'll- kill you-! I'll kill-”

Chunks of ice and fireballs rose around him.

Je Geumhak radiated tremendous energy, looking ready to blow everything apart at any moment.

Yet I felt something strange as I looked at him.

‘Weak.’

There was no doubt that he had gained strength incomparable to the strength he possessed before.

But it was clear that he had given up all his true strengths in pursuit of other power, weakening himself in the process.

His previous methods, laying traps with mystic formations and creating situations where victory was inevitable, had been twice as difficult to deal with.

I thought he might have learned a lesson from last time.

But as expected of one of the elite from that pack of madmen, he had decided to seek revenge through a contest of brute force.

Three White Moon Heaven-Subduing Forms.

First Form.

Extreme Swiftness.

He knew I had this move, yet he gave me time.

His raw power may have grown greater than before.

But...

“Idiot.”

He had clearly become stupider than before.

Whoosh!

My sword swung, followed by the sound of it cutting through the air.

Slice!

Finally came the sound of flesh being cut, and a red line appeared across Je Geumhak's chest.

Bang, bang!

The [Ice Walls] and fireballs he had created lost control, falling to the ground and exploding.

“Ghk- Ghhk- All because of you- I finally- finally-”

Even as blood streamed from his eyes, Je Geumhak couldn't look away from me, as though he couldn't accept it.

“The Divine Cult's- great undertaking- was right before me--.”

His expression turned vacant. Then, as though he had made up his mind, he clenched his teeth.

“The Heavenly Demon is undefeated. All demons bow their heads.”

Crunch.

Something shattered inside his mouth.

A tremendous storm of qi erupted around him.

[Ice Wall] and the fireballs transformed into streams of wind that began circling around him.

Red smoke poured from his five orifices, including his mouth and ears, while his eyes turned pitch-black, devoid of any trace of reason.

Then...

“Grrrrr.”

He growled like a beast and stretched out his hand.

The red and blue winds circling around him shot straight at me.

I narrowly evaded the two energies. Ice instantly froze over the spot where I had been standing.

Crack!

Boom!

When the red energy struck the ground, it exploded.

“Young Master Jin!”

Namgung Seonhwa and my companions tried to enter the battle, but I stretched out a hand to stop them.

“Don't come any closer!”

Energy poured endlessly from his body.

He wasn't simply releasing his own energy.

It overflowed as though a massive dam had burst.

And his intentions became clearer by the moment.

He had given up on living and chosen to die together with us.

Alarm bells rang in my head.

Namgung Seonhwa had never thought wind could have a color.

No document or story had ever described the color of wind.

The red and blue winds she saw for the first time were beautiful beyond words.

They carried a peculiar beauty.

Like wind, they were free, light, and swift.

But...

Wherever those winds touched was anything but beautiful.

Boom!

A huge explosion erupted, and flames blazed up.

Crack!

They sharply lowered the surrounding temperature, creating solid ice wherever they touched.

‘Dangerous...’

Namgung Seonhwa had never been taught about, nor even imagined, anything so unnatural. She felt chilling terror at this unknown beauty.

Hummm.

She unleashed the storm-like palm force gathered in her hand, intending to strike down the wind.

Bang.

But the free wind naturally rode over her palm force and continued rushing forward.

The red wind that had gently flowed over her palm force struck the center of the Life-and-Death Unit and exploded again.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Unable to watch any longer, Namgung Seonhwa drew upon the Imperial Sovereign Divine Art and struck the blue wind.

Rumble.

It could not compare to her grandfather's power, but sufficient lightning force flashed forth and crashed into the wind.

Flash!

The wind tried to slip away as fluidly as water again, but it was shattered to pieces on the spot.

Crack!

Yet it did not end there.

Cold energy rose through Namgung Seonhwa's hand, stiffening her body.

It did not stop at making her body rigid.

The cold that entered her energy channels blocked the internal energy flowing through them like water.

“Ghk...”

Her movements froze for a moment, and pain flooded her entire body as though her internal energy were about to flow in reverse.

Then the red wind rushed toward her.

Namgung Seonhwa shut her eyes tightly without realizing it.

Boom!

At that moment, a huge explosion rang out, and she saw Geumpyo's back.

“Are you all right?!”

Geumpyo had endured the explosion with the shield they carried every day like a part of them. They had only been pushed back slightly and suffered no other injury.

“Y-Yes. I'm all right.”

“But still... That power is insane.”

Namgung Seonhwa nodded at Geumpyo's words.

It was already hard to believe that one person could wield two such distinct energies, but each was unimaginably powerful.

Moreover, the way they rushed at people held the profound principles of martial arts within it.

She wondered whether numbers could even matter against attacks like these.

Then...

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

A startling series of explosions rang out.

When she turned toward the sound, she saw someone.

“...!”

Jin Sowoon was cutting through the winds and charging at the strange man.