The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything - Chapter 386

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈

Chapter 386: Ambush (4)

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The leader of the Hao Sect’s Wuhan Branch had been tracking down Silkworm Thread Scholar Deokhun and Flower-Crushing Water Serpent Gam Eungbo when a disciple hurried over with urgent news. The branch leader immediately headed for Chowol Manor.

“A large battle has broken out?”

“Yes. The entire manor flashed as brightly as day, then another battle began a good while later.”

The branch leader could not make sense of it.

If a battle had broken out, that meant the person Young Master Jin had been searching for was there. Yet if one battle had already taken place, there should naturally have been no second one...

Piecing together the full picture from fragments of information was their job, but there was no way to understand the situation from such scattered details alone.

At times like this, it was best to see it firsthand.

The branch leader used their movement art at full speed and flew toward Transcendent Manor.

Boom! Crash! Craaash!

A deafening roar shook the air, followed by flashes bright enough to stab at their eyes.

Unable to take another step, the branch leader asked, “How far are we from the manor?”

“About two hundred jang.”

Such force from two hundred jang away.

“How long has it been since the battle began?”

“More than thirty minutes.”

“...”

Considering that a duel between experts could be decided in an instant, this was far too long.

It meant the fight within the manor had gone beyond a simple duel. They were fighting a life-and-death battle.

“What in the world is happening...?”

Jin Sowoon had not told the branch leader anything, but seeing the person who had impersonated Song Baekpungsa was enough to show that something grave was happening.

They could not yet see the entire picture, but even the fragments before them made it clear whom they should help.

‘Besides, Young Master Jin is a guest retainer.’

Once the branch leader made their decision, they acted quickly.

“Wake everyone from the branch who has gone home. From this moment, have them report every incident taking place in Wuhan.”

“How much should they report?”

Why had someone concealing their identity slipped into Wuhan?

“Tell them to report even what they ordered as drinking snacks.”

“Understood.”

“Have the martial artists approach to within one hundred and fifty jang and stand guard. And...”

Boom! Bang! Boom! Crash!

The problem was the light and thunderous noise.

If this commotion continued in the middle of the night, it would keep drawing attention.

Once people gathered, it would become difficult to contain information.

With no sign yet of the Silken Thread Scholar or the Flower-Crushing Swordsman, it would only give the enemy a chance to escape.

The branch leader had to decide quickly.

“Where are the nearest rice fields?”

“Old Master Jang owns quite a few nearby.”

“Old Master Jang...”

The branch leader thought for a moment, then nodded.

“Good. Let’s do some field burning.”

“Suddenly?”

The branch leader looked up at the sky, painted with artificial light, and muttered, “To hide a light, it is better to place it among a greater light.”

The Hao Sect disciple tilted their head.

“But isn’t it too early?”

Field burning was usually done to burn away pests that had slept through the winter and would awaken in spring. It was still too early in the season.

If they started burning now, not only would Old Master Jang, who owned the land, be displeased, but so would the tenant farmers who made their living from it.

That was only true from an ordinary person’s perspective.

“Why does an information broker gather information?”

“To sell it for a high price.”

“Then think about why information is sold.”

“...”

“If Old Master Jang complains, tell him about the illegitimate child he has hidden in Yueyang. Tell Old Master Jang to placate the tenant farmers himself.”

“Ah!”

With that realization, the Hao Sect disciples hurried off.

Not long afterward, fires began rising from the fields throughout the area.

Whoosh! Crackle!

The rice straw, dried stiff through the winter, blazed as though soaked in oil. Once dry firewood was added, the flames became bright enough to swallow the flashes erupting from the manor.

They also hurriedly brought out noisy instruments, beat them merrily, and pretended to dance.

Those who had approached after seeing the fire retreated, afraid the local toughs might harm them.

Boom! Crash!

Even as they bought time, thunderous sounds and flashes continued pouring out of the manor.

‘It has almost been half a shichen...’

Though the branch leader was seeing it with their own eyes, they could not comprehend the situation.

Few people could run without rest for half a shichen if told to do nothing but run.

No matter how skilled a martial artist might be, fighting at full strength for nearly half a shichen would naturally push them to their physical limits.

The branch leader began to worry about Jin Sowoon’s safety within the manor.

Just then, a flash erupted.

Golden, red, and black energy burst outward in every direction.

For a moment, the branch leader was entranced by the sight, which did not seem to belong to this world.

Then they realized that no more thunderous sounds or flashes were coming from within the manor.

“D-did it end?”

A disciple who had witnessed the scene muttered to themself.

The branch leader wet their dry lips with their tongue.

They had no idea who would emerge from within.

“Branch Leader, should we approach?”

“...”

The best outcome would be Jin Sowoon emerging, but if someone else came out, the Hao Sect could suffer enormous losses. The branch leader could not decide easily.

Yet the time to act had come. The branch leader clenched their fist as though steadying their resolve.

“We approach.”

If Jin Sowoon was critically injured, saving him was the Hao Sect’s duty.

The group slowly approached the manor, led by its martial artists.

The closer they came, the clearer the manor’s condition became.

‘What is this...?’

Though it had been abandoned, the manor had remained in operation until a year ago.

The manor, which its previous owner had fully repaired before using it, was now...

“...”

It barely deserved to be called a manor anymore.

Most of its walls had collapsed, while the pavilions had either lost their roofs or been partially destroyed.

The marble landscaping had vanished without a trace, and the ground had been torn apart in every direction.

Had a war truly taken place inside this manor?

The farther they went in, the more horrifying the scene became.

Severed arms. Severed legs.

Pieces of skin that appeared to belong to someone, and bloodstains scattered so densely that there was nowhere to step.

Not a single intact corpse remained.

Most were clumps of shredded cloth and flesh, as though they had melted under Bone-Dissolving Powder. The only things still intact were weapons that had lost their owners.

Calling it the aftermath of a battle was not enough. It was as though hell itself had descended upon the mortal world.

Then...

The martial artist walking at the front suddenly halted.

“...”

As moonlight passed over the ground, a figure was briefly revealed.

The sight was utterly terrifying.

A man with his upper garments torn away, drenched in blood.

“Hah... hah... hah.”

The yaksha... no, the man, who seemed slightly exhausted as he caught his breath, slowly turned his head toward them.

Red light flashed in his eyes as murderous intent burst toward the Hao Sect disciples.

They froze from head to toe as though they had encountered a natural predator.

Then the red light vanished as though it had never been there, and a calm voice utterly unsuited to the surroundings spoke casually.

“Ah, you’re here?”

The branch leader stared blankly before asking, “Y-young Master Jin?”

“It’s too dark to see properly, I suppose. Yes, it’s me.”

Just then, the moon fully emerged, clearly revealing Jin Sowoon.

Even the Hao Sect martial artists flinched and took a step back at the sight of him.

Jin Sowoon looked at the scattered chunks of flesh around him and shook his head.

“They were vicious bastards.”

“D-did you handle them all by yourself?”

“Some tried to escape, but fortunately, I caught them all.”

Jin Sowoon spoke as though it were nothing.

“...I-I see.”

A chill ran through the branch leader’s entire body.

“How is Wuhan? Seeing how they acted like this, they must have prepared thoroughly.”

“...We woke even those who were asleep and sent them throughout Wuhan.”

“Hmm, I see.”

The branch leader swallowed before cautiously asking, “Who exactly were they...?”

Before they could finish, a Hao Sect disciple rushed in.

“Th-there is an emergency at the Martial Alliance!”

“An emergency?!”

“Yes! The inner compound has been sealed, and every combat pavilion has been deployed on an emergency basis...”

Boom.

The sound of bursting air rang out as a murderous aura heavy enough to make their hearts drop pressed down on them.

The Hao Sect disciples jerked their heads toward its source.

Jin Sowoon then said with a blank expression, “I’ll go ahead.”

Crack!

The moment he kicked off the ground, the earth exploded outward like waves.

Before they could even be startled by that immense force, Jin Sowoon had already vanished into the dark night sky.

“What in the world...?”

“Branch Leader! Wh-what should we do?!”

The branch leader was just as bewildered.

Still, one thing was certain.

“Raise the alarm! Halt every mission and tell everyone to focus on this!”

Whatever this was, it could completely overturn the future balance of the martial world.

Clatter. Clatter.

The number of small pebbles in Dang Seohui’s hand had noticeably dwindled.

As she rubbed the few remaining stones between her fingers, Dang Seohui said, “That was dangerous.”

“Have you forgotten that you must not let your guard down?”

Dang Seohui puffed out both cheeks and looked at Yong Soa.

“There’s no talking to you! Did you think I was scared?”

“You did seem flustered by their unexpected actions.”

Yong Soa looked down at the assassins’ corpses at his feet and spoke without emotion.

“For beings to act against human instinct, it was only natural to be startled...”

Thud!

Dang Seohui threw the stones to the ground and tugged at Yong Soa’s hem.

“If I hadn’t blocked the other assassins, it would have been difficult for you to face them alone!”

Sand clung to Yong Soa’s white martial uniform, making him frown.

“Even so, you ultimately let them get away.”

Yong Soa’s gaze moved toward Jegal Somyeong’s residence.

Of the four guards assigned exclusively to Jegal Somyeong, three had died.

It was not a matter of skill.

Anyone capable of guarding Jegal Somyeong was among the strongest in the martial world.

The problem was their resolve.

“Do you know how agonizing the pain is when your body melts?”

When the emergency bell rang, dozens of martial artists and guards had rushed out to protect the pavilion. Even so, they had carried out the bodies of three guards who had been half melted away.

Yong Soa stared at them and answered quietly, “I cannot know.”

“I once melted the skin off my fourth finger.”

Dang Seohui spread her palm wide.

The color of her fourth finger was subtly different.

“So... I resolved that I would never use this poison, not even on an enemy.”

“They were unpredictable to that extent.”

Yong Soa’s voice was as indifferent as usual, yet it carried a trace of self-reproach.

At that moment...

“Tsk, tsk. What great disaster has everyone so worked up in the middle of the night?”

Jegal Somyeong clicked their tongue as they came outside.

“Chief Strategist, we have not fully identified the culprits yet. Please remain inside for now...”

Jegal Somyeong frowned and shouted at the guard’s suggestion.

“Are you saying it is better for young people to die than an old person like me?”

“N-no, that is not what I meant...”

“Who do you think you are protecting, throwing your lives away, throwing them away?”

Watching the three corpses being carried out of the pavilion, Jegal Somyeong clenched their fist where no one could see.

“I am going to the Mantong Office, so lift the emergency alert. Leave only the minimum number of guards and send the rest back.”

“But, Chief Strategist...”

“There are hundreds of guards in the Alliance’s outer compound, and mystic formations are hidden throughout the inner compound. Yet the Martial Alliance’s inner compound was still breached. Is there any point in adding more guards?”

“...”

The guard finally nodded and stepped back.

Jegal Somyeong looked around the pavilion one more time, then began walking toward the Mantong Office. They stopped in front of Dang Seohui and Yong Soa.

“Answer me.”

They looked back and forth between the two as though they might pierce them at any moment.

“Does the fact that you two have been hovering around me have anything to do with this incident?”

Despite the Chief Strategist’s question, Yong Soa kept silent.

“...”

Jegal Somyeong’s gaze moved to Dang Seohui.

“Did that bastard Jin Sowoon ask you to do this?”

Dang Seohui visibly stammered, even hiccuping as she spoke.

“I-I, hic, don’t know. I only, only, hic, came here to learn.”

“...”

“...Sir.”

Jegal Somyeong stared hard at Dang Seohui.