WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

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◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈

Chapter 394: Personal Revenge (4)

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Wuhan, Hubei Province

Located at the confluence of the upper Yangtze River and the Han River, Wuhan had long been a vital commercial city.

That was not all. East Lake, east of Wuhan, was a scenic destination said to rival West Lake in Hangzhou. Countless poets and scholars considered it a place one had to visit at least once in a lifetime.

In short, it was crawling with goods and people.

Then the Martial Alliance established itself here, and the number of martial artists exploded as well.

Over the past five hundred years, all kinds of institutions centered around the Martial Alliance had sprung up throughout Wuhan. In the end, even the Martial Arts Academy, the martial world's largest educational institution, settled here.

Wuhan had become the heart of the martial world and a symbolic holy ground for White Path martial artists.

And I was feeling that to my bones right now.

After leaving the Alliance, we passed through one labyrinthine alley after another to avoid people's eyes.

We leaped from building to building and sometimes even used illicit underground cellars frequented by the Hao Sect.

That let us shake off the Orthodox Society's tail at first, but another problem had appeared.

‘Are they rats or something? Why are there so damn many of them?’

Countless martial artists were prowling about with their eyes peeled, trying to get their hands on us.

More than thirty alone were within my energy sense.

Unless they had learned dark arts and become unable to bear sunlight, there could only be one reason these bastards were wandering around at dawn.

I'd thought they wouldn't make a move until we at least left Wuhan, but these fools had shattered my small hope to pieces.

It really drove home the fact that the enemies I had to deal with were the Orthodox Society.

They could wander through Martial Alliance buildings all over Wuhan as if they were their own homes. Must be convenient as hell.

All they had to do was rest, grab their swords, and come running out.

There was no time to waste.

Even if the odds were poor, we had to place our bet. Once the sword was drawn, we had to at least slice a radish.

I turned to the group and gestured.

“Let's go.”

“...Is this really all right?”

One of the delegation's guards looked at me with eyes full of doubt.

No, wasn't I the only one they could trust right now? If they kept looking at me like that, I'd really turn into Jin Seoun.

“We have no choice but to go.”

“...Understood.”

The guard nodded and continued.

“Still, they won't act so openly inside Wuhan, will they?”

Uh... why would they say something so unlucky?

Or was that much common sense even for Black Path martial artists...?

Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack.

As if answering my bad feeling, shadows descended.

Five figures in black martial uniforms and face coverings.

Shing.

They immediately drew their swords and blocked our path.

See? I told you not to say unlucky things.

Before I could even issue an order, the delegation's guards moved swiftly.

Clang. Clang. Clang.

It was a tense situation, swords aimed at one another in the dark alley.

Then a calm voice pierced the air, taut with tension.

“It seems they have even less sense than Black Path martial artists.”

Dam Ak just had to add that unnecessary remark now.

Could he please act nervous? His life was on the line too.

I extended a hand toward the delegation, signaling them to lower their swords.

Though puzzled, they lowered them slightly.

They still followed my words, since I held command.

I nodded to them once, then shouted at the black-clad figures.

“This is Dam Ak, Chief Strategist of the Black Alliance. Why are you blocking the delegation's path home?”

“...”

No one answered.

Instead, they stared at me in confusion.

The delegation members also looked at me as though asking what the hell I was doing.

I grinned at the dozens of eyes fixed on me.

“Even when you fight, you need a justification.”

With that, I unleashed the Sword Demon's martial art.

Three White Moon Heaven-Subduing Forms.

First Form.

Extreme Swiftness.

The assassins hurriedly activated their martial arts.

Yet instead of making even a token effort to conceal their identities, these sons of bitches openly used the martial arts of their own sects.

Swoooosh!

But martial arts unleashed after Extreme Swiftness could never hope to catch it.

Slash!

Pshhhk!

One had a long wound carved across their chest. Another had the hand holding their sword cut off, blood spraying into the air.

“Uaaagh!”

Their screams shattered the silence of the early morning.

Making a commotion would be troublesome for me, though.

Thud!

I immediately lashed out with a kick at their faces.

The figures flew through the air, crashed into the wall, and sprawled on the ground.

“Ghk!”

The assassin seemed to want to say something, but perhaps could not speak in this situation. They clenched their teeth in frustration.

Then fury flared in their eyes.

Swoooosh!

The Sun-Shooting Sword Art unfolded, filled with false movements.

Hmm. I understood that they were using altered variations to hide their identity.

But did they really think they could use a swift sword like that and expect it to work?

Their stupid confidence left me speechless.

“Hey, do you think I'm a pushover?”

Clang!

With a single movement, I sent their sword flying. Without giving them any opening, I immediately used the Phantom Shadow Kick and drove three kicks into them in succession.

Crack!

Thud!

I clearly felt ribs breaking beneath the tip of my foot.

Dark red blood seeped through the face covering of the figure who struck the wall and collapsed to the ground.

They were breathing harshly, each breath rasping like metal.

I kindly told them, “If you force yourself to move, you'll get air in your lungs. Stay still if you don't want to die.”

For some reason, the assassin looked aggrieved as they glared back and forth between Dam Ak and me.

Seriously, I tell them how to survive and they still act like this.

I crouched beside them and lightly slapped their blood-soaked face.

“Deliver this clearly to whoever's in charge. Unless they're prepared to go all the way, don't make a move carelessly.”

Then I rose and turned away...

Ha, this was pissing me off.

“Hey, you dog bastards! At least hide your identities properly before coming after us!”

“...”

“Fuck, you don't even know the basics of pursuit and assassination. The basics! I swear, I need to crack the heads of every White Path bastard one by one!”

Only then did the assassins lower their heads.

Feeling the pressure leave my chest, I gestured to Dam Ak and the others.

“Let's go.”

“...”

The looks they gave me were a little strange, but what could I do? It wasn't like this was the first or second time I'd received looks like that.

I led the group onward again.

We couldn't afford to delay here for even a moment.

After weaving through alleys and circling around the residential district, we reached an area packed with Wuhan's commercial quarters.

It was close to Chengdu's East Gate, so I had arranged to meet the others here instead of at an inn in the entertainment district.

When I stopped walking, a questioning voice came from behind me.

“Great Hero Jin... are we not continuing?”

Perhaps because they had watched me deal with the assassins up close, the guards' attitudes had become more respectful.

This was why Black Path bastards were better than White Path bastards in some ways.

At least they didn't turn their heads away to ignore the truth right in front of them.

I surveyed the surroundings and nodded lightly.

“From here, we'll receive some help.”

“Help?”

Someone willing to help them in the middle of this White Path crowd.

The delegation members had been curious about who it could be, but the moment they took one step around the corner, their mouths fell open.

“What is this...?”

As we turned the alley corner...

“Welcome.”

“Welcome.”

“Welcome.”

An endless procession of carriages filled the wide avenue.

I grinned at the delegation, who were still staring with their jaws nearly on the ground.

“Do you like shell games?”

“Shell... games?”

That's right. The kind where you put down money and take money.

You could play it with children's pocket money or adults' cigarette money.

“Yes, that kind of shell game.”

I loved hosting shell games.

I lured people in, telling them to place a bet and win some snack money or drinking money, but the host was always the one who won in the end.

Let's see how much money those Orthodox Society bastards were willing to bet.

#

Rumble.

Those who had been following Dam Ak's group through the night dew were unable to hide their bewilderment at the sudden procession of carriages departing from Wuhan's Geumsan Merchant Group.

Merchant groups and escort agencies commonly set out at dawn.

Still, unless it was a secret escort, setting off before daybreak was far too strange.

This was surely the work of Wang Geumsan, who was currently in Wuhan.

More than anything, the fact that Wang Geumsan, one of the Four Great Merchants, had readily granted Jin Sowoon's request was an unimaginable shock to them.

The Wang Family Estate's wealth was terrifying.

Most of the Orthodox Society's members were directly or indirectly connected to the Wang Family Estate. If their identities were exposed by mistake, it might affect not only them but their sects and families as well.

Still, they could not stand around doing nothing.

“What are you idiots standing there for? Move now!”

“But...”

“Don't you know that the martial world's future depends on this operation?”

“...”

“And how many people do you think can recognize us in the middle of the night?”

The group only began to move after that assurance that no one could identify them, rather than the appeal to the martial world's future.

Yet just as they made their decision and prepared to act...

“U-Unit Leader! The carriages are splitting up!”

The carriages, which they had naturally assumed would head for the East Gate, began scattering in different directions.

The Unit Leader leading the group shouted out the target with an angry expression.

“Dam Ak! Which carriage is Dam Ak riding in?”

“The passenger carriage with the phoenix pattern!”

“Pursue it!”

The carriages, three heading in each direction, began racing away.

Among them, the Orthodox Society members chose the carriage with the phoenix pattern.

“Should we stop it?”

“You idiots...”

Their subordinates were making a careless judgment out of habit, assuming they could search it however they wished as usual.

Sparks flew from the Unit Leader's eyes as they looked at them.

Were they not carrying out a mission where their identities absolutely could not be exposed?

Suppressing the urge to smash their heads, the Unit Leader gave the order.

“Destroy the whole carriage!”

“Yes!”

When comparing a carriage's speed to that of a first-rate movement art, the latter was naturally far superior.

Most of those present had mastered first-rate movement arts.

Even though they had reacted late, catching the carriages did not take long.

Tap!

The figures, running across the rooftops as if flying, leaped from the roofs at the same time. As they landed, they struck with their palms.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Three carriages shattered at once. The drivers hastily stopped their carriages, while the escort warriors guarding them all drew their swords.

Clang. Clang. Clang. Clang!

“Who are you? How dare you attack the Geumsan Merchant Group's carriages in Wuhan!”

“Reveal your identities!”

Despite the escort warriors' threats, the Orthodox Society members stared only at the remains of the empty carriages.

“...”

“...Damn it.”

Then they realized.

They were the suckers in a shell game.

“Carriages! Track down the other carriages!”

The group hurriedly left the area.

But no escort warriors pursued them.

#

What a shame.

The best part of a shell game was seeing the sucker's face after they'd been had, but I couldn't see it. Damn.

Then again, they were probably covering their faces anyway, so I wouldn't have seen their expressions.

Either way, the operation to trick those gullible fools had succeeded.

It was their fault for never imagining that I'd use dozens of carriages for a shell game.

I had done nothing wrong.

Of course. Jin Sowoon was a chivalrous hero who upheld chivalry and justice.

“Your daily life truly is a continuous string of deception and fraud.”

Dam Ak had to stick his head out through the carriage's small window just to say that.

That person really... I had no idea what he was talking about.

I picked at my ear and replied, “That's not something I want to hear from a Black Path martial artist.”

“Young Master Jin, did you know there is a widespread rumor in the Black Path martial world? ‘If you meet the Black Flame Dragon, check your money pouch.’”

What kind of bullshit was that?

When had I ever emptied the pockets of Black Path martial artists?

Hmm... had I perhaps done that before...?

No, I hadn't. Those bastards spread lies and propaganda as casually as they breathed.

“Are we safe now?”

Dam Ak asked as he looked at the scenery passing beyond the East Gate.

What was he even talking about?

I stared at him in disbelief and asked, “You know this is only the beginning.”

“I see. Then I'll get some sleep.”

After saying that, Dam Ak shut the small window and went back inside.

Sigh. What was that? I didn't feel very pleased.

He was still better than guests who trembled in anxiety, forcing me to exhaust my mental strength calming them down.

Still, he was somehow an irritating guest.

I did not have the leisure to dwell on it for long.

Rustle. Rustle.

‘Is it starting now?’

Once we'd left Chengdu and traveled a short distance along the main road, the forest had begun to stir.

“Let's see what you've got.”

I gritted my teeth, as if declaring war on the unseen Orthodox Society bastards.

Footnotes:

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