The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything - Chapter 399

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

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◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈

Chapter 399: Personal Revenge (9)

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“It was the Orthodox Society’s doing!”

Jegal Somyeong’s voice was cold, yet heavy.

“...”

Hyeok Mugang knew exactly how weighty those words were, making it difficult for him to agree right away.

Knowing that, Jegal Somyeong continued instead of waiting for an answer.

No, perhaps they kept talking because cursing them out might ease even a little of their anger.

“Those mad bastards have finally done it.”

“So it was them after all.”

“You knew?”

“The reports from Cheonmok Pavilion had become suspiciously scarce, so we sent people from the Alliance Leader’s Hall. We could’ve forced our way through, but I feared it would deepen the misunderstanding. Holding back has come back to haunt us.”

Jegal Somyeong groaned at Hyeok Mugang’s explanation.

“Those war-crazed bastards really intend to spill blood.”

“What do you mean?”

“They’re pursuing Dam Ak after his escape.”

Hyeok Mugang’s eyes widened.

“How far do they intend to take this...!”

Even he, who had remained calm until then, found it difficult to contain his agitation.

“We need to arrest them immediately. Do we have proof?”

“If we investigate, we’ll find more than enough. But... if they cared about that, they would never have started this in the first place.”

They had not even made the slightest effort to hide the evidence.

That meant they did not care if evidence surfaced.

“They believe war will break out in the end.”

Attacking Dam Ak, whom they had invited as a guest, would be a serious matter in peacetime.

But if Dam Ak died and war broke out between the Martial Alliance and the Black Alliance...

‘They’ll be praised instead and stand at the center of the Martial Alliance.’

Before a war, small stains could become great medals.

“They’ll boast that they killed the Black Alliance’s Chief Strategist.”

“The reason they’re hiding like rats now is likely because they’re waiting for that moment.”

They would not hide.

They would reveal themselves instead.

If they displayed their accomplishments and earned merit, they could sweep away both the current Martial Alliance Leader and Jegal Somyeong, the Chief Strategist, in one stroke.

The foxes of the Orthodox Society had truly steeled themselves.

What made them even more cunning was that they had turned time to their side.

The Cheonmok Pavilion Master, who had withheld every other report, was still faithfully sending reports every half day about Black Path martial artists protesting around Martial Alliance branches.

They were being blatant, as if declaring that this incident would make it clear whose side they had chosen.

“We cannot overlook this.”

“The ringleaders must be the eight members of the Orthodox Society. Where are they?”

Hyeok Mugang even looked ready to act personally, unable to bear it any longer.

Jegal Somyeong shook their head to stop him.

“Cheonmok Pavilion and the Beggar Sect are both in their hands. For now, we don’t know where they are.”

“What if we mobilize the combat pavilions to find them directly?”

That was impossible. The moment the combat pavilions or the Inspectorate stepped in, their trap would be complete.

They would accuse the Martial Alliance of using its power for personal purposes to oppress innocent people, then press their attack even harder.

It would only hand them an excuse.

“But we cannot simply stand by and let Chief Strategist Dam Ak come to harm.”

Jegal Somyeong quietly looked up at Hyeok Mugang, who had risen from his seat.

“Do you know of the Hao Sect?”

“Yes. Isn’t it an organization formed by inn attendants and courtesans?”

“More precisely, it’s an intelligence organization. They haven’t reached the Beggar Sect’s level yet, but they’re growing quickly. I entrusted this matter to them.”

“Can they be trusted?”

Skill was secondary. For an intelligence organization, trust was the most important thing.

The Beggar Sect, one of the Nine Sects One Gang, could not be separated from the Martial Alliance by its very nature.

Likewise, the Hao Sect needed to become an organization the Martial Alliance could trust.

“It seems that brat Jin Sowoon has been using the Hao Sect instead of the Beggar Sect. So I gave them a job this time.”

Jegal Somyeong let out a hollow laugh and added,

“On top of that, they say Jin Sowoon is helping Dam Ak escape.”

“Jin Sowoon...? Why would that child suddenly be involved?”

At this urgent moment, when war could break out between the Martial Alliance and the Black Alliance at any time, why had Jin Sowoon’s name suddenly come up?

“I don’t know. That’s simply what the Hao Sect reported. Did Dang Gi-han not claim it was an accident after he was taken by the Enforcement Hall for putting the outer compound guards to sleep?”

“That is true. Though I’ve never heard of the Tang Clan mishandling poison.”

“Besides Dang Gi-han, the whereabouts of several of Jin Sowoon’s Academy classmates are also suspicious.”

“You mean...?”

“We must assume Jin Sowoon has drawn in more people around him, not just Dang Gi-han.”

“Hah...”

He had thought only of the hopeless despair of an unavoidable great war.

Yet someone was barely holding that despair back from overflowing.

“It truly is... unbelievable.”

“I’m stunned too, and it’s left me speechless.”

He had felt relieved when he learned Dam Ak was still alive and escaping. He had assumed the Orthodox Society bastards had either already disposed of Dam Ak’s body or hidden him away so they could kill him outside.

Now, knowing Jin Sowoon was helping him, an even deeper sense of relief bloomed in his chest.

As Hyeok Mugang rubbed his chest in relief, Jegal Somyeong’s eyes narrowed.

“...That damned brat is carrying out an operation like this without reporting to me even once.”

Jegal Somyeong clicked their tongue. They were grateful that Jin Sowoon had stepped in when needed, but they still burned with anger over being kept in the dark.

Hyeok Mugang hurried to soothe them.

“He must have had his reasons. He isn’t someone who starts something without cause, is he?”

That was true. Jin Sowoon often looked as though he acted recklessly, but in the end, he always ensured every current flowed in the right direction.

“Anyway... the fate of this war rests on that damned brat. Please dispatch the people from the Alliance Leader’s Hall at once.”

Normally, it would have been unthinkable, but there was no time to worry about rigid principles now.

“Of course. That is only right. Still, I’m worried. From the look of things, that child seems to be carrying all of this alone... I can’t help wondering how much despair he must be feeling.”

Jegal Somyeong silently nodded in agreement.

Hmm, what should I demand if this operation succeeds?

Should I ask to be sent to White Wolf Pavilion? No, that doesn’t come close to balancing the scales.

I mean, I’m risking my life to stop a war between the Martial Alliance and the Black Alliance. I can’t sell myself so cheaply. Absolutely not.

If I did, Elder Wang Geumsan would spank me.

Right... I need to squeeze out something bigger. Something much bigger...

“Eldest Senior Brother!”

“Hm?”

Saryeon, her face covered with a veil, snapped me out of my thoughts.

“What are you thinking about that you’re spacing out?”

“What do you mean, spacing out? I wasn’t spacing out.”

“You nearly headed back into the mountains.”

“This is all part of my plan...”

“Get a grip!”

“...Yes.”

Anyone watching would think she was my senior sister.

We had passed Horyeong Mountain and were arriving in Danpung County.

When we crossed the Yellow River, I had prepared myself to abandon the carriages in case of an attack, but perhaps because of the Yuk Family Spear Forms, no pursuers had appeared for some time.

Even so, we kept moving, resting for about one sichen[1] each day.

One sichen.

That was a long break while being pursued, but considering we did not stop again until the next day, it could hardly be called rest.

Only three days had passed, but the drivers, who had not learned martial arts, were nearing their limits. Even Dam Ak was starting to wear down.

“Young Master Jin. Could we not rest for a while?”

“Chief Strategist, you can rest as much as you want after you die. Please rest to your heart’s content once you’re dead.”

“...I see why loyal ministers who speak the truth have always died young.”

“Do you wish to cut off my head, Chief Strategist?”

Dam Ak tilted his head as though wondering why I was asking such an absurd question.

“Not yet.”

“Then this is even less the time to rest. That means you’re still healthy enough to live.”

His expression soon changed, and he nodded firmly.

“...I’ve changed my mind. I want to cut off your head right now.”

“What can I do? I’m a Martial Alliance member overflowing with righteousness and chivalry. Unfortunately, a Chief Strategist of the Black Alliance can’t order my head cut off.”

It might sound annoying, but there was a time for resting.

This current calm likely existed because the pursuers who had seen the Yuk Family Spear Forms needed time for their reports to travel back and forth to Wuhan.

While the report made its way to Wuhan, the people who had witnessed the spear art would be stopping in alarm.

The moment Qingxiu Zhenren and the other ringleaders received that report, they would make their decision.

Continue the pursuit.

How could I be so sure?

Because those whose eyes had rolled back over justice would not stop just because of a trick like this.

Unless it was an imperial decree, they would pursue us to the end.

No, even with an imperial decree, people mad for justice could shamelessly say, “Ah, we didn’t know. Sorry. But please understand, we only did it to uphold justice.”

Near the end of the Orthodox-Demonic War in my previous life, the Orthodox Society and White Path Society members were no different from the demonic beings who craved blood and flesh.

No, they were even more insane as they watched their belief in being absolute good, which they had preserved for over five hundred years, get pushed back by absolute evil.

Could people who tossed me a single iron sword, ordered me to fight thousands of demonic beings and wipe out all kinds of jiangshi, then commanded me to drive the Demonic Cult south of Jiangnan possibly be sane?

Looking at it that way, the pursuit force would definitely move again.

That horse-nosed Taoist Qingxiu Zhenren and that bald old monk, Hyesung, would never give up easily.

Anyone could see it from the way they had desperately shoved low-ranking martial artists forward despite the Martial Alliance clearly being on the losing side.

People like them never gave up.

So we had to flee as far as we could before then. Come and catch me, you bastards.

We had crossed the Yellow River through a ridiculously lucky break, which had been the most dangerous point. Now we only had to pass Yeongsan, Namjeong, and Maseong.

Right, think positively.

Not, “We haven’t even made it halfway.”

Instead, “At least we crossed the Yellow River.”

See? It sounds much better.

If it sounded sarcastic to you, that was because your heart was crooked.

Black Maitreya would come for people possessed by inner demons!

After catching my breath, I looked around.

I had ordered the martial artists to take over the reins for the night journey.

Martial artists with sharper five senses would be better suited to lead at night.

Some had never handled a carriage before, but that was not particularly important. We could teach them.

“I’ve never driven a carriage before.”

“You know how to ride a horse, right?”

“I do.”

“Then imagine that horse has become twice as wide and five times as long. How is that? Not difficult, right?”

“...”

The guard looked at me with contempt.

It probably meant something like, “What kind of nonsense is that, you idiot?” But there was no secret method I could teach in this situation.

You just did it however you could and learned along the way.

Each carriage had a coachman seated beside the martial artist driving it anyway, so how important was it to know the method?

Besides, I would be in front, clearing away anything dangerous.

Somehow, the carriages continued forward.

Their speed was not even half of what it was during the day because of the darkness, but they continued moving.

The moon began to set again, and dawn started to rise.

Screech!

It was clearly too early for hunting, yet an Iron Hawk was circling beneath the sky as it slowly turned blue.

Thinking it might be what I expected, I took out the Black Token. As though reacting to it, the Iron Hawk circling in the air descended like lightning and flapped its wings before me.

After rubbing its cheek against mine for a moment and easing its longing after our long separation, the Iron Hawk thrust out one leg.

A letter from the Hao Sect’s Wuhan branch was tied there.

I slowly unfolded the paper.

“Young Master?”

The driver, watching my expression, carefully asked,

“Has something happened?”

“It’s nothing.”

Right, it was nothing.

This was a situation I had expected.

- The pursuit force is moving again.

The brief lull had ended.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The pursuers came rushing through the trees.

Those fucking bastards had no fundamentals.

Whether it was an assassination or a pursuit, secrecy was the foundation.

So why were they coming while cutting down trees?

I didn’t know which barbarians they belonged to, but I couldn’t let those filthy footsteps tread upon the Central Plains.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

I took two throwing stars from my robes and threw them with the principles of the White Phoenix Hand.

Clack!

They caught my flying throwing stars with the Thousand-Headed Dog Form and threw them back.

Whoosh!

When did the Zhongnan Sect become barbarians?

Clang!

I fired the Flying Dragon Claw and barely caught the throwing star aimed at the driver’s neck.

When I turned my head again...

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Another ten pursuers were cutting through trees as they used Grass-Skimming Flight through the air.

The number of pursuers had suddenly increased.

As I considered what to do for a moment...

“May I step in now?”

Dang Seohui, dressed in a bluish-green robe and wearing a face covering, shifted with anticipation. I nodded.

“Yes.”

Fifteen pursuers now being on our tail meant they had roughly checked the insides of the other carriages.

We needed to use another method from here on.

“I’ve been finding it hard to hold back.”

The moment she finished speaking, willow-leaf throwing knives and Feather Needles flowed from Dang Seohui’s hands as though drawn toward their targets.

The seven willow-leaf-shaped knives shot out, curved through the air, and embedded themselves in the pursuers.

“Gah! This is...!”

Those who deflected the willow-leaf throwing knives appeared to recognize their owner at once.

Their eyes were full of resentment, but what did they expect? We didn’t need to hide anything anymore either.

Whirr!

They had somehow avoided the willow-leaf throwing knives, but the real threat was the Feather Needles hidden behind them.

“Aaaagh!”

“Urgh!”

Dozens of Feather Needles, as thin as strands of hair, pierced one person’s entire body. The pursuer collapsed and vomited blood.

Dang Seohui’s cheeks jiggled as she shook her head after taking down one of them.

“There’s no need to worry. They’ll suffer some internal injuries, but...”

Uh... Hearing it put that way made me worry a little.

Then again, why should I care? If sacrificing them could stop the war, I could sacrifice as many as I wanted.

Damn bastards. Go bald, you rotten bastards.

Once the willow-leaf throwing knives and Feather Needles swept through the area, the pursuers quickly spread out.

Ah, that got rid of the Feather Needles’ advantage.

Just then, Wang Soso stepped beside me.

“Brother, I’ll give it a try.”

“Hm? You?”

Clink. Clink.

I looked down at the suspicious sound.

“Are those... gold coins?”

“Yes. I normally use copper coins or iron coins made by Master Jang, but this is all I have right now.”

The moment she finished speaking, Wang Soso’s hand moved.

Whoosh!

Not long after, a martial artist fell to the ground from between the trees with a choked cry.

Whoosh!

Wang Soso began throwing gold coins one after another, as though she had several hands.

Perhaps she had imbued them with the principles of the Greater Heaven Sword Art. A single gold coin flying through the air split into several, confusing the enemy’s eyes.

Each time a coin flew out, another pursuer fell.

‘Good heavens.’

They were throwing arts unlike anything I had ever seen. More specifically, was it coin-throwing art?

Wang Soso had not followed us to Wuhan only because Wang Geumsan backed her.

Dang Seohui, watching beside me, also voiced her admiration.

“Those are quite impressive throwing arts.”

“Oh my, Senior Dang! Thank you for the compliment!”

Wang Soso smiled as she kept sending silver coins flying.

Soon, Soso shrugged and looked at me.

“What do you think, Brother? I was helpful too, right?”

“Hm? Y-yes. Of course. You did well.”

“Is something bothering you?”