The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything - Chapter 409

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈

Chapter 409: The Reason to Live (3)

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Songhwa Pavilion.

One of Wuhan’s three famously expensive taverns.

A single table of drinks here cost far more than an ordinary family’s monthly living expenses, so there were no common people among its patrons.

Even the guests on the lowest floor were influential figures in their own right.

A man drinking with two courtesans felt the call of nature and rose from his seat.

“Don’t ruin the mood. Keep having fun until I get back. If the atmosphere’s a mess when I return, I’ll spank you.”

“Hohohoho.”

“Ehehehe.”

The courtesans and nearby guests laughed, and the man rose with a satisfied expression.

Thud.

Someone bumped his shoulder from behind, sending him sprawling forward and burying all the dignity he had shown moments earlier in the floor.

“Which bastard walks around with his eyes left at home?!”

He owned three shops in Wuhan. There was little in the city he feared.

He could settle most matters with money, and if that failed, he had connections in the Martial Alliance.

But then...

“R-Red Dragon Pavilion?”

The drunken haze vanished the moment he saw the uniform worn by the person who had bumped into him.

“...Is there a problem?”

“N-No... There isn’t.”

Had it been only one person, he might have found a way to handle it. Yet more and more people in Red Dragon Pavilion uniforms were entering Songhwa Pavilion behind him.

Those enjoying drinks, songs, and dancing gradually turned their attention to the uninvited visitors.

“What’s going on?”

“Are they having some kind of company dinner?”

“Huh? Is the Martial Alliance really that rich?”

Their manner clearly showed they were not customers.

Unless the Red Dragon Pavilion had discovered a gold mine, there was no reason they would hold a dinner at Songhwa Pavilion.

Something must have happened.

The Red Dragon Pavilion members had barged in so suddenly that the attendants and staff hurriedly stepped forward to block their way.

An ordinary tavern might have helplessly made way for them, but this was Songhwa Pavilion.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“Cooperate with the investigation.”

“You can’t force your way in like this!”

The Red Dragon Pavilion members tried to push through while the guests of Songhwa Pavilion frowned at the sight.

Then the tavern owner came down from the second floor.

“Do you know where you are, causing such a disturbance?!”

“...”

The tense standoff between the Red Dragon Pavilion members and the staff briefly halted at his imposing words.

Soon after, their representative, Great Hall Master Jang Bogeuk, stepped before the tavern owner with a firm expression.

“This is Martial Alliance business. We ask for your cooperation.”

“Do you have a warrant?”

“...We only intend to verify something.”

Verify something?

The tavern owner had never faced such a situation since opening the place, and he scoffed.

“You ask for cooperation without a warrant? Do you not know where you are?”

“I do. This establishment is operated by the Orthodox Society.”

“Then leave. This isn’t a marketplace full of fools.”

The guests burst into hearty laughter at the tavern owner’s words.

“If you truly wish to enter, pay the admission fee. Fifty taels of silver per person. Drinks and food are separate, of course. Though I doubt you can afford it.”

Another burst of laughter followed his mockery. Even the faces of the previously silent Red Dragon Pavilion members slowly reddened.

When Great Hall Master Jang Bogeuk could no longer endure it and reached for his sword, a subordinate stopped him.

“Most of those here are directly or indirectly connected to the Orthodox Society. A mistake could give them grounds to act.”

“...I know.”

They were openly mocking the Red Dragon Pavilion because they knew an arrest warrant could never be issued for Daoist Cheongsu, who belonged to the Elders’ Council.

Jang Bogeuk swallowed his frustration and removed his hand from his sword.

The tavern owner watched him, a sneer forming on his lips.

“Go back. You can’t spend an entire month’s stipend here, can you?”

“““Hahahahaha!”””

They could neither quietly endure the mockery nor act recklessly.

Then the Red Dragon Pavilion members standing in the rear suddenly stirred and moved aside. Great Hall Master Jang Bogeuk also stepped back, opening a path.

Step, step, step.

Everyone’s attention naturally shifted toward the several people walking forward as the Red Dragon Pavilion members parted.

“Who else...?”

The tavern owner’s confident expression slowly stiffened.

Those who had been laughing throughout the tavern lowered their voices at the tavern owner’s unusual reaction.

A man stood at the very front, having passed through the Red Dragon Pavilion members.

He stared directly at the tavern owner, then overturned the large pouch in his hand.

Clink, clink.

Gold coins poured endlessly from the pouch.

The sound of coins falling, rolling, and scattering in every direction instantly filled the tavern, which had been wrapped in silence.

Then silence fell again.

Jegal Somyeong’s eyes did not move as they stared at the tavern owner. Only their lips curved into a faint smile.

“Is this enough?”

“...C-Chief Strategist?”

The tavern owner stared blankly at the gold coins rolling over the floor.

No answer came.

“I asked whether this is enough.”

Jegal Somyeong’s calm but cold voice made the tavern owner unable to hide his panic for the first time.

“...W-Well...”

“Is it insufficient?”

Jegal Somyeong took out another pouch and emptied it onto the floor.

“No matter how expensive Songhwa Pavilion’s drinks may be, this should cover today’s business and the value of the furnishings as well.”

“...”

Jegal Somyeong’s gaze turned toward the second and third floors.

“Hmm. There may not be enough money to compensate all these people.”

At Jegal Somyeong’s chilling words, the more timid guests began rising from their seats one by one.

Most of those present valued their lives more than gold coins.

Some time passed.

Jegal Somyeong looked over the scene behind the stunned tavern owner, their brow creasing slightly.

A few had hurriedly left, but strangely, more than half remained seated despite their frightened expressions.

“...”

In the silent tavern, Jegal Somyeong saw the sight and became certain.

They’re here.

After all, they could not openly betray the Orthodox Society in its own stronghold.

There was a reason they could not leave despite their fear.

Step, step, step.

At last, that reason appeared at the top of the tavern stairs.

Daoist Cheongsu stood there, arrogantly looking down at Jegal Somyeong while lazily waving a small folding fan.

“Why is the Martial Alliance’s Chief Strategist interfering with another person’s business?”

“The gold coins scattered here should more than cover seven days and nights of revenue.”

Daoist Cheongsu clicked his tongue.

“Tsk, tsk. It’s because you look at things so narrowly that the martial world falls into misery.”

Daoist Cheongsu descended the stairs one step at a time.

“Do you believe those who come here do so simply to lose themselves in drink? There are cheap inns everywhere, yet they come to this costly place. Isn’t it for its peaceful and comfortable atmosphere?”

The tavern owner’s face brightened when he saw Daoist Cheongsu.

“But what will happen after they experience this once? Will they be able to return, thinking this place is as peaceful and comfortable as before?”

“Then you should reflect on your own failure to serve your customers properly.”

With every step Daoist Cheongsu took down the stairs, martial artists from each floor followed behind him one by one.

“No. Once an impression takes root, it isn’t easily erased.”

Daoist Cheongsu paused, folded his fan, and quietly studied Jegal Somyeong’s face.

“Much like how, if the Black Path takes even one step into the Martial Alliance, the people of the martial world will believe the Martial Alliance has yielded to the Black Path.”

Jegal Somyeong met that gaze with indifferent eyes. Their impassive voice slipped from their lips.

“Was that what you wanted to point out?”

The Red Dragon Pavilion members could not relax as they looked over the people gathering behind Daoist Cheongsu.

Most belonged to the Martial Alliance’s combat pavilions.

“That is why people must be shown what happens to those who recklessly shatter this peace. Then people will gather once more with trust in their hearts.”

“Are you speaking of the tavern’s business? Or the Martial Alliance?”

By the time Daoist Cheongsu reached Jegal Somyeong, twice as many people as the Red Dragon Pavilion members stood behind him like a curtain.

Daoist Cheongsu unfolded his fan again and curled his lips into a smile.

“What do you think I am speaking of?”

Jegal Somyeong looked at Daoist Cheongsu as though he were beneath contempt and answered.

“I heard you unleashed Wudang-affiliated sects and hired wanderers throughout Hubei and Anhui Province.”

“I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“Call off the pursuit.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Will you truly see this through to the end?”

For the first time, Daoist Cheongsu’s brow twitched.

“Speak properly. You were the one who started this.”

Jegal Somyeong continued, staring at Daoist Cheongsu.

“As of midnight yesterday, I issued orders to restrain anyone conducting unreported armed actions throughout Hubei and Anhui Province.”

“...!”

“It is an order stating that anyone who refuses to comply may be dealt with summarily.”

Redness rose in Daoist Cheongsu’s eyes.

“...How far do you intend to go against an ally?”

“If cutting away only those vermin that eat at my insides can restore my health, what a profitable bargain that would be.”

“...”

“You would do well to stop the pursuit as quickly as possible. You won’t be able to bear responsibility for the orders you gave.”

Jegal Somyeong turned away, leaving Daoist Cheongsu behind.

As everyone in the tavern watched them take several steps without daring to breathe, Daoist Cheongsu spoke through gritted teeth behind them.

“It is already over.”

Jegal Somyeong stopped abruptly.

“Did you not hear? There have been casualties at the Cheonjang Branch, and fighting has broken out between Black Path martial artists and Martial Alliance branch members.”

Daoist Cheongsu’s voice continued.

Shock filled Jegal Somyeong’s face.

“What are you talking about?!”

“The war... has already begun.”

Was Eunhyeon always this crowded with martial artists?

I had no idea what these goddamn bastards hoped to find by crawling all the way here.

There seemed to be an unusually large number of lay sects affiliated with Wudang Sect, or sects with deep ties to Wudang Sect.

It had to be a coincidence, right? Fuck.

“I suddenly have a question.”

Dam Ak, strapped to my back, started asking questions as though he wasn’t the one fighting.

When I ignored him, he spoke again shortly afterward.

“I suddenly have a question.”

If I didn’t answer because I was exhausted, he kept asking the same thing over and over without changing a single word.

“...What is it?”

“Has there ever been a White Path martial artist in history who fought as many White Path martial artists as Young Master Jin?”

There was amusement in Dam Ak’s voice.

“At this point, shouldn’t you be considered a Black Path martial artist?”

I was curious too.

I had never imagined I would fight fellow White Path martial artists so bloodily after the regular examination.

“That bastard over there is a Black Path martial artist.”

I jerked my chin to one side.

The most irritating of those rushing at us were the wandering martial artists.

Not only White Path wanderers, but Black Path wanderers had crawled into Eunhyeon to catch me.

No, to be exact, they had come for Dam Ak.

You bastards call him your Chief Strategist. No matter how much you like money, isn’t this going too far?

Dam Ak, who had been chattering away, fell silent briefly before quietly muttering.

“...Those people must have been corrupted by the Blood Cult.”

“Sure, sure.”

Pow, pow, pow, pow!

I used Myriad Blossoms Invincible Fist and smashed one side of a charging wanderer’s cheekbone.

I had intended to smash the other side as well, so his face would be evenly balanced.

But I could no longer put strength into my fists.

If I could rest and recover for two sichen, no, even one sichen, I would feel much better.

My condition must have been serious, since the Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Bear’s recovery ability didn’t seem to be working properly.

Had I already used up all of the Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Bear’s energy?

Wasn’t it supposed to stay with me for life once I obtained it? I felt betrayed.

“Huh?”

Oddly enough, the pursuit noticeably thinned out from a certain point onward.

“Huff, huff. Have these bastards finally realized how terrifying I am?”

Dam Ak, whose life depended on me like a parasite, spoke firmly as I wore a smug smile.

“Jegal Somyeong must have acted. It is already far too late for them to move now. They could do nothing while the Orthodox Society acted, and it is deeply disappointing that they have only stepped in now.”

What was that supposed to mean, coming from a man who couldn’t get even one step away from my back for fear of being killed by those insignificant people?

Still, I didn’t have time to rest.

Clang, clang, clang!

The wanderers with weak ties to Wudang Sect or those acting individually fell back because they valued their lives, but Wudang Sect’s lay disciples remained ferocious in their assault.

“They must want me to fail to arrive in time.”

It was the same reason I couldn’t rest even for a moment. We were fighting against time.

One of the messages delivered by the Hao Sect said tensions between the branches were rising.

If the tension escalated and fighting began at even one branch, prompting the Black Alliance to declare war, there would be no way to stop it even if Dam Ak returned in time.

“Aaargh!”

Ten Thousand Swords swept wildly through the area and laid everything to waste.

My dantian was quickly running dry, but I didn’t care.

Anhui Province was just a little farther ahead.

Once we got through here...

“Huff, huff, huff.”

Leaving the White Path martial artists scattered around me behind, I ran again. My legs staggered forward on their own.

No matter how much my internal energy had increased, there was apparently nothing I could do about lacking blood.

“Young Master Jin, how about we rest for a while? There no longer seem to be any pursuers.”

Dam Ak turned his head and examined my face.

“Young Master Jin looks as though you could die at any moment. Let’s stop briefly and circulate qi.”

“I’m fine.”

Dam Ak let out a small sigh and gripped my shoulder tightly.

“It’s because you look ready to collapse. If you collapse, wouldn’t I have to go on alone?”

“If I rest now, won’t the war begin?”

“...”

Soon, I heard Dam Ak sigh.

“Was that what you were worried about?”

“What else would I be worried about?”

“You needn’t worry about that.”

His hand began patting my shoulder.

“Even if fighting breaks out between the branches and the protesters, the Black Alliance will not declare war.”

“!?!?”

I calmly settled the internal energy I had drawn up and stopped walking.

“W-What do you mean?”

“If the assassination failed, they would at least try to stall for time. I told them to respond to protests and attacks in preparation for that, but never to declare war, even if casualties occurred. Staying still is the best way to further unite the Black Alliance’s people.”

“...”

It felt as if I had been struck hard in the back of the head.

He sounded impossibly clever and utterly calm.

Wow, this man...

“Why... are you telling me this now?”

You could have told me earlier, or kept your mouth shut to the end!

Dam Ak slowly took his hand off my trembling shoulder.

“You didn’t ask. You wouldn’t even respond when I spoke.”

“Fuuuck!!!”

“...Young Master Jin?”

I released the Heavenly Silkworm Thread.

Before Dam Ak could even say he was hurt after landing on his backside, I quickly sat in meditation and began circulating qi.