WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

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◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈

Chapter 42: The First-Rate Martial Artist Gathering People

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The waiter at Moon Lake Inn, Gang Yuseong, had been busy for weeks.

At first, he had been busy because a spiritual medicine had appeared on Demon Spirit Plateau, drawing martial artists from all over. Later, he had been busy because people had come to rescue those who had entered the plateau.

Martial artists spent more freely than ordinary travelers.

Some did not bother taking their change, while others paid several times the cost of their meals as a tip when they were in a good mood.

Of course, meeting a foul-tempered warrior could put his life in danger.

Still, he could not quit. Gang Yuseong had to care for his younger sisters with the money he earned, and at his age, no other work was available to him.

The past few days had been especially exciting.

The person who had rescued four thousand martial artists from Demon Spirit Plateau was staying in the annex of Moon Lake Inn.

Every drinking hall in Yueyang buzzed with the same story.

If not for that martial artist, all four thousand of them would have died.

Whenever a story about the martial artist's exploits came up while he was carrying dishes through the inn's first-floor dining hall, Gang Yuseong slowed his steps or pretended to tidy around the table so he would not miss a word.

He had nearly jumped for joy when he heard that such a person was staying at Moon Lake Inn.

"You're remarkable, but you're also quite unusual."

While changing the water in the bathing tub, he struck up a conversation with the martial artist, who had become somewhat familiar after Gang Yuseong had seen him every day for the past few days.

"Me?"

"Yes."

The martial artist tilted his head as though he did not understand.

"In what way?"

"All the important people in Yueyang want to meet you, yet you stay in the annex every day."

"Ah..."

When Gang Yuseong poured out the bathwater, black grime floated on its surface, along with flakes of what looked like shed skin.

Strangely enough, this was already the third time he had changed the water.

"Because it's bothersome."

"You must have received many messages from Yueyang's famous courtesan houses as well."

The people seeking this martial artist in Yueyang were not only warriors and high officials.

The waiter remembered the many letters he had delivered.

"Puhaha. A kid like you knows all sorts of things."

"Making a name for oneself and building ties with beautiful women is what every martial artist hopes for, is it not?"

Once he filled the tub with hot water again, the martial artist climbed in and gently scraped his skin with a smooth stone.

Astonishingly, the clear water soon began to turn murky.

"Are you jealous of me?"

"Of course."

"How old did you say you were?"

"I'm fourteen this year."

"You want to make a name for yourself and build ties with beautiful women?"

Gang Yuseong shook his head.

"Not that."

"Hm? Then why are you jealous of me?"

"You have the strength to save others. That's what I envy."

"..."

The martial artist silently continued scrubbing himself.

Without knowing why, Gang Yuseong began to tell him everything.

"I wish I had the strength to protect my younger sisters. Right now, I'm too young and too weak. It hurts."

"...How many younger sisters do you have?"

"Three."

"Yuseong, you're raising all three of them by yourself?"

"...Yes."

Even as he spoke, Gang Yuseong was surprised at himself.

He had not even told the innkeeper such things.

Whenever he spoke of it, the usual responses were pity, sympathy, or people blaming him for being foolish.

Most of all, he hated being told to sell one of his younger sisters and find a way to survive.

And yet...

"You're a good kid."

"...!"

The martial artist gave a faint smile as he scrubbed away the grime.

For some reason, tears began streaming down Gang Yuseong's face.

"How did you come to make such an admirable decision?"

"...Sniff. Cough. I promised my mother."

"That's right. A man should take care of those precious to him even if he has to break himself doing it, so that he has no regrets. ...The water's dirty already. Change it for me."

"..."

Gang Yuseong had been about to burst into emotional sobs, but his feelings abruptly vanished at the martial artist's words.

This time as well, black grime and flakes of skin poured out. It was a truly strange body. How could so much grime keep coming off no matter how many times he bathed?

"Do you want to learn martial arts?"

"...Pardon?"

"Didn't you say you wanted to become strong? Earning money and studying can make you strong too, but isn't that why you told me all this? Because you want to learn martial arts?"

"..."

Gang Yuseong's face turned red with embarrassment.

Still, he decided to be shameless just this once.

"Yes! My dream is to become a martial artist like you."

"A martial artist like me..."

After thinking for a moment, the martial artist tilted his head.

"Do you know that I am from the Taeul Sect?"

"Of course. Everyone in Yueyang is talking about it."

"You know the Taeul Sect's martial arts are considered nothing special, right?"

Gang Yuseong knew that very well.

That was what made people even more astonished these days.

"If you had the chance to join the Taeul Sect, would you want to?"

"Yes!"

"...I got this far without relying on martial arts, through my own effort and luck. Even if you learned the Taeul Sect's martial arts, the path to becoming an expert might remain distant."

"...Then can I become like you?"

"What?"

"I don't want to become an expert. I want to become like you."

Splash.

The martial artist dropped the smooth stone and fumbled for it beneath the water.

"You really know how to say embarrassing things, kid."

The martial artist did not speak again.

Gang Yuseong noticed that he no longer wished to talk, so he diligently continued changing the hot water.

Oddly enough, the amount of grime and skin flakes gradually began to decrease.

When the martial artist finished bathing and stepped out of the tub, Gang Yuseong stared blankly at his body.

He had a large frame, was tall, and possessed a large, masculine build, yet there was not an ounce of excess flesh on him.

Most of all, his skin was flawless, almost like a woman's.

"Where are my clothes?"

"...Ah, h-here they are."

Gang Yuseong handed him the newly prepared black martial outfit.

The martial artist put on some kind of silver garment beneath it before dressing in black. He strapped a wrist guard decorated with hawk talons around his left arm and fastened a black sword at his waist.

When he had first entered Moon Lake Inn, he had looked like a rough wandering martial artist. Now, he looked like a flawless young nobleman without a single opening.

"Take this."

He held out a one-nyang gold coin.

It was an unimaginably large tip, but Gang Yuseong could not bring himself to feel happy.

"...Is it not enough?"

"That isn't it. I'm sad because I don't think I'll be able to see you again."

"What is there to be sad about? You can see me at the Taeul Sect."

"Pardon?"

"Didn't you say you wanted to join the Taeul Sect? Once you've made up your mind, hire an escort warrior with that money and bring your sisters to the Taeul Sect. Or use the money to take good care of your sisters."

"...S-Sir."

"Ah, of course, the sect leader must approve it, but... he probably will."

His final words were not particularly reassuring, but Gang Yuseong had no time to care about that.

For the first time since his mother died, he broke his vow never to cry again and wept for a long while.

#

I never imagined I would encounter Gang Yuseong at Moon Lake Inn.

Gang Yuseong, the Sword Fool, had begun as a waiter before entering deep mountain valleys with nothing but a sword. There, he created his own unique sword art and became the lowest-ranked of the Ten Swordsmen.

His appearance was similar and his name was identical, so I had suspected it. The moment I heard he had three younger sisters, I became certain.

'You're mine.'

I wondered whether I had changed the future of an extraordinary talent too much, but if he had a foundation to rely on, he would do even better.

"...If you move to the Taeul Sect, you won't lose your sisters. And now that you'll inherit the true teachings of the Taeul True Scripture, it's not a bad choice for you either."

I hypnotized myself with those words.

After undergoing Rebirth through the Mita Sacred Water, my entire body felt light enough to soar away.

Every impurity that had accumulated within my body over my lifetime had been expelled, and my insides were as clean as those of a newborn child.

The Taeul True Scripture then opened new paths through my body, remaking it to suit me as though painting upon paper.

At first, the changes in my height and body felt awkward, but only briefly.

Before long, I realized that my current condition was ideal for wielding the Taeul Sect's martial arts, including the Taeul True Scripture.

"I'm jealous."

Namgung Seonhwa had stopped by to say goodbye. Though I had not told her I had consumed the Mita Sacred Water, she had clearly sensed the changes in my body.

Unfortunately, only enough Mita Sacred Water for one person had appeared. There was not enough for my fellow disciples of the Taeul Sect, much less Namgung Seonhwa.

"So this is the Martial Bone Physique."

"You know about the Martial Bone Physique?"

"Of course. I came looking for the Mita Sacred Water to attain it."

The Martial Bone Physique was one of the special constitutions, like Wang Soso's Solar Yang Physique. Unlike other constitutions, which one was born with, it could only be acquired through Rebirth after relentless training and enlightenment, or through the Mita Sacred Water.

"That must be disappointing."

Though I offered her consolation, Namgung Seonhwa did not seem particularly disappointed.

"...Well, you were the one who drank it. It's fine."

"Pardon?"

"Never mind. My brother told me that you agreed to visit the Namgung Clan."

"That is how it turned out."

"Would you be willing to join me when we take the regular examination?"

Although the Martial Arts Academy's regular examination was an individual test, candidates could bring family members or helpers, and examinees could work together if they wished.

Those holding major positions in the Martial Alliance, martial artists of first-rate skill or higher, and graduates of the Martial Arts Academy could not participate.

"I'll probably attend with one or two Changgung Units."

"...?"

Considering the Namgung Clan's strength, even leading five units should have been insufficient.

"There are circumstances within the family."

"...Ah."

It seemed the internal division within the Namgung Clan from my previous life had already begun.

"Still, only the finest people will come with me, so I believe they'll certainly be of help."

I considered it for a moment, then shook my head.

"I'm sorry, Lady Namgung. I have plans of my own for this examination, so I don't think that will be possible."

"...I thought so."

Namgung Seonhwa nodded as though she understood.

Our farewells were nearly finished, and we had said everything we needed to say, yet she did not leave. Instead, she kept lightly kicking at the empty floor for no reason.

"...Um, may I ask you something?"

"Please, go ahead."

"By any chance... Lady Moran..."

Namgung Seonhwa trailed off with a complicated expression.

"Is something wrong with Lady Seong?"

"..."

Namgung Seonhwa opened and closed her mouth, then shook her head and suddenly gave a fist-and-palm salute.

"No. Young Master Jin, thank you so much for everything. I will repay this kindness someday."

#

After leaving Moon Lake Inn, I headed first to Mount Nine Dragons near the Southern Peak rather than Hubei Province, where the Jegal Clan was located.

I needed money before I could take Jegal Cheongi to the Taeul Sect.

What was more, I had unexpectedly obtained a valuable item from this incident, so I no longer needed to travel far in search of treasure.

Upon reaching the entrance to Mount Nine Dragons, I pulled out a map from the library in my mind.

It showed the burial site of Wolhyang, the concubine of the wealthiest man in the State of Yue, a place Du Cheongang of the Sojeong Unit had regretted being unable to plunder before his death.

We had always wondered why Du Cheongang, once a thief, had bothered joining the Martial Alliance. The reason turned out to be quite a story.

Du Cheongang mainly stole luxury goods that high officials had received as bribes. One day, he looted what he thought was a secret warehouse where an official had hidden private funds.

It turned out to be the family tomb of the Minister of Personnel.

After robbing a tomb belonging to such a family, officials from across the country had thrown aside their work and came after Du Cheongang's head like jiangshi.

As a last resort, Du Cheongang hid from the government troops by concealing his identity and joining the Martial Alliance as a low-ranking martial artist.

Once inside the Martial Alliance, he tried to persuade those with strong demon-subduing power to loot Wolhyang's tomb with him.

But why would the Hyeongsan Sect, Mount Mao Sect, Shaolin Sect, or Wudang Sect pay any attention to a low-ranking martial artist like Du Cheongang?

Unable to loot Wolhyang's tomb, he remained in the Sojeong Unit until he was swept into the Orthodox-Demonic War. Every night, he wept as he cursed his own fate.

"This should be the place, according to Du."

I inspected the back of a waterfall halfway up Mount Nine Dragons and spotted a narrow entrance between the violently falling water.

It was a naturally treacherous place with no foothold, as though it rejected all human visitors.

I fired the Flying Dragon Claw toward a higher point, grabbed its cord, and leaped in.

Whirrrrr.

I slipped through the waterfall and squeezed through the small opening. Beyond it lay a wide space.

As I lit the torch I had prepared, the inside of the cave gradually revealed itself.

The cavern had seemed untouched by human hands, but the deeper I went, the more artificial it became. At its very end, an entire cave wall had been carved into the form of a massive hall.

"I found it."

The hall had been arranged as a tomb.

The problem was that the place where the coffin should have been and the places where the deceased's belongings should have rested were all empty, filled only with cobwebs.

"Du said there was a mechanism around here."

He had gone on and on about looting Wolhyang's tomb whenever he drank, so I found the mechanism at once despite seeing it for the first time.

Drrrrrrrrk. Thud. Boom.

Just as expected, one side of the wall slid away, revealing a half-open door.

Beyond it was a narrow passage wide enough for only two people, filled with broken arrows and thick spikes jutting from the floor.

"Everyone could get this far, apparently."

There were already traces of someone having traveled through the route to the hidden chamber.

I activated the Peerless Wanderer Divine Art that I had obtained from Demon Spirit Plateau.

My attainment was still only at the first stage, but that was enough.

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Once I passed through the narrow passage, the mechanisms activated. Spikes shot up from the floor, and arrows flew in from every direction.

"It truly lives up to its name."

After briefly admiring the divine art's power, I turned and stepped into the chamber. My eyes flew wide open.

"Heh."

Night-Luminous Pearls had been set into the ceiling like a sky full of stars. Beneath their glow sat piles of gold, silver, and jewels that glittered brilliantly.

I could understand why Du Cheongang had always regretted failing to loot this place.

"It was real."

As I examined several pieces of treasure, the skeletons piled in one corner of the room sent a chill down my spine.

"Most of them must have been buried here."

The skeletons clearly appeared human.

They were not the remains of one or two people, but a large mass grave of bones.

"It seems quite a few entered and never got out."

Then...

An ominous sound reached my ears.

Clink. Clink.

I turned toward a chamber at one side of the space.

Clink. Clink.

The reason Du Cheongang had walked away empty-handed despite having a fortune's worth of treasure before his eyes.

Clink. Clink.

-Heeheeheeheeheeheehee.

The reason he had endured every humiliation within the Martial Alliance yet still tried to persuade Taoists and monks to loot this tomb.

"Show yourself!"

It was because of the powerful ghost guarding this tomb.

-A thief dares to act like the master here?!

I had heard the Demonic Cult's Mad Heaven Howl before, but I had never heard a voice so saturated with demonic qi.

My spirit trembled, my heart pounded, and my body began to stiffen.

Clink. Clink.

-You have some nerve, entering this place.

With the clinking of metal, a woman whose beauty seemed not of this world slowly emerged. She was naked, adorned only with lavish gold and silver ornaments.

Footnotes:

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