WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Chen
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈
Chapter 430: Five Hundred Years of Waiting (5)
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Events held by martial sects were usually planned at least half a year in advance.
They had to prepare the order of ceremonies and supplies, send invitations to confirm their guests’ attendance, and publicize the event not only in the surrounding area but throughout the province to draw people in.
The number of people gathered reflected a sect’s influence.
And influence was no different from displaying the sect’s martial strength.
From that perspective, Taeul Sect’s reopening ceremony had been arranged far too suddenly, and news of it had not spread far beyond parts of Hefei.
Quite a few people from the Martial Alliance were attending, but there were not many ordinary guests whose presence would demonstrate the sect’s influence.
Of course, some had heard about Taeul Sect’s reopening ceremony and chosen not to attend.
It was half a day’s walk from Hefei, and Taeul Sect itself was not particularly impressive to begin with.
Though it had joined the One Hundred Eight Peaks, people regarded Taeul Sect as inferior even to a martial arts school, to the point that they wondered how it had earned that position.
Were they supposed to put aside their livelihoods just to get one free meal?
What a foolish thing to do.
But then...
All of Hefei began to stir.
And it was because of the “unremarkable” Taeul Sect.
“You’re not opening for business? Where are you going?”
“Why are you still here? Aren’t you going to Taeul Sect?”
“Why would I go there? What is there to see...?”
“Come on! Important people have arrived there!”
After Moyong Gang came Namgung Taeha, Jegal Somyeong, the Martial Alliance’s Chief Strategist, and even Hyeok Mugang, the Martial Alliance Leader.
A story so absurd that people would snort even if only one of them had attended.
Yet all of them were there.
It was so unbelievable that it was enough to make people angry.
“Ha... Are you joking with me? What kind of nonsense is that?”
Why would famous figures known even to people outside the martial world attend the reopening ceremony of a tiny third-rate sect?
“You’ll make up any excuse to avoid work!”
“I’m telling you, the horse handlers from merchant groups in Hangzhou told me! They headed straight for Taeul Sect before they even unloaded their goods!”
Even the merchant who had scoffed moments ago widened their eyes at the more detailed news.
“Is that... really true?!”
Even people who lived far removed from martial affairs always held a longing for martial arts in their hearts.
They could see supreme masters said to have reached an immortal realm, walking on clouds and riding the wind.
How many chances like that would come in a lifetime?
And Taeul Sect was only half a day away.
There was no need to hesitate any longer.
Countless people from Hefei and nearby cities put aside their work and schedules and headed for Taeul Sect.
#
After the Martial Alliance arrived, the protestors blocking Taeul Sect’s entrance lost much of their momentum.
Openly showing hostility toward Taeul Sect, the host of an event marked by the unprecedented joint attendance of the Alliance Leader and Chief Strategist...
That was no different from declaring hostility toward the Martial Alliance itself.
“...Tsk.”
“...Ahem.”
And that was not what the people gathered there wanted.
The protestors opened a path down the middle, showing they would at least observe the bare minimum of courtesy.
They had to make it clear that they were hostile only toward Taeul Sect, not the Martial Alliance.
Even that did not last long.
“What are all these people? Are they all visiting Taeul Sect?”
“Hm? Did people hear the news before we did?”
Crowds had come after hearing that exceptionally important people had arrived at Taeul Sect.
And those crowds began to resent the protestors.
At first, they had been intimidated by the martial artists’ tense atmosphere.
But before half a day had passed, the crowd had grown far larger than the protestors.
Then, once their numbers doubled...
“Why are you blocking the road?!”
“Why are you trying to spoil someone else’s celebration?”
“Learn a little martial arts and suddenly you think the whole world belongs to you. Tsk.”
Open complaints began to erupt.
“What?! Do you have a problem with us protesting?”
A few martial artists could not control their anger and tried to intimidate them, making the crowd shrink back.
“These are Taeul Sect’s guests. We will not tolerate threats against them.”
Once Taeul Sect disciples from the Martial Arts Academy stepped forward to protect them, the ordinary guests quickly found their courage.
“You said you were going to fight, didn’t you? Then fight! Why are you ruining the celebration?”
“That’s right! Do you think Taeul Sect is that easy to bully?”
“Good grief, they act like this even where the Martial Alliance Leader is attending. How much worse must they behave everywhere else?”
The martial artists began to boil with rage as the spectators’ complaints continued without end.
“Those fools don’t even know what happened!”
“Hey, hold it in...! You’re not actually thinking of laying a hand on them, are you?”
“So we’re supposed to just stand here and take this?”
“Think carefully! Look at who is here. The Moyong Clan and Namgung Clan are one thing, but the Martial Alliance Leader and Chief Strategist are here! What will you do if they remember your face?”
Most of those protesting had deep ties to the Nine Sects One Gang.
The Five Great Clans’ influence was uncomfortable, but not enough to frighten them.
The Martial Alliance was different.
The protestors ground their teeth.
“Just wait until the contest.”
“Yes, yes. Bottle up that venom and let it ferment until then.”
The protestors opened the way.
After glaring at the guests flooding into Taeul Sect, they headed for Soeum County to drown their burning frustration in alcohol.
Thanks to that, Soeum County was more crowded than ever, and Wang Soso’s face grew brighter by the day.
#
“They’ve all gone back.”
“What else could those bastards do?”
Standing at the third-floor railing and looking down at Taeul Sect’s entrance, Hyeok Mugang and Jegal Somyeong shared bitter smiles.
“Why do you think he made this choice?”
“What are you referring to?”
“You know.”
Hyeok Mugang pressed Jegal Somyeong, who continued to feign ignorance.
“Wouldn’t it have been enough to request a congratulatory delegation from the Martial Alliance? Did he really need to ask for our attendance as well?”
Too much attention invited jealousy.
Martial artists trained in pursuit of the Way, yet their jealousy was often even stronger.
Moderation was prized in the martial world because an outstanding talent could hardly remain unscathed amid the envy of everyone around them.
“I want to hear the Chief Strategist’s thoughts.”
“...!”
Curiosity appeared in Jegal Somyeong’s eyes.
Having reached the absolute realm, Hyeok Mugang had no need to examine anyone’s thoughts. Yet he always studied the intentions of those around him.
People said Jegal Somyeong had mastered both scholarship and martial arts, but perhaps Hyeok Mugang was the one who truly had.
That was likely why he had held the position of Martial Alliance Leader longer than anyone in history.
After briefly losing themself in thought, Jegal Somyeong returned to the conversation.
“How could I possibly know what is going on in that bastard’s head? If I had to guess, he must believe that whoever strikes first wins.”
“Striking first wins?”
At Hyeok Mugang’s puzzled question, Jegal Somyeong raised their gaze and took in the view of Taeul Sect.
A giant bird stirring to life, ready to spread its hidden wings.
And jackals lurking beneath its feet.
“If Taeul Sect rises, restrictions will be imposed upon it as relentlessly as it climbs. It will be harassed at every turn.”
“Hmm...”
“But Jin Sowoon doesn’t seem willing to wait for those minor obstacles to appear one by one.”
It had been the same during the regular examination.
He had passed an examination that would have been difficult even alone while leading his inexperienced fellow disciples with him.
As if something were chasing him, he made enormous gambles every time and tried to settle everything in one stroke.
From Jegal Somyeong’s perspective, as someone who had to act on accurate indicators and information, it was an incomprehensible way of doing things.
If anyone else had shown such tendencies, Jegal Somyeong would never have brought them into the Mantong Office.
“He’s a madman who stakes his life at the gambling table. The problem is that he wins every time.”
The problem was that he always won.
And naturally, every victory brought him much in return.
“Just look at this event. He is reopening the sect because others forced his hand, yet he is holding an Infinite Martial Contest. Ha!”
“...I see.”
Hyeok Mugang spoke quietly after considering the Chief Strategist’s answer.
“Then if he wins this time as well, he will gain much.”
“...That is...”
At the word gain, Jegal Somyeong paused.
They began to wonder what Jin Sowoon and Taeul Sect would actually gain.
Influence in Anhui Province?
No matter how much they grew, they could not surpass the Namgung Clan.
Enormous wealth through the Great Heaven Merchant Group?
The Wang Family Estate was already one of the Four Great Merchant Houses, and Taeul Sect was already cooperating with them.
“What they gain...”
When considering the practical gains, it was difficult to understand.
If they wanted to hold a martial arts tournament, they could simply choose representatives from the protestors and fight them. Yet they planned to accept every challenge that came in.
Was that not a strategy destined to fail?
If they were going to lose in the end, why had Jin Sowoon called Hyeok Mugang, Jegal Somyeong, Moyong Gang, and Namgung Taeha all the way there?
Questions led to more questions without end.
What the hell was inside that bastard’s head...?
“This is interesting.”
“...Pardon? What is?”
Hyeok Mugang smiled at Jegal Somyeong’s profile as they sank into thought.
“It has been a long time since I saw the Chief Strategist think so deeply because of someone.”
“...”
Jegal Somyeong’s face crumpled like paper.
“That’s because that bastard stakes his life on such absurd things. How could someone sane understand what goes through a madman’s head?”
“Hoho, that is true.”
Rather than being offended by Jegal Somyeong’s angry huffing, Hyeok Mugang nodded with a pleased smile.
“The journey here was tiring, but I’m looking forward to seeing what happens.”
#
“Where did that man go?!”
“Hey, no matter what, he’s our Eldest Martial Brother...”
“I said, where did he go?!”
“...”
Geumpyo flinched at Eunho’s forceful presence, as though Eunho had turned into a vicious demon.
To think Geumpyo would learn from Eunho, his younger brother, that momentum mattered in a fight.
The Eldest Martial Brother’s warning that no one was to reveal his whereabouts had already faded from Geumpyo’s mind.
“The roof of the old Busaeng Hall...”
Before Geumpyo could even finish speaking, Eunho vanished like a ghost.
It was truly an incredible movement art.
“Will Eldest Brother... be all right?”
A small voice came from beside Geumpyo.
At Dongryong’s worried question, as though something terrible might happen, Geumpyo gripped his younger brother’s shoulder with a serious expression.
“Dongryong.”
“What is it, Brother...?”
“Don’t tell Eldest Martial Brother that I was the one who told Eunho where Jin Sowoon was. All right?”
“...”
“Got it? Your brother doesn’t want to get caught in the middle and suffer for it.”
#
Eunho raced past newly built structures lit as brightly as day, expanding their energy sense to find Jin Sowoon.
Yet it was not easy to find Jin Sowoon’s presence, concealed as perfectly as a ghost.
Only after running wildly across the rooftops did Eunho finally find him.
“Oh! You’re here! Come on, have a drink.”
The hopeless man was lying sprawled on the roof, drunk and completely at ease.
“...What are you doing right now?”
“Lord Moyong Gang said we should drink until one of us dropped today, so I ran away because I was scared.”
“No, not that!”
“Not that?”
Eunho pressed their temples, trying to soothe their pounding head.
“I mean, why did you invite the Alliance Leader and Chief Strategist?”
“Oh, that?”
Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.
One, two, three, four.
There were already four empty bottles around him.
Was this really the man who had started all this to hold an Infinite Martial Contest tomorrow?
“If you only wanted to show off Taeul Sect’s power, the Martial Alliance’s flag would have been enough.”
The Alliance Leader and Chief Strategist had attended.
Because of that, everyone’s eyes would burn with wariness and jealousy whenever they looked at Taeul Sect from now on.
What if the matches went badly with those two present?
‘...It’s horrifying just to imagine.’
The sect’s wings might break before it even had the chance to spread them.
Yet his Eldest Martial Brother was calmly drinking...
“It wouldn’t have had enough impact.”
“What???”
Did he just want to see people’s shocked faces?
“If we started modestly and moved modestly, we’d be blocked before we could properly begin.”
“What do you mean? We’ll only face more interference.”
Looking at it rationally, the current situation was no different from pushing Taeul Sect to the edge of a cliff.
“And more than anything...”
Yet Jin Sowoon’s eyes were calmer than ever.
“I wanted to see it. Taeul Sect at its brightest.”
“What does that...?”
His voice was lonely, as though he were recalling something.
“Not Taeul Sect torn apart and broken, but Taeul Sect full of life and hope for the future.”
The anger in Eunho’s chest stirred without warning.
‘Torn apart? When?’
Jin Sowoon looked exactly as he always did, the Eldest Martial Brother Eunho had spent a lifetime with.
Still, every word from the man who always carried mischief about him held a deep sorrow and pain.
“...What do you mean?”
Jin Sowoon did not answer.
His gaze never left Taeul Sect, glowing brightly as though it were broad daylight.
A man who could remember everything vividly after only a brief glance stared ahead as though he had lost his memory.
As though he were desperately trying to carve every moment into his mind.
Like someone who had once lost something and struggled never to lose it again.
“Eldest Martial...”
“Heh.”
That wistful, sorrowful gaze vanished at once, and he returned to his usual playful self.
“If I’m going to crack their skulls anyway, it matters who sees it happen.”
“...Eldest Martial Brother!”
“Five hundred years.”
“?”
“The time Taeul Sect has waited for the Taeul Sword Emperor.”
The playfulness left him again.
Only a solemn, firm, steadfast man remained.
“The time Taeul Sect has waited to truly reopen the sect.”
And then...
“I don’t see this as simply reopening the sect. This is...”
The normally quiet man brought forth the words he had kept deep in his heart.
“A new founding after five hundred years.”
While everyone else focused only on what was before them, this man looked so far ahead with such a broad view.
As if it did not matter whether anyone recognized it.
“Do you think it’s too much for the Martial Alliance Leader and Chief Strategist to attend the founding ceremony of the legendary Taeul Sword Emperor?”
At Jin Sowoon’s casual question, Eunho finally laughed.
“...Hah. Seriously.”
Then Eunho dropped down beside him.
“It’s not too much.”
“Hehe. You do understand something after all.”
There was an unshakable core hidden behind that foolish smile.
“Eldest Martial Brother, you really have a way of leaving people speechless.”
“Do I?”
Everyone around Jin Sowoon loved him fiercely.
Fiercely enough to give their lives for him.
“I mean it. Sometimes you make me angry.”
“What are you going to do if you get angry?”
“I can’t do anything, but it still makes me angry.”
Of course, Eunho was not the sort of person who could say something like that honestly.
Eunho accepted the cup offered by the man who was drawing the future.
Then...
“Come on, have a drink.”
Eunho looked out over Taeul Sect with him and took a sip.
The scent of the alcohol had never been sweeter.
Footnotes:
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