The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything - Chapter 44

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈

Chapter 44: The First-Rate Martial Artist Gathering People (3)

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The regions where the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Clans were based were always crowded, even when they were not home to a major city.

Whether they settled on one of the Five Mountains or in a small village, new towns sprang up around them.

The villages near the Jegal Clan were unusual in that scholars and Confucian students frequently passed through them.

I could not speak for their martial studies, but no one under heaven could match the Jegal Clan in literary learning.

After leaving Yueyang for Mount Yungjung, I rested for a day before heading straight to the Jegal Clan.

It had been a harsh all-day march, but after cleansing my body with innate true qi at Wolhyang's grave, I barely felt fatigue anymore.

"Huh..."

By the time I arrived at the Jegal Clan beneath Mount Yungjung, the area before its main gate was already packed with people.

"What on earth...?"

I searched my memories, wondering whether I had mistakenly come on an important date for the Jegal Clan, but today held no significance.

"Perhaps..."

As I stood there distractedly, an elderly person in front of me noticed my uncertainty.

"Have you also come here on business, young hero?"

"Me?"

"Yes."

"I have."

"Then you should line up here."

They wore shabby clothes and held the hand of a child who appeared to be their granddaughter.

"I see. Do you know much about this place, Elder?"

"Elder? Not at all. Just call me Elder Huh."

Though Elder Huh spoke in alarm, their gaze remained fixed on the Black Dragon Sword.

"That sword is only for self-defense, so you needn't worry."

Even after I said that, Elder Huh remained extremely polite.

"I've come here several times because something terrible happened in our village. Today makes seven visits already."

"What happened that required you to come seven times?"

"A serpent monster appeared in our village."

"...A serpent monster?"

"Yes. It appeared a year ago and has been eating the villagers. We hired escort warriors to kill it, but its skin was so tough that neither arrows nor spears could pierce it."

"Ah..."

"The escort warriors said the creature was too formidable to kill. They said we had to trap it in a formation instead."

I knew the identity of the serpent monster Elder Huh described.

The Iron-Armored Black Python Great Serpent.

It had appeared in Zaoyang, Hubei Province, and wiped out five villages in the area, including villages of slash-and-burn settlers.

Its skin was as hard as steel, and it was large enough to swallow a cow whole.

It was a monster so powerful that it could destroy a mansion-sized house in less than a quarter hour.

The reason the monster in Zaoyang, Hubei Province, had remained uncaught for so long was that, unlike other monsters, it did not possess an elixir pellet.

The Martial Alliance had only acted after all five villages had been wiped out and hundreds had died.

'Back then, the Hall Leader and Deputy Hall Leader of Tiger Hall were swallowed whole.'

In my previous life, this incident had destroyed three halls of Azure Dragon Pavilion and led to Tiger Hall being reorganized.

Unlike White Wolf Pavilion, where the Sojeong Unit belonged and street rabble had been gathered together, Tiger Hall was made up of elite masters. Yet an entire such group had been swallowed by a single Iron-Armored Black Python Great Serpent.

"Oh dear. What has the Jegal Clan said about this so far?"

"They said they could only handle a matter like this after reporting it to the Martial Alliance and receiving approval."

Elder Huh was holding on to false hope.

If the Jegal Clan stepped in, that meant the Martial Alliance would have to pay the cost.

The Martial Alliance would never hire the Jegal Clan's formation adepts, whose fees were among the highest under heaven, just to save a village of slash-and-burn settlers.

'In the end, they went on a hunt rather than sealing it.'

Even though I knew the answer, I could not tell them that harsh reality. I changed the subject instead.

"I hope it works out. Is this your granddaughter?"

When I gestured toward the child, the girl clung to Elder Huh's leg and hid behind them in fear.

Elder Huh seemed unaccustomed to caring for a child.

"My son and daughter-in-law were eaten by the serpent monster this time, so I took her in."

"Ah..."

I had intended to lighten the mood, but it somehow became even more somber.

Fortunately, it was Village Chief Huh's turn. A scholar-robed attendant greeting people at the main gate saw them and frowned.

"You again! Didn't I tell you that we'd contact you once a decision had been made?"

"Sir, the serpent monster appeared again after only fifteen days and ate ten more villagers. Please, let me meet the Clan Head just once."

The attendant let out a deep sigh.

"Do you take the Clan Head for some local constable? How can the chief of a mere village of slash-and-burn settlers..."

The attendant clicked their tongue and signaled to the martial artists around the gate. They moved to take Village Chief Huh away.

I could not remain silent as I watched Village Chief Huh being dragged away with their crying granddaughter.

"Wait."

"What is it?"

The attendant looked me up and down.

"They're with me."

The attendant immediately understood our relationship and snorted.

"I understand you pity them, but don't meddle in matters that don't concern you. They are from a village of slash-and-burn settlers."

"What's wrong with a village of slash-and-burn settlers?"

"..."

"They're coming in with me. Please inform the Clan Head."

The attendant and the martial artists gathered nearby burst into incredulous laughter.

"Have these fools been drinking in broad daylight..."

Before they could finish, I held a bearer note before their face.

"Ha! A bearer note like this is... What... This is... incredible..."

The attendant's mouth snapped shut as they read it.

The martial artists laughing nearby leaned forward curiously. The moment they saw the note, their eyes shook.

"T-two hundred gold taels!"

At someone's strained cry, shocked exclamations rose from everyone present, whether they belonged to the Jegal Clan or were visiting guests.

The usual fee for dispatching a Jegal Clan formation adept was around twenty gold taels for a year.

Two hundred gold taels was enough to hire ten such adepts for a full year.

Furthermore, the Jegal Clan had rules requiring the head of Artisan Hall or the Clan Head to personally handle matters of such scale.

"May we enter?"

"Ah... Yes, yes. I will guide you."

The attendant abruptly bowed deeply and pointed at the main gate with both hands.

I spoke to Village Chief Huh.

"Let's go in."

Among martial factions capable of deploying arcane formations, Mount Mao Sect was often mentioned, but its true strengths lay in subduing demons and binding spirits.

Its arts were especially effective against necromancy and ghost arts used by those commonly called heterodox martial artists.

Still, if one had to choose the greatest martial faction in arcane formations, it was unquestionably the Jegal Clan.

While most martial sects in the martial world earned profits by operating merchant groups or developing mines, the Jegal Clan sold arcane formations to martial factions and accumulated wealth surpassing that of the other Five Great Clans.

Arcane formations were difficult to deploy and required maintenance. Except for unusual cases such as the Boundless Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation, if they were not maintained, their formation axes would warp and shift over time until the formations ultimately dissolved.

Because of this, martial factions had to pay enormous sums not only for the initial installation but also for continued maintenance.

The cost was a burden, but for martial factions with countless enemies in the martial world, the Jegal Clan's arcane formations, famed for their unmatched effectiveness, were not optional. They were essential.

"You may enter here."

The attendant who had guided us led us to a reception room for guests. They said the dispatch documents had been prepared and submitted.

"It will take some time for approval to be granted and for you to meet with someone."

"I'll wait."

The attendant kept watching me carefully while clearly feeling uncomfortable that Village Chief Huh was in the room.

"Could you not meet the Clan Head alone?"

"Didn't I say they're with me?"

"..."

If the attendant was uncomfortable with the situation, Village Chief Huh was frightened by it.

They had asked to meet the Jegal Clan's Clan Head, but it was clear that they had never expected it to truly happen.

The attendant and martial artists in the reception room were also looking at Village Chief Huh with open contempt.

Village Chief Huh seemed hesitant even when speaking to someone young like me. It did not look easy for them to endure such a heavy atmosphere.

"Elder, it's all right. Don't be too nervous. We only came here to talk."

I looked at the girl, whose hand Village Chief Huh was gripping so tightly that it hurt her. Only then did Village Chief Huh startle and release her hand.

"...Oh dear. Are you all right, child?"

"..."

The girl nodded cautiously, as though reading the room like her grandfather, then took his hand again.

A short while later, two men entered.

One was a middle-aged man dressed simply. The other was an older man whose lavish appearance stood in complete contrast to Village Chief Huh.

The older man had a plump figure and wore silk robes.

Jewelry hung from him in abundance, and he waved a fan modeled after the white-feather fan once carried by Zhuge Liang.

That man was Jegal Jeong, the head of Artisan Hall and, for all practical purposes, the master of the Jegal Clan's formation masters and adepts.

Though not from the Jegal Clan's direct line, he belonged to a fairly close collateral branch and was also the younger cousin of Jegal Somyeong, the Martial Alliance's Grand Strategist.

"Ah, Village Chief Huh. I heard what happened. I hear your village has suffered a terrible disaster?"

Jegal Jeong hurried over, took Village Chief Huh's hand, and spoke. Village Chief Huh looked startled.

"Y-you remember me?"

"Of course I do. We greeted each other once at Mount Geummok twelve years ago."

"Ah..."

Village Chief Huh looked at Jegal Jeong with visible emotion.

"I had already heard about your situation. When I learned that you had come to us several times without receiving a timely answer, I gave them a stern scolding."

"No, no. The martial heroes have done nothing wrong."

Village Chief Huh shook their head, overwhelmed by his words.

"The truth is, when I heard that the serpent monster had appeared, I intended to lead members of our clan there and seal it immediately. But formations cannot be deployed freely without permission from the Martial Alliance."

"Ah... Then what are we supposed to do?"

"I'll send someone again at once to obtain permission before greater harm occurs. If that fails, I'll visit the Martial Alliance myself and demand an answer. I'll settle this once and for all."

"Oh, thank you, sir. Thank you so much."

Village Chief Huh shed tears and even prostrated themself in a bow.

Jegal Jeong quickly helped them up.

"You should go now. The sun sets early in the mountains, doesn't it? Your granddaughter looks very tired as well."

"Yes, yes. I should. Please take good care of this matter."

Village Chief Huh bowed to Jegal Jeong, the middle-aged man beside him, the attendant, the martial artists, and even me before leaving the reception room.

Once they were gone, Jegal Jeong and the middle-aged man sat down.

Unlike when he had spoken with Village Chief Huh moments earlier, Jegal Jeong frowned.

"You say you are Jin Sowoon of the Taeul Sect?"

"It is an honor to meet..."

"Why are you doing something so pointless?"

"...you. I am Jin Sowoon."

I tilted my head instead of answering.

"Because you brought that person in here, the Jegal Clan now bears a burden."

I nodded after hearing that.

"So it was a lie after all."

"What?"

"The Jegal Clan's fees are too high for it to offer free service."

They needed the Martial Alliance's permission to install a formation?

Formations were not something that required permission in the first place. Who reported to the Martial Alliance every time they installed one?

Jegal Jeong had simply shifted the responsibility onto the Martial Alliance and sent Village Chief Huh away.

"Brat. Don't get arrogant just because you have some money. We came out not because of your money, but because we heard you helped the Namgung Clan, which is close to us."

"Ah, I see. It would have been even better if you had come to help back then. I suppose it was not because of money that you could not help us, but because the timing did not work out?"

"...Brat. Did you come here to trade insults with me?"

"No. Let's discuss business."

"Before that, you."

Jegal Jeong pointed at the attendant.

"Could you not even write a dispatch application properly before submitting a document like this?"

Jegal Jeong flung the papers at the attendant. They struck the attendant's face and fell to the floor.

"You need to write down the name of the dispatch target and the duration!"

"N-no, this guest said the person was not on the list here and that he would explain it in person."

"Not on this list?"

Jegal Jeong looked toward the hundreds of name plaques displayed along one wall of the reception room.

They listed everyone the Jegal Clan currently had active and available for dispatch.

"Brat, what is it that you want?"

I glanced at the man seated beside Jegal Jeong before answering.

"Jegal Cheongi. The dispatch period will be five years."

The middle-aged man flinched and stared intently at my face.

Perhaps noticing his reaction, Jegal Jeong cleared his throat and continued.

"I do not know how you came to know that child, but he is not an official formation adept."

"That doesn't matter."

"...It does matter. It does not comply with our clan's rules..."

"Also, when I showed you two hundred gold taels, I meant that I would pay two hundred gold taels every year."

"..."

Jegal Jeong loved money.

After completing his mandatory service in the Martial Alliance, he had returned to the clan faster than anyone else while others remained in the Martial Alliance to pursue success. Even in his youth, he had known that the position overseeing the dispatch and management of formation adepts handled the most money within the clan.

"I heard you like money."

Jegal Jeong's stunned face flushed bright red.

Then the middle-aged man, who had remained quiet until now, cautiously spoke.

"May I ask what you intend to use Cheongi for?"

He was Jegal Hyeonun, the current Clan Head of the Jegal Clan and Jegal Somyeong's son.

"Please speak comfortably. If the Jegal Clan's Clan Head speaks to me so formally, people will criticize me."

"Ahem. Very well. What do you intend to use Cheongi for?"

"The Taeul Sect currently has no defensive facilities. I intend to entrust that matter to him."

"But... Cheongi's studies of arcane formations are lacking."

That was impossible.

Jegal Cheongi was a genius in literary pursuits on the same level as Yong Soa.

He simply had no interest in studying them. Even if he began studying now, Jegal Cheongi would surely surpass every formation master in the Jegal Clan in the shortest possible time.

"What I intend to entrust to him is not an arcane formation, so you needn't worry."

"..."

Jegal Jeong and Jegal Hyeonun looked at each other.

Then Jegal Jeong frowned.

"Do you mean to install mechanisms? No! Those crude things are devices that injure people."

At present, Mechanism Formations were considered insignificant compared to arcane formations.

Yet Jegal Cheongi's Mechanism Formations would one day become a new concept that overturned that perception.

"Furthermore, that child is locked in Golden Prison for the crime of severely injuring someone with mechanisms. That makes dispatching him even more impossible."

"Isn't it natural for people to be injured during experiments? Can someone be locked in Golden Prison over something like that?"

According to Jegal Cheongi, the reason he had been imprisoned in Golden Prison was that all the formation masters in the clan disliked the Mechanism Formations he created. This was the point I was pressing.

Jegal Jeong's expression grew increasingly displeased.

"Even if Jegal Cheongi's Mechanism Formations cause casualties at the Taeul Sect, the Taeul Sect will take full responsibility. If you wish, I'll even write a contract."

"..."

Jegal Jeong looked at Jegal Hyeonun as if demanding that he say something.

Yet Jegal Hyeonun somehow seemed to be taking my side.

He continued observing me, then spoke to Jegal Jeong.

"From everything I have heard so far, as Clan Head, I don't think I can refuse."

"Clan Head!"

"Isn't it natural for people to be injured during experiments? The Sichuan Tang Clan has dozens of people poisoned every month. Without such trial and error, would we not become stagnant as well?"

Jegal Hyeonun looked at me.

"Moreover, if we can experiment with Mechanism Formations through the Taeul Sect, it will be an opportunity to broaden the scope of Mechanism Formations. I see no reason to reject this. Still, the final authority over dispatches belongs to the Grand Elder, so I ask that you keep that in mind."

He had used words such as "keep in mind" and "ask," but Jegal Jeong could not easily dismiss them.

The Clan Head had already supplied a justification, and although the Elders Hall had unanimously decided to send Jegal Cheongi to Golden Prison, Jegal Cheongi was still Jegal Hyeonun's youngest son.

"Ahem..."

Jegal Jeong's eyes darted around as he tried to come up with something.

"If the Clan Head insists, then it must be done. But the Jegal Clan only accepts clients who meet our standards, does it not? Unfortunately, the Taeul Sect does not meet those standards."

Jegal Jeong leisurely waved his fan modeled after the white-feather fan.

Though I knew what that standard was, I asked anyway.

"What standard is that?"

Jegal Jeong sneered.

"Being an existing client of the Jegal Clan."

This was one reason the Jegal Clan's name was considered the greatest under heaven.

The Jegal Clan even chose who was allowed to pay them money.

"That is a completely absurd and contradictory standard."

"If you met the standard, the Jegal Clan would have already sent you an invitation."

People of the martial world often used an invitation from the Jegal Clan as one measure of a sect's strength.

By doing so, the Jegal Clan made its name more valuable than gold.

"Hmm... Then it seems the Taeul Sect will have to wait longer."