WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Chen
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈
Chapter 464: The Anxiety of Goodness
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As the Ice Flower Witch climbed the hill, she caught the scent of iron.
‘The smell of blood?’
Only now did she understand why she had been puzzled to hear that they had gathered at the blood venom.
Today was the day Naeng Okhwan would be “born again.”
On the other hand, she could not hide her disappointment.
‘Tch, I missed such a good show.’
The more urgently she moved, the thicker the scent of blood became.
As the pleasant, fishy scent filled her nose, she sharpened her hearing and began to pick up intermittent screams.
Realizing it was not over yet, she picked up speed. Before long, she became a streak of wind and arrived at the blood venom.
“I told you not to do it while I was gone!”
She grumbled as she leaned over the edge to look down.
A colossal pit one hundred jang across and ten jang deep.
“Ohhh...”
It had been dyed bright red.
What stained the pit red was none other than human blood.
“Kyaaaah!”
The entire enormous pit was filled with the fishy stench of human blood.
“What? Is it already almost over?”
Inside the pit, brutally discarded corpses lay piled like mountains.
It seemed the Rebirth had already begun.
“A-Aaaagh!”
Some desperately swung weapons, unleashed palm force, and fired finger wind as they struggled to survive.
But Naeng Okhwan, already “dead,” moved with nimble footwork as though they knew every attack in advance. They dodged them all before tearing into their opponents’ throats.
Splurt!
Three fountains of blood burst into the air.
It was a spectacle.
Beauty itself.
The sensation rising from her waist soon threw her mind into a frenzy.
The Ice Flower Witch shuddered all over and let out a low moan without realizing it.
‘I’m going to lose my mind...’
How long had she restrained herself from killing just to witness this sight?
Yet with nearly three hundred corpses piled in the pit, the end was beginning to come into view.
That only made her disappointment sharper.
The Ice Flower Witch glared at Jang Ogeuk.
“Did you think I was joking? Why did you start already?”
“...”
For some reason, Jang Ogeuk, who normally would have grumbled and talked back several times, kept their mouth shut and did not take their eyes off the blood venom.
Feeling that something was strange, she looked around. The other Seven Demon Wisdom Lords, no, the members who were now the Five Demon Wisdom Lords, were all staring stiffly as well.
‘That bastard Geomgun has always been like that.’
Even Gan Seung, who had grown more excitable after Naeng Okhwan died, was merely scratching the back of their neck.
“What in the...”
The instant she sensed something was wrong.
“Who told you to be late?”
“...!”
A familiar voice sent a chill down the Ice Flower Witch’s spine.
“H-Heavenly Demon Reincarnation...”
“Ah, stop. I slipped out without anyone knowing, so keep it down.”
“...”
The Little Demon’s command seemed to carry such force that it immobilized even her instincts.
“I ordered them to begin early because I have plans afterward. Hmm, you should have received word.”
“Y-Yes, sir.”
“Where have you been?”
“I-I went to the Demon Physician Pavilion after hearing that a Demon Spirit Flower had awakened there...”
“Oh?”
The Little Demon, who had been looking down at the blood venom, turned toward the Ice Flower Witch.
“On its own?”
“Yes. It has been confirmed that there were no other external stimuli.”
“Hmm... The old men of the Protectorate Court will be pleased. They’ll go on about it being a sign that the time has come.”
The Little Demon smiled.
“How did it awaken?”
“We believe the Demon Spirit Flower may have been stimulated while the Mount Mao Sect was being placed on the Death List.”
“Is that so? What happened to the Mount Mao Sect? Was it made a target of the purge operation?”
The Ice Flower Witch swallowed.
A half-success was no different from failure.
“The Mount Mao Sect... ultimately escaped destruction.”
“News the Demon Brain won’t like.”
The Little Demon turned their gaze back to the blood venom as though they had lost interest.
Still, she could not allow the Divine Cult’s failure to remain in the Little Demon’s mind.
The Ice Flower Witch hurriedly continued.
“The Heavenly Brain Pavilion said they would personally deal with the Mount Mao Sect and the Taeul Sect this time, so there is no need for concern.”
“...?”
The Ice Flower Witch cautiously turned her head.
At some point, the Little Demon’s gaze had returned to her.
No, not to her...
“The Taeul Sect? Why has the Taeul Sect suddenly come up?”
Only then did the Ice Flower Witch realize her mistake.
Was the Taeul Sect not one of the Little Demon’s few interests?
Still, trying to scheme her way out of it now would be foolish.
The Little Demon had not risen to that position solely because they possessed martial arts powerful enough to shake heaven and earth.
“...It is said that Jin Sowoon and his fellow disciples prevented the Mount Mao Sect’s destruction.”
“Hah? It wasn’t easy to make the Mount Mao Sect a purge target of the Martial Alliance, and he stopped that too?”
She had surely offended the Little Demon.
The Ice Flower Witch hastily bowed her head.
“I-I apologize...”
“Wow.”
The Little Demon’s face held...
“That is very interesting. Very interesting.”
...a hint of admiration instead.
“That boy really does interfere with the Divine Cult’s work in all sorts of ways. Ha ha.”
Before the Little Demon had even finished speaking, Sigun, Gwanggun, Geomgun, and Gwongun dropped to one knee beside the Ice Flower Witch.
““““Give us your command.””””
““““We will eliminate him.””””
At the Five Demon Wisdom Lords’ resolute cry, the Little Demon looked down at the blood venom with an indifferent expression.
Crack. Crack.
Sagun Naeng Okhwan had finally begun Bone Reforging and Rebirth amid the slaughter.
The Little Demon watched the scene listlessly, then casually asked the Ice Flower Witch a question.
“Did you hear what happened afterward?”
“Ah... The Martial Alliance came, but they went back as though they had been driven out. It is also said that Mount Mao allowed no one except the Taeul Sect to attend the funeral.”
“Hmm... So they will unseal their spell arts after all.”
A soft, irregular melody escaped the Little Demon’s lips.
It was a rare sight.
That was how the Little Demon reacted whenever something they truly wanted happened.
“They will distance themselves from the Martial Alliance.”
With the small fragments of information the Ice Flower Witch had given them, the Little Demon began to foresee what lay ahead.
“But they cannot survive such perilous circumstances alone, so they will seek trustworthy comrades.”
As though it were nothing.
As though the Little Demon were certain it would naturally happen.
“The Taeul Sect is in a similar situation.”
“...”
“Hmm... This will be interesting.”
The Little Demon snapped their fingers.
The Ice Flower Witch stepped forward.
“Tell the Heavenly Brain Pavilion to leave Mount Mao and Taeul alone.”
The Little Demon even smiled as though they were truly delighted.
That smile only made the Little Demon more chilling.
“The two will form an alliance. Tell them to find a way to support them.”
“...”
She could not question the order, but she could express doubt.
Silence was one way to express it.
The Little Demon cheerfully answered her unspoken question.
“A powerful rising force will destroy the existing order. When order falls, chaos comes. And is chaos not the Divine Cult’s greatest nourishment?”
Had the Little Demon thought that far ahead?
Still, it seemed unreasonable to call an alliance of only two sects a rising force.
“Jin Sowoon will swallow the White Path. Like a snake trying to swallow prey larger than its own body. He is exactly that kind of man.”
The Little Demon spoke with certainty and anticipation.
“I do not know whether his jaws will split and kill him, or whether we will hunt him down first. But for now, I intend to let him try swallowing it.”
If the Little Demon had spoken, no further doubts were needed.
“Yes, sir!”
““““Yes, sir!””””
They only needed to obey.
The Little Demon soon wiped the smile from their face and looked down at the blood venom indifferently.
Naeng Okhwan was shedding their old shell and being born into a new body.
#
Mount Mao quickly regained its vitality.
To be precise, it was not vitality. There was no laughter within the Mount Mao Sect.
It was a fierce determination masquerading as vitality.
Everyone moved with clear eyes.
They were assigned grueling work and followed orders without anyone voicing complaints or lamenting how difficult it was.
Whenever they rested, they stared blankly at one spot. Then, when it was time to work again, they moved as though possessed.
They cleared away the remains of burned buildings and removed the ruined training grounds.
Any building that was intact was left standing, while even slightly damaged buildings were torn down.
Nearly two hundred carpenters were summoned from Zhenjiang and Nanjing.
The first thing the carpenters built was not the Sect Leader’s Hall or the Heaven and Earth Hall, but walls.
“If we’re repairing the stable after the cow has already escaped, shouldn’t we make sure it’s properly defended?”
Yu Jiryang took command of the Boundless Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation that would be newly built at Mount Mao.
The Mount Mao Sect did not leave Mount Mao.
They did not seek shelter elsewhere while the buildings were being constructed.
They erected large numbers of tents in the courtyard and Grand Training Ground, spread blankets on the ground, and slept there.
No one complained.
Once all the tents had been erected, we left the Mount Mao Sect.
The people who had taken part in the construction and cared for the injured came to see us off. Even the injured themselves came.
“Please tell them that I will visit the Taeul Sect as soon as the sect’s affairs are settled.”
“Understood.”
Gu Songbaek’s movements had become natural now that he was getting used to his prosthetic leg.
His only remaining eye shone with life.
“Also, this is a reward for the heroes who saved Mount Mao.”
“Pardon?”
Behind Gu Songbaek, members of the Mount Mao Sect emerged in pairs, carrying a total of five large chests.
The day before, I had already received a generous sum in bank drafts for travel expenses, so I smiled... no, I could not hide my confusion.
The amount written on those drafts was enough to travel the world in luxury and still have money left over.
It seemed the saying that all the martial world’s money flowed through Mount Mao was true after all.
I recovered my composure and bowed my head.
“I didn’t do this in hopes of receiving such payment.”
Showing such obvious greed for wealth in front of my fellow disciples was not befitting an eldest senior brother...
“Eldest Senior Brother... Please stop shaking your shoulders...”
Ahem. It wasn’t greed.
“Ha ha, why do you speak as though this is our payment?”
Gu Songbaek, who had been looking at us, laughed heartily for the first time.
“We will repay you for this matter little by little, so do not worry. This is simply a gift for guests who visited the Mount Mao Sect.”
“If it’s a gift...”
With only a few words, Gu Songbaek put us at ease.
If they gave such gifts to everyone who visited Mount Mao, not even Mount Mao would have any wealth left. Still.
“Then we will gratefully accept.”
The large chests were loaded onto the carriage prepared by the Mount Mao Sect.
“What are you doing? Offer your thanks.”
At my words, my fellow disciples clasped their fists and bowed together.
The Mount Mao Sect members returned the gesture.
“Then we will see you again soon.”
“Travel safely.”
The chests were loaded into the middle of the carriage, and we each took seats on either side.
For some reason, Geumpyo did not seem inclined to get in.
That kid had really been acting strange lately.
“Geumpyo, what are you doing?”
“Ah... Um, well...”
Geumpyo nervously paced in circles, then was about to climb into the carriage with slumped shoulders when...
“Wait!”
A clear voice rang out, and a young woman with a familiar face rushed out from among the Mount Mao Sect members.
I knew her too.
“Ok Hwajeong?”
“Oh, Lady Ok!”
“Lady Ok?”
All of us fellow disciples tilted our heads in confusion.
“Huff, huff, I thought you had already left! You scared me!”
“I-I’ve been looking for you too...”
What was this situation?
“Were you really planning to leave without saying anything?”
“N-No. Never.”
What were these two?
“Hey, Geum... Urk.”
I tried to speak to Geumpyo, but Saryeon pinched me, so I quietly shut my mouth.
Not that it mattered. Geumpyo and Ok Hwajeong were so wrapped up in their own world that they did not even notice us.
“If you had just left, then really...!”
Ok Hwajeong shot Geumpyo a sharp look, pulled a jade ornament from her robes, and broke it in half.
“Once Mount Mao has settled down, I’ll go to the Martial Alliance. You can keep this until then, right?”
Geumpyo looked down at the jade ornament for a moment, then clenched it tightly in their hand.
“Of course, Lady Ok.”
“Travel safely.”
“You too... please take care of your health.”
After that brief exchange, the two finally seemed to realize they were surrounded by countless people and covered their faces with their hands.
“I don’t know!”
With her face bright red, Ok Hwajeong ran away.
“...”
“...Let’s, ahem, get going.”
The coachman set the horses in motion, and my fellow disciples and I remained silent for a long while.
I was the one who finally spoke first.
“...So there was a reason you hadn’t shown yourself at all while we were at the Mount Mao Sect.”
“Senior Brother, be quiet.”
Saryeon stopped me, and I closed my mouth.
But Eunho soon spoke up.
“Brother, making the woman confess first is a bit... Well, it isn’t very manly.”
“That’s true. It was definitely not very manly.”
Saryeon added her opinion, and I quickly joined in.
“Tch, what a pathetic fool. He doesn’t even understand a woman’s heart.”
Naturally, I expected my fellow disciples to burst out laughing too.
“...”
“...”
“...”
“...”
For some reason, my fellow disciples were all staring at me with the eyes of stone Buddhas.
“What? Why are you all looking at me so disrespectfully?”
I truly could not understand why.
Footnotes:
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