WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Chen
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◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈
Chapter 476: Searching for Evidence (6)
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A letter arrived from the Martial Alliance.
It said they had begun investigating Tanghyeon Sect, praised our efforts, and promised not to spare their support, along with a great deal of other nonsense.
The letter’s true purpose was written at the end.
Chaos in the martial world was worsening by the day, and the Alliance itself was shaken by the Black Officer incident, so we were to proceed carefully with the inspections while also bringing matters to a swift conclusion...
They wanted us to move slowly, but also quickly and accurately.
In short, it was a long-winded letter that could be summarized as:
[The Martial Alliance is fucked right now. If you screw this up, it’ll be even more fucked.]
Even the investigation into Tanghyeon Sect, the first sect on our list, had been extremely difficult. Gwak Susan’s face was full of worry.
“It feels like the burden has multiplied several times over.”
It made sense. He had recently heard that Mount Cang Sect had withdrawn its people from the Martial Alliance.
Rumor had it they had temporarily recalled their members to strengthen the sect’s internal foundation...
‘What a load of bullshit.’
Expanding their influence within the Martial Alliance was the best way to broaden their sect’s influence. Considering that, their excuse was absurdly contradictory.
‘The man who had colluded with Hu Ilsik was said to be a Mount Cang Sect disciple.’
Their official announcement differed, but the real reason for Mount Cang Sect’s actions was that one of their disciples had been accused of being a spy and killed.
They were probably using this as a chance to gauge their own influence as well.
The letter did not state it outright, but the fact that they had bothered to include things that did not need to be said showed that the atmosphere within the Martial Alliance was gradually shifting in another direction.
‘Mount Cang Sect is testing the waters.’
Mount Cang Sect would move first, watch public opinion, then pin all its past mistakes on the Martial Alliance.
They might even call themselves reborn, like an insect shedding its skin, and treat the Martial Alliance as nothing more than an old shell.
It was nothing new.
In my previous life, the Martial Alliance had blundered during the Sichuan Bloodbath. Then, at the beginning of the Orthodox-Demonic War, it had failed to unite because Jegal Somyeong was absent. Before long, it began breaking apart from within.
The Orthodox Hall founded by the Orthodox Society. The White Path Hall formed by the White Path Society. Finally, the Hundred Eight Hall, created much later.
Those three combat pavilions had become symbols of the Martial Alliance’s downfall.
‘There’s no way I’m going to stand by and watch that shit happen again.’
Judging by how things were unfolding, they were shifting the blame for this entire situation onto others.
What I hated most was that I was one of their targets.
The Dragon-Phoenix Association’s failed mission would surely make a fine excuse.
When Ilgak escaped the net with Shaolin Temple backing him, wearing an apologetic expression, I would probably be left hanging from a pillar, abandoned, as I watched him go. That damned bald bastard.
I had not known why they asked me to join the Dragon-Phoenix Association at first, but after seeing how matters were unfolding, I understood now.
Those people high above were using their fingers and filthy mouths to toy with the peace of the martial world and people’s lives for their own sake.
In the first place, it did not matter how many sects vanished under false accusations or how many became traitors after learning Blood Cult arts.
What mattered was who would hold greater power and influence after this chaos passed.
All while failing to realize that the Demonic Cult’s sharpened blade might already be aimed at our throats.
“Then we can’t afford to make any mistakes.”
“Pardon?”
Gwak Susan, who had no way of knowing how serious the situation was, wore a blank expression.
“Where are we going next?”
“Chang-eung Sect. They specialize in raising courier hawks...”
“I know what kind of sect they are.”
There was something those bastards did not know.
I would never make a mistake during this inspection.
“We can just give them a quick look and move on.”
“What do you mean, give them a quick look?”
“It is a sect that got rich raising courier hawks. They never intended to join the One Hundred Eight Peaks in the first place.”
The list of sects that had disappeared in my previous life was clear in my mind, as were the sects that had fought desperately during the Orthodox-Demonic War.
Many things had changed in this life, but the greater flow would not have changed. Human nature did not shift so easily with minor changes in circumstance.
“Let’s go!”
“Azure Dragon Pavilion asked us to meet them first.”
“At Azure Dragon Pavilion?”
“Yes. They said there might be matters to adjust concerning the schedule ahead...”
It seemed they were quite unhappy that we had handed Tanghyeon Sect over to the branch.
“Hmm...”
Meeting Azure Dragon Pavilion right away was not a particularly good idea.
Azure Dragon Pavilion was firmly under the influence of the Orthodox Society, and Yong Soa was there as well.
The question was whether Gwak Susan, who handled matters by the book, could ignore Azure Dragon Pavilion’s request.
“Hmm... Do you think Azure Dragon Pavilion really wants to meet us just to adjust the schedule?”
“Pardon?”
“No, I mean, they must be furious over what happened. Isn’t it a little strange for them to ask to meet as if nothing happened?”
“...”
“They have every reason to be angry that we took their work from them.”
Gwak Susan’s face gradually turned pale.
I gave him a light push from behind.
“Why not let us handle this ourselves first? The Dragon-Phoenix Association will bear the responsibility anyway. It would be ridiculous to sit there and listen to Azure Dragon Pavilion tell us what to do.”
“That is...”
Remembering my experience from my previous life, I added, “Just remember this. The worst kind of commander is one who gets pulled in every direction and makes mistakes because of it.”
“Me... a commander?”
“Who else would be the Dragon-Phoenix Association’s commander if not its Society Leader?”
Gwak Susan looked dazed, as though he had suddenly realized something.
“Me, in command...”
I knew he was shy, but I had not expected him to lack confidence as well.
I quickly encouraged him.
“Did you think I appointed you Unit Leader of the Fourth Group of the Life-or-Death Unit because I had a grudge against Jongnam Sect?”
“Pardon? ...Well, that...”
“No. It was because I saw talent for command in you.”
“Talent... What kind of talent?”
“Ahem. What kind of talent, you ask...”
The truth was that I had given Jongnam Sect’s youngest disciple the position because I could not stand those rude Jongnam disciples, but there was no need to tell him that.
I placed a hand on Gwak Susan’s shoulder.
“Society Leader. What matters now is whether you prove yourself as a commander.”
“R-right.”
“Then make your decision!”
When I slapped him on the back, his dazed eyes gradually gained strength.
“Whew. I have decided. We will focus on what we need to do first.”
“Good! You really do have the qualities of a commander!”
“Qualities... A commander... Hyah!”
With renewed vigor, Gwak Susan turned the Dragon-Phoenix Association’s horses toward Chang-eung Sect.
“...Another pitiful benefactor has fallen prey to evil whispers. Amitabha.”
The bald man muttered something incomprehensible from behind us, but the horses’ hooves did not stop.
#
“They passed by another one without even stopping?”
Great Hall Master Hwang Seoyul of Azure Dragon Pavilion deeply furrowed their brow.
This was already the third time.
The Dragon-Phoenix Association had not even visited a sect under inspection before judging it free of suspicion of forbidden arts and Blood Cult techniques.
It was bad enough that they moved without coordinating with Azure Dragon Pavilion, despite being expected to seek its cooperation. At this point, it could practically be considered dereliction of duty.
Still...
“Are they really such idiots that they know nothing?”
This Dragon-Phoenix Association differed completely from those that came before it.
It had been granted the authority to conduct inspections, and with authority came responsibility, whether it wanted it or not.
In the current situation, responsibility would not simply mean receiving poor personnel evaluation scores.
Even Hwang Seoyul, who had nothing to do with it, felt dizzy just thinking about it.
“Hmm... This Dragon-Phoenix Association is made up entirely of people we have never met.”
They had sent a letter in hopes of becoming acquainted, but after being ignored again and again, they were now afraid to send another one.
If they were ignored again, it would not just damage their position as Great Hall Master. They would lose face as a senior member of the Martial Alliance.
“Come to think of it, Jin Sowoon joined them.”
Hwang Seoyul remembered meeting him once after the Blood Cult incident.
“He seemed like a pretty sharp kid when I saw him then.”
“Who do you mean?”
At the Hall Master’s question, Hwang Seoyul shook their head as if it were nothing.
“It is not important. Come to think of it, Yong Soa met Jin Sowoon at Mount Mao, correct?”
“Yes. That was why he joined our side.”
“Where is Yong Soa?”
“...Did you forget? You sent him to subjugate a bandit stronghold.”
“Ah!”
Some slash-and-burn settlers from a village that had temporarily lent them space had tearfully begged for help, so Hwang Seoyul had sent several members along with Yong Soa.
‘I wanted to assess his skill as well.’
It was a chance to see just how capable the greatest genius in history truly was.
In any case, a Great Hall Master needed to know their subordinates’ abilities to use them effectively.
“Will it take another three days or so?”
“Three days? Even with ten people, how could they clear out a five-hundred-man bandit stronghold in only three days without support? Preparation alone will take a week.”
“Right? I should have sent more people with them.”
They needed to come up with a plan for the Dragon-Phoenix Association right away, but because of their own mistake, all they could do was wait.
Then a commotion broke out outside the tent.
“What is it?”
When Hwang Seoyul stepped out, the Azure Dragon Pavilion members waiting around idly were all staring in one direction.
Then...
“Huh?”
Where everyone was looking...
“What the...?”
Yong Soa and the members who should have been in the middle of subjugating a bandit stronghold were walking toward them.
“The mission has been completed.”
“What?”
Hwang Seoyul’s gaze naturally shifted toward the members.
They might have been ordinary members, but each possessed enough experience and skill to become a Hall Master.
Yet they were completely exhausted, trudging behind Yong Soa.
Hwang Seoyul had deliberately assigned experienced people to curb Yong Soa’s pride, but it looked as though the members had returned with their own pride crushed instead.
“We cleared the bandit stronghold you mentioned.”
“...”
For the first time, Hwang Seoyul truly understood what it meant to be a genius without equal in history.
Even without seeing the battle personally, the helpless expressions of the members and their limp, drooping shoulders made it easy to imagine the immense wall they had encountered.
“Is there anything else you need?”
That indifferent tone was still difficult to get used to, but Hwang Seoyul soon shook off the confusion and regained their composure.
No matter how formidable Yong Soa appeared, and no matter how much it felt like they might be swallowed whole if they made one wrong move, Hwang Seoyul was still his superior.
It was a superior’s duty to remain composed.
“The Dragon-Phoenix Association has slipped away from us again and is acting on its own. Their Society Leader is impossible to figure out.”
Yong Soa answered as if he already knew.
“It is not the Society Leader’s intention. It is the scheme of the person traveling with him.”
Yong Soa spoke with certainty, as though he had witnessed it himself.
The wording was somewhat strange, but Hwang Seoyul did not pay it much mind.
After all, if anything was strange, it was Yong Soa’s flat, emotionless way of speaking.
“The person traveling with him... Are you talking about Jin Sowoon?”
Hwang Seoyul already knew Ilgak did not have that sort of disposition.
“Jin Sowoon is deliberately avoiding us?”
“He has always handled matters as he pleases, and he will continue to do so.”
“Tsk... Should we really just let this go?”
“And in the end, he will make a mistake.”
“Hm?”
Hwang Seoyul still could not get used to Yong Soa’s way of speaking.
Yet somehow, it was easy to accept and move on.
The Poison King spoke strangely too, and it was true that people who trained martial arts alone for a long time tended to lose social skills.
“That mistake will bring about a great disaster.”
A strange manner of speaking did not make the meaning behind the words any less clear.
For some reason, Yong Soa’s words sounded deeply serious to Hwang Seoyul.
Footnotes:
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