WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Chen
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◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈
Chapter 528: The Monster That Feeds on Despair (13)
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The Martial World Corps? And they were going after the Black Path?
I quickly heightened my energy sense.
If the Demonic Cult had driven people into a place like this long ago, their next move would be to fill them with demonic qi.
How many Academy students had died from demonic qi poisoning in Mukrim?
“...?”
Yet I couldn't sense any demonic qi.
The cave was filled only with stale air and the smell of moss. There wasn't the slightest trace of demonic qi.
Did that mean the White Path martial artists, obsessed with sweeping away demons and eliminating evil, had decided to wipe out the Black Path while they had the chance?
At a time when the Demonic Cult's jiangshi and demonic beings were targeting us?
“Crazy bastards...”
I sprang from my seat and rushed out.
Using the Peerless Wanderer Divine Art, I quickly crossed the Central Wing and found a large crowd gathered ahead.
Even from a fair distance away, I could feel their savage fighting spirit and the killing intent prickling against my skin.
‘At least they haven't started yet?’
There were no screams or sounds of weapons clashing.
I shoved my way through the crowd, ignoring the complaints from all directions.
The Martial World Corps' leadership, whom I had seen in the barracks, stood there alongside a hundred people who looked like elites. Every one of them had drawn a weapon.
It was a tense standoff, ready to erupt at any moment.
The Black Path was no different.
Gongson Pung, whom I had spoken to before, was there, as were infamous Black Path martial artists like Dongbang Seong, Sa Juncheol, and Ak Geon. They looked ready to start a war at any moment.
“What happened?”
I asked Dan Rijong, the Empty-Handed Divine Hand, who stood nearby. He glanced at me and frowned.
“Can't you see? We're on the verge of going to war with the Black Path.”
“I'm asking why.”
“There's a reason for it.”
With that, he sharply turned his head away.
This bastard had some nerve.
If he wanted to act like this, I had no choice but to show my true colors.
“Look at this fucking bastard, throwing his weight around because he's got a little authority.”
“W-What?”
Dan Rijong's face twisted at once. Just moments ago, he had openly ignored me.
“You're old enough that you can't tell shit from piss. Did you forget where I belong? I'm from the Mantong Office's direct unit. The Mantong Office. Do you think I can't have the Danli Clan investigated through them? Want me to dig up every filthy thing your clan has done? Huh?”
I had never read any records on the Danli Clan, so I didn't know much about them. But that itself meant the clan wasn't particularly powerful.
And the more middling a person's holdings, the greater their fear of loss.
It was an empty threat, but Dan Rijong's eyes immediately wavered.
“...Do you really think the Danli Clan would be shaken by a single word from you?”
No matter how fiercely he tried to bluff, he couldn't hide the emotion written all over his face.
“Hm. So you're confident, then?”
“...”
“Let's see about that.”
He outranked me in martial seniority, but I ignored that completely.
People wouldn't be afraid unless I threatened them this much. Martial artists were no different.
On the other hand, once I pushed this far, anyone without extraordinary nerve would eventually give in.
Dan Rijong had too much to lose to throw it all away over his pride.
Sure enough, he grabbed my shoulder.
“...I'm sorry.”
His apology wasn't sincere.
I knew that, which was why I ground him down even harder.
“What did you say? I couldn't hear you. You were too quiet.”
He bit down on his lip, then clasped his hands in greeting and lowered his head.
“This immature Danli has offended the Hall Master of Yuseong Hall. Please forgive me.”
That wasn't enough to make my anger fade, but this bastard wasn't the important matter right now.
“So what happened?”
“The Black Path took our food. Half of it.”
#
“Half?”
“That is correct.”
The White Path had only begun to suffer food shortages after gathering supplies, while the Black Path's food situation had been poor from the start. In a way, it was only natural.
But the Black Path was completely denying it.
“Why would we touch your food?”
“Just as expected of the Black Path. Every word out of your mouths is a lie.”
“Hmph! I'd rather starve to death than eat food your hands have touched!”
“Why don't you wipe the jerky grease from your lips before you speak?”
At the Light-Fingered Fist Saint Gong Choryang's words, the corners of Gongson Pung's eyes twitched.
“Stop talking shit! You secretly ate it yourself, then pinned the crime on us to get away with it. Do you think we don't know?”
The two were around the same age and rivals in fist and leg arts. Their names were often mentioned together in the martial world.
That rivalry had become oil poured onto the flames in the worst possible situation.
“Fine. Today, this place will become the grave of the White Tiger Fist Guest.”
“Hmph! You'll be buried in the same tomb as the Sword Sovereign you admire so much. Nothing could be better.”
As soon as the two finished speaking, killing intent erupted in earnest.
Clang, clang, clang!
Both the Black Path and White Path drew their weapons and prepared for battle.
Even those who wanted to avoid a fight had no choice but to raise their weapons.
The situation had gone too far. Whether they wanted to fight or not, they would have to.
Gulp.
An icy tension filled the air as the standoff reached its breaking point.
Hummm.
A vast Buddhist aura swept through the area.
“Hup!”
“Ahem.”
The warm yet heavy energy pressed down on everyone, making both the White Path and Black Path flinch.
“Why don't we stop here?”
Cheonsim Seonsa and the monks of Shaolin Temple appeared from among the crowd.
Each of them released a clear, powerful aura, forcing back both sides.
“Benefactor Gong, it does not suit you to commit slaughter over food.”
“Venerable Master, do you not understand how urgent the current situation is?”
“I do. But if we fight here now, who will benefit in the end?”
“Then they only need to return the food they took. There will be no reason for us to fight.”
Gongson Pung shouted.
“I told you, we didn't take it!”
“See? Venerable Master, are you truly going to let their behavior pass?”
Cheonsim Seonsa looked at Gongson Pung and the other Black Path martial artists.
He met each of their eyes before turning back to Gong Choryang.
Great martial artists of the martial world were risking their lives over Fasting Pellets and dried jerky that would not even earn a glance outside.
Enemies that could attack at any moment had already sunk their fangs into their necks, yet what mattered most to them was not the jiangshi or demonic beings, but the whereabouts of shriveled jerky and tasteless Fasting Pellets.
No matter how loudly they shook heaven and earth or how greatly they could shake mountains and rivers with their fists, they were still only human. They could not escape the hunger consuming their bodies.
“Benefactor Gong, would you consider letting this matter go for the sake of the Buddha's compassion?”
Before people like them, the Buddha's teachings were nothing more than empty recitations.
“That's absurd. Are our White Path people supposed to starve to death because of Black Path scum like them?”
Even so, Cheonsim Seonsa could not stop offering guidance.
Continuing to extend a hand was also the duty of a Buddhist.
Besides, there was something suspicious about this matter.
“Still, we cannot force the issue without proof. How about Shaolin investigates it thoroughly, then delivers judgment or uncovers any further wrongdoing?”
For the briefest moment, Gong Choryang's eyes wavered.
Things were probably not unfolding as he wanted.
“...”
Cheonsim Seonsa took another step back.
Those who wanted to flee needed an open path before they could do so.
“How about this? Shaolin will bear the cost of the lost food. Once we leave this place, Shaolin Temple will compensate you.”
“...”
Gong Choryang, who had been burning with rage moments ago, suddenly looked as though he had been doused with cold water.
“...What kind of compensation are you talking about?”
“More compensation than Benefactor Gong is imagining.”
Gulp.
After pondering for a moment, Gong Choryang spoke to Gongson Pung.
“You're fortunate. Thanks to the Buddha's grace, you have escaped both hunger and death. Live the rest of your life grateful to the Buddha.”
Gong Choryang and the other members of the Martial World Corps turned and left.
“Hmph! Do you think I don't know this is another one of your acts?”
“Amitabha.”
Cheonsim Seonsa pressed his palms together toward Gongson Pung and the other Black Path martial artists, but they did not return his greeting.
#
The Martial World Corps reorganized its personnel.
They selected only elites from among the White Path and used them to establish a boundary between the Martial World Corps and the rest of the White Path.
The Martial World Corps kept a considerable distance from the White Path, preventing the others from approaching.
Everyone protested the sudden separation, but they could not refuse when told it was to protect the food.
Then the Martial World Corps announced that anyone who disobeyed its orders would receive no food rations due to the reduced supply. After that, no one could protest.
The White Path martial artists began volunteering to join the Martial World Corps.
With food so scarce, those who joined the Martial World Corps could at least receive small but guaranteed food rations.
But the Martial World Corps did not readily accept new members.
“What brings you here?”
Dang Suje and the other members of the Tang Clan had also come over to our side.
“The Martial World Corps advised us to stop treating people as well.”
They claimed their limited medicine should be saved for the elites and ordered the Tang Clan not to treat even ordinary martial artists.
So Dang Suje had brought every member of the Tang Clan over to us.
“This is madness. At this rate, not only the White Path, but the entire Central Wing will become a massive burial ground.”
Dang Suje's words were all too plausible, sending a chill down my spine.
Three more days passed.
People in the Central Wing began eating mushrooms and moss.
The Tang Clan forbade anyone from eating moss whose safety had not been verified, but hunger could not be overcome so easily.
People ate moss and suffered stomach pains. Some lost their minds after eating unidentified mushrooms.
Unable to overlook the situation any longer, I went to find Do Gwangsu.
“Tell me which moss is edible and which isn't.”
Do Gwangsu had survived for some time after entering the Sword Tomb by eating moss and drinking groundwater. At the very least, he should be able to tell the difference.
“Are you very hungry?”
Do Gwangsu looked worried, then took five Fasting Pellets and ten pieces of jerky from his clothes.
“Please, eat.”
“...?”
What was this?
The Martial World Corps was currently rationing one Fasting Pellet per person each day.
What Do Gwangsu held in his hands was enough for five days. No, it was more like a week's worth of rations.
“Where did you get this?”
“...”
Do Gwangsu's eyes rolled around like a puppy caught doing something wrong.
“I'm not going to scold you for stealing. But if you're giving me this much, doesn't that mean you have more?”
“...”
“Did you search corpses again?”
“Oh, no. Don't say that. You should never eat food found on corpses. You'll immediately go mad.”
After agonizing over it for a while, Do Gwangsu finally spoke.
“Actually... I took it from the Martial World Corps.”
As he spoke, Do Gwangsu held out a small bundle.
It was full of Fasting Pellets and jerky.
“Don't tell me you were the one who stole half the Martial World Corps' food?”
“Goodness, what are you saying? Do I look like I've got that much nerve? I took this two days ago.”
That made no sense.
If the Martial World Corps knew that much food had disappeared, there should have been an uproar. So why was everything so quiet?
“Actually, the Martial World Corps' food never decreased.”
“What do you mean?”
“I've been going back and forth to the warehouse since the first day I came to the Central Wing. Even on the day they said half of it disappeared, the food was all still there.”
“...”
Then why had the Martial World Corps caused such an uproar as though they were about to fight a battle to the death?
And why had they been starving both the Black Path and the White Path?
“Get up.”
“Yes?”
“Let's check that food.”
If Do Gwangsu was telling the truth, I could not keep waiting for the Martial World Corps to make a decision.
“Not now. Since the day they said the food went missing, they doubled the guards. If we enter at the wrong time, they'll cut off our heads.”
As he said, the Martial World Corps had been casually slaughtering anyone who crossed the boundary since that day.
“Then when?”
“Let's go around Tiger Hour[1]. Perhaps the guards assigned then are all people who fell behind in the competition, so they're nothing but feeble, sickly stragglers.”
Do Gwangsu was still Do Gwangsu.
I was about to pat his shoulder because he was being useful for once...
“Heek!”
I lowered my hand.
“W-Why are you raising your hand...?”
“...”
From then on, we waited for Tiger Hour without saying another word.
[1] Tiger Hour: the traditional Chinese time period from roughly 3:00 to 5:00 a.m.
Footnotes:
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