WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Chen
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◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈
Chapter 530: The Monster That Feeds on Despair (15)
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Betrayal and deception leave the deepest scars on the human heart.
That is true of money and power as well, but especially when someone is betrayed with their life on the line.
“Aaaargh!”
People feel even greater rage than when they realize they are about to die.
“Don’t come near me! I said don’t come near me!”
Those who had protected the Martial Group became targets for that rage.
They had originally been selected as the Martial Group’s elite and possessed considerable martial skill. Yet that meant nothing against a large group of people who had lost their heads.
Their opponents were weak, injured, and suffering from internal wounds.
“Guaaagh!”
The first martial artist fell to a Chobeon member’s blade, but a second rushed at that Chobeon member immediately.
Then came a third, then a fourth.
Despite the impressive martial skill they had displayed, the Chobeon member could do nothing against the overwhelming numbers and sudden assault. They lost their life where they stood.
People had died in an instant, but the rage did not fade.
Once blood began to boil, it did not cool easily.
They immediately began searching for a third victim, then a fourth.
The fighting did not occur only between the abandoned Martial Group and the martial artists.
Once screams rang out and blood began to flow, those driven mad by hunger started attacking anyone with food.
Fear of death and the pain of hunger were enough to make them cast aside the dignity they had maintained as members of the White Path.
Like the Martial Group’s leaders, they abandoned their hollow chivalry and moral duty, giving themselves over to instinct.
From one side of that cruel scene, Jin Sowoon thought to himself.
If the Demonic Cult bastards had foreseen even this, he had no confidence he could defeat them no matter how many times he was reborn.
This place had become one enormous testing ground.
The cruelest possible test of humanity.
Clang, clang, clang!
Fighting spread everywhere, and no one tried to stop it.
No, some even took advantage of the chaos to search the freshly dead for even a crumb of food.
It was as if they had returned to the state they had been in before taking the Clear-Mind Spirit-Protecting Pill.
The White Path martial artists overwhelmed not only the Chobeon members but everyone with even the slightest bit of food through sheer numbers, inflicting one-sided violence upon them.
Everyone knew.
The abandoned Chobeon members and those with food were in the same situation.
They simply needed someone on whom to vent the emotions churning inside them.
Amid the horrific scenes unfolding all around them, someone dressed entirely in black martial robes appeared in the middle of the battle with absurd ease.
“Ugh, who are you?”
“Stop this.”
“Let go of me!”
“I said stop.”
“They’re on the same side as the ones who abandoned us! Are you on their side too?”
At that moment, Jin Sowoon’s fist slammed into the martial artist’s face.
Thud!
The martial artist, wild with rage, shot away like an arrow and flew three jang.
“I told you to stop!”
Jin Sowoon spoke, and silence fell in an instant.
“...”
Killing intent surged as battle intent poured toward the enemy.
Their new target for venting their anger was Jin Sowoon.
#
There had never been such a mess.
I knew it would not take long for reason to collapse, but I had not expected it to happen this quickly.
‘Then again, their resentment must have been piling up for a long time.’
White Path martial artists, people who valued dignity above all else, were shamelessly blaming others for their own mistakes.
That only meant the situation was truly at its worst.
And now, it seemed I had become the target of their anger.
“Die!”
“No!”
The Tyrant King Divine Fist shot out on its own.
Just as it had sent that enormous tent soaring toward the ceiling, the immense fist wind crushed the martial artist into a pulp and hurled them to the other side.
“Guaaargh!”
Three people raised their swords and charged at me through the martial artist’s flying body.
“Die!”
“I said no!”
I ran forward and unleashed the Tyrant King Divine Fist again.
Boom, boom, boom!
It was as though ropes had been wrapped around their bodies and yanked them back where they had come from.
Thud, thud, thud!
Apparently, I was not the only one surprised by the Tyrant King Divine Fist’s power.
The others, who had been fiercely radiating battle intent, hesitated as they watched them fly away so easily.
“Let me warn you, that was not even thirty percent of my real strength. From now on, I’m serious.”
“...”
There was some bluff in my threat, but it seemed effective.
Countless people still held hostility toward me, yet no one dared approach.
“Hall Master Jin!”
The Yuseong Hall members gathered around me.
“Gather the people here.”
I pointed at the Chobeon members.
“Huh?”
“Protect them so they don’t die.”
Only then did Nam Hwaseong take in the tattered Chobeon members and the martial artists trying to kill them.
I headed deeper inside.
Screams and curses came from every direction.
Some belonged to the Chobeon members, while others came from factions with food.
“Fuuuck!”
There were also people who did not join the fighting.
That did not mean they had remained calm.
They simply sat there in despair, unable to decide what to do, waiting for death.
Some had entrusted every bit of their food to the Martial Group and received rations in return.
They lacked martial skill but had ample resources. Except for the Investigation Unit Leader and Deputy Group Leader, everyone who had followed them had already moved elsewhere.
Now that the Martial Group had betrayed them, there was no reason to follow them any longer.
An even fiercer battle was taking place around the Martial Group’s tents, where I had escaped earlier.
“We didn’t know either!”
“Kill them!”
“I’m telling you, this has nothing to do with us!”
“Kill them!”
The one-sided conversation between those who wanted to live and those who wanted to kill continued.
I drew up a great deal of internal energy and unleashed the Lion’s Roar.
“STOOOOOOOP!”
My voice echoed off the rounded ceiling and walls, resounding through the entire cavern.
Some clutched their ears in pain.
Yet those whose blood boiled and whose reason had fled did not stop easily.
“STOOOOOOOP!”
I shouted again.
Even if they had lost their minds, a shout like that should have sounded threatening enough to make them turn their heads.
A few of the fighters looked over, but the fighting continued without pause.
‘These bastards.’
They were probably hearing me and choosing not to listen.
The Sojeong Unit had taught me that when your voice could not reach someone, you had to speak with your fists as well.
“I SAID STOP, YOU BASTARDS!”
Three martial artists flew three jang from the Tyrant King Divine Fist at twenty percent power and crashed into the wall.
Thud, thud, thud!
“I SAID STOP! STOOOP!”
The Tyrant King Divine Fist struck again, and five people collapsed while vomiting blood.
“I said stop! Why won’t you listen?!”
As people began falling alongside my shouts, those who had been enraged turned their attention toward me.
No matter how far reason had fled, people could not endure their own pain.
If venting rage was human, then setting that rage aside in the face of pain was just as human.
“Were you part of the Martial Group too?”
“We ended up like this because we followed orders, and now you’re telling us to follow orders again?”
I did not draw my sword on purpose.
My goal was to stop them, not kill them.
Thud, thud, thud!
For some reason, I felt like using the Tyrant King Divine Fist would be fine.
Even if my hands were damaged, the Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Bear’s energy would restore them.
I struck their saber and sword respectively with the Tyrant King Divine Fist.
Crunch!
Their weapons became scrap metal in an instant.
‘What was that? Were they using cheap weapons?’
I continued my “persuasion.”
“I! Said! Stop!”
Thud, thud, thud!
Those struck respectively in the face, solar plexus, and abdomen lost consciousness and fell.
“Huh... He defeated the Scattered Blossom Divine Saber and Little Tiger Sword in a single move...”
“Was the Black Flame Dragon always this strong...?”
I had to suppress the chaos as quickly as possible.
If more people died, things would truly reach a point of no return.
“Stop it!”
To do that, I had no choice but to wield a little “persuasion.”
And the “tool of persuasion” I was using now was quite powerful, so the effect appeared quickly.
Thud, thud, thud!
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
The more I used the Tyrant King Divine Fist, the more marvelous it felt.
At first, I had mainly avoided the edges of their weapons by a hair and struck their sides. Now, I felt as though I could face blades coated in sword qi head-on.
Its destructive power was also wonderfully clean.
It shot forward in a straight line, honestly and precisely, with exactly as much strength as I wanted.
Each time I used the martial art, I even felt a refreshing sensation in one corner of my chest.
Boom! Boom, boom!
“Stooop!”
“W-Wait! We stopped!”
“I said stop, you bastards!”
“S-Stop! I said we’re stopping already!”
Just as I had more or less dealt with the first move and was about to casually launch a second, a voice called out.
“Hall Master.”
A small hand gripped my shoulder.
“Everyone has stopped.”
I swallowed my disappointment and withdrew my “persuasion.”
Perhaps their reason had returned a little. They stood awkwardly in place, but none of them moved.
#
Silence fell over the entire cavern.
Ragged breathing and the stench of blood remained, but the frenzy had clearly subsided.
What Jin Sowoon had done was little more than a one-sided outburst of anger with questionable intentions, yet silence had somehow followed.
‘What a strange thing.’
Joining in the frenzy would only have made the situation worse.
He had raised anger to stop anger.
It was truly strange.
Some sacrifices had seemed unavoidable.
Only when the frenzy subsided and the rage cooled could calm thoughts return.
Cheonsim Seonsa had expected they could speak again only after everyone recovered their composure, yet Jin Sowoon had settled things far sooner than expected.
“What a remarkable benefactor...”
The indiscriminate violence stopped in an instant.
It was the result created by a rising junior not yet thirty years old.
He responded without the slightest hesitation, as though he had experienced this kind of chaos and disaster countless times.
It was astonishing that he could act like that without having passed through the cycle of reincarnation spoken of in Buddhism.
Perhaps it had only been a crude action mixed with luck.
One thing was certain. That young benefactor kept accomplishing one impossible feat after another.
He had done it, from saving Cheonsim Seonsa from qi deviation to opening the way into the Central Wing.
“Ilju.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Stop the others. If anyone tries to kill recklessly, do not hold back.”
“Yes.”
After giving that instruction, Cheonsim Seonsa headed toward Jin Sowoon.
On the way, he encountered Dang Suje of the Tang Clan.
Following Dang Suje’s orders, the Tang Clan members were also moving to stop people.
“Are you going to see Benefactor Jin?”
“It seems that boy intends to do something. I thought I’d lend some weight to his words.”
Cheonsim Seonsa could not hide his surprise.
It was understandable for him, since he had received a great favor.
But Dang Suje, the Dark Ghost Poison Star, was not someone who would lend support to the words of an ordinary rising junior.
Yet he was naturally planning to support Jin Sowoon, just as Cheonsim Seonsa was.
Wondering if there was some hidden reason, Cheonsim Seonsa casually tested the waters.
“That young man has a truly remarkable side to him, does he not?”
At Cheonsim Seonsa’s opening, Dang Suje barely suppressed the twitching corner of his mouth and shrugged.
“People of the Tang Clan tend to have unusual sides to them.”
“?”
Cheonsim Seonsa had praised Jin Sowoon, so why did the Tang Clan seem so proud?
He was curious, but did not ask.
They had already reached Jin Sowoon.
#
The two approached.
“Benefactor Jin is right. This is not the time for us to fight among ourselves.”
“This Jin Sowoon is the Hall Master of the Martial Alliance’s Yuseong Hall and has very close ties to the Tang Clan. To begin with, he represents us better than gutter scum like the Martial Group.”
Their words gave mine far more weight.
“We are the investigation team of the Ilju Sect. As Young Hero Jin said, indiscriminate killing will only worsen the situation.”
Once even the Ilju Sect, one of the higher-ranked members of the One Hundred Eight Peaks, added its voice, influential people began stepping forward one by one.
With them supporting me as well, those who had inflicted one-sided violence started sheathing their swords.
Their battle intent had not disappeared, though.
They continued to radiate battle intent in every direction, as though they could draw their swords again at any moment if things turned sour.
‘At least we can talk now.’
I cupped my fist.
“I am Jin Sowoon, Hall Master of the Martial Alliance’s Yuseong Hall.”
The silence felt heavy.
Hundreds of White Path martial artists watched me with their swords in hand nearby. Far away, the Black Path martial artists were likely narrowing the distance and straining to hear.
“I understand that everyone is distressed by the current situation. But please regain a little of your reason.”
“The Martial Group ran away. You’re telling us to sit back and accept that?!”
I pointed at the bastard who interrupted me.
“Great Hero! If you kill them, will the Martial Group come back?”
“...”
“If killing them will bring the Martial Group back, I’ll kill them first. Answer me. Will killing them bring the Martial Group back?”
The bastard pounded his chest as though he were about to burst with frustration.
“We’re all dead! Because of those bastards, we’re all going to die...!”
I was tired of hearing him whine like a child, so I snapped back.
“If you’re going to die anyway, why are you angry? If you wait quietly, you’ll die.”
“What?”
“Or should I kill you without pain?”
I drew up the killing intent I had held back and released it at once.
“!”
The martial artists around him hurriedly drew their swords.
“There is a saying that even if you enter a tiger’s den, you can survive if you keep your wits about you. Do you think that means you can defeat a tiger through willpower alone?”
“!”
“When people face a crisis, their unstable minds often drive them into greater danger than the crisis itself.”
For some reason, Moyong Seol looked surprised.
Nothing seemed wrong, so I continued.
“An anxious mind prevents you from seeing the situation around you clearly, and in the end, it leads you to make the wrong choice. Is there anyone here who does not understand what I mean?”
As though they knew their own actions were shameful, people lowered their heads one by one and shook them.
“I do not intend to die here. No matter what happens, I intend to leave this place alive.”
Most people sneered at my words.
No one interrupted me.
“If anyone wants to die here, I will not stop you, no matter what you do. But if you want to live, if your desire to survive is stronger than your willingness to accept death...”
I took a moment to catch my breath.
“Then stop doing something as stupid as surrendering yourselves to anger.”
“Then you’re saying there’s a way to survive?!”
I answered firmly.
“I don’t know.”
“What?”
“Then shouldn’t we start thinking about it now? Do we have time to fight among ourselves?”
“...”
The eyes of those who had been looking at each other in confusion turned toward Dang Suje and Cheonsim Seonsa.
The two elders slowly nodded.
People began putting away their weapons.
“Whew...”
We had finally returned to square one.
I pulled every piece of information related to strategy from the library in my head.
Since I had led the conversation, I needed to present something first.
Bzzzz-
At that moment, the powerful vibration I had felt before shook the Red Phoenix Bangle.
I froze for a moment and focused all my attention on the Red Phoenix Bangle.
“...!”
I tilted my head.
‘Was I imagining it?’
It had to be my imagination.
No, it needed to be.
If the owner of that vibration appeared before us now, I would truly want to kill myself.
I shook off the thought and buried myself in the library’s information again.
I selected five strategies that could be used now and applied them to the current situation.
‘This is difficult.’
A strategy rarely fit a situation like this perfectly, so I boldly discarded the first and tried the second.
The second did not fit either, so I discarded it and was about to apply the third strategy when the vibration returned.
Bzzzz-
The Red Phoenix Bangle rang again.
This time, I was certain.
Footnotes:
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