The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything - Chapter 65

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈

Chapter 65: The Great Peng Waiting for the Typhoon (3)

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I had to explain myself for quite a while.

Once I told them that I had not known Wind-Splitting Sword's identity and had merely responded in kind because the old herb gatherer had joked with me first, they finally looked somewhat relieved.

“Your name is slowly spreading throughout the martial world. You must be especially careful with your actions, if only for your own sake.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

I ground my teeth at Wind-Splitting Sword.

At such an important time for Taeul Sect, he had to throw a wrench into things like this?

“There is something else I wish to ask...”

Hong Mungi’s expression quickly turned emotional.

He looked as though he might burst into tears at any moment.

“Is it truly the martial legacy of the Taeul Sword Emperor?”

The seasoned elders and hall lords looked at me with the same expression.

“Yes.”

“Good heavens...”

“Gasp!”

The elders closed their eyes and stroked their white beards.

The hall lords stared at my lips with wide eyes, unwilling to waste even a blink.

“Where... and how did you find it?”

There were parts I could not tell them truthfully, so I gave them the story I had prepared. I told them that I had entered Demon Spirit Plateau, become trapped in the Soul-Destroying Formation, and discovered it by chance.

“...You entered such a dangerous place alone?”

Hong Mungi’s gaze wavered violently.

“...No. I happened to meet Miss Seong Moran of the Iron Sword Sect and Miss Namgung Seonhwa of the Namgung Clan in Yueyang, so we went together.”

They looked somewhat surprised that I had traveled with the Iron Sword Sect, but they did not press the matter.

Their worried expressions remained unchanged.

“Why can’t you think a little more about yourself? I know you have worked harder than anyone for Taeul Sect. But don’t you understand that no miraculous medicine could ever be worth trading you for?”

“...”

Right. This was the kind of sect it had always been.

How much had I resented them in my previous life?

“...I’m sorry.”

Gang Chaeseok cleared his throat and stepped in.

“Sect Leader, why not leave it at that on such a happy day? Thanks to Sowoon, our grandpatriarch master’s martial legacy, which might never have been passed on, will now endure.”

Hong Mungi watched me for a moment before nodding.

“Yes... Did you properly pay your respects to Grandpatriarch Master?”

“Yes. I showed the utmost respect. Until the very end, Grandpatriarch Master worried about the disciples remaining in Taeul Sect.”

“You fulfilled that final wish. That is what brings me the greatest joy now. I cannot help but praise you.”

“You praise me too highly.”

I then told them why the Taeul Sword Emperor had become trapped there.

They were deeply shocked to learn that the Hell Demon Emperor, who had suddenly disappeared from the world, had been buried alongside the Taeul Sword Emperor. They were enraged to hear that the people who had ruled the martial world at the time were responsible for their imprisonment.

“Who was it? Who lured the Taeul Sword Emperor into that trap?”

I had a rough idea of who they might have been, but I did not mention it. Taeul Sect was not in a position to concern itself with that now.

I alone was enough to serve as the incarnation of vengeance.

A life lived with hatred in one’s heart was unbearably painful.

“It will be impossible to identify any particular person. The people of that time must have feared the Taeul Sword Emperor as much as they feared the Dark Demon Emperor. If I had to say it, every renowned figure who led the martial world back then was likely guilty.”

“...”

Though I had put it as indirectly as possible, everyone in the room wore stiff expressions.

They likely all had people in mind.

They also knew how great those people had become by now.

Even so, they could not easily shake off the fact that the five hundred years of humiliation they had endured had ultimately resulted from someone’s scheme.

I continued, hoping to lighten the mood.

“I believe what truly matters is how we rise from here.”

There were still too many problems awaiting us in the future to live looking back at the past.

Hong Mungi nodded at my words.

“You are right.”

“Here is everything recorded from the Taeul Sword Emperor’s martial legacy. I wrote it down exactly as it was, so it will need to be organized before it can be made into a martial arts manual.”

I took out the manuscript I had written myself and held it out.

It passed through the Busaeng Hall Lord, who stood closest to me, before reaching Hong Mungi.

Hong Mungi carefully opened the manuscript, which was several times thicker than an ordinary book.

I had recorded only the Taeul Sword Emperor’s martial legacy and words.

I had not written down the Hell Demon Emperor’s legacy or the secret arts the two had created together.

The fewer people who knew such secrets, the better.

If people learned that the Taeul Sword Emperor and the Hell Demon Emperor had created martial arts together, that alone would give others an unnecessary pretext to cause trouble.

“...Hmm.”

Hong Mungi looked through the manuscript for a moment, then quickly closed it again.

“I have never imagined a situation like this. I do not know what we should do. I hope everyone will share their wisdom.”

A powerful martial legacy that had suddenly returned to them.

And a Taeul Sect far too weak to properly absorb it.

Problems one had never encountered could be impossible to solve, regardless of age.

“...Well.”

“We will follow the Sect Leader’s judgment.”

Neither the elders nor the hall lords could offer a clear opinion.

“Why not announce that the Taeul Sword Emperor’s martial legacy has returned and make it known throughout the martial world? Then something like the Dragon-Phoenix Association incident will not happen again, will it?”

Gang Chaeseok could not wipe the smile from his face, as though his entire body itched to do something. Most of the younger hall lords nodded, apparently agreeing with him.

Hong Mungi, Jin Taesan, and the elders, however, looked deeply concerned.

After thinking for a moment, Hong Mungi looked at me with expectant eyes.

“What do you think, Sowoon?”

“This disciple will simply follow your decision.”

Hong Mungi let out a quiet sigh at my answer.

“...Still, if you do not mind hearing a foolish opinion, I will offer a suggestion.”

“Good! You bear the duty of Head Disciple. No one will fault you for any opinion, so speak freely.”

I explained what I had planned from the moment I discovered the Taeul Sword Emperor’s legacy.

“First, Taeul Sect should close its gates.”

“...”

Everyone tilted their heads.

Closing one’s gates was generally akin to declaring surrender before enemies one could not resist.

It meant that the sect would no longer exist as part of the martial world, so martial artists considered it a disgraceful act.

Moreover, when a sect closed its gates, it had to take down its signboard.

Considering how much martial sects valued their signboards, closing one’s gates carried much the same meaning as death.

“...You mean closing our gates?”

It was only natural that they were confused. They had just gained new wings and should have been soaring into the sky, yet I was telling them to close their gates.

“Yes.”

“Have we not just received the Taeul Sword Emperor’s martial legacy?”

“That is why we must close our gates. Everyone in Taeul Sect must learn the Taeul Sword Emperor’s martial arts as quickly as possible.”

“...Could we not do that without closing our gates?”

Taeul Sect had never once closed its gates during five hundred years, even with its meager strength.

It was clear how uncomfortable the idea was for Hong Mungi as well.

“Thanks to Senior Moyong Gang, we were able to persuade the Dragon-Phoenix Association. Since he announced it himself, no one will publicly question whether the Taeul Sword Emperor’s martial arts are genuine. But do you think there will be no one truly interested in the Taeul Sword Emperor’s martial arts?”

“...”

“I am only using them as an example, but what about the descendants of those who cast the Taeul Sword Emperor and the Hell Demon Emperor into hell five hundred years ago? Will they also dismiss the Taeul Sword Emperor’s records as nothing more than absurd rumors? Will they allow us to truly inherit and learn the Taeul Sword Emperor’s martial legacy?”

Groans rose from all around the room.

I knew how strong the martial world’s obsession with powerful martial arts was.

They had already felt the Taeul Sword Emperor’s martial arts indirectly through me.

It was not something they could overlook.

“I know how important the signboard is to the elders gathered here. But no matter how important it may be, the elders of Taeul Sect and my younger disciples are more important to me.”

Before a fire, it was no more than an object that would vanish into ash without a trace in less than half a day.

“I do not believe possessing a treasure makes one its owner. One becomes the owner of a treasure only by being able to protect it.”

“!”

Everyone in the room looked at me.

They looked just as shaken as Hong Mungi had.

I drove home the final point.

“A quail that moves freely through the brush laughs every day at the great peng that crouches in its nest. But when the typhoon comes, the great peng risks its life to soar and cover the world. This is the time for us to wait for the typhoon.”

I fell silent after finishing.

Those who had been staring at me gradually lowered their gazes, as if ashamed of themselves.

Hong Mungi kept his eyes closed for a long time after hearing me speak. Then he looked at Jin Taesan and asked,

“Outer Hall Lord.”

“Yes.”

“What do you think of choosing a new Sect Leader?”

“Yes?”

“What?”

The hall lords and elders stared at Hong Mungi in alarm at his sudden words.

“I say this because that young disciple sees farther and better than the Sect Leader guiding this sect. Perhaps I should simply hand Taeul Sect over to that brat and rest comfortably in the Elders’ Council.”

Hong Mungi’s face was filled with a broad smile.

Only then did everyone realize he was joking, and their expressions gradually relaxed.

“Ha ha. Do not speak nonsense, Sect Leader Hong. The Elders’ Council is so cramped that there would not be enough room for you and your martial brothers to live there.”

“Is that so?”

Hong Mungi looked at me.

“What do you say, Sowoon? If you build a new Elders’ Council for us, I will give you the position of Sect Leader.”

I shook my head at Hong Mungi, who spoke of Taeul Sect’s leadership as though it were the position of some neighborhood ringleader.

“I’m sorry. I still need to travel the world and enjoy myself, so please continue working hard as Sect Leader for a while longer.”

“You insolent brat... You were such a diligent and kind child when you were young...”

The brief joking eased the atmosphere considerably.

Hong Mungi spoke with a calm expression.

“Sowoon is right. Rather than announcing this to outsiders immediately, should we not first consider how to pass on the Taeul Sword Emperor’s martial legacy to our disciples? Then we must first inherit that legacy properly ourselves.”

“...But Sect Leader, closing our gates...”

It seemed that some elders still resisted the idea.

“I understand what you are worried about. Even when we had no martial arts to speak of, our signboard was never taken down for five hundred years. But did Sowoon not say it? If the great peng concerns itself with the quail’s mockery, can it truly be called a great peng?”

“...”

“Also, Grandpatriarch Master went to great lengths to leave martial arts for us. If we fail to protect them properly because of our pride, how ashamed will we be later?”

The elder who had spoken fell into thought again before finally nodding.

“The Sect Leader is right. I had briefly let my thinking go astray.”

Just as the opinions were beginning to align, Father poured cold water on the discussion.

“I oppose it.”

“Why?”

“Taeul Sect has no money.”

“Ah...”

“Did the Sect Leader not recently say we should seriously consider establishing an escort agency?”

Gang Chaeseok abruptly stepped forward.

“Money is coming in from the iron ore mine. Is that not enough?”

“How many people do you think live in Taeul Sect now? Mount Mao Sect is installing the arcane formation without charging us, but that only applies to their labor. Must we not pay for the materials and their living expenses? On top of that, the Changgung Merchant Group has yet to give us an answer regarding iron ore distribution. At this point, we should consider it a refusal. We have no choice but to rely on the Wang Family Estate.”

Gang Chaeseok looked at me.

“As expected, we should send that brat to the Wang Family Estate...”

Jin Taesan cut him off and addressed Hong Mungi.

“There will be countless things that require money from now on. Obtaining martial arts is not the end of it. We must acquire elixirs if we want the disciples to inherit the Taeul Sword Emperor’s martial legacy. To do that, we have no choice but to earn money somehow.”

“Hmm...”

Faced with the wall of reality, Hong Mungi sank into deep thought again.

Then the elders spoke up.

“Then how about we go out separately and operate an escort agency?”

“...We appreciate the sentiment, but how could we eat and sleep in comfort if you did that?”

The Elders’ Council members were in their sixties on average. Unlike other sects, they had not trained powerful martial arts. They could not go out into the world and earn a living.

As everyone struggled to find a solution, I cautiously opened my mouth.

“I think I know how to solve that.”

“Hmm?”

“What do you mean?”

The one who seemed happiest was, naturally, Gang Chaeseok, who was obsessed with martial arts.

I took an envelope, a letter, and two Great Lotus Divine Pellets from my robes, then handed them to the Busaeng Hall Lord.

Hong Mungi received the items with a bewildered expression. As he read the letter, his eyes widened.

“What is this...?”

“What is it?”

“You should read it too.”

After handing the letter to Father, Hong Mungi hurriedly took out the deed and unfolded it.

Father’s eyes widened in shock as well.