WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈

Chapter 72: Hell's Entrance Exam: Gate ‘I’ (6)

──────

Someone who had spent their entire life throwing their weight around could not suddenly humble themselves. Especially not before someone who had always bowed deeply to them. Rather than lower their head, they would feel betrayed.

Even so, I had not expected him to send the strongest experts he had hired after us at such a critical time.

‘Idiot.’

As I considered the second favor I had asked of the Hao Sect, Han Geumtak, the Windless Demon Fishing Rod, unwound a transparent thread from his Demon Rod.

“This is why sharp little brats are no fun.”

Han Geumtak’s specialty was using his threatening rod to draw attention, then moving invisible threads and needles separately from it to ensnare an opponent without them noticing.

I sheathed the Black Dragon Sword.

“Don’t you need to chase after your employer?”

“The Gyerong Merchant Group already prepared more force than necessary for the bandit stronghold they targeted. And that is none of your concern.”

“What did the merchant group leader order you to do with us?”

“He told us to bring him one right arm and your dantian. If that proved difficult, he said we could cut off your head instead.”

“Isn’t that too cruel, even for wandering martial artists?”

“Who knows? We are people who make sure to earn every coin we are paid.”

The distance between us steadily closed as we spoke.

I addressed the three brothers.

“Yeon Chuak, the Yama Axe, is known for the tremendous force behind his downward strikes. Maintain the sword formation and disperse as much of that force as possible. Think about how the three of you can defeat him.”

“...”

“...”

When martial artists confirmed how much they had improved, they could devote themselves to training even more. That was why I handed Yeon Chuak over to the three brothers.

The boys faced real combat for the first time, their hands trembling with fear. Yet their eyes remained clear.

The instant I kicked off the ground, I unleashed the Peerless Wanderer Divine Art and closed the gap between myself and the three men in a flash.

“Gah!”

“What...!”

“Damn it!”

At the same time, I unleashed the Myriad Blossoms Invincible Fist, forming nine fist images in the air.

Pupupupupupupupup!

Han Geumtak and Dam Cheolgak frantically wielded their signature techniques as they retreated. Yeon Chuak deflected the fist images with his axe, circled around, and charged at the three brothers.

The confrontation I wanted had taken shape.

“Be careful!”

I unleashed the Myriad Blossoms Invincible Fist again and concentrated nine fist images on the other two.

Clang. Boom.

Dam Cheolgak’s Turtle-Shell Claw shot from his sleeve and struck the fist images. Han Geumtak frantically retreated to open the distance, but the farther he tried to get, the more closely I pressed him.

“Damn it!”

Dam Cheolgak realized Han Geumtak needed distance and slipped between us. Han Geumtak seized the opening to swing his Demon Rod and control the fishing hook.

“Heavenly Silkworm Thread isn’t yours alone.”

“Ghk! When did you...?!”

I retrieved the Flying Dragon Claw I had driven into Han Geumtak’s chest along with the fist images, drawing him through the air in a semicircle before flinging him onto a boulder.

Crack!

“Gah!”

As expected of someone said to stand at the boundary between first-rate and peak, Han Geumtak had his nose smashed and his face cut, yet he neutralized the impact in that brief moment and pulled the Flying Dragon Claw from his chest.

“You bastard! You’re even more underhanded than the rumors say.”

“What rumors would those be?”

“Did they not say your black flames represented your vile thoughts?”

“...They mean thoughts as deep as pitch-black darkness...”

“Shut up!”

I already disliked that epithet, and hearing it interpreted that way made me hate it even more.

“I’ll tell the Four Emperors Association Leader everything later.”

I drew the Black Dragon Sword and immediately unleashed the Twin Heavens Sword Art.

Illusion swords and transforming swords filled the space between the two men and me, blurring their vision.

Dam Cheolgak initially tried to knock aside every sword in sight, but once he realized false blades were mixed among them, he began concentrating on identifying and deflecting only the real ones.

Han Geumtak finally swung his Demon Rod, sending the fishing hook flying in erratic directions.

Pupupupupupupung.

Every collision between the Black Dragon Sword and the Turtle-Shell Claw burst the air apart. Just as the invisible fishing hook tried to pierce my nose, I used the Taeul Eighty Thousand Divine Steps to retreat.

“Gaaaaah!”

The instant I withdrew, the Flying Dragon Claw I had secretly embedded in Dam Cheolgak’s chest pulled taut, sending agony through him.

“When did you...?”

“When you concentrate on one thing, you fail to see the others.”

I used the illusory steps of the Taeul Eighty Thousand Divine Steps to evade the fishing hook while tearing out the Flying Dragon Claw with all my strength.

Riiip.

A chunk of flesh tore free, leaving a wound the size of a fist in Dam Cheolgak’s chest.

“Ghk.”

Blood poured down like a waterfall, quickly soaking his martial robes crimson.

The moment Dam Cheolgak reached for the wound, I extended my left hand and activated the Azure Dragon Bangle.

“What is this?!”

Perhaps because the Azure Dragon Bangle drained his vital essence, the bleeding quickly stopped. In exchange, the wound rapidly began to rot.

As Han Geumtak charged in through the chaos, I unleashed the Twin Heavens Sword Art at him, then fired the Myriad Blossoms Invincible Fist at the retreating Dam Cheolgak.

Pupupupupupupupup!

Bangbangbangbangbang!

Illusion swords and fist images flew in all directions, raising a thick cloud of dust.

“Cheolgak! Are you all right?”

Han Geumtak searched for Dam Cheolgak through the pale dust, but there was no answer.

The instant I saw Han Geumtak, I unleashed the Ten Thousand Seas Heaven and Earth Sword Art, the ultimate art of the Taeul Sword Emperor.

Han Geumtak frowned at the three swords floating in the air, then sneered.

“So that damned illusion sword only goes this far!”

He swung his Demon Rod in every direction to counter the sword forms.

He was trying to determine which were real swords and which were illusions.

Yet not one of the illusion swords vanished even after being struck by the rod’s wind.

“W-What?!”

Every sword form he had believed to be an illusion sword was real.

He had searched for the true swords to conserve his strength, but in the end, he could no longer distinguish the real swords from the illusion swords. He tried to withdraw too late.

By then, the Ten Thousand Seas Heaven and Earth Sword Art had already struck his body.

Pupupuk.

Two shallow puncture wounds marked his shoulders, while one deep wound ran across his torso.

Han Geumtak squeezed out the last of his internal energy and launched his Demon Rod and fishing hook.

Whirr. Ting.

The fishing hook passed through the afterimage left by my illusory step, flew a little farther, then struck a boulder and bounced away.

“Huh... How...?”

I spoke from behind Han Geumtak.

“There’s something we Sojeong Unit members say. Fool me once, it’s a mistake. Fool me twice, you’re a fool. Fool me three times, you’re an idiot.”

Han Geumtak turned his head, his eyes trembling violently as though he had seen a ghost.

“This is the level of someone between second-rate and first-rate?”

As though answering his hollow words, the Black Dragon Sword moved.

His eyes reflected countless illusion swords and real swords.

“You underhanded bastard...”

It was the finest praise one could hear in battle. I lightly expressed my thanks.

“Thank you for the compliment.”

* * *

After dealing with Han Geumtak and Dam Cheolgak, I headed toward the three brothers.

Clangclangclang. Boom.

The gold, silver, and bronze brothers desperately faced Yeon Chuak.

They had suffered many small wounds all over their bodies, but just as I had told them, they redirected as much of Yeon Chuak’s axe force as possible. At the same time, they made full use of the advantages of their sword formation to stall for time.

“Damn it! You little bastards!”

Yeon Chuak’s attacks kept getting blocked, while the three brothers took advantage of every opening to attack bit by bit.

The unfortunate part was that, even when an opening appeared, they hesitated and could not finish him.

“How long are you three going to keep fighting?”

“Eldest Senior Brother!”

“Senior Brother!”

When the three brothers called to me, Yeon Chuak began paying attention to me.

“Already? What the hell happened... Damn it!”

Yeon Chuak exposed an opening as he watched me.

Geumpyo thrust his sword, then hesitated. Eunho moved to block Yeon Chuak’s axe in his place.

“Dam Cheolgak! Han Geumtak!”

Yeon Chuak called out to the two, but neither answered.

Then, as though he had made up his mind, he kicked off the ground to flee.

I leaped up with him and unleashed the Myriad Blossoms Invincible Fist.

Pupupupupupupupup!

Yeon Chuak took the Myriad Blossoms Invincible Fist head-on in midair and slammed into the ground. The three brothers immediately formed their sword formation around him once more.

Yet they could not display the skill they had shown in training. Though they had ample internal energy from their circulating art, they could not press the attack.

This was the gap between real combat and training.

“Will you do it properly once one of you loses an arm and has their dantian destroyed?”

“...”

“...”

The three brothers snapped back to their senses, and their swordplay grew fiercer. Yeon Chuak’s movements were slowing.

Clang.

Eunho, who had the greatest internal energy, created an opening in Yeon Chuak’s defense. Geumpyo thrust his sword.

‘But it’s too shallow.’

Killing someone was not so easy. Even while attacking an enemy, one instinctively hesitated.

Just as I was about to swing the Black Dragon Sword, Dongryong’s eyes turned red as he burst forward from between Eunho and Geumpyo.

At the same time, killing intent poured from Dongryong’s body, far too intense for someone his age to release.

“Urrgh!”

Yeon Chuak’s face turned white as he was overwhelmed by the sudden killing intent.

‘Could it be...?’

As I stared blankly at Dongryong for a moment, Dongryong inflicted one final, large wound on Yeon Chuak.

“That’s enough.”

When I placed my sword against Yeon Chuak’s neck, the three brothers and Yeon Chuak all froze, panting heavily.

Their entire bodies were soaked in sweat, pale steam rising from them.

“Huff, huff, huff.”

While Geumpyo and Eunho caught their breath, Dongryong continued staring at Yeon Chuak with eyes full of killing intent.

Yeon Chuak feared Dongryong more than he feared me with a sword at his throat.

“Stop releasing your killing intent, Dongryong.”

“...Ah? Yes.”

The instant I finished speaking, Dongryong’s eyes returned to their usual bright state. As though the tension had finally left him, he began gasping for breath.

“S-Spare me!”

I looked at Yeon Chuak as he begged for his life.

“Did you not come here to kill us?”

“I-I only did it to make money. There was no personal grudge involved!”

“If we had been from the Wudang Sect rather than the Taeul Sect, would you have accepted this request?”

“...”

Crack!

“Gah!”

I simultaneously pulverized Yeon Chuak’s arm and destroyed his dantian.

“Ghk!”

Yeon Chuak vomited a mouthful of blood from the deep internal injuries.

“Remember this. If you dare point a sword at the Taeul Sect so carelessly again, it will not end well for you.”

* * *

“...”

“...”

Geumpyo and Eunho looked dejected as we ate late that night.

Dongryong, on the other hand, had no idea he had released such tremendous killing intent toward Yeon Chuak earlier that day. He said the rice and jerky porridge was delicious as he ate bowl after bowl.

When I quietly released killing intent, the three brothers, each holding a spoon, flinched.

“!”

“!”

“!”

Still, they did not recoil in terror or stagger backward. They were already able to circulate their energy without difficulty.

I chuckled at the sight, and Geumpyo carefully spoke.

“I’m sorry, Senior Brother.”

“What for?”

“What happened earlier.”

Was he still thinking about that?

“We should have finished it quickly. In the end, we had to rely on you...”

“Killing is not that easy. I think it was remarkable enough that none of you left the sword formation while protecting one another.”

“...But.”

“Besides, the three of you defeated Yeon Chuak in the end, did you not? I only delivered the finishing blow.”

Only then did the three brothers’ expressions slowly brighten.

“Senior Brother, now that we’ve defeated those three, will Merchant Group Leader Gye Yeonseok not send more people after us?”

At Eunho’s words, Geumpyo and Dongryong swallowed nervously.

“You don’t need to worry about that.”

“What?”

“I told you I asked the Hao Sect for two favors.”

“One of them was to track Merchant Group Leader Gye Yeonseok, right?”

I nodded.

“That’s right. The other was to deliver information to the bandit stronghold they were targeting.”

Gye Yeonseok had used his wealth to select the weakest of the bandit strongholds designated by the Martial Alliance.

Saho Stronghold, located near Fuyang in Zhejiang Province.

Other than its chief and deputy chief, who had learned martial arts, it had no experts worth noting.

I had them deliver the news.

Now that Saho Stronghold knew the Gyerong Merchant Group’s escort warriors and wandering martial artists were coming for them, they might join forces with other strongholds or ask one of the Green Forest Seventy-Two Strongholds for help.

“Th-Then what will happen?”

“The Green Forest Seventy-Two Strongholds are practically outside the scope of the examination. They are not places a single Academy applicant can face with a hundred martial artists.”

Among the thousands of bandit strongholds scattered across the martial world, the Green Forest Seventy-Two Strongholds boasted strength and influence that ranked among the greatest.

Each stronghold was as large as a martial faction. Their members were a motley lot, but all had learned at least some martial arts, so even martial artists from prestigious clans often went around those strongholds rather than confront them.

“Then...”

“If Saho Stronghold is clever, the Gyerong Merchant Group will not even be able to recover its corpses. If Saho Stronghold is foolish, the merchant group will at least be able to collect its dead.”

“Ha...”

The three brothers gaped at my words.

“...Senior Brother, you’re truly frightening.”

Geumpyo shuddered once, then shook his head.

I chuckled at him.

“That’s what the martial world is like.”

Having imagined a martial world painted in rainbow colors, the harsh reality they had encountered for the first time seemed to weigh heavily upon them. They remained silent for a while.

Then Eunho spoke as though they had suddenly remembered something.

“...No wonder people gave Eldest Senior Brother such a fitting epithet.”

“...What did you say, brat?”

“Hahaha.”

At some point, the three brothers had sat side by side, smiling.

Eunho asked me, “Oh, Senior Brother, which bandit stronghold will we face? You said Merchant Group Leader Gye Yeonseok selected the weakest one.”

When I stirred the campfire with a piece of kindling, sparks scattered in every direction.

“One of the Green Forest Seventy-Two Strongholds, the Twin-Curtain Strongholds.”

“...”

“...”

“...”

* * *

While Eunho and Dongryong lay down to prepare for sleep, I approached Geumpyo, who was standing guard.

“Senior Brother, I took the joke too far earlier.”

“Hm? What joke?”

“...Are the Twin-Curtain Strongholds truly our target?”

“Since we started late, there are not many bandit strongholds left for us.”

“...Still, haah... Never mind.”

Geumpyo let out a long sigh.

“More importantly, why are you still awake? What are you doing?”

“Geumpyo.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t be startled. Listen carefully.”

“...When you say that, Senior Brother, it makes me even more nervous.”

I turned toward the campfire and saw Dongryong curled tightly into himself to avoid Eunho’s teasing as he lay beside him.

“It’s about Dongryong. I think he may be a Heavenly Killing Star.[1]”

“...Mmph!”

Geumpyo’s eyes shook violently as I covered his mouth with my hand.

[1] Heavenly Killing Star: an ominous astrological designation for someone believed destined for violence and bloodshed.

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried