The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Chapter 70

[ … words ]

***

“This is a token of our Ha-o-mun’s guest status. If you have this, we will be able to find you wherever you are.”

What Yeo Mi-mi held out was a small black plaque (Heuk-pae).

How is she going to find me with this?

“You will eventually have no choice but to be within our field of vision. But even if that were not the case, the Cheon-li-chu-jong-hyang (Scent that follows for a thousand li) concentrate is contained inside the black plaque.”

This scent that was wafting faintly must be the Cheon-li-chu-jong-hyang.

“Every morning, I will deliver the newly organized information.”

“……Is that possible?”

No matter how much of an information organization it was, there was clearly a limit. Every morning, she said.

Moreover, how does she know how I will move to send people every day?

“Truly strange. You seem to know everything about us, more than anyone else, yet conversely, you seem to know nothing about us.”

Because there was nothing written down about how the Ha-o-mun’s ‘guests’ received information.

Yeo Mi-mi was still looking at me as if I were fascinating.

“I will do my best so that you can achieve what you desire. Since our fate has already been placed on top of your fate.”

“……Suddenly, please do not say such burdensome words. I said let’s be together, I did not even say to place your fate.”

Yeo Mi-mi and Hae-ryeong had smiles on their lips.

I shook my head and opened my mouth.

“First of all, there is something I would like to ask.”

“What is it?”

“Please spread some rumors about me.”

“Rumors about you? Aren’t you already full of rumors about Jianghu?”

“That is why I am asking. Please spread the rumor that my martial arts are not that outstanding.”

“Hmm…… wouldn’t that be difficult? The rumors about you dealing with the Yongbong-jihoe must have already spread to the world.”

“The Yongbong-jihoe will not spread those rumors themselves. And wouldn’t it take a little more time for people to believe the truth of those rumors?”

“Uh-hmm……. So you want that rumor to spread a little late.”

“Yes. That is correct.”

“I understand. Don’t worry about that. I will spread the rumor so that the people of the world will think of you as an earthworm, not a Black Flame Dragon.”

“…….”

I did not like the nickname Black Flame Dragon, but I did not want to be called an earthworm either. I just shut my mouth amidst ambivalent feelings I could not choose.

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I slept alone in an inn last night, packed simple food, and headed to Mount Hwaun.

I told them to come down quickly if they didn’t want to be on Mount Hwaun overnight, but it was impossible for that to be possible.

Because it took even the So-jeong-dae (Small Expedition Unit), which had been in a desperate situation, half a month to become proficient in the Tae-eul-haeng-gong (Tae-eul Qi Circulation).

It would take at least three days just to get out of Mount Hwaun.

Naturally, I expected them to be sleeping in the forest, not even being able to come down to the middle of Mount Hwaun.

“Ho ho…….”

As I entered the entrance of Mount Hwaun, didn’t the three Gold, Silver, and Bronze brothers move at a reasonably fast speed?

“Now they look like turtles.”

It was a level of fast achievement that would have made the So-jeong-dae members shocked if they had seen it.

“Come to think of it, those fellows had such trash-like aptitudes.”

Finally, Geum-pyo reached in front of me.

“Huff, huff, huff. Sa-hyeong…… the fact that we could go down before late at night, that was a lie, right?”

“Drink some water.”

Geum-pyo, who was sweating all over his body as if he had been drenched in rain, emptied the water bottle I handed him in one go.

“Did you stay up all night?”

“Yes… honestly… huff, let me speak… huff. Y-you… huff. Sa-hyeong… huff, that you are using Haeng-gong… huff. That is a lie, right?”

I held out the steamed buns I brought from the inn.

“Do you want to eat a steamed bun?”

“Huff, huff, huff.”

Geum-pyo, who was glaring at me for not answering, snatched the steamed bun and then ate it down in a flash, like a crab watching a crab.

While Geum-pyo was filling his stomach a little and had collapsed on the floor in exhaustion, Eun-ho arrived, and lastly, Dong-ryong arrived.

“Huff… huff… huff… Dae-sa-hyeong… a lie….”

“Huff… huff… a liar.”

The two brothers looked at me with eyes full of resentment without even having time to speak properly.

“Do you want to drink water first? Do you want to eat a steamed bun first?”

I handed them water and steamed buns.

The walking speed was getting faster little by little. The fellows who were moving at a turtle’s speed began to walk at a speed a chick walks, and then they began to walk at the speed a slow cow walks.

As the children’s speed picked up little by little, I chose a mountain path, not a public road.

Then, the three brothers’ speed slowed down again.

“Come quickly, quickly. At this rate, the Murim entrance exam will be all over.”

“Haa… haa… then, couldn’t we just go by the public road? I was just getting used to walking.”

A mountain path is different from a public road.

One must use hands and feet at the same time, and restrictions are constantly applied to movements.

If they tried to even perform Haeng-gong in the midst of that, it would truly be madness.

The mountain climbing, which started before the sun rose, had made no progress as they could not even move ten li until the sun rose to the middle of the sky.

“If you don’t climb to the top of the mountain, you will even skip lunch.”

“……!”

“……!”

“……!”

Killing intent rose in the eyes of the three brothers from the mill house.

“Oh ho, did you already learn how to emit killing intent without me even teaching you? Indeed, the grace of this Dae-sa-hyeong is as high as the sky and as wide as the sea.”

They seemed to have a lot to say, but the three brothers shut their mouths tight.

Was it because of that influence? Little by little, the three brothers’ speed began to pick up.

Squeeeeak-

At that moment, a black bird swam through the sky and let out a cry.

I don’t know how far that voice spread, but the birds in the forest flew up at once, and the squirrels that were looking at us curiously quickly hid in their hiding places.

“What is that?”

When I looked at the sky through the forest, a large hawk was flying as if it dominated the sky. The hawk, which had been going back and forth in the sky like that, suddenly began to drop toward me.

“Ho ho? Is it even hunting people?”

In my words, the three brothers flinched and looked up at the sky.

They saw a hawk with wings larger than a person’s arm span dropping at high speed.

“Sa-hyeong, it looks like it’s coming this way?”

“That’s right. Th-that… that… Sa-hyeong!”

“Shush! Haeng-gong!”

When I emitted a faint killing intent toward the fellows who were trying to release their Haeng-gong and run away, they stiffened their bodies like beasts surprised by the eyes of a predator.

And the moment they closed their eyes tightly at the same time, unable to run away or avoid it.

The large hawk suddenly spread its wings, slowed down, and slowly approached me.

“What is it?”

Since it seemed to want my shoulder, I gave it my shoulder, and the hawk landed tap on my shoulder.

The three brothers were watching with their eyes blinking as if that scene were fascinating, and I discovered a small bamboo tube attached to the hawk’s ankle.

“Hoo, you are not using a Jeon-seo-gu (messenger pigeon). Are you using a Jeon-seo-eung (messenger hawk)? Wait a minute…….”

The hawk rubbed its feathers on my head, which it was seeing for the first time, and then tapped my chest.

It was the place where the Gold-King Plaque received from Wang Geum-san and the Black Plaque received from the Ha-o-mun were contained.

“It is amazing. Did you even train Jeon-seo-eung with the Cheon-li-chu-jong-hyang?”

When I took out the Black Plaque and stroked the hawk, the hawk fawned as if it had met its master.

And I immediately began to pull out the data sent by the Ha-o-mun from the tube on its ankle and scan through it.

“Sa-hyeong, what on earth happened?”

“It seems the person who promised to give me information sent it.”

As Geum-pyo was fascinated and tried to approach the hawk, the hawk’s eyes turned fierce and it let out a squawk.

“……It’s incredibly fierce, isn’t it?”

“Unlike the Jeon-seo-gu, Jeon-seo-eung do not erase their wild habits. Because of that, it is difficult to train, but there is an advantage that there is less risk of being hunted. Don’t touch it carelessly. It looks like an Iron Hawk, so it’s a fellow that can easily cut off a person’s finger.”

At my words, Geum-pyo withdrew his hand with a pale expression.

“Hmm…….”

I saw all the data, took out the four treasures of the study, wrote down a few more pieces of data I needed, and put them in the bamboo tube attached to the Iron Hawk’s ankle.

Then, as if it knew what it had to do, it began to soar again.

“What was it?”

Eun-ho had an expression of curiosity about what data I had received.

“It was brief information about the current situation. They say that 2,400 mountain bandit camps designated by the Murim Alliance have already disappeared.”

“Already?”

Considering that it had only been three days since the entrance exam started, it was a very fast speed.

“Isn’t it because you fellows don’t practice Haeng-gong quickly that this kind of unfortunate event happens! Will you take responsibility if I fail the Martial Arts Academy exam because of you fellows?”

Geum-pyo and Eun-ho were looking at me with eyes that had lost their wits. At least in Dong-ryong’s pupils, the venom had not yet been drained. I thought he had said something like ‘I will kill you…….’, but I thought it must be something he is saying to our competitors.

Surely, kind Dong-ryong, who had waited for me for days and days just to share a piece of steamed bun, would not dare to say he would kill the Dae-sa-hyeong.

“Sang-dan-ju-nim! Cheol-yeong Gongja-nim’s condition is strange!”

At the suddenly heard familiar voice and name, our gazes turned toward the public road down the mountain at the same time.

There was a march leading a hundred wanderers (Lang-in), and Gye Yeon-seok was at the lead.

Gye Yeon-seok was moving backward alone at someone’s call, and next to him, Gye Yeon-seung, who was once the Dang-ju of our Bu-saeng-dang, was together.

“Are they going out on a business trip?”

Since the Gye-ryong Merchant Group only had the final distribution rights for goods without its own escort agency, they did not conduct escort missions.

Moreover, there were only three freight wagons in the march.

The place where Gye Yeon-seok and Gye Yeon-seung moved was a steel carriage between the freight wagons.

When Gye Yeon-seok knocked on the window, what came out from inside was Gye Cheol-yeong, whose face was twisted in a strange direction.

“Hoo…….”

“Oh…….”

“Why…….”

Still, because they had lived together for nearly five years, the three brothers recognized Gye Cheol-yeong, who had changed into a bizarre appearance, immediately.

“Augh, augh. Augh.”

Gye Cheol-yeong was not even able to speak properly.

“Endure just a little bit more, since there is this village once we cross this mountain, let’s rest a little there and go.”

“Augh, augh. Augh.”

Saliva flows down between his twisted lips.

Gye Yeon-seok wipes the saliva from Gye Cheol-yeong’s lips.

“Don’t worry about anything. You will definitely, definitely! enter the Martial Arts Academy.”

As Gye Yeon-seok went back to the lead and led the group, the march began to move.

A while after they passed.

The three Gold, Silver, and Bronze brothers had stopped for a while in a state of being out of their wits.

Actually, I was not so different.

The scene where Gye Yeon-seok was trying to take the entrance exam for the Martial Arts Academy while leading his ruined son was like a projection of his chilling desire. It was to the point where I got goosebumps without realizing it.

“……Do we have to take the exam even by doing that much?”

Geum-pyo had an expression of realizing for the first time what kind of exam he was taking.

“It has been a long time since the hierarchical relationship of the Jianghu was established based on the logic of power centering on the Murim Alliance. The desire of Gye Yeon-seok, who wants more wealth and power, to put his only child into the Martial Arts Academy is natural.”

“But, in that state…… Can he take the exam? No, even if he takes the exam, can he attend the academy?”

Ironically, the Murim Alliance was thorough in limiting supporters, but it did not place any particular restrictions on the examinee.

Attending and living in the academy is a story for later, but if one enters the academy, one can receive medical support from the Murim Alliance for free.

Although he might not be able to recover his martial arts, if he only completes the academy well, he might be able to obtain at least one position in the Murim Alliance.

In that respect, Gye Yeon-seok’s choice might not have been wrong.

“It is not the time to worry about them. Haven’t you seen the faces of the people forming the march?”

“……What does that mean?”

“The people standing at the lead of the march with Gye Yeon-seok are Yeon Chu-ak of the Yeom-la-bu (Underworld Department), Han Geum-tak of the Mu-pung-ma-gan (Windless Demon Office), and Dam Cheol-gak of the Sam-su-gwi-won (Three Waters Return). These three people are counted as special-class wanderers among the wanderers.”

“……Mu-pung-ma-gan Han Geum-tak…… isn’t that person from the evil faction?”

His Il-su (one technique), which is said to hook a person’s nose skin with a strange fishing rod and spin it in the air before killing them, is a technique even people of the evil faction fear.

“He has only been active in the evil faction as a wanderer, but he is a person who can convert to the righteous faction anytime if you give him money.”

“Sa-hyeong, I heard clearly that experts of the first-class or higher cannot participate as supporters.”

“That is the problematic point. Since they are wanderers, their skills are not accurately counted, and since the Murim Alliance views those without affiliation as one step below, they could sufficiently judge them as first-class masters.”

“Such an unreasonable act…….”

“Therefore, hurry up and walk properly. The competition is getting difficult enough as it is, and on top of that, isn’t your speed getting slower because of you guys?”

I questioned the three brothers, but this time, the children’s pupils did not die easily. Rather, it was as if they were full of heat.

And the three brothers’ speed began to get faster little by little.

Our speed, which had simply passed two villages in preparation for encountering Gye Yeon-seok’s march, rose to the level of a normal person crossing a mountain.

I watched the three brothers gradually adapt to the Haeng-gong and went back down to the public road.

“You can go by the mountain path now.”

“Of course. We are confident!”

“Why would you do training that isn’t even difficult? Now let’s go while using footwork.”

“…….”

“…….”

“If you use footwork while using Haeng-gong, the advantages are not just one or two. In particular, the Tae-eul-pal-man-sin-bo (Tae-eul Eight-Ten-Thousand Divine Steps) is a rare footwork that also has the characteristics of a Sin-beop (Body Method). Once you learn this, you will be able to escape the enemy’s clutches as much as you want and run without resting.”

“……Sa-hyeong, we haven’t been able to wash while sleeping outside for a week already, couldn’t we go a little normally today?”

“Is that so? It cannot be helped. Let’s go to a decent inn and rest a little.”

The mouths of the three Gold, Silver, and Bronze brothers hung wide open to their ears.

“And let’s return to the Tae-eul-mun. As the eldest disciple, I cannot put you in danger, so if you don’t want to train, there is no choice but to go back together. Oh my, it would truly be too~ difficult for Sa-ryeon to take responsibility for all of us.”

The lips of the three Gold, Silver, and Bronze brothers trembled slightly.

“…….”

“…….”

Among them, the youngest, Dong-ryong, could not hold back and said.

“Dae-sa-hyeong!”

“Why?”

“Is this how you step on the Tae-eul-pal-man-sin-bo?”

Dong-ryong asked while stepping on the floor, and Geum-pyo and Eun-ho trembled even to their eyes as if they were shivering with betrayal.

“No. I will teach you again. How is it, Dong-ryong seems to want to continue, but will Geum-pyo and Eun-ho return?”

“……Of course we will go together.”

“Yes! And I like sleeping outside!”

I said to the three brothers who were muttering something and following the footprints I had made.

“Once you can freely unfold the Tae-eul-pal-man-sin-bo, I will catch the best inn in the next village.”

“Yes?”

“Is it true?”

“Sa-hyeong, you don’t have money.”

Geum-pyo, Eun-ho, and Dong-ryong said in turn, and I showed them the pouch full of money I had received from Wang Geum-san before.

“Who said I don’t have money?”

Clink, clink.

The eyes of the children who saw the yellow gold returned sharply once again.

‘This is the carrot and stick technique.’

The children’s desire to eat high-class food while eating at a good inn and relieve the fatigue of their bodies with hot water was so intense that they rose to the realm of being able to unfold the Tae-eul-pal-man-sin-bo while using Haeng-gong in less than three days.

It’s already the 10th day.

Children who cannot be distinguished whether they are Beggar Sect members or Tae-eul-mun disciples due to sleeping outside continuously day after day.

Should I think it’s fortunate that they are wearing black martial arts uniforms following me?

“Sa-hyeong! Sa-hyeong! I found out. They say the most cost-effective inn in this village is right there!”

Eun-ho, who had asked the people around as soon as he arrived at Mount Hwaun and found out the most cost-effective inn, pointed to the Eun-gung Inn and said.

“It is classified as a high-class inn, and it is an inn that costs 1 nyang of silver per night.”

I pointed to the new building next to the Eun-gung Inn and asked.

“Isn’t that an inn too?”

“That is a place called the Geum-gung Inn, and they say you have to pay as much as five nyang of silver.”

“Is that so? Then let’s go there.”

“Yes?”

“Didn’t I promise? That I would catch the best inn in this village.”

“Bu-but, Sa-hyeong. For four people, it is 20 nyang of silver.”

Eun-ho’s voice, who was speaking, was trembling.

“You will be able to enjoy this luxury every time you make progress in your training. So for now, just think about relieving your fatigue and training hard again.”

As I said that and headed to the Geum-gung Inn, the three people who were hesitating followed me along.

“Welcome!”

As I entered, the Jeom-so-i (waiter) approached with a bright smile, but when he saw the appearance of the three Gold, Silver, and Bronze brothers, his face began to crumple slowly.

I quickly took out one nyang of gold and handed it over.

“The children’s appearance is not worth mentioning because they have been sleeping outside for several weeks. Please prepare a room, bathwater, food, and new martial arts uniforms.”

The corners of the waiter’s mouth, which was about to be distorted, bloomed widely again.

“I will serve you kindly. Would you like to eat first?”

“Please.”

“Please come this way.”

The moment I was about to move my body according to the waiter’s guidance.

Eun-ho grabbed the hem of my clothes and said,

“Dae-sa-hyeong, over there…….”

The place Eun-ho’s finger was pointing was the railing on the second floor of the inn.

“…….”

There, Gye Yeon-seok, whose eyes were flushed bright red, and Gye Cheol-yeong, whose face was twisted in a bizarre direction, were looking this way.

“Tae-eul-mun…….”

It seemed I could hear the sound of Gye Yeon-seok grinding his teeth on the second floor up to here.