The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Chapter 86

[ … words ]

***

“This…… what kind of nonsense is this.”

A scream leaked from Jong Seo-gang’s mouth.

It was understandable. The Sang-jeong-mun disciples who had seen this scene in my past life would have had the same state of mind.

The reason Makgan Mountain, which was merely a nameless evil mountain in my past life, had gained fame was from the moment the Geum-rin-cheong-seon-sa appeared.

At that time, the Sang-jeong-mun, which was in charge of the 17th peak of the 108 Peaks, had received this news first and mobilized all the warriors within their sect, but they had ultimately failed.

It was because not only the Geum-rin-cheong-seon-sa but also the Dok-gak-heuk-seom, which was called the natural enemy of snakes, lived together in Makgan Mountain.

The Dok-gak-heuk-seom had revealed its body after smelling the fishy scent of the Geum-rin-cheong-seon-sa. Naturally, the warriors of the Sang-jeong-mun should have run away from that place, but unable to abandon their lingering attachment to the two 300-year-old spirit beasts before their eyes, they had eventually suffered four hundred casualties.

The Sang-jeong-mun, whose power had weakened due to this incident, could not block the offensives of the Cheong-do-bang and the Hwang-geom-mun and eventually disappeared into history.

And contradictorily, that Cheong-do-bang and Hwang-geom-mun of that time were now facing the Geum-rin-cheong-seon-sa and the Dok-gak-heuk-seom here.

“Th, that horned toad first…… no, that snake first…….”

The Dok-gak-heuk-seom, which had appeared after smelling the Geum-rin-cheong-seon-sa, soon changed its target due to the killing intent shooting from all directions and began to attack the people.

As its long tongue appeared and disappeared in an instant, three warriors vanished without a trace.

“Kuaaack!”

“Kiyaaagaga.”

“Agagaga!”

Only the swords they had been holding remained in the place where they had been, and the Dok-gak-heuk-seom swallowed what was in its mouth down its throat while holding its head up high.

“You damn toad bastard!”

The warriors, enraged by the loss of their colleagues, fired themselves at the toad like arrows with their eyes blazing.

Thud, thud, thud, thud.

At the same time, they flew their swords at the toad’s back, but the swords could not dig into the black toad’s flesh.

Furthermore, it was at that very moment that they felt something strange.

“Sniff, sniff. What is this…….”

“Keuheuk.”

The warriors who had climbed onto the toad’s back to fly their swords suddenly dropped their swords and grabbed their own throats.

They jumped off the toad quickly as if they could not breathe, but they could not walk three steps.

The faces that had been dyed blue quickly turned purple, and soon they turned black, and they drew their last breaths as if they had frozen in place.

“It’s poison!”

“Do not get close!”

The battlefield became a scene of carnage in an instant.

If one moved away from the Dok-gak-heuk-seom, a lightning-like tongue would fly in.

If one stepped back to avoid that tongue, the Geum-rin-cheong-seon-sa would open its mouth wide and swallow them whole.

“First, that guy! Strike that guy with the First Gate tokens first!”

At Jong Seo-gang’s desperate struggle, the warriors who had been watching the carnage looked at Gam Cheol-jin in unison.

“You damn bastards! I am the person who will become the future Sect Leader of the Hwang-geom-mun! Move right now!”

“…….”

As Gam Cheol-jin nodded, only then did they begin to approach me again.

I raised all my internal energy and emitted killing intent.

“Ugh, what kind of killing intent is…….”

“Damn it…….”

The Hwang-geom-mun warriors also emitted killing intent wildly so as not to be outdone in spirit.

As the distance with them, who had been hesitating, narrowed in an instant, swords clashed.

Clang-clang-clang.

I stepped on the Tae-eul-pal-man-sin-bo and scattered the Ssang-cheon-geom-gyeol.

Since only a few warriors, including Gam Cheol-jin, had reached the peak level, I could sufficiently deal with them with just the Ssang-cheon-geom-gyeol.

“The guy is retreating! Pressure him more!”

After looking at the triumphant Jong Seo-gang once, I said.

“It will be a bit difficult since the leader is a stupid guy.”

“…….”

Originally, the peak-level warriors, including Gam Cheol-jin, should have been dealing with the two spirit beasts, not me.

Since a guy who didn’t even know the basics of battle was in charge of command, it was natural for his subordinates to suffer damage.

Grrr. Grrr.

The moment the Dok-gak-heuk-seom’s cry was heard.

“Oh…… Ohhh!”

The warriors who had been frantically receiving the Ssang-cheon-geom-gyeol were shocked as they recalled that they had reached the nose of the Dok-gak-heuk-seom before they knew it.

I immediately unfurled the Gwi-sik-haeng-bo and slipped through the Dok-gak-heuk-seom’s crotch.

“Wh, why?”

The Hwang-geom-mun warriors, who had been blankly watching me pass by the Dok-gak-heuk-seom, were terrified.

The Dok-gak-heuk-seom’s tongue had now begun to target them.

“Kuaaack!”

“Do, dodge!”

“You idiots! Don’t dodge! It’s just one toad!”

At Jong Seo-gang’s shouting, the Hwang-geom-mun warriors could only look at Gam Cheol-jin without being able to do this or that.

“Deal with it using palm techniques!”

“Yes!”

And the Hwang-geom-mun warriors fired palm techniques in unison.

Poof-poof-poof-poof-bang.

Dust filled the air in all directions, obscuring the traces of the Dok-gak-heuk-seom.

“…….”

“Di, did we get him?”

No sooner had the uneasy warrior’s words finished than a huge shadow fell over their heads.

“Fu, fuck!”

Thump.

Grrr. Grrr.

The Dok-gak-heuk-seom began to rampage among the warriors without any damage.

“Are you okay?”

I approached the Geum, Eun, and Dong brothers immediately and examined them.

Fortunately, no one seemed to be seriously injured.

“Big Senior Brother (Dae-sahyeong), what on earth is that?”

“What else could it be but the Second Gate tokens.”

“Is this how you pass the Second Gate?”

Eun-ho was looking at me with disbelieving eyes. The guy who used to recite things I didn’t even say, claiming I said them, was not hiding his distrust at times like this.

“Listen carefully. From now on, we will strike the pursuers.”

“Yes?!”

“Right now?”

“Yes. If not now, we cannot shake them off. Furthermore, if others do not know that they will get hurt if they attack us, the pursuit will continue. Do you want to continue eating dried meat with blood-stained hands among corpses in the future?”

“……Where shall we strike first!”

Geum-pyo shook his head as if the past few days had been exhausting. If he was already like this, what would happen in the future?

“But will it be okay? If we deal with them, I feel like we will be the prey next.”

“Why did I teach you the Gwi-sik-haeng-bo?”

“If we use the Gwi-sik-haeng-bo, can that guy not recognize us?”

“Even if it lived long enough to have an Internal Core, it is merely a trivial creature. Since it has sharpened only its instincts without intelligence, it will be even easier to deceive.”

“I understand.”

With those words, we scattered in all directions.

I returned immediately to the Hwang-geom-mun, who were dealing with the Dok-gak-heuk-seom.

“Strike! Kill! Why can you not even catch a mere toad! Can you still call yourselves warriors of the Hwang-geom-mun!”

Jong Seo-gang had lost all his usual composure and was shouting furiously, completely excited.

The Hwang-geom-mun warriors, led by Gam Cheol-jin, were calmly continuing the hunt while keeping their distance, but in Jong Seo-gang’s eyes, it looked as if they were avoiding a battle with the Dok-gak-heuk-seom.

“Jin So-un! Where is that guy Jin So-un?”

He, who had been momentarily distracted by the Dok-gak-heuk-seom, was soon scanning his surroundings while calling my name.

-Keueok!

-Keuk!

-It, it’s the Tae-eul-mun! The Tae-eul-mun is attacking!

Screams of warriors began to be heard from afar.

The Hwang-geom-mun warriors were dealing with the Dok-gak-heuk-seom while worrying about not knowing when they would be attacked, unable to secure their vision due to the thick dust spread everywhere.

Thanks to that, dealing with the Dok-gak-heuk-seom was becoming increasingly difficult.

“Young Master. Let’s withdraw for now.”

“……What?”

“Right now, we are not prepared to hunt either the Dok-gak-heuk-seom or the Geum-rin-cheong-seon-sa.”

“What are you saying right now! The Second Gate tokens and the First Gate tokens are right in front of our eyes.”

“If we continue like this, all the warriors of the Hwang-geom-mun might die.”

“Gam Cheol-jin!!!”

Jong Seo-gang’s voice, filled with spite, rang loudly through the venue.

“Do you look down on me because I haven’t even received the position of Junior Sect Leader yet!”

“…….”

Jong Seo-gang, who seemed to have lost his reason, let alone being excited.

“I am Jong Seo-gang of the Hwang-geom-mun!”

“…….”

“If we retreat now, we will miss not only the First Gate tokens but also the spirit beast from which we can receive the Second Gate tokens! Are you saying this while being able to take responsibility for that! Speak!”

“…….”

Jong Seo-gang was acting exactly the same way he had ruined his own sect while working in the Enforcement Pavilion in my past life.

‘As expected, people don’t change.’

Thinking that I didn’t need to pay attention anymore, I immediately looked for Jang Sun-won, the Junior Sect Leader of the Cheong-do-bang.

Jang Sun-won was monitoring the surroundings from the safest place with his bodyguard.

“Are you planning to just watch while your sect members are dying?”

When I approached using Gwi-sik-haeng-bo, they were startled.

“Jin So-un…….”

Jang Sun-won called my name as if grinding his teeth.

“Truly moving. That you would call my name in that way.”

“……Do you know me?”

He had a look of not knowing what was going on.

It couldn’t be helped, as our connection was from my past life.

“If you take your warriors and go back, I will not catch you.”

“…….”

A look of hesitation.

Truly shallow.

He calculates profit and loss while his own sect members are dying, and the warriors of the sects he decided to join forces with are dying.

A typical characteristic of those who think that what they have is absolutely not lower than the other party.

‘And they usually make similar decisions.’

Jang Sun-won’s eyebrows shot up.

“Where did you learn such shallow tricks! You are the one who should hand over all the First Gate tokens right now!”

“I knew you would make that choice.”

A warrior like Gam Cheol-jin cannot be taken around by just anyone.

And the Cheong-do-bang had never raised a secret warrior of Gam Cheol-jin’s level.

The Black Dragon Sword, which hadn’t even dried of blood, was swung, creating dozens of illusionary swords in all directions.

The Cheong-do-bang’s bodyguards stepped forward and swung their taedo (big swords), but the essence of the taedo was weight.

It could not surpass the Ssang-cheon-geom-gyeol, which contained the essence of transformation swords.

“Keuheuk.”

“Keuk.”

As the four bodyguards fell in an instant, Jang Sun-won’s eyes began to tremble violently.

“O, okay. I, I will go ba…….”

“Do you only make a decision when your own life is in danger?”

“I said I would go back! Since I said I would go back.”

“Die like a Junior Sect Leader.”

“Keuheuk! You bastard! How dare you, even after doing this, to our Cheong-do-bang’s…….”

Jang Sun-won could not finish his sentence and fell, his chest {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} split wide open.

I poured my internal energy into my voice and shouted loudly.

-The Junior Sect Leader of the Cheong-do-bang is dead. Those who wish to live, fend for yourselves!

…….

……?!

……!!

The movements of the warriors who saw Jang Sun-won’s death with disbelieving eyes began to slow down.

The Cheong-do-bang warriors were dealing with the Geum-rin-cheong-seon-sa, so they didn’t even dare to approach me.

“Kill him! If we kill only that guy, we win! We can enter the Moorim Academy!”

Jong Seo-gang shouted, pointing his finger at me, but there was no one who could move rashly.

I immediately stepped on the Cheon-ha-dok-haeng-sin and appeared in front of Jong Seo-gang in an instant.

“Huh! What kind of movement technique…… Keuheuk!”

And I stabbed the Black Dragon Sword right in as it was.

“What is this…….”

Jong Seo-gang’s eyes, unable to believe even after seeing the Black Dragon Sword that had dug into his chest.

Slide.

His body tilted, and the sword that had been submerged in his body slipped out.

“…….”

“…….”

“…….”

The Hwang-geom-mun warriors who had been dealing with the Dok-gak-heuk-seom were watching blankly with devastated expressions.

“Now, there is no one left in the Hwang-geom-mun who can enter the Moorim Academy. Will you continue?”

I said, looking at Gam Cheol-jin, the real power of the Hwang-geom-mun.

“…….”

“If you continue, all the warriors of the Hwang-geom-mun will also have to bury their bones here. As you saw earlier, we, the Tae-eul-mun, are not affected by those spirit beasts.”

“…….”

Gam Cheol-jin looked around.

Nearly fifty warriors were dead.

Even so, there were only about thirty people left. The remaining twenty had become lonely souls without even leaving corpses behind.

In a situation where it was questionable whether they could succeed even if everyone worked together to hunt, if they continued to be attacked by the Tae-eul-mun, eventually, everyone would have to bury their bones here.

“Let’s go back.”

“…….”

“…….”

“…….”

No one argued with Gam Cheol-jin’s decision. Rather, they had expressions of relief that they were going back.

“You have thought well.”

“……Thank you for preserving the lives of the warriors.”

“The lives of those warriors are what you saved.”

“Everyone, retreat! We are going back now!”

No sooner had Gam Cheol-jin’s words finished than the Hwang-geom-mun warriors began to withdraw, pouring out palm force.

And as the Hwang-geom-mun withdrew, the Dok-gak-heuk-seom began to move toward the Geum-rin-cheong-seon-sa again, and because of this, the Cheong-do-bang warriors had no choice but to withdraw as they could not hold out any longer.

“I will give you one il-gak (15 minutes) from now! I will consider those remaining here as having made the decision to fight to the end!”

“What are we supposed to do about the Geum-rin-cheong-seon-sa and the Dok-gak-heuk-seom.”

“I will block them.”

“?”

I immediately jumped over the heads of the two spirit beasts and exploded the Man-hwa-mu-jeok-gwon (Ten Thousand Flowers Peerless Fist).

Poof-poof-poof-poof-poof-poof-bang.

The guys, who hadn’t budged with their heavy bodies, couldn’t move as if they were buried under a huge pile of rocks.

“What is this…… This makes no sense.”

“What kind of martial arts does a Tae-eul-mun warrior have?”

The warriors were watching blankly, forgetting even to run away.

I once again shouted, pouring internal energy into my voice.

-I said one il-gak!

Then, the warriors, who raised their eyes as if struck by lightning, began to run down the mountain, carrying whatever corpses they could see in all directions, regardless of their sect.

<><><>

Should I be happy about this or not?

Eun-ho had complex feelings as he watched the enemies, who had been tightening the breath by tightening the surroundings like a dense net, run away like mice meeting a cat.

‘No, if they go like that, how are we supposed to catch that monster.’

Whether it is a 200-year spirit beast or a 300-year spirit beast, it is an existence that one would have no wishes left if they met it once in a warrior’s life, but that’s only a treasure to someone of that level. To himself, who hadn’t even reached the age of twenty (yak-gwan), it was just a monster that ate people.

“Since Big Senior Brother can catch it on his own, everyone must have retreated.”

At Eun-ho’s worry, Geum-pyo said calmly as if he were worrying about nothing.

“……Hoo.”

Dong-ryong was shaking off the blood flowing on his sword and had a refreshed expression.

At that time, Jin So-un stopped dealing with the two monsters and kicked the air, landing beside the three Geum, Eun, and Dong brothers.

“Uh oh?”

“Ack!”

“……!”

Naturally, the eyes of the three Geum, Eun, and Dong brothers widened.

“Why are you coming here suddenly?”

Eun-ho asked that without realizing it due to anxiety.

“…….”

Jin So-un looked at him with narrowed eyes. Eun-ho, realizing his mistake, quickly continued.

“Big Senior Brother, you sent the people away because you have a way to catch them, right?”

Jin So-un raised his eyebrows as if asking what he was talking about while shaking off the fluid on the Black Dragon Sword.

That expression made the hearts of Eun-ho and Geum-pyo uneasy.

“It’s not like I’m some Top Ten Expert of the World, how would I catch those things.”

That’s right. That is a correct statement.

He didn’t know where the end of his Big Senior Brother’s martial arts was, but still, catching a spirit beast that had lived for hundreds of years would be another story.

……But shouldn’t he not say that right now?

“Then you sent the people away without even being able to catch them?”

At least if you weren’t confident in catching them, you should have cooperated…… Ah, of course, it’s hard to imagine doing it together, but.

“Then are you saying we should just leave them?”

“Why would you bother catching something that doesn’t need to be caught in the first place?”

“Yes?”

Eun-ho looked at Geum-pyo, thinking if he hadn’t understood something, but Geum-pyo was trying to erase the bloodstains on his clothes, and Dong-ryong was watching the spirit beasts with his mouth open.

It was clear that he was not the only one who didn’t understand.

The others had just stopped thinking.

“There is no need to catch them. From now on, unfurl the Gwi-sik-haeng-bo again.”

“…….”

As Jin So-un began to unfurl the Gwi-sik-haeng-bo, even though he was clearly in front of his eyes, no presence could be felt.

On the other hand, the Gwi-sik-haeng-bo of Geum-pyo and Dong-ryong definitely had a little presence.

“It is a fight between a snake, which is the natural enemy of a toad, and a horned toad that lives by eating such snakes. There is no need for us to intervene.”

“What is that…….”

“Watch carefully.”

As the presence of Jin So-un’s party disappeared, the two monsters, who had been fiercely searching for people, looked around in confusion.

Then, they soon realized that all the people had disappeared and showed fighting spirit toward each other.

Kyaaaaa.

Grrrrrrrrr.

The fight between the two spirit beasts began in an instant.

The Geum-rin-cheong-seon-sa tried to coil around the Dok-gak-heuk-seom’s body, and the Dok-gak-heuk-seom sprang up with its heavy body and charged at the Geum-rin-cheong-seon-sa with the horn on its head.

Kyaaaaa.

The flesh of the Geum-rin-cheong-seon-sa, which hadn’t even been scratched by most swords, was dented, and the Geum-rin-cheong-seon-sa shrieked in all directions.

The high-pitched crying sound pierced the eardrums.

“Are you saying we just need to deal with the one who wins after those two fight? But that doesn’t look easy either?”

Even if one of them dies, what way is there to deal with the remaining one?

“There is no need to do that either.”

The fight intensified.

As the Geum-rin-cheong-seon-sa poured venom in all directions, the Dok-gak-heuk-seom shuddered as if it had been paralyzed after being hit by the venom.

Meanwhile, the Geum-rin-cheong-seon-sa opened its huge mouth and swallowed the Dok-gak-heuk-seom in one bite.

“Uh oh! If it does that, the Internal Core…….”

“It’s not over yet.”

The Geum-rin-cheong-seon-sa, which swallowed the Dok-gak-heuk-seom in one bite. The Geum-rin-cheong-seon-sa, with its neck area bulging, was trying to absorb the guy in an instant.

Snap. Plop.

A horn grows on top of the Geum-rin-cheong-seon-sa’s head.

The moment a silly thought crossed his mind, ‘Oh! Did it eat the Dok-gak-heuk-seom and is now becoming a Dok-gak-geum-rin-cheong-seon-sa?’.

Blood gushed like a fountain between the horns, and the Geum-rin-cheong-seon-sa laid down its heavy body.

Thump.

Grrr. Grrr.

The Dok-gak-heuk-seom, which had pulled the horn out of the Geum-rin-cheong-seon-sa’s head, barely escaped, with its skin melted here and there.

“Look at that. I told you there was no need to fight.”

Big Senior Brother, who had moved to the top of the Dok-gak-heuk-seom’s head at some point, stabbed the Black Dragon Sword deeply into the Dok-gak-heuk-seom’s eyeball.

Keuk.

The Dok-gak-heuk-seom died without even being able to resist properly.

Eun-ho asked with a horrified feeling.

“Big Senior Brother, did you know from the beginning that the pursuers would follow us and enter Makgan Mountain?”

“Wouldn’t we have to pass the Second Gate anyway? We don’t have money. So, I received some ‘help’ from others.”

“……Help?”

While Eun-ho was blankly standing there.

Jin So-un said to Geum-pyo and Dong-ryong.

“Can you trust this Big Senior Brother now?”

“Big Senior Brother! This Geum-pyo has never doubted Big Senior Brother even once in his life.”

“Big Senior Brother! I believe you even if you say you make meju with red beans!”

“…….”

The moment Geum-pyo and Dong-ryong were intoxicated with the joy of victory and cheering wildly.

Eun-ho could not properly join in due to an unknown feeling of discomfort.

Is this right?

No matter how much he thought about it, it was not easily convincing.

‘I don’t think this was the intention of the exam set by the Moorim Academy.’

Clearly, if it was as Big Senior Brother said, the Moorim Academy was also an educational institution in its own way, so they couldn’t openly write ‘I hope rich guys enter,’ so they must have set the exam like this.

How bewildered would the academy side be if they solved a problem that was set not to be solved in the first place?

‘Is this really okay?’

Geum-pyo and Dong-ryong were now looking at him, wondering if they should toss Big Senior Brother in the air, but they didn’t have enough strength. Eun-ho sighed softly and stopped thinking.

“Honestly, I don’t know what to do.”

Yang Gun-baek looked at the Geum-rin-cheong-seon-sa and the Dok-gak-heuk-seom with a miserable expression.

Because the message-carrying eagle, which was supposed to come originally, could not approach due to the killing intent of the Cheon-ra-ji-mang, Yang Gun-baek, who was worried, eventually moved himself.

For me, since I had something to deal with, I was glad he came, but his face didn’t look very comfortable.

“Why are you like that?”

“Because if I report this as it is, it is certain that I will be suspected of lying.”

“……Haha. Is that so?”

Yang Gun-baek lets out a long sigh. Then, he soon regains his composure.

“It is a great relief. I was worried. To think you have achieved such excellent results.”

“It is thanks to you worrying.”

“Have you received the Second (II) Gate tokens?”

When we caught the Geum-rin-cheong-seon-sa and the Dok-gak-heuk-seom and opened their bellies to take out the Internal Cores, examiners and warriors of the Moorim Alliance appeared from somewhere.

“They treated them as three gapja (180 years) each.”

“That is truly amazing.”

Yang Gun-baek looked blankly at the Geum-rin-cheong-seon-sa and the Dok-gak-heuk-seom, then his eyes flashed as he said.

“Then…… what have you decided to do with the corpses of these guys? Have you decided to hand them over to the Moorim Alliance?”

Usually, since the Moorim Alliance also handles the corpses and Internal Cores of spirit beasts, the examiner had just asked the same question.

“I have better friends than me, so why would I need to use them?”

When I said it with a meaningful smile, Yang Gun-baek’s mouth opened as if it would tear.

“I will…… I will definitely handle it without any regrets.”

“Then, while you’re at it, I ask you to take care of this too.”

I handed the Internal Cores of the Geum-rin-cheong-seon-sa and the Dok-gak-heuk-seom to Yang Gun-baek.

His eyes widened.

“Please dispose of those two things and get me three appropriate miraculous medicines.”

“……So-un-nim. Of course, that is also possible, but wouldn’t it be better to take these directly rather than reselling them to buy something else?”

“That is true, but their internal energy is still around 10 years old.”

“Ah…….”

I looked at the Geum, Eun, and Dong brothers who were playing with each other and said.

The Internal Cores of the Geum-rin-cheong-seon-sa and the Dok-gak-heuk-seom contain poison.

Those with sufficient internal energy could convert even that poison into internal energy, but the Geum, Eun, and Dong brothers would be poisoned by the poison before they could even melt the Internal Cores.

“Please also handle the corpses of the Geum-rin-cheong-seon-sa and the Dok-gak-heuk-seom and add them all to buying the miraculous medicines.”

“Yes. I will get the miraculous medicines first before disposing of the spirit beasts.”

At Yang Gun-baek’s words, my head tilts.

“If you do that, it is good for me, but you don’t have to push yourself so hard…….”

Buying the miraculous medicines first before even disposing of the goods means he will spend his own or his sect’s money first.

In this case, wouldn’t the increase in incidental costs such as the cost of disposing of the spirit beast corpses and storage costs be unavoidable?

In case the goods cannot be sold on the market, the period during which the money is tied up might become longer.

I did not understand Yang Gun-baek’s intention to bear a loss that he didn’t have to bear.

“…….”

Yang Gun-baek, who was about to say something about it, moved his lips several times before barely speaking.

“I don’t know how to convey this because I don’t know if I will spoil the good atmosphere.”

“Is something the matter?”

“So-un-nim has no time right now.”

“What does that mean…… Even if the First Gate was late, the Second Gate should be a bit fast, right?”

“The Wudang Sect, Hwasan Sect, and Jeomchang Sect have begun to move.”

“……?”

“Toward So-un-nim.”