The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Chapter 42

[ … words ]

***

Kang Yu-seong, a server at the Wolho Inn, had been busy for several weeks.

At first, he was busy because martial artists flocked there because some kind of miraculous medicinal herb appeared at Maryeong-gowon, and after that, he was busy because of the people who came to save those who had entered Maryeong-gowon.

Martial artists were more generous than ordinary travelers.

They would sometimes not take their change, and if they were in a good mood, they would give several times the price of the food as a tip.

Of course, if he met a warrior with a bad temper, he would sometimes be placed in a dangerous situation where he had to risk his life.

Still, the reason he couldn’t quit this job was because he had to take care of his young younger sisters with the money he earned, and other jobs were not given to Kang Yu-seong, who was still young.

The last few days had been exciting days for Kang Yu-seong.

Because the person who had saved four thousand warriors from Maryeong-gowon was staying in the detached building of the Wolho Inn.

In the streets of Agyang, wherever drinking parties were held, it was bustling with that story.

That if it hadn’t been for that warrior, all four thousand warriors would have died.

Even while carrying food in the restaurant on the first floor of the inn, if a story about that warrior’s exploits came up, Kang Yu-seong would slow his pace or wander around that table, pretending to tidy up, and listen to every single detail of the story without leaving anything out.

When he heard that such a warrior was staying at the Wolho Inn, he was so happy he could jump.

“You are truly a unique person as much as you are great.”

While changing the water in the wooden tub, he spoke to the warrior, with whom he had become a little friendly now because he had seen his face for the past few days.

“Me?”

“Yes.”

The warrior tilted his head as if he didn’t know.

“What?”

“All the great people of Agyang want to see you, Warrior. Yet you stay only in the detached building every day.”

“Ah……”

When he poured out the water from the wooden tub, black grime floated around, and strange skin-like things flowed out together.

The strange thing was that this was already the third time he had changed the water for him.

“Because it’s bothersome.”

“You have received many contacts from the famous Giru (gisaeng houses) in Agyang, haven’t you?”

Right now, in Agyang, it was not just warriors or high-ranking officials who were looking for this warrior.

The server recalled the numerous letters he had delivered.

“Pu-hahaha. A young kid knows all sorts of things?”

“Making a name for oneself and building relationships with beauties is what all warriors learning martial arts desire, isn’t it?”

When he filled the wooden tub with hot water again, the warrior went into the wooden tub and rubbed his skin gently with a whetstone.

Truly miraculously, the clear water began to turn murky immediately.

“Are you envious of me?”

“Of course.”

“How old did you say you were?”

“I am fourteen this year.”

“Do you want to make a name for yourself and build relationships with beauties?”

Kang Yu-seong shook his head firmly.

“That is not it.”

“Hmm? Then why are you envious of me?”

“You have the power to save other people, Warrior. That is what I envy.”

“…….”

The warrior continued to rub with the whetstone without a word.

Kang Yu-seong poured out his own story without even knowing why he was doing so.

“I wish I had the power to protect my young sisters. Right now, I am too young and too weak, so it is painful.”

“……How many sisters do you have?”

“Three.”

“Yu-seong, you alone are taking care of three?”

“……Yes.”

Kang Yu-seong was surprised by himself even while telling the story.

He hadn’t even told the inn owner about this.

Because whenever he told such a story, most of the responses were pity, sympathy, or blaming him for his foolishness.

In particular, he hated the words telling him to sell his young sisters and find his own way to live.

However.

“Kid, you are admirable.”

“……!”

The warrior chuckled while scrubbing off grime.

For some reason, Kang Yu-seong started to shed tears in streams.

“How did you make such an admirable determination?”

“……Ahem, kuh. U-uh, I promised my mother.”

“Yes, yes. A man of this time must take care of his precious people even if his own body breaks, so that he will have no regrets. ……My, the water has already become dirty. Change the water.”

“…….”

Kang Yu-seong was about to burst into wailing, soaked in emotion, but his emotions were suddenly cut off at the warrior’s words.

This time, too, black grime and things like shed skin poured out. It is truly a miraculous body. How many times does he wash, yet such grime still comes out?

“Do you want to learn martial arts?”

“……Yes?”

“Didn’t you say you wanted to become strong? Earning money, studying, those are also ways to become strong, but aren’t you telling me such things because you want to learn martial arts?”

“…….”

Kang Yu-seong’s face turned red with shame.

Still, he decided to be shameless just this once.

“Yes! It is my dream to become a warrior like you.”

“A warrior like me……”

The warrior, who had been lost in thought for a moment, tilted his head and said.

“Do you know that I am from Tae-eul-mun?”

“Of course. That story is going around all of Agyang.”

“You know very well that the martial arts of Tae-eul-mun are nothing special, right?”

He knew very well.

That was why people were surprised these days.

“If there is a chance to enter Tae-eul-mun, do you want to enter?”

“Yes!”

“……I became like this by my own effort and luck, without being able to borrow the power of martial arts. It means that even if you actually learn the martial arts of Tae-eul-mun, your path to becoming a master might be far off.”

“……Then can I become like the Warrior?”

“What?”

“I don’t want to become a master; I want to become like you, Warrior.”

Splash.

The warrior dropped the whetstone and groped inside the water.

“Kid, you are good at saying things that tickle one’s ears.”

The warrior said no more.

Kang Yu-seong also noticed that the warrior did not want any more conversation, so he diligently changed the hot water.

Then, miraculously, the amount of grime and shed skin began to decrease gradually.

And when the warrior finished bathing and came out of the wooden tub, Kang Yu-seong was stunned looking at the warrior’s body.

Although he had a large frame, a tall height, and a large, manly build, not a single bit of excess flesh could be seen.

In particular, his skin looked like a woman’s, without a single speck.

“Where are my clothes?”

“……Ah, h-here they are.”

Kang Yu-seong handed over the new black warrior’s uniform he had prepared.

He wore something silver inside the warrior’s uniform and put on the black warrior’s uniform.

He wore wrist guards with hawk claw decorations on his left arm and carried a black sword.

If his appearance when he first entered the Wolho Inn was like a rough ronin, now he looked like a perfect young nobleman without a single gap.

“Take this.”

While saying that, he handed over 1 nyang of gold.

Although it was an unimaginably huge amount for a tip, Kang Yu-seong was somehow not very happy.

“……Is it not enough?”

“That is not it. It is just a pity because I thought I would not be able to see you anymore.”

“Why is it a pity? You can just see me at Tae-eul-mun.”

“Yes?”

“Didn’t you say you wanted to enter Tae-eul-mun?”

“……W, Warrior.”

“Ah, of course, the Sect Leader will have to give permission, but…… he will probably allow it.”

The last words were a little unreliable, but he had no time to worry about such things.

Kang Yu-seong broke the vow he had made not to cry again after his mother passed away and cried his heart out for a long time.

I never dreamed I would meet Kang Yu-seong at the Wolho Inn.

Sword Idiot Kang Yu-seong, who started as a server, carried a sword into the deep mountains, created his own unique sword technique, and occupied the last seat of the Cheonhasipgeom (Ten Swords of the World).

Since his appearance was similar and his name was the same, I had wondered, but the moment I heard that he had three younger sisters below him, I could be certain.

‘You’re mine.’

I wondered if I had changed the future of such a great talent too much, but if he had a foundation, he would do better.

“……If you move your residence to Tae-eul-mun, you won’t have to worry about losing your sisters. And now that you will inherit the Tae-eul-jin-gyeong (Tae-eul True Scripture) as a secret teaching, it’s not a bad choice for you either.”

I hypnotized myself like that.

As I went through the Tal-tae (shedding the body) through the Mitaseongsu, my whole body felt as light as if it would fly away.

The impurities that had accumulated in my body throughout my life had all been discharged, and the inside had become as clean as that of a newborn child.

On top of that, the Tae-eul-jin-gyeong paved the way again, changing it into a body suitable for itself, like drawing a picture on paper.

At first, I felt awkward because my height and physique had changed, but that was only for a moment.

Soon, I realized that my current physical state was the most ideal state for unleashing the martial arts of Tae-eul-mun, including the Tae-eul-jin-gyeong.

“I am envious.”

Namgung Seon-hwa, who had stopped by to say goodbye to me, was clearly sensing the changes in my body, even though I hadn’t told her that I had consumed the Mitaseongsu.

Unfortunately, the Mitaseongsu only came out enough for one person, and it was not even enough to give to the junior brothers of Tae-eul-mun, let alone Namgung Seon-hwa.

“So this is the rumored Mugol-jiche (Bone-less/Pure Bone Body).”

“Do you know about Mugol-jiche?”

“Of course. I came to find the Mitaseongsu to achieve that.”

Mugol-jiche was one of the constitutions with special characteristics, like Wang So-so’s Taeyang-jiche (Sun Constitution). Unlike other constitutions that are born with it, Mugol-jiche was a constitution that could only be changed through incessant training and enlightenment leading to Hwangol-taltae (rebirth of bones/body) or through the Mitaseongsu.

“It must be a pity.”

I offered words of consolation, but Namgung Seon-hwa did not seem very disappointed.

“……Well, since you ate it. It’s fine.”

“Yes?”

“It’s nothing. I heard from my brother. You said you were going to stop by the Namgung Clan?”

“That is how it turned out.”

“By any chance, would you not like to join me when I take the regular exam?”

Although the regular exam of the Murim Academy is an individual test, it did not matter if one accompanied a family or an assistant, or if the examinees cooperated with each other.

Instead, those who held heavy responsibilities in the Murim Alliance, those with martial prowess above first-class, or those who were graduates of the Murim Academy could not participate.

“I think I will attend with one or two Chang-gung squads.”

“……?”

Considering the power of the Namgung Clan, it would be insufficient even if she led at least five squads.

“There are circumstances in the family.”

“……Ah.”

It seems the internal division of the Namgung Clan that happened in my previous life has already begun.

“Still, because I will only be with the elite personnel, I think it will definitely be of help.”

I thought for a moment and then shook my head.

“I am sorry. Young Lady. I also have a plan for this exam. That seems difficult.”

“……I suppose so.”

Namgung Seon-hwa nodded as if she understood.

We had roughly finished our farewells, and we had said everything we needed to say to each other, but Namgung Seon-hwa did not leave and was pointlessly kicking the empty ground.

“……Um, can I ask one thing?”

“Please speak.”

“By any chance…… with Mo-ran unnie……”

Namgung Seon-hwa mumbled with a complex and subtle expression.

“Is there something wrong with Young Lady Seong?”

“…….”

Namgung Seon-hwa, who was opening and closing her mouth, shook her head and suddenly cupped her hands in a Pogyon salute.

“It’s nothing. Young Master Jin. Thank you so much this time. Someday I will definitely repay this grace.”

Having left the Wolho Inn, I headed first to Guryong Mountain, located near Namak, not to Hobeok Province where the Jegal Clan was.

Because I needed money first to take Jegal Cheon-gi to Tae-eul-mun.

Moreover, thanks to this incident, I had unintentionally obtained good items, so I didn’t need to go far to find treasures.

Reaching the entrance of Guryong Mountain, I took out a map from the library in my mind.

It was the place where Wol-hyang, the concubine of the richest man in the Wol Kingdom, whom Du Cheon-gang of the Sojeong Squad had regretted not being able to loot before he died, was buried.

Actually, we were truly curious as to why Du Cheon-gang, a former thief, had joined the Murim Alliance, and that story was quite a masterpiece.

Du Cheon-gang, who mainly stole luxury goods that high-ranking officials had received as bribes, one day robbed a secret warehouse that he thought one of the high-ranking officials had hidden slush funds in, and it turned out to be the tomb of the Ibu-sangseo (Minister of Personnel) family.

Having robbed such a family’s tomb, officials from all over the country dropped everything and rushed like Gangshi (zombies) to take Du Cheon-gang’s head.

Du Cheon-gang joined the Murim Alliance as a low-level warrior under a false identity as a last resort to avoid the eyes of the government troops.

Du Cheon-gang, who had entered the Murim Alliance, tried to lure those with strong exorcism power to rob Wol-hyang’s tomb.

It was unlikely that the Hyeongsan Sect, Mosan Sect, Shaolin, or Wudang Sect would deal with a low-level warrior Du Cheon-gang.

In the end, he couldn’t even rob Wol-hyang’s tomb and was dragged into the Righteous-Demonic War while in the Sojeong Squad, and he shed tears every night, blaming his own fate.

“According to Du’s words, it should be around here.”

When I examined the back of the waterfall halfway up Guryong Mountain, a narrow entrance could be seen between the rushing waters.

A natural, rugged terrain that seemed to reject human footsteps, without a single place to step.

I shot a Biryong-jo (Flying Dragon Claw) to a slightly higher place, grabbed the rope, and jumped in.

Whiririring.

Passing through the waterfall and putting my body through a small hole, a large space appeared inside.

When I lit the torch I had prepared, the inside of the cave began to be revealed little by little.

The cave, which seemed not to have been touched by human hands, began to show an artificial appearance as I went deeper, and at the end of the cave, one side of the cave was carved like a huge palace.

“I found it.”

The inside of the palace was decorated as a tomb.

However, the problem was that the place where the coffin had been, and the places where the items the deceased had used during her lifetime had been, were all completely empty and full of spider webs.

“They said there is a device around here.”

Because he talked about robbing Wol-hyang’s tomb incessantly whenever he drank, I could find even a device I was seeing for the first time at once.

Creak, creak, creak, creak.Thud. Bang.

As expected, the wall was pushed to one side, and the door opened halfway.

Inside the door, there was a narrow passage wide enough for two people to enter, and the passage was lined with broken arrows and thick thorns that popped out from the floor.

“They said everyone could get in up to here.”

Traces of someone having come and gone already remained in the path to the secret room.

I raised the Cheonha-dokhaeng-sin (Heavenly Peerless Poison-Walking Body Technique) I had obtained from Maryeong-gowon.

Although my achievement was still only at the first stage, that alone was enough.

Thukang. Thukang. Thukang.

Swish, swish, swish.

After passing through the secret room, the devices were activated, and thorns popped out from the floor, and arrows were fired from all sides.

“They said there is no one in the world to follow, so it lives up to its name.”

After admiring the divine power of the Cheonha-dokhaeng-sin for a moment, I turned my body and stepped into space, and my two eyes widened.

“Heoheo.”

Night-luminescent pearls were embedded in the ceiling like stars, and inside the room, gold and silver treasures that emitted a glittering light, receiving the light of those night-luminescent pearls, were piled up high.

I could understand why Du Cheon-gang had to come out empty-handed even after having billions of gold in front of his eyes whenever he drank.

“It was true.”

I was examining a few gold and silver treasures when the skeletons piled up in one corner of the room made me feel chilly.

“Most of them were buried here.”

Skeletons that clearly seemed to belong to humans.

A skeleton tomb made of a quite large number of them, not just one or two people’s.

“At this rate, it seems quite a few people came and couldn’t leave.”

Then.

An ominous sound was heard.

Clatter. Clatter.

My head turned toward one of the rooms in the space.

Clatter. Clatter.

The reason why Du Cheon-gang had to come out empty-handed even after having billions of gold in front of his eyes.

Clatter. Clatter.

–Ihihihihihihihihihihi.

The reason he seduced Taoists and monks to rob the tomb even while suffering all sorts of humiliation at the Murim Alliance.

“Show yourself!”

It was because of the powerful ghost guarding this tomb.

-Are you a thief acting as the owner!!

I had heard of the Gwangcheon-sodo (Mad Heavenly Small Sword) of the Demonic Cult, but this was the first time I had heard a tone with such dense demonic energy.

My spirit was shaken, my heart pounded, and my body began to stiffen.

Clatter. Clatter.

-You have no fear of entering this place.

Along with the sound of metal clashing, a woman with beauty that was hard to believe was of the human world was walking out slowly, wearing only flashy gold and silver treasures on her naked body.