The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Chapter 45

[ … words ]

***

A corner of the Jegal Clan.

Here, there existed a small palace built in a special square shape.

People of the clan called the palace the ‘Juja-geumok’.

Although there was already a Geum-ok in the basement of the clan that imprisoned the demonic heads of the Gangho, this ‘Juja-geumok’ was built for a special prisoner who had never existed before and would never exist in the future.

Inside a small space where only one person could live, a boy with a rosy complexion was drawing pictures, blueprints, and spell formulas ceaselessly, without distinguishing between the wall and the floor.

“Young Master.”

Then, he stopped abruptly at the sound coming from the ceiling.

“Yeong-yeong. If you keep coming in here, the Supreme Elder will scold you.”

Yeong-yeong. An existence like a shadow that follows only Jegal Cheon-gi.

Since he didn’t know when he would get out of the Geum-ok, he told her to return to her original place, but this faithful shadow continued to hover around Jegal Cheon-gi.

“There is someone who came to meet that Supreme Elder.”

“The Supreme Elder is always busy.”

“It is a person who came to find you, Young Master.”

“Me? Why?”

Jegal Cheon-gi looked at the empty ceiling.

“They said they came to ask for your dispatch.”

“Why me……?”

“They said they want to install your mechanism formation in their sect.”

“What!”

Jegal Cheon-gi was surprised.

Amidst the people of the clan as well as countless intellectuals of the Gangho who were all speaking in unison about the uselessness of Gigwan-jin-sik, there was someone who came saying they would install his Gigwan-jin-sik.

“Moreover, do you know who that person is?”

“Identity? Is he a special person?”

“You know the incident that recently occurred in Honam, right?”

“I know.”

“They say it is the Great Hero Heuk-yeom-ryong who was active there.”

“Great Hero Heuk-yeom-ryong!”

Yeong-yeong occasionally told him stories about what was happening in the outside world, and among the stories he heard recently, the story that Cheon-gi was most interested in was the story about Heuk-yeom-ryong.

The story that he was active within the Muryang-bulgoe-myeolhon-jin, which had only been passed down as a legend, was a story he never got tired of hearing no matter how many times he heard it.

If he weren’t imprisoned in the Geum-ok, he would want to go meet him right away.

It was because he wanted to know exactly how he had dismantled the Muryang-bulgoe-myeolhon-jin.

“Such a person came to meet me?”

Jegal Cheon-gi forgot in an instant the surrounding situation and the criticism of people that had made him depressed for the past few months.

There were so many things he wanted to ask him if he met him right now.

“……Ah, ah.”

Then, the existence of the Supreme Elder came to mind again.

“It will probably be difficult…….”

“Yes? What does that mean?”

“The Supreme Elder is not an easy person.”

“…….”

“Yeong-yeong, if by any chance I cannot meet the Great Hero Heuk-yeom-ryong, could you deliver my letter?”

“Don’t do that. Young Master, that person will definitely come to meet you.”

“Heo!”

Jegal Jeong made a sound that could not be told whether it was pleasure or anger.

“I heard that Honam Province was bustling with rumors about Heuk-yeom-ryong, so I tried to see him once, but as expected, he was a ruffian with a lowly background.”

Most of the things Jegal Jeong was saying were annoying, but among them, the word ‘Heuk-yeom-ryong’ was the most annoying.

“Heuk-yeom-ryong?”

Seeing my expression, Jegal Hyeon-un raised his eyebrows and said,

“Didn’t you know? That the nickname they call you by in the Gangho is Heuk-yeom-ryong?”

“…….”

I could roughly guess the origin of the character ‘Yeom’ (Flame).

In addition, I was just grateful that the excessive character ‘Ryong’ (Dragon), which is only attached to those who are uniquely outstanding among the successors of high-ranking martial sects, was attached.

However, ‘Heuk’ (Black)? Isn’t that a character that shouldn’t be attached to a successor of the Orthodox Murim?

Moreover, when the three characters were combined, the nuance was strangely annoying.

‘Why?’

Anyway, I decided to think about the nickname later and continued speaking.

“Are you dissatisfied with the proposal I made?”

“Do you mean to say you don’t know how much the proposal you made insults the Jegal Clan?”

I tilted my head.

“Is this a proposal that insults the Jegal Clan?”

“Do you think the Jegal Clan does not catch the Great Iron-Armored Black Python because we lack power? It is all because of the natural order.”

“Is there anyone in the Gangho who doesn’t know that?”

“What?”

They can catch it sufficiently, but if they step forward for free, their reputation will fall, so they cannot step forward unless greater damage occurs or someone pushes them from behind.

“Actually, looking at it from that aspect, shouldn’t you be more ashamed of putting Jegal Cheon-gi in the Geum-ok?”

When experimenting with Gimunjinbeop, one experiences many accidents.

In severe cases, there were instances where one suffered from hallucinations and illusions within the formation, developed a mental illness, and lived the rest of their life having lost their sanity.

The wrong Jegal Cheon-gi committed is not that big of a problem within the Jegal Clan.

The real problem was because Jegal Cheon-gi, one of the direct descendants, tried to preach the efficacy of Gigwan-jin-sik, not Gimunjinbeop.

Jegal Cheon-gi could have sufficiently come out of the Geum-ok even before that.

The condition was only one: to swear to give up Gigwan-jin-sik and strive for the development of Gimunjinbeop.

Because he did not fulfill this condition, Jegal Cheon-gi spent 8 years in the Geum-ok.

Like that, he could not even take the regular exam for the Murim Academy, and while doing mandatory service for the Murim Alliance, he even came to the Sojeong Squad.

“I truly cannot understand. While disparaging Gigwan-jin-sik, you apply a harsh and high standard to a person who came looking for you saying they would use that Gigwan-jin-sik. Isn’t this level of confusing and chaotic contradiction something that can only be experienced within Gimunjinbeop?”

Jegal Jeong’s face turned bright red.

It was when I thought that the matter itself might fall through.

“Supreme Elder. I don’t think this friend’s words are wrong.”

“Clan Leader!!”

The fact that the Clan Leader has to persuade the Supreme Elder, and that the Supreme Elder’s influence is sometimes stronger, was a rare sight in the Gangho, but at the same time, it was also a unique form that only the Jegal Clan could have.

“In the first place, this young hero’s words are also correct. If people know that we set such harsh criteria even though he is not a formal sorcerer, wouldn’t people think that our criteria are not based on rationality but on personal stubbornness?”

Jegal Jeong seemed not to like Jegal Hyeon-un taking my side very much.

“That is because Jegal Cheon-gi is your child, Clan Leader!”

“……!”

In the end, I made a mistake.

Since the major and minor affairs of the clan are decided according to rational opinions, the Clan Leader’s opinion is sometimes weakened. However, that does not mean one should go as far as ignoring the Clan Leader.

“That is correct. He is definitely my child. Then, conversely, I will ask. Supreme Elder, why did you set such harsh punishment only for my child?”

“……Th-that is because he is the successor of the Clan Leader. If that child ignores Gimunjinbeop, it soon becomes that the Jegal Clan ignores Gimunjinbeop.”

“Cheon-gi has never ignored Gimunjinbeop even once. He was just very interested in Gigwan-jin-sik.”

After saying that, Jegal Hyeon-un crossed his arms and shut his mouth tight.

Jegal Jeong was suddenly in a difficult situation because of the mistake he had committed.

Continuing to be stubborn here truly becomes him ignoring the Clan Leader and inflicting harsh punishment on his child.

“Oh my, was that the case?”

“Quiet! It is not your place to intervene.”

There was no way the people of the Jegal Clan, who do not pass over any problem without rationality, would view Jegal Jeong favorably.

In the current situation, opening my mouth to sort things out would be a way to settle this place well without damaging his face, but because I knew that, I deliberately said nothing and looked at Jegal Jeong.

Jegal Jeong glanced at the Clan Leader once, glared at me once, and then looked at the ceiling for a moment before saying with a bitter smile on his lips.

“Good. I will accept your condition.”

One of Jegal Hyeon-un’s eyebrows shot up. He was slowly trying to unfold his arms.

“You possess at least a minimum level of rationality.”

“……However, there is a condition.”

Instead of answering, I nodded.

“Passing the criteria of the Jegal Clan means being recognized as a prestigious sect of the Gangho. Therefore, you can be seen as the representative of Tae-eul-mun. I have to see the level of your sect through you.”

“That is correct.”

“Therefore, you must catch the Great Iron-Armored Black Python alone without the help of warriors or hunters.”

“Supreme Elder!”

Both Jegal Hyeon-un and I were surprised.

“Clan Leader. I have conceded a lot even with this much.”

“Even if that is so, how can he catch the Great Iron-Armored Black Python alone.”

“That is a matter for that child to choose. How about it? Will you do it?”

As expected of a cunning old man.

It was not just by luck that he occupied the position of head of the Artisan Hall as a collateral branch in this Jegal Clan, which is teeming with outstanding talents.

I rummaged through the library in my mind for a moment.

And because that time of thinking seemed to Jegal Jeong like I was agonizing, he was wearing a bitter smile on his lips.

And after checking a book about demonic creatures and spiritual creatures in the library, I answered obediently.

“I understand.”

“……You will do it?”

Perhaps because he became a little anxious because of my answer, he quickly continued.

“The items you are wearing on your sword and arms look unusual. You cannot receive help from such artifacts either. I will lend you an ordinary iron sword.”

“Whew…….”

Seeing Jegal Jeong, who had now become a child throwing a tantrum without any rationality, Jegal Hyeon-un was letting out a hollow laugh.

“I understand. Are there any other restrictions?”

“You must not set fire to the mountain or cause damage to the surrounding villages.”

“Anything else?”

I started to become curious about just how ugly this old man could become.

“……Things like Byeokryeoktan (Thunderbolt Bombs) are also not allowed.”

“Can I even obtain those? Tell me more.”

“…….”

“Is there nothing else?”

“…….”

I loosened my sword scabbard and Biryong-jo and said to Jegal Jeong, who was still spreading anger as if he were anxious about something.

“Sir, do you know what Nochu (the ugliness of old age) is?”

“……You bastard!”

“When I first saw the evaluation of the criteria, I was happy because I thought a good opportunity to raise the name of Tae-eul-mun had arisen.”

I looked at Jegal Jeong and Jegal Hyeon-un alternately once.

“Now, I am thinking whether it really has much meaning to pass that criteria and be recognized by the Jegal Clan.”

Even after Jegal Jeong kicked his seat and left, Jegal Hyeon-un did not speak for a long time.

“I am sorry for showing you an ugly sight.”

A sigh came out of Jegal Hyeon-un automatically. There could not be such a disgrace.

Unlike other clans, Jegal Hyeon-un rose to the position of Clan Leader several decades faster.

It was because his father, Jegal So-myeong, rose to the position of Chief Military Advisor of the Murim Alliance.

It would have been nice if such a father had at least tidied up the inside of the clan, but what his father actually said was.

“If you don’t have the ability, give it to someone else.”

It could be called heartless, but that was also the custom of the Jegal Clan, and it was also the foundation upon which the Jegal Clan could make its reputation for hundreds of years.

“It is okay.”

The young man in front of him.

When Jin So-un defended Jegal Cheon-gi, I was so grateful that I wanted to jump up from my seat and hug him.

It was also fresh that this young man, who was an outsider, recognized Cheon-gi, whom no one in the Jegal Clan recognized.

‘Maybe Cheon-gi will get a good older brother.’

Because he was so particularly alienated even among his siblings.

However, that was up to here.

I had to stop what the young man was trying to do.

Catching the Great Iron-Armored Black Python was a difficult task, but catching it while enduring those countless restrictions was no different from a suicide act even from my perspective.

“I will talk to the Supreme Elder. So stop and go back.”

“I need Young Master Jegal Cheon-gi.”

“Thank you for saying that. Cheon-gi would also be very grateful if he heard that story. However, catching the Great Iron-Armored Black Python alone makes no sense. Moreover, you cannot even use artifacts? With a sword circulating in the market, you won’t even be able to pierce its skin. In the first place, the Supreme Elder is playing a nasty trick to get you to surrender.”

Jegal Hyeon-un stared intently at Jin So-un.

He himself had heard until his ears were sore about the exploits he had displayed at Maryeong-gowon.

He lamented that the Jegal Clan could not step forward, and conversely, he admired the rumors of Jin So-un being active.

He wanted to ask how he had passed through the formation and research it together, but as a Clan Leader, he could not even do such an act.

Because he was a person he liked that much, he hoped that the promising young man would not give up his life out of stubbornness.

“Once the Supreme Elder makes up his mind, he clings to it until the end. He will probably attach an observer to you as well. So that you cannot possibly do anything else.”

“That is all expected.”

Jegal Hyeon-un, who was sharing the story, was feeling a strange sense of incongruity.

“……Are you not afraid?”

“I am afraid.”

The young man named Jin So-un did not show even a small sense of tension, like a person who knows how the ending will turn out.

‘Come to think of it.’

Jegal Jeong is one of the most famous people in the world.

In front of such a Jegal Jeong, a young man who had not even reached the age of twenty pointed out contradictions and even criticized him as ‘Nochu’.

“You don’t look like that at all.”

“I am afraid, but it is because there are several ways to catch the Great Iron-Armored Black Python.”

“……Several?”

“Among them, I intend to catch it in a way that will make the Supreme Elder the most irritated.”

Then, Jin So-un smiles, showing his teeth brightly.

The smile was familiar, so I wondered where I had seen it, and it was that children often made such smiles when they were playing pranks.

‘He is thinking of playing a prank in this situation?’

Jegal Hyeon-un had never thought that he was lacking, but as of now, he could not even guess what Jin So-un was thinking.