The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Chapter 50

[ … words ]

***

Ever since he was treated (?) by the unidentified young man, Mo-yong Sang-won felt that a new energy was lingering inside his body for some reason.

Although there was still no strength in his body, he was in a state where he could barely perform Un-gi-jo-sik (breathing exercise to circulate energy).

Mo-yong Sang-won, who had regained his strength through one round of Un-gi-jo-sik, looked at the small wooden box placed in front of his eyes with complex eyes.

The young knight who had desperately given his own blood (?) left the cave, saying he would go to find food.

“Does he not know it is the Inner Core of the Fire Tiger?”

The Inner Core of the Fire Tiger emits a warm Yang energy just by itself.

Since someone who has mastered martial arts could not possibly not feel that energy, he probably knew but pretended not to see it.

“What intention should I see this as?”

The way he pulled out a thin, thread-like thing from his arm and climbed up the valley looked just like that of a spider.

While chewing on the dried meat the young man had left behind, little by little, Mo-yong Sang-won was thinking deeply about the young man.

Jin So-un, who had eaten a full meal at the inn, headed straight to the blacksmith shop.

“That is a bear trap.”

Jin So-un asked, looking at the bear traps piled up in one corner of the blacksmith shop.

“But you have quite a lot of stock?”

“Because the local magistrate of the village below said he would pay triple the price for bear gallbladders, all the hunters in the vicinity gathered, so the bears are all wiped out.”

Jin So-un, who was thinking hard, asked.

“Can you adjust this very sensitively?”

“Sensitively? How much?”

“To the extent that it operates when a rabbit steps on it.”

“Hey. If you adjust it like that, it will be a big problem if a person steps on it!”

“I will not use it on people. Beasts are appearing faster than the season and are harming people.”

“Still, no.”

As the blacksmith shook his head firmly, Jin So-un took out two silver ingots from his pocket and placed them down.

The blacksmith’s pupils shook violently.

“Is it really impossible?”

“…”

When he placed one more silver ingot down, the blacksmith said.

“I cannot make it work when a rabbit steps on it, but I can change it so it works when a squirrel steps on it.”

The blacksmith swiped the silver ingots into his pocket.

It was one day later that I returned to Mo-yong Sang-won.

It was because setting the traps took longer than I thought.

I stopped by the inn again to buy steamed buns and Juk-yeop-cheong (Bamboo Leaf Liquor) and went to Mo-yong Sang-won.

Perhaps because he had been quite anxious for a day, Mo-yong Sang-won welcomed me with pleasure.

“I wondered if you had left me behind.”

“Haha, I apologize. I had work to take care of.”

“Sniff, sniff. What is this smell?”

Perhaps because he was very hungry, Mo-yong Sang-won’s sense of smell had become sensitive.

As I placed the steamed buns and Juk-yeop-cheong down, he began to grab and eat the steamed buns hungrily, forgetting even his position as the Sogaju of the Mo-yong Clan.

“Th, what kind of steamed bun is this? It is the first time in my life I have tasted such delicious steamed buns.”

Every time Mo-yong Sang-won laughed, Mo-yong Seol’s face was reflected a little.

It was a strange feeling to see her smile, which I had not seen much in the past, in this way.

“It must be the steamed bun called Heo-gi (Empty Hunger).”

“That cannot be. That cannot be.”

Mo-yong Sang-won, who was gulping down the steamed buns in a hurry, eventually choked.

“Keu-heok!”

As I handed him the Juk-yeop-cheong, Mo-yong Sang-won struck his chest and gulped down the liquor.

“Keu-euk! Is this also the Juk-yeop-cheong called Heo-gi?”

“That is correct.”

Only then, realizing that I was not eating any, he blushed and pushed the steamed buns toward me.

“I filled my stomach at the inn on the way to get the food.”

“…”

Mo-yong Sang-won showed eyes of conflict for a moment, but soon nodded a couple of times and reached for the steamed buns.

“I am deeply ashamed in front of a young friend.”

Only after eating all four portions of the steamed buns I had packed did Mo-yong Sang-won seem to have regained some energy.

“Everything is a question, but there is one thing I am more curious about than anything else.”

Mo-yong Sang-won said with an awkward expression.

“Please speak.”

“Do you know my identity?”

“Seeing that you uttered the word ‘Mo-yong’ when you had not regained consciousness. I guessed that you might be a member of the Mo-yong Clan.”

“That is correct. I am Mo-yong Sang-won, the Sogaju of the Mo-yong Clan. But… who on earth are you?”

“I am Jin So-un. I am a disciple of a small martial arts sect near Hefei.”

“If it is Hefei… are you talking about the Iron Sword Sect?”

I shook my head and said.

“It is the Tae-eul Sect, which is a bit older than that.”

“Ah…! The Tae-eul Sect…”

Mo-yong Sang-won licked his lips and scratched his head as if he were embarrassed.

“A member of the One Hundred and Eight Peaks… I am sorry. If it is Hefei, it is definitely the Tae-eul Sect.”

“No. It must be because the influence of the Iron Sword Sect is that great.”

Mo-yong Sang-won bowed his head with an inexplicably guilty expression.

“Th, this is something. I am really making a fool of myself in front of my benefactor.”

“What do you mean, benefactor? I just did what I had to do.”

“Do not say such things. It is not something just anyone can do, to be able to go this far for others.”

“The teaching of the Tae-eul Sect is, ‘Always benefit people as long as your ability allows.’ I just followed the teaching, so if you keep praising me, I might feel ashamed.”

“…Huh. I am truly seeing a person who makes the name ‘Mo-yong Clan’ feel small for the first time in my life.”

Mo-yong Sang-won had an expression as if he were looking at a mysterious creature.

“…But how did you know to come down here?”

I could not tell him that I intended to take the Inner Core of the Fire Tiger from his corpse.

“While the influence of the Iron Sword Sect was becoming great, I was thinking about whether there was a way I could contribute to my sect. When an old herb gatherer told me that Byeok-hwa-cho (Green Flower Herb) grows on the cliff of Seo-ho Peak in Mu-gang, I was searching the cliff and…”

“So you discovered me then!”

Mo-yong Sang-won chimed in as if he were excited.

“That is correct.”

“A disciple who does this much for his own martial sect. I envy the sect leader of your sect.”

“I am just returning what I have received; it is nothing more or less than that.”

Mo-yong Sang-won, who was nodding his head, spoke again.

“Anyway, because of me, you could not get the precious medicinal herb, so what should I do?”

Mo-yong Sang-won fidgeted with his hands inside his clothes for a long time, and then, as if he had made a decision, he took out the wooden box.

“…Instead, would you accept this?”

“…”

“As you know, this is the Inner Core of the Fire Tiger. I do not know what level your martial arts achievement is, but this alone will be enough to reach the level of a first-rate warrior, and if you share it with the disciples of your sect, it could be the cornerstone for the Tae-eul Sect to establish itself as a fierce sect not inferior to the Iron Sword Sect.”

Mo-yong Sang-won’s appearance as he held out the Inner Core of the Fire Tiger overlapped with Mo-yong Seol of my past life.

[Is this not the Cheong-myeong-hwan?]

[So what?]

[It is fine. Please take it when you, Sunbae, are in an emergency.]

[You and I are just members of the Small Justice Unit right now. What I need right now is a colleague for survival. And how long are you going to use that word ‘Sunbae’?]

Watching Mo-yong Sang-won’s actions, I could tell where Mo-yong Seol’s kindness had started.

I remembered the Cheong-myeong-hwan I could not refuse in the past and pushed the Inner Core of the Fire Tiger away again.

“I did not do it hoping for a reward. So, please take it back.”

“…If you feel the reward is insufficient, do not worry. I am ashamed to say this with my own mouth, but the life of the Sogaju of the Mo-yong Clan is not cheap. This will never end with this.”

“If the Sogaju of the Mo-yong Clan has come out himself to find a medicinal herb, is there not something very important that you need to use it for? For instance, the regular examination of the Murim Academy.”

“…!”

“Taking away the heart of a father who thinks of his child is not the teaching of the Tae-eul Sect. I will only accept the heart of the Sunbae.”

My past, their future—I had already received all the rewards.

I do not want to leave any unhappiness in the future of Mo-yong Seol, whose debt I can no longer repay.

I drove a wedge into Mo-yong Sang-won, who was still conflicted.

“If the Inner Core of the Fire Tiger were to enter a small sect like ours, could a situation like that of the Cheon-ga-jang in Taiyuan not happen?”

In Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi Province, there was a famous martial arts family that had been passed down for ten generations, and that was the Cheon-ga-jang.

The unique martial art, the Cheon-ga-do-sik (Cheon-ga Blade Style), created by the founder Cheon In-se, was an excellent martial art that ranked among the top ten blade techniques in the Murim, and since it had played a significant role whenever there were big and small incidents in the Murim history, there was much debate about whether it should be included in the One Hundred and Eight Peaks of the Murim Alliance.

One day, rumors spread that the Taiyuan Cheon-ga-jang had secured a peerless medicinal herb, the Gong-cheong-seok-yu (Empty Blue Stone Milk), and warriors from all over the Gangho Murim gathered in Taiyuan.

Because the influence of the Taiyuan Cheon-ga-jang at the time was also not insignificant, the defenses of the Taiyuan Cheon-ga-jang seemed strong even in a situation where thousands of warriors had gathered.

However, for incomprehensible reasons, a fire broke out, and while that fire was spreading greatly, warriors hiding their identities infiltrated the Cheon-ga-jang, and on that day, the Cheon-ga-jang suffered the tragedy of extermination.

Later, the rumor of where the Gong-cheong-seok-yu of the Cheon-ga-jang had flowed was not confirmed.

Like that, the Taiyuan Cheon-ga-jang disappeared into history without even knowing the culprit.

The reason I had kept the medicinal herbs I had secured so far a secret even from the people of my sect and consumed them lay here.

“…Hmm.”

“My intention is already set, so please let go of your mind, Sunbae.”

“I understand. I will respect your will. But apart from that, tell me what you need. I will grant that wish no matter what happens.”

“I am fine…”

“Ah, do not think that just because I grant your request, the grace I received from you disappears. This is strictly because if I do not express my gratitude with my own mouth, I cannot be proud of myself. This is my will, so you must also follow it.”

“…”

I thought about it carefully, but there was nothing else I could ask for.

I had eaten so many medicinal herbs that I could not digest them, and I would continue to eat them in the future. It was not like there was a lack of wealth to be the foundation of the sect.

‘Ah!’

A good idea flashed through my head, and when I looked at Mo-yong Sang-won, Mo-yong Sang-won also had an expectant look.

“How about you give one Cheong-myeong-hwan to the disciples of our Tae-eul Sect?”

“Cheong-myeong-hwan?”

Mo-yong Sang-won tilted his head.

Then, after looking down at the Inner Core of the Fire Tiger, he looked at my face and asked again.

“Although the Cheong-myeong-hwan is a precious medicinal pill of my family, it cannot be compared to the Inner Core of the Fire Tiger, right?”

“If you have the Inner Core of the Fire Tiger, it will cause trouble, but if you, Sunbae, give the Cheong-myeong-hwan, no one will covet it.”

“…!”

A faint smile appeared on Mo-yong Sang-won’s lips.

“I understand. I will definitely give it to you in the name of the Mo-yong Clan.”

For me right now, eating the Cheong-myeong-hwan does not have much meaning. Anyway, I had an overflow of medicinal herbs that I could consume in small amounts in the future.

It was more efficient to increase the internal energy of the junior disciples at an opportunity like this.

“Rather than that, I would like to ask you to give it to the Sect Leader so that he can give it to the disciples.”

“…Why?”

“If I, the head disciple of the Tae-eul Sect, receive it, it might be favoritism, but if the Sect Leader chooses and another disciple receives it, could it not be a motivation for other junior disciples as well?”

“…Huh!”

Mo-yong Sang-won’s expression changed like a person who had lost his soul.

Then he said something out of the blue.

“…Do you perhaps have a relationship where you promised marriage in your childhood?”

I did not understand the intention of the question and tilted my head.

“I do not, but why do you ask?”

Mo-yong Sang-won had an inexplicably relieved expression.

“It is nothing. Do not worry about the Cheong-myeong-hwan. I will convey three Cheong-myeong-hwan to your Sect Leader, containing my gratitude.”

“It is a truly mysterious object.”

After tying Mo-yong Sang-won and my body together and climbing up the valley using the Bi-ryong-jo (Flying Dragon Claw), Mo-yong Sang-won said as if it were marvelous.

But soon, Mo-yong Sang-won’s interest, having seen the sunlight for the first time in a long while, quickly drifted away from the Bi-ryong-jo.

“It is so good. It is so good! I said that if I could feel this kind of sunlight one more time, I would have no wishes. You made that happen.”

Mo-yong Sang-won stretched and enjoyed the sunlight.

“Please do not overdo it.”

All the energy of the Ma-gi was absorbed, but the Dantian was not yet in a perfect state.

“Do not worry. I feel like I could run right now. What is your schedule for the future?”

“It is time for me to go back to my sect.”

If I thought about the time to stop by the Namgung Clan in the middle, it might be tight.

“If you are not particularly busy, let us go to the Mo-yong Clan together after resting for a few days at our merchant group in Mu-gang.”

“I will visit the Mo-yong Clan in the future. I also have things to do at my sect.”

“Is that work related to the Murim Academy examination?”

“…Yes.”

Mo-yong Sang-won could not hide his expression of regret.

“I suppose so. …Still, you can rest for a few days, right?”

“That is…”

“Do that. If you move so recklessly and do not rest, fatigue will accumulate and put a strain on your body.”

“I underst…”

While I was speaking, I turned my head abruptly at a strange feeling.

Although it was daytime with the sun shining brightly, no sound other than the sound of the wind echoed in the forest.

“Why are you doing that?”

Mo-yong Sang-won seemed to know nothing yet.

“Were the people who attacked the Sogaju perhaps wearing black martial arts uniforms with red headbands on their heads?”

“Hmm? How do you know that…”

“Over there.”

As I pointed to one side of the forest, Mo-yong Sang-won frowned as if he were forcibly raising his internal energy while looking at a place where nothing could be seen.

As expected, his Dantian was not yet fully recovered.

“…!!”

“Are those the people who attacked the Sunbae?”

“I do not know.”

A moment later, twenty people who emitted no air currents appeared in the forest.

“…That is right. It is them.”

Instead of answering, I drew the Heuk-ryong-geom (Black Dragon Sword).

Mo-yong Sang-won had a complicated expression.

“I am only full of apologies to my benefactor. I have not been able to repay even one bit of grace, and because of me, you have even encountered something like this.”

“Sunbae. Let us talk about that later.”

“Yes.”

Mo-yong Sang-won took a step forward.

Even though the twenty people were standing only in front, they were dominating the area of ten jang in all directions.

There was no gap where we could run away anywhere.

“What on earth is your purpose that you follow so persistently!”

“…”

“I will ask one thing.”

Mo-yong Sang-won’s voice rang out loudly.

“Is it true that you came to catch the Sogaju of the Mo-yong Clan?”

“…”

The masked men in red headbands still did not answer.

At that moment, Mo-yong Sang-won pointed at me with his finger and said,

“If you spare this child, I will give you my head obediently. Will you accept the deal?”

Before I could stop Mo-yong Sang-won, the person standing in the middle among the men in red headbands stepped forward.

“Impossible!”

It was a rough and gloomy voice, like scraping metal.

He pointed at us and said.

“Execute!”