The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Chapter 78

[ … words ]

***

Geum-pyo was the eldest son of the Lee family mill.

He had watched his parents work at the mill his whole life, and he knew that one day, he would be doing that work himself.

It was not because the work at the mill was cool, or because it was work that excited him.

It was because he knew that if he was born as the son of a mill owner and ran the mill, he would at least not starve to death.

There was no particular reason he had joined the Tae-eul-mun.

If one joined the Tae-eul-mun, they provided two meals a day.

His parents, who had to raise three sons with big appetites when the mill was not doing well, had sent him to the Tae-eul-mun without much thought.

In the future, he would have to perform mandatory service in the Murim Alliance for about two years, but considering the two meals a day provided before that, it was not a bad deal.

Moreover, if he went to the Tae-eul-mun, there were Sahyeong Jin So-un and Sajer Sa-ryeon. Thanks to the two people who had grown up with him since childhood, Geum-pyo could be released from the burden of being the eldest son and act as spoiled as he wanted, at least while he was at the Tae-eul-mun.

He had not thought much of it when Gye Cheol-yeong joined either. No, rather, he was happy that his meals, which had only been two a day, had increased to three.

Sometimes there were meat side dishes, and if he just accommodated his dirty personality, he would even give him sweets, so he was not that bad of a person to Geum-pyo.

That was why he could not understand why Sahyeong Jin So-un and Sajer Sa-ryeon were at odds with Gye Cheol-yeong.

Although they were people born in the Tae-eul-mun, wasn’t their life destined to end as warriors of the Tae-eul-mun anyway?

Gye Cheol-yeong’s house was rich, and his father had a lot of money, so it was said that he gathered masters of the martial world to learn martial arts separately.

Could those who had only learned the martial arts of the Tae-eul-mun really win against such a person?

But they had done it.

Sahyeong Jin So-un had.

A kind Sahyeong who had a talent no different from his own, yet took on all of Gye Cheol-yeong’s atrocities by himself, and yielded the snacks or food he was supposed to eat to his Sajers.

Sahyeong, who used to say that because he was smart, he would work as the head of the outer hall in the future, had started to walk a different path.

‘Sahyeong, what on earth are you thinking?’

He resisted his destined fate, fought against it, and did not back down even an inch.

The story of how he had risked his life for the unremarkable Tae-eul-mun, spreading his primordial energy (Seon-cheon-jin-gi) and threatening the sect leader of the Iron Sword Sect—even after hearing it repeatedly from Sa-ryeon, it had something that stirred his heart every time he heard it.

Perhaps he thought that Sahyeong might have changed.

Perhaps he thought that Sahyeong wanted to go to the Martial Arts Academy instead of Gye Cheol-yeong and change his fate completely.

‘But that was not it either.’

Watching him yield to Sa-ryeon at the end of the Gyeonseong-saja’s test, he felt that Sahyeong was still the same Sahyeong.

If he had taken Gye Cheol-yeong’s atrocities on their behalf and shared his sweets when they were young.

Now that he was grown, he was trying to take on the atrocities of the martial world and yield the opportunity to fly to them again.

All that for the sake of them, who would work at the mill when their mandatory service in the Murim Alliance was over.

That was when Geum-pyo, Eun-ho, and Dong-ryong first realized that they also had new dreams.

‘Are we really allowed to dream? Sahyeong?’

Perhaps it was something they had given up on beforehand because they could not have it.

Perhaps it was something they had not tried to reach because they could not reach it in the first place.

But Sahyeong Jin So-un had always risked his life and lifted his sword for them.

Even so, he did not say things like how much he was sacrificing or that it was all for them, so they could not even tell him to stop.

So now, they had decided to repay the debt they owed to Sahyeong.

Because they were no longer children who would just eat the sweets without knowing any better.

He thought that if he could somehow get Sahyeong into the Martial Arts Academy, he might be able to lessen the debt he had owed all this time.

“That’s what you should be doing, so what are you doing! Dong-ryong!!”

Geum-pyo, who should have been dealing with the bandits of Ssangmak-chae while maintaining the sword formation, was blocking Dong-ryong alone.

As the villagers joined the fight with bamboo spears and sickles, the momentum had completely shifted to their side.

There was now some breathing room in the fierce battle, and they had managed to catch their breath a little, but the problem was that the villagers were people who had not learned martial arts.

No matter how confused the bandits were from inhaling so much smoke, it was a self-evident fact that they were warriors who had learned martial arts.

The moment the villagers shed blood from the blind swords swung wildly by them, Dong-ryong had broken out of the sword formation.

Heavenly Killing Star (Cheonsal-seong).

How surprised had he been when he first heard that story?

If it hadn’t been for Daesa-hyeong’s words not to worry too much, he wouldn’t have been able to sleep properly last night.

‘Sahyeong! I think Sahyeong was wrong!’

The Heavenly Killing Star did not just mean that one’s murderous intent was terrible.

This was a demonic talent created by the heavens to kill humans.

Considering that many Heavenly Killing Stars in the past had killed martial arts masters recklessly despite not having learned a single bit of martial arts, one could see how terrifying this talent was.

And Geum-pyo was witnessing that terrifying talent with his own two eyes right now.

Dong-ryong, wielding his sword at the bandits while spewing murderous intent everywhere.

Even though it was clearly his cute youngest brother, the sight of red light emitting from his eyes made him feel a sense of alienation.

Especially every time he faced a warrior who seemed several times stronger than himself, the way he grew steeply by feeding on the experience of those moments did not seem like something of this world.

In the blink of an eye, the sword style of the Socheon Sword Art had changed, and in the blink of an eye, the achievement of the Daecheon Sword Art had changed.

There was no defensive stance in the sword art Dong-ryong used. Watching him only scatter offensive moves and dodge the opponent’s attacks, it made him wonder if Dong-ryong had some kind of enemy of his parents that they didn’t know about.

Now, the bandits were also intimidated by Dong-ryong’s crazy movements and were running away one by one.

And Dong-ryong was desperately stepping on the Tae-eul-pal-man-shin-bo to persistently take their lives, as if he would not leave a single one of them.

The villagers also began to be afraid of that devil-like appearance covered in blood.

There was no more battle.

The bandits were already busy running away or begging for their lives.

Even so, Dong-ryong was craving blood until the end.

In the end, Geum-pyo flew his sword toward Dong-ryong.

“Snap out of it! Dong-ryong!”

“……I will kill! I will protect… I will kill to protect!! I… will! …kill everyone!”

Forgetting that he was the older brother, Dong-ryong’s sword was sharp.

It was difficult for Geum-pyo to handle Dong-ryong, who was following the sword style of Jin So-un he had seen someday exactly as it was.

“Please snap out of it!”

He had sent Eun-ho to deliver the news to Jin So-un, but that split-second felt like an eternity.

The thought that he could not let his brother become a devil like this, and the desperation that he might die at his brother’s hands if things went on like this.

“Lee Dong-ryong!! Snap out of it! Don’t you want to go to the Martial Arts Academy with Sahyeong Jin So-un!”

“……!”

It was a split second, but Dong-ryong’s movements flinched and stopped.

Geum-pyo raised his voice even louder.

“If you become a devil like this, we won’t be able to stay together in the Tae-eul-mun either! Do you really want that!”

“……!”

Twitch. Twitch.

The body that had stopped began to move again.

The murderous intent that had been directed at the bandits besides Geum-pyo was now aimed directly at Geum-pyo.

A more fierce attack came in, as if he were dealing with an enemy who was trying to remove his killing star.

Geum-pyo’s hands and feet began to get tangled.

“Keuheok! Lee Dong-ryong, you…….”

In the end, he had to watch blankly as Dong-ryong’s sword pierced his vital point.

“Well done.”

Clang!

A sword that was completely black, from the hilt to the blade, blocked Dong-ryong’s sword.

“Daesa-hyeong!”

Jin So-un skillfully blocked Dong-ryong’s sword, but it was less sharp than usual. Looking at his appearance, he was already exhausted to the limit. He must have drained all his energy dealing with the Chae-jus of Ssangmak-chae.

“How long has it been?”

“It’s almost been two gak.”

“It’s not too late.”

“Is that true?”

“……Yes.”

Jin So-un thought it was fortunate.

The reason he had taught the three brothers, Geum, Eun, and Dong, energy circulation and made them strive even harder was because he knew Dong-ryong had the Heavenly Killing Star.

The incantation of the Tae-eul-jin-gyeong makes me see myself from a third-party perspective and look at my inner self in more detail.

If it were the Heavenly Killing Star, he would instinctively operate energy circulation to keep his body from getting tired, and as long as he was reciting the Tae-eul-jin-gyeong, the possibility of him coming to his senses was much greater.

“What should we do?”

“There is nothing for us to do. He has no choice but to wake up on his own.”

“What if he doesn’t wake up?”

“……He will wake up.”

Geum-pyo’s pupils shook violently at Jin So-un’s words.

Had he ever heard Jin So-un speak so unsurely?

A man who had spoken nonchalantly even when striking Ssangmak-chae…….

How did he ask about the time? If too much time passed, would he not be able to wake up? Then would Dong-ryong become a devil like this?

Geum-pyo felt his heart drop.

“Huff, huff, huff. Hyung, what happened?”

Eun-ho, who had run over with steam rising from his whole body. Geum-pyo could not answer Eun-ho, who asked while gasping for breath.

‘This is not it. This…… this is not it.’

Only Geum-pyo and Eun-ho had intended to step forward to help Jin So-un.

But Dong-ryong, who liked Jin So-un so much, gritted his teeth and insisted.

So they had deliberately done training that far exceeded their limits, telling him to at least follow the training, but Dong-ryong had endured and followed the training until the moment he fainted.

He could not leave Dong-ryong, who had tried so hard, here.

“Hyung! What are you doing!”

“We can’t leave Dong-ryong here!”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Eun-ho! Let’s go. We have to take Dong-ryong with us!”

“…….”

Eun-ho did not know what on earth Geum-pyo was saying, but at this moment, this instant, he felt that following his words was something he would not regret later.

“Stay back!”

Jin So-un, who was dealing with Dong-ryong, reached out his hand and told them not to approach, but Geum-pyo lifted his sword and rushed at Dong-ryong.

“I will take Dong-ryong with me!”

“Geum-pyo.”

“We will take Dong-ryong!”

Chae-chae-chae-chae-chaeng.

Because of Geum-pyo, Jin So-un could not swing his sword, and Dong-ryong’s brow smoothed out. The Heavenly Killing Star was distinguishing between the strong and the weak compared to himself.

“Lee Dong-ryong! Snap out of it! Do you intend to become a devil like this!”

“…….”

“You said you wanted to become a hero like Daesa-hyeong! Then don’t get drunk on the killing star!”

“……!”

Dong-ryong’s sword, which had been aiming for Geum-pyo’s vital point, suddenly stopped, and Geum-pyo dug into that gap.

Dong-ryong strangely bent his arm and tried to stab his sword into Geum-pyo’s neck in an instant.

Clang!

“Lee Dong-ryong! No matter how much you hate your big brother, this is not it!”

Eun-ho, who had struck away Dong-ryong’s sword. The two of them began to barely block Dong-ryong’s sword with combined strikes.

“Lee Dong-ryong! If you don’t listen to me, I’ll leave you behind!”

“……!”

Dong-ryong stopped abruptly again.

“Lee Dong-ryong! You said you wanted to go too, so that’s why we brought you!”

“If we can’t get Daesa-hyeong into the Martial Arts Academy because of you, what are you going to do!”

“……!!”

Every time Geum-pyo and Eun-ho shouted, Dong-ryong’s movements began to slow down gradually.

“Snap out of it! Before we really leave you behind!”

Geum-pyo and Eun-ho shouted so loudly that their throats went hoarse.

Unlike the desperate cries of the two, Dong-ryong’s sword had struck into their vital points several times, but the two did not stop shouting.

“If you don’t listen to me, I’ll send you home!”

Stop.

Dong-ryong’s body stopped for the first time.

Then, he shook his whole body as if he were having a seizure.

Geum-pyo and Eun-ho looked at Jin So-un in surprise, and Jin So-un nodded silently.

“I’m going to send you home! You go home by yourself!”

“Go and help father and mother! Daesa-hyeong is going to the Martial Arts Academy with us!”

He rolled his eyelids back and even spewed foam from his mouth.

Then, suddenly, he vomited blood.

“Puaak. Keuheok-.”

Even the sword, which had seemed stuck to his hand, fell to the floor, and after retching for a long time, Dong-ryong raised his head.

With eyes flashing red, he said in a tearful voice.

“……I don’t want to, take me too…….”

At the sight of Dong-ryong, Geum-pyo and Eun-ho let out a laugh mixed with a sigh.

“Ha. This damn brat.”

“Haha, haha. Hahaha.”

Watching the three brothers, Jin So-un was finally able to let out a sigh of relief.

‘Thank goodness.’

The killing star of the Heavenly Killing Star is a desire that is difficult to suppress, but conversely, if one can come to one’s senses just once, one will not be eaten by the killing star from then on.

Even if he were eaten by the killing star, he would be able to regain his reason again with the experience of having woken up.

By accomplishing what only three people in the history of the martial world had done, Dong-ryong had acquired a talent of the ages.