The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Chapter 88

[ … words ]

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Crash!

Thud!

“……Ugh.”

Noisy sounds rang in his ears.

Song Baek tried to regain his senses from the annoying noise, but he realized he had been dealing with Jin So-un and the disciples of the Tae-eul-mun until just a moment ago, so he jumped up.

“Young Master, are you alright?”

The face of the bodyguard, whose emotions usually did not show well, was full of worry and anxiety.

When he touched the sticky and unpleasant sensation he felt on his face, blood came off on his hand.

“What is this…….”

“That villain suddenly launched a surprise attack on the Young Master in an unguarded moment….”

“…….”

Isn’t that what I pay you to block?

The words did not manage to slip out of his mouth.

Since first-class martial artists could not be used in the Moorim Academy exam, these people were hired out of necessity, and they were of a much lower level than the bodyguards he usually traveled with.

If he were to beat them up in this situation, it would be the same as smearing shit on his own face for failing to block a surprise attack from mere Tae-eul-mun disciples in the first place.

“The bastards, the bastards…… did they run away?”

“No…… that is…….”

When he turned his head in the direction the bodyguard pointed, it was a scene of utter chaos.

Countless people who had not stepped forward because they were wary of the Huaying Escort Agency were rushing at Jin So-un.

Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!

Jin So-un was dealing with over a dozen swords alone, but he did not look burdened.

Instead, his sword, which appeared and disappeared with illusions and reality mixed together, looked mysterious.

As if a budding peak was blooming and then withering away again, his black sword blade was truly elegant, stealing the viewer’s gaze.

Ugh.

Gurgle.

Ack.

And every time the black flower bud bloomed, three or four people would fall away after suffering deep wounds.

‘The achievement of his martial arts is just…….’

The martial artists gathered in Suzhou were at the level of second-class at best. Among the exam participants, there were many who had not even reached the first-class level.

Even against such opponents, dealing with ten or twenty at once was not an easy task. Yet Jin So-un was doing it.

“The guy’s junior disciples…… target that side first…….”

He quickly turned his eyes to find the Tae-eul-mun disciples, who were in beggar-like appearances indistinguishable from the Beggar Sect members.

Their achievement was confirmed to be at the 10-year level.

If he subdued them……

“That side is…… also not easy.”

“Huh?”

The Geum-Eun-Dong brothers making strange sounds next to Jin So-un.

In their right hands, they held swords, and in their left hands, they each held food.

‘Food?’

Clang, clang, clang, clang!

Slurp.

Clang!

Chomp chomp.

The movements of the three people fit together perfectly as if they were the movements of one person.

When the one who appeared to be the eldest brother bowed his head to pick up and eat the small stir-fried tofu, the one who appeared to be the second brother blocked a sword that was aiming for his back.

The youngest-looking child struck the opponent’s vital points with a sharper sword blade than his brothers.

Ack-

When one person fell away like that, this time the second brother bowed his head to pick up and eat the twice-cooked pork, while the eldest brother watched his back, and the youngest attacked.

It was like a street wandering troupe matching their moves and performing a play playfully.

The problem was that actual martial artists were continuing to fall away while that play was in progress.

“The martial artists of the Hanseong Martial Arts Hall are all in a state of being unable to fight.”

“The disciples of the Gwan-tae Martial Arts Hall have already fainted.”

“What?”

The number of martial arts halls directly supported by the Huaying Escort Agency within Suzhou was a whopping twenty.

They had called everyone in, including those taking the academy exam in various places, but they could not deal with mere Tae-eul-mun disciples?

“Where are the martial artists of the Yanghwa Martial Arts Hall and the Hahwa Martial Arts Hall?”

“…….”

The bodyguard stiffened his face.

“Young Master, they are people prepared for the Young Master.”

No matter how many martial arts halls there were, in the world of martial arts, the difference in martial power overwhelmed numbers.

Therefore, the Huaying Escort Agency, like the secret martial artists of other sects, had selected excellent escorts from the agency and operated fake martial arts halls, moving for Song Baek’s sake.

“If I don’t use them here now, when can I use them?”

Thanks to this, Song Baek had been able to pass the first and second gates without difficulty.

Because he moved three times as many people as others, most opponents didn’t even think of approaching.

“If the seniors of the Diancang Sect feel resentment because of this incident, I won’t have much benefit even after I enter the Moorim Academy.”

People think that everything ends when they enter the Moorim Academy, but in reality, admission to the Moorim Academy is just the beginning.

One must be able to get on the good side of influential people within it, accompany them, receive high scores, be assigned to a good place, and receive the help of seniors to rise to a good position within the Moorim Alliance.

Only then could the Huaying Escort Agency become not a top-five escort agency in northern Jianghu, but a top-three one. Furthermore, it could become the escort agency counted as the very best.

“I understand.”

The bodyguard put his finger in his mouth and whistled loudly.

At the sound, which was sharp enough to pierce the ears, several people covered their ears.

And then, feeling the unrest, they stopped moving.

Rum-rum-rum-rum-rum.

Bang.

The door opened as if it were breaking, and martial artists poured in.

“Eek!”

The owner, who was making food in the kitchen, trembled with an expression that said, ‘The thing that was bound to come has finally come.’

Crash.

Creak.

The inn began to fill up with countless martial artists in an instant.

Nevertheless, martial artists kept pouring in endlessly.

As the entrance was blocked, one small window facing outside rattled and then broke into pieces with a crunch.

Before long, after even the wooden wall was torn off, martial artists poured into that space as well.

“Dae-sahyeong! They are coming in endlessly!”

“What do we do!”

“……If you are going to say that, put down the food first.”

No matter how strong the opponent is, one cannot overcome the numbers.

The three brothers of the wandering troupe also put down their food now and roughly wiped their greasy left hands on their clothes.

“Let’s go together quietly.”

Song Baek said, roughly wiping the blood flowing from his nose and mouth with his silk clothes.

“So it was true that the Huaying Escort Agency created fake martial arts halls and applied for the exam fraudulently.”

“!”

A story that Song Baek had not expected at all flowed from Jin So-un’s mouth.

This fact was a secret that only a few people within the Huaying Escort Agency knew.

How on earth did Jin So-un know that?

Song Baek steadied his expression so as not to be caught that he was surprised.

“I don’t know what you are talking about. Cooperation among examinees is something even the Moorim Academy recommends.”

“That is limited to cooperation at most. Directly giving orders from the beginning is clearly a fraudulent application, hiring beyond the martial artists.”

“……I don’t want to deny such absurd stories. If you really want to distinguish right from wrong, please come with me.”

“But is it okay to consume such precious manpower just because of us?”

“What is that…….”

“You should know that there is something more important than the exam itself in the Third Gate.”

“That is not something for you to worry about.”

“Ah, can I ask the seniors of the Diancang Sect?”

“What are you doing? Subdue them immediately. And take away all the gate tokens.”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

Inside that large inn, the voices of the martial artists rang out loudly.

The disciples of the Tae-eul-mun were pushed to one side, without room to easily set foot.

Then, Jin So-un’s martial arts uniform at the very front swelled up as if it were about to burst.

At that sight, the martial artists who were approaching stopped in their tracks, flinching.

Just how much internal energy does he have for such a powerful spirit to be emitted?

And the moment Jin So-un stretched out his left hand.

The martial artists instinctively raised both hands to protect their heads.

…….

…….

Nothing happened.

Just as the martial artists were about to rush in, as if there was no reason to delay any longer due to embarrassment.

Creak, creak, crack-.

The pillars supporting the second floor broke one after another, and the personnel waiting on the second floor poured down at once.

“Aaaargh!”

“Get out of the way!”

“Argh!”

The inn, which was already full of martial artists, was now a complete pandemonium.

When Jin So-un swung his hand toward the ceiling, a large hole was punched through.

Before long, when the three brothers grabbed various parts of Jin So-un’s body, a long thread extended from his hand up to the ceiling.

“I ate well! Oh right, and I’ll put this to good use.”

As Jin So-un, who shook the golden pouch, looked at the ceiling, the four disciples of the Tae-eul-mun slipped out through the ceiling as if climbing up a spider web.

It was a strange scene that was hard to see even among street wandering troupes.

“…….”

Song Baek, who had been dazed for a moment, suddenly thought back to the pouch Jin So-un had shaken.

And he searched his clothes like a madman.

It’s not there. It’s not there. It’s not there. It’s gone!

Not to mention the bill of exchange and the money pouch, but even the most important golden pouch.

Why didn’t he know even though the inside was empty?

“Why are you doing that? Young Master?”

“Th, the bastard…….”

“Yes?”

“Catch that bastard! That bastard took the gate token!!”

<><><>

After breaking through the inn ceiling via the Flying Dragon Thread, Eun-ho sighed softly.

“Is this why people call our Tae-eul-mun a wandering troupe after seeing us?”

Does he not know that the way they matched their sword formations while eating earlier looked even more like a wandering troupe?

I have seen quite a lot of wandering troupe plays, but I have never seen anyone as playfully and perfectly in sync as those guys just a moment ago.

“Is that important right now?”

“We should leave Suzhou, right?”

“Wasn’t that a scheduled event from the beginning?”

“Aww…… I wanted to see if we could rest a little.”

Below the building, the martial artists of the Huaying Escort Agency and the martial arts halls under his command were shouting and following us.

“Oh! That’s the waiter from earlier. It looks like he’s coming to buy things now.”

The waiter, who had asked to buy bathwater and clothes, was running over holding a bundle, not knowing how the situation had changed.

I landed on the ground.

“Gasp! You scared me.”

“Is that ours?”

“Ah…… so you were the Young Master. Yes. I bought four sets of black martial arts uniforms.”

“Thank you. Take this.”

I gave the waiter the pouch I had taken from Song Baek.

The waiter was startled by the heavy pouch.

Because it was clearly a pouch containing far too much money for an errand fee.

“There is no need for this. If you are truly in a good mood, one nyang of silver is just right.”

“You keep the three nyang of silver, and you can give the rest to the owner.”

“Yes?”

“If you go, you will know.”

“They are over there!”

“Eek, then see you next time.”

Leaving the dumbfounded waiter behind, I shot the Flying Dragon Thread again and went up to the top of the building.

“Sahyeong, you stole something from that Song Baek or Hong Baek earlier, right?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Otherwise, it wouldn’t explain why they are chasing us while risking their lives like that.”

When I looked back, several of the Huaying Escort Agency’s escorts had jumped onto the building and were running toward us.

I don’t know if it’s because they are escorts, but everyone’s body movement technique was excellent.

I shook the golden pouch to show them.

“Why are you unnecessarily increasing the number of enemies for no reason?”

“I am not increasing the number of enemies. I gave a reason to the guys who would have become enemies without a reason. Wouldn’t you also feel unfair if you were chased without a reason?”

“…….”

Geum-pyo and Eun-ho sighed at the same time.

“For now, we should get out of the city, right?”

“Because we can’t completely shake them off while in the city.”

Even if the government and the Jianghu do not interfere with each other’s business, if a sword fight occurs in the city, the government office has no choice but to step in eventually.

In a state where neither side can kill, the side with fewer numbers is at a greater disadvantage. Because if one makes a mistake, one could be pressed by the crowd and subdued, just like in the inn.

“…….”

I started to slowly increase my speed.

The three brothers, Geum, Eun, and Dong, also stopped their internal energy circulation for a moment and started to follow my speed.

Dong-ryong, who was standing at the very end, could not keep up with the speed in time and was repeatedly muttering something.

“……When being chased without a reason, create a reason. When being chased without a reason, create a reason. When being chased without a reason, create a reason. When being chased without a reason, create a reason.”

“What are you doing?”

“I don’t have paper and a brush right now. I’m repeating it so I don’t forget it.”

“…….”

<><><>

It was definitely faster to jump over buildings than to run through crowds.

After the escorts who were chasing closely from behind also fell away from a few throwing daggers, there were no crowds chasing us either above or below the buildings.

Before long, just when the Geum-Eun-Dong brothers seemed to be struggling as if they were using up all their internal energy.

The city gate began to be seen.

If it were night, I would have crossed the castle wall as it was, but now that the sun was high in the sky, I had to cross the city gate officially.

“Dae-sahyeong, aren’t there too many people in front?”

In the vacant lot near the city gate, dozens of people and dozens of carts were standing in a long line, looking at the city gate.

As soon as I landed on the ground, I asked a porter who seemed to be doing escort work.

“Elder, is the road here originally this long?”

“How could that be? When did those guys ever manage the people coming and going through the city gate?”

Since Suzhou was a city where supplies gathered in abundance and commerce was developed even within Jiangsu Province, such strict inspections were rather something that often drew the resentment of many people.

“Are they perhaps wanting a bribe?”

“How would I know? I’m busy, so stop asking!”

At the attitude of the porter who didn’t seem to have anything to do, I quickly took out a silver coin and held it out.

“Ahem, hmm. Since you seem to have manners, I’ll tell you. Earlier, the leader of the Geonjang Trade Guild was beaten into a pulp while trying to feed money to the police officers.”

“…….”

A series of things that couldn’t be understood.

Clearly, when I entered Suzhou, there was no such thing as an inspection.

“I heard that the Huaying Escort Agency asked them to strengthen inspections for people leaving for a few days. The local magistrate who was assigned to Suzhou this time is a giant escort of the Huaying Escort Agency.”

Only then did the puzzle pieces fit together perfectly.

The Huaying Escort Agency had turned the entire huge city of Suzhou into a siege network.

“Is it the same in other places?”

“At least this road to the North Gate is the most spacious. The police chief there is a scoundrel who can’t even be described. That guy might be moved if you feed him a lot of money.”

Meanwhile, noisy sounds began to ring out from far away.

The Huaying Escort Agency and the martial artists who had flocked to Suzhou were beginning to come close.

“Should we hide somewhere else for now?”

“Let’s move first.”

We started running straight toward the East Gate, but we had no choice but to stop our footsteps.

A group of people came out of the alley as if they had been waiting and blocked our way.

When we moved to the South Gate again, the escorts of the Huaying Escort Agency who were chasing us arrived, and from the West Gate side, the people whom the Huaying Escort Agency’s escort had called with a whistle appeared.

‘So you intended to catch us from among the police officers from the beginning.’

Because it was near the checkpoint, the vacant lot was wide, and the police officers nearby were tense as if they were about to be dispatched immediately.

It was clear that if we killed someone, they would definitely step in, and even if the battle intensified, they would step in because it would cause harm to civilians.

The trap had already been completed from the moment we entered Suzhou.

“How is the trap I designed?”

Song Baek walks out from among the escorts of the Huaying Escort Agency.

The appearance of him being nervous after having his gate token taken a moment ago is nowhere to be found.

An appearance as triumphant as a person who has shouted ‘Checkmate’ in a game of Janggi (Korean chess).

“It’s a talent that’s a waste to be under the Diancang Sect.”

This is an honest impression.

If I were the successor of the Huaying Escort Agency, I would have prepared the same siege network.

“But, do you think we will give up the gate token because we are afraid of murder?”

“……That is something we will know if we try.”

As Song Baek matches his gaze toward the city gate, a person who appears to be the magistrate waves a flag.

Then, archers on the castle wall begin to tighten their bows.

“You deserve to enter the Moorim Academy fraudulently.”

“Now, return it obediently.”

Song Baek holds out his hand.

I raise my gaze to look at the Geum-Eun-Dong brothers.

They are all shaking their heads slightly.

Song Baek notices the intention of the junior disciples and adds words.

“From the beginning, the only thing the seniors wanted was Young Master Jin alone. I don’t care what happens to Young Master Jin’s junior disciples.”

Song Baek grinds his teeth and growls.

Without a moment to worry, I am about to take the pouch out of my pocket.

“Wait!”

A clear, high-pitched voice rings through the vacant lot.

People’s gazes hurriedly look around to find the source of the voice.

Thud-thud-thud-thud.

Before long, along with a faint vibration tapping the ground, one hundred and fifty martial artists exuding a spirit like a dragon appeared on horseback.

The magistrate and police officers on the castle wall were even flinching at the magnificent appearance.

“Young Master Jin!”

“Young Master Jin!”

I forgot even to watch Song Baek at the appearance of the completely unexpected people.

“Miss Seong Mo-ran…… Miss Namgung Seon-hwa?”