The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Chapter 91

[ … words ]

***

“I have confirmed it. It is indeed the boat that was rented out entirely by the Chang-gung Trading Company.”

At the words of the man in his mid-thirties, the young man, who seemed to have just passed his twenties, nodded.

“Then, please deploy the martial artists in this area. Since they said it was a day’s distance, it is about time for them to arrive.”

At the young man’s words, the man nodded and led the martial artists to start taking up positions at one of the docks in the Jin-gang area.

“Phew…….”

“Are you feeling frustrated? Sahyeong (Senior Brother) Gi-pung?”

At the words of Jang Un-je, who had set out for the regular exam together, Lee Gi-pung nodded.

“It is natural, as my eyes and ears are completely blocked.”

“That is what I am saying. Why on earth must the main sect be having such a hard time at a time like this?”

Lee Gi-pung was not as naive as Jang Un-je. Did it make sense that the donations coming into the main sect were suddenly decreasing, and businesses operated across the country were facing difficulties? And that, too, for the Diancang Sect of the world?

“Listening to the stories from Huashan, it seems it is not just us. They say they are also receiving less support than their seniors did.”

“Hmph! They must have lined up incorrectly as well.”

Huashan and Diancang.

In this world, who would dare to fearlessly tighten the necks of these two?

This was merely the price of being pushed out in the power struggle of the sect.

It was already sorrowful enough to be taking the regular exam with warriors of the secular martial arts school instead of the seniors of the main sect, but not even receiving proper financial support made it feel as if they had been abandoned by their sect.

On top of that, he did not know that the allied sects, bound together as the Nine Sects and One Gang, would act so heartlessly in front of money.

“Damn beggar bastards.”

The correspondence from the Beggar Sect (Gaebang) that he had been receiving for a while had long since been cut off.

Thanks to that, he had not been able to properly take the First and Second Gate exams. At this rate, he might not be able to enter the Moorim Academy.

“…….”

As the thought that he might not be able to enter the Moorim Academy crossed his mind, his head felt dizzy for a moment. If that happened, a huge gap would open up between him and the junior disciples of the main sect.

“How fortunate it is that Taoist Myeong-hyeon is helping us.”

“Your words are correct!”

Thanks to Taoist Myeong-hyeon, who was at the Moorim Alliance, personally sending information, they had managed to barely overcome the crisis.

“Since Taoist Myeong-hyeon has always favored Sahyeong, how anxious must he be?”

At Jang Un-je’s words, Lee Gi-pung nodded.

Although it was a memory from so long ago that it was hazy, he recalled hearing a few words from Taoist Myeong-hyeon before he was appointed as an elder of the Moorim Alliance and left.

“But Sahyeong…….”

At Jang Un-je’s hesitant words, Lee Gi-pung tilted his head.

“This might be a bit awkward to say, but is that information from Taoist Myeong-hyeon reliable?”

“…….”

Lee Gi-pung, who hesitated for a moment, soon shook his head.

“Then, is Taoist Myeong-hyeon someone who would talk nonsense?”

“That may be so, but isn’t it a bit of a stretch to believe it as it is?”

“…….”

According to Taoist Myeong-hyeon, the disciple of the Tae-eul-mun was taking the exam with only three junior disciples, yet he had secured nine gate tokens in the First Gate and six gate tokens in the Second Gate. Therefore, the story was to cooperate with Huashan and Wudang to strike them.

It was information that was hard to believe even after reading the report, but because the sender of the information was Taoist Myeong-hyeon, he could not bring himself not to believe it.

He had even connected with Song Baek of the Huaying Escort Agency, who had the most money among the secular disciples, to fill in the missing information, so in the end, he had no choice but to believe and follow it.

Of course, he did not listen to the instruction to cooperate with Huashan and Wudang.

If they were to join hands with Huashan and Wudang just to catch a disciple of the Tae-eul-mun, what would the people of the Jianghu think of Diancang?

Thinking about dividing the spoils that would come out after catching the disciples of the Tae-eul-mun was also something to consider. Right now, Lee Gi-pung was moving with two junior disciples.

If Huashan and Wudang were to join in and share the spoils, there was a high possibility that his junior disciples would be excluded.

“Have you prepared the boat?”

“Yes, I have prepared it. But…… is there a need to go that far?”

According to Song Baek, those tracking them had not been able to sleep or eat for the past ten days and had continued to repeat surprise attacks.

They must already be completely exhausted.

Against the Tae-eul-mun, this was enough to be called full preparation.

“Did you not hear Sahyeong Song Baek’s story? The warriors of the Namgung Family and the Iron Sword Sect are moving together. In the worst case, they might try to put only those taking the exam on the boat.”

“Then they will be eliminated after the Third Gate…… no, even before going to the Third Gate.”

“That is why we must be fully prepared. We cannot boil the soup only to give it to the dogs.”

He neatly ignored the message that came from the Huashan Sect, which was moving to Henan Province, asking, ‘Why are you going to Jiangsu Province?’

If they were waiting in Henan Province, the moment they put them on the boat, they would only end up buried in the jaws of Huashan and Wudang.

“That cannot happen.”

In Jin-gang, not only the Diancang Sect but also those who seemed to be taking the regular exam were scattered here and there.

However, none of them seemed to be a match for Diancang.

“It is about time they came…….”

Jang Un-je’s words as he looked at the sun in the sky.

And at the same time, a shiiiiiik…… pop sound rang out.

“……What is that?”

It was clearly a signal firecracker.

“What is the signal for?”

Lee Gi-pung looked around, but there was no one doing anything special because of the signal firecracker.

“Sahyeong! The boat! The boat is leaving!”

“What!”

The Chang-gung Trading Company’s boat raised its anchor, spread its sails, and the sailors began to row.

“We were clearly blocking it so no one could pass…….”

At that moment, two women soaked in water were seen grabbing a rope and climbing onto the boat next to the moving vessel.

Seeing the people on the boat treating them with great respect, they were not of ordinary status.

“This……! They moved after abandoning their warriors!”

“What is that!”

“This is not the time for this! Divide the warriors into two! Catch their boat and start our boat as well!”

“Yes!”

A stupid choice.

To leave the warriors behind.

They might be able to escape this place right now, but how would they overcome the grand journey after the Third Gate with just that?

“That is a story for when we get out of here.”

However, the Chang-gung Trading Company’s boat began to do something strange.

Led by the two women, the sailors began to throw planks and buckets into the river.

“Are they thinking of reducing the weight of the boat?”

Lee Gi-pung’s thoughts only went that far.

Dududududududududu.

Kicking up white dust, a group of cavalry was running madly.

“S, Sahyeong!”

Jang Un-je, who was preparing to board the boat, called Lee Gi-pung in a panic.

“What on earth…….”

“I, it is the Namgung Family!”

“What? Didn’t they abandon their warriors!”

<><><>

When the Demonic Cult began their conquest of the Jianghu, there was the most troublesome group.

The Iron Horse Black Wind Corps (Cheol-ma-heuk-pung-dae).

Those who fought in a style of battle unfamiliar not only to the Jianghu people but also to the government troops.

If one were to find those who were similar, they would be the ones who fought mounted battles, which only the tribes of the far north would do.

For the Moorim Alliance, dealing with them was extremely tricky because they had no idea how to block them.

The swords and sabers most martial artists used could not pierce the armored horses, and the long spears wielded by the demonic humans from atop their horses were deeply embedded in the chests of the martial artists.

Above all, the tremendous breakthrough power possessed by the horses.

This heavy, powerful breakthrough power that humans could not produce was not something that martial artists, flustered by the unexpected strategy of a cavalry charge, could deal with.

“This means the strategy is ten years too early.”

The warriors following behind me were running according to my words, but all of them had expressions of not knowing what was going on.

“Young Master! Are we going to keep running like this?”

“Keep running! Don’t think about stopping, just think about running on the river!”

“…….”

In times like this, it is better to let them know the sweetness of the result than the rationality of the process.

“Then you will be able to go to the Moorim Academy with the young ladies.”

“““Yes!”””

The warriors of the Namgung Family and the Iron Sword Sect shouted loudly.

<><><>

“S, Sahyeong, they are not slowing down?”

“What?”

Are they thinking of crossing the river even on horseback?

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

Led by a young man of his own age wearing black martial attire at the very front, over a hundred mounted warriors began to draw their swords in unison.

“Everyone, charge!”

“““Waaaaaaaah!”””

The warriors of the secular martial arts school, whose formation had already been disrupted, could neither group together nor spread out, and started to scatter in all directions, surprised by the momentum of the cavalry.

“D, don’t scatter! B, block them!”

Lee Gi-pung instinctively shouted to block that group of cavalry, but there was no one listening to those words.

In the end, Lee Gi-pung kicked off the ground.

One strike.

Just one strike was enough to disrupt the formation.

The Sail Sword Art (Sa-il-geom-beop), which had been praised by Taoist Myeong-hyeon in the old days, was scattered.

He aimed for the vital point of the person in the very front, wearing black martial attire and holding a black sword.

“An achievement worse than that Jong Byeok-gi.”

“What?”

As the name of a great senior he had never imagined popped out of his mouth, Lee Gi-pung’s sword style wavered for a moment.

And the warrior in black martial attire precisely wedged his sword into the disrupted part.

Thud!

“Kuhuk!”

“Sahyeong!”

Lee Gi-pung’s body flew in the opposite direction at a speed faster than he had flown in.

Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!

Following that, the cavalry group pushed away the warriors who were loitering around in one sword strike and immediately charged into the river.

What are they trying to do? The question of ‘what are they doing?’ was soon answered.

Starting with the young man in black attire standing at the very front, all of the cavalry group jumped off their horses.

Splash- splash- splash-

They immediately stepped on the planks and buckets that had been scattered everywhere from the boat and began to board the boat.

Everyone in Jin-gang who was targeting the Namgung Family, the Iron Sword Sect, and the Tae-eul-mun was just staring blankly at the scene.

<><><>

I thought it was an absurd operation.

“Abandoning the horses?”

“Yes.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to go around Hongtaek Lake?”

Namgung Seon-hwa thought of the detour operation she had first thought of when she heard that many people, including Diancang, were waiting for them in Jin-gang.

But Jin So-un shook his head.

“If that happens, we will not be able to fulfill the Third Gate on time.”

“……But even so, what is the meaning of abandoning the horses?”

“That is why I will use a diversion operation.”

Namgung Seon-hwa and Seong Mo-ran arrive in Jin-gang first and head to the boat through the water.

As soon as the two arrive, they start the boat and disrupt the Diancang Sect’s formation.

And the follow-up team boards the departing boat.

At first glance, it sounds plausible, but there is a big gap between sounding plausible and actually executing the operation.

However,

“This actually works.”

And when one sees the scene where that plausible operation is actually carried out, it feels like all the common sense one knows is flying away.

“……That is right.”

Seong Mo-ran also stares blankly at Jin So-un, who is stepping on the planks on the river and leaping down as if flying.

Jin So-un, who has landed on the boat, immediately picks up the prepared planks and starts throwing them.

Then, they landed precisely under the feet of the warriors who were about to fall into the river because they couldn’t step on the planks.

“I really can’t believe it even after seeing it with my own eyes.”

The warriors of the Namgung Family and the Iron Sword Sect are the elite of the elite. In terms of achievement, they are people who have passed the first-class level and are at the threshold of the peak.

With just Jin So-un’s simple help, most of the personnel land on the boat.

“Young Master Jin! The junior disciples!”

The problem is the Geum-Eun-Dong brothers of the Tae-eul-mun.

For some reason, Jin So-un had placed the Geum-Eun-Dong brothers in the very last position.

Geum-pyo and Eun-ho are diligently performing their movement techniques and stepping on the planks, but every time they do, their ankles are splashing into the water.

Moreover, Dong-ryong was already swimming while having fallen into the water.

“I will go!”

Namgung Seon-hwa steps forward immediately.

“No.”

Along with his words, Jin So-un throws a rope to Geum-pyo and Eun-ho, and at the same time, reaches out his left hand to Dong-ryong.

Something like a small silver bird’s claw shoots out from his hand and grabs Dong-ryong.

“Hup!”

And at the same time, he pulls.

Geum-pyo, Eun-ho, and Dong-ryong boarded the boat, soaked in water.

“That is why I told you to practice your movement techniques in advance.”

“Dae-sahyeong! Even so, isn’t it a robbery to wish for high-level movement techniques from someone with 15 years of internal energy?”

“Tsk.”

Although he is frowning, a smile is lingering on the corners of the Geum-Eun-Dong brothers’ mouths.

It is not just them. The warriors of the Namgung Family and the warriors of the Iron Sword Sect are also letting out silly laughs, as if they cannot believe that everyone boarded the boat without a single injury.

Whoosh- whoosh- whoosh-

At that moment, arrows poured toward the Chang-gung Trading Company’s boat.

“They launched their boats too.”

Song Baek, including Diancang, and those who had made it impossible for me to sleep the whole time I was coming, all launched their boats from the dock at once and followed.

Some are even loading their bodies onto small rowboats and rowing.

The boats that had been anchored at the entire dock came out into the river as if competing.

“At this rate, we will be caught.”

Just as I thought that returning was the right answer.

“……Hmm?”

The surrounding air vibrates tightly.

Pop-pop-pop.

Jin So-un’s martial uniform inflates as if it is about to burst.

A powerful aura, the likes of which I had never felt before, spreads out with him at the center.

“Y, Young Master Jin.”

Rumble-rumble-rumble-rumble.

It feels just like the sky is collapsing. A powerful destructive force capable of collapsing Mount Tai and covering the earth is writhing in his hands.

Just as I am feeling suffocated by the overwhelming aura. A group of massive palms pours out from Jin So-un’s hands.

Kwakwakwakwakwakwakwang.

The small rowboat uses this powerful storm as propulsion to fly its light body forward.

And the massive boats that had not yet left the dock are hit directly by the storm and shattered to pieces.

Kwakwakwakwakwakwang.

Among the boats that had been clustered like ants in the dock area, boats and people were suddenly tangled up and flying in all directions as if a waterspout had risen.

Pop-pop-pop-pop-pop.

When the powerful storm passed, only a miserable accident scene remained.

“Young Master Jin…….”

“If it is like this, they won’t be able to chase us, right?”

“That is true, but…… if you had this kind of power, why didn’t you use it sooner…….”

For some reason, it feels like all the hardships I have gone through so far have become useless.

“The drawback of this martial art is that. After using it, I collapse.”

“Yes?”

“Help me…….”

Along with those words, Jin So-un collapses softly, like a person whose pressure point has been struck.

Namgung Seon-hwa catches him in her arms without realizing it.

“S, someone help….”

Thinking that she was holding a man for the first time in her life, she did not know what to do.