The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Novel - Chapter 13

Chapter 13
Chapter 13. A Third-Rate Warrior Who Protects His Sect’s Honor (7)

At its core, why was the Iron Sword Sect unable to gain admission into the One Hundred Eight Peaks?

They simply lacked a valid reason.

Holding a place within the One Hundred Eight Peaks served as a prestigious emblem for the Murim Alliance itself.

Half a millennium in the past, when the Demonic Cult emerged, the various orthodox factions spread across the land united, enduring immense losses to form the Murim Alliance.

The primary foundations of this coalition were the Nine Sects and One Gang along with the Five Great Clans.

Following those events, the slots were granted as honors to the participating factions that had bled for the cause.

Out of the complete roster of the One Hundred Eight Peaks, roughly a third consisted of organizations that had maintained their status continuously for those five centuries.

Consequently, for any shift to occur within the ranks of the One Hundred Eight Peaks, an equally monumental pretext was required.

What, then, of the Murim Alliance administration that governed these matters?

Even though the Nine Sects and One Gang alongside the Five Great Clans reigned supreme and controlled the institution completely, the coalition could not function merely on the basis of raw power.

Ultimately, the driving force behind the Murim Alliance’s decisions was the weight of moral and political validity.

Viewed from this perspective, Jegal So-myeong had been stripped of his moral high ground, placing him in a highly uncomfortable predicament.

‘How did it come to this…?’

Analyzing the tactical layout orchestrated by that young disciple, Jin So-un of the Taeul Sect, and deciphering his underlying motives, the advisor realized he had let the perfect opportunity to intervene pass him by. The inferno ignited by the blunders of the Iron Sword Sect had thrown burning embers directly toward him, the Grand Strategist.

“How dare you! Who do you think you are speaking to with such insolence!”

Seong Cheon-wol bellowed with rage, yet Jegal So-myeong only found himself wishing the old man would remain silent.

If the circumstances deteriorated any further, both the Iron Sword Sect and the Murim Alliance itself would be completely covered in disgrace.

“My sire remained on his knees through the night just to protect me, and even when the malicious plot of the Iron Sword Sect Leader came to light, he still insisted on continuing the combat. Furthermore, when the outcome of that contest turned against them, he chose to meddle directly.”

Jin So-un leveled his finger at Seong Mo-hyeon.

“Prompted by that individual’s claim of ‘sorcery,’ the Iron Sword Sect Leader immediately seized the chance to brand the Taeul Sect as a heretical faction, while the Murim Alliance stood by passively the entire time.”

The youth’s tone brimmed with fierce anger and bitter indignation.

The regret of not acting sooner weighed heavily on the strategist’s mind.

“Under these conditions, what guarantee do I have to put away my weapon!”

The gathered audience murmured and nodded along, finding merit in his words.

Subsequently, their gazes shifted toward the one who effectively served as the face of the Murim Alliance here.

‘I am cornered.’

Reflecting on the sequence of events, he could not bring himself to believe that this chain of incidents was accidental.

His conviction stemmed from a single observation.

The boy, Jin So-un, had maintained absolute composure from the start.

He had confronted the scheme devised by the Iron Sword Sect without flinching, and despite the stacked odds against him, he had successfully manipulated the circumstances to his own benefit.

Was it normal for a youth under twenty years old to stay perfectly calm when accused of practicing a “forbidden art”?

Jin So-un had demonstrated his lack of guilt with noble poise, and in doing so, he had trapped both the Iron Sword Sect and the Murim Alliance within his tactical web.

There was no room for idle admiration now.

A single misstep by Jegal So-myeong would drag the reputation of the Murim Alliance down into the mud right alongside the Iron Sword Sect.

What concession could he offer?

What sort of offering could resolve the dispute between the Iron Sword Sect and the Taeul Sect while ensuring the public still viewed the Murim Alliance as the rightful guardian of peace across the lands?

Even upon quick reflection, no solution presented itself.

In reality, no perfect remedy existed for this dilemma.

Nevertheless, an impasse did not mean a total lack of options.

“……What is your demand, then?”

His best course of action was to shift the burden of choice to the boy.

Should Jin So-un demand a full disclosure of facts, a formal apology, or some other recompense, Jegal So-myeong could provide a reasonable compromise, pacify the youth, and conclude the affair.

If it appeared to be settled amicably, the entire scandal would eventually fade from public memory, much like the notorious event that took place two decades prior.

However, the response caught him entirely off guard.

“I demand the life of the Iron Sword Sect Leader.”

“……!”

Hearing Jin So-un’s declaration, Jegal So-myeong was nearly forced to laugh out loud at the absurdity.

It was an entirely unforeseen gambit.

An unconventional, striking maneuver that exerted intense leverage not just on the Iron Sword Sect Leader, but on the Grand Strategist himself.

Had they been engaged in a match of janggi or go, such a radical play would make an opponent want to flip the table in frustration.

Demanding the leader’s demise was tantamount to requesting a formal death match between them.

Even if the young Jin So-un pushed his internal power to its absolute limits, could he genuinely defeat and execute the Iron Sword Sect Leader?

Yet, if the confrontation ended in their mutual demise, Jin So-un would be revered as a tragic hero who perished to defend his fading lineage and school. Meanwhile, the Iron Sword Sect and the Murim Alliance would be branded as lawless villains who discarded morality, bullied a vulnerable clan, and caused an innocent death.

The entire affair would serve as an enduring political tool, pushing the Murim Alliance into a defensive position and utterly destroying the Iron Sword Sect.

Suddenly, a single youth’s life held the same political weight as the grand coalition itself.

‘How fascinating, to think the Taeul Sect harbored such an individual.’

Despite finding himself backed into an intellectual corner, the strategist felt intrigued rather than enraged or alarmed.

He even found himself pondering how the archives of Mantongbu would evaluate this young man.

‘Therefore, his demise cannot be permitted on this day. To safeguard the Murim Alliance, I must prevent that outcome.’

“If you believe your honor has been defiled, it is only fair to return the slight,” Jegal So-myeong remarked, giving a nod of apparent concurrence.

“However, do you possess the capabilities required to enforce such a demand?”

“I shall extract the debt owed to us in full,” came the sharp reply.

“……”

Jegal So-myeong kept his eyes fixed firmly on him.

The youth was a supreme prodigy.

Just as Yong So-ah represented an unparalleled prodigy in martial prowess, Jegal So-myeong occupied a comparable pinnacle of brilliance in intellectual affairs.

This strategist would ultimately lose his life right before the onset of the Great Righteous-Demonic War.

Certain factions later claimed that had Jegal So-myeong survived to guide them, the Murim Alliance would never have suffered such a catastrophic fracturing.

His capabilities were simply that remarkable.

Even now, Jegal So-myeong was adroitly navigating around the snare I had set, slipping past its edges.

“Let us not proceed that way. Doing so would mean settling this dispute through improper means, mirroring the very injustice you endured.”

Predictably, outmaneuvering him would be no simple task.

“In that case, an alternative exists.”

“Speak it.”

“That unblushing lineage of three generations must drop to the ground in full prostration, begging forgiveness for every single misdeed they committed.”

“……I see. Yet if we choose that path, we lose the opportunity to verify whether or not you have acquired a prohibited technique.”

“Does the Grand Strategist propose a better alternative, then? To object simply for the sake of obstructing is a trait of cheap statesmen.”

Curiously, Jegal So-myeong appeared to find the exchange highly entertaining.

The faint movement of his mouth betrayed his struggle to suppress a chuckle.

“Sect Leader, what is the extent of your certainty?”

Confronted by Jegal So-myeong’s inquiry, Seong Cheon-wol faltered over his words.

“Pardon? W-well, you see…”

“Are you prepared to wager your organization’s official plaque on this claim?”

“Incredible!”

Seong Cheon-wol bellowed in an unseemly manner before clearing his throat awkwardly.

“Harrumph. Grand Strategist. Finding and eliminating heretical practices is surely the inherent obligation of all righteous factions dedicated to defeating darkness. Why must I gamble our entire legacy over a standard duty? If accountability is demanded, then I shall answer through combat, just as the boy requested.”

The master of the Iron Sword Sect, Seong Cheon-wol, was flailing blindly, entirely oblivious to the web that had snared him, prompting an exasperated shout from Jegal So-myeong.

“I have already explained that such an approach is unacceptable!”

“W-well, if that is so…”

“What about pledging your faction’s ancestral blade, Sect Leader?”

Seong Cheon-wol’s eyes stretched wide as his gaze fell upon Ghost Sword Immortal Elder’s Ninefold Sword, which was mounted prominently in the main pavilion.

“T-that item is…”

“Do you doubt your own conviction, Sect Leader? While the details of yesterday’s feast remain unknown to me, everything I have witnessed here today has been fundamentally unjust, precisely as the youth asserted. Has your clan merely been perpetrating misdeeds while exploiting the influence of the Murim Alliance?”

Hearing Jegal So-myeong’s challenge, the leader of the Iron Sword Sect shifted his eyes between the completely pale Seong Mo-hyeon and myself.

An audible grinding of teeth echoed from his jaws.

“Fine! Let it be so!”

With that declaration, the old warrior attempted to march directly in my direction.

I extended an arm to halt his approach.

“A single stipulation remains.”

“Cease this nonsense!”

“If this verification is to proceed, it must be performed impartially. If the Iron Sword Sect Leader performs the test personally, what prevents him from falsely asserting I possess the Great Star-Absorbing Art even if the results are clear?”

“Do you take me for a fraud?!”

“Based on your conduct up to this point, I view you as entirely capable of such deception.”

Jegal So-myeong gave a nod of agreement.

“Summoning the Execution Pavilion would incur too long a delay, and we should not allow the celebration of the Iron Sword Sect Leader’s sixtieth year to be disrupted further by this conflict. I shall personally conduct the inspection. Surely that arrangement satisfies both parties?”

Stepping past the local leader, Jegal So-myeong walked over to my position.

“Now, settle your inner energy.”

Releasing my internal power, I offered my right wrist to Jegal So-myeong.

Since the Great Star-Absorbing Art operated by draining the vital energy of victims, a mismatched assortment of foreign power would inevitably linger within the practitioner’s core.

Consequently, identifying the presence of the Great Star-Absorbing Art was a straightforward task for an expert.

“……”

The testing pulse from Jegal So-myeong, which had been cautiously investigating my Dantian, dissolved immediately.

“……Cough.”

Remaining silent for a tense moment, Jegal So-myeong turned his gaze toward the master of the house.

The Iron Sword Sect Leader gulped hard, resembling a desperate gambler awaiting the final turn of a card that held his entire fortune.

Then came the verdict.

“The youth shows no signs of practicing the Great Star-Absorbing Art.”

“Ah……!”

Upon hearing Jegal So-myeong’s announcement, both the Iron Sword Sect Leader and Seong Mo-hyeon looked utterly astounded.

“That cannot be right! He absolutely possesses the Great Star-Absorbing Art!”

“W-would you permit me to verify this personally?”

In response to the leader’s plea, Jegal So-myeong’s brow furrowed.

“The weapon of your founding patriarch hangs in the balance.”

“……”

As Jegal So-myeong retreated a pace, the Iron Sword Sect Leader gripped my arm violently and forced his coarse energy deep into my pathways, aggressively scouring through my internal system.

“H-hold on…”

Due to this invasive surge of external power, my meridian channels, already weakened by the strain of manifesting my true force earlier, fractured into total chaos.

“Do not move!”

The invading energy probing my anatomy slammed into my Dantian with brute force, causing the turbulent flow within my channels to suddenly invert.

“Pfft—”

Unable to counteract the sudden internal disruption, dark fluid erupted from my throat.

The ground before me was instantly stained with the crimson I discharged.

“What is the meaning of this!”

“So-un!”

“How dare he go this far!”

Alarmed by the development, Jegal So-myeong pulled the elder’s grip away from me and moved to seal my primary apertures, yet the flow of blood from my mouth would not stop.

Jin Tae-san and Kang Chae-seok appeared ready to strike down the Iron Sword Sect Leader on the spot, their expressions murderous.

“This is impossible…”

The master of the Iron Sword Sect stared blankly in shock.

Realizing the profound danger of their position, Seong Mo-hyeon interjected frantically.

“It cannot be! Grandfather! My senses did not deceive me. If he lacks that skill, how could someone like me possibly suffer defeat at his hands?”

“Hold your tongue!”

Shoving aside my sire, who was trying to steady me, I forced myself to rise.

“Do not attempt to get up. Your internal injuries require further attention,” Jegal So-myeong urged, placing a steadying hand on my shoulder, but I slapped his arm away with my crimson-smeared fingers.

“……”

“So-un!”

Managing to stabilize my posture with great effort, I similarly declined Jin Tae-san’s assistance.

A steady trickle of red escaped my lips as Seong Cheon-wol and Seong Mo-hyeon watched me with expressions of growing dread.

“Deliver… what is owed!”

I extended an open palm toward them.

“……”

“For the treacherous deeds orchestrated by you and your lineage—*cough*—yield the agreed compensation!”

My hand shook noticeably.

The master of the Iron Sword Sect stood paralyzed, his gaze darting frantically around the hall as he searched for an escape.

“Gah!”

As I discharged another wave of dark fluid, Jegal So-myeong, unable to tolerate the gruesome sight any further, gripped my wrist and turned a fierce look toward the ruler of the estate.

“Sect Leader, honor the terms you set.”

“……Grand Strategist, how can you side against me in this manner…”

“You brought this entirely upon yourself, Sect Leader. You gave your word without hesitation, and then you caused severe physical harm to the boy with your reckless energy. Take accountability and prove that your loyalty lies with the principles of the Murim Alliance!”

“……I shall provide amends for this unfortunate incident, and our institution will grant the youth three Iron Heart Pills as restitution.”

“Grandfather!”

The Iron Sword Sect Leader threw a glare at Seong Mo-hyeon that promised death.

“Utter one more syllable, and I shall personally sever your tongue from your mouth.”

The elder then turned to Jegal So-myeong with an imploring tone.

“An individual from our ranks acted egregiously in this affair. Nonetheless, the sacred inheritance left by our founder cannot simply be surrendered to outsiders without proper thought, can it? Surely concluding the matter with alternative terms would be more advantageous for both our houses?”

Jegal So-myeong cast his eyes over to me to gauge my reaction, but rather than responding verbally, I clenched my fingers around the hilt of my weapon.

“In that case… I shall take my payment in life.”

As I moved to pull away from Jegal So-myeong’s grasp, the strategist shouted with booming authority.

“Iron Sword Sect Leader! Do you intend to drag the honor of the Murim Alliance through the dirt while operating under our banner!”

Faced with that icy roar, Seong Cheon-wol flinched, his eyes widening.

“I, the Grand Strategist, served as the formal observer for this pact. Do you honestly expect to falsely accuse a blameless person and walk away without consequence? Are you eager to invite the wrath of the Murim Alliance’s Execution Pavilion upon your home?”

“……”

Realizing he lacked the standing to oppose Jegal So-myeong’s fury, the old master finally bowed his head in defeat.

“Fetch the Ninefold Sword.”

With unsteady hands, Seong Ju-tak carried over the Ninefold Sword, passing it to Seong Cheon-wol, who then extended the weapon toward Jegal So-myeong.

Taking the artifact, Jegal So-myeong deposited the Ninefold Sword directly into my grasp.

“Does this satisfy the debt?”

Hearing his inquiry, I lowered my eyelids.