The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Novel - Chapter 140

Chapter 140
## Chapter 140. The Black Flame Dragon Meets the Monster of the Ten-Thousand-Book Repository (4)

“Ah, ah…….”

Stunned into complete silence by Namgung Seon-hwa’s admission, Seong Mo-ran found herself unable to utter a single word.

“…….”

Even Namgung Seon-hwa, having just bared her soul with that shocking revelation, clamped her lips shut, allowing a heavy, suffocating quiet to fill the room.

Within that awkward stillness, Seong Mo-ran’s gaze drifted down to Namgung Seon-hwa’s hands.

Those small, fragile hands were trembling ever so slightly.

Observing her companion looking as terrified as if she had committed a grave crime, Seong Mo-ran let out a soft, amused chuckle.

“……I was wondering what was troubling you so much. I already knew.”

“……Huh?”

“I said, I am well aware.”

“I, uh, th-that is.”

Suddenly, Namgung Seon-hwa’s entire face turned a crimson shade so intense it looked ready to burst.

To Seong Mo-ran, this flustered display was nothing short of endearing.

“Did you truly believe I would remain oblivious to such things, regardless of how unobservant I might seem?”

“…….”

The truth was, it had been obvious to her for quite some time.

Back during the Murim Regular Exam held at the Demon Spirit Plateau, the fleeting glances Namgung Seon-hwa cast toward Jin So-un carried a completely different warmth compared to how she regarded other men.

“Furthermore! Did you actually expect me to cut ties with you simply because you confessed your feelings for Young Master Jin?”

“…….”

Reaching across the space between them, Seong Mo-ran grasped Namgung Seon-hwa’s hand in a reassuring, tight grip.

“You were my one and only little sister long before either of us ever crossed paths with Young Master Jin.”

“……Sister.”

“Mind you, this does not mean I intend to simply step aside and yield. I harbor feelings for Young Master Jin as well.”

Gently brushing away the tears collecting at the corners of Namgung Seon-hwa’s eyes, Seong Mo-ran continued softly,

“Therefore, regardless of how things turn out, let us maintain our close bond, just the two of us. Besides, that man is always so preoccupied that he barely has a moment to even glance our way, doesn’t he?”

“Thank you. And I truly apologize.”

“For the time being, let us focus on rapidly advancing our skills to become accomplished martial artists, so that man can carry a slightly lighter burden.”

“You are right. I intend to grow stronger quickly and ascend to greater heights.”

Seong Mo-ran released a soft sigh while gazing into Namgung Seon-hwa’s tear-reddened eyes.

“Neither of us are the type to find ourselves in such a predicament under normal circumstances. How on earth did we end up like this?”

“Pfft.”

“Now that you have finished crying, shall we go pick out some new attire? We must catch him off guard once more when we venture out, just as we managed to do during the previous celebration.”

“Yes, let us.”

Rising to her feet first, Seong Mo-ran waited as Namgung Seon-hwa gathered her things to follow. However, Namgung Seon-hwa suddenly paused mid-motion, as if a sudden thought had struck her.

“Sister, but what steps should we take if even more rivals present themselves?”

“……Should that happen, the blame lies entirely with the man who goes around sowing seeds of affection everywhere, so we will simply have to discipline him accordingly.”

Seong Mo-ran squeezed her hand into a tight fist, looking entirely unwilling to show him any mercy.

—

“Hm?”

Sensing a sudden, inexplicable chill prickling my skin, I scanned my surroundings and extended my Sensory Perception.

As I projected my awareness outward, the Sword Demon appeared to detect the shift immediately, casting a peculiar look in my direction.

“What exactly are you up to?”

“It is nothing of importance. I simply felt an odd sensation, so I investigated for a brief moment, but found nothing amiss.”

“Tsk, tsk. Just how much negative karma have you accumulated throughout your existence to be this paranoid……”

I felt entirely speechless watching the Sword Demon click his tongue in disapproval while shaking his head.

“Could my actions ever truly compare to yours, Sword Demon?”

“What insolence did you just utter?!”

The tales surrounding his past deeds were genuinely grander than fiction.

There was an instance where he covertly infiltrated the Shaolin Temple, declaring he had perfected his swordsmanship, solely to challenge the abbot to a duel. On another occasion, despite earning the reputation of a Public Enemy of the Murim and plunging deep into the unorthodox ways of the Black Path, he boldly invaded the headquarters of the Black Serpent Gang, waging a desperate, solitary war against their entire organization.

“Every single one of those actions was driven by my own righteous justification!”

What possible justification could exist for launching an unprovoked assault on the private quarters of the Shaolin abbot?

“Has it never crossed your mind that your perception of ‘righteous justification’ might have been entirely flawed?”

“You insolent whelp, simply because I have been overly lenient with you lately!”

The Sword Demon violently hurled the research paper he had been examining straight at me, which I deftly caught in mid-air.

It had already been a full ten days since I began relentlessly provoking him into daily martial confrontations.

Even so, it seemed a peculiar bond had formed between us, given that he no longer simply abandoned me whenever I lost consciousness during our clashes.

Recently, my daily pattern consisted of recovering within his modest cabin, exchanging a few words, and then making my way back home.

Naturally, there were occasions when I attempted to challenge him a second time within a single day.

Yet whenever I pushed my luck like that, for some inexplicable reason, I would remain completely blacked out for the duration of the day, unable to rouse myself.

It seemed a single duel per day was the rigid boundary he had established.

And I was walking along the very edge of that line.

“Why do you insist on wasting your time reading such an utterly pointless thesis?”

“That is absolutely none of your business.”

“Are you perhaps searching for a hidden Treasure Map or a legendary Secret Manual? I can assure you there is no such thing to be found here.”

I could state this with absolute certainty because I had thoroughly memorized every single text within the Ten-Thousand-Book Repository, including those destined to arrive in the future.

Among all the documents preserved within the archive, not a single one held any connection to a Treasure Map or a secret technique.

“What I am pursuing is nothing of that sort.”

“Oh, so you admit you are looking for something specific?”

“…….”

Refusing to provide an answer, the Sword Demon simply returned his focus to the research paper.

He appeared completely engrossed, his posture unwavering, as though he were deciphering an ancient, peerless Secret Manual from generations past.

I wondered if the obscure scholar who had penned that thesis would ever realize that the legendary Sword Demon was studying his discarded trash as though his very life depended on it.

“If you share what you are searching for, I will assist you in tracking it down. In return, I ask that you guide me as my martial arts mentor.”

The mere fact that he had uncovered the core essence of Ten Thousand Swords after just a single exchange of blows proved that his martial comprehension far exceeded my loftiest assumptions.

The Taeul True Scripture naturally manifested in an amorphous, unstructured manner as one ascended to higher spiritual realms.

Because it was a profoundly complex martial path where one eventually had to forge their own unique style, I desperately required the guidance of a master who possessed firsthand experience in creating a distinct martial discipline from scratch.

At this current juncture, I could not possibly hope to find a more suitable instructor than this short-tempered master of the Black Path standing right before me.

“……Tsk, did I not make myself clear before? You have absolutely no requirement for Sword Force.”

“I am well aware of that. Yet, based on your own insights, Sword Demon, if I were to infuse Sword Force into the Ten Thousand Swords, wouldn’t it elevate it into an even more formidable technique?”

“…….”

“Furthermore, I deeply desire to inherit the vast wealth of combat experience you have gathered throughout your lifetime, Sword Demon.”

“Are you implying you wish to take me as your master and become my disciple?”

“As a dedicated disciple of the Taeul Sect, taking another formal master is out of the question. That is precisely why I am requesting you to act as my martial arts mentor.”

The Sword Demon stared back at me, his expression entirely incredulous.

“Just how far do you intend to push your own strength?”

It was a remarkably nuanced question.

Throughout both my previous existence and my current life, I had constantly endured a burning thirst to attain greater power, yet I had never paused to define the exact pinnacle I wished to reach.

I could not quantify it through a standard martial realm or tier.

Even so, a definitive response surfaced in my mind almost immediately.

“Mm…… Strong enough to ensure that no matter what adversary confronts me, I possess the power to shield those who matter to me?”

“Do you truly believe claiming the title of the greatest under heaven is such a simple task?”

“I have no desire to become the greatest under heaven.”

“It amounts to the exact same thing. If your ultimate goal is to safeguard those you hold dear, rather than remaining consumed by martial prowess, your time would be far better spent by their side.”

The Sword Demon’s expression softened into a profound, melancholic introspection, as though he were reminiscing about someone he deeply yearned for.

“And what should happen if an genuinely terrifying adversary manifests?”

“You simply take them and flee together, seeking a sanctuary far beyond the enemy’s reach.”

His words carried a heavy, lingering sorrow.

“Nothing holds greater significance than the moments you share together.”

It was evident that the Sword Demon harbored deep regrets regarding his past, mirroring the heavy burdens I carried within myself.

“……Are you combing through the archives of the Ten-Thousand-Book Repository in hopes of locating that cherished individual?”

In an instant, the Sword Demon’s features turned incredibly stern.

“……How could you possibly know that?”

“It was merely a random guess. Hahaha.”

The Sword Demon’s countenance distorted like a crumpled parchment.

“……That slippery tongue of yours possesses enough cunning to swindle the wealth right out of most scoundrels on the Black Path.”

“Do you truly refuse to enlighten me?”

dishonesty.
“…….”

Turning his gaze away once more, the Sword Demon quietly resumed reading the worthless academic paper.

‘So, he is indeed searching for a person.’

I immediately began navigating through the vast mental vaults of the library stored within my memory.

Specifically, the section where the disregarded and eccentric volumes of the Ten-Thousand-Book Repository had been cast aside.

This particular corner housed all manner of texts that seemed entirely out of place for a martial archive, ranging from illicit illustrations to crude romantic tales.

From that mental shelf, I metaphorically retrieved a single, specific volume.

It was a personal record, written in the style of a private diary by an anonymous woman.

Without ever revealing her identity or her specific background, the text simply offered a candid narrative of how, during a vacation from her academy studies, she had visited a particular city, encountered a certain individual, experienced various events, and wrestled with the emotions that developed along the way.

In my past life, I had carelessly dismissed it as nothing more than a trivial piece of romantic fiction…….

However, reviewing those memories now, numerous characteristics of the individual described within those pages aligned perfectly with the old martial artist standing right in front of me.

As I mentally scanned the contents of that diary, my eyes snapped wide open.

“Did you happen to father a daughter?”

“……!”

As if violently startled by an unexpected blow, the Sword Demon’s eyes expanded to twice their size.

“……How could you possibly be aware of that……?”

“…….”

According to the rumors of the martial world, the Sword Demon was believed to have no living kin, nor any individuals with whom he shared a meaningful bond.

While he maintained casual acquaintances with a handful of eccentric masters, he was fundamentally a solitary figure, resembling a lonely island isolated in the vast ocean.

His personal code was far too rigid to allow him to comfortably associate with the villainous factions of the Black Path, yet his notorious reputation prevented him from ever forming genuine alliances with the righteous sects of the Orthodox Path.

I could also discern the underlying reason why he had chosen to remain unattached as the years advanced.

It was highly probable that because he had incurred countless vendettas throughout his turbulent life, he constantly feared he would be unable to shield a family from retribution during his absences.

“I demanded to know how you uncovered that information!”

“……Ah, the truth is, I possess a perfect recollection of every single manuscript housed within the Ten-Thousand-Book Repository. Retaining everything I glimpse once without ever forgetting it—that is the nature of my personal curse.”

“…….”

“Mm…… Did your encounter with that individual take place in the city of Hangzhou?”

The Sword Demon’s jaw dropped slightly in sheer disbelief.

“In that place, your paths crossed, your sentiments aligned, and you shared a deep intimacy with one another.”

dishonesty.
“…….”

“Heh…… This is truly remarkable enough to leave anyone utterly astounded. To think that you actually have offspring, Sword Demon.”

“Where can I find that specific text?”

“It would prove exceedingly difficult for you to unearth it on your own, Sword Demon. It was intentionally concealed with immense care to ensure it would remain hidden from prying eyes.”

“Hand it over to me. I must verify its contents this very instant.”

The Sword Demon shifted onto the bare earth, his feet entirely uncovered, looking prepared to dash out into the archives at any given second.

“Ah…… I cannot comply with that request.”

“If you deliver that journal to me, I will grant you the knowledge of Sword Force just as you desire. No, I will go far beyond that and guide you on the path to fully evolving the Ten Thousand Swords!”

It was precisely the ultimate bargain I had been hoping to extract from him.

Nevertheless, I firmly shook my head in refusal.

“I must decline.”

“……What? Do you harbor even greater demands from me?”

At this moment, the Sword Demon was so consumed by overwhelming emotion that he had completely lost his capacity for rational thought.

This brief lapse exposed just how desperately and fruitlessly he had been searching for his lost child all these years.

However, even if our mutual desires aligned perfectly, as long as the true motivations of the woman who penned those memoirs remained a mystery to me, it was not an arrangement I could blindly accept.

“No, that is not the issue at hand. This concerns human lives, does it not? Furthermore, if the woman you loved went to such lengths to obscure the text, it stands to reason she might not have wished to be discovered by you, Sword Demon. No matter how urgent my own needs are, I cannot recklessly compromise information that impacts another person’s destiny.”

Within the concluding passages of that diary, she had explicitly detailed the sanctuary where she intended to settle after leaving her former life behind.

While I remained uncertain of the exact year the journal was composed, if someone were actively searching for her, that entry would serve as an invaluable, definitive clue.

I simply could not bring myself to carelessly surrender such vital knowledge without proper confirmation.

“……What if I were to bestow upon you a Fortuitous Encounter unparalleled throughout the history of the martial world?”

It was precisely because of ruthless individuals who valued abstract gains over human existence that I had endured such a tragic, wretched fate in my previous life.

I possessed absolutely no desire to transform into that brand of human being.

“Even if you were to offer me dominion over everything under heaven, I have no intention of surrendering this information lightly.”

The Sword Demon bowed his head, sinking into a prolonged, heavy silence.

Eventually, he took note of his soiled, worn footwear and quietly returned to his seat upon the wooden bench.

He then raised his gaze, observing me with deeply complex, unfathomable eyes.

“You…… truly are an individual who consistently defies all my expectations.”

The old warrior’s statement felt entirely perplexing to me.

Yet, I could certain of one vital detail.

For the first time, he was entirely failing to suppress his raw emotions.

“Is the identity of the writer recorded within those pages?”

“It is not. Which is precisely why tracking it down would prove nearly impossible for you.”

“The individual who authored that journal is almost certainly Seop So-jeong.”

“Seop So-jeong?”

While the family name Seop was not entirely uncommon, within the context of the martial world, a Seop would immediately evoke associations with the prominent Hundred Flowers Palace.

“Indeed, it is precisely the Seop So-jeong of the Hundred Flowers Palace whom you are imagining.”

“Huh…….”

The Hundred Flowers Palace was a distinguished martial sect, much like the Emei Sect, where female practitioners formed the core leadership.

Furthermore, it was an illustrious power counted among the elite factions within the prestigious One Hundred Eight Peaks.

“What, do you find it so difficult to comprehend that the daughter of such an eminent lineage and a disgraced outcast like myself could share genuine affection?”

“……I made no mention of any disgraced outcast. It is merely that the reputation of the Sword Demon and the nature of the Hundred Flowers Palace seem entirely incompatible.”

“We were acutely aware of that reality ourselves. That is precisely the reason we chose to go our separate ways back then.”

Seop So-jeong held a position of paramount importance within the hierarchy of the Hundred Flowers Palace, whereas the Sword Demon’s deep-seated animosity toward his own lineage and the entire Orthodox Path was far too vast to overcome.

The immense chasm between their respective stations, which they could never hope to bridge, ultimately extinguished even the fiercest flames of their romance.

“However, a decade after our parting, she unexpectedly sent word to me.”

She disclosed that a daughter had been born from their past union.

Initially, he had been thrown into complete disarray.

Why had she chosen to conceal the truth from him during their time together?

And for what reason was she only now revealing the child’s existence?

The Sword Demon suddenly let out a frantic, hollow laugh, resembling a man who had lost his sanity.

“And she informed me that if I truly wished to discover their whereabouts, I must search for their hidden markers within the confines of the Ten-Thousand-Book Repository.”

“…….”

“I initially dismissed it as a cruel, absurd fabrication. To begin with, the notion that I possessed a daughter was not something I could readily accept. Yet…… despite everything, here I am.”

Though I kept my expression entirely neutral, inwardly, I was profoundly stunned.

The mystery behind why the Sword Demon’s legendary, relentless crusade of martial challenges had abruptly ceased was finally laid bare right here.

With meticulous care, the Sword Demon reached into his robes and retrieved a neatly folded, weathered missive.

Though he had clearly handled it with the utmost reverence to preserve it, the passage of time had reduced the parchment to little more than a fragile rag.

“This is the very missive she sent.”

“Just how many years have passed since you received this?”

“Approximately five years.”

“…….”

As I mentally calculated the grueling span of five years the Sword Demon must have endured, swallowing endless disrespect from the academy disciples while biding his time, I gently unfolded the letter.

The ink had faded considerably, yet the elegant script remained entirely legible.

Exactly as the Sword Demon had recounted, the text explicitly instructed that if he ever desired to locate them, his path must lead him to the Ten-Thousand-Book Repository.

Carefully folding the parchment back into its original shape, I returned it to his trembling hands.

“H-How stands the matter…… Is it truly the correct record?”

“What do you intend to do once you lay hands on that journal?”

“……Hm?”

The Sword Demon blinked, looking as though he had been abruptly jarred by an unexpected revelation.

“That volume explicitly names the exact region where she intended to make her home. Once you track them down, what is your ultimate purpose?”

“I cannot say for certain.”

The old martial artist answered, his face completely clouded with deep-seated yearning.

“I simply…… wish to gaze upon them once more.”

“Upon whom?”

“……Upon Seop So-jeong and my child……编”

Within the martial world, those rare individuals who have successfully glimpsed the absolute pinnacle of combat arts are revered as transcendent masters.

By all metrics, the Sword Demon undeniably fit the definition of a transcendent being.

And yet, much like the fragile twig he had wielded during our practice a few days prior, his form was vibrating with a delicate, fragile vulnerability.

It was as though the entire weight of his remaining existence rested solely upon the next word I would utter.

“H-How stands the matter? Is it truly the correct book?”

At this exact juncture, he did not stand before me as an all-powerful transcendent master, but merely as a desperate father.

I offered him a reassuring smile and spoke softly,

“You have endured a long and arduous journey up to this day. It is indeed the correct book.”

“Ah…….”

Suddenly, heavy, silent tears began to spill from his eyes, rolling down his weathered cheeks like large drops.

Unable to even comprehend the immense weight of the sorrow and relief contained within those tears, I quietly stepped back, granting him the solitary space required for his long-endured suffering to finally dissipate.