The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Novel - Chapter 146

Chapter 146
## Chapter 146. Those Wearing Black Masks (5)

“The second we tagged along with Young Master Jin, I should have seen this coming. A casual journey alongside someone like him? Dream on…”

Removing her fine ornaments and stripping away her top garment, Seong Mo-ran muttered under her breath with irritation.

“I did warn you at the outset that this wasn’t a leisure trip…”

“Did I ask for your input? What gives you the right to eavesdrop on my private grumbling?”

Honestly, when someone whispers right next to your ear in a completely silent environment, it is practically a direct announcement meant specifically for the bystander, isn’t it?

“…Once this situation is resolved, I will host a magnificent banquet for you at Songhyang Pavilion.”

“Who cares about an ordinary Courtesan House designed only for men… I’ve heard it is truly exquisite to charter a small vessel out on Dongting Lake to take in the evening vistas…”

Given that we were on the verge of a potential clash with the Diancang Sect, the fact that she narrowed her demands down to a mere boat ride on Dongting Lake was likely her own subtle way of showing consideration for our circumstances.

I gave a prompt nod of agreement.

“Just the evening vistas? Let us charter the grandest and most luxurious vessel available, bring elite musicians and master chefs on board, and truly indulge ourselves. As a rule, if a person is going to take a break from their duties, that is exactly how it should be done.”

Seong Mo-ran’s nostrils flared slightly and she compressed her lips, straining to suppress a triumphant grin.

“Well… if you are willing to go to those lengths, I suppose I can overlook this. Setting that aside, Young Master Jin, are you truly going to be fine?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Pouring out that much wealth just to oppose Diancang. To speak plainly, even if this entire matter concludes successfully, there is absolutely nothing for Young Master Jin to gain personally.”

“…”

I had served as little more than a disposable shield, yet even under those conditions, I had put my life on the line at the absolute forefront of the conflict to halt the advance of the Demonic Path.

The sheer duplicity of the Orthodox Path was hardly a recent development, but witnessing these bastards go so far as to don the guise of the Demonic Cult purely to advance their personal greed made my stomach turn so violently that a wave of sickness rose to my throat.

“Is this not simply the path that any martial artist carrying a blade is obligated to walk?”

“…”

“Why are you staring at me with that expression?”

“It just sounds incredibly bizarre coming from the mouth of the Rising Star of the Black Path Murim. A righteous champion emerging from the Black Path…”

“…It is precisely those kinds of descriptions that perpetuate these grand misunderstandings…”

“Eldest Senior Brother, our targets have started to stir.”

Geum-pyo called out, glancing back over his shoulder to alert me.

Cutting my words short, I redirected my attention toward the area ahead.

Emerging with a sharp creak from a dilapidated pavilion that resembled a deserted ruin on the fringes of Yueyang, three figures stepped into the open.

One of them was the very service worker we had encountered earlier at the Flower Moon Pavilion.

The remaining two were completely unfamiliar faces to me.

While the service worker turned on his heel to head back toward the heart of Yueyang, the other two individuals began hastening in the exact opposite direction.

“They are on the move.”

“What is their destination?”

“They are likely going to verify the validity of the intelligence they received while simultaneously reporting back to their commanding officer. That is precisely when their primary force will show themselves.”

“Just as I thought… you decipher their behavioral patterns instantly, truly like a seasoned veteran of the Black Path.”

“…”

This woman was truly something else.

Flanked by the Gold-Silver-Copper Brothers and Seong Mo-ran, I maintained a stealthy pursuit of the pair.

Because the Gold-Silver-Copper Brothers and I were highly proficient in the Ghost-Breathing Step, we were able to press quite close to our targets’ heels, whereas Seong Mo-ran trailed a safe distance behind us, her face brimming with intense inquisitiveness.

The destination we eventually arrived at after tracking the targets was a isolated, quiet manor situated on the rural borders of Yueyang.

We quickly positioned ourselves flat against the rooftop of the primary structure.

Seong Mo-ran surveyed the grounds below with a darkening expression.

-Could they have secured the captives in an entirely different location?

We systematically scanned every visible corner of the compound, but there was absolutely no sign of the abducted townspeople anywhere on the surface.

To make matters worse, the incredibly tight perimeter security made a detailed reconnaissance attempt nearly impossible.

Even so, there was a specific detail on the ground that instantly drew my focus.

-I highly doubt they are elsewhere.

-What makes you say that?

-Take a look at the sheer volume of distinct wagon tracks leading directly to that rear entrance over there. This property appears to be completely abandoned under normal circumstances, so why would there be fresh wheel ruts carved into the dirt?

-Ah…

-They are almost certainly using those wagons to transport the captives inside, or perhaps to bring in the provisions required to sustain them.

-Fascinating. You really possess a keen eye for these dark matters.

-…Exactly what are you implying by that?

-Nothing at all. In any case, if we assume they are definitely hidden somewhere within this compound, where do you calculate their exact location to be?

-…Consider the Yueyang Branch of the Hao Gate. Its subterranean facilities were remarkably vast, were they not?

-That is correct.

-If all external illumination is blocked out and the underground chambers are completely isolated by thick barrier walls, the prisoners would have absolutely no concept of where they are being held.

-So, in the end, you are suggesting that we need to conduct a search beneath the surface?

Utilizing the dim moonlight that occasionally broke through the shifting clouds, I extended my finger toward a storage structure situated on the southern perimeter.

-I am willing to wager they are secured directly inside that building.

-What is your reasoning?

-When a faction posts heavily armed sentries around a mundane storehouse like that, does it not signify that they have either stashed immense wealth inside, or that the assets kept within hold a value equivalent to rare treasures?

-Mhm… Then our best course of action is to maintain our position until Seon-hwa arrives with reinforcements.

I shook my head firmly.

From the very beginning, our timeline allowed for no such leisure.

-They are going to try and evacuate the premises immediately because of the pressure from the Namgung Clan. If we sit idly by and wait, we risk losing every single captive.

Now that the opposing faction realized Jeonghwa maintained a direct connection to the Namgung Clan, they would undoubtedly be keeping a vigilant eye on the clan’s every movement.

The absolute best strategy available to us right now was to forcefully tie them down here until the main force of the Namgung Clan could make planetfall.

Seong Mo-ran’s eyes widened significantly beneath the fabric of her black mask.

-Have you completely lost your mind? Are you suggesting that the four of us should handle this entire operation alone? There are easily over eighty combatants stationed here.

-We intend to create the absolute loudest disturbance possible to draw their attention. While we hold the front, please focus entirely on extracting the captives, Miss Seong.

-…

-I strongly suspect that the Diancang Sect is pulling the strings behind this. If their vanguard actually arrives to reinforce this place, the situation will spiral entirely out of our control.

-U-understood. Just… ensure that you do not get yourself killed.

-You have my word.

Seong Mo-ran took a few paces forward, then halted to glance back toward our positions one last time.

-Even if you end up losing an arm or a leg in the fray, make absolutely sure that you protect your face from any disfigurement.

-…Is that truly your method of expressing genuine concern for my well-being?

That was an incredibly bizarre way to offer comfort.

-…Regardless, exercise extreme caution. I will execute the rescue as swiftly as humanly possible.

Turning my gaze toward the Gold-Silver-Copper Brothers, I murmured,

“Miss Seong just explicitly requested that we stay alive. Are you boys feeling anxious?”

Geum-pyo adjusted his fingers around the hilt of his weapon, wearing an utterly bewildered expression as he responded,

“She would probably lose consciousness on the spot if she found out that Senior Brother Jin previously dropped us straight into the middle of the Twin Curtain Stronghold.”

Hey now, when did I ever deliberately throw them into…

Before the youngsters could even stick around to hear my defense, they boldly launched themselves from the rooftop.

—

The commander of the Moonless Unit, Jeong So-myeong, felt his eyes tremble violently as he absorbed the contents of the urgent dispatch.

‘This is madness…’

The Namgung Clan?

Of all the formidable factions in the land, why did it have to be the Namgung Clan?

How could something so absurd even take place?

To think that a mere lowly stage performer actually possessed ties to the prestigious Namgung Clan…

“Are your sources absolutely flawless on this?”

“It hasn’t been completely cross-verified yet, but…”

“But what? Spit out the rest of your report clearly, you worthless fool! Are you oblivious to the fact that the very survival of our master’s sect hangs in the balance at this very moment?”

“We managed to intercept intelligence indicating that the Azure Sky Merchant Guild formally commissioned the Beggars’ Sect to determine the whereabouts of Jeonghwa.”

They must have picked up on an anomaly while conducting their own private investigation, prompting them to escalate the matter by hiring outside eyes.

Furthermore, the prominent individuals actively spearheading the search for Jeonghwa were none other than Namgung Seon-hwa and Seong Mo-ran.

It was common knowledge throughout the region that those two shared an inseparable bond, which lent an immense amount of credibility to the rumors.

“If we had been granted just a fraction more time, we could have effortlessly seized the entirety of the Blue Bamboo Pavilion…”

It was an incredibly bitter pill to swallow, but dwelling on it was pointless.

If they managed to trace the breadcrumbs back to this location, losing the Blue Bamboo Pavilion would be the absolute least of their worries.

“What is the current status of the Blue Bamboo Pavilion Owner?”

“He has formally petitioned the Diancang Sect for protection and is currently taking refuge at the Seongsa Tea Garden.”

Under the initial framework, the plan was to prolong the situation for several more days, only to miraculously ‘discover’ his missing daughter at the final hour in order to extort the signed deed from him.

However, now that the situation had decomposed to this extent, they could not risk leaving a single scrap of incriminating evidence behind.

“Execute the girl known as Jeonghwa immediately and dump her remains into the deep waters of Dongting Lake. Mobilize every single combatant under our master’s sect. We are abandoning this estate immediately.”

“Understood!”

“Move with urgency. If the elite forces of the Namgung Clan manage to blockade us…”

—Aaaagh!

Jeong So-myeong’s command was sliced clean in half by a bloodcurdling shriek echoing from the courtyard.

—Guh!

—CRASH!

Immediately following the agonizing scream, a deafening tremor resembling a massive gunpowder explosion rocked the compound.

Had they managed to breach the perimeter already?

Was such a rapid response even humanly possible given the timeline?

There was absolutely no way.

Jeong So-myeong snapped his neck around so violently it looked as though his spine might snap.

“You incompetent bastards! You allowed yourselves to be tailed right to our doorstep!”

“T-that’s impossible! We meticulously cleared our tracks three separate times before entering the perimeter!”

“…”

If that was the absolute truth, then only one logical deduction remained.

The trackers pursuing them were masters of such an elite caliber that these scouts lacked the sensory capacity to even register their presence.

Jeong So-myeong’s complexion drained of all color.

“Transmit an urgent request for immediate reinforcement to the master’s sect… No, bypass them and head straight to the Seongsa Tea Garden!”

“Y-yes, sir!”

“I will handle the front courtyard myself.”

The sight that greeted Jeong So-myeong’s eyes the moment he sprinted out of the main hall was nothing short of a slaughterhouse.

The vanguard elites carefully chosen from the ranks of the master’s sect were scattered across the dirt like broken dolls, while a group of masked intruders systematically wielded their blades with cold, lethal precision.

After tracking the sheer fluid movement and martial capability of the culprits for only a handful of seconds, Jeong So-myeong instantly deduced that these were not opponents he could hope to overpower in a conventional duel.

“All forces, halt your assault!”

Jeong So-myeong pushed his internal energy to project his voice across the courtyard.

“I ordered you all to stand down!”

Only after his second roar did the surviving combatants of the Yuwol Sect hurriedly disengage and leap backward.

“What business brings prestigious Gentlemen on the Beam to such a desolate and forgotten property?”

While attempting to tie down the intruders through diplomatic stalling, Jeong So-myeong swiftly initiated a concealed sound transmission to his subordinates.

-Mass every available combatant within the estate to this courtyard immediately.

With his orders dispatched, he maintained an aura of complete composure as he spoke aloud.

“Are you gentlemen aware that this particular manor operates directly under the jurisdiction of the Yuwol Sect?”

“…”

Despite his clear efforts to de-escalate the conflict through dialogue, the masked assailants remained entirely mute, offering no response whatsoever.

“If your primary motivation for this raid was the acquisition of gold and valuables, you have broken into the wrong establishment. These grounds were constructed solely as a private training facility for the disciples of the Yuwol Sect.”

The intruders still offered nothing but silence.

However, as he thoroughly analyzed the physical profiles of the assailants, a bizarre realization began to dawn on him.

While one of the combatants possessed a towering, muscular frame, another among them had the small build of a youth who hadn’t even reached full physical maturity.

‘Could they actually be mere children?’

The moment that specific thought crystallized in Jeong So-myeong’s mind, a wave of intense humiliation and rage began to simmer within his chest.

“If you have no intention of explaining your purpose, then what exactly did you come here to accomplish?”

After receiving subtle confirmation that nearly every single sword hand belonging to the Yuwol Sect had successfully converged on the courtyard, Jeong So-myeong’s polite demeanor vanished entirely.

“You are nothing but arrogant fools. You have marched into your own burial ground on your own two feet.”

“…”

The largest figure among the intruders slowly unsheathed a pitch-black blade that perfectly matched the midnight hue of his mask.

“What are you standing around for?”

Hearing the lead intruder issue commands as though he owned the very grounds he was trespassing upon completely shattered the final remnants of Jeong-Somyong’s self-control.

“Decimate them! Let them taste the absolute ruthlessness of the Yuwol Sect!”

“Kill!”

The brief interlude dissolved instantly as the bloody melee ignited once more.

—

If I were forced to isolate the one specific martial style I relied upon above all others during the span of my previous incarnation, it would unquestionably be the Minor Heaven Sword Art.

This preference did not stem from it being the absolute pinnacle of destructive power, but rather because it required the most minimal expenditure of foundational internal energy. It was a choice born purely out of grim survival necessity.

A vanguard of five Yuwol Sect bladesmen converged on me simultaneously.

When multiple trajectories of incoming steel are perfectly synchronized to strike a single coordinate, it ironically eliminates any viable pathway for conventional evasion.

Rather than giving ground, I surged directly into the teeth of the assault, thrusting my blade forward using the precise principles of the Minor Heaven Sword Art.

“Kuhak!”

The vanguard disciple whose right shoulder joint was instantly impaled dropped his weapon instantly and slid to the earth.

Evading the desperate, erratic swipe of a second swordsman who had panicked at the sudden fall of his comrade, I spun low and neatly severed his heel tendon.

“Kuaaaagh!”

When raw flesh and vital tendons are cleanly parted by steel, even a hardened Demonic Practitioner has no choice but to collapse into the dirt, clutching the ruined limb in agony.

Planting my boot firmly onto the writhing body of the fallen man, I propelled myself upward into the air, launching a simultaneous thrust aimed directly at the fatal points of the remaining three attackers.

—CLANG, CLANG, SQUELCH.

Two of my strikes were successfully deflected by hurried parries, but the final pierce found its mark perfectly.

A brilliant spray of crimson erupted into the night air, accompanied by a heavy, wet groan of agony.

“What are you fools doing! Surround him and cut him down immediately!”

Alarmed by the sudden breakdown of the vanguard, a massive swarm of swordsmen began flooding toward my position.

Their rapidly swelling numbers quickly transformed into a collective shield of false confidence.

Though I had successfully neutralized three of their number, six more instantly materialized to take their place.

It was a scene that mirrored my past life with terrifying accuracy.

Engagements against the legions of the Demonic Path had always unfolded in this exact manner.

An endless tide of bodies would continuously throw themselves forward until you could no longer separate human beings from a literal wave of flesh, and my chronically meager reserves of internal energy would rapidly hit absolute zero, leaving me with no choice but to block incoming iron using nothing but the raw, screaming power of my physical muscles.

In those dark days, it was a blade guided entirely by the primal, desperate instinct to survive another breath, devoid of any grand philosophy.

Perhaps because that absolute desperation resonated through my steel, or perhaps because the battlefield was always a chaotic maelstrom of dust and blood, there were even miraculous instances where I managed to drive my edge straight through the throat of an elite commander whose weapon was fully coated in lethal sword qi.

“Kuhak.”

“Huff… huff… huff…”

“Grrrkk.”

Just like these very Yuwol Sect combatants who were currently choking on their own blood from deep, ragged gashes torn into their necks.

The Demonic Practitioners of my past had worn those identical expressions in their final moments—staring blankly in complete, utter disbelief at the reality of their own sudden demise.

“You absolute idiots! Are you hoarding the sword formation just to brew a pot of soup with it?”

The swordsmen who had been throwing themselves at me in a disorganized frenzy immediately began fanning out into a coordinated pattern.

I locked onto their movements with dogged persistence, driving my blade forward to execute them before they could successfully lock the formation into place.

—CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, SQUELCH.

After a rapid exchange of three distinct forms, a Yuwol Sect disciple collapsed into the dirt.

Once again, following a swift transition of three more forms, another swordsman’s lifeblood painted the stones.

The tactical environment was identical to the brutal battlefields of my past life, yet the final outcome was deviating entirely.

“Lock the perimeter and deploy the formation!”

—CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG.

Thirty elite bladesmen began rotating in a massive, synchronized circle in perfect unison.

The Thirty Yuwol Sword Formation possessed a reputation for being entirely peerless when it came to raw, concentrated offensive capability alone.

“Let us break them!”

Coinciding with Eun-ho’s sharp battle cry, the Gold-Silver-Copper Brothers seamlessly transitioned into the White Tiger Sure-Kill Sword Formation.

The blade trajectories of the three youngsters, which had previously been operating on independent vectors, instantly shifted as though they were being guided by a single, collective consciousness.

“Gold-Silver Armor!”

At Eun-ho’s command, the trio simultaneously unleashed the intricate layers of the Twin Heaven Sword Formula.

The formidable Thirty Yuwol Sword Formation, which had been poised to utterly crush the defensive circle of Geum, Eun, and Dong in a single devastating charge, ground to an absolute halt, as if they had slammed face-first into an immovable wall of solid iron.

—RUMBLE, RUMBLE, RUMBLE, RUMBLE, RUMBLE, RUMBLE!

Despite the undeniable reality that the Yuwol Sect combatants held a massive numerical advantage, the White Tiger Sure-Kill Sword Formation remained utterly unshakable, as if it were anchored deep into the bedrock of the earth.

“Star Illusion!”

Initiated by Eun-ho, two of the brothers simultaneously manifested a barrage of Illusion Swords.

Dozens… no, hundreds of shimmering phantom blades instantly materialized, enveloping the entire circumference of the Thirty Yuwol Sword Formation.

“This is insane…”

“What kind of monstrous technique…”

“What are we looking at?!”

The Yuwol Sect disciples holding the formation clearly lacked the martial perception required to differentiate the intangible Illusion Swords from genuine, lethal steel, and they looked entirely paralyzed with fear as the overwhelming pressure of the Twin Heaven Sword Formula saturated the atmosphere.

—SQUELCH, SQUELCH, SQUELCH, SQUELCH, SQUELCH, SQUELCH.

In that exact instant of hesitation, the wet, sickening sound of steel piercing deep into physical flesh erupted in rapid succession, followed by a chorus of agonized wails.

“Kuhuk.”

“Ueok.”

“Grrrkk.”

I instantly charged toward the remaining contingent of Yuwol Sect fighters who were standing frozen in place, staring in absolute horror at the devastation of the White Tiger Sure-Kill Sword Formation.

The full weight of the Twin Heaven Sword Formula descended upon their ranks like a judgment.

“…Huh?”

“I-Is it just an Illusion?”

Several of the swordsmen who had tightly squeezed their eyes shut in anticipation of the phantom blades racing toward their exposed necks blinked in sheer bewilderment when they realized their throats remained uncut—but that brief relief was far from universal.

“Ugh!”

“Kkeuagh!”

“Kuhuk!”

A significant portion of the Yuwol Sect vanguard instantly transformed into Lonely Ghosts, claimed by the authentic, razor-sharp blades buried seamlessly amidst the swarm of illusions.

Another five men dropped dead on the spot.

Lunging forward with the velocity of a fired arrow, I unleashed the terrifying patterns of the Twin Heaven Sword Formula once more.

—SHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Scores of gleaming sword edges materialized and dissolved in a dizzying loop, utterly destroying the opponents’ visual tracking, and in that split second of blindness, their lives were systematically harvested.

The Yuwol Sect combatants, who had initially been driven by the overwhelming confidence of their numbers, were now actively retreating step by step, their morale shattered.

“You utterly useless, pathetic worms…”

—Tap.

The individual who clearly held command over the compound finally launched himself from the balcony of the pavilion.

Snapping my left wrist forward, I instantly manifested the devastating strikes of the Ten Thousand Transformations Invincible Fist.

—THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD.

“Hup!”

He attempted a desperate midair contortion to alter his trajectory, but he was ultimately completely incapable of evading the relentless, crushing offensive of the Ten Thousand Transformations Invincible Fist, crashing back into the structure at the exact velocity with which he had surged forward.

—CRASH!

The ancient pavilion, already suffering from structural decay, erupted in a massive cloud of dust, its support beams groaning under the impact.

With their commander effectively removed from the equation, I began systematically tearing through the ranks of the remaining swordsmen, who had dissolved into a state of absolute panic.

—CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG.

—CLANG, CLANG, CLANG.

Now that they had experienced the terrifying disparity in martial prowess firsthand, the weapons wielded by the Yuwol Sect disciples no longer retained an ounce of intent or martial spirit.

All that remained was a desperate, clumsy defensive posture driven entirely by the base desire to survive.

To a veteran like me, who had survived a literal lifetime of chaotic battlefields, that specific posture made them look like nothing more than effortless prey waiting to be consumed.

—Aaaagh!

—Kuhuk.

—Kkeuk!

Accompanied by the distinct, wet sounds of escaping air—pshuk, pishuk—torrents of crimson sprayed and coated the ground in every direction.

The remaining Yuwol Sect combatants stood entirely frozen, utterly paralyzed as they watched their brethren systematically slaughtered before their eyes.

The moment the immediate vicinity was completely purged of threats.

A dark shadow dropped silently from the overhead tiling, landing directly beside me.

-Young Master Jin.

Startled by the abrupt arrival of Seong Mo-ran, I quickly transmitted a question.

-Have you successfully extracted all of the prisoners already?

-No. I was entirely unable to evacuate them.

-What was the obstacle?

-The volume of captured townspeople is far too immense. There are easily over ten young children among them.

-…

-Our absolute best course of action is to completely eliminate the remaining forces here as fast as possible, secure the hostages, and abandon the property.

Just as my mind began racing to rapidly overhaul our tactical plan.

—Bang!

A brilliant distress flare erupted from the wreckage of the shattered pavilion, painting the midnight sky with a fierce, burning flame.

“Kuhuk.”

The commander who had been smashed into the structure limped back into the open courtyard, blood flowing freely from the corner of his split lip.

“…You absolute rats. I lack the knowledge of who is backing you, but do not harbor the illusion that you will walk out of these gates with your lives.”

We no longer possessed the luxury of wasting time.

Locking eyes with Seong Mo-ran for a fraction of a second, I instantly catalyzed the absolute entirety of my remaining internal energy.

“Young Master Jin…”

“Please clear the immediate area for a moment.”

The highly pressurized air began rapidly swirling into the palm of my hand in a heartbeat.

Immediately following, an entire third of the vast internal energy reservoir filling my Dantian vanished in a singular, explosive pulse.

—RUMBLE, RUMBLE, RUMBLE, RUMBLE, RUMBLE, RUMBLE!

The devastating wave of the Radiant Heaven Divine Palm erupted outward, instantly consuming the entire pavilion structure and the enemy leader in a torrential blast.

—Kkeuaaaagh!

—Kuhuk!

—Keok!

While the generic swordsmen caught within the destructive radius of the Radiant Heaven Divine Palm screamed as they were violently hurled backward, Seong Mo-ran and I surged forward in perfect synchronization.

Even though Seong Mo-ran and I had never formally practiced combined tactics as a duo, the extensive life-or-death experience we had shared while navigating the Regular Exam together allowed our movements to align flawlessly without a single spoken word.

The sheer fluid stability of our coordination felt remarkably identical to the days when I used to fight hand-and-glove alongside the trusted brothers of the Sojeong Squad in my past life.

“T-The Iron Sword Sect! You…! You are disciples belonging to the Iron Sword Sect!”

The exact instant I propelled myself forward to silence the bastard who had managed to recognize the distinct martial forms of Seong Mo-ran’s sect.

“All forces, freeze where you stand!!”

A deafening, internal energy-infused Lion’s Roar reverberated through the compound, shaking the very foundations of the estate like a thunderclap.

“…”

Standing squarely at the main threshold of the manor grounds, his robes heavily disheveled and his gaze burning with an intense, furious aura, was none other than Jong Byeok-gi.