The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Novel - Chapter 171

Chapter 171
## Chapter 171. The Black Flame Dragon Who Devours a Sea of Blood

After concluding a brief consultation with the Kongtong Sect elder assigned to the same secondary unit, So Chung-hyeon returned to his personal quarters, only to be greeted by an utterly preposterous piece of news.

“What did you just say?”

“The directive states that we are required to assemble all the Academy student detachments scattered across Sichuan and advance as a unified force.”

“Hence, I am demanding to know who possessed the sheer audacity to issue such an instruction.”

“……It was the Academy Representative.”

“Ha!”

Amusement did not even begin to cover it; he was left in a state of absolute stupefaction.

There was truly a threshold for how clueless a newborn pup could be regarding real danger.

At this point, was the boy not conducting himself as though he were completely blind to reality?

“So his demand is for us to idle our time here?”

“Victory Tiger Hall is speeding toward this location bearing an official decree from Mantongbu, so he requests our forbearance at least until their arrival.”

“Utterly farcical.”

It passed the bounds of reason to the extent that he wondered if the lad had suffered a total mental break.

He had actually cut his own excursions short and hurried along precisely because he feared the frontline Diancang and Shaolin units might slaughter every single criminal before he could participate, and now this child was telling him to sit on his hands?

And to say this to him, a man occupying the immensely revered rank of an elder within the Murim Alliance?

“The Grand Strategist merely displayed a modicum of indulgence toward him, and now his pride has grown monstrous. To think he goes so far as to summon Victory Tiger Hall?”

He refused to let this insult slide without a response.

No, he needed to seize this exact moment to forcefully implement strict order once more.

“What are our orders, Elder?”

“If they are en route, then our only option is to accelerate our pace. We shall break camp at the Hour of the Rabbit. Relay the command to the ranks.”

“As you command.”

So Chung-hyeon drained his cup of Golden Flower Powder Wine, a renowned vintage from Gangjeong, and waved his hand in dismissal, prompting the junior member to turn toward the exit without delay.

Right at that split second.

The Mount Hua disciple abruptly lost all strength and dropped onto the ground.

“Hmm? What is the meaning of thi…….”

Simultaneously, an agonizingly piercing vibration tore through the interior of his skull.

ZIIIIING─────

Though it was a frequency his ears had never encountered throughout his entire existence, So Chung-hyeon involuntarily loosened his grip on the costly Golden Flower Powder Wine.

SHATTER.

‘Could it be the Dead-Spirit Demon Sound?’

His pulse began to race frantically, and a wave of vertigo washed over him.

The physical dimensions before his eyes warped in a bizarre fashion, and a malevolent cadence filled the air.

Even though he had never personally confronted this specific phenomenon before, the reason he identified its nature instantly was that he had been warned since his youth, until his ears were thick with calluses, about the cataclysmic danger of this melody.

‘One of the Ten Forbidden Arts!!’

A blasphemous technique that ought to have remained entombed forever had somehow been unleashed upon the mortal realm.

So Chung-hyeon immediately mobilized the Purple Haze Divine Art to safeguard his mental core and roared at the top of his lungs.

“What is wrong with you?! Circulate your internal qi and shield your consciousness! The martial legacy of Mount Hua does not buckle under the weight of such depraved sorcery!”

“Ugh…… Ugh…….”

Yet, the young disciple offered no reply whatsoever.

“The Demon-Subduing True Mantra! Chant the Demon-Subduing True Mantra!”

Defending one’s consciousness against auditory mystical arts was not a discipline taught to novices at the level of a first-year Academy student.

For the first time in his life, he felt a sudden flash of bitter resentment toward the Academy curriculum, a matter he had never given a single thought to previously.

So Chung-hyeon marshaled the entirety of his inner reserves and let loose a thunderous Lion’s Roar.

“HAH!”

As the deafening sonic blast reverberated through the surroundings, momentarily shattering the Dead-Spirit Demon Sound, the subordinate writhing on the dirt floor convulsed and coughed up a spray of crimson.

The mental core that had been seized by the Dead-Spirit Demon Sound and the counteracting Lion’s Roar had violently clashed within him, wreaking havoc on his internal organs.

“T-This…….”

And in the precise instant So Chung-hyeon faltered in alarm, the Dead-Spirit Demon Sound recommenced its assault.

ZIIIIING─────

“The Demon-Subduing True Mantra…… Utter the Demon-Subduing True Mantra!”

“Uh… uh… uuh…… What were your words? Elder…….”

Lines of crimson trickled down from both sides of the youth’s head.

So Chung-hyeon frantically traced the characters of the “Demon-Subduing True Mantra” into the bare earth, but the disciple’s pupils had already upturned, and he keeled over onto his back, white froth bubbling from his lips.

‘This is far from a commonplace Dead-Spirit Demon Sound.’

The ordinary variants of the Dead-Spirit Demon Sound that had been locked away among the Ten Forbidden Arts did not possess such a cataclysmic degree of raw, destructive force.

Furthermore, it displayed an incredible capacity for infiltration, sharp enough to pierce directly into his cognitive center despite his active defenses.

Moreover, the ominous reality that not a single follower had rushed to his quarters from the surrounding camp, even after he had deployed his booming Lion’s Roar, served as undeniable proof that the crisis was absolute.

“Show yourselves! Who possesses the audacity to confront Mount Hua without a shred of trepidation?!”

He bellowed with the strength of his entire being, aiming to rouse even the neighboring Kongtong leader, but inexplicably, that gentleman’s quarters remained entirely devoid of sound as well.

Naturally, Kongtong would prove useless.

He had placed little stock in their competence from the outset, so So Chung-hyeon unsheathed the Red Blossom Sword, the revered heirloom of Mount Hua.

At a juncture like this, neutralizing the perpetrator was far more practical than attempting to revive the youths who had been incapacitated by the Dead-Spirit Demon Sound.

So Chung-hyeon extended his sensory awareness to its absolute limit.

He detected nothing whatsoever in the immediate vicinity.

Yet, after a tense moment, an incredibly subtle ripple of malice was finally snagged by So Chung-hyeon’s sharpened perception.

“So that is the spot where you hide!”

So Chung-hyeon’s physical form executed the Hidden Fragrance Step, launching forward like a bolt of lightning.

WHIZZ.

So Chung-hyeon tore through the space as if he intended to slice the very air to ribbons, and at the exact microsecond he prepared to bring his blade down without an instant’s pause.

‘A lantern?’

What greeted his vision was not the adversary who should have been stationed there, but rather a crimson lantern suspended unsupported in the night sky.

“Did you honestly believe you could halt the march of Mount Hua with such pathetic witchcraft?!”

So Chung-hyeon brought his weapon down with absolute conviction.

CRUNCH.

The moment the crimson lantern was shattered into oblivion, roughly a hundred figures clad in blood-colored vestments materialized in the space, as though a concealing fabric had been violently ripped apart.

Even when confronted by such an overwhelming gathering, So Chung-hyeon dug his heels into the dirt and fixed them with a fierce glare.

“To dismiss this as pathetic, low-tier sorcery. Your arrogance defies calculation.”

“…….”

They were entities enveloped entirely in deep crimson from head to toe.

Moving with the eerie synchronization of a single organism, they unslung massive broadswords from their shoulders and assumed offensive postures.

So Chung-hyeon adjusted his fingers along the hilt of the Red Blossom Sword.

“Advance! On this night, I shall demonstrate to your misfortune exactly how devastating the blade of Mount Hua truly is!”

Flutter.

A solitary plum blossom petal materialized in the air.

In its wake, a pair of plum blossom petals took shape.

Subsequently, a quartet of plum blossom petals began to dominate the surrounding space.

The Plum Blossom Sword Art had been elevated to the Twelfth Star.

Plum blossoms commenced blooming in wild abundance throughout the area, and the unmistakable aroma of plum blossoms saturated all four quadrants.

At last, the crimson petals that had been spinning chaotically as though caught in a gale began to descend upon the ranks of the blood-clad attackers.

B-B-B-BOOM!

B-B-B-B-B-B-BOOM!

B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-BOOM!

The blood-clad warriors struck by the floral phantoms were utterly incapable of mounting an adequate defense before their limbs were severed, their torsos were rent wide open, and their heads were lopped from their shoulders.

Fluid far more vivid than the garments worn by the attackers erupted like geysers in every direction, and upon the earth, their lifeblood had already pooled to create a miniature rivulet.

SPLASH-

Though So Chung-hyeon’s boot had become thoroughly soaked in crimson after stepping directly into a pool of gore, he refused to budge an inch from his position.

“This is the majestic plum blossom of Mount Hua!”

Yet, regardless of the sheer volume of fluid that spilled, the sweet aroma of the plum blossoms could not be suffocated.

It was an display of nothing short of miraculous, crushing power.

The force that had numbered close to a hundred melted away in a flash.

Nevertheless, for reasons unknown, So Chung-hyeon’s countenance did not look particularly at ease.

“What persistent devils.”

A mountain of flesh and a sea of blood.

Remains were stacked like hills across the clearing, and gore washed over the ground like a tide.

Yet, out of nowhere, a fresh contingent of another hundred identical figures materialized to occupy the vacant space.

Despite watching their brethren get butchered, not a single one of those zealots uttered so much as a whimper.

“Very well, an adversary must possess at least this degree of fortitude to stand against Mount Hua.”

He had experienced a brief moment of panic due to the initial Dead-Spirit Demon Sound, but after engaging them in actual physical combat, they did not strike him as combatants of particularly legendary prowess.

‘Typically, this is the limit for rats of the Unorthodox Path.’

Had those who relied on the foul arts of the Unorthodox Side Path ever truly eclipsed the righteous power of the Orthodox Path?

If he could throw their formations into disarray so that the Spell Practitioners were broken from their concentration and could no longer sustain the Dead-Spirit Demon Sound, the younger generation would inevitably regain their senses and join the fray.

‘The moment that occurs, we can purge every last one of them.’

So long as he cut his way out of this immediate entrapment, he could consolidate his forces and obliterate them in a single sweep.

As So Chung-hyeon envisioned that bright outcome, he unleashed the power of the Lion’s Roar once more.

“Followers of Mount Hua, rally to my position!”

To guarantee his words pierced the din, he bellowed repeatedly, saturating his vocal cords with his profound internal reserves.

Then, he once more unleashed a storm of plum blossoms and resumed butchering the closing adversaries.

At that very same hour.

At the encampment shared by Mount Hua and Kongtong just a short distance away, the young martial artists who had managed to break free from the stupor were in a state of utter confusion.

“Where has the elder gone? Has anyone caught sight of Elder So Chung-hyeon?項目”

“His personal quarters are entirely vacant.”

“Where could he have vanished to so abruptly?”

The Academy students who had poured from their quarters following the unexpected sonic blast initially sought out Elder So Chung-hyeon and the leader of Kongtong, but both seniors had deserted their tents.

“……Is it possible the two elders slipped away to enjoy some spirits in private?”

At the speculation offered by a youth from the Hwaseong Sect, a secular subsidiary of Mount Hua, the core Mount Hua members responded with rigid expressions.

“Preposterous idiotic talk! For what reason would the elders depart under these circumstances?!”

“I-I beg your pardon.”

“They must have been the quickest to react and investigate that deafening noise. Rouse every remaining Academy student! Our priority is to locate the elders.”

The Academy students began clustering into small groups of three to five, scattering outward in all directions.

And slipping silently behind them, a crimson lantern slowly commenced its pursuit.

“You gave me your word that we were going to bypass them completely!”

Nam Hwa-seong bellowed in sheer exasperation.

Every single detail Jin So-un had spun regarding the Eastern Shaanxi Hall or whatever else had proven to be an absolute fabrication.

During their frantic flight, Jin So-un had engaged in skirmishes, both minor and severe, with every single one of the three Green Forest outposts they had crossed paths with.

Inexplicably, every time they directed their steps toward a new path, a Green Forest outpost was positioned right in their trajectory, as though it had been stationed there solely to intercept them.

Curse it all, even if I purposely set out to locate them in this manner, it should have been impossible.

Moreover, because the Green Forest outposts persistently nipped at their heels with every encounter, it appeared highly likely that all three separate strongholds would eventually unite their forces to trap Nam Hwa-seong and Jin So-un.

It was, in essence, a masterclass in disastrous strategy.

“Are you directing your grievances at me simply because your own sluggishness allowed them to spot you?”

“Son of a…….”

The Deer-Horn Wind-Cloud Step was an elite Movement Art that stood among the swiftest within the world of martial arts.

He had unleashed the technique with the express purpose of demonstrating his superior capabilities to Jin So-un, yet Jin So-un’s velocity did not lag behind by even a fraction.

In fact, while he himself was sprinting to the point of literal exhaustion, Jin So-un was effortlessly conversing beside him, casually discussing strategies and future maneuvers.

‘What in the name of heaven is occurring here?’

Setting aside Jin So-un’s sheer stamina, the specific Movement Art he was employing was completely distinct from the standard Taeul Sect Movement Art that Nam Hwa-seong was familiar with.

Nam Hwa-seong, who had previously dismissed the grand tales regarding the Taeul Sect as mere myths, was forced to thoroughly reevaluate the data concerning the Taeul Sect within his mind.

While Nam Hwa-seong rapidly turned his thoughts over, organizing the critical details he needed to convey to Cheol Sun-jik, Jin So-un produced a collection of mystic papers and proffered one toward Nam Hwa-seong.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“You possess the capability to ignite Samadhi True Fire, do you not?”

“Pant, pant, whom do you take me for?”

“This is a genuine Demon-Subduing Talisman sourced from the Mount Heng Sect. The precise moment you sense your physical form slipping from your autonomy or find yourself beset by hallucinations, ignite this parchment. It should grant you the protection needed to shatter the illusionary magic.”

This was an actual artifact from the Mount Heng Sect?

The Mount Heng Sect parchment, rumored to be forged exclusively after a Spell Practitioner of immense spiritual cultivation engaged in continuous prayer for a span of one hundred days, was viewed as a quintessential luxury asset among denizens of the martial world.

It was certainly a beneficial item to possess, but relative to its exorbitant cost, its practical utility was minimal. A classic status symbol.

He was struck with amazement that Jin So-un possessed a whole collection of them, but the sudden realization that the sorcery Jin So-un referenced was an active threat caused his heart to plummet into his stomach.

Indubitably, this was an incredibly perilous predicament, however…….

“For what reason am I being granted merely a solitary piece?”

Jin So-un responded flatly, as though Nam Hwa-seong had voiced an incredibly foolish query.

“If you were to bear half of our total supply and subsequently perish, would that not represent an egregious squandering of valuable artifacts?”

“Blast it! Was it absolutely necessary to phrase it in such a manner?!”

WHIZZ.

The sharp sound of cleaved atmosphere split the air, causing Nam Hwa-seong to instinctively twist his upper body.

Then, as his eyes locked onto a projectile speeding directly toward his position, his muscles locked up in terror.

‘Wh-When did they manage to close the distance?!’

The outlaw forces of the Green Forest hailing from the Red Flower Stronghold, whom he had assumed they had successfully outpaced, had somehow managed to close the gap to within archery range.

‘I am incapable of evading this.’

Because his fatigue had dulled his perceptiveness, he had detected the threat far too late, leaving him with no trajectory to avoid the incoming shaft.

The instant he threw his arm upward with the desperate intent of at least shielding his face.

SNATCH.

The expected agony never materialized.

“Huh?”

Nam Hwa-seong gingerly parted the eyelids he had squeezed shut.

What met his vision was Jin So-un, who had effortlessly snatched the flying shaft out of the air using nothing but his unclothed fingers.

“They have narrowed the gap significantly. We must accelerate.”

“……Uh, uh. Q-Quite right.”

The moment Nam Hwa-seong attempted to dredge up the final remnants of energy from the depths of his Dantian to increase his stride.

A group of ten individuals sporting an assortment of disparate garments descended directly into their path from above.

“How dare you treat our Red Flower Stronghold with such blatant contempt……”

Before the outlaws of the Green Forest representing the Red Flower Stronghold could even articulate their full grievance.

Jin So-un commenced manipulating the lengthy iron staff resting across his shoulders with absolute, terrifying velocity.

Inexplicably, multiple afterimages of the weapon manifested around the solid metal, effectively painting the air with martial intent.

The ten blockaders appeared completely transfixed by such a devastating display, reacting only by frantically brandishing their blades and hatchets.

THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THWACK.

Yet, whether they wielded blades or hatchets, every single implement was utterly shattered by the heavy metal cylinder, and the staff proceeded to fracture the skulls of the combatants holding those weapons with dull, hollow crunches.

There was simply no method for the outlaws to counter the Taeul Sect’s profound doctrine of Illusion, a concept whose true essence could scarcely be perceived unless one had attained the lofty Peak realm.

Nam Hwa-seong stood entirely captivated, his attention utterly monopolized by Jin So-un’s execution.

‘I have borne witness to numerous instances of the Illusion Sword, but this marks my absolute first time observing an Illusion Staff.’

Having neutralized the ten adversaries in the blink of an eye, Jin So-un returned the heavy rod to its resting place and resumed his forward progress.

“W-Will this actions not leave an obvious trail?”

It was precisely due to these conspicuous markers that the three separate Green Forest outposts were hunting them with such desperate ferocity.

Jin So-un replied in a tone that suggested he found the remark completely nonsensical.

“Are you suggesting that the markers you yourself scattered did not constitute a trail?”

It was undeniable that the aggressive brawling style of the Three Origins Sect could not neutralize threats with the clean precision of high-tier blade work.

Even so, Nam Hwa-seong found himself unable to fathom why Jin So-un, a dedicated swordsman, had gone out of his way to employ an iron staff and intentionally leave his opponents breathing.

Nam Hwa-seong spat curses internally.

‘What sort of labyrinthine scheme is he weaving?’

Nam Hwa-seong pushed his screaming muscles to keep pace with Jin So-un, who offered no explanation, and he could feel his stamina rapidly approaching its absolute nadir.

His initial arrogance and competitive spirit had entirely evaporated, and just as he reached the point of crying out, *Please, a moment’s respite, let us halt if only for a brief second.*

Jin So-un’s advancing figure began to gradually decelerate.

“Haaah, haaah, haaah, s-so you have finally hit your wall as well, correct? That is the situation, is it not?”

Nam Hwa-seong drew in ragged gasps of air that burned the back of his throat as he glared at Jin So-un.

“…….”

Yet, Jin So-un’s respiration remained perfectly rhythmic and undisturbed.

‘What sort of freakish nature does this individual possess?!’

Regardless of the internal turmoil racking Nam Hwa-seong, Jin So-un calmly walked forward.

Nam Hwa-seong, who had been dragging his feet behind Jin So-un with faltering balance, suddenly locked in place.

‘The stench of gore?’

A pungent, metallic odor of blood assaulted his nasal passages with immense force.

When he mechanically directed his gaze downward, only then did he comprehend that the fluid saturating his footwear was distinctly not rainwater.

“Hup! What is the meaning of this?項目”

He rapidly whipped his head around to look for Jin So-un, but the young man had already advanced a significant distance ahead.

Not only that, he was crouched down, meticulously scrutinizing the remains scattered haphazardly across the immediate terrain.

“The Hwaseong Sect?”

The distinct insignia stitched onto the fabric of the combat attire.

The specific geometry of the fractured blade.

Every detail confirmed that this individual was a follower of the Hwaseong Sect, an entity that functioned essentially as a direct secular branch of the Mount Hua Sect.

Furthermore, it was a countenance he recalled glimpsing briefly during his time at the Academy.

“What in the world could have……”

That was merely the beginning.

The vast majority of the remains littered about the immediate area bore the identifiers of the Academy.

The Mount Hua Sect and the Kongtong Sect.

And the practitioners belonging to the subsidiary branches of those two prominent institutions had all been reduced to cold remains.

“J-Jin So-un!”

Completely oblivious to the fact that he had been desperately gasping for breath a mere breath prior, Nam Hwa-seong closed the distance to Jin So-un like a streak of light.

“W-We are obligated to dispatch word to the Murim Alliance immediately! T-This situation is of catastrophic proportions!”

Yet, Jin So-un responded in a voice that was chillingly composed.

“Cease your clamor.”

In an instant, the atmosphere enveloping his person grew immensely heavy.

The particular remains Jin So-un was currently inspecting appeared significantly more advanced in years than the surrounding Academy students.

Nam Hwa-seong identified the individual instantly and ejaculated in shock.

“The Red Plum Sword So Chung-hyeon?”

A celebrated practitioner of the Plum Blossom Sword Art, an individual whose every martial execution was reputed to manifest visual crimson plum blossoms throughout the combat zone, had been reduced to nothing more than a lifeless casualty.

Tremble, tremble.

Nam Hwa-seong’s fingers commenced vibrating violently completely outside of his volition.

“Based on our intelligence reports, these forces ought to have been positioned around the secondary defensive perimeter. Have the hostile elements already penetrated this deeply?”

A shadow of genuine concern finally flitted across Jin So-un’s features, which had remained entirely unbothered even while three separate Green Forest outposts hounded their footsteps.

“Wh-Who…… What manner of force could possibly execute such a slaughter against the combined strength of Mount Hua and Kongtong?”

“Refrain from making reckless assumptions. Fortunately, it appears that a portion of their strength managed to avoid annihilation. However, the reality that they were overwhelmed in such a completely lopsided fashion is somewhat unanticipated.”

Furthermore, the highly perplexing aspect of the scene was that while the casualties among the Academy ranks were blatantly apparent throughout the sector, there remained absolutely no trace of the perpetrators.

“Then what has become of the survivors?”

“They must have retreated. They remain disciples of Mount Hua and Kongtong, after all is said and done.”

“They retreated? Exactly who is our adversary?”

“Our adversary?”

A terrifyingly familiar, oppressive aura of lethal intent began to emanate from Jin So-un’s physical frame.

“Launching an assault of this magnitude against the Murim Academy is an enterprise that even exceptionally audacious organizations within the Black Path would hesitate to execute.”

“……Did you not previously state that this was distinct from the Black Path?”

At that precise juncture, Jin So-un rose to his feet and directed his gaze toward a specific vector.

“They are arriving at the perfect moment.”

“Wh-What did you say?項目”

Nam Hwa-seong’s eyes immediately tracked toward the precise quadrant Jin So-un indicated with a subtle movement of his chin.

‘What on earth is that…….’

Piercing through the dense shroud of nighttime obscurity, a crimson lantern was hovering through the air as it drew steadily closer to their position.