The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Novel - Chapter 172

Chapter 172
## Chapter 172. The Black Flame Dragon Who Devours a Sea of Blood (2)

Seong Mo-ran maintained a stubborn silence throughout her journey alongside Cheol Sun-jik.

The Bamboo String Gang, which held dominion over the Second Peak of the One Hundred Eight Peaks, and the Iron Sword Sect, long established as the dominant local power in Hefei, had historically viewed one another with deep-seated animosity, making their joint travel intensely uncomfortable.

‘And that is not the worst of it.’

Above all, the friction that had transpired during the Regular Exam made Seong Mo-ran profoundly uneasy whenever she had to contend with Cheol Sun-jik.

To the straightforward and uncomplicated Seong Mo-ran, Cheol Sun-jik—a man who seemed perpetually calculating, masking his true intentions behind a false facade—was a thoroughly disturbing presence.

“Hehehe. It appears you find my company unpleasant, Miss Seong.”

As if reading her thoughts effortlessly, Cheol Sun-jik seemed completely untroubled by her cold demeanor.

“Excuse me?”

Seong Mo-ran feigned ignorance, yet even this response seemed to amuse Cheol Sun-jik, whose posture and expression remained entirely unbothered.

How irritating.

“Or perhaps it is more accurate to say that I lack your confidence, Miss Seong.”

“I have no notion of what you mean by that…….”

“You have stayed firmly at my rear during this entire march, have you not? Does that not indicate a lack of trust so profound that you refuse to let me out of your sight?”

“…….”

It was only then that Seong Mo-ran recognized how she had deliberately positioned herself behind Cheol Sun-jik and the warriors of the Twelve Peak Citadels, though she remained composed despite being called out.

“……My previous encounter with you left a rather unpleasant impression, as you know.”

Cheol Sun-jik let out a soft laugh at her blunt remark.

“Is it not a tacit agreement within the murim to leave the events of the Regular Exam strictly within the bounds of that competition?”

“Forgetting who won or lost while remembering the methods used is simply the nature of a martial artist, is it not?”

“A fair point.”

Seeing that Cheol Sun-jik remained utterly indifferent to whether she trusted or doubted him, Seong Mo-ran finally took the initiative to ask directly.

“What sort of scheme are you orchestrating this time?”

“To what do you refer?”

“I am demanding to know why the Twelve Peak Citadels have trailed Young Master Jin.”

“As students of the Academy, is it not entirely expected for us to keep abreast of the Academy Representative’s movements?”

Seong Mo-ran’s brow furrowed at his unprincipled reply.

“So it was for that reason you intended to bypass the Soul-Destroying Formation trial and send a proxy to gather intelligence instead?”

“…….”

For a brief moment, Cheol Sun-jik’s relaxed demeanor vanished, his features hardening.

“Did you assume we were blind to it? The Righteous Path Association merely moved before the rest. Subsequently, the Orthodox Path Association and even the Twelve Peak Citadels intended to execute the exact same strategy, did they not?”

“So the matter was known to you.”

Cheol Sun-jik simply offered a nonchalant shrug. His face made it clear he was unbothered.

A muscle in Seong Mo-ran’s jaw twitched.

“You individuals are truly…… devoid of any shame.”

“We had little alternative. Had the Righteous Path Association and the Orthodox Path Association been the sole entities to uncover the secrets of the Soul-Destroying Formation, the Twelve Peak Citadels would have been placed at a severe disadvantage.”

Seong Mo-ran pressed him on the core issue.

“Is it even possible for you to oppose Young Master Jin? In the grand scheme, the Twelve Peak Citadels comprise merely a single entity among the One Hundred Eight Peaks.”

Cheol Sun-jik offered a patronizing smile, as though addressing a naive child.

“When the established order fractures, instability inevitably follows. And Young Master Jin is actively endeavoring to dismantle that very order.”

“It appears the Young Master Jin I have observed and the Young Master Jin you perceive are entirely different individuals.”

Cheol Sun-jik dismissed her comment with a shake of his head, indicating no such discrepancy existed.

“Is that not evidenced by his current actions?”

“In what way?”

“To rescue a single acquaintance, the Academy Representative has abandoned his official responsibilities and journeyed to Sichuan. Furthermore, he has gone so far as to command the deployment of Victory Tiger Hall.”

“He did so because a profound threat looms.”

Reaching into his robes, Cheol Sun-jik produced a message delivered by a carrier pigeon and offered it to Seong Mo-ran.

“This contains the data compiled by the Beggars’ Sect concerning the occurrences in Sichuan. The inquiry reached a definitive finding: the widespread fatalities that took place during the Regular Exam were a direct result of victims being ambushed while already severely weakened by the grueling entry trials.”

Seong Mo-ran accepted the document, her voice failing her.

“The Beggars’ Sect deduced that the adversary possessed no extraordinary strength. The trial devised by the Elder Council bears an imposing title, but in truth, it is nothing more than a superficial trip. To put it plainly, the ‘threat’ cited by Representative Jin is entirely fabricated.”

“…….”

Cheol Sun-jik grinned broadly.

His expression was so utterly repulsive that Seong Mo-ran felt an overwhelming urge to smash her fist directly into his face.

“Whether he proved incompetent in his information gathering or intentionally exaggerated a minor incident, the conclusion remains the same: he is unfit to hold the title of Representative.”

Muted chuckles arose from the gathered members of the Twelve Peak Citadels.

“This underscores the absolute necessity of a rigid hierarchy. An individual who acts independently, regardless of their actual talent or lack thereof, inevitably breeds disruption.”

“Am I to understand you pursued him across provinces solely to strip Young Master Jin of his leadership role?”

“……Let us describe it as a mission to rectify an error.”

“As I suspected, you never harbored the slightest intention of abiding by Young Master Jin’s counsel from the start.”

“There is no merit in adhering to a flawed path.”

Seong Mo-ran averted her gaze, deciding further dialogue was pointless.

Yet, Cheol Sun-jik appeared disinclined to let the interaction draw to a close.

“You seem to possess absolute faith in Representative Jin, Miss Seong. Do you truly comprehend the depth of Representative Jin’s character?”

“I do not.”

“Oh, that comes as a bit of a surprise……”

“It is more precise to state that I am unfamiliar with his intricacies. Nor can I claim to perceive the contents of his mind.”

“What?”

“However, I am certain of one fact: whenever he declares a situation to be ‘dangerous,’ an authentic peril is at hand.”

Seong Mo-ran spoke with absolute conviction, her gaze steady.

“It held true at the Demon Spirit Plateau, it manifested during the Regular Exam, and it was verified within the Soul-Destroying Formation. In his company, we encountered numerous life-threatening crises, but whenever he explicitly used the word ‘dangerous,’ a catastrophe of a wholly unprecedented magnitude materialized.”

Seong Mo-ran shifted her eyes to Cheol Sun-jik and the surrounding warriors of the Twelve Peak Citadels who were listening intently.

“That is the source of my exasperation. No matter how frequently he warns of ‘danger,’ your faction refuses to take his words seriously. Instead of heeding him, you let your suspicions guide you, actively courting the very ‘danger’ he warned against.”

Cheol Sun-jik shook his head, rejecting her perspective entirely.

“That occurs because his assessment of threat is calibrated solely to his personal capabilities. Just as the Bamboo String Gang and the Taeul Sect operate on entirely different planes, a scenario that poses a ‘danger’ to him may very well pose no threat to individuals of our caliber.”

Seong Mo-ran parted her lips to respond, but chose to remain silent.

Exerting further effort to convince him would merely waste her breath.

At present, the paramount objective was to identify the specific nature of the threat Jin So-un had warned them about and intercept the remaining factions.

Cheol Sun-jik continued to voice his criticisms without pause.

“Representative Jin is an individual thoroughly crippled by his own arrogant dogmatism……”

“Silence!”

At Seong Mo-ran’s sudden exclamation, a smug smirk crossed his features.

To his mind, the fact that she resorted to shouting to end the debate was a concession to his superior reasoning.

Yet, Seong Mo-ran’s countenance did not reflect defeat; instead, it was grim as she extended an arm toward the side.

“Observe that area.”

Her attention had been drawn to a sinister silhouette cast under the pale light of the moon.

“…… shreds.”

“…….”

Not only Cheol Sun-jik but the entire cohort of the Twelve Peak Citadels halted their advanced movement techniques instantly.

Silently, each warrior began drawing their armaments.

“Form a defensive perimeter around our position.”

Issuing the directive to the Twelve Peak Citadels, Seong Mo-ran advanced with measured steps.

A foul, sickening odor assailed her senses.

‘Deceased bodies…….’

The surrounding terrain was plunged into deep shadow, rendering objects nearly invisible.

Seong Mo-ran promptly retrieved a flint device from the folds of her garments and struck it.

CLICK,

CLICK.

With each sharp spark that flickered into existence, the landscape was momentarily illuminated before vanishing back into blackness.

Involuntary gasps escaped the throats of the Twelve Peak Citadels.

“What could have caused this…….”

“Are those not fellow Academy scholars?”

“What could have possibly transpired here…….”

Cheol Sun-jik closed the distance to stand beside Seong Mo-ran.

Striking the flint once more, Seong Mo-ran directed the brief light toward the fallen forms.

“They belong to the Qingcheng Sect, alongside practitioners from the Fragrant Camphor Sect, which serves as a secular branch of Qingcheng.”

It was highly irregular.

According to their directives, Group Two—comprising the Mount Hua Sect, the Kongtong Sect, and their respective secular branches—was the contingent they were meant to intercept.

Instead, they had stumbled upon Group Three, consisting of the Qingcheng Sect and its affiliates.

Though the precise sequence of events remained a mystery, this discovery made it undeniable that the current reality had degenerated disastrously, far surpassing any contingencies Jin So-un had anticipated.

“Could the peril have been so overwhelming that they abandoned their dead without retrieval?”

“…… shreds.”

Cheol Sun-jik directed his query toward Seong Mo-ran, who offered no verbal reply.

“Miss Seong?”

Seong Mo-ran finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.

“You asserted…… that the Bamboo String Gang possesses greater might than the Taeul Sect, did you not?”

She gestured toward the corpses strewn across the terrain as she spoke.

“In that case, how does your strength measure against the collective might of the Qingcheng Sect and its secular branches?”

“What are you implying?”

The warriors of the Twelve Peak Citadels maintained a vigilant watch while analyzing the remains.

“This one is an Academy scholar.”

“Here lies a practitioner from the Blue Crown Sect.”

“We have a member of the Blue Leaf Gang here as well.”

The backgrounds of the casualties were identified one by one across the field.

“Does the ‘danger’ described by Young Master Jin still strike you as an illusion, Young Master Cheol?”

dishonesty.

“…… shreds.”

“My intention is to locate any remaining survivors, in accordance with Young Master Jin’s instructions. What course will you chart, Young Master Cheol? Do you still resolve to disregard Young Master Jin’s warnings?”

Rather than offering a verbal defense, Cheol Sun-jik cast his gaze back toward the pale, lifeless faces of the dead, the color draining from his own skin.

Ultimately, he was left with only a single viable path.

“……Lead the way. I shall follow your advance.”

Jin So-un peered into a void that seemed darker than the blackest night and commanded,

“Under no circumstances are you to damage that lantern.”

“What?”

Before Nam Hwa-seong could process the warning, Jin So-un vaulted forward.

Moving with the velocity of a lightning strike, Jin So-un vanished entirely into the stygian gloom.

Simultaneously, a deafening cacophony of metallic collisions began to echo from the dark void.

CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG.

No sooner had the violent ring of steel against steel ceased than concussive detonations of displaced air began to reverberate.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM.

A brilliant golden illumination erupted within the blackness, resembling rolling storm clouds pregnant with lightning just prior to a torrential downpour.

“What in heaven’s name…… shreds.”

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE.

Colossal human silhouettes manifested within the swirling dark vapors and fog.

These titanic forms engaged in a relentless cycle of brutal combat, collapsing into the darkness only to clash once more with renewed fury.

ZIIIIING──────

In that precise instant, Nam Hwa-seong seized his skull as an agonizing sensation, akin to a blade piercing his brain, overwhelmed him.

Dropping to the earth to mitigate the searing pain, Nam Hwa-seong was suddenly startled by an intense wave of murderous intent washing over him. Reacting instinctively, he unleashed a powerful burst of Fist Qi toward his rear.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!

When his strike connected with solid resistance in a patch of darkness where nothing should have been, a profound dread settled deep within his chest.

‘Had my reflexes lagged by a fraction of a second, my life would have been forfeit.’

The unmistakable impression of a razor-sharp blade infused with lethal intent.

This was an authentic, deadly assault, entirely distinct from the controlled sparring matches conducted within the Academy walls.

Nam Hwa-seong sharpened his physical senses to their absolute zenith, frantically scanning the pitch-black environment for his concealed foe.

“Show yourself!!!”

Nam Hwa-seong lunged forward with a defiant roar, attempting to forcibly banish the terror gripping his mind.

Instead of striking true, a tremendous force slammed into his midsection, launching him backward through the air at high speed.

“Keheuk, urgh.”

A solitary exchange of blows.

Yet, that single contact was sufficient to impart a grim realization.

The adversary lurking in this darkness was no ordinary combatant.

Without hesitation, Nam Hwa-seong began channeling the Deer-Horn Radiance Fist, the pinnacle technique of the Three Origins Sect.

Vibrant green energy erupted from his knuckles, cutting through the gloom and occasionally exposing the contours of the human figure concealed within the shadows.

“Haaap!”

Nam Hwa-seong’s Deer-Horn Radiance Fist surged forward, tracing a luminous green path resembling the glowing trail of a firefly. The moment it converged on a specific point in the darkness, the green light shattered outward, targeting the enemy’s lethal acupoints.

THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THWACK!

He unleashed nearly thirty consecutive strikes in the span of a single breath, yet to his horror, he felt no sensation of tearing flesh or breaking bone.

It felt as though he were throwing punches submerged in deep water; his limbs felt sluggish and restricted.

“UAAAAAAAAAAAGH!”

Marshalling the entirety of his nearly five decades of accumulated internal energy, the intense glow of the Deer-Horn Radiance Fist forcibly repelled the shadows, finally revealing the true nature of his opponents.

Nam Hwa-seong’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief.

‘How can there be so many?!’

The gathering revealed by the retreating shadows consisted of no fewer than one hundred combatants.

Should the darkness be dispelled entirely, he could not begin to calculate the total number of enemies waiting in ambush.

In the brief moment his focus wavered, a veritable torrent of Sword Qi erupted from the surrounding shadows.

“Curse it.”

He unleashed a defensive wall of Fist Qi, but it proved impossible to intercept every incoming blade, let alone withstand the devastating Hidden Force woven into the assault.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!

Absorbing the impact of the Hidden Force, Nam Hwa-seong’s form was propelled through the air like a projectile fired from a siege engine.

CRUNCH.

The distinct sound of fracturing structural elements echoed behind him, but lacking the luxury to assess secondary damage, Nam Hwa-seong scrambled to his feet and assumed a defensive stance.

The adversary had already retreated into the enveloping darkness, vanishing from sight once more.

“If you possess any honor, step forward! Face me in open combat!”

As if in direct response to Nam Hwa-seong’s challenge, the dense shadows began to recede.

Through the clearing gloom, a massive, undulating form caught his eye.

SLITHER.

To comprehend the full scale of the creature emerging before him, Nam Hwa-seong was forced to crane his neck toward the sky.

“……!!!”

The instant his eyes locked onto the entity, every hair on his body stood on end from primal dread.

“A-Azure-Scaled One-Horned Kui Dragon?”

A mythical predator classified as a dragon purely due to its monstrous, gargantuan proportions.

An immense serpent—the likes of which no ordinary citizen, nor even an experienced master of the murim, could ever expect to encounter—was flicking its bifurcated tongue directly at him.

Nam Hwa-seong, instinctively retreating from the overwhelming horror, jerked his head around violently as a sharp, scraping sound echoed from the rear.

SKITTER, SKITTER, SKITTER.

An arachnid the size of a residential estate, supported by eight towering legs.

“A-A Human-Faced Blood Spider?”

A grotesque monstrosity featuring a countenance chillingly reminiscent of a human being, flanked by four massive mandibles, tilted its head as it locked its gaze onto Nam Hwa-seong.

“U-Uuaaagh!”

The parameters of his mission and the mandated espionage regarding Jin So-un evaporated from his priorities.

‘This is the end! I am going to perish here!’

The moment Nam Hwa-seong initiated the Deer-Horn Wind-Cloud Step in a frantic bid to flee the zone, the Azure-Scaled One-Horned Kui Dragon shifted its massive bulk with impossible stealth, instantly constricting its coils around his torso.

“UAAAAAAAAAAAGH!”

As Nam Hwa-seong was hoisted into the air, a horde of diverse monstrosities materialised in the space he had assumed was occupied solely by the Human-Faced Blood Spider, each ravenous beast lunging forward to claim a portion of his flesh.

“Blast it, I am composed entirely of lean muscle; I make a terrible meal!”

He struck out wildly, unleashing volleys of Fist Qi, but the creatures absorbed the impacts as though they were completely inconsequential, opening their cavernous, horrific jaws to consume him.

-Nam Hwa-seong!

Suddenly, a resonant, commanding voice echoed directly within his consciousness.

-Ignite the talisman.

It was a voice he typically found intensely grating.

Yet, in this moment, sounding like an instrument of divine salvation, Nam Hwa-seong immediately set fire to the parchment talisman gripped in his palm.

WHOOSH.

As the talisman caught fire from a minuscule spark and disintegrated into cinders, a sound akin to heavy fabric being violently rent apart echoed through the air. A figure wielding a radiant golden blade erupted through the spatial rift.

“Duck your head, Nam Hwa-seong!”

“UAAAAAAAAAAAGH!”

The combatant with the golden blade descended like a bolt of lightning, severing the Azure-Scaled One-Horned Kui Dragon cleanly into two halves.

Nam Hwa-seong’s pinned form, suddenly liberated, dropped heavily to the earth.

“Uaaaagh!”

Despite absorbing a jarring impact, Nam Hwa-seong scrambled up from the soil, raising his hands in a fighting posture.

Jin So-un glanced back over his shoulder and bellowed,

“You absolute fool! I explicitly commanded you to preserve the integrity of the lantern!”

“I-I did not damage it!”

“Then by what mechanism do you think the Corpse-Blood Dead-Spirit Chaos Formation was triggered?”

“C-Corpse-Blood what?”

“It is an Illusion Formation! Were you never instructed in the arts of Dispelling Evil and Spirit Suppression?”

“T-The Demon-Subduing True Mantra……”

“Those misguided fools brandish the Demon-Subduing True Mantra as if it were a flawless ancestral treasure. I would delight in watching them attempt to deploy that against the Demonic Cult!”

Jin So-un unleashed a tirade of expletives that left Nam Hwa-seong utterly bewildered.

Nam Hwa-seong recognized intuitively that their predicament had deteriorated catastrophically.

“Wh-What is my alternative?”

“What do you imagine? Your mental fortitude is insufficient to withstand the psychic weight of this illusion.”

“Then I-I……”

Jin So-un adjusted his grip upon the hilt of his weapon.

“……We carve our path out of here.”

Hearing Jin So-un’s declaration, Nam Hwa-seong could only stare blankly.

They were to fight their way out of an environment teeming with mythological horrors, where the coordinates of the entry and exit points were entirely obscured?

“……snap out of it, you idiot!”

“H-Huh?”

In that instant, a stinging slap connected with Nam Hwa-seong’s cheek, leaving a burning sensation.

“Regain your composure, you fool! Is it your desire to perish in this wasteland?”

“……N-No!”

“While standing on a field of battle, focus exclusively on the directives of your superior. Place no reliance on that flawed intellect of yours! Is that understood?”

“U-Understood…… shreds.”

Jin So-un extracted a pair of Demon-Subduing Talismans from his garments and thrust them into Nam Hwa-seong’s hands.

“Since you managed to survive the initial clash, I grant you two. Should you survive the subsequent engagement, I shall grant you three.”

“Th-Thank you.”

“From this moment forward, we are breaching their Illusion Formation. Do not permit your gaze to wander. Maintain close proximity to my person and follow my lead. Is that understood?”

“Y-Yes!”

“Advance!”

Jin So-un immediately surged forward, charging directly toward the wall of monstrosities blocking their path.

A brilliant golden energy coalesced along the length of his blade, while a prolonged golden cord extended from his left hand.

When the titanic Human-Faced Blood Spider distended its horrific maw to consume Jin So-un, the latter executed a rapid sequence of sword strikes.

SLASH, SLASH.

As the glowing golden cord whipped through the air, the massive beast was bound securely, rendered entirely immobile. With a swift arc of the golden blade, the colossal horror was cleaved into multiple fragments.

Jin So-un dispatched the opposing creatures in rapid succession, maintaining a relentless forward momentum.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM.

Though the surreal spectacles unfolding before him defied belief, Nam Hwa-seong executed his movements in perfect synchronization with Jin So-un’s shouted commands.

“Unleash your Fist Qi!”

“You idiot! For what purpose are you hoarding your internal energy? Do you intend to utilize it in the afterlife?”

“Is this the absolute limit of the Three Origins Sect’s vaunted techniques?”

“Strike them, strike them continuously! Illusion Formations possess fragile structural integrity. If you strike them repeatedly without cessation, they will shatter eventually!”

Concurrently, a palpable shift occurred; the crushing pressure constricting them from all sides began to dissipate.

Oxygen flowed more readily into their lungs, and the surrounding monstrosities appeared to diminish in physical scale.

‘While standing on a field of battle, focus exclusively on the directives of your superior. While standing on a field of battle, focus exclusively on the directives of your superior.’

Nam Hwa-seong frantically chanted the mantra Jin So-un had driven into him, sprinting with every ounce of physical strength he possessed.

How long they maintained that frantic pace remained unclear.

Suddenly, Jin So-un vanished from his field of vision, along with the surrounding horde of beasts.

“J-Jin So-un! Jin So-un! Where have you gone?!”

Just as Nam Hwa-seong began calling out frantically, like a lost fledgling seeking its mother, a powerful grip seized him by the collar of his uniform and hoisted him upward.

“H-Heup!”

As the panicked Nam Hwa-seong began to flail wildly, a familiar voice cut through his terror.

“It is me! Cease your struggling! You are incredibly heavy!”

RIIIP.

Accompanied by a sound resembling a large canvas being torn asunder, the environment shifted instantly, exposing the unclouded light of the moon.

“Haaah, haaah, haaah. Wh-What just occurred?”

He felt the solid earth beneath his boots and the crisp chill of the night air against his skin.

He had successfully breached the Illusion Formation Jin So-un had identified, returning once more to objective reality.

“J-Jin So-un…… shreds.”

Before he could process the relief of escaping the mental trap, a torrent of questions flooded his consciousness.

He was a sworn operative of the Twelve Peak Citadels, dispatched to this location specifically to observe and assess Jin So-un.

‘And yet…….’

Jin So-un had actively interceded to extract him from that psychological labyrinth.

“Th-Thank you, Jin So-un…….”

The response he received, however, was entirely devoid of warmth.

“Hold your tongue and stand up. The genuine engagement commences now.”

“H-Huh?”

Jin So-un’s gaze was already fixed firmly on the horizon.

Directly ahead of their position, a cohort of individuals clad in crimson robes—the very figures he had glimpsed within the illusion—stood assembled in combat formation.