The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Novel - Chapter 177

Chapter 177
Murim Alliance, Mantongbu.

“Raise your hands properly!”

At Jegal So-myeong’s icy command, Maeng Ju-won’s shaking arms shot straight up once more.

Watching a man nearly thirty years old dripping with sweat as if he were facing death from the infantile punishment of “holding his hands up” only made him seem more pathetic.

He had lost his mind—truly, he had completely unraveled. How dare he issue an order under Mantongbu?

Procedurally, there was no fault to be found.

When Jegal So-myeong was away, it was only fitting that the next in line, Maeng Ju-won, the Department Head of Mantongbu, would step into the role.

The true issue, however, was that he had commanded the Elder Council to return and had specifically tasked Victory Tiger Hall with enforcement.

Good grief… Victory Tiger Hall, of all choices.

Politically, this could easily be spun to imply that Mantongbu considered the Elder Council a group belonging to the Black Path.

It provided leverage that could be used to destabilize Mantongbu, not just now, but for years to come.

Even if he were a man obsessed with Jin So-un, he had stepped far beyond acceptable limits.

“You couldn’t have been unaware of that. Have you actually gone insane?”

At Jegal So-myeong’s inquiry, Maeng Ju-won struggled to find words, his lips twitching in silence.

“If you have a mouth, use it! Speak! Did you do something for which you cannot even offer a single shred of defense?”

“……No, that is……”

“No? Is that your answer? Are you suggesting there is any room for you to justify this?”

Instructed to provide a defense, Maeng Ju-won, who had initially tried to explain, clamped his mouth shut.

“You fool! What is that look of indignation for?! Are you suggesting you acted correctly?!”

“I…… actually……”

“You still have more to say? A man who should be speechless even if he had ten mouths dares to use the one he possesses?!”

“…….”

The same dressing-down had repeated for a full double-hour, and Maeng Ju-won felt as if he were crumbling.

‘Is he telling me to talk or stay quiet?’

If he could just be handed a formal disciplinary measure, he might feel more composed, but that wasn’t the case. Jegal So-myeong kept picking apart every detail, berating him relentlessly.

At this rate, he’d be scolded for the very act of breathing.

“Then I will say exactly one thing.”

“You truly—”

“This isn’t an excuse. I simply wanted Jin So-un to recognize the authority of Mantongbu. That is all. I admit I was wrong. Even so, please at least acknowledge my sincerity in trying to secure a talented individual.”

To keep Jegal So-myeong from interrupting, Maeng Ju-won blurted it out in a single breath.

He stood panting as if he had unburdened his entire soul.

Faced with such brazenness, Jegal So-myeong was left speechless.

“Fine. Then how did you manage to get Victory Tiger Hall to move? There is no chance those men would act solely on a Mantongbu directive.”

“Ah…… that? Nothing special. I went there, knelt down, and pleaded. Thoroughly.”

“…….”

Maeng Ju-won spoke with a sense of pride, even rubbing his palms together as if recounting a great feat.

Ha, did this man possess no sense of shame?

It was already frustrating enough that Mantongbu would face scrutiny from the Elder Council later, but he had dragged the organization’s reputation through the dirt.

“You truly—”

Seeing Jegal So-myeong’s mounting fury, the panicked Maeng Ju-won suddenly clicked his tongue.

He then retrieved a pouch from his sleeve.

“This is the key!”

“Hm?”

“This is it, Grand Strategist.”

Caught off guard by the abrupt shift in subject, Jegal So-myeong was drawn in despite himself.

“What is that?”

“The item that will rescue me from this predicament.”

Had this man’s sanity completely departed his body?

“It is something Jin So-un requested I deliver to you, Grand Strategist.”

At the mention of “Jin So-un,” his irritation flickered.

There was no way that sharp-minded fellow hadn’t anticipated the fallout this current situation would cause.

Still, Jegal So-myeong was curious why he had accepted the Mantongbu order and the involvement of Victory Tiger Hall without resistance.

With a hesitant air, he unsealed the pouch.

Inside were two slips of paper resembling carrier pigeon dispatches, alongside a piece of wood.

Jegal So-myeong unfolded the letters first, knitting his brows at the unfamiliar layout.

While the Murim Alliance followed standardized communication, various intelligence networks utilized unique shorthand to condense information for carrier pigeons.

Mantongbu was accustomed to the formats used by internal groups and the Beggars’ Sect.

This new format clearly did not originate from the Beggars’ Sect or any official Murim Alliance affiliate.

‘Does this man have his own private intelligence source?’

But as he scanned the front and back of the paper, a memory flickered.

So, it was……

‘……Hao Gate?’

A rising intelligence faction that had recently been expanding rapidly, nipping at the heels of the Beggars’ Sect.

Hao Gate’s momentum was so significant that rumors suggested the Beggars’ Sect had been unable to focus on the Murim Alliance due to their interference.

And Jin So-un had secured ties with Hao Gate as well?

Lacking more info, he proceeded to read.

-The individuals who surfaced in Sichuan are believed to belong to a separate faction from those spotted on the Puyang Plains during the same window.

-However, there are recurring traits in how the aftereffects of their martial techniques destabilize a person’s center and induce a loss of reason.

They had investigated that deeply?

He was stunned that they had managed to compare the culprits of the Puyang Plains with those of Sichuan—entities neither the Beggars’ Sect nor the Murim Alliance had properly identified yet.

Jegal So-myeong hurriedly opened the second letter.

-For a decade, individuals who have lost their sanity have appeared in Sichuan.

-They share symptoms of chronic wasting, such as nightmarish hallucinations and coughing up blood while asleep.

-Physicians, including those from the Tang Clan, focused on individual cases and failed to link the commonalities.

The onset of insanity and visions in a normal person was a signature sign of witchcraft.

Because it mirrored typical mental illness, medical professionals often overlooked it.

The only distinction was the violent internal agitation occurring during sleep, leading to symptoms of physical injury.

Because this was an irregular phenomenon, it had been difficult to track.

‘They gathered such precise data on individual cases? Heavens…….’

Jegal So-myeong, once again struck by the sheer scale of Hao Gate’s growth as it challenged the Beggars’ Sect, felt the situation shifting in ways he hadn’t anticipated.

‘No, surely not…….’

A creeping sense of dread pricked his thoughts.

Even as he tried to deny it, he struggled to reassure himself.

The Murim Alliance’s infrastructure was already buckling under the weight of the investigation into the Puyang Plains.

If other threats had emerged on top of that…….

“Are you not going to examine the final item?”

“…….”

Looking up, he found Maeng Ju-won had abandoned his punishment and was leaning in close, peering at the documents.

“When did you get up?”

“I will review the content of these papers, then resume my posture.”

“…….”

“In my estimation, has a rather grave event not occurred here?”

“…….”

Jegal So-myeong, who had his hand inside the pouch fiddling with the piece of wood, finally drew it out.

With the nerve of a gambler checking his final tile, he slowly inspected the wood.

-Blood Cult Manifestation. Jin So-un.

Upon reading the inscription, Jegal So-myeong’s hand began to shake.

Beside him, Maeng Ju-won rambled on, oblivious to the gravity of the revelation.

“Ha! The Blood Cult, you say. It is truly fortunate that I knelt and deployed Victory Tiger Hall. Without that move, wouldn’t all our Academy students have been in peril?”

It wasn’t enough that he was avoiding reality and acting as if Jin So-un’s news couldn’t be true; he was trying to dodge culpability for his own incompetence.

Was this man really the Department Head of Mantongbu?

Jegal So-myeong channeled a surge of internal qi into the piece of wood and hurled it at Maeng Ju-won.

“Die!!!”

“Kueeeeeek!”

Gu Jeong-ryong was bewildered by the scene before him.

“What on earth…….”

Dust hung in the air, and a chaotic brawl was unfolding.

“What are you doing?! Your opponent is merely the Taeul Sect! The Taeul Sect! Do you not feel shame regarding the name of Kunlun?!”

The tragedy was that everyone involved was part of the Orthodox Path.

‘What the hell is going on?’

Nearly twenty disciples from the Kunlun Sect and its affiliated sects were splayed on the ground, while another twenty were executing the Thirty-Six-Strikes Cold Plum Sword Formation.

Absurdly, the ones facing down Kunlun’s legendary sword formation were three young men who didn’t even look like adults.

“Halt!”

Gu Jeong-ryong, unable to watch any longer, launched himself directly between the two clashing groups.

It was a reckless move, but he possessed the confidence to pull it off.

“Ah! Hall Master!”

“The Hall Master has arrived!”

“Thank the heavens!”

As Gu Jeong-ryong intervened, the Gold-Silver-Copper Brothers immediately sheathed their swords and retreated, as if anticipating his arrival.

Conversely, the Kunlun disciples, unable to arrest their momentum, were forced to cross blades with Gu Jeong-ryong.

CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG.

Gu Jeong-ryong, parrying the four simultaneous strikes, grunted at the sheer weight behind the blows.

‘They say the Thirty-Six-Strikes Cold Plum Sword Formation is one of Kunlun’s crown jewels, and it shows.’

Knowing that one misstep could result in a humiliating defeat or serious injury, he quickly gathered his internal strength and channeled Sword Qi into the ground beneath the Kunlun disciples’ feet.

PAPAPAPAPAT!

The Sword Qi tore through the earth, sending a shower of debris flying. As the Kunlun disciples stumbled, the members of Victory Tiger Hall, led by Gam Cheon-ak, encircled the Academy students.

“Who are you?!”

Elder Sangwon of Kunlun bellowed, his face suffused with rage.

“I am Gu Jeong-ryong, Hall Master of Victory Tiger Hall, Elder.”

Upon hearing his title, Sangwon’s expression shifted, becoming guarded.

Quickly composing himself, he spoke with formal gravity.

“This is not a matter for Victory Tiger Hall’s intervention. Step aside immediately.”

Gu Jeong-ryong’s gaze drifted to the fallen Academy disciples.

Then it shifted to the Gold-Silver-Copper Brothers behind him, who looked slightly fatigued but otherwise unharmed.

The situation was painfully clear.

‘They took a beating, and their pride is wounded.’

Kunlun and its affiliates had been unable to suppress the disciples of the Taeul Sect.

That was why Sangwon could not back down, even with the presence of Victory Tiger Hall.

“I apologize, but I cannot comply.”

“……What did you say?”

Sangwon’s martial attire seemed to puff out as his qi flared.

Gu Jeong-ryong remained as calm as possible.

“Now is not the time for internal strife.”

“……Do you label this a fight?”

Sangwon seemed far beyond the reach of reason.

Gu Jeong-ryong cut to the point.

“The groups ahead have been attacked and have suffered losses.”

“……?”

As the words landed, the tension in the area spiked.

“According to reports, Elder So Chung-hyeon and Elder Jeong Sa-ik have also been struck down by the culprits.”

“……What nonsense is this……”

“Elder Sangwon.”

Sangwon turned his head as Elder Suheo arrived on the scene.

“Is what this man said true?”

“We are uncertain. We were en route to confirm the details.”

Elder Sangwon scowled.

“You followed this lead without verification?”

“They said this news originated from Jin So-un and Cheol Sun-jik.”

“Cheol Sun-jik? That man from the Twelve Peak Citadels?”

“The very same.”

Though both Cheol Sun-jik and Jin So-un hailed from the One Hundred Eight Peaks, Jin So-un’s overwhelming dominance had created a rivalry that made cooperation impossible.

The fact that these two had provided the same information, as implausible as it seemed, gave the intel undeniable weight.

“I dismissed the news as impossible, but if that is the case, we cannot ignore it.”

Suheo’s remark made Sangwon nod in concession.

“We have no choice, then.”

Sangwon glared at the three Gold-Silver-Copper Brothers.

“Do not think this is the full might of Kunlun.”

“…….”

“…….”

“…….”

Sangwon whirled around and roared at his fallen Academy disciples.

“What have you done to deserve lying there?! Get up at once!”

At his thunderous shout, the students groaned and scrambled to their feet.

Gu Jeong-ryong let out a long breath and looked at the trio from the Taeul Sect.

“You’ve done well.”

“……We nearly met our end, but thank you, Hall Master.”

“Even so, I cannot offer only praise.”

“Pardon?”

Gu Jeong-ryong spoke grimly, shaking his head.

“How could you even consider engaging them by force?! It is fortunate you managed to hold them back. If they had utilized the Thirty-Six-Strikes Cold Plum Sword Formation from the onset, you would not have survived! Do you comprehend that?!”

Gu Jeong-ryong shouted, but the brothers wore peculiar expressions.

“…….”

“…….”

“……Ahem.”

They exchanged glances, their mouths twitching as if suppressed by frustration, one shaking his head at the others to stay quiet.

Gu Jeong-ryong hesitated, his mind racing.

“Do not tell me…… they used the Thirty-Six-Strikes Cold Plum Sword Formation from the very beginning?”

Geum-pyo offered an awkward smile and scratched his head.

“They were quite serious. Yes, that is why I cannot express how fortunate it is that you arrived, Hall Master.”

Eun-ho, who had been listening silently, glared at Geum-pyo.

“That is exactly why I told you we should have backed out halfway!! We genuinely risked our lives multiple times!”

“Ah! We survived, so why are you fussing now?! You should have pulled out then if you were so worried!”

“Ah!!! Brothers, stop arguing!!!”

The Gold-Silver-Copper Brothers immediately began bickering among themselves.

Watching them, Gu Jeong-ryong was internally stunned.

‘Just the three of them countered the Thirty-Six-Strikes Cold Plum Sword Formation?’

At that moment, Gam Cheon-ak approached.

“Preparations are finished. We can resume our departure.”

“…….”

“Hall Master?”

Gu Jeong-ryong addressed Cheon-ak, who was looking at him with concern.

“Cheon-ak, could you and I, along with one other Victory Tiger Hall member, stop the Thirty-Six-Strikes Cold Plum Sword Formation?”

“……What is that? A new suicide method? If you want to end it all, do it on your own.”

Gam Cheon-ak shook his head as if questioning Gu Jeong-ryong’s sanity.

Exactly. That was the natural reaction.

“Yes. Naturally, we cannot stop it……. But how……”

“What are you referring to?”

However, judging by Sangwon’s reaction, the Gold-Silver-Copper Brothers hadn’t been lying.

What was the truth of the situation?

“No…… that is irrelevant right now.”

The situation was too dire to be sidetracked by curiosity.

BOING. BOING. BOING.

The movement was grotesque.

Skin devoid of color.

Fingernails turned black and fangs sharpened like those of a beast.

No matter how many times he blinked, it was unequivocally a Jiangshi.

“Damn, damn, damn.”

Nam Hwa-seong dared to curse, joined by the monk beside him, though even the typically restrained Il-gak found himself nodding in silent agreement with the profanity—the situation was that absurd.

“To think the Corpse-Demon Spirit-Descent Art would resurface……”

“I never imagined witnessing a true Jiangshi in my lifetime……”

Like the Great Star-Absorbing Art, they had never dared to believe someone would actually employ a heaven-defying technique listed among the Four Great Demonic Arts.

Eun Seol-ran snapped the two men out of their stupor.

“……Um, I-I don’t think this is the time for admiration! It’s moving toward us!”

After glaring at Murong Jae-hwa, the Jiangshi hopped with those surreal movements, closing the distance.

“Benefactors, everyone, step back!”

Il-gak lunged forward, hands clasped.

Golden Vajra Force erupted from his palms, slamming into the Jiangshi.

THUD THUD THUD THUD THWACK!

The Jiangshi, which hadn’t budged against the Thunderbolt Arrow, recoiled under the assault.

The onlookers whispered in awe, praising the power of Shaolin, but those cheers soon faded.

The golden radiance emanating from Il-gak’s palms began to dim.

“……Venerable Il-gak seems severely drained.”

Eun Seol-ran’s observation was echoed by Murong Jae-hwa’s nod.

It was inevitable.

Il-gak had been continuously projecting Vajra Force—not merely internal qi, but a heightened spiritual energy.

Even a master of Shaolin could not sustain such a drain indefinitely.

Yet, Il-gak refused to retreat.

“Benefactor Jae-hwa! Lead the group and evacuate!”

“But, Venerable Master……”

“I know what I’m doing! That is why I’m telling you to flee. Until Benefactor Jin arrives……!”

Il-gak seemed startled by his own words.

Suppressing his inner struggle, he continued.

“……Until Benefactor Jin arrives, someone must remain to safeguard those left behind!”

The golden energy in his next strike flickered and weakened further.

The Jiangshi pressed the advantage, slowly encroaching on the group.

They were trapped in a hopeless situation.

Still, Il-gak stood his ground.

Nam Hwa-seong watched him and bit his lip.

“Damn, damn, damn, damn, Jin So-un, you fucking bastard……. You never mentioned a Jiangshi……”

Just as Murong Jae-hwa prepared to speak, Nam Hwa-seong, who had been trembling, jerked his head up, eyes locking onto Murong Jae-hwa and Eun Seol-ran.

“Five moves! I will buy you that much time, so get them out of here!”

The two stared at him, bewildered.

“What is with those faces? I cannot last a second longer than that anyway!”

“No, that isn’t it. Why would you specifically……”

Murong Jae-hwa, Eun Seol-ran, and Nam Hwa-seong had no real bond.

If anything, they were rivals.

It was only logical that they couldn’t grasp why Nam Hwa-seong would volunteer.

Nam Hwa-seong looked at them with uncharacteristic gravity.

“Jin So-un promised me five Demon-Subduing Talismans.”

Murong Jae-hwa was puzzled by the nonsensical statement, but Nam Hwa-seong gave them both a shove.

“Just move! If the Jiangshi has truly mobilized, everyone here will die.”

Desperately trying to suppress his own terror, Nam Hwa-seong smashed his fists together.

“Damn it, you think you can defile the Murim with a Jiangshi?”

Nam Hwa-seong cursed wildly and leapt down the slope.

If he didn’t, he feared his courage would evaporate before he could even strike.

BOING. BOING. BOING.

The motion was ridiculous, yet Nam Hwa-seong swallowed hard, his tension peaking.

A calamity said to turn the world into a sea of blood every time it appeared.

A weapon crafted purely to slaughter humanity.

A nightmare he had never wanted to confront.

“Damn it, Jin So-un!”

He didn’t know why he had volunteered.

Nam Hwa-seong wasn’t foolish enough to risk his life for a mere five talismans.

“You’d better not say later that you used them all up! I won’t let that slide!”

His motivation wasn’t about simple profit or loss.

It was an emotion he couldn’t even label.

Perhaps he had stepped forward to confront this unknown feeling regarding Jin So-un.

“Benefactor Hwa-seong! Be careful!”

Il-gak, pushed back by the Jiangshi’s brute strength, shouted a warning.

“UAAAAAAAAAAAGH!”

The Deer-Horn Iron Cloud Fist—the technique that had propelled the Three Origins Sect to the summit of the One Hundred Eight Peaks.

Through the gap between Il-gak and the creature, the Fist Strike surged forth.

The emerald energy gathered in his fist lashed out with tyrannical force, intent on obliterating the Jiangshi.

The Jiangshi, moving with eerie, comic rhythm, shifted its focus from Il-gak to Nam Hwa-seong, clumsily extending a fist in response.

“You foolish bastard, how dare you face the Deer-Horn Iron Cloud Fist……”

BOOM.

A shockwave ripped through the area.

As the two fists collided, Nam Hwa-seong swallowed the remainder of his boast.

‘Five moves, my foot…… I can’t last three.’

How long had Il-gak managed to endure against this monster?

Crack.

He felt the bones in his right hand fracturing.

He shifted his inner power to his left, unleashing the Deer-Horn Iron Cloud Palm.

SCRAPE-SCRAPE-SCRAPE-SCRAPE.

With a sound like stone grinding against stone, the palm swept across the Jiangshi’s skull, but the creature didn’t flinch—just as it hadn’t when struck by the Thunderbolt Arrow.

“Damn it…….”

As he retracted his hands to prepare another final strike, the Jiangshi lashed out with a leg.

THUD.

It was a simple, rudimentary kick, yet the impact felt like being struck by a massive bell. Nam Hwa-seong couldn’t resist, flying nearly thirty feet before slamming into a tree.

“Benefactor Hwa-seong!”

“Keheuk, uwek!”

Nausea rose, and he spat a mouthful of blood.

The damage was internal and severe.

“……You damned bastard…… You said you would arrive soon……”

He muttered a curse to the wind, unsure of whom he was blaming, and forced himself up.

The Jiangshi, seemingly mindless, ignored Il-gak and stalked toward Nam Hwa-seong.

“I have to keep my promise of five moves.”

Nam Hwa-seong forced his qi into his raging acupoints.

He accepted the risk that they might swell or burst at any moment.

Meanwhile, the Jiangshi hopped—boing, boing—mockingly, closing the distance in an instant.

“Benefactor Hwa-seong! Evade!”

Desperate, Nam Hwa-seong poured everything into the Deer-Horn Iron Cloud Fist.

“UAAAAAAAAAAAGH!”

He unleashed a barrage of strikes, coating the Jiangshi in green radiance.

THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THWACK!

Unable to track Nam Hwa-seong’s speed, the Jiangshi failed to even attempt a defense……

A hollow laugh escaped Nam Hwa-seong.

“……Haha.”

The Jiangshi, having been completely enveloped in the green light, simply stood there, unscathed.

“Even for a Jiangshi, isn’t this cheating?”

It hadn’t failed to defend.

It simply had no need to.

The Jiangshi sharpened its black claws.

“Hup!”

Abandoning its sluggish rhythm, it moved with blinding speed, aiming to pierce Nam Hwa-seong’s heart.

“Hm?”

No, it attempted to pierce it.

Had it not been for the golden thread cinched around its neck and hand.

“…….”

Nam Hwa-seong followed the thread upward with his eyes.

“……Damn it, why are you only arriving now?!”

For the first time, a flicker of panic appeared on the Jiangshi’s face, which had been as lifeless as a corpse’s.

The Jiangshi frantically raked its claws to sever the thread, but the line only tightened around its neck with increasing pressure.

At the other end of the thread, the man holding it spoke, his expression one of pure disbelief.

“I never imagined there was an idiot in this world foolish enough to try to body-check an Iron Corpse Puppet.”

It was Jin So-un, the very person who had been making Nam Hwa-seong behave so strangely all along.