The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Novel - Chapter 191

Chapter 191
Tramp, tramp.

The two most prominent figures of the Murim Alliance exited the Academy, making their way back toward the Alliance headquarters.

The unseen bodyguards projected their Hidden Force, causing bystanders to instinctively veer away from the path they walked.

Thanks to this, the pair moved along with ease and without any interference.

“How exactly did you evaluate him?”

Jegal So-myeong inquired.

Was Hyeok Mu-gang not the very individual who had bombarded him with endless questions whenever the name Jin So-un surfaced?

“Hmm…….”

Hyeok Mu-gang paced for a few more moments without responding, then finally chose his words.

“He was an intriguing lad.”

“Intriguing?”

Hyeok Mu-gang, lost in thought, turned to Jegal So-myeong and grinned.

“Until now, I had only heard accounts of him through you, Grand Strategist, so I couldn’t grasp his essence properly……. But having witnessed him in person, there is one thing I am now certain of.”

“What is that?”

“That you went to great lengths to prevent me from poaching Jin So-un away from you.”

Jegal So-myeong’s expression twisted into a knot of annoyance.

“Is that not already a settled issue!”

Hyeok Mu-gang chuckled dryly and ran a hand through his beard.

“It was just a tease. A mere tease.”

“…….”

“Regardless, setting that aside, he is indeed a youth with many puzzling traits. Especially, I…….”

Hyeok Mu-gang gazed at Jegal So-myeong with a significant look.

“I found it quite impressive how audaciously he carried himself before the Murim Alliance Leader and the Grand Strategist.”

“…….”

As expected, the Alliance Leader was fully aware.

When it came to the devious schemes and maneuverings of the murky political world, was he not a cut above the rest?

Hyeok Mu-gang twitched his eyebrows as if truly surprised.

“Even so, had the circumstances been different, I might have genuinely been duped.”

“He is quite the impudent brat.”

As the Grand Strategist conceded the point, Hyeok Mu-gang closed his eyes, as if picturing the scene.

“That is exactly why I am truly, truly…… eager to see what happens.”

Then, a moment later, his eyes snapped open, and the edges of his lids curved into crescents.

“The future of the Murim Alliance, which the rising stars currently maturing, and that lad, will guide.”

“…….”

At Hyeok Mu-gang’s declaration, the character for ‘heaven’ seemed to etch itself into Jegal So-myeong’s brow.

Why did he distinguish the rising stars from Jin So-un?

If one mentioned the rising stars of this era, it meant the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, including Yong So-ah, along with the Seven Stars of the preceding generation.

However, even matched against any of them, Jin So-un’s talent could not be deemed extraordinary.

“Aren’t you…… becoming excessively invested in Jin So-un personally?”

To this rational inquiry, Hyeok Mu-gang gave a nod.

“Perhaps it might appear that way.”

“That is not exactly advantageous for Jin So-un, either.”

Hyeok Mu-gang pondered briefly, then posed a question to Jegal So-myeong.

“Hmm…… Grand Strategist, to what heights do you believe Jin So-un will climb?”

Faced with this unexpected reversal, Jegal So-myeong found his words stuck in his throat.

It wasn’t that he failed to comprehend the question.

He simply had never seriously mapped out the full trajectory of that boy’s life.

“Well. I had intended to entrust him with the Sim Hyeon-gak.”

“Not the Mantongbu?”

“As you observed, he is a youth gifted with a keen eye for discerning the machinations within people’s hearts. There would be no finer playground than the Sim Hyeon-gak for that brat to unleash his talents.”

Hyeok Mu-gang, having been nodding along, pressed further.

“Do you really think that lad will be content with that station?”

“…….”

He found himself unable to answer.

When Jegal So-myeong first encountered him at the Iron Sword Sect, he had assessed him as roughly on the level of a staffer who could be useful at the Mantongbu, and after seeing him pass the Regular Exam, he figured it would be appropriate to assign him to either the Sim Hyeon-gak or the Mantongbu.

He had also assumed that Jin So-un would be satisfied with such a station for himself and, eventually, his lineage.

After all, the symbolic influence commanded by the Mantongbu and the Sim Hyeon-gak was no different from the peak status coveted by countless martial artists throughout the land.

Yet, if he were asked now whether Jin So-un would truly be content with that…….

“As I thought, you have no answer.”

“…….”

It was exactly as Hyeok Mu-gang suggested.

Jegal So-myeong could not gauge the limits of the boy’s ambition at all.

“Then, Alliance Leader, to what heights do you believe that brat will ascend?”

Hyeok Mu-gang lifted the parcel in his hand to eye level.

“Well. I do not have a clear answer either, but…….”

Caw-screech──

At the sudden cry of a hawk echoing across the firmament, Hyeok Mu-gang raised his gaze.

Was it mere coincidence that a raptor had appeared at such a fitting moment?

“He did not strike me as a creature destined for a cage.”

At Hyeok Mu-gang’s comment, Jegal So-myeong found himself nodding involuntarily.

“And more than anything, that boy looked upon authority with immense disdain. As if it were merely an instrument.”

“What exactly do you mean by that…….”

Suddenly, Hyeok Mu-gang emitted a soft laugh and remarked,

“Daoist Master Myeonghyeon, you see…….”

“Why bring him into this now……?”

“I hear he was soundly thrashed by Jin So-un.”

Instantly, Jegal So-myeong’s brows furrowed.

“What? What are you…….”

“Unlike the other Elders, only Daoist Master Myeonghyeon remains in seclusion, does he not? I understand it is because the welts upon his visage have yet to fade.”

“……That insane brat…….”

Regardless of how detestable the man was to behold, and no matter how refreshing it felt to hear the news, he had still assaulted an Elder of the Elder Council.

While Jegal So-myeong stood paralyzed, utterly stunned, Hyeok Mu-gang continued.

“The same applies to the stunt he pulled in my presence just moments ago…… Put simply, power is not something that child venerates or seeks to hoard.”

Jegal So-myeong tilted his head in confusion.

“Is he not just a deranged brat?”

Hyeok Mu-gang shook his head with a gentle smile.

“Is it not genuinely fascinating? He scorns power, yet he never relinquishes the authority he wields.”

For a brief moment, a sharp light danced in his eyes.

“Ultimately, that implies that power is nothing more than a tool to satisfy some objective that child wishes to fulfill.”

Jegal So-myeong had never attempted to dissect a person’s internal motives in such a fashion, so he cautiously turned the Alliance Leader’s words over in his mind.

Hyeok Mu-gang observed the Grand Strategist, who had fallen into profound reflection, and murmured.

“And what that lad accomplishes with the power he defended so fiercely is, in the end, saving others…….”

Hyeok Mu-gang stopped for a heartbeat, and an unnameable sense of anticipation bloomed on his face.

“Is he not a truly captivating youth?”

“……Alliance Leader, you are making quite a leap.”

Jegal So-myeong conceded that the argument held a certain logic, but it did not easily resonate within his core.

Perhaps it was because he had witnessed so many of Jin So-un’s erratic behaviors?

Hyeok Mu-gang’s voice remained firm.

“That is precisely why I concluded that Jin So-un should be viewed separately from the other rising stars. And personally, I am also somewhat intrigued.”

“About what?”

“What kind of leader that boy will transform into once he is granted sufficient strength and authority.”

“…….”

Jegal So-myeong clamped his mouth shut, finding himself unable to provide a response.

If the members of the Alliance knew such sentiments had been voiced by the Alliance Leader, they would be in an uproar.

“…….”

Hyeok Mu-gang nodded as if he perfectly understood.

Then, he steered the conversation in a new direction.

“By the way, he has achieved a greater merit than I anticipated, so I am at a loss as to how to reward him. To think it was the Young Cult Master of the Blood Cult no less…….”

“What else can we do? I do wonder why such an astute brat disclosed his greatest feat only at the very end.”

“As expected, Grand Strategist, you are being disingenuous.”

“Wh-what are you suggesting?”

“Your lips are twitching, are they not?”

Jegal So-myeong shook his head and exhaled a long, weary breath.

“Once the matter in Sichuan is concluded, let us acknowledge his merits together.”

“Is that all?”

It appeared the Alliance Leader had become quite fond of Jin So-un.

Ultimately, Jegal So-myeong disclosed the particular plan he had formed.

“……I plan to direct the procurement contracts for the Anhui Province branches to the Taeul Sect’s Great Heaven Merchant Guild. That should provide substantial assistance in helping the merchant guild establish its roots.”

Only then did Hyeok Mu-gang nod in apparent satisfaction.

“That is excellent indeed. Should any disgruntled voices emerge, refer them to me.”

“That is unnecessary. Do you think I am incapable of handling even that much?”

Watching the grumbling Jegal So-myeong, Hyeok Mu-gang grinned.

Much like an elderly couple fretting over their grandchild’s future, the two walked along side by side.

—

Having exited the Academy Head’s office, I was headed back toward the dormitory when I decided to veer off in a different direction.

It was not as though I had a specific destination in mind.

I simply lacked the desire to return to the dormitory immediately.

As I strolled along the perimeter path that encircled the outer bounds of the Academy, the thick aroma of foliage filled my lungs.

I pulled back the sensory awareness I typically kept spread wide and allowed the tension in my muscles to dissipate.

After continuing this leisurely pace for a while, I slowly felt as though I had reconnected with everyday life.

The calls of nameless mountain birds drifted through the air, and small creatures darted from hidden spots in the underbrush.

This place was so serene that it felt impossible I had been locked in a bone-dry, desperate chase and combat only a few days prior.

As I followed the path, I saw people exchanging affectionate remarks, while others debated sword theory in an open clearing.

The Academy pupils were reveling in their mundane routines.

The fact that the Sichuan situation had not impacted them was evidence that the crisis in Sichuan had not devolved into the ‘blood calamity’ that had unfolded in my past life.

For some reason, a strange warmth spread through my chest.

‘I really did alter it…….’

Of course, I had changed many occurrences prior to this as well.

However, most were matters pertaining to myself, or, at most, those close to me and my sect.

This was the first instance where I had truly prevented an event that would have spiraled into a savage war.

Until now, I had maneuvered and prepared in various ways to brace for the Great Righteous-Demonic War, but I had feared that those efforts might not leave a significant mark.

As had been true of countless events throughout the annals of history, the actions of a single individual rarely succeeded in altering the flow of the Great Yangtze.

Even while harboring that skeptical mindset, I had persevered in my struggle to change things.

Because I believed that was the sole path to purging the guilt-ridden nightmares I had endured in my previous existence.

And that time, when I had charged blindly into Sichuan, I had changed history for the first time.

The tragedy known as the ‘Sichuan Blood Calamity’ would now be erased from history.

Perhaps, as is always the case, it would be recorded merely as one of many political foes of the Murim Alliance emerging and then fading away.

Because of this, no soul would ever learn of the ‘Sichuan Blood Calamity.’

How many lives were spared, how many sacrifices were averted—none of it would ever be documented.

No one would sing my praises for what I had accomplished.

Even so…….

‘This is not a bad feeling.’

Without meaning to, the corners of my mouth curled upward.

Because of this, innocent lives would continue their tranquil existence, and slightly less martial artist blood would be spilled in Sichuan.

Going further, as in the case of the Sojeong Squad, the senseless deaths of those who held the line through sheer numbers would be reduced, if only a little.

‘If that much can be achieved, I could not ask for more.’

During the Great Righteous-Demonic War of my past life.

After losing two members of the Sojeong Squad to the Blood Demon Unit’s torrential onslaught and finding myself unable to shake a hollow, aching sensation, I asked the other members why we were fighting.

[The peace of the Murim? What kind of rot is that?! I just want to slack off like I used to and collect my monthly pay!]

[Ah, because I want to see Jeonghyang from the Hongwol Pavilion. She says she likes that I’m a member of the Murim Alliance.]

[This wretch owes me a debt. But this wretch says he’ll repay me once he returns to the Murim Alliance.]

As befitted ruffians of the lowest standing under heaven, every response that returned was coarse beyond measure.

But when I pondered it, my own motivation was not much different from theirs.

Because I simply wanted to survive.

Because I wanted to enjoy once more the old peace that would never truly return.

That was all.

None of us were promised wealth or glory after the war concluded.

If luck was on our side, we might endure until the end of the Great Righteous-Demonic War, and if not, we could perish as early as the next day.

It was just a miserable, screwed-up existence.

The fact that I had prevented that much was meaning enough for me.

‘I will have to keep erasing the histories that would otherwise come to pass…… going forward…….’

I have no idea how many times I will succeed.

Halting the current of the Yangtze single-handedly would likely remain impossible.

Even so, if I viewed it as repaying the profound debt I owed to my sect and to those wretched comrades from my previous life, then even if it were impossible, any urge to retreat vanished completely.

“Phew…….”

As I sifted through those old memories, the faces of the Sojeong Squad members rose to mind one by one.

Their backgrounds had been varied, and their statuses had all differed, but they shared one trait.

They utterly loathed anyone who acted superior to us.

In particular, they despised the elites from the Murim Academy with an intense disgust.

To wretches from the bottom of the world with no support, promising rising talents from respected sects could never appear favorable.

Moreover, graduates of the Academy effectively began their careers at the rank of Captain, so from the perspective of the Sojeong Squad members, having to bow and scrape before some fresh-faced brat—regardless of how many years they had served—was a constant source of bitterness.

“If they could see me now, having become the Academy Representative, they would be absolutely dumbfounded. Heh heh.”

For some reason, envisioning the sour expressions of those Sojeong Squad bastards put me in an even better mood.

With my thoughts mostly settled, I directed my steps toward the dormitory.

I had already replenished the Internal Qi in my Dantian while in Chengdu, but the fatigue that had layered itself within my bones from traveling back and forth to Sichuan could only be fully mended with rest.

And so, as I slowly navigated the interior of the Academy and headed toward the area where the dormitory stood—

THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD.

A dull, rhythmic sound reached my ears.

‘What is that?’

When I expanded the sensory perception I had previously withdrawn, I sensed the presence of several martial artists between the structures.

I pivoted my head and peered into the alleyway, spotting four or five individuals who appeared to belong to the Five Great Clans, standing in a tight circle as if keeping guard.

And at the center of them, two figures were tangled on the ground.

When I looked more closely—

‘……They aren’t tangled.’

One party was being beaten one-sidedly.

The slight-framed Academy student, whose affiliation I could not discern, attempted a desperate counterattack, but the larger assailant toyed with him as if he were nothing more than a plaything.

‘Tsk.’

Even if this institution championed the Orthodox Path, given that it was a gathering place for hot-blooded martial artists, it was only natural that skirmishes were a part of daily life.

When I first joined the Sojeong Squad, I, too, had been involved in disputes and fights with the squad members on several occasions.

Even so, to return after working my bones to the nub saving lives in Sichuan and witness a scene like this on the very same day…….

This was not exactly a pleasant sight.

‘These bastards dare act this way before my eyes?’

It was the moment when justice needed to be enforced to rectify my soured mood.

Moreover, they were acting like cowards, many against one, right in front of me—a man who cannot tolerate injustice?

Crack, crack.

“Hey, you bastards…….”

Just as I prepared to intervene while loosening my fingers—

Grab.

The slight-framed Academy student seized the giant’s hand.

Whirl. Whoosh—THUD!

Had he not just flung him onto the hard ground?

“……!”

I had no choice but to gape in utter shock.

It was not that I was surprised by the slight-framed Academy student’s raw power, but rather that I could not contain my bewilderment at the technique he had displayed.

‘What is this?’

The Flowing Cloud Divine Art.

It was the martial art I had learned from Yaryul Jae of the Sojeong Squad in my past life and had made great use of in this one.

The Lotus of that very Flowing Cloud Divine Art had just been revealed.

‘Why is that appearing here?’