The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Novel - Chapter 192

Chapter 192
Chapter 192. Messenger from the Past (2)

Nobody from the Sojeong Squad had ever dared to step foot near the Murim Academy.

For those wretches, who barely scratched out a living with shoddy martial techniques, the Murim Academy existed as a distant, unattainable realm.

Because even harboring the hope of attending was a luxury they couldn’t afford, they could only respond with intense resentment toward those who belonged to the Academy.

Among them, Yaryul Jae was the most vicious.

While the man was usually quiet, he would lose his composure and his temper the moment he encountered someone from the Academy.

Even when he started a confrontation, if his opponent retaliated with anything more than a gentle shove, Yaryul Jae would recklessly lash out with his crude, incomplete martial arts.

Inevitably, these skirmishes always concluded with Yaryul Jae sprawled on the floor, nursing his wounds and his wounded pride.

Despite his persistent failures, Yaryul Jae seemed addicted to provoking Academy graduates, getting beaten to the brink of unconsciousness every single time.

That had always been the reality.

It seemed impossible that he would ever share any connection with the Murim Academy…

‘Who on earth is that kid?’

Yaryul Jae had never mentioned anyone from his sect managing to get into the Murim Academy.

To begin with, the Flowing Cloud Sect’s martial arts lacked any lethal, finishing techniques.

It was hardly a school for aspiring masters.

Furthermore, he had always complained that the sect was drowning in poverty precisely because their techniques were never finalized.

Yaryul Jae had also claimed he spent his entire life as a drifter, attempting to complete the sect’s unfinished arts before finally joining the Murim Alliance.

For a sect with neither resources nor prestige to pass the Regular Exam seemed beyond the realm of possibility…

“Hey, you damn cowards! All of you, come at me!”

The piercing cry snapped me out of my musings, and I turned my gaze forward.

The petite student from the Academy, who had managed to toss the giant, was now challenging the rest of the group, yet none of the onlookers dared to step forward.

‘As expected, his form is still lacking.’

Behind him, the large man stood up as if the fall hadn’t bothered him, gripped the smaller student’s shoulder, and delivered a swift kick to his leg.

THUD.

The student’s stance shattered instantly.

THWACK.

A heavy kick followed, slamming into the boy’s face, and soon, crimson blood began to mask his features.

‘This has gone on long enough.’

I tapped into my inner energy, projecting a subtle wave of killing intent.

“!!”

The casual spectators nearby widened their eyes and scrambled to their feet.

I paced toward them, offering a stern warning.

“Why don’t you call it a day?”

The large man froze, unable to move, his eyes locked onto mine.

I flashed him a bright, cold smile.

“I’m in a rather good mood today, you see.”

“……?”

He stared back, clearly baffled by my remark.

It wasn’t as if I expected him to grasp my reasoning.

I flicked my hand in front of his face, as if swatting away an annoying insect.

“Would you kindly get lost?”

*Grind.*

The sound of his teeth grinding together echoed, and his expression twisted into a mask of fury.

“That’s a bold way to speak, Jin So-un.”

From among the onlookers, a figure dressed in the attire of the Shandong Ak Clan stepped forward.

I believe his name was something like Ak Ju-pyeong.

“This is a private dispute. Don’t interfere, just walk away.”

Oh?

It seems this fellow is the ringleader.

“Hmm, do you even grasp the definition of ‘private’? How many of you are there exactly?”

I tilted my head, studying him, before slapping my forehead with an exaggerated ‘THWACK.’

“Ah! That’s right, I heard the Ak Clan doesn’t bother teaching their students how to read!”

A vein throbbed on the man’s temple.

“How dare you insult my house!”

“Now, it’s a personal grievance between the two of us, isn’t it?”

“…….”

“As the Academy Representative, I can’t exactly ignore this kind of trash and let it slide.”

I beckoned to him with a single finger.

“Come at me if you’ve got the guts, or disappear.”

At my challenge, the man offered a faint, mocking laugh.

“Do you still imagine you hold the title of Academy Representative?”

Look at this guy.

He just keeps yapping.

This is exactly why you can’t reason with fools.

I dug into my ear and pushed my aura to the surface.

“I said get lost, you idiots!”

As I unleashed my killing intent, the group scrambled backward in panic.

“……Grr!”

Realizing how cowardly they looked, the men flushed deep red with indignation.

Ak Ju-pyeong, biting his lip, finally spun around.

“We’re leaving.”

Once their pathetic leader turned tail, the hangers-on shot me one last glare before trailing after him to the other side of the square.

“Tsk. They never listen when you try to be polite.”

Clicking my tongue, I walked toward the boy who had been getting pummeled.

‘I don’t recognize him at all…….’

I scanned his face for any resemblance to Yaryul Jae, but his features were entirely different.

The only link was the sect crest embroidered on his tunic.

“Hey, are you alright?”

When I tapped his shoulder, the student, who had been curled up to protect his skull, snapped his eyes open.

Suddenly, he sprang to his feet.

“C-come at me! Come on, you bastards!”

He immediately shifted into a defensive stance.

He certainly possessed guts. Plenty of them.

“They’re gone. Stand down.”

“……They’re gone?”

Only then did the student nervously dart his gaze around.

I nodded and prepared to ask what was on my mind.

“You, you’re from the Flowing Cloud Sect…….”

“Where did those cowards run off to?!”

“…….”

The agitated boy glared at me, eyes bulging.

“I chased them off. So now you can relax and……”

“You chased them off?”

The small student began to tremble violently.

“Who do you think you are to drive them away?! I was just moments away from teaching them a real lesson!”

“…….”

This kid and that other guy—they clearly never spent a day in school.

Their definition of ‘proper education’ is bizarre.

“Bring those bastards back right now! Drag them here!”

No, how am I supposed to retrieve people I just sent packing?

“Then you’re going to get beaten in their place!”

The short boy grabbed my arm, attempting to unleash the Snowflower of the Flowing Cloud Divine Art.

If the Lotus technique was for counter-strikes, the Snowflower was purely offensive.

Because it didn’t rely on the opponent’s momentum, its secret lay in maximizing one’s own qi; clearly, the kid didn’t understand that, as he tried to torque my arm through pure physical force.

‘This little punk…….’

He’s really crossing the line now.

My patience evaporated, so I channeled my internal energy and hoisted the brat into the air.

Without a second thought, I slammed him into the stone floor.

BOOM!

“Guhk!”

The impact was so jarring he retched.

Now, perhaps we could have a civil conversation.

“Now, calm down and let’s talk…….”

Before I could finish, the boy scrambled up and sprinted away.

“J-just you wait! Jin So-un! I’ll get my revenge! Watch your back!”

He shouted this while limping away at a surprisingly sluggish pace.

“Ha!”

I let out a dry laugh at the sheer absurdity.

While I hadn’t gathered a single bit of information, one thing was perfectly clear.

That boy was related to Yaryul Jae.

Probably his younger brother.

‘To share that same damn personality, it has to be the power of blood.’

A strange wave of nostalgia washed over me.

—

I headed to the dormitory to find Jang Woo-jae.

Since he was the central hub for the independent students, I figured he might have some insight.

“Ah…… you mean that stubborn guy?”

As expected, even with my vague description, Jang Woo-jae understood immediately.

“The Yuhun Sect? Flowing Cloud? Anyway, I recall it being a sect of that nature.”

“He’s truly from the Flowing Cloud Sect?”

“Do you know where that is? It was a name I heard for the first time, so it didn’t stick.”

“Ah, I’ve heard of it before.”

Jang Woo-jae nodded slowly.

“He is a strange fellow, in any case. He doesn’t socialize, and I’ve never seen him drink or leave the grounds. He seems to carve out time for training every day, but his proficiency never seems to improve much.”

“Do the others ostracize him?”

Jang Woo-jae scratched his cheek.

“Well, the Orthodox Path Association, the Righteous Path Association, and the Twelve Peak Citadels never considered us equals, right? Because of that, we tend to stick together pretty well.”

“Then why him?”

“It’s just… he’s usually so quiet.”

“……Then what did you mean by stubborn earlier?”

Jang Woo-jae rolled his eyes, digging through his memories.

“Well, he once had a dispute with someone from the Orthodox Path Association. It wasn’t a major affair. He demanded an apology, but the other person ignored him and kept walking.”

“And?”

Jang Woo-jae paused, then raised his hands to mimic the action.

“Right then and there, that guy picked up a stone and smashed it into the head of the Orthodox Path member…….”

Ha, he’s insane…….

Even his idiocy is identical to that other guy.

“After that, the Orthodox Path members ganged up to retaliate. But he hunted them down, one by one, and harmed them too……. That’s been going on for three months.”

“What a spectacle.”

“On top of that, he attacks anyone who tries to intervene…… so we’re at a loss.”

“As I thought, he’s even crazier than I expected…….”

“Pardon?”

“Ah, nothing. Just thinking out loud. But…….”

I looked at Jang Woo-jae and tilted my head.

“Why do you keep using formal speech?”

“Ah, haha. It’s just more comfortable for me.”

“…….”

“Does it make you uncomfortable?”

“No, not really.”

Jang Woo-jae’s eyes glinted with the enthusiasm of a puppy wagging its tail at its owner.

“Then, may I continue speaking like this?”

“Well, if it’s more comfortable for you…….”

As I finished talking to Jang Woo-jae and began to turn away, a question hit me.

“Come to think of it, what was his name?”

“His name? ……Ah! I remember, because it’s quite unique.”

“Unique?”

Jang Woo-jae nodded vigorously.

“Yes. His name is Yaryul Geuk.”

“…….”

See?

I told you I was right.

That boy, whose head was filled with reckless bravado instead of intellect, was definitely Yaryul Jae’s kin.

—

A question naturally surfaced.

Why had Yaryul Jae never spoken of his younger brother?

He was a man of few words, but he wasn’t the type to obsessively hide his past.

A broke sect and incomplete martial arts.

Yaryul Jae had mentioned traveling extensively in his youth to resolve those two issues.

Just as the fastest way to master a unique technique is through combat, Yaryul Jae had attempted to send money to his impoverished sect while refining the Flowing Cloud Divine Art.

However, fairy-tale narratives where one survives a solitary journey across the martial world to master a technique are reserved for legends like Hyeok Mu-gang.

Much like the seniors of my own sect, Yaryul Jae failed to fully refine his technique.

He eventually drifted into the Murim Alliance’s Sojeong Squad.

Ironically, it was only after Yaryul Jae abandoned all hope that he finally perfected the Flowing Cloud Divine Art—but that was long after the Great Righteous-Demonic War had erupted.

It was seven years after the Flowing Cloud Sect had been eradicated to its very roots.

[Damn it, to think it finally clicked after all this time.]

As if he were bitter about achieving it so late, Yaryul Jae had suffered and drank even more than usual.

‘What really happened? Was their relationship that toxic?’

Regardless, I wanted to hear the truth from Yaryul Geuk, so I went to find him.

According to my knowledge of my past life, by this point, Yaryul Jae would have accepted his limitations, abandoned his search, and lived like a broken man.

If I could pass the completed Flowing Cloud Divine Art to Yaryul Jae via Yaryul Geuk, perhaps the man’s current life might shift, if only slightly.

But the boy was nowhere to be found—not in the classrooms, nor in the eight-person dormitory.

‘Is he getting beaten by the Orthodox Path brats again?’

Just as I prepared to give up and head back, I sensed something flying at me from behind.

I tilted my head to dodge, catching the projectile in mid-air.

‘A ro, ……a rock?’

In my palm rested a jagged, sharp-edged stone.

“Ha…….”

I was so stunned I glanced toward the direction it had been thrown from.

“That little brat!”

Yaryul Geuk was already turning the corner, sprinting away with a panicked expression.

Even in his flight, his mouth didn’t stop working.

“J-Jin So-un! You’d better watch your back at night!”

Last time he warned me to watch my head before throwing a rock; was he now implying an ambush?

“No one would ever doubt they share the same blood.”

The reason Yaryul Jae never mentioned his brother was likely that their relationship was catastrophic.

Isn’t it said that people with foul personalities despise those exactly like them?

Is that what they call self-loathing?

“At this rate, trying to help him will just give me a massive headache.”

It wasn’t the time to reason with him.

I abandoned the chase and returned to the dorms.

—

“Huff, huff, huff.”

After fleeing a considerable distance into the shadows of a building, Yaryul Geuk poked his head out to see if Jin So-un was pursuing him.

Thankfully, there was no sign of him.

“Hmph! See that! He’ll be so terrified of my strikes now that he won’t be able to sleep!”

He chuckled for a moment, but the laughter quickly died in his throat.

“Geuk, what in the world are you doing?”

Yaryul Geuk shook his head in self-contempt.

Jin So-un was legendary.

Even though he hailed from the One Hundred Eight Peaks, he represented a sect even more obscure than the Flowing Cloud Sect.

Yet, he had taken only his junior brothers, conquered the Regular Exam, and seized the top rank.

In contrast, Yaryul Geuk had come to the Academy using his brothers’ sacrifices as his stepping stone, yet he was busy repeating petty brawls instead of mastering his arts.

‘This is why I told them I wouldn’t come.’

His eldest brother, who had left early to master their unfinished martial arts, had failed.

Then, he had sent Yaryul Geuk to the Academy, insisting he could succeed.

During the Regular Exam, his second brother had died, and his third brother had been crippled.

The eldest had told him not to worry and to focus on his studies, but could one really just let that go?

After struggling to meet their expectations, he had realized one harsh fact.

‘……I can’t do it.’

He thought of it every time he laid his head down at night.

He wished he could just close his eyes forever.

He wished he would never have to see another sunrise.

That was the reason he hated Jin So-un.

Because he shone so brightly.

Because he seemed so immense.

The way he stood with pride before the strong.

The way he moved forward without wavering, regardless of the crisis.

It was utterly contemptible.

But soon, the arrow of his hatred turned back toward himself.

‘No……. I’m the one who is contemptible.’

At this point, however, there was nothing left to do.

Behind him lay his second brother’s grave and his third brother’s maimed body; ahead stood an insurmountable, solid wall.

“When will I ever be able to see Second Brother again…….”

He thought especially hard today of his second brother’s gentle smile.

He shook off the thought and continued walking.

If he planned to launch an ambush tonight, he needed to get at least a little sleep.

Right then,

“So, this is where you’ve been hiding.”

The unpleasant voice made his head snap up.

Ak Ju-pyeong.

The man who had triggered this string of unfortunate events.

Behind him stood the Orthodox Path brats who always clung to him.

There were three times as many as usual.

“You filthy cowards. Fighting dirty, are you…….”

“Don’t worry. We’ll only handle you one at a time.”

“Get lost!”

Flashing them the middle finger, Yaryul Geuk bolted in the opposite direction.

But before he could take more than a few steps, a kick lashed out from the shadows of an alley, launching his body into the air.

CRASH.

“Guhk.”

The force of the impact churned his insides.

Ak Ju-pyeong stepped forward slowly and crouched down.

“What is your relationship with Jin So-un?”

Ak Ju-pyeong stared into his eyes, his face unreadable.

Was this coward afraid of Jin So-un, too?

“Why are you curious?”

“We have plans in motion. If you have ties to Jin So-un, I’ll postpone your punishment for a while.”

Was he implying Yaryul Geuk could survive this if he sold Jin So-un’s name?

“Pfft.”

“You’re laughing?”

Yaryul Geuk swallowed the bitter mockery rising in his throat.

Had he sunk so low that he had to trade on the name of the man he despised?

“Why would I have any relationship with a bastard like Jin So-un?”

“…….”

Yaryul Geuk’s eyes flashed like a wild animal’s.

A smile crept onto Ak Ju-pyeong’s lips.

“That’s fortunate. I would have felt quite unpleasant about delaying your beating.”

Without dropping his smile, Ak Ju-pyeong slowly rose.

It was the exact opposite of his second brother’s gentle smile.