The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Novel - Chapter 195

Chapter 195
THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD.

Yaryul Geuk experienced an odd numbness.

Despite being relentlessly struck, he no longer registered any pain.

Had his injuries become so severe that his very nerve endings had ceased to function?

Or had the capacity to perceive agony simply become an unaffordable luxury?

His frame, meanwhile, could not sustain even a fraction of the abuse he usually withstood, and he collapsed backward.

He fought to remain upright, but his legs had lost all remaining strength.

“Guess I’ll see you tomorrow…….”

Behind eyes that were drooping shut, he caught a glimpse of Ak Ju-pyeong’s cruel expression.

Bizarrely, he didn’t even feel the urge he had craved so intensely moments ago—the urge to ‘strike him just once.’

‘Ah……. I need to stand up.’

He heard footsteps retreating.

The vicinity had fallen into complete stillness, with no other sounds remaining.

Even the breeze that had been brushing against him gradually died away.

Wrapped in this absolute quiet, he slowly became indifferent to the air, which had previously felt biting.

‘I must return home…… If I head back, Eldest Brother will feel let down, won’t he?’

Why had he survived at all?

Would it not have been better for him to have perished so his second eldest brother could have joined the Academy?

If his third eldest brother had not been wounded, would he have been able to master his technique?

Such hollow thoughts swirled endlessly within his mind.

He felt as though he were plunging into the depths of an abyss with no measurable floor.

‘I just want to rest…….’

If he could force himself to the dormitory, he could scrub the dirt from his skin and, at the very least, gain a short period of recovery.

Perhaps then, he could launch some form of retaliation against Ak Ju-pyeong and his associates.

But what would be the point of that?

The following morning, he would just be battered once again.

No vigor remained in his body.

In truth, his spirit had stalled.

He simply possessed no desire to continue.

‘Maybe…… this is fine too.’

Yaryul Geuk, his mental state completely fractured, surrendered any remaining will to stir.

A tranquil shadow swallowed him whole.

—

“Huff, huff, huff, huff.”

Lee Ja-gon, who had been tracking Jin So-un after the urgent alert, gasped for air.

‘What kind of movement technique is he utilizing…….’

Furthermore, Jin So-un had stopped at the dorms and shattered both of Ak Ju-pyeong’s ankles, snapping them in ways they were never meant to bend.

Though the Instructors and Teaching Masters had formed a blockade, Jin So-un had effortlessly bypassed them as if they were inconsequential, heading off somewhere.

‘Is that man truly the same Jin So-un?’

During his Evaluation Envoy examination, Jin So-un’s ability was clearly that of a high-tier newcomer.

Yet, within such a brief window, he had achieved this level of advancement.

It was difficult to process.

However, no one seemed to grasp the true gravity of the situation.

The shortsighted were merely venting their superficial frustration.

“Word is he went toward Yangsan Peak.”

“We cannot just sit idle and ignore this situation.”

“To imagine he would actually engage in violence within the Academy!”

Lee Ja-gon offered a mirthless smile.

Since when had violence on Academy grounds become such a grave offense?

Was it not the prevailing culture here to blame the victims for their failure to train hard enough?

‘The games of grown men, I suppose?’

Observing the faces of the Instructors shouting at the top of their lungs, he noticed they all held some ties to the Orthodox Path Association.

Since Ak Ju-pyeong had been maimed under their watch, they feared facing repercussions from the Orthodox Path Association.

‘Besides, he picked the wrong opponent.’

All this time, Jin So-un had waged a solitary battle.

Lee Ja-gon had believed he was managing well, but for this to occur here of all places…

‘Did they say Ak Ju-pyeong’s uncle is an official at the Inspection Pavilion?’

The Murim Academy was already suffocating under parental influence; if an office within the Murim Alliance became involved, the issue would spiral beyond control.

For the sake of Jin So-un, resolving this promptly was the highest priority.

Suddenly, a signal flared indicating the target had been located.

The Instructors who arrived at a clearing on Yangsan Peak found Jin So-un kneeling in the dirt.

“Jin So-un! You wretch! How dare you commit assault within the Academy! Get over here this instant!”

A Teaching Master spoke with grave authority, yet Jin So-un did not budge.

As the Instructors prepared to move in and seize him by force, Lee Ja-gon spotted something peculiar and motioned for them to halt.

“Please, hold a moment.”

“Hm? Teaching Master Lee, that rogue must be disciplined immediately…….”

“No, that is not it.”

A young student lay on the ground in front of Jin So-un.

As Lee Ja-gon drew closer, the youth’s features became clear.

It was an Academy student he had seen in his classes periodically.

Was he from the Flowing Ring Sect? Lee Ja-gon recalled him as a disciple of a sect so obscure that even the name was elusive.

‘Yaryul…… Geuk! But was that child close to Jin So-un?’

Jin So-un was a primary point of surveillance within the Academy.

The Teaching Masters had already mapped out his acquaintances and potential rivals in advance.

‘I am certain that boy had no connection to Jin So-un…….’

As Lee Ja-gon contemplated this, one Teaching Master, losing his patience, stepped forward.

“I will handle the escort. He is a flight risk. Stand up, Jin So-un.”

The Teaching Master gripped Jin So-un’s shoulder and gave a forceful tug.

CRACK.

“Aaagh!”

Instead, Jin So-un caught the man’s hand, twisted it, and shoved him aside.

It was a strange, fluid motion that defied easy explanation.

At Jin So-un’s single action, the Teaching Masters and Instructors dropped into combat stances.

Several even unsheathed their blades.

“Jin So-un! What is this madness?! How dare you assault a Teaching Master! Is this an open rebellion against the Academy?”

Remaining seated with his back to them, Jin So-un spoke.

“……Why are you people here?”

Jin So-un’s tone was dangerously low.

“Is running a bit through the campus such a grave offense that you must create this much chaos and use words like ‘escort’?”

“Jin So-un! You severely injured another student on Academy grounds!”

“Is that bastard dead?”

Was it only Lee Ja-gon’s imagination, or did that low voice sound truly ominous?

Hearing that chilling, blade-like tone made his throat tighten.

“……This boy was beaten by those vermin for months until he was nearly at death’s door.”

Jin So-un turned his head, scanning the faces of those surrounding him one by one.

“Among the Teaching Masters and Instructors present, surely some of you recognize this boy’s face, don’t you?”

“…….”

Audible gulps echoed through the clearing.

“If you want to dish out punishment, go after Ak Ju-pyeong and his cronies first. Until you do, you have no authority to discipline anyone.”

CRACK.

To the side, the Teaching Master who had been sent flying with a twisted limb stood up and shoved his dislocated arm back into place.

“Guhk! What are you all waiting for?! This is a direct assault on the dignity of the teachers!”

The Instructors, who had been wavering, steadied their weapons at the Teaching Master’s command.

Jin So-un stood up slowly and looked directly at the Teaching Master who had issued the order.

“Looking at this entire mess, I find it impossible to view any of you with respect.”

“What the hell are you babbling about…….”

SLIP—

Jin So-un, who had been standing still, vanished like smoke.

THWACK.

A heavy impact resonated from several paces away.

‘When did he……!’

Jin So-un had left an afterimage behind and struck the Teaching Master squarely in the jaw.

The force was so intense that three ivory shards flew from the man’s mouth.

Taking this as a signal, the remaining Teaching Masters and Instructors, sensing they had no choice, surged forward toward Jin So-un.

Just then, Lee Ja-gon spotted something and let out a thunderous shout.

“St-stop!!”

As the cry echoed across Yangsan Peak, everyone turned toward Lee Ja-gon.

Lee Ja-gon hurried to Yaryul Geuk and inspected the youth’s condition.

Beyond the visible bruising on his face, his entire body was covered in deep, purple-black hematomas.

At this stage, it was only logical for him to look like a corpse.

‘But!’

Lee Ja-gon had caught a glimpse of something.

Yaryul Geuk’s chest had risen, however imperceptibly.

‘He’s breathing!’

It was faint, barely there, but he was alive.

When Lee Ja-gon pressed his fingers to the boy’s wrist, the pulse was irregular and weak, but it was beating.

“H-he’s still breathing!”

“He’s alive?”

In a heartbeat, Jin So-un appeared beside Lee Ja-gon.

“W-we need to get to the Medicine Hall immediately.”

Before Lee Ja-gon could react, Jin So-un gathered Yaryul Geuk into his arms.

Without another word, he vanished like a gale.

Whoooosh──

Watching Jin So-un disappear, Lee Ja-gon could not shake the dread in his heart.

For some reason, it felt like this incident was far from over.

The look on Jin So-un’s face as he vanished would not leave his mind.

—

Upon reaching the Medicine Hall, Jin So-un ignored the Medicine Women demanding he follow the standard intake procedures and strode inside, laying Yaryul Geuk onto a cot.

He instantly checked the pulse.

‘He is, he is alive!’

Before he could even feel relief, intruders cut him off.

“You cannot just barge in here!”

The Medicine Women’s voices were sharp with irritation.

Jin So-un scanned the room.

“Where are the medicinal ingredients kept?”

“What are you doing…… You cannot wander through here as you please…….”

“Where are the ingredients?!”

Stunned by Jin So-un’s disregard for their rules, the hesitating Medicine Woman finally gestured toward a side room.

Without a second’s delay, Jin So-un entered the storage area and began gathering materials into a bowl with a familiarity that suggested he had done this a thousand times.

Just then, a man stepped inside.

“What in the world is happening?”

“P-physician! A man just broke in and……”

Medicine Hall Master Sima Jeong looked from the dying patient on the bed to Jin So-un, who was busy in the storage, and addressed the Medicine Women.

“I will take charge here; everyone else return to your duties.”

“Sir? But…….”

“By the looks of it, this young man has a solid grasp of the treatment required. In moments like these, it is better to observe.”

“…….”

Perhaps because he hailed from the Murim Alliance’s Physicians Pavilion, the Medicine Woman assumed he was superior to the previous Hall Masters and finally vacated the area.

“Hmm……?”

Sima Jeong approached Yaryul Geuk to check the pulse.

‘His internal energy has been compromised, and his meridians are choked with stagnant blood……. What in the world did they do to him to cause such damage?’

He was in a precarious state where his breath seemed ready to cease at any heartbeat.

Given the severity, that someone wasn’t looking for a doctor but was busy concocting their own medicine piqued Sima Jeong’s curiosity.

Rising to look into the storage area, he saw Jin So-un preparing herbs with surgical precision—powdering some and crushing others.

He wrapped the prepared materials in a cloth and held them firmly in his palms.

‘Hm?’

A moment later, white vapor rose from his hands, and thick, dark liquid began to drip into the bowl.

‘Is he refining medicine like that?’

It was a technique Sima Jeong had never witnessed in his life.

He feared the efficacy of the herbs would be compromised, yet Jin So-un’s focus was entirely too confident for that to be the case.

After filling one bowl, Jin So-un unwrapped the cloth, set aside several ingredients, and ground them into a fine dust.

He then blended the powders with honey and rolled them into three Pills.

“…….”

Having completed the preparation, Jin So-un glanced at Sima Jeong, who was blocking the doorway.

Sima Jeong suddenly snapped to his senses and stepped aside.

“Ah, excuse me. I found the process fascinating. Please, continue.”

Jin So-un brushed past him without a word and moved to Yaryul Geuk.

He pried the boy’s mouth open and slowly administered the liquid.

“Do you know how to apply acupuncture needles?”

“……Please, do so.”

“I’m happy to be of service.”

While Sima Jeong worked with the needles, Jin So-un crushed one of the Pills he had created, mixed it into a decoction, and fed it to Yaryul Geuk.

Sima Jeong checked the pulse periodically between needle placements.

Was the boy’s pulse actually strengthening in real time?

‘What in the world is this…….’

Normally, a decoction would take time to produce any effect.

Yet, the medicine Jin So-un had created through that strange process was triggering an almost instantaneous reaction.

As if Jin So-un was aware of this, he crushed the second Pill and fed it to the patient.

The pulse grew even more robust.

“May I…… ask a question?”

“…….”

Sima Jeong understood the danger of disturbing a martial artist during such a critical procedure, but as a physician, his curiosity was overwhelming.

Realizing they hadn’t exchanged names, he added hurriedly,

“Ah! I am Sima Jeong.”

“Sima Jeong? The Heavenly Mysteries……”

Jin So-un stopped mid-sentence.

“Heavenly Mysteries? What is that?”

“Nothing of importance. Are you an employee of this Medicine Hall?”

“No. I used to be with the Alliance’s Physicians Pavilion.”

For a fleeting second, Sima Jeong thought he saw a flash in Jin So-un’s eyes, but he pushed on.

“May I ask a few things? It seems we have time before the next Pill is needed.”

Jin So-un looked at Yaryul Geuk, then gave a curt nod.

“Ask away.”

“I know that it is nearly impossible to produce such results so quickly with decoctions and pills. How did you manage it?”

“……You know, don’t you?”

A thought flashed through Sima Jeong’s mind like lightning.

“Could it be that you utilized poison?”

“Correct. The toxin of the Nine Yin Serpent has the characteristic of traveling rapidly through the blood to paralyze, does it not?”

“Ha! You actually used poison?”

Jin So-un shrugged as if it were a trivial matter.

“I also added Yangyang Herb, which follows the toxin’s path to neutralize it.”

“Indeed. You used the Nine Yin Serpent’s venom to distribute the medicine’s effect, then neutralized the toxin with the herb.”

When Jin So-un nodded, Sima Jeong was inwardly stunned.

It was a technique he had only ever theorized about in his own mind.

Yet this young man, who seemed to have only just reached his majority, had applied it with such mastery.

Sima Jeong became intensely curious about his identity.

Then, as if on cue, Jin So-un administered the third Pill.

The pulse that had been hammering began to settle into a steady, healthy rhythm.

“Ha……. You truly saved his life.”

Color was slowly returning to Yaryul Geuk’s pale skin.

His lids, which had been as still as the dead, fluttered and slowly parted.

Blearily, Yaryul Geuk scanned the room, spotted Jin So-un, and his face contorted.

“Jin So-un, you……. I’m certain I warned you that I would never forgive you if you showed your face before me again……”

Hearing this from the side, Sima Jeong was bewildered.

This was a boy who would have died if not for this man.

Yet, the first thing he said to his savior was a string of curses.

Failing to understand the situation, Sima Jeong watched Jin So-un with a tense expression.

But contrary to his expectations, a faint smile touched Jin So-un’s lips, softening his previously rigid features.

“Haah, you ungrateful wretch…….”

A strange sense of relief lingered on Jin So-un’s stunned face.