The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Novel - Chapter 196

Chapter 196
Chapter 196. An Uninvited Guest at the Academy

“I’ve reset the bones, but… well… Even after a full recovery, there will likely be permanent repercussions.”

At the physician’s detached statement, Ak Ju-pyeong’s features twisted into a mask of frustration.

“Do-don’t talk nonsense! Don’t try to mask your own incompetence by acting like you couldn’t treat me properly!”

“…….”

“The Physician’s Pavilion……! Transfer me to the Murim Alliance’s Physician’s Pavilion!”

“……Only those affiliated with the Murim Alliance are permitted at their facility. You haven’t attained formal status in the Alliance yet.”

Facing the healer’s immovable stance, Ak Ju-pyeong’s complexion fluctuated between red and ash-gray.

“You pathetic, fraudulent doctor! My own clan’s healer could handle this easily, so why can’t you?”

As the shouting continued, the physician’s demeanor grew icy.

“Your tongue is quite filthy.”

“Wh-what’s your name! I’m going to make sure you pay for this!”

“Sima Jeong. Grade Five Special Alliance Member under the Murim Alliance.”

The mention of the rank caused Ak Ju-pyeong to tense up instantly.

To hold a Grade Five status at his age proved that this man was far more than a simple medical practitioner.

“Why? Are you still planning to pursue a complaint?”

“…….”

“Because I intend to address your behavior today.”

“…….”

“So I really should finish up with your care.”

With those words, Sima Jeong walked out of the ward.

“Ugh!”

Ak Ju-pyeong exhaled harshly, clenching his jaw.

He wasn’t genuinely intimidated by a mere healer.

His family’s influence permeated the entire Murim Alliance, and his uncle held significant sway within the Execution Pavilion, the primary regulatory body.

Even so, he couldn’t ignore the humiliation of suffering such a grievous injury during an ambush by Jin So-un.

Even if he eventually dragged Jin So-un to his death, the stain on his pride from this event wouldn’t fade.

“Jin So-un…… I’m going to dismantle your junior sect brothers and your entire school.”

BANG.

As the door swung open violently, Ak Ju-pyeong’s brows locked together.

“What kind of idiot enters without announcing his—.”

His voice vanished the moment he recognized the visitor.

The intruder walked into the room, slowly dragging a wooden chair along the ground as he approached the bed.

SCREEEECH──

The sound of the furniture scraping against the stone floor echoed with an unsettling, ominous resonance.

Driven by a desperate need to suppress the rising panic within his gut, Ak Ju-pyeong glared at the visitor.

SCREEEECH──

Halt.

The noise finally ended as the newcomer sat on the chair backward, resting his arms on the backrest, observing Ak Ju-pyeong with a hollow, emotionless gaze.

“Jin So-un…….”

Ak Ju-pyeong snarled through gritted teeth.

“You scum…… after having the gall to pull this off……!”

“Don’t even entertain the thought of letting this go.”

“…….”

Because the newcomer perfectly finished the thought he had been forced to stop earlier, Ak Ju-pyeong swallowed his remaining words.

Jin So-un tilted his head, leaning forward against the wood.

“Ak Ju-pyeong. You crossed a line.”

“…….”

Tap, tap, tap.

Jin So-un tapped the back of the chair rhythmically, adding,

“You crossed it by a long shot.”

He rested his chin on his palm, slowly dragging his eyes across Ak Ju-pyeong’s bruised body.

His stare was devoid of warmth, icy and detached.

“If I simply followed my current impulse, I’d shatter all your limbs and destroy your Dantian right now.”

Ak Ju-pyeong shuddered despite his best efforts, biting his lip to retort.

“I-I am Ak Ju-pyeong of the Shandong Ak Clan! Do you actually think you can do whatever you like to me?!”

Heh.

Jin So-un’s mouth curled into a jagged, cruel smile.

“Do you believe you’re still inside the Ak Clan’s compound?”

“…….”

“Even if your family comes looking for me once you’re a cripple, what will that change? You’ll be bedridden for the rest of your life, fed like a helpless invalid.”

“…….”

The crushing weight of his reality hit home, causing Ak Ju-pyeong to tremble again.

Gulp.

When Jin So-un raised his hand, the injured man flinched, attempting to retreat.

He found only the cold, unyielding wall behind him.

He squeezed his eyes shut in anticipation of violence.

After several seconds passed without pain, he dared to open them just a sliver.

“……Hup!”

Jin So-un’s hand, which had been aimed at his throat, had frozen in mid-air.

Then, he shifted his aim and patted his shoulder mockingly.

“Don’t be so nervous. I have no intention of dirtying my own hands. If I did, that brat would probably charge at me in a suicidal frenzy instead of focusing on you.”

“……What?”

“So get well soon and resume your Academy life. You need to recover quickly so that idiot’s madness stays aimed at you instead of me.”

“What on earth are you……”

Having delivered his message, Jin So-un turned his back on the confused man, ignoring his stuttering, and walked toward the exit.

He stopped suddenly in the doorway.

“Oh, and one more thing. Don’t even think about dropping out of the Academy.”

A wave of killing intent, sharp enough to rattle one’s very teeth, radiated from his frame.

“If you try, I will hunt you to the gates of hell and finish you.”

With that final warning, Jin So-un departed.

“Huff… huff… huff…….”

Only when the presence was gone did his muscles finally stop locking up, though he was struck by a profound sense of shame for having been so intimidated by someone like Jin So-un.

“……Jin So-un! You cursed devil!! I will absolutely, without question, have my revenge……!”

The sound of him gnashing his teeth rang emptily through the room.

—

As I walked out after delivering my warning to Ak Ju-pyeong, I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of the group approaching the hall.

Did they catch the sound?

The instructors and teachers were all staring directly at me.

“Jin So-un……. You are currently under investigation for Disciplinary Action. Who gave you permission to walk around freely?”

“Disciplinary Action?”

I tilted my head, watching the face of the head instructor curdle in frustration.

“The faculty council has already begun the formal process. Are you aware that depending on the outcome, you could potentially be expelled from the Academy?”

Ha, these clowns really think their threats mean something.

“How hilarious.”

“What was that?”

A smirk slipped out, born of sheer disbelief.

“The disciplinary measures aren’t official until the Academy Head provides his approval, correct?”

“……Y-you!”

Do they have any idea who I am?

Honestly.

I’m the guy who became blood brothers with their own Academy Head.

“Jin So-un, show the proper respect to your superior.”

“Respect, my foot……”

As I picked at my ear and stared at the group with feigned indifference, the lead teacher and his subordinates grew visibly agitated.

“Furthermore, expelling a student is a serious decision that necessitates the approval of the Mantongbu. If we’re going to look into this incident, we should also examine the failure of the Academy staff in maintaining order. Are you sure you want to open that door?”

“……You insolent little wretch!”

Wow, such high praise.

This was a clear admission that he’d lost the verbal confrontation.

“Well, that sounds like a fun debate. A group of teachers who ignored a student until he was beaten to the brink of death, versus me, who dealt with the perpetrator to protect that student. I wonder who walks away with the heavier sentence.”

“……Do you think the Orthodox Path Association and the Shandong Ak Clan will allow this to slide?”

“And let’s not forget, the teachers who are supposed to be neutral have been openly pandering to specific factions and favoring individual students.”

“Grr!”

I gestured with both hands toward the room where Ak Ju-pyeong lay.

“Go on, hurry up and go lick his boots. If you show him some sympathy while he’s feeling vulnerable, won’t Ak Ju-pyeong just love that?”

I pushed past the gathered instructors and teachers without looking back.

In the courtyard, Namgung Seon-hwa and Seong Mo-ran were waiting.

They must have heard rumors, as their expressions were tight with concern.

“Young Master Jin, what in the world happened?”

“It was nothing of importance.”

“How can you call that unimportant! The entire school is in a total panic right now……!”

“Well, I’ll likely get a light slap on the wrist, but I doubt they’ll expel me. Ak Ju-pyeong’s crimes are just too severe.”

Even after I said this, neither woman looked remotely at ease.

They exchanged a brief, meaningful look, and Namgung Seon-hwa decided to speak up.

“The Shandong Ak Clan is the family that controls the most influential public positions in the Murim Alliance out of all the Five Great Clans.”

“Hmm…… Is that so?”

I knew this in passing, but I didn’t see the need to broadcast my knowledge in front of her.

Regardless of my calm exterior, Namgung Seon-hwa looked unnaturally tense.

“They have a particularly high concentration of members within the Execution Pavilion.”

“Oh?”

Wait. What was she implying?

I scrambled through the mental index of my past life’s personnel records.

Namgung Seon-hwa continued, her voice low.

“You’re aware that among the various branches of the Execution Pavilion, the Third Hall is considered the most lethal, right?”

Even in the eyes of the demonic sects, the reputation of the Execution Pavilion’s Third Hall was legendary; once someone was taken there, they never returned in one piece.

“…….”

She nodded grimly.

“The Master of the Third Hall, the Blood Ghost Flying Spear, is Ak Ju-pyeong’s paternal uncle.”

“…….”

As I recalled the internal staff records from that era, the name finally surfaced.

Third Hall Master of the Execution Pavilion, Ak Byeong-bi.

Damn it, he was definitely of the Shandong Ak Clan.

—

‘U……um…….’

Regaining consciousness, Yaryul Geuk looked at the unfamiliar ceiling, his eyes wide with confusion.

“Wh-where am I……!”

Hearing a voice nearby, he snapped his head toward the sound.

“J-Jin So-un!”

He felt a wave of nausea, thinking he was trapped in a nightmare with a man he detested.

“You…… don’t you dare show your face before me again……!”

Instinctively, Yaryul Geuk snarled and tried to channel his internal energy, but in his current state, his killing intent was pathetically weak.

Jin So-un simply watched him, speaking with cold detachment.

“Why did you quit?”

The question caught him off guard, its meaning unclear.

When Yaryul Geuk remained silent, Jin So-un took a step forward and repeated it.

“Why did you quit?”

“Wh-what are you rambling about!”

Jin So-un’s eyes sharpened.

“Their strikes were brutal, sure, but not enough to finish you off. Why did you just roll over and give up?”

“…….”

Yaryul Geuk hung his head, his previous rage replaced by a sudden, hollow silence.

“Why did you give up?”

He pressed the issue ruthlessly.

“Th-that’s none of your concern!”

He tried to force a defensive posture.

“Why did you give up?”

Jin So-un continued to back him into a mental corner.

“Why did you give up?”

The repeated question ignited a flare of fury in Yaryul Geuk’s eyes.

“What could you possibly know about it……! Who gave you the right to judge me!”

“So you did give up.”

“……You insane bastard.”

Jin So-un paused, his voice dropping to a freezing temperature.

“Did it feel comforting to just quit?”

The question cut through his defenses more sharply than any blade.

The cold voice showed no signs of relenting.

“I’m asking you if giving up felt like peace.”

Yaryul Geuk had no answer, only a glare of pure hatred.

Jin So-un smiled thinly, finding the gaze amusing.

“If it were me, I think I would have remembered my family.”

“……!”

A spark of fire reignited in his eyes.

But Jin So-un’s monotone voice didn’t waver.

“Your deceased second brother, or perhaps your crippled third brother.”

“……Y-you!”

As if remembering a detail, Jin So-un tapped his own forehead.

“Ah! I heard you funded your attempt at the Regular Exam with the life savings your eldest brother worked his whole life to earn, didn’t you? That brother is honestly pitiable. How foolish must he feel, realizing he wasted everything on such a pathetic coward?”

Yaryul Geuk felt as if a dam had burst inside his mind.

“You, you son of a bitch……!”

He lunged toward Jin So-un, ignoring the state of his own body.

It didn’t matter if he was broken; the agony of the accusation was too much to endure.

Yaryul Geuk launched himself from the cot, unleashing the Hard Thunder Fist Art, aiming directly for the vital points.

Tap, tap, tap.

Jin So-un deflected the strikes with one hand, then flicked his fingers to strike Yaryul Geuk’s Numbing Acupoint.

Yaryul Geuk twisted and writhed in a frantic, losing struggle.

“R-release me! I’m going to kill you!”

“This is the Medicine Hall, where others are recovering.”

Jin So-un hoisted him up with one arm and walked out, carrying him toward a practice yard.

Reaching a secluded, empty training area, he tossed Yaryul Geuk to the ground and subtly released the acupoint.

Looking down at the man, Jin So-un goaded him.

“Nobody’s around here. You can make as much of a scene as you want.”

Yaryul Geuk’s eyes rolled back in a frenzy of rage as he lunged again.

“You damned scum!”

The Hard Thunder Fist Art erupted from his hands.

It was a technique as fast and vicious as a storm.

Jin So-un didn’t even bother to dodge; he simply caught the shoulder, swept his legs, and slammed him into the dirt.

THUD.

Yaryul Geuk tried to rise, but Jin So-un grabbed his collar and yanked him forward.

He tumbled across the ground like a broken ragdoll.

“Is that it? With skill like that, who exactly do you think you’re going to kill?”

“Aaaaaaagh!”

The Downpour Palm Art flooded the space around Jin So-un, attacking from three angles.

Still refusing to move, Jin So-un raised a hand and simply swatted the palm strikes aside.

His movements were effortless, almost mocking in their grace.

“At this rate, I don’t think I even need to use real techniques.”

“…….”

Yaryul Geuk forced air into his lungs, preparing his final gambit.

Jin So-un walked toward him with total nonchalance.

“I finally understand why Ak Ju-pyeong targeted you so relentlessly. Weak-willed talkers are pathetic by nature.”

Jin So-un threw a sloppy punch.

Yaryul Geuk tracked the trajectory, grabbed the fist, and countered with the Lotus of the Flowing Cloud Divine Art.

It was a devastating, complex move that had even frustrated Ak Ju-pyeong’s followers.

‘It landed……!’

Thinking he’d successfully caught him, Yaryul Geuk stared intently.

Jin So-un’s body lifted, rotating cleanly in mid-air.

If he could just slam him down, the sheer force would break his posture.

And if he followed up with a strike…….

“A guy who doesn’t even grasp the basics of momentum is trying to use the Transplanting Flower and Grafting Tree Art.”

Yaryul Geuk felt like he was losing his mind.

Jin So-un should have been off-balance, yet he was speaking with perfect clarity while upside down.

Tap.

He landed on his feet, shifted his palm, and jerked Yaryul Geuk forward.

In that heartbeat, Yaryul Geuk felt his own body snatched into the air by a gravitational pull he couldn’t possibly resist.

‘Th-the Transplanting Flower and Grafting Tree Art?’

No master in the Flowing Cloud Sect had ever demonstrated such a massive, crushing level of force.

CRASH.

When he hit the ground, his brain seemed to white out, his ears ringing with the sound of his own shock.

He had just been hit with his own force, multiplied tenfold.

His body, already weak, felt like it was disintegrating, but the technique he had just witnessed overshadowed the pain.

More than the physical toll, he was paralyzed by sheer disbelief.

‘Th-this is…….’

The legendary technique every member of the Flowing Cloud Sect had searched for in vain for decades.

The true meaning of the Lotus.

“Wh-what are you, Jin So-un!”

That level of mastery had just come from the hands of the very man he despised.

It had clearly, undeniably manifested.