The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Novel - Chapter 2

Chapter 2
## Chapter 2. A Third-Rate Warrior Who Remembers Everything (2)

“…Senior Brother, what are you doing?”

I stared intently at Geum-pyo, the image of his final moments still fresh and haunting in my mind.

“Geum-pyo…”

“Yeah?”

“Forgive me.”

“What?”

Geum-pyo frantically reached into his garments and retrieved a tiny sack.

“Did you take my candy again?”

“…”

What kind of ridiculous life had I led back then to make him think that instantly?

“…Regardless, I truly apologize.”

“Wait, my candy is right here… What is wrong with you?”

Having offered amends to Geum-pyo—the person I couldn’t save in my past existence—and finding a tiny bit of peace for my guilty conscience, I questioned him.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in class right now? What about your training? What are you doing out here?”

Geum-pyo stared back at me, thoroughly baffled.

“If you’re aware of that, Senior Brother, then why are you just lounging on the wooden bench?”

“I’ve got a slight headache.”

“You’ve been telling everyone that for seven days straight.”

“Wow, has it already been a week?”

But I had actually been occupied with critical matters in my own right.

Starting from this exact moment, I needed to review every single impending catastrophe, tracing back exactly why the Taeul Sect crumbled and pinpointing the precise moment the rot had set in.

“I’ve actually had a lot on my mind…”

“…Reclining like that doesn’t exactly make your words sound convincing.”

“I’m serious. I was reflecting on what lies ahead for our sect.”

The Taeul Sect, the martial home I belonged to, operated as a minor swordsmanship clan situated close to Hefei within Anhui Province.

While it possessed a long history, it lacked true prestige. It claimed a wide array of techniques, yet commanded negligible combat power.

Given the choice between a prominent martial academy and the Taeul Sect, the vast majority of families favored the academy.

If there were any redeeming qualities, they were merely that the Taeul Sect offered a daily meal and somehow retained a spot within the Murim Alliance’s One Hundred Eight Peaks.

‘Frankly, how our clan managed to secure a place among the One Hundred Eight Peaks remains an absolute enigma.’

Lacking both martial prowess and financial resources, and without ever slipping under-the-table payouts to the Alliance’s leadership, our clan had somehow never been stripped of its standing in the One Hundred Eight Peaks.

As long as we held that title, we were granted a degree of immunity from land arguments and violent clashes with rival groups.

No matter the underlying reasons, whenever hostilities erupted between clans, the doctrine of the Murim Alliance mandated that they support any member of the One Hundred Eight Peaks.

Consequently, the Taeul Sect managed to stay relatively insulated from the fierce, cutthroat rivalry dominating Hefei.

However, irony dictated that this exact prestige would eventually lead to our complete destruction, meaning it was a double-edged sword at best.

I needed to figure out a way to break through this paradox…

“…Senior Brother!”

“…Eh?”

“The Taeul Sect is doing just fine, so quit stressing and stand up.”

“…How can a mere sparrow comprehend the grand designs of a stork?”

“The Hall Master of Busaeng Hall demands your presence.”

“What does that fellow want with me?”

“…Still, referring to the Hall Master as ‘that fellow’ seems a bit inappropriate…”

The current Hall Master of Busaeng Hall was an outsider to the Taeul Sect.

Strictly speaking, he was affiliated with the Gyeryong Merchant Guild, being the younger sibling of its leader. His sole claim to fame was his past status as a secular student of the Mount Hua Sect.

So how did an individual like that become a Hall Master within our clan?

The answer lay with the head of the Gyeryong Merchant Guild, who stationed him here to watch over his own son. The merchant lord was terrified that his boy, enrolled as a secular student in the Taeul Sect, might accidentally inherit our clan’s “inferior techniques.”

This absurd, nonsensical arrangement was made possible by a specific perk reserved for the One Hundred Eight Peaks: the “Murim Academy special admission track.”

Climbing the ranks of the Murim Alliance required first gaining entry into the Murim Academy.

Yet, passing the standard entrance exams was an incredibly daunting task.

Consequently, to exploit the alternative pathway offered exclusively to the One Hundred Eight Peaks, the wealthy, spoiled heir of the Gyeryong Merchant Guild enrolled as a secular disciple in our low-ranking, third-rate Taeul Sect.

Strapped for cash, our clan bowed to their conditions to ensure they kept receiving financial backing from the Gyeryong Merchant Guild.

“If someone like him doesn’t qualify as ‘that fellow,’ then what am I supposed to call him?”

Geum-pyo let out a soft laugh, clearly amused by my remark.

“Well, regardless, he insisted you show up today.”

“Hmph… did he mention if we’re doing combat drills?”

“…It certainly feels that way.”

Geum-pyo’s expression grew anxious.

Sanctioned brutality disguised as educational dueling.

Currently, these combat sessions were the most dreaded part of the curriculum for everyone in the Taeul Sect.

“Tsk. Is that the best a self-proclaimed secular student of Mount Hua can come up with?”

I picked myself up off the platform.

I had no desire to deal with those people, but I couldn’t let my younger martial siblings get thrashed without doing anything.

*CRACK.*

“Argh!”

The moment I stepped inside Busaeng Hall, I witnessed a disciple of our clan clutching his skull and writhing in agony across the floor.

Sa-ryeon sprinted over immediately, inspecting the fallen boy’s injuries while glaring fiercely at Gye Cheol-yeong.

Gye Cheol-yeong completely misread the look in Sa-ryeon’s eyes, offering a smug, self-satisfied grin.

“What did you think of that? Pretty spectacular, right?”

What an idiot. Unbelievable.

I walked over to the young boy Sa-ryeon was attempting to help up.

“Let me take a quick look.”

Fortunately, the skin hadn’t broken.

While head injuries that didn’t bleed were usually the most alarming, Gye Cheol-yeong at his current age lacked the profound strength to cause internal hemorrhaging, so there wasn’t much cause for panic.

“When you get back to your room, press a cold rock against it. That ought to keep the lump down.”

“Ah, okay…”

Brushing away the tears welling up in his eyes, the child bravely returned to the ranks.

“Look who decided to show up. Didn’t you claim your head was killing you? Are you all better?”

At Sa-ryeon’s words, I shook my head sideways.

“Not at all. My thoughts just got even more tangled, so I crawled out here.”

“What do you mean?”

Shifting my attention away from Sa-ryeon, I addressed Gye Yeon-seung, the Hall Master of Busaeng Hall.

“Wouldn’t it be wiser to call off the combat drills for the day?”

“What did you say?”

“A significant number of the junior disciples look like they’ve already taken injuries.”

Over half of the kids gathered on the floor were rubbing their skulls, shoulders, or forearms.

Every single one of them had been battered under the guise of an educational match.

“Jin So-un, you walk in late and have the audacity to spout such garbage?”

“Is this so-called training session actually anything more than an excuse to show off how incredible Senior Brother Gye Cheol-yeong is?”

“Watch your mouth!”

I locked eyes with Gye Cheol-yeong, who stood proudly next to Gye Yeon-seung.

“And to you, Senior Brother Gye. No matter how terrible Sa-ryeon’s tastes might be—and trust me, they’d have to be abysmal—there is absolutely no universe where she falls for a pathetic loser like you. You’re aiming way out of your league.”

“Jin So-un, I’ll kill you!”

Gye Cheol-yeong’s face flushed a furious crimson, looking as if he would spring at me instantly.

However, Gye Yeon-seung threw up an arm to hold him back.

“Is that honestly all you see when you look at this training session?”

Gye Yeon-seung’s gaze burned with pure rage. Disregarding his fury, I pushed forward.

“I have no idea what we’re actually supposed to be learning in Busaeng Hall lately. Isn’t it just endless conditioning and mindless brawling day after day?”

“Every bit of this is preparation for actual combat…”

“If that’s the case, I think we’d benefit far more from just practicing our solo forms.”

“You…”

Gye Yeon-seung’s face turned so violently red it looked ready to burst open.

“How dare you speak such absolute nonsense right in front of me, an actual practitioner of the Mount Hua Sect?”

“You aren’t a true disciple, you’re just a secular student, aren’t you? Exactly like Senior Brother Gye over there, you bought your sword techniques with cash.”

I had only spoken the absolute truth, yet it seemed to provoke Gye Yeon-seung into an even greater frenzy.

I suppose that’s why they say the truth hurts the most.

“You miserable piece of trash!”

A chilling aura of murderous intent began to radiate from Gye Yeon-seung’s frame.

It wasn’t just Sa-ryeon and the younger kids who shuddered; even Gye Cheol-yeong felt a primitive wave of terror and shifted backward.

Oddly enough, I didn’t feel a single shred of fear. It certainly wasn’t because my martial abilities surpassed Gye Yeon-seung’s.

‘Honestly, compared to the monsters I went up against in my past life, this little display of killing intent feels like child’s play.’

Dismissing it internally, I kept talking.

If you couldn’t overpower someone with martial force, you dismantled them with your words. That was the philosophy of the Sojeong Squad.

“To be completely blunt, I think it would be best if both the Hall Master and Senior Brother Gye stopped this nonsense. That way, my martial siblings and I could actually study the proper martial arts of the Taeul Sect.”

“Ha! Hahaha! Are you claiming it’s better to learn from the pathetic instructors of the Taeul Sect than from someone like me?”

“What exactly is there to learn from you anyway? Secular students are strictly forbidden from sharing their clan’s hidden arts with outsiders. On top of that, you don’t possess a single drop of real battlefield experience.”

“Grr…”

Gye Yeon-seung’s entire body began to shake with rage.

Sa-ryeon sidled up right next to me and hissed in a low whisper.

“What are you doing, Senior Brother? Have you completely lost your mind?”

“I don’t think so. Everything I said is accurate, isn’t it?”

Whatever, I didn’t give a damn anymore.

A future that offered nothing but absolute misery.

A useless version of myself that couldn’t protect a thing.

Perhaps if I ended up dying right here under Gye Yeon-seung’s weapon, Gye Cheol-yeong would have no choice but to pack up and abandon the Taeul Sect.

If that happened, maybe a genuine disciple of our clan would get to utilize that special admission slot for the Murim Academy.

‘Then again, even if a single person makes it in, does it actually alter the future?’

Even if one managed to join the Murim Alliance as a low-tier grunt, they were destined to become nothing more than a human shield.

Even so, if anyone wanted to play a pivotal role in the upcoming Great Righteous-Demonic War, entering the Murim Academy was an absolute prerequisite.

At the very least, Gye Cheol-yeong, who only wanted to exploit the Murim Academy to secure power within the Murim Alliance, could not be permitted to steal that opportunity.

“Ha… So that’s how you view things? Fine. You better have the martial capability to back up that arrogant mouth. Step up right now! Prove your words against Cheol-yeong!”

It always devolved into this.

When logic failed, they resorted to brute force, ending any real dialogue.

If this had been my past life, I would have tucked my tail between my legs and conceded by now.

‘Sigh, I might as well give them a proper demonstration.’

Even if this was nothing more than venting my frustrations, it would still serve a purpose if it cleared my head.

I extended an open palm toward Sa-ryeon.

Sa-ryeon immediately pulled her training weapon behind her hips and spoke up.

“…Senior Brother, if you go through with this, you’re going to get seriously mangled. Just swallow your pride and apologize.”

“Why should I say sorry when everything I’ve said is the absolute truth?”

Executing the White Phoenix Hand, I deftly snatched the wooden blade right out of Sa-ryeon’s grip and strode out to the center.

“Jin So-un! Assume your starting posture!”

“Why would I bother with a formal stance just to deal with Senior Brother Gye… Let’s just get this over with.”

I casually propped the wooden sword against my shoulder, indicating I was set.

My completely disrespectful demeanor clearly infuriated Gye Cheol-yeong, whose face now matched the murderous look of Gye Yeon-seung.

“Jin So-un! How dare you show such disrespect in front of the Hall Master!”

“Senior Brother, less talking, more fighting.”

“You clearly need to be broken to learn some humility.”

Gye Cheol-yeong shifted into a starting stance that distinctly did not belong to the Taeul Sect.

‘The Three Shadows Sword. In my previous existence, I took countless beatings from that exact style.’

It was a technique he had acquired after hiring Heonwon Su, a wandering martial artist of great repute from Shaanxi Province, to tutor him privately.

I had committed every single form and transition to memory the very first time I witnessed it, but in my past life, my physical capabilities lacked the speed to dodge or counter it.

Now, however, I possessed the combat instincts of a former veteran grunt of the Murim Alliance. I had survived the front lines with the Sojeong Squad, acting as a human wall against the absolute worst forces of the Demonic Cult, including the terrifying Heavenly Demon Black Sword Unit.

There was absolutely no way I was going to let a twenty-year-old Gye Cheol-yeong run over me.

“Begin!”

The moment Gye Yeon-seung roared the start, Gye Cheol-yeong shifted his weight and glided forward with smooth, rapid footwork.

It certainly wasn’t the movement style of the Taeul Sect.

Gye Cheol-yeong’s opening strike lunged viciously straight toward my eyeballs.

True to the nature of a rogue martial artist’s style, the form was incredibly violent, packed with a relentless, oppressive momentum.

The younger students of our clan couldn’t help but gasp in terror.

‘Unfortunate for him, though.’

Compared to the blood-drenched maniacs of the Demonic Cult, this display felt incredibly amateurish.

Furthermore, Gye Cheol-yeong completely lacked the life-or-death conviction of Heonwon Su, nor did he possess the sheer desperation required to perfect a technique.

Even though it was the identical style, the execution was worlds apart.

I didn’t even need to dig into the high-level martial arts I had memorized in my past life.

The basic Minor Heaven Sword Art, which every single child in Busaeng Hall practiced daily, would be more than sufficient.

*CLACK.*

I deflected Gye Cheol-yeong’s incoming blade upward using the flat side of my weapon, immediately launching into three consecutive forms of the Minor Heaven Sword Art.

*THWACK THWACK THWACK!*

In the blink of an eye, my wooden sword left stinging marks across various points of Gye Cheol-yeong’s frame.

“Ah!”

Gye Cheol-yeong’s eyes dilated in pure shock as his confidence shattered.

Without giving him a moment to breathe, I unleashed the Minor Heaven Sword Art once more, driving him backward with unrelenting pressure.

“Whoa…”

“…Incredible.”

“Isn’t that just the Minor Heaven Sword Art?”

Recognizing the basic forms, the gathered children let out collective gasps of astonishment.

In stark contrast, even though Gye Cheol-yeong knew the style inside out, he was completely overwhelmed by the pacing and failed to mount any proper defense.

Ultimately, the second his rhythm broke and he left himself completely exposed—

“You’re wide open, Senior Brother!”

I brought my wooden sword down directly onto his crown with everything I had.

*CRACK!*

A sharp yell echoed through the hall alongside the distinct sound of wood fracturing.

“Aaargh!”

Gye Cheol-yeong lost his grip on his weapon, clamping both hands over his head as he collapsed and rolled across the ground.

“Ow, ow, ow!”

Following a stunned beat of silence, the children of the Taeul Sect erupted into cheers.

“””Whoaaaaaa!”””

“Quiet! Shut your mouths right now!”

Gye Yeon-seung, who had rushed over to check on Gye Cheol-yeong, unleashed a suffocating aura and bellowed at the room.

“Get back in formation, all of you!”

The children, instantly terrified by the oppressive pressure of a seasoned adult warrior, scurried back to their designated spots and held their breath.

“Ugh, my head!”

Gye Cheol-yeong, still clutching his skull, felt something wet, pulling his hand away to inspect it.

His palm was coated in bright red blood.

Gye Yeon-seung noticed the blood as well, turning a venomous, murderous glare directly toward me.

“Explain yourself. What did you just do?”

“What do you mean?”

“I am asking how you managed to bring Cheol-yeong down.”

“I simply used the Minor Heaven Sword Art.”

“You expect me to believe the Three Shadows Sword was bested by a low-tier style like the Minor Heaven Sword Art…?”

Gye Yeon-seung cut himself off mid-sentence.

No matter how much leverage the Gyeryong Merchant Guild held over the Taeul Sect, there were still boundaries that couldn’t be crossed publicly. Gye Yeon-seung narrowly managed to check his tongue.

“The structure of the Three Shadows Sword and the Minor Heaven Sword Art are completely different. I am demanding to know how you overcame that structural disadvantage.”

Gye Yeon-seung was dancing around the real issue.

To put it plainly, his core confusion was this: how could a rudimentary introductory style like the Minor Heaven Sword Art overpower the Three Shadows Sword, a style capable of producing a peak-level master?

“There is no such thing as an absolute rule in martial arts. If the person wielding the style is incompetent…”

As the words left my mouth, a sudden epiphany struck me like lightning, clearing away the fog in my mind.

-The Demonic Cult will inevitably return.

-The Murim Alliance is destined to fall at their hands.

-The Taeul Sect is bound to the Alliance, meaning it will be dragged down into ruin along with it.

-Throughout all of this, I, burdened with an flawless memory, am doomed to be exploited by everyone until I die.

Was this tragic trajectory truly an unalterable ‘absolute’ truth?

“Since you can’t even provide a proper explanation, you obviously resorted to some underhanded trickery, didn’t you?”

While I had been trapped in my thoughts for a split second, the absolute garbage coming out of Gye Yeon-seung’s mouth caused my face to contort in disgust.

“…What kind of delusional nonsense are you talking about?”

“An introductory sword form cannot best a high-tier martial art. That is an immutable truth understood by anyone who walks the martial path.”

“Does the Mount Hua Sect train its people to make pathetic excuses like that whenever their actual skill falls short?”

“You arrogant brat, how dare you…! Take those words back this instant!”

“Did I say anything false?”

“Fine! Let’s see you bridge that gap against me.”

“…”

Disgust visibly filled the eyes of Hong Sa-ryeon and the rest of the younger students.

No matter how much one tried to rationalize it, this was nothing more than an adult throwing a temper tantrum because a kid won.

“Are you being serious right now?”

“Naturally, I will refrain from utilizing any internal energy. I will test you purely on technique. What’s the matter? Are you incapable of proving your claim?”

“Before we do that, shouldn’t you take Senior Brother Gye to see a medical practitioner?”

Gye Cheol-yeong, who had been sobbing in agony just moments ago, clearly wanted to see Gye Yeon-seung beat me to a pulp on his behalf. He instantly ceased his whimpering and shook his head rapidly.

“I-I’m perfectly fine.”

You idiot, you’re literally bleeding out of your head right now.

“I will ask one more time. Can you back up your words?”

Perhaps I had allowed myself to be paralyzed by hopelessness before even attempting to fight back.

My current circumstances were undeniably grim, mirroring the desperation of my previous life.

Yet, there was one massive variable: the ‘me’ standing here right now was completely different from the helpless version of myself from the past.

Just as I had stated, there was no such thing as an ‘absolute’ rule.

If everything was set in stone from day one, then there was no way our ragtag Sojeong Squad could have ever managed to take down the Demonic Cult’s Guardian Dharma King.

‘I refuse to run away trembling like I did back then!’

I looked up, locking eyes directly with Gye Yeon-seung.

“What do I get once I prove it?”

“What?”

“If I prove my point, what is my reward? An adult is picking a fight with a child, so it makes zero sense for the child to risk themselves for nothing.”

Gye Yeon-seung’s expression went completely rigid.

The look on his face made it clear he wanted nothing more than to snap my neck right then and there.

“What is it you want?”

What was the single most valuable resource I required at this moment?

If I intended to seize control of my destiny, I desperately needed time.

“If I win, you will officially clear me as having graduated from Busaeng Hall. I will no longer be required to waste my time attending these classes.”

“…Fine.”

Gye Yeon-seung walked over to the rack and selected a wooden sword.

The sheer malice radiating from him made it glaringly obvious that he wasn’t planning on stopping at a minor injury like a fractured limb.

I brought my wooden blade up, holding it vertically.

When I looked back at the politics of it all, Sect Leader Hong Mun-gi had merely promised the Gyeryong Merchant Guild an ‘opportunity’ to claim the slot.

The rest of us retained the right to challenge Gye Cheol-yeong for that ‘special admission seat’ whenever we saw fit.

And yet, not a single disciple within the Taeul Sect, including my past self, had ever possessed the courage to demand that chance.

The direct consequence of our compliance and cowardice was the complete slaughter of our entire clan.

I refused to sit idly by and watch that horrific nightmare unfold for a second time.

“Begin!”

The technique that Gye Yeon-seung, as a secular student of Mount Hua, relied on most heavily was their hallmark style: the Plum Blossom Sword Art.

In my mind’s eye, the precise vectors and trajectories of the Plum Blossom Sword Art began to manifest with crystal clarity, one after another.

And along with those paths, their exact flaws became glaringly obvious.

The legendary tactician Jegal Cheon-gi had meticulously broken down the styles of the Nine Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Clans to formulate counters capable of halting the Demonic Cult. For every single faction, he had engineered specific Shattering Forms, Ascendant Forms, and Demon-Subduing Forms to dismantle their arts.

The tragic issue, however, was that there had been no viable method to distribute Jegal’s Three Forms to the various factions, which had already splintered and isolated themselves across the land.

That was precisely why I, with my bizarre absolute memory, had been tasked with carrying them.

‘Even if my current internal reserves are lacking, there is no way Cheon-gi’s Shattering Form will fail.’

Gye Yeon-seung launched into the Plum Blossom Sword Art.

Because he wasn’t channeling his internal force, the literal fragrance of plum blossoms didn’t manifest, but his execution was undeniably fluid and precise.

I instantly executed the Shattering Form of the Plum Blossom Sword Art that materialized in my consciousness, driving my blade straight toward the core weakness of his movement.

“You brat!”

Just as I had done against Gye Cheol-yeong, the exact moment Gye Yeon-seung’s wooden blade swung down toward my skull—

*THWACK!*

“Ugh!”

Gye Yeon-seung completely lost his grip on his weapon mid-swing, desperately scrambling to catch the bouncing wooden sword in utter panic.

“What on earth…?”

The Shattering Form of the Plum Blossom Sword Art was already in motion.

Gye Yeon-seung attempted to salvage the situation with the style he trusted most, but it was impossible to generate power using a sequence that had already been structurally dismantled.

Realizing he was completely outmatched, did he panic?

I suddenly felt a surge of internal force flooding into Gye Yeon-seung’s wooden sword.

‘Too slow!’

The Shattering Form, already perfectly executed, completely bypassed the Plum Blossom Sword Art even with his internal force backing it, violently jarring the weapon straight out of Gye Yeon-seung’s hands.

“!!”

In a flash, the wooden sword tore free from Gye Yeon-seung’s palm, soaring through the air.

I brought my blade down hard toward his crown, forcing him to cross both forearms in a desperate attempt to shield himself.

*CRACK!*

“Argh!”

Accompanied by a heavy, blunt impact, the sword that had slipped from Gye Yeon-seung’s grip clattered violently against the far wall.

*THUD. CLATTER.*

Gye Yeon-seung’s weapon rolled to a stop across the floorboards.

Gye Yeon-seung stood frozen, barely having managed to intercept my strike using both of his bare arms.

Once again, a profound, stunned silence enveloped Busaeng Hall.

“””Whoaaaaaa!!”””

The disciples of the Taeul Sect broke formation simultaneously, swarming around me in absolute euphoria.

Gye Yeon-seung simply stared down at his trembling palms with an expression of pure, unadulterated disbelief.

I slowly scanned the room.

This was an outcome that had absolutely never transpired in my previous timeline.

‘That’s right. This life is fundamentally different from the last. From this moment on, I will change everything.’