The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Novel - Chapter 200

Chapter 200
I asked Blood Star, Ak Byeong-bi, one more time.

“Did you arrive here acting as a Hall Master of the Execution Pavilion?”

“Is that matter of any consequence?”

“The individual who sought me out yesterday claimed to represent the Execution Pavilion.”

“…….”

“To imagine that someone unaffiliated with the Execution Pavilion would dare impersonate them… is that not a serious offense?”

Even as I spoke, the air heavy with pressure, Ak Byeong-bi’s expression twisted further.

“That is irrelevant.”

He lifted his chin, glaring down with narrowed eyes.

“The most significant fact at this moment is that I have come to locate you.”

As he implied, drawing the attention of the Execution Pavilion was essentially inviting catastrophe.

Because the Execution Pavilion possessed the mandate to investigate subjects and uncover further illicit activities.

Inside the Murim Alliance, they were infamously dubbed the “Messenger of Death.”

This title stemmed from the fact that those hauled away to the Execution Pavilion rarely emerged unscathed.

However.

“That is precisely why I am inquiring. As of this moment, have you come as a Hall Master of the Execution Pavilion?”

“…….”

“Or are you abusing the standing of the Execution Pavilion for personal agendas, just as O Un-gyeong of the Ak Clan did?”

“You dare…!”

Even with the authority of the Execution Pavilion, without a legitimate justification, it was impossible to simply drag people off and fabricate charges against them.

And I had absolutely no intention of becoming “just anyone.”

“While the Execution Pavilion has been deployed, I do not see a single soul from the Enforcement Pavilion. Why is that?”

“…….”

“Ultimately, I can only perceive this as you utilizing your rank within the Execution Pavilion to coerce your opponent.”

He had not even produced the official warrant or identification token.

Ultimately, he had arrived here not as the Third Hall Master of the Execution Pavilion, but as the uncle of Ak Ju-pyeong.

An arrogant sneer appeared on the man’s face.

“You seem to be under a misconception.”

“…….”

“I am the Third Hall Master of the Execution Pavilion. A warrant can simply be issued later.”

“……Is that so?”

There were whispers that when an official order was delayed, members of the Execution Pavilion would sometimes kidnap the target first and extract a confession through torture.

Was that rumor founded in truth?

“As I suspected, there was no way you simply arrived here without an ulterior motive.”

Even the incident involving O Un-gyeong yesterday, where he impersonated the Execution Pavilion, had all been unmasked by me.

As Ak Byeong-bi, he likely could not simply ignore this.

It appeared his intent was to seize me first, then manage the repercussions afterward.

What should I do?

I was no longer the fool who would meekly accept whatever came my way as I had in the past.

Tap—

I moved using the Taeul Eighty-Thousand Divine Steps, creating four duplicates to throw off Ak Byeong-bi’s aim.

“…….”

For some reason, however, Ak Byeong-bi remained rooted to the spot, unmoving.

Then, just as I prepared to deploy the Unrivaled under Heaven Movement Art and sprint toward the Academy Head’s office…….

Ak Byeong-bi slammed the shaft of his spear against the ground with a dull thud.

Crack.

The training surface made of sturdy marble shattered like brittle leaves.

A ripple originated from Ak Byeong-bi, traveling in an irregular wave, and the slab I was about to step on launched upward.

Has Blood Star even employed such techniques?

When I lost my footing, untangled my legs from the stumble, and attempted to leap once more, Ak Byeong-bi murmured coolly.

“Where do you think you are going?”

Along with his words, rustling sounds emerged from around the training grounds, and presences became palpable.

One by one…… martial artists revealed themselves.

Before I realized it, they had ringed both Ak Byeong-bi and me.

“The only destination for you is the Execution Pavilion.”

The velocity of my stride, which had been set to accelerate, slowly waned again.

‘To think he prepared for this so thoroughly…….’

The martial artists of the Ak Clan might not all be master-level fighters, but if they swarmed me alongside Ak Byeong-bi, there was no way I could handle them all.

While I racked my brain for a way to escape, Ak Byeong-bi turned and stated, “However, I will grant you a chance to choose.”

His spear gestured toward the Ak Clan’s fighters.

“Either break through the Ak Clan’s Spear Formation, or flee from me. Pick one.”

“…….”

Ak Byeong-bi proposed choices that were hardly options at all.

“There is not a single path among those I care to pick.”

“Is that so? Cowards always run from the choices before them.”

“I simply do not force myself into disadvantageous scenarios to begin with.”

“That is regrettable. But the affairs of the world do not always unfold according to one’s personal preferences.”

While Ak Byeong-bi was speaking, my gaze had quietly shifted toward the pavilion roof.

‘Yaryul Geuk.’

Yaryul Geuk, who had attempted an ambush today as well to strike at the back of my head, was stealthily crawling across the shingles.

I immediately sent a Sound Transmission to him.

-Yaryul Geuk! Create a commotion right now and capture their attention. Then I will head straight to the Academy Head’s office…….

But before I could finish, Yaryul Geuk moved.

‘That bastard!’

Perhaps he had detected the shift in atmosphere, for Yaryul Geuk was retreating with movements as muted as possible.

My teeth ground together in a sense of betrayal.

“Yaryul Geuk! Go to the Academy Head’s office immediately and report that the Execution Pavilion has arrived here!!”

When my voice echoed loudly, the bastard flinched in alarm and glared at me as if he desired my death.

That spineless coward.

What good is glaring at me?

What do you think you are going to do?

One of the Ak Clan’s martial artists surged toward Yaryul Geuk, subdued him, and dragged him to the feet of Ak Byeong-bi.

Even after being detained, Yaryul Geuk continued to fix his gaze on me in this predicament.

“……Jin So-un! You filthy, treacherous…….”

“You idiot! This is entirely your fault!”

“……My fault?”

“Yes! Everyone gathered here originated from the Ak Clan.”

With his Numbing Acupoint struck, Yaryul Geuk could only roll his eyes, glaring at Ak Byeong-bi as if ready to kill him.

“The Ak Clan……! Jin So-un, undo this. I will slaughter them all…….”

“Shut your mouth and stay there.”

I kicked him aside, shoving him toward the corner of the training grounds.

Ak Byeong-bi glanced once at Yaryul Geuk, who was still shouting at the top of his lungs, then asked, “Are you finished?”

I could no longer evade this.

Even Yaryul Geuk, who had been my final hope for distraction, had ended up in that state.

He was such an incompetent fool, truly.

I tightened my grip on the Black Dragon Sword.

If I could not flee, I simply had to force my way through.

“Have you finally abandoned hope?”

I glared back at Ak Byeong-bi.

“You will pay the price for the actions you have taken today.”

“They claim Ju-pyeong has been left with a permanent injury…….”

Qi coalesced at the spear’s tip.

It was not the haphazardly scattered qi I witnessed the previous day, but Spear Qi sculpted as precisely as if it had been carved by a master.

“You will be the first to suffer the consequences of that debt.”

To begin with, it was foolish to gauge martial skill against a legend like Blood Star.

I also surged my inner energy and unleashed the Ten Thousand Seas Heaven-Earth Sword Formula.

“Try it if you think you can.”

Six Ten Thousand Swords.

And Sword Qi manifested upon them.

An excessive amount of internal energy was drawn out, but now was not the moment to concern myself with the aftermath.

After all, I could not afford to be dragged to the Execution Pavilion today.

“……I understand why you clashed with Ju-pyeong. You are a truly rude individual.”

“Look who is talking!”

The six Ten Thousand Swords began to shift.

The Ten Thousand Swords, radiating Sword Qi, once again began executing the Twin Heaven Sword Formula.

Soon, countless blades embroidered the sky above the small training grounds with not a single gap, all directed at Ak Byeong-bi.

However, there was not a trace of alarm on Ak Byeong-bi’s visage.

“Come!”

“Chaah!”

Ak Byeong-bi braced himself to swing his spear in a wide arc.

I utilized the Taeul Eighty-Thousand Divine Steps and rushed toward him.

Whoosh──

Whoosh──

Whoosh──

The Minor Heaven Sword Art shredded the air as it lunged, targeting his Vital Acupoints.

The Great Heaven Sword Art dazzled his vision.

Ak Byeong-bi, who had maintained a defensive stance with immense momentum, repeatedly fell back while parrying the blades.

Then, when he could retreat no further, he shouted, “Raging Fire Spear!”

Absurdly, the title of a martial art burst from his lips.

‘Madman…….’

Was shouting the name of a sword art or technique only something neighborhood children did when playing soldier?

I wondered for a moment if he was attempting deception, but the Spear Qi at his spearhead heated to a brilliant crimson and began radiating intense heat.

‘He is actually using exactly what he called out?’

Fwoosh.

The burning Spear Qi, accompanied by a wave of heat, engulfed the Twin Heaven Sword Formula.

Boom, boom, boom, boom!

Pressure erupted from the clash of qi against qi, forcing my body backward.

I steadied myself using the Thousand-Jin Drop method, and simultaneously, I sent the remaining Ten Thousand Swords to strike at his Five Directions.

Crash, crash, crash, crash, crash!

When the Ten Thousand Swords descended, Ak Byeong-bi dodged them with agility that was difficult to believe.

Simultaneously, I deployed the Ten Thousand Transformations Invincible Fist with my left hand and blocked his avenue of retreat.

“Firelight Soaring Heaven Fist!”

“…….”

Once again, Ak Byeong-bi announced his martial art’s name and extended his palm.

His right hand glowed brilliantly as he struck forward.

Papapapapapak!

After trading three forms in a heartbeat, we were thrust apart from one another by the resulting Qi Wave.

Scrape, scrape, scrape──

I resisted the momentum pushing me back as much as I could, but in the end, I had no choice but to retreat seven paces…….

‘Pushed me back with sheer internal energy?’

Incredibly, he had only stepped back three times.

Ak Byeong-bi looked at his fist, which had traded blows a moment ago, then pinned me with his characteristic sharp glare.

“You brat……. For a disciple of the Taeul Sect to possess such refined inner energy. As I suspected, you are suspicious beyond reason.”

Even if he was counted among the Seven Stars, it was difficult to believe he possessed inner energy exceeding my own.

“Does the Ak Clan drink Azure Stone Milk instead of water? You are equally suspicious yourself.”

“……Yes. We can deliberate on all of it once we arrive at the dungeons of the Execution Pavilion.”

He grasped his spear with both hands once more and assumed a charging stance.

“Black Cloud Lightning Spear!”

The iconic spear technique that built the Ak Clan’s reputation as a prestigious spear-wielding family.

They said the only people who had ever witnessed its true power were the northern tribes and the villains of the Black Path Murim.

Ha, to think I would be facing it myself.

THUD.

He must have pushed off the floor with incredible force, for the marble shattered and fragments scattered in every direction.

Even though he was charging in a straight line, I could not bring myself to dodge easily.

‘If I dodge, I am dead…….’

The true terror of the Black Cloud Lightning Spear lay in the hidden trap concealed within a simple forward thrust.

The moment the target avoided a direct clash, he would utilize a second step to pierce the opponent’s body regardless of their direction.

It was a technique that capitalized on the reach of a spear, which was longer than any sword.

I abandoned the thought of dodging, gripped the Black Dragon Sword in an inverted hold, and lunged toward the bastard.

“Foolish brat!”

THUD!

With the second step, the marble disintegrated, and clumps of dirt erupted everywhere like a spray.

Ak Byeong-bi’s form became completely unified with his weapon and rushed in as if to impale my body in a single breath.

I raised the Black Dragon Sword, held in a reverse grip, and desperately braced against the spear.

Screeeeech.

I pressed the entire length of the blade against my forearm to disperse the impact, but even the residual force felt as if it would shatter my arm.

Then, with my other hand, I seized the shaft of the spear and channeled Lotus at its peak intensity.

“Hup!”

Perhaps because he had not anticipated the sudden Transplanting Flower and Grafting Tree technique, he could not disperse the force of his own charge and was pulled toward me along with his weapon.

I then executed the Snowflower technique and threw his massive body with every ounce of my strength.

Crash, crash, crash!

Ak Byeong-bi was hurled outside the training area.

The moment he slammed into the wall, sending sand and dust scattering everywhere, I frantically fired Sword Qi toward the cloud of debris.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!

Nearly twenty blasts of Sword Qi shot out and detonated in a single instant.

As several Ak Clan martial artists, who had been setting up the perimeter, flinched and hurried toward Ak Byeong-bi, I immediately unleashed the Unrivaled under Heaven Movement Art and broke through their line.

“Activate the formation!”

However, an Ak Clan warrior quickly obstructed my path.

I unleashed the Twin Heaven Sword Formula, attempting to bypass him and flee, but…….

‘Already?’

At the massive surge of Qi Wave felt behind me, I desperately activated the Taeul Eighty-Thousand Divine Steps without even finding the time to turn.

Crash, crash, crash!

With the sound of a Thunderbolt Bomb exploding, the earth caved in deeply.

At the center of the pit stood Ak Byeong-bi, who had just struck down with his spear.

“Why aren’t you calling out your technique this time? How cowardly.”

“…….”

He wiped fresh blood from his lip.

“There is more than one thing I desire to know about you. How can a mere Academy student possess skill to this degree?”

“If that is the extent of your questions, I can answer them without ever setting foot in the Execution Pavilion.”

“…….”

I realized the truth through that single maneuver.

He was not an existence with infinite internal energy, as I had initially feared.

He had merely been absorbing and deflecting the shock of Qi Waves using external martial arts until this point.

In addition…….

He was clearly terrified of the commotion spreading beyond these walls.

‘That must have been a prime opening.’

When I had turned my back to confront the Ak Clan warrior, I had been undeniably careless.

Even though I knew better, I had failed to prepare; because the situation was unexpected, I had simply trusted in the Heavenly Silkworm Treasure Robe and acted complacently…….

Yet Ak Byeong-bi had simply allowed that golden opportunity to pass.

‘Because…… if he fought here, people outside would certainly notice the disturbance!’

The reason he had been calling out the names of his techniques until now was likely an extension of that same anxiety.

To force me to focus solely on him and prevent me from drawing attention outside.

“……So that was the reason.”

A smirk formed on my lips.

I could see straight through the bastard’s logic now.

“You posed as bold and honorable, but you were merely a cunning fox hiding in a bear’s skin.”

Ak Byeong-bi furrowed his brows deeply, appearing deeply offended by my reaction.

“……What are you muttering about?”

“As I suspected, you do not want this noise to reach the outside, do you?”

“…….”

“That must also be why you failed to properly deploy your Spear Formation and capture me.”

Ak Byeong-bi’s face hardened for the first time.

It was not an expression of controlled rage, but a desperate look meant to mask his agitation.

“……Even if you noticed that, nothing will change.”

“Do you truly believe so?”

This was precisely why I enjoyed battling arrogant bastards.

Because such men were complacent and never bothered to investigate their opponents thoroughly.

And when I struck the backs of their heads while they were caught off guard like that…….

‘There is nothing more satisfying.’

Whoooooo.

The air shuddered violently, and the wind began to howl.

As if the atmosphere were being vacuumed into a cavern, the air currents gathered roughly into my palm.

Watching me focus on the manipulation of the atmosphere, Ak Byeong-bi ground his teeth.

“What are you plotting, you wretch……!”

There was no way Blood Star, of all people, could fail to dodge the Radiant Heaven Divine Palm.

But that did not matter.

Because if the Radiant Heaven Divine Palm were to detonate within the Murim Academy, onlookers would inevitably turn their gaze here, whether they wanted to or not.

Boooooooom!

A heroic explosion erupted in every direction.

It was a flare, announcing to everyone that the Ak Clan and I were here.