The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Novel - Chapter 23

Chapter 23
## Chapter 23. A Second-Rate Warrior Prepares to Soar

“He is completely out of his mind. Absolutely insane. How can anyone display such utter madness?”

“Uh…… Junior Sister…… The seniors and elders are present, and I am still your elder brother……”

“Elder brother, my foot! Do you possess any sanity at all? Good grief, stopping a blade barehanded? If Great Hero Namgung San had unleashed his weapon fully right there… ugh……”

Sa-ryeon trembled with lingering fear, relentlessly swatting Jin So-un’s back with her open palm.

Observing this display, the elders and hall leaders of the Taeul Sect could not help but let out low, amused chuckles.

Naturally, not everyone shared in the amusement.

Specifically, Jin Tae-san and Hong Mun-gi.

Jin Tae-san, having just watched his own flesh and blood commit such a reckless act, roared like thunder.

“You mindless fool! Even in a friendly sparring match using wooden blades, no one grabs a live edge with their bare flesh!”

The culprit could do nothing but keep his mouth tightly shut.

Shifting the tone, the Sect Leader inquired with genuine concern.

“Are you unhurt?”

“The medical master assured me it is merely a superficial scratch.”

Because he had clamped his hand down on a blade reinforced with sharp sword qi, the flesh had been torn open roughly and appeared ghastly, but Jin So-un had reinforced his left hand with heavy internal energy at the crucial moment, preventing any deep injury.

“Ugh……”

As Sa-ryeon inspected the laceration once more with a fretting expression, Jin So-un offered an explanation to soothe her panic.

“It was entirely a calculated risk. I gripped the blade at the precise fraction of a second when its forward momentum had completely spent itself and was just about to pull back, like this.”

Smack!

Evidently, a single blow had done nothing to quench her fury.

Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!

Sa-ryeon’s hand continuously struck the space between Jin So-un’s shoulders and neck.

“What do you think you are doing!”

“Attempt a reckless stunt like that ever again! If you do, I will be the one to sever your hand with my own blade before Great Hero Namgung San ever gets the chance! Do you hear me?”

“……Understood.”

As if waiting for the commotion to die down so he could address the core issue, the Sect Leader spoke up once the chamber grew quiet.

“What drove you to push things to such an extreme?”

His tone carried a complex weight—neither purely critical nor praising, but entirely unreadable.

The moment Namgung San resorted to the Emperor Sword Art, Jin So-un had already secured the technical win.

The leader was demanding to know why Jin So-un refused to concede and step back.

Jin So-un lightly rubbed the back of his neck, then replied,

“That gentleman failed to offer a proper greeting not just to you, Sect Leader, but to everyone else in attendance.”

The assembled elders and hall leaders exchanged puzzled glances, tilting their heads in confusion.

“Perhaps I am merely overly sensitive, but I did not perceive any of the standard etiquette expected of a visiting guest from him.”

Hong Mun-gi’s expression turned utterly blank.

“You risked your own fingers over a simple matter of manners?”

“It is hardly…… a simple matter, is it?”

A wave of letdown washed over the faces of Hong Mun-gi, Jin Tae-san, and the various hall leaders.

While it was undeniable that he had bested Namgung San in their martial clash, this outcome could hardly be celebrated as a clean triumph.

It was a peril where he had come a hair’s breadth away from losing his fingers—no, his entire left hand.

Kang Chae-seok, who had previously boomed with laughter and dismissed it as a minor scratch, turned crimson with rage and bellowed.

“You utter maniac. You fool! Even so, how could a martial artist wager his own weapon-wielding hand over something so trivial!”

Right at that second, Namgung San silently stepped into the room.

Due to the overwhelming volume of Kang Chae-seok’s furious shouting, no one detected his arrival.

“Do you truly consider this a trivial matter?”

Seeing Jin So-un stubbornly talk back despite facing a rightful scolding, the hall leaders began to lose their tempers as well.

“The very instant Namgung San unleashed the Emperor Sword Art, the match was decided in your favor! You could have claimed victory without sacrificing a single thing! There was absolutely no call to go to such desperate lengths!”

“The younger generation of disciples were observing the entire match, were they not?”

“……!”

“……!”

“!!!”

The elders and hall leaders looked as though a bolt of lightning had suddenly struck them where they sat.

“Even if my fingers had been severed entirely, if our disciples witnessed my blade resting against Senior Namgung’s throat, wouldn’t they realize the boundless potential contained within the martial arts of the Taeul Sect? Instead of wishing they had been born into the prestigious Namgung Clan, wouldn’t they think, ‘I want to test my own blade against the Namgung Clan’?”

A heavy stillness fell over the room; not a single person dared to draw a breath.

Hong Mun-gi and Jin Tae-san stared at Jin So-un with profoundly complicated emotions swirling in their eyes.

The elders and hall leaders looked up toward the weathered ceiling beams, letting out heavy sighs as if a great weight had settled upon their chests.

Only Kang Chae-seok broke the paralyzed silence, muttering gruffly.

“……They would have been completely traumatized by the sight of your fingers flying off and probably abandoned the sect out of fear.”

Jin So-un merely offered a gentle smile in response.

“If even a single disciple out of a hundred recognizes that potential and keeps the heritage of the Taeul Sect alive because of it, then I believe the price of my fingers would be well spent.”

“Khhup!”

As if overwhelmed by a sudden surge of raw emotion, Kang Chae-seok clamped his hand over his face, scowling deeply, and dashed out of the hall in a frenzy.

The remaining people tracked Kang Chae-seok’s exit, only to notice Namgung San standing just past the threshold.

“Ah, you have arrived?”

When Hong Mun-gi spoke to welcome him, Namgung San, who initially started to give a brief nod, instead settled into a formal, deeply respectful clasped-hands salute.

“The young men ought to have matters to discuss privately.”

Following Hong Mun-gi’s prompt, Jin Tae-san, the elders, the hall leaders, and even Sa-ryeon rose to vacate the room.

On their way out this time, not a single person attempted to flatter Namgung San or make a show of currying favor with him.

“……”

Namgung San silently set down the Heavenly Silkworm Thread, the decorative wooden container, and the brilliant Seven-Colored Jewel.

After enduring a protracted, heavy silence, he finally spoke.

“Sustaining a defeat against the Namgung Clan carries no dishonor.”

“Sustaining a defeat against the Taeul Sect is likewise free of dishonor.”

“Was the Taeul Sect always an organization of such formidable stature?”

“Does the dignity of the Namgung Clan rely solely on overwhelming might?”

“!!!”

“If the esoteric techniques of the Namgung Clan were to be severed and the Boundless Firmament Sword Art wiped from existence, would losing to the Taeul Sect suddenly cease to be dishonorable?”

“……”

The countenance of Namgung San, which had previously exuded such unwavering arrogance, was now completely washed in mortification.

“We stand on equal ground. A lack of world-shaking martial arts does not equate to a forfeiture of our dignity.”

“……To wager your fingers. I was utterly defeated in terms of raw willpower from the very inception of our match.”

Namgung San abruptly dropped into a profound, formal clasped-hands gesture.

“I humbly request that you find it within your immense grace to overlook the arrogance I displayed within the Taeul Sect previously, as well as the pathetic showing I exhibited before you today, Junior.”

Jin So-un stood up from his seat, returning the clasped-hands salute with his heavily bound left hand.

“You have demonstrated true integrity, and I accept your sentiments fully; thus, the past is forgotten. I ask that you also dismiss any impertinence this inadequate junior may have displayed during our acquaintance.”

With the exchange of pleasantries concluded, Jin So-un inquired,

“Regarding the Entry Token, what is your plan? Do you possess an alternative avenue to secure one?”

“Are you proposing another wager for the Entry Token?”

“Certainly not.”

For a fleeting moment, Namgung San gazed fixedly at Jin So-un with an inscrutable, deeply knowing look.

“I suspect there is little cause for anxiety on my end. ……For some strange reason, I harbor a feeling that everything will resolve itself favorably.”

“Excuse me?”

—

Hong Mun-gi reached for the clay vessel to replenish his drained vessel.

Trickle, trickle.

However, the vessel had already been thoroughly drained by Kang Chae-seok, who sat directly adjacent, weeping into his sleeves.

“……”

Hong Mun-gi lacked the heart to scold Kang Chae-seok, who had brazenly consumed all the alcohol and was now weeping openly, so he resorted to merely spinning his empty cup in his fingers.

Jin Tae-san, who had slipped out to fetch a replacement for the vessel Kang Chae-seok had emptied, slipped back into the chamber hoisting a ceramic jug he had kept closely guarded. He spoke up bluntly.

“What are you doing sitting there weeping so pitifully?”

“Leave him be. Imagine how profoundly tormented his soul must be right now.”

The moment the fresh vessel arrived on the table, Hong Mun-gi poured a measure right up to the brim of his cup.

“Hic. Elder Brother, do you not feel a pang of absolute shame? A child who hasn’t even seen his twentieth winter possesses a greater devotion and grander vision for the Taeul Sect than any of us.”

Even while choked with tears, Kang Chae-seok continued to draw from the alcohol.

“Not just the elders, but every single hall leader made a point to present themselves at Namgung San’s quarters at least once to curry favor. Hearing So-un’s words made me utterly loathe my own reflection.”

“I told you to drop it!”

Though Jin Tae-san attempted to cut the conversation short with deliberate force, Hong Mun-gi instead voiced his agreement.

“I, too, felt the sting of shame.”

“……Why are you joining in on this, Sect Leader? I am well aware of the endless sacrifices you have made for the sake of the Taeul Sect.”

“What exactly have I achieved?”

“Do you honestly think I am blind to the fact that you still practice your forms every single midnight at the Great Mysterious Hall’s training grounds?”

“……”

Hong Mun-gi’s natural aptitude for martial arts, even by the most generous estimation, could never surpass mediocrity.

Despite this limitation, the sole reason he could not abandon his daily practice was not born of personal vanity or a desire for renown.

He knew that if his own martial prowess stagnated, the development of the Taeul Sect would freeze along with him.

“Every individual is striving in their own unique manner. It is the convergence of those distinct devotions that propels the Taeul Sect forward. There is zero utility in drowning in self-reproach, nor is there any justification for guilt.”

“Nonsense! What massive achievements have you brought to the Taeul Sect to speak with such supreme confidence!”

“Me?”

Jin Tae-san gave a light shrug of his shoulders.

“Is Jin So-un not my own son?”

“……Confound it……”

Kang Chae-seok continued to drown his sorrows in the alcohol.

“While making my way over here, I noted that the lamps inside Busaeng Hall were still burning brightly.”

“Are the disciples still practicing at this hour of the night?”

“They were gathered around So-un, learning that unusual variation of the Minor Heaven Sword Art.”

“Is that a fact?”

“I am at a loss as to whether we ought to intervene and halt them. It is undeniably based on the Minor Heaven Sword Art, but is it not radiating a terrifying level of lethal intent?”

“Was that not a technique you personally passed down to him?”

At Kang Chae-seok’s assumption, Jin Tae-san shook his head.

“Do you honestly believe that? You are fully aware of the boundaries of my martial comprehension, yet you credit me with that?”

Hong Mun-gi, who had remained quiet during the exchange, let out a soft sigh before offering his perspective.

“Could it not be an optimization the boy developed entirely through his own independent study?”

“What? No matter how foundational the Minor Heaven Sword Art is considered to be……”

“To be perfectly frank, I was astonished because his version shares remarkable commonalities with the specific paths of the Minor Heaven Sword Art I have been personally analyzing. Naturally, the version So-un deploys is vastly closer to absolute refinement. Regardless, consider the staggering amount of exhausting labor that boy must have endured to reach such a pinnacle of mastery at his current age.”

“That infuriating brat. So all those times he was caught sprinting out of Busaeng Hall, he was merely heading off to push his martial limits?”

Feigning irritation, Kang Chae-seok used that revelation as a convenient excuse to gulp down another massive draft from the jar.

“Let them proceed as they wish. Is it not a spectacular development that the youngsters have developed a burning passion for our foundational arts?”

“That much is undeniably true.”

“Shifting focus to a more pressing matter, is there any tangible reward or support we can provide for So-un?”

Pulling his lips away from the rim of the jar, Kang Chae-seok spoke with booming emphasis.

“We absolutely must do something for him! He has poured his entire being into the honor of the Taeul Sect to this degree; shouldn’t we back him up with everything at our disposal, if only to alleviate a fraction of our own guilt?”

“……”

Hong Mun-gi nodded slowly in agreement, shifting his gaze toward Jin Tae-san.

“What are your thoughts on appointing So-un to the station of chief disciple?”

tyranny“……”

Jin Tae-san remained silent, his features hardening instantly, while Kang Chae-seok nodded along with absolute enthusiasm.

“An immaculate suggestion! If that young man assumes the mantle of chief disciple, the rest of the children will follow his lead with even greater devotion. Furthermore, when it comes to the Special Admission Track later on……”

Just as Kang Chae-seok was warming up to his speech, Jin Tae-san cut through his excitement with a chillingly flat tone.

“It is an issue that demands meticulous deliberation.”

“Huh?”

In this inversion where Kang Chae-seok championed the idea and the boy’s own father opposed it, Hong Mun-gi pressed for clarification.

“What exactly is causing you hesitation?”

“Does the position of chief disciple not mirror the authority of the Sect Leader among the younger generation? Should he be deployed to fulfill mandatory duties within the Murim Alliance, Gye Cheol-yeong might entirely abandon his responsibilities toward the disciples of the Taeul Sect. Furthermore, the chief disciple is the individual destined to command this entire organization in the future. You must also factor Sa-ryeon into this equation.”

“You…… you narrow-minded fool!”

“Such an influential title cannot be bestowed merely because we are currently intoxicated by sentimentality.”

Hong Mun-gi raised a hand to placate the bristling Kang Chae-seok, continuing calmly.

“What if So-un manages to secure entry into the Murim Academy?”

“……”

“So-un has already crossed blades with Namgung San and validated his exceptional prowess. I am confident he will not place second to Gye Cheol-yeong. As for Sa-ryeon…… she is not the type to offer any bitter resistance to such an arrangement.”

“Word has reached me that the Master of the Gyeryong Merchant Guild has once again put out a request to the Mount Hua Sect for a rare Spiritual Pill. Even if it falls short of the legendary Snow Plum Pill, if Cheol-yeong’s internal reserves undergo a massive surge, will he not ultimately be the one selected?”

Bang.

Unable to listen further, Kang Chae-seok slammed his fist onto the wooden surface.

“What sort of nonsense are you spouting right now!”

“I am merely evaluating the situation realistically. Do you honestly believe I take pleasure in withholding a magnificent opportunity from my own flesh and blood?”

“That is a lie, isn’t it? Your true anxiety lies in the fear that the financial backing from the Gyeryong Merchant Guild will be abruptly severed!”

“……When faced with starvation, lofty concepts like honor and belonging eventually turn to ash. If the Taeul Sect cannot guarantee daily sustenance, more than half of our young disciples will be unable to secure even a single adequate meal each day. How do you propose we sustain them?”

“You, you…… you!”

Kang Chae-seok found himself entirely choked for words and slumped back into his seat.

A profound, suffocating silence gripped the chamber.

No one possessed the arrogance to speak flippantly when confronted with the brutal reality of providing food, garments, and a roof for the sect.

“Is that truly the sole barrier?”

“……It is the single greatest obstacle we face.”

“In that case, let us officially elevate So-un to the rank of chief disciple.”

“Sect Leader!”

Hong Mun-gi pressed on, his voice steady and resolute.

“He literally gambled his own fingers. He did so for the explicit purpose of purging the poison of inadequacy from the hearts of our young disciples. Are a warrior’s hands not synonymous with his very existence? He risked his life to prevent the prestige of the Taeul Sect from being trampled into the mire. If a young man of that caliber is deemed unfit to lead our youth, then who under heaven is qualified?”

“……This is far too grand a decision to make based on temporary passion.”

“No, this is a calculated choice, not an emotional outburst. If finances comprise the totality of the issue, then I will personally generate the funds, even if it requires me to labor as a common caravan escort.”

“Sect Leader!”

“Precisely! Brilliant! Count me in as well! Better yet, I will round up every single hall leader and establish our own Escort Agency if that’s what it takes, so let us proceed with the appointment!”

Kang Chae-seok and Hong Mun-gi boisterously clinked their vessels together, entirely oblivious to the agonizing tension wracking Jin Tae-san, and even thrust a filled cup toward him.

Ultimately, Jin Tae-san let out a profound sigh and accepted the offering.

“I expect to be the one auditing the ledger for the funds generated by those escort operations, so keep that in mind.”

—

One cycles!

Within my Dantian, a dense mass roughly equivalent to the size of an infant’s clenched fist had solidified perfectly.

True to the legendary reputation of the Great Swallow Divine Pill, its potent medicinal properties asserted themselves forcefully, manifests One cycles of pure internal energy in a single, uninterrupted breath.

“At long last…… I have succeeded.”

This was a staggering volume of internal energy that I could not have even hallucinated attaining in my previous incarnation.

Yet, in this current life, this milestone marked nothing more than the baseline.

Aided by a stroke of serendipitous luck, I had achieved One cycles far ahead of my projected timeline.

While I had completely drained Anhui Province of its hidden miracle herbs, countless other territories still held untouched treasures.

If my goal was to harvest as many of those resources as humanly possible before the commencement of the Murim Academy Regular Exam, my remaining window of time was dangerously narrow.

‘I must depart the moment the evaluation for the Special Admission Track concludes.’

harboring that thought, I made my way back into the grounds of the Taeul Sect.

To my surprise, an assembly of completely unfamiliar individuals, all bearing weapons, were milling about and occupying the training square.

‘The Gyeryong Merchant Guild?’

The personnel outfitted in the distinct martial garb of the Gyeryong Merchant Guild had formed a defensive perimeter around Gye Yeon-seok, who was currently locked in an incredibly tense dialogue with the Sect Leader atop the raised courtyard platform.

I quietly slipped over to Sa-ryeon, who stood off to the side tracking the confrontation with a deeply anxious expression.

“What is the meaning of this commotion?”

“……Where on earth have you been idling away, only showing your face now?”

“I was engaged in solitary cultivation. Surely the sect doesn’t crumble the moment I step away for a brief moment.”

“The issue is that a massive crisis has erupted precisely during your absence.”

“Oh? What are you referring to?”

I pressed her for clarity regarding her cryptic response, but Sa-ryeon merely kept her eyes anchored on the training square, refusing to elaborate.

“Sect Leader Hong! How can you treat our arrangement with such blatant disregard! Do you truly intend to betray our mutual pledge in this manner?”

Gye Yeon-seok was radiating a volatile mixture of panic and fury, resembling a merchant who had just been defrauded of his entire life savings.

“Guild Master Gye. You are laboring under a fundamental misunderstanding. The authority to designate the chief disciple rests solely and exclusively within the jurisdiction of this sect!”

“Who else within these walls possesses the requisite merits to claim that title besides our Cheol-yeong in the first place!”

My thoughts instantly halted.

‘The station of chief disciple?’

Originally, that particular honor had been a matter of deliberation between Gye Cheol-yeong and Hong Sa-ryeon.

It was a mantle carrying a level of institutional weight and duty nearly on par with a senior elder.

When dispatched to represent the sect at the Murim Alliance, the decrees of the chief disciple carried the exact same weight as the Sect Leader’s own voice.

Typically, this mantle was reserved for whichever disciple was destined to secure entry into the Murim Academy.

That arrangement ensured that once they ascended to an executive position within the alliance, they could extend a protective hand to a greater number of their junior martial siblings.

In my previous existence, Gye Cheol-yeong had successfully secured the position, which ultimately resulted in the rest of us being relegated to his personal lackeys, exhausting ourselves catering to the whims of the pampered heirs from the Nine Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Clans.

“Junior Sister. Did the Sect Leader hint that he intended to confer the title of chief disciple upon you?”

“……?”

Sa-ryeon flashed me a look that openly questioned what absolute nonsense I was rambling about.

“Why on earth has the chief disciple appointment suddenly turned into a battleground?”

“……It is entirely because of your actions, Senior Brother.”

“Because of me? Why would that be?”

In that instant, a mental montage of my recent exploits flashed through my mind.

I had successfully reclaimed the Ninefold Sword from the grasp of the Iron Sword Sect, and I had refused to yield even an inch when facing down the naked blade of Namgung San.

“Sect Leader Hong! Is this sudden shift perhaps a reaction to the incident at the Iron Sword Sect? Did I not clarify that situation?! Our Cheol-yeong was legally restricted from intervening at the Iron Sword Sect due to his formal ties to the Gyeryong Merchant Guild!”

Conversely, Gye Cheol-yeong had actively shrunk from the conflict at the Iron Sword Sect, serving instead as the primary catalyst that ignited the entire dispute.

In stark contrast, my own contributions were……

‘I am, objectively speaking, an absolutely flawless candidate for chief disciple.’

Nonetheless, analyzing it from the Sect Leader’s perspective, this was an incredibly perilous tightrope to walk.

Should I be appointed as the chief disciple, the Gyeryong Merchant Guild—which already appeared to be actively distancing itself—might sever its financial ties completely.

If that scenario manifested, the economic infrastructure of the Taeul Sect could disintegrate overnight.

Naturally, because I had already engineered safety nets and held possession of the immensely valuable Seven-Colored Jewel, such a catastrophe would never actually occur; however, from where the Sect Leader sat, making this choice required monumental courage.

“When all is said and done, is this nothing more than a coordinated plot to sabotage our Cheol-yeong’s advancement into the Murim Academy!”

Pushed past his limit by Gye Yeon-seok’s disrespectful vitriol, Hong Mun-gi finally unleashed his own thunderous roar.

“Mind your tongue, Guild Master Gye! From its very inception, the opportunity to contest for admission into the Murim Academy has been a right extended to every single disciple within the Taeul Sect. Even stripped of the chief disciple title, if Cheol-yeong demonstrates sufficient martial excellence, can he not earn his entry on his own merits?”

The core reason Gye Yeon-seok was displaying such manic desperation over the chief disciple title was due to the significant admissions bonus points automatically granted to anyone holding that rank.

Since the title also served as an official endorsement of a disciple’s martial legitimacy within their home sect, in an environment where even a single evaluation point could dictate success or failure, he viewed the title as an absolute necessity for his son.

“Kgh……!”

Bested in the verbal arena, Gye Yeon-seok redirected his venomous gaze toward me, his eyes burning with pure malice.

“Very well! If you insist on persisting with this obstinacy, I shall immediately terminate every single coin of financial backing I provide to the Taeul Sect!”

At that devastating declaration, the countenances of the hall leaders and the senior elders alike instantly clouded over with deep panic.

“Did you genuinely believe that I, Gye Yeon-seok, was some trivial tool Sect Leader Hong could exploit and discard at his leisure? Feel free to return to those pathetic days when your disciples couldn’t even secure a single bowl of watered-down broth a day, clad in rags that made them indistinguishable from members of the Beggars’ Sect! Once you are dragged back down into that misery, you will fully comprehend the sheer stupidity of your choice today!”

Those who carried the weight of the sect’s daily survival could no longer mask their terror.

A visible flicker of panic washed over Hong Mun-gi and Jin Tae-san, though they fought desperately to maintain an unyielding facade.

The collective mood of the training square bottomed out into a swamp of dread, frantic worry, indignation, and raw friction.

While the younger disciples monitored the expressions of their superiors, barely daring to draw breath in the oppressive silence.

A distinct voice suddenly shattered the stillness.

“In that case, would it be acceptable if I assumed that financial responsibility instead?”

At the sound of a voice casually injecting itself into the fray without an ounce of regard for the suffocating tension, Gye Yeon-seok whipped his head around, his eyes radiating absolute homicidal intent.

“Who goes there! Who possesses the audacity to meddle in the vital commerce of the Gyeryong Merchant Guild!!”

Gye Yeon-seok’s screech was so piercingly sharp that the mercenaries accompanying him instinctively began clearing their blades from their scabbards, projecting waves of raw physical aggression.

“Meddling? I rarely toy with matters of such gravity. Have you genuinely forgotten my face?”

A mature gentleman stepped into view, his words delivered with absolute composure.

His garments appeared understated yet subtly extravagant, and in stark contrast to Gye Yeon-seok’s gaudy display, his personal adornments were remarkably minimalist.

From his impeccable, ramrod-straight posture emanated an effortless aura of profound nobility and absolute command.

“Y-You…… what brings you to this place……”

Gye Yeon-seok’s jaw dropped so low it looked as though it might unhinge completely.

Right at that exact second, from just behind the gentleman’s form, a young maiden possessing a delicate complexion and a radiant, enchanting beam peeked her head out.

“Brother So-un~!”

The gentleman in question was none other than Wang So-so’s sire, Wang Geum-san.