The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Novel - Chapter 51

Chapter 51
-What is the maximum speed of your footwork?

Murong Sang-won abruptly sent his voice directly to my mind using Sound Transmission.

Recognizing what he was planning, I provided him with my previous velocity, the one I utilized prior to mastering the Unrivaled under Heaven Movement Art.

-I can travel ten li in roughly half a quarter-hour.

-…Even when exerting yourself completely?

The footwork technique belonging to the Taeul Sect’s Movement Art was so lacking that calling it a proper martial art felt like a stretch.

-I shall attempt to hold them off for about two quarter-hours. Use that interval to run away with everything you have.

Murong Sang-won spoke with a grim, determined face. He reached into his robes and pulled out his highly prized Fire Monkey’s Inner Core alongside his personal identity token.

-…Should luck be on your side and you survive, visit my household. Please relate what happened here to my wife and offspring.

I firmly shoved the Fire Monkey’s Inner Core and the token back into his grasp.

-Now is hardly the moment to display foolish heroism.

The backup strategy I had arranged ahead of time was unfolding flawlessly, just as anticipated.

The trackers from the Red Headband retained identical behaviors both in this current life and my past existence.

-Can you place your faith in me once more?

Back when I purged and drew out the Demonic Qi from Murong Sang-won’s physical frame, a recognizable variant of dark energy had triggered a specific memory.

Countless martial variants have originated from the supreme Heavenly Demon Scripture, yet every individual Demonic Art possesses distinct characteristics.

The peculiar Demonic Qi wielded by the assailants who targeted Murong Sang-won bore a corrosive property akin to Poisonous Qi, quietly eroding the target’s internal reserves—a precise type of energy I had dealt with far too often during my time with the Sojeong Squad.

-This could be the sole opportunity remaining to us.

A group of twenty Red Headband executioners closed the distance.

I gave a firm nod.

-We depart as a pair. After all, I still have to collect that promised Clear Bright Pill from the esteemed Young Clan Head, correct?

Murong Sang-won let out a brief chuckle at my collected demeanor and gave his assent.

-From this moment, match my foot placement precisely. Though it originates from the Taeul Sect’s Movement Art, navigating it shouldn’t pose a challenge for someone of your caliber, Senior.

As we picked up our pace, Murong Sang-won experienced a brief moment of disorientation before quickly figuring out the pathing of the technique, placing his boots in the exact spots I cleared.

Though the intricate pathways of internal energy regulation eluded him, his profound natural martial comprehension allowed him to replicate my strides almost flawlessly.

Regrettably, the pursuers from the Red Headband possessed such terrifying swiftness that Murong Sang-won’s expression turned pale from extreme exertion.

-Let me take you on my back and sprint for both of us, how about that?

I replied with absolute certainty.

-Do not deviate even slightly from the path I tread.

Sensing a freezing wave of malice threatening to bore through the back of my skull, I cast a glance behind to find the Red Headband cohort nearly within striking distance.

‘They still possess that atrocious habit of projecting bloodlust at the quarry they pursue.’

Confound them, despite being professional killers, they insisted on radiating a paralyzing aura right before unleashing the lethal blow, paralyzing their marks with absolute dread.

*SHING. SHING. SHING.*

The crisp, ominous metallic ring of blades clearing their scabbards echoed out.

Overwhelmed by the suffocating pressure, Murong Sang-won finally shouted in alarm.

“So-un! Their blades are practically upon us…!”

Right at that juncture.

*CLACK!*

Accompanied by the heavy thud of interlocking iron mechanisms, a choked, agonizing cry resounded, sounding as if someone had accidentally severed their own tongue from the shock.

“Halt!”

The leading assassin, who was on the verge of bringing his blade down, whipped his gaze toward his comrade on the outer right flank.

The man’s lower leg had been cleanly bitten off by a hidden Bear Trap.

-A-A few days ago, while I was out searching for provisions, I took the liberty of burying a number of concealed devices.

-What exactly do you mean by…

-Considering they possessed the sheer combat prowess required to trap the Young Clan Head of the grand Murong Clan, I surmised their arrival wasn’t a random event.

-…

Murong Sang-won stared at me, thoroughly dumbfounded by the revelation.

-Keep your steps aligned with mine without fail. Those are Bear Traps scattered about; they will tear through bone and limb instantly.

-U-Understood.

As we maintained our rapid escape, the remaining Red Headband killers ruthlessly dumped a vial of Bone-Melting Powder over their maimed comrade before resuming their relentless sprint toward us.

“Aaargh!”

The assassin whose body was actively dissolving under the chemical reaction of the Bone-Melting Powder could no longer suppress his agony, releasing a piercing wail as his skin liquefied.

Murong Sang-won stole a backward glance, his visage turning utterly bloodless.

-S-Such ruthless monsters.

-They are cold-blooded, without a doubt.

The pursuing forces of the Red Headband began reducing the gap between us once more.

Exercising extreme caution regarding the ground ahead, they leaped into the air and initiated the Grass-Skimming Flight technique.

Witnessing this, Murong Sang-won fell into another state of profound disbelief.

It was unheard of for any conventional organization within the Jianghu to possess an entire contingent of hitmen who were all proficient in the advanced Grass-Skimming Flight.

I slid three small daggers into his palm.

-Hurl these directly at them. Disrupt their rhythm so they cannot focus on maintaining their Grass-Skimming Flight.

Murong Sang-won grabbed the projectiles without hesitation, instantly letting fly a pair of them.

*WHISH.*

*CLANG! CLANG!*

Simultaneously, I infused my own internal strength into three more weapons, casting them toward the flank opposite to Murong Sang-won’s targets.

The attackers attempted to deflect my incoming weapons with their blades just as their companions had done with Murong Sang-won’s, but the sheer momentum behind my throw shattered their defenses; several men were thrown completely off balance, while others suffered broken steel as the tips pierced straight through their necks.

*SQUELCH. SQUELCH. SQUELCH.*

*CLACK. CLACK.*

A single adversary fell to a dagger, while two more fell victim to the Bear Traps, resulting in severed limbs and shattered joints scattering across the dirt.

Without a moment’s hesitation, the executioners behind them applied the corrosive Bone-Melting Powder to the wounded, silencing their agonizing cries as they dissolved away.

Though we were successfully navigating these lethal hazards step by step, the grotesque, unfeeling tactics of our enemies were clearly taking a heavy psychological toll on Murong Sang-won.

This was hardly surprising.

The psychological warfare inherent to the combat doctrine of the Demonic Cult was designed to systematically break an opponent’s resolve, even when the cultists themselves failed to secure a tactical upper hand.

Dashing past a small ridge, I guided our path directly into the thick treeline.

The Red Headband fighters launched themselves from the trunks, attempting to navigate entirely through the canopy to avoid the earth, but I sliced through a pair of pre-rigged cords the moment we cleared the zone.

*WHISH. THUD, THUD, THUD!*

Immediately following our exit, a volley of eight massive stones crashed down into our wake, scoring direct hits on two of the pursuing Red Headband members.

Predictably, the force of their descent activated further mechanisms concealed below.

*CLACK!* *CLACK!*

“Ghh!”

“D-Damn it!”

For once, an assassin desperately fought against his grim fate, yet the outcome remained unchanged as the dreaded Bone-Melting Powder was deployed once more.

-Senior, keep your eyes fixed forward and do not look behind you.

-…As you say.

Regardless of their mounting casualties, the remaining killers showed no signs of hesitation; rather, their murderous aura intensified with every casualty.

At that moment, I initiated the grand finale of my defensive network.

Slicing through the final tension line, a barrage of sharpened wooden stakes lunged from the foliage.

Debris and stones scattered violently across the clearing, forcing anyone struck by the projectiles or spears straight into the waiting jaws of the Bear Traps hidden beneath the leaves.

With two more of their number instantly liquidated, the remaining members of the Red Headband finally checked their headlong advance.

Utilizing that vital window, we increased our lead, broke out of the dense woods, and arrived at a splitting path.

“Senior, you must take the right path.”

“What about your escape?”

“I shall venture down the left.”

“For what reason are we separating?”

“My prepared defenses conclude at this boundary. While they are still disorganized and cautious due to the ambushes, we need to split their focus and maximize our distance.”

“I understand. Make your way to the Clear Bright Escort Agency located within Mugang.”

“Got it. We shall reconvene at that location.”

Murong Sang-won and I separated instantly, flying down our respective routes.

—

The concealed executioners tracking us emerged from the treeline, arriving shortly at the intersection.

Furious over the loss of their comrades to my makeshift hazards, they radiated a nearly palpable aura of pure malice.

Noticing distinct sets of footprints diverging down both trails, they prepared to divide their forces into groups of eight and four to resume the hunt.

That was until I stepped back into view.

“!”

The moment I revealed myself, the leader at the vanguard froze mid-gesture, cutting off his silent commands.

“It really has been quite a while… well, perhaps not from your current perspective.”

The cloaked Red Headband operative signaled once more, directing his subordinates to continue after Murong Sang-won.

“Do you truly believe there is any utility in pursuing him at this juncture?”

“!”

The commander of the Red Headband collective visibly faltered upon realizing I could interpret his covert signs.

Throughout my grueling tenure with the Sojeong Squad—defined by endless, exhausting cycles of hunting and being hunted by these exact foes—I had meticulously committed every single one of their tactical gestures to memory.

Despite the interruption, four of the assassins broke into a sprint down the designated path.

“Reuniting with a familiar acquaintance after such an extended period, and you don’t even wish to linger and converse? Is that how the Yama Ghost Eye Unit treats old friends?”

“!”

“!”

“!”

The detachment that had just started running immediately came to a dead stop.

“How best to describe this encounter? It brings a bizarre sense of nostalgia. In those days, my sole concern was fleeing from your blades to preserve my breath.”

“Identify yourself, you wretch!”

A grating, metallic voice demanded.

“Does my identity alter your current predicament? The singular fact of consequence is that I am completely familiar with every methodology you lot employ, correct?”

As the ranking Red Headband leader gave a subtle nod, the four operatives positioned at their rear vanished from sight in an instant.

I fluidly drew and flicked three daggers from the folds of my attire straight into the empty air above.

*Guhk, khk. Ggk!*

Simultaneous with those three choked death rattles, I pivoted sharply and unleashed a sweeping strike with the Black Dragon Sword.

*SLASH!*

An arc of crimson sprayed outward, exposing a Red Headband operative who had just been cleanly cleaved in two across his torso.

“Is adapting on the fly entirely beyond your collective capabilities?”

“…!”

The leader of the Red Headband faction stared at me, his gaze trembling with mounting anxiety.

“Your silence remains entirely predictable; it almost makes me feel self-conscious. Though, if memory serves, you were far more vocal in the past. I suppose that was because you viewed us as mere toys for your amusement back then, you wretched demon dogs.”

The phrase “demon dogs” was a self-deprecating insult utilized strictly internally by members of the Demonic Cult.

Throughout the vast landscapes of the Central Plains, the term would only gain recognition once their factions formally integrated into the conflicts of the wider martial world.

“…Just who are you?”

“My companions and I lobbed that exact query at you countless times during our initial encounters. Not once did you grant us a reply.”

“…”

“Regardless, it is a genuine pleasure to cross paths with you again after all this time.”

I channeled the devastating internal reserve of the Radiant Heaven Divine Palm directly into both of my palms.

Without delay, I unleashed the technique directly toward the cluster of enemies.

*CRASH-CRASH-CRASH-CRASH-CRASH!*

The Radiant Heaven Divine Palm unleashed an overwhelming torrent of force so utterly cataclysmic that even the most fanatical, havoc-loving zealots of the Demonic Cult would shake their heads in pure awe.

Furthermore, these specific foot soldiers lacked the advanced martial finesse required to neutralize the incoming Radiant Heaven Divine Palm using the technique of Four Taels Deflecting a Thousand Jin, unlike the display previously shown by Yong So-ah.

“Ah…”

A pair of the executioners caught squarely by the impact of the Radiant Heaven Divine Palm were instantly obliterated into nothingness, while a third individual caught within the peripheral shockwave had his entire arm utterly erased.

I immediately stepped into the complex patterns of the Taeul Eighty-Thousand Divine Steps.

This advanced maneuver seamlessly blended core locomotion with precise combat footing, leaving a trail of deceptive afterimages with every stride to utterly disorient the remaining targets.

Closing the gap, I seized the throat of the maimed assassin who had lost his arm, triggering the essence-draining property of the Azure Dragon Bracelet to replenish my depleted Dantian.

“Guuuh!”

The captive withered into a desiccated corpse within seconds, while the stolen vitality flooded my internal reserves, restoring my Dantian to roughly thirty percent of its total capacity.

“Had I anticipated this outcome, I ought to have forced a Blood-Explosion Pill down his throat to maximize the return.”

“…”

The raw terror visible within their wide eyes was intensely familiar.

It was the exact same expression I had witnessed numerous times on the faces of my fellow warriors in the Sojeong Squad.

The overwhelming despair we used to harbor whenever the terrifying Yama Ghost Eye Unit hunted us down was now being entirely mirrored by our current adversaries.

“You really aren’t as invincible as we once believed. To think we were paralyzed with such dread by the likes of you in the past.”

“…”

The survivors’ gazes shifted erratically as they scanned for an exit.

Discerning their tactical thoughts, I offered a cold smirk and remarked:

“Do you honestly think you can flee now that your true allegiance has been laid bare?”

“!”

According to my recollection of history, there should have been absolutely no presence of Demonic Cult operatives within the borders of the Central Plains at this point in time.

This presence served as absolute proof that their syndicate had spent nearly a decade secretly positioning assets well in advance of the catastrophic Great Righteous-Demonic War.

Consequently, it was imperative that neither the righteous factions of the Orthodox Path nor the criminal syndicates of the Black Path catch wind of their current operations.

Realizing they had no alternative, the five remaining combatants synchronized their movements to enact a synchronized tactical arrangement.

The feared Yama Ghost Sword Formation.

By overlapping and amplifying their individual reservoirs of Demonic Qi, they successfully transformed the immediate landscape into a suffocating, purgatorial domain.

“Ah, yet another classic arrangement that brings back memories.”

In response, I circulated the internal energies of the Taeul True Scripture to their absolute limit.

The malevolent Demonic Qi attempting to invade and corrupt my vital Acupoints was violently repelled by the unblemished spiritual purity of the Taeul True Scripture, completely halting its advance.

With my defense secure, I unleashed the sweeping paths of the Ascendant Form of the Minor Heaven Sword Art.

*SWISH.*

Moving at an incomparable velocity, my blade ripped not merely through the opposing dark Demonic Qi but seemingly through the very fabric of the air, cleanly lopping off the head of the operative holding that sector.

Immediately following, I transitioned into the Twin Heaven Sword Formula.

An intricate mesh of real and phantom strikes blurred together, erupting toward every quadrant simultaneously.

The visual illusions masquerading as harmless fakes carried lethal substance, while the strikes that appeared genuine dissolved into air.

Then, the illusions themselves materialized into solid steel.

*SQUELCH. SQUELCH. SLASH!*

Three more assassins were simultaneously cut down.

The final combatant, evidently the commanding officer of the squad, turned tail at the gruesome sight and launched himself away to escape.

“If your mission to Kill to Silence has utterly failed, I suppose your next best option is to carry word of this disaster back to the high command of the Demonic Cult.”

He must have initiated a remarkably refined high-tier movement technique, as his receding form rapidly dwindled to the size of a tiny speck on the horizon.

I activated the Unrivaled under Heaven Movement Art.

Compressing the intervening distance in an instant, I bypassed his path entirely and materialized directly in his line of flight.

“!”

Paralyzed by sheer disbelief at my sudden presence, his reflexes lagged significantly behind.

“T-This cannot be!”

He gasped out in that same harsh, metallic rasp, fully aware of his impending demise.

The outcome aligned precisely with his dark premonition.

*SLASH!*

As his skull parted from his neck, his final fading consciousness caught sight of his own headless torso erupting with a torrent of crimson.

“Deliver this message to your sovereign deity: his devoted zealots shall soon be arriving in rapid succession to join him in the abyss.”