The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Novel - Chapter 78

Chapter 78
## Chapter 78. The Black Flame Dragon Who Leaps over the Trial (6)

Geum-pyo was the firstborn son of the Lee family, who operated the local mill.

Throughout his entire childhood, he had observed his mother and father laboring at the mill, understanding that this would eventually become his own path in life.

It was not because running a mill was a grand calling, nor because it kindled any passion in his heart.

It was simply the knowledge that being born to a family of millers and continuing the trade meant he would never have to worry about going hungry.

His reasons for joining the Taeul Sect were equally ordinary.

By entering the Taeul Sect, he was guaranteed two meals every day.

His parents, burdened with providing for three growing boys whose appetites were vast during times when the mill struggled, sent him away to the Taeul Sect without much deliberation.

Though he would eventually have to fulfill two years of compulsory service within the Murim Alliance, where else could he secure two steady meals a day in the meantime?

Furthermore, attending the Taeul Sect meant he would be alongside Senior Brother So-un and Senior Sister Sa-ryeon.

Because of these two companions with whom he had shared his upbringing since early childhood, Geum-pyo was able to cast aside the heavy expectations placed on a firstborn son while within the walls of the Taeul Sect, allowing himself to act like a coddled youth to his heart’s content.

Thus, when news arrived that Gye Cheol-yeong had joined the sect, it did not trouble him much.

In fact, he welcomed the change, as the standard daily meals increased from two to three.

Occasionally, meals included dishes with meat, and if he simply hummed along with Gye Cheol-yeong’s foul temperament, he was even rewarded with sweet candied fruit, making Gye Cheol-yeong seem like a decent fellow in Geum-pyo’s eyes.

For this reason, he found it difficult to grasp why Senior Brother Jin So-un and Senior Sister Sa-ryeon constantly found themselves at odds with Gye Cheol-yeong.

They might have been individuals native to the Taeul Sect, but even so, would their paths not inevitably conclude as simple martial artists bound to the Taeul Sect?

Gye Cheol-yeong hailed from a wealthy lineage, backed by his father’s immense fortunes, allowing him to summon renowned masters of the murim to provide him with private martial arts instruction.

Could individuals who possessed only the standard martial arts of the Taeul Sect truly hope to best an opponent of that caliber?

Yet, the impossible had occurred.

Senior Brother Jin So-un had achieved it.

A gentle older brother whose innate gifts were not remarkably superior to Geum-pyo’s own, who had quietly endured Gye Cheol-yeong’s cruelties on his own, and who willingly gave up the provisions and treats meant for himself to feed his younger martial brothers.

That very senior brother, whom everyone predicted was clever enough to eventually manage affairs as the Hall Master of the Outer Hall, had broken away toward an entirely different destiny.

‘Senior Brother, what thoughts are driving you?’

He stood firm and battled against the path laid out before him, refusing to yield even a single step.

The tale of how he had placed his own existence on the line for the modest Taeul Sect, depleting his own Innate True Qi to strike fear into the Iron Sword Sect Leader, was a narrative Sa-ryeon recounted to him repeatedly—and each time he listened, a profound emotion swelled within his chest.

He came to believe that perhaps Senior Brother had truly transformed.

He imagined that Senior Brother intended to secure a place at the Murim Academy in Gye Cheol-yeong’s stead, altering his entire existence from its very foundations.

‘But even that was an error in judgment.’

Upon witnessing him step aside for Sa-ryeon during the conclusion of the Appraisal Envoy’s evaluation, Geum-pyo recognized that Senior Brother remained unchanged at his core.

If during their younger years he had shielded them from Gye Cheol-yeong’s malice and shared his candied fruit,

Then now, having reached adulthood, he was stepping forward to absorb the brutality of the murim on their behalf, offering them the opportunity to soar to greater heights instead.

And all of this was done for those who were destined to return to laboring at the mill once their mandatory duties with the Murim Alliance drew to a close.

It was in that exact moment that Geum-pyo, Eun-ho, and Dong-ryong awakened to a fresh aspiration of their own.

‘Is it truly permissible for us to harbor such a dream, Senior Brother?’

Perhaps they had surrendered before even trying, viewing it as a prize beyond their station.

Perhaps they had never attempted the journey because, from the very beginning, they believed it to be an unachievable destination.

Yet Senior Brother So-un had persistently drawn his weapon and jeopardized his own life for their protection.

And because he never uttered a word regarding the depth of his sacrifices, or claimed his actions were solely for their benefit, they lacked the right to demand he desist.

Consequently, they resolved to begin squaring the ledger they held with Senior Brother at this very moment.

They were no longer small children lacking understanding, merely receiving sweet confections from his hands.

They believed that if they could somehow ensure Senior Brother’s entry into the Murim Academy, they might alleviate a fraction of the immense debt they had accumulated until now.

“That is the duty assigned to us, so what are you playing at?! Dong-ryong!!”

Geum-pyo, whose responsibility was to hold off the marauders of the Twin Curtain Stronghold while maintaining the integrity of the Sword Formation, was now forced to intercept Dong-ryong single-handedly.

The moment the local townsfolk entered the fray armed with sharpened bamboo spears and agricultural sickles, the tide of combat had turned heavily in their favor.

The intense clash offered a brief respite, providing a moment to draw breath, but the underlying crisis was that these villagers possessed no training in martial arts.

Regardless of how disoriented the marauders were from swallowing vast amounts of smoke, it remained an undeniable reality that they were trained combatants versed in martial disciplines.

The very second the villagers began shedding blood from the frantic, unseeing blades swung by the marauders, Dong-ryong had broken ranks and surged out from the Sword Formation.

The Heavenly Killing Star.

How utterly stunned had he been when that revelation first reached his ears?

Had Eldest Senior Brother not instructed him to remain calm, he would have spent that entire night devoid of sleep.

‘Senior Brother! Your assessment was flawed!’

The Heavenly Killing Star was not simply an expression of immense bloodlust.

It was a malevolent gift bestowed by the cosmos, designed specifically for the slaughter of mankind.

Reflecting upon the historical accounts of past Heavenly Killing Stars—who began as ordinary individuals lacking a single note of martial training, yet traversed the lands executing seasoned experts of the murim without distinction—revealed the terrifying reality of this inherent trait.

And Geum-pyo was currently observing that horrifying gift manifest with his own eyes.

Dong-ryong was radiating a terrifying malice in every direction, directing his blade toward the marauders.

Though he was unmistakably his endearing youngest brother, the crimson radiance emanating from his gaze cast an unsettling, inhuman aura about him.

Particularly when confronting martial artists who clearly possessed far greater strength than his own, the manner in which he absorbed the wisdom of every passing second to refine his skills looked entirely foreign to the mortal realm.

In a mere moment, the execution of his Minor Heaven Sword Art underwent a transformation, and just as rapidly, his mastery over the Great Heaven Sword Art elevated.

The techniques Dong-ryong displayed held no regard for defense.

Watching him unleash nothing but pure aggression while effortlessly dodging incoming strikes made one question whether Dong-ryong harbored some secret vengeance for murdered kin.

By now, even the marauders grew paralyzed with terror at Dong-ryong’s frenzied onslaught and began scattering in retreat.

Yet, determined not to permit a single survivor, Dong-ryong relentlessly pursued them utilizing the Taeul Eighty-Thousand Divine Steps, systematically ending their lives.

Beholding that phantom-like entity, drenched completely in gore, even the local townsfolk began to shrink away in dread.

The engagement had ceased to be a battle.

The remaining marauders were entirely consumed with fleeing or dropping to their knees to beg for clemency.

Even so, Dong-ryong’s thirst for blood remained unslaked to the very end.

Left with no alternative, Geum-pyo launched his weapon directly toward Dong-ryong.

“Regain your senses! Dong-ryong!”

“……They must die! I must protect everyone… I will kill to ensure safety!! I will… slaughter them! …Every last one!”

As though the memory of Geum-pyo being his older brother had vanished from his mind, Dong-ryong’s counterstrike was chillingly precise.

It proved an overwhelming task for Geum-pyo to withstand Dong-ryong, who was replicating Jin So-un’s precise martial forms exactly as he had previously witnessed them.

“I beg of you, snap out of it!”

He had dispatched Eun-ho to summon Jin So-un, yet that fleeting interval of time stretched out like an eternity.

He was torn between the conviction that he could not allow his younger brother to degenerate into a mindless monster, and the suffocating terror that if this state persisted, he might lose his own life to his brother’s weapon.

“Lee Dong-ryong!! Wake up! Do you no longer wish to journey to the Murim Alliance alongside Senior Brother Jin So-un?!”

“……!”

For a solitary second, Dong-ryong’s posture wavered and ground to a halt.

Geum-pyo projected his voice with even greater force.

“If you yield to this monstrous state, we will forfeit our ability to remain together within the Taeul Sect! Is that truly the outcome you desire?!”

“……!”

A rhythmic twitching ran through him.

The motionless form renewed its advance.

The murderous intent that had been scattered among the retreating marauders shifted entirely, centering squarely upon Geum-pyo.

As if squaring off against a mortal foe intent on suppressing his innate killing nature, an even more savage assault rained down.

Geum-pyo’s coordination began to fracture entirely.

“Urgh! Lee Dong-ryong, you……”

Inevitably, the second arrived where he could do nothing but watch helplessly as Dong-ryong’s weapon lunged directly toward his mortal point.

“You performed admirably.”

CLANG!

A weapon cast entirely in pitch-black from grip to tip intercepted Dong-ryong’s blade.

“Eldest Senior Brother!”

Jin So-un managed to redirect Dong-ryong’s strike with precision, though his movements lacked his customary sharpness.

Evaluating his condition, it was evident he had pushed himself near his absolute limit.

His internal energies had likely been severely taxed from his duel with the leadership of the Twin Curtain Stronghold.

“What is the duration of this state?”

“It has persisted for nearly half an hour.”

“We are within the window of opportunity.”

“Is that the truth?”

“……It is.”

Jin So-un viewed this as a stroke of fortune.

The underlying purpose behind his instruction of the Moving Circulation technique to the Gold, Silver, and Bronze brothers, urging them to master it thoroughly, stemmed from his discovery that Dong-ryong carried the burden of the Heavenly Killing Star.

The sacred phrases of the Taeul True Scripture forced an individual to perceive themselves from an external perspective, examining their internal state with profound clarity.

Given his nature as a Heavenly Killing Star, Dong-ryong would instinctively employ the Moving Circulation to ward off physical collapse, and so long as the verses of the Taeul True Scripture resonated within him, the likelihood of him regaining his sanity remained high.

“What course of action should we take?”

“We are powerless to intervene directly. Dong-ryong must break through this haze by his own volition.”

“And should he fail to awaken?”

“……He will find his way back.”

Geum-pyo’s gaze wavered uncertainly at Jin So-un’s declaration.

Had he ever witnessed Jin So-un projecting such a lack of certainty?

This was the very individual who had maintained total composure even as they launched their assault against the Twin Curtain Stronghold…….

What was the significance of his inquiry regarding the time?

If the duration extended too far, would Dong-ryong be permanently lost to his senses?

Would his younger brother be doomed to exist as a mindless monster from this day forward?

Geum-pyo felt his spirit sink into an abyss.

“Huff, huff, huff. Brother, what is the situation?”

Eun-ho arrived at a full sprint, heat radiating off his form from his exertions.

Confronted by Eun-ho’s frantic inquiry, Geum-pyo found himself entirely unable to formulate a reply.

‘This is unacceptable. This…… this cannot be allowed to happen.’

Originally, only Geum-pyo and Eun-ho had intended to step forward to offer assistance to Jin So-un.

Nevertheless, Dong-ryong, whose devotion to Jin So-un was boundless, had ground his teeth and stubbornly demanded to participate.

To dissuade him, they had intentionally pushed their conditioning to a threshold far exceeding their normal capacities, challenging him to match their pace—yet Dong-ryong had persevered through the agony until the moment his body collapsed from exhaustion.

They could not abandon a brother who had sacrificed so much to be here.

“Brother! What are you doing!”

“We cannot abandon Dong-ryong to this fate!”

“What? What are you implying?”

“Eun-ho! Step forward. We must reclaim Dong-ryong together!”

“…….”

Eun-ho remained entirely in the dark regarding Geum-pyo’s deeper meaning, yet he sensed instinctively that aligning with his brother’s demands at this precise second was the sole path that would preserve him from future remorse.

“Maintain your distance!”

Jin So-un, actively engaged in parrying Dong-ryong, extended an arm to halt their approach, but Geum-pyo disregarded the warning and lunged toward Dong-ryong with his weapon drawn.

“I am bringing Dong-ryong back!”

“Geum-pyo.”

“We will not leave him behind!”

CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG.

Operating under the constraints imposed by Geum-pyo’s interference, Jin So-un was restricted from unleashing his full martial skill, causing Dong-ryong’s tense expression to suddenly relax.

The instinct of the Heavenly Killing Star was evaluating the threat levels of the opponents before him.

“Lee Dong-ryong! Return to us! Is it truly your intention to lose yourself to this monstrous existence?”

“…….”

“You declared your ambition to walk the path of a righteous champion just like Eldest Senior Brother! Do not allow yourself to be intoxicated by a cursed killing nature!”

“……!”

Dong-ryong’s weapon, which had been tracking toward Geum-pyo’s lethal point, halted abruptly in mid-air, creating a vulnerability that Geum-pyo immediately exploited.

In an unnatural contortion, Dong-ryong shifted his arm, instantly redirecting his blade in a lethal trajectory toward Geum-pyo’s throat.

CLANG!

“Lee Dong-ryong! Regardless of any resentment you bear toward your elder brother, this crosses the line!”

Eun-ho intervened, deflecting Dong-ryong’s lethal strike.

The two brothers joined forces, barely managing to contain Dong-ryong’s ferocious swordsmanship through their coordinated defense.

“Lee Dong-ryong! If you persist in this defiance, we will abandon you right here!”

“……!”

Once more, Dong-ryong’s movements ceased instantly.

“Lee Dong-ryong! We permitted your company solely because you pleaded to accompany us!”

“What purpose does any of this serve if your actions prevent Eldest Senior Brother from entering the Murim Academy?!”

“……!!”

With every desperate shout unleashed by Geum-pyo and Eun-ho, the velocity of Dong-ryong’s swordplay began to flag.

“Wake up! Before we truly cast you aside!”

Geum-pyo and Eun-ho bellowed until their voices rasped with exhaustion.

In stark contrast to the heartfelt pleas of the two youths, Dong-ryong’s blade repeatedly threatened their Vital Acupoints, yet they refused to silence their cries.

“If you refuse to listen to reason, we are sending you back to the village!”

Suddenly.

Dong-ryong’s frame locked up entirely for the first time.

Then, a violent tremor coursed through his entire being, as if caught in a powerful seizure.

Overcome with alarm, Geum-pyo and Eun-ho cast desperate glances toward Jin So-un, who offered a silent, reassuring nod.

“We are returning you to the mill! Make the journey back alone!”

“Go back and look after Father and Mother! Eldest Senior Brother will journey with us all the way to the Murim Academy!”

His eyes inverted, exposing the whites, and foam began to collect at the corners of his mouth.

Without warning, a violent convulsion forced a torrent of blood from his throat.

“Blegh. Guhh—.”

The weapon that had appeared permanently fused to his palm slipped free and clattered against the earth. After a prolonged bout of dry heaving, Dong-ryong finally lifted his gaze.

The crimson tint faded from his eyes as he whimpered in a fractured tone.

“……No, please let me journey with you too…….”

Beholding Dong-ryong’s return to normalcy, Geum-pyo and Eun-ho released a shared laugh of profound relief.

“Haah. You absolute terror of a brother.”

“Haha, haha. Hahaha.”

Observing the reunion of the three siblings, Jin So-un finally permitted himself to let out the breath he had been holding.

‘A fortunate resolution.’

The murderous urge driven by the Heavenly Killing Star represented a compulsion immensely difficult to master, yet conversely, if an individual succeeded in reclaiming their reason even a single time, they would remain immune to being entirely consumed by that dark nature in the future.

Even should he falter in future trials, the fundamental memory of this awakening would grant him the power to reassert his sanity.

By mastering a feat that a mere three individuals in the entire annals of the murim had ever successfully claimed, Dong-ryong had stepped into a legendary tier of talent that would echo through the generations.