The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Novel - Chapter 81

Chapter 81
As the opening stage of the Murim Academy Regular Exam reached its conclusion, the young martial artists from the most illustrious factions were the ones gripped by the deepest restlessness. Those hailing from the influential orders of the One Hundred Eight Peaks, which encompassed the Nine Sects and One Gang alongside the Five Great Clans, had not fallen short in capturing the bandit fortresses due to a deficiency in martial prowess, but rather because opportunity had slipped through their fingers. Consequently, their resentment and fixation shifted toward the successful candidates who had cleared the First Trial.

“Isolated skirmishes are already erupting across the region. In these clashes, numerous disciples representing the One Hundred Eight Peaks have faced elimination, and under the most brutal conditions, entire squads have been completely wiped out.”

The irony lay in the fact that no competitor dared to point their blades at the illustrious members of the Nine Sects and One Gang or the prestigious Five Great Clans.

“The individual facing the greatest jeopardy at this moment is Young Master So-un.”

In hindsight, such a development was entirely predictable.

Twin Curtain Stronghold was counted among the notorious Seventy-Two Green Forest Strongholds. The eight First Trial Tokens we managed to secure by conquering those two fortresses—which in reality comprised the Fire Curtain Stronghold and the Gold Curtain Stronghold—were bound to provoke the avarice of our rivals. Furthermore, if one factored in the pair of tokens that Bang Du-chil had held on his own person, our grand total rose to ten.

“I have braced myself.”

Throughout my previous life, I had frequently been viewed as an easy mark, yet this marked the very first instance where I was regarded as such an incredibly tantalizing prize.

“As we speak, the factions of the One Hundred Eight Peaks established within Zhejiang Province, specifically the Yellow Sword Sect and the Blue Saber Gang, are already advancing toward Mount Tianmu.”

“So soon?”

My expression hardened involuntarily before I could check myself.

The Yellow Sword Sect and the Blue Saber Gang were dominant regional forces within Zhejiang Province, occupying the positions of the Twenty-Third Peak and the Thirty-Second Peak among the One Hundred Eight Peaks, respectively. In my past existence, both of these groups had successfully placed three disciples into the Murim Academy. Now, those exact same organizations were hunting us down simply to preserve the status and prestige of their institutions.

“The intelligence network of the Beggars’ Sect has already turned its full attention toward Young Master So-un.”

We represented the most lucrative targets paired with the most premium data on the market. If we were perceived as the most vulnerable contenders while simultaneously holding the highest volume of Entry Tokens, an endless line of competitors would gladly part with a thousand pieces of gold just to pinpoint our coordinates.

“We are doing everything in our power to circulate alternative reports, but the reality is…”

Yang Gun-baek spoke with the heavy, downcast demeanor of a man admitting to a terrible failure. A massive discrepancy in information accuracy was bound to exist between the Beggars’ Sect, which operated as a primary pillar of the Murim Alliance and received live updates on the examination progress, and Hao Gate, which relied entirely on its operatives gathering rumors on foot. Furthermore, if Hao Gate deliberately propagated fabricated tales to mask my tracks, the organization would compromise its own standing in the underworld.

I had no desire to see guiltless individuals bear the consequences of my predicament. Moreover, relying on deceptive rumors did not strike me as a wise strategy for my long-term prospects either.

I turned my gaze toward Yang Gun-baek and gave a subtle shake of my head.

“Do not proceed with that. I have no wish for you to take actions that would damage the trustworthiness of Hao Gate.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Should the reputation of Hao Gate crumble entirely, would that not deprive me of a valuable asset to leverage in the future?”

“…Even so, if we remain passive… Young Master So-un, you could truly find yourself in mortal peril…”

I met his worried look and offered a faint grin.

“I am a guest retainer of Hao Gate, not its adversary, am I not?”

Yang Gun-baek observed me with a deeply conflicted expression.

“To begin, what is our estimated timeline before we cross paths with the Yellow Sword Sect and the Blue Saber Gang?”

“There is roughly a four-day gap in terms of marching distance, however… the absolute instant Young Master So-un pauses to rest, that buffer will evaporate in a flash.”

A profoundly grim expression settled over Yang Gun-baek’s features, darker than any he had shown before.

The sky remained dark before dawn, marking the Hour of the Tiger, sometime between three and five in the morning. As I stepped out of my quarters to assemble my younger martial brothers, I found Village Chief Heo positioned in the hallway with his back to me, quietly drawing smoke from his long-stemmed pipe.

“Elder.”

“…You are awake at this hour?”

“Yes, sir.”

“You intend to depart quite early.”

“Yes. It is imperative that we get an early start on the road.”

“Surely you can spare a brief moment before you go?”

I stole a quick glance toward the chamber where the Geum, Eun, and Dong brothers remained asleep, and then gave a nod of assent. The profound sorrow etched across Village Chief Heo’s face made it impossible for me to decline his request and simply walk away.

The local inhabitants, led by Village Chief Heo, had desperately wished to host a grand celebration even if it meant depleting their meager winter stores. However, with reports that the Yellow Sword Sect and the Blue Saber Gang were pursuing us with such relentless haste that their boots were practically burning, we could not afford the foolish luxury of a banquet. We had turned down the offer with utmost tact and respect.

“I cannot linger for very long, I am afraid.”

“This will take only a minute.”

Village Chief Heo guided me to the plot of land behind the tavern that served as their small vegetable patch. The crops, withered and neglected due to lack of care, presented a dismal sight, but Village Chief Heo paid the dead leaves no attention as he strode to a remote corner of the plot and began clearing away the earth.

“Exactly one full cycle ago, you see. Back when my father had just passed this tavern down to me and I took over the management, business was so poor that flies were the only customers, perhaps because the flavor of my dishes had deteriorated.”

“…”

Village Chief Heo quietly embarked on a reminiscence from his youth, the relevance of which remained entirely obscure to me.

“On that particular evening, after another disastrous shift where I was preparing to discard every single batch of noodles I had rolled, a traveler who looked no better than a beggar walked through the door, of all things.”

Concluding that his digging had reached the proper depth, Village Chief Heo reached for a small hand hoe and began meticulously clearing away the remaining dirt around the spot.

“When I informed the gentleman that I possessed nothing to offer as charity since my tavern was failing, he let out a booming laugh and insisted that I prepare a single bowl of noodles for him. It was painfully obvious the man didn’t have a single coin to his name, but… given that my day’s work was already ruined, I prepared the dish for him, viewing it purely as an act of mercy.”

After excavating for a few moments more, Village Chief Heo’s posture shifted abruptly as his fingers brushed against an object embedded deep within the soil, and he carefully retrieved a modest parcel. Due to its prolonged burial in the damp earth, portions of the external linen wrapping had decayed completely, crumbling away in dark clods along with the dirt.

“Just as I suspected, the moment he wiped his bowl clean, he confessed he had no funds. I had anticipated this, so I was fully prepared to send him on his way without a fuss. Yet, he insisted on leaving one of his personal items in my keeping. No matter how forcefully I declined and told him it was unnecessary, I ultimately accepted the object because he practically forced it into my hands.”

The package had been secured within numerous protective layers of cloth. As he peeled back the degraded material piece by piece, a well-preserved, oiled leather pouch came to light. The moment he unfastened the leather pouch, the contents tightly compressed within sprang forward.

“However, that middle-aged traveler never returned to this village. Not after a decade had passed, nor after two. I am not a devotee of Buddha, so I frequently considered throwing the thing away, yet it always radiated an incredibly peculiar sensation.”

What finally emerged from the innermost pocket was a religious rosary composed of beads possessing distinct, varied hues, accompanied by a modest case crafted from wood.

“Whenever I draped it around my wrists, it was truly miraculous—all my anxious reflections vanished, and a profound serenity washed over my consciousness. This item was so utterly bizarre that I never possessed the nerve to break the seal on this wooden container.”

With those words, Village Chief Heo extended his arm and presented the rosary to me.

“…”

The instant my fingers closed around the beads in silence, an extraordinary sensation occurred; my mind, which had been plagued all through the night by stressful thoughts regarding the Yellow Sword Sect, the Blue Saber Gang, and the rival factions, suddenly achieved absolute clarity.

“Could it really be…”

I immediately began scanning the vast library stored within my memory. I accessed the specific chronicle detailing the peculiar artifacts of the martial world within Sim Hyeon-gak’s highly classified records.

‘The Demon-Purging Spirit Beads…?’

This was listed as one of the legendary Seven Great Strange Objects documented in the compendium of anomalies. The Demon-Purging Spirit Beads, which by all rights ought to be resting within the most sacred vault of Shaolin Temple at this very moment, were resting in the palm of my hand.

“How on earth did this come to be here…?”

The creation of the Demon-Purging Spirit Beads required gathering the individual sarira fragments remaining after monks of immense spiritual attainment achieved nirvana. Exactly one hundred and eight of these sacred remnants were shaped into prayer beads. These were then entrusted to the masters who entered the secluded chambers for long-term wall-facing meditation, allowing the artifacts to absorb pure spiritual devotion until they transformed into a holy instrument. Not only did the fabrication process demand generations of time, but because it utilized one hundred and eight separate sarira, the artifact was reputed to harbor a spiritual resonance equivalent to one hundred and eight sacred stone monuments.

“Is it an item of great value?”

Village Chief Heo looked intensely vulnerable, resembling an unlearned man waiting for an appraiser to determine if a long-hidden heirloom was an authentic treasure or a worthless fake.

I could barely find my voice to offer a response.

“…This is an object whose worth is far beyond any petty discussion of price or status.”

This was the exact holy relic that the combatants of the Murim Alliance had yearned for with the greatest desperation when defending the front lines against the forces of the Demonic Cult.

The ranks of the Demonic Cult were filled with zealots who had achieved mastery over the psychological sorcery detailed within the Heavenly Demon Scripture. Rather than inflicting standard physical devastation, that dark magic disoriented the mind and stripped warriors of their sanity. On the field of conflict, far more men had their consciousness shattered because despair and corrupt Demonic Qi infiltrated their minds than were ever felled by steel blades. Yet, during that entire conflict, the leadership of the Murim Alliance had failed to deploy a single holy relic to protect the troops. They had offered nothing but empty platitudes regarding the recitation of the Demon-Subduing True Mantra to fortify one’s moral resolve.

Only in this moment did the truth finally dawn on me as to why the Murim Alliance and Shaolin Temple had failed to produce the Demon-Purging Spirit Beads, the ultimate sacred instrument for Purging Demons and Destroying Evil. When the masses demanded a relic that the authorities no longer possessed, empty rhetoric was the only shield they had left.

“My instincts were correct. My instincts were correct.”

A subtle grin finally broke across Village Chief Heo’s weathered lips, yet the situation remained entirely baffling to me. One full cycle ago corresponded to the era when the illustrious Great Master Suheo was presiding as the high abbot of Shaolin Temple. A holy treasure of this magnitude could never be removed from the grounds without the explicit authorization of the abbot, and any such event would have necessitated a meticulous written record. Furthermore, history held no account of any high-ranking monk from that era who had achieved sudden enlightenment and chosen to travel the lands disguised as a penniless vagabond.

“Did no representatives from Shaolin Temple ever arrive in this region seeking its return?”

“This artifact belongs to Shaolin Temple?”

It was evident that Village Chief Heo had been completely oblivious to that reality.

“Yes, sir.”

“Ha, ha. Well, imagine that.”

“Why did you never attempt to locate its proper custodian?”

“How could a simple country tavern keeper like myself begin to identify the master of such a priceless treasure, let alone seek him out? Had I attempted such a foolish thing, who can guess what grim fate would have befallen me?”

Had an inaccurate rumor slipped out, his entire lineage might have been slaughtered overnight. Furthermore, when confronted with an anomaly of this legendary caliber, the boundary separating the Orthodox Path from the Black Path ceased to exist entirely. Was the fundamental nature of the martial world not inherently more savage than anything else when brought face-to-face with superior power and absolute authority? There was a distinct reason why the entrance examination for the Orthodox Path, which proudly claimed the mantle of righteousness, was conducted with such lethality that young lives were regularly snuffed out.

I nodded slowly, understanding his plight completely.

“Will you take a look inside this container as well?”

“…Does this not belong to someone else?”

“I have pondered that extensively. While it is far too magnificent an object to have received in lieu of a few coins for noodles, at the end of the day, did I not accept it as legal tender for services rendered? Furthermore, seeing as the gentleman has failed to reclaim his property for an entire cycle, it is legally mine to dispose of, is it not?”

An involuntary smile tugged at the corners of my mouth.

“You truly managed to barter a single portion of noodles for the most astronomical compensation in human history.”

“Quit muttering nonsense and break the seal.”

I gave a nod of agreement and unfastened the small wooden case.

With a soft hiss of escaping air, the container parted, and an incredibly crisp, refreshing scent drifted into the morning air. It suddenly felt as though I were no longer standing in a neglected plot of dirt that reeked of decay, but rather in the very heart of a pristine, sunlit woodland.

“What do you see?”

Village Chief Heo swallowed hard, his voice tight with anticipation. I nodded in recognition.

“This is a pharmaceutical marvel known as a Small Reversion Pill. I presume you have heard tales of it?”

Even among ordinary citizens who possessed zero familiarity with the affairs of the martial world, it was exceedingly rare to encounter someone unfamiliar with the legend of the Small Reversion Pill.

“You are referring to the mythical Spiritual Medicine rumored to pull a soul back from the brink of the grave?”

“Well, its properties do not extend quite that far into the supernatural, but the legends dictate that if a commoner ingests it, they will enjoy an incredibly prolonged existence free from the burden of chronic sickness for the remainder of their days.”

“And what occurs should a practitioner of the martial paths consume it?”

“There is hardly any need to elaborate. A warrior can instantly internalize a reservoir of cultivated energy that would normally require fifteen years of dedicated meditation to develop. Is that not precisely why the Small Reversion Pill and the Great Reversion Pill are revered as the absolute pinnacles of Spiritual Medicines within our world?”

“Ha, ha. Does it truly possess such staggering efficacy?”

“Provided one’s system absorbs it completely, yes.”

Village Chief Heo gently stroked his gray beard and nodded his head in satisfaction. He then softly murmured, “I acted wisely. I acted wisely,” quietly commending his own discipline for preserving such a hazardous treasure without leaking word to the public.

“You must have been tormented by curiosity for decades. You demonstrated incredible restraint.”

“No. Had the circumstances not demanded it, I would have left it buried forever. Throughout these many years, my own eyes have witnessed countless souls perish miserably because of legendary items unburied in the martial world.”

“I understand completely.”

I extended my hands to return the wooden case to Village Chief Heo.

To my surprise, however, the old man shook his head firmly and pushed the container back toward my chest.

“I beg your pardon?”

As I stared at him with a thoroughly bewildered expression, Village Chief Heo reached out, grasped my hands with immense force, and spoke:

“You are the one who must consume this.”

Had my ears deceived me? I sought clarification from Village Chief Heo once more.

“Elder, did you fail to grasp the significance of what I just detailed? If a normal person ingests this medicine, they are spared from illness, and if a practitioner of the martial arts takes it…”

“I comprehend it perfectly. Yet, consuming a single pill will not cause the heavens to collapse, will it?”

“…”

“Should my own grandson express a desire to study the martial paths in the future, I can simply enroll him in a standard local training hall. If the potent residue of this Spiritual Medicine lingers within his channels and accidentally provokes the curiosity of powerful masters, it will bring down an absolute catastrophe upon our household.”

Reflecting on the sheer number of decades he had guarded this secret, I simply could not bring myself to rob him of such wealth.

“Elder, regardless of the circumstances, this is an asset of far too immense a scale.”

“Had it not been for your intervention, I would never have unearthed it.”

“Pardon?”

“I have observed an endless parade of figures pass through this region over my lifetime, yet not a single representative of the Murim Alliance, nor any self-proclaimed champion of justice, ever drew a weapon to shield our people. The high-minded righteousness they boast of defending is nothing more than a shield for their own interests.”

I could not boldly claim that every single master fit that description, but the vast majority certainly did. That was the unvarnished reality of our world. Indeed, there existed entire sects that would reprimand their own kin for entering into disputes with Black Path syndicates on behalf of defenseless peasants.

The lines around Village Chief Heo’s weathered eyes crinkled warmly.

“You are the very first to act differently. For that reason alone, I require you to take this medicine.”

“…Elder, I…”

“If the item is truly so priceless, then view it simply as a profound favor you owe me. I, too, have occasionally mused that it would be comforting to have a powerful entity I could genuinely rely upon as a protector, just for once in my miserable life.”

I recognized that Village Chief Heo’s rationale was ultimately constructed to alleviate the weight of guilt on my conscience. He was mimicking the exact kindness I had previously extended to him.

“In that case, perhaps for my younger martial brothers…”

“No, you must be the one to swallow it.”

“Why do you insist on that?”

“Is total security not achieved only when there are no living witnesses who can identify the contraband?”

“…”

In the grand scope of things, Village Chief Heo maintained a relentless watch until the Small Reversion Pill was safely past my lips.

The precise instant the Small Reversion Pill made contact with my tongue, it liquefied instantly and glided down my esophagus with such supernatural speed that it was difficult to comprehend it was a dense medicinal compound that had rested in the earth for a full cycle.

“Excellent. Excellent. It has finally wound up in the custody of its rightful master.”

Village Chief Heo was entirely unable to suppress the joyful grin on his face, as though he had achieved something profoundly gratifying.

“Ah, before I forget. You must take custody of this object as well. Whether you pass it to your younger brother or discover a method to restore it to its original owners, handle it as you see fit. I shall operate under the assumption that I have never laid eyes on it.”

It was clear that after witnessing Dong-ryong nearly succumb to the madness of his Killing Star Nature a few nights prior, the elder had finalized his resolve to surrender this artifact. Had a malicious rumor slipped out due to my negligence, he and his entire household could have been placed in mortal jeopardy, meaning he must have suffered immense mental anguish before arriving at this decision.

Deeply moved by the profound bravery he had manifested on behalf of myself and my companions, I executed a formal, deeply respectful clasped hands greeting.

“My deepest gratitude, Elder.”

“…That is more than enough. From this day forward, I intend to boast to everyone that you are my personal defender.”

Perhaps due to the first rays of the morning sun cresting the horizon, Village Chief Heo’s cheeks appeared flushed with color. As if desperate to hide that vulnerability from my sight, the old man turned on his heel and hurried back into the warmth of the tavern.

—

The company of Jin So-un, having departed from the heights of Mount Tianmu, charted a course directly toward the north. After traversing the borders of Zhejiang Province, their strategy dictated an immediate pivot toward the northwest. This specific trajectory had been formulated after careful calculation of the most efficient path for the impending Second Trial, alongside the mysterious Third Trial, the parameters of which remained unannounced.

*Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!*

“Dong-ryong! Do not break formation blindly!”

“U-understoood!”

“Maintain your ground just a moment longer! Our Senior Brother is closing the distance!”

Perhaps Geum-pyo’s panicked battle cry managed to reach the heavens, because a series of agonized shrieks abruptly erupted from the enemy’s rear guard.

“Aaargh!”

“We’ve been hit from behind! It’s a counter-ambush!”

The group of eight assassins who had successfully pinned down the trio of Geum, Eun, and Dong brothers fell into instant disarray within their own ranks due to the sudden, ferocious intervention of Jin So-un. Sensing the opportunity, the three Geum, Eun, and Dong brothers executed their Sword Formation with even greater lethality, pinching the disorganized attackers from both vanilla flanks and concluding the skirmish in a matter of heartbeats.

“Master… I am deeply mortified… *cough, cough*.”

“Senior Brother! You bear no responsibility for this! The fault lies entirely with me! If I had not committed that critical blunder…”

The candidate who had been rendered physically incapable of continuing the journey sank into utter despondency, weeping bitterly as though a great personal tragedy had befallen him. Even though our camp had emerged victorious from the encounter, there was no sense of triumph to be found.

“*Pant, pant.* Accursed world.”

“To hell with this.”

Bitter profanities flowed naturally from the lips of the Geum, Eun, and Dong brothers, young men who had never uttered a single curse word during their entire upbringing within the peaceful Taeul Sect. This already marked their second encounter with a hidden foe. Less than forty-eight hours had transpired since their departure from Mount Tianmu.

The individuals who had ambushed them were identified as disciples and trained combatants representing the Red Immortal Sect, an order based out of Mount Yandang in the remote regions of Zhejiang Province. It was highly suspicious how an organization situated at the absolute periphery of Zhejiang Province had managed to relocate its forces to the vicinity of Mount Tianmu so rapidly, essentially traveling across the entire province, but there was zero luxury to analyze the matter deeply.

“Pull yourselves together! Another wave is already closing in!”

“Dammit all.”

They had already endured two brutal engagements back-to-back, but by some miracle, roughly half of their reservoir of cultivated energy remained intact. This preservation was entirely due to their disciplined, desperate utilization of the Moving Circulation technique. At this juncture, they no longer voiced complaints regarding why they had been forced to master such a tedious and exhausting internal art during their early training. Without the benefits of Moving Circulation, they would have been forced to capitulate multiple skirmishes ago.

By the time their internal stores finally bordered on absolute depletion despite the Moving Circulation they practiced with such frantic devotion, the sun dipped below the horizon, bringing that particular day’s relentless ambushes to a temporary halt.

“…Do you anticipate that the situation will deteriorate further?”

Slipping past the searching eyes of their stalkers, Jin So-un’s unit had retreated into the dense foliage of an isolated mountain ridge, silently consuming dried jerky without daring to ignite a campfire.

“It would preserve your mental stability to operate under the assumption that this present moment is the most peaceful luxury you will experience for the remainder of the exam.”

“…Why is every single competitor behaving with such absolute desperation?”

Eun-ho gave voice to a fundamental confusion that had never previously entered his thoughts. As if truly incapable of wrapping his mind around the savagery, he stared blankly into the shadows of the forest before turning his eyes toward So-un.

“What exact prize could possibly justify driving them to these extreme measures?”

The image of the Red Immortal Sect disciple who had thrown himself at them earlier that afternoon, his features twisted into an expression of frantic, panicked desperation, flashed through his mind.

Jin So-un, who had been methodically working through his ration of jerky, froze mid-bite. He then locked his gaze directly onto Eun-ho’s eyes.

“Because that is the fundamental reality of the murim.”

“…”

“If you fail to ascend, your only trajectory is downward. Merely standing still does not equate to maintaining your ground. It is only by relentlessly clawing your way upward that you can hope to preserve your current status.”

Under the current geopolitical architecture of the martial world, which focused entirely around the authority of the Murim Alliance, a sect’s internal leverage within that grand coalition translated directly into economic wealth and security for their home institution. This was a baseline reality one could easily deduce by analyzing how the Taeul Sect had failed to taste prosperity even once throughout its five-hundred-year history, and conversely, by observing the dramatic survival of the factions that managed to avoid annihilation during the crisis in Hefei, such as the prominent houses of Dragon’s Den and Tiger’s Lair.

“No martial house in existence can escape the gravity and jurisdiction of the Murim Alliance. Why do you imagine a figure like Gye Cheol-yeong was so utterly consumed by the desire to secure a foothold within the Murim Alliance?”

Gye Cheol-yeong along with Gye Yeon-seok had orchestrated an elaborate scheme to utilize the influence of the Murim Alliance to elevate the Gyeryong Merchant Guild into the undisputed premier trading house across the entirety of Jiangxi. They had attempted to secure through political leverage inside the Murim Alliance an objective that was mathematically impossible to achieve through their own independent capabilities within their lifetime.

“The students participating in this trial are not risking their lives merely for personal accolades or individual wealth.”

Even if it was the Murim Alliance that claimed to hold the scales of absolute justice, even if it was the collective martial world that claimed to align its purpose with righteousness and chivalric honor, the reality was far more pragmatic.

“Their young shoulders are bearing the literal future and survival of their ancestral sects.”

When the dust settled, basic “survival,” and forging an environment where the individuals they held dear could continue to “survive,” constituted the absolute apex goal.

“…”

Absorbing Jin So-un’s cold breakdown, Eun-ho felt a sense of vertigo wash over him. He had operated under the naive assumption that every candidate entered this examination simply to secure personal wealth, bask in glory, and ensure their names were celebrated across the lands. Yet, every single rival out there was carrying a burden far more crushing than anything his imagination had conjured.

“It is precisely because of this unyielding brutality and bloodthirsty competition that, despite being a trial officially administered by the Murim Alliance, the public refers to it as the Hell Regular Exam.”

Eun-ho, who had listened to the explanation in absolute silence, squeezed his fists together so hard his knuckles whitened before pressing further.

“…How can the leadership of the Murim Alliance actively condone an examination of this nature?”

Predictably, it was the query of an individual whose morals had not yet been corrupted by the world. A pristine, innocent conviction that if an institution had been established to champion justice, it would never sit idly by and permit such cruel, unjust machinations to unfold.

“The world is populated by individuals possessing limitless avarice, while the tangible assets of the land remain strictly finite. Consequently, there is no alternative but to foster a meat-grinder competition. Furthermore, from the strategic perspective of the entrenched, powerful sects currently occupying the executive council of the Murim Alliance, this arrangement is highly advantageous.”

At that remark, Geum-pyo tilted his head to the side, looking deeply puzzled.

“Could they not simply partition the resources in an equitable fashion?”

“…Well, if a decree descended forcing you to cut your daily intake from two full meals down to a single portion, would you acquiesce to that arrangement without a fight?”

“…Th-that is a completely different story.”

“And imagine making that sacrifice not for the sake of your own kin, but to enrich the Iron Sword Sect instead of the Taeul Sect.”

“I would absolutely burn the world down before agreeing to that!!”

Jin So-un reached out and affectionately patted the top of Geum-pyo’s head.

“Precisely. That is the exact crux of the issue.”

“…”

Jin So-un had merely utilized the simple analogy of a common rice bowl to explain the concept, but during the impending Great Righteous-Demonic War that loomed in their future, these young men would be forced to wager their literal lives in a savage conflict for regional dominance. A martial house devoid of political clout would invariably see a higher percentage of its young disciples slaughtered on the front lines, whereas a faction backing immense power would at least be spared from the deepest depths of grief.

Jin So-un had tasted the frozen reality of political impotence far more intimately than anyone alive during his previous incarnation. That was precisely why he emphasized with the plight of those who were willing to lay their lives on the line for a “simple” admissions test.

Suddenly, a realization struck Eun-ho, making him feel as though he had overlooked a critical detail.

“The Second Trial! The official parameters for the Second Trial Exam have not been formally inaugurated yet, correct?”

“Do you truly believe the authorities would operate with such leisure?”

Jin So-un leveled a completely incredulous look at him. Eun-ho, who had been masticating his dry meat, grimaced as though his mouth were filled with coarse grit.

“The next phase has already commenced?”

“The instructions were delivered alongside the First Trial Token.”

Jin So-un fished out the official parchment detailing the Second Trial parameters, which had been transferred to him by the Hangzhou Branch Chief, and displayed it for the group to read.

—

● Murim Academy Regular Exam: The Second Trial

Theme: Self-Development

Objective: Securing Inner Cores.

Directives: A prospective scholar of the Murim Academy must demonstrate the capacity to independently pursue their own martial advancement. The absolute bedrock of development for any warrior involves the expansion of their internal qi reservoir. To facilitate this expansion of cultivated arts, a candidate must possess the capability to secure rare Inner Cores.

Evaluation Criteria:

* A single Inner Core boasting a baseline of ten years of accumulated energy can be surrendered in exchange for one Second Trial Token.
* A candidate is permitted to harvest a maximum of three tokens per individual Inner Core.
* Crucially, the evaluation board draws no distinction between the Inner Cores harvested from sacred Spiritual Creatures and those extracted from corrupted Demonic Beasts.

—

Upon reviewing the formal mandate, Eun-ho’s eyes bulged out like a startled rabbit’s.

“Senior Brother, since when did legendary Inner Cores become as common as the gallbladders of ordinary woodland brown bears?”

Rather than offering a verbal rebuttal, Jin So-un merely allowed a melancholic smile to trace his lips.

“No, I am completely serious. What kind of absolute lunacy is this?”

Prompted by Eun-ho’s outburst, Geum-pyo and Dong-ryong leaned closer to inspect the text, their brows knotting into deep, angry furrows.

“Those absolute lunatics.”

Spiritual Creatures and Demonic Beasts. These were exotic entities that managed to absorb the primordial, mysterious energies of the cosmos deep within the uncharted wilderness, far beyond the destructive reach of human civilization, allowing them to exist far past their natural biological lifespans. A predator like a tiger that grew to twice the proportions of a standard beast was classified as a Spiritual Creature, and should that apex predator develop a taste for human flesh, it was re-categorized as a Demonic Beast.

However, locating a Spiritual Creature or a Demonic Beast that had survived long enough to successfully coalesce a dense Inner Core was an exceptionally rare occurrence. The vast majority of such entities typically wrought havoc upon human settlements and were subsequently hunted down by local martial artists long before a proper Inner Core could ever crystallize within their bodies. Furthermore, could a Spiritual Creature or a Demonic Beast that had successfully formed a ten-year-level Inner Core not be viewed as an expert opponent who had honed their external conditioning for thirty grueling years?

The candidates who had barely survived the First Trial were now expected to hunt down these monstrous threats while simultaneously fighting off the endless ambushes and political sabotage executed by their fellow rivals.

“This trial was never engineered to be passed through conventional means.”

Jin So-un extended a finger to tap the text of the announcement and challenged them:

“Examine the wording with extreme care. What do you deduce is the actual, hidden motivation behind the structure of this test?”

Geum-pyo and Dong-ryong merely tilted their heads in unison, completely unable to decipher the riddle. Eun-ho, conversely, focused his intellect entirely on the parchment, studying the brushstrokes as they caught the silver gleam of the moonlight.

‘The hidden motivation behind the test?’

Plunging into a deeper layer of analysis prompted by Jin So-un’s query, Eun-ho’s sharp intellect finally picked up on the critical anomaly hidden within the phrasing.

“The mandate dictates the ‘securing’ of Inner Cores, but it conspicuously omits any clause stating that we must obtain said Inner Cores by hunting the creatures ‘with our own hands.'”

Hearing Eun-ho’s breakdown, Geum-pyo arched a single eyebrow in confusion.

“What sort of logic is that? Ordering us to deliver an Inner Core is explicitly ordering us to go out into the wilds and track down a monster.”

“Brother, think through the scenario rationally. The only reason we view it that way is because our pockets are completely empty. If we possessed a massive fortune sufficient to purchase pre-harvested Inner Cores directly from the high-end markets, could we not secure as many tokens as our hearts desired?”

Geum-pyo’s jaw dropped slightly as a soft “ah…” escaped his lips, looking exactly like a man who had been struck squarely on the back of his skull without warning.

“Well, I’ll be…”

“Am I correct in assuming that the true philosophy underpinning this exam is identical to the parameters of the first stage?”

In response to Eun-ho’s deduction, Jin So-un provided a firm nod of confirmation.

“Precisely. At the end of the day, stating that a competitor can secure legendary Spiritual Pills while simultaneously guarding their hard-won First Trial Tokens means… the examiners intend to filter for candidates who possess high-tier martial power coupled with the immense financial resources to buy Spiritual Pills, or an absolute monopoly on martial violence sufficient to butcher apex Spiritual Creatures at will.”

“That is the unvarnished truth.”

“Unbelievable…”

He had successfully deduced the correct solution to the riddle, yet the answer brought absolutely zero comfort to his sense of morality. In the final analysis, was this trial not designed to explicitly favor individuals who already sat atop a mountain of generational wealth and institutional power, rather than discovering and cultivating raw talent and hard work?

As if reading the dark, disillusioned thoughts swirling within Eun-ho’s mind, Jin So-un spoke softly into the night:

“The leadership of the Murim Alliance desires for their organization alone to reign as the unchallenged, absolute superpower of the martial world. To perpetuate that grand hierarchy, they require the individuals who already command power, coin, and structural authority to continue their rivalries safely inside the framework of the Murim Alliance.”

“In that case, what about the souls who possess none of those structural advantages… how are they ever expected to scale the walls and reach the apex?”

Despite already knowing the grim answer to his own question, Eun-ho pressed the issue because his spirit rebelled against accepting such a merciless reality. Yet, the confirmation that left So-un’s lips remained entirely uncompromising.

“There is no alternative path. They are forced to throw themselves body and soul into this rigged, absurd examination.”

For the very first time in his young life, Eun-ho truly understood the profound, bitter misery of staring directly into the eyes of reality.