The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Novel - Chapter 9

Chapter 9
Chapter 9. A Third-Rate Warrior Who Protects His Sect’s Honor (3)

Greeting the incoming stream of nobles and fighters was rapidly draining Seong Mo-ran’s patience.

“My word, Young Lady! The rumors did not do your breathtaking looks justice!”

“You are the second coming of Xi Shi. Your father must beam with pride every single day.”

“The moment you stepped into this hall, Young Lady, I thought the dawn had broken early.”

A horde of young gentlemen swarmed her, desperate to win her favor.

“Word has reached me that your bladesmanship is incredibly fierce, Young Lady. Would you ever permit me the privilege of witnessing it firsthand?”

“I also claim a modest familiarity with the path of the blade. What if we were to share some tea later on and discuss the finer points of the sword?”

“How would you feel about entering our clan as an honorary exchange disciple? I would gladly petition my grandfather on your behalf……”

They strutted around the hall, posturing as though they were undisputed masters of the martial world.

‘Nothing but greenhouse flowers who have never stared down a single real blade.’

Could they have carried themselves with such arrogance relying solely on their personal strength?

Would any of this have been within their grasp without the grand reputations of their sects and the massive resources poured into them by their families?

In her eyes, they were entirely different from her, who had fought tooth and nail to reach this height without a single handout from her clan.

Naturally, she kept these observations strictly to herself.

She vividly recalled the terrifying distortion on Seong Mo-hyeon’s face when he failed to break her spirit during their previous training match, and the anxious glances the clan elders had cast afterward. Because of this, Seong Mo-ran refrained from creating unnecessary friction.

‘Forget being genuine Warriors, there isn’t a single real man in the entire room.’

The sheer monotony of it was stifling.

It was only out of deference to her mother, who regularly bombarded her with endless lectures regarding the preservation of the family’s honor, that she forced herself to remain, though she was dying of boredom.

Her father, her grandfather, and even Seong Mo-hyeon were clearly orchestrating some grand scheme behind closed doors, but they kept her in the dark, and frankly, she found herself lacking the energy to care.

‘No doubt it concerns the One Hundred Eight Peaks.’

It was rather pathetic that whenever men gathered, their minds turned instantly to underhanded politics.

They really ought to just settle matters through an open, decisive challenge. Had the Iron Sword Sect not long since eclipsed the Taeul Sect in absolute might?

If they simply demonstrated that massive gap in power and then extended a fair, magnanimous hand to their rivals, they might actually resemble true Warriors.

“Utterly tedious.”

She felt a sharp pang of disappointment that Namgung Seon-hwa had been prevented from traveling to the celebration.

Had her friend been present, the evening wouldn’t have felt so agonizingly dull.

“I suppose her duties keep her tied down.”

Word had spread that an exclusive gathering was currently underway under the direction of Namgung San, who had journeyed to the sixty-year milestone celebration as a proxy for Namgung Seon-hwa, but she harbored no urge to go.

Even if she shifted venues, the room would simply be packed with sycophants desperate to curry favor with the Namgung Clan and the Iron Sword Sect.

She had already absorbed enough hollow adulation to satisfy her for a lifetime.

“Young lady! Young lady!”

A personal maid was frantically scanning the grounds for Seong Mo-ran.

“Time to go.”

Anticipating exactly what that summons entailed, Seong Mo-ran pushed off the floor with a subtle flex of her ankles, floating effortlessly up onto the tiled roof without making a sound.

“Where could she have slipped off to?”

The servant arrived at the exact spot her mistress had occupied moments before, pivoting sharply as she scanned the immediate area.

“The young master requires your presence. Young lady! Young lady!”

Only when the maid’s footsteps finally faded into the distance did Seong Mo-ran permit herself a quiet breath of relief.

“Phew……”

Maintaining the stiff posture of a refined noblewoman meant she hadn’t even been allowed a decent stretch. Yet, just as she began to loosen her taut muscles, her gaze caught a pair moving quietly between the pavilions.

It was Gye Cheol-yeong accompanied by the young mistress of the Taeul Sect.

“Oh…… Are they the only ones setting out?”

Seong Mo-ran’s thoughts drifted back to the youth named Jin So-un, whom she had crossed paths with earlier that day.

His reserve of internal energy had struck her as remarkably ordinary, and his temples bore none of the physical calluses typical of high-tier masters.

The martial foundations he displayed appeared shockingly basic, yet he had neutralized that Bamboo Flame character from the Blue Bamboo Fortress in the blink of an eye.

‘There is something profoundly unusual about him.’

It wasn’t merely the flawless efficiency of that single strike that defied explanation.

A martial artist’s posture is invariably shaped by the weight of their leverage.

An individual backed by a prestigious lineage stands tall with natural confidence, whereas one devoid of such backing instinctively rounds their shoulders. Setting pedigree aside, a person who has achieved true greatness solely through their own blood and sweat can also project a commanding presence.

Yet Jin So-un’s origins trace back to the struggling Taeul Sect, and he was far too youthful to have attained supreme enlightenment.

Furthermore, he possessed the sharp wit necessary to counter her father, Seong Ju-tak, dismantling his arguments with such precise reasoning that the grandmaster had been left utterly speechless.

‘Was he genuinely untroubled by the might of the Iron Sword Sect?’

The moment the question crystallized, she stood straight up.

“This promises to be entertaining.”

The suffocating dullness of the evening suddenly gave way to a spark of genuine intrigue.

Seong Mo-ran pushed off the rooftop shingles with a light leap, gliding gracefully across the darkened sky.

“……Don’t you find his behavior rather peculiar?”

Kang Chae-seok, who had previously sent Jin So-un out on a critical errand, directed his query toward Jin Tae-san as the latter adjusted his robes.

“Hmm…… It does strike me as odd. The seating arrangements at dinner, the allocation of the guest chambers.”

“No, no. That is not my point. I am speaking of Jin So-un. Your own flesh and blood.”

“So-un?”

“Yes, isn’t there something strange about him? You witnessed his conduct earlier, did you not? Standing tall before Seong Ju-tak, striking back with his words without flinching. My own heart was racing just watching the exchange.”

“……”

“Now that I reflect on it, ever since his match with Gye Yeon-seung, that lad has acted quite differently of late, as if he became someone else entirely.”

“……You are well aware of So-un’s unique talent, are you not? He likely recalled some specific passages he stumbled upon in his texts.”

“Then how do you explain Gye Yeon-seung? How do you account for his victory over him?”

“Was it not described as a pure trial of technical form? Given his ability to retain everything after a single glance, he must have spotted a flaw in the execution.”

Absorbing Jin Tae-san’s reasoning, Kang Chae-seok spent a moment in deep thought before tilting his head in skepticism.

“The Plum Blossom Sword Art of the Mount Hua Sect?”

“……”

“Is that a style whose secrets can be unraveled simply by observing it? Furthermore, the boy supposedly relied on the Minor Heaven Sword Art to win.”

“……That is a question I cannot answer.”

“Could it be.”

Kang Chae-seok instinctively dropped his voice to a low murmur.

“Is it possible that So-un has been practicing some secret art in isolation?”

“??”

Jin Tae-san’s features contorted in pure skepticism. That boy, who historically preferred leisure above all else, engaging in rigorous training?

“No, that is precisely what I mean. His habit of wandering off into the peaks and valleys day after day. …Could those excursions actually be dedicated to solitary cultivation? If he utilized that remarkable memory of his to simulate battles against the Plum Blossom Sword Art thousands of times in his mind just to break it……”

The boy’s capacity for recollection bypassed conventional boundaries.

Perhaps, just as Kang Chae-seok suggested, such a feat wasn’t entirely impossible.

“Ha.”

What an absurd notion.

Possessing a brilliant intellect since his earliest years, So-un had always mastered concepts instantly without exerting real effort, which had allowed a deep-seated lethargy to settle into his very character.

Give a text a single look, and it was locked in his mind. Watch a movement casually, and he could replicate the form. Jin Tae-san had resigned himself to the belief that laziness was simply the boy’s inherent nature.

Kang Chae-seok, however, viewed the situation through a completely different lens.

“Reflect on it. What terms did the boy dictate when he placed that wager against Gye Yeon-seung? Was it not the liberation of Busaeng Hall?”

tyranny. “……”

“They say he is no longer bound to attend Busaeng Hall, which is why he spends days drifting through the wilderness without returning home, correct?”

“……”

“And I kept a close eye on the boy’s form throughout our entire journey to the Iron Sword Sect. His physical frame has altered noticeably.”

Though Jin Tae-san remained highly skeptical, he found himself gradually swayed by the momentum of Kang Chae-seok’s theories.

“My conclusion is this. The boy is likely harboring a profound, hidden resentment.”

“Resentment?”

“Precisely. Ever since Gye Cheol-yeong affiliated with the Taeul Sect, how badly has our internal order been degraded? Furthermore, whether openly or behind closed doors, how severely has Gye Cheol-yeong suppressed the junior students? On top of that, it is virtually guaranteed that Gye Cheol-yeong will be selected to represent us at the Murim Academy. How could the lad not feel a deep sense of fury?”

It was a perspective that had honestly never entered his mind.

“And consider what happened earlier with Seong Ju-tak. It pains me to say it, but he is a master who has consolidated his position in the peak realm. Even without deliberately projecting his martial pressure, is it a simple matter for a youngster of So-un’s standing to lock eyes with him without shaking?”

After absorbing Kang Chae-seok’s lengthy analysis, Jin Tae-san exhaled slowly, shaking his head.

“Those exact traits are what cause me the greatest anxiety. If one attempts to navigate the martial world on raw bravado alone, the Murim will prove far too brutal for the Taeul Sect to survive.”

“Tsk, tsk. You have permitted age to make you timid. The drive to forge ahead. The fortitude to press forward in spite of terror. In the grand scheme of things, aren’t those the exact forces that must unite to elevate the Taeul Sect once more?”

Faced with Kang Chae-seok’s counterargument, Jin Tae-san lapsed into a protracted silence.

He simply turned those words over in his mind, examining them from every angle.

“I have returned.”

Jin So-un strode into the room, balancing a massive wrapped container in one hand.

Kang Chae-seok instantly barked at him.

“You reckless brat. Why would the future leader of the Taeul Sect squander so much critical time when tasked with such a vital assignment?”

“What sort of nonsense are you spouting now? Leader of what? And since when does this qualify as a major assignment?”

Jin So-un had secretly slipped into the pantries, extracting several vessels of exquisite vintage that were strictly reserved for the highest-ranking dignitaries.

“This happens to be a critical phase of evaluating the total financial reserves of the Iron Sword Sect.”

Kang Chae-seok lunged forward to wrench the bundle away from Jin So-un, but froze mid-motion, narrowing his eyes as he studied the youth.

“Inhale, exhale.”

“……Ahem. Well, the air inside was getting quite thick, so I stepped out to clear my head……”

“You’ve been hitting the liquor, haven’t you?”

“Is that truly the reception earned by a student who braved mortal peril to secure intelligence? A small amount simply splashed onto me while I was transporting the jars.”

Kang Chae-seok clamped a vice-like grip onto Jin So-un’s collar just as the youth attempted to edge toward the exit.

“You. Open your mouth and exhale.”

“How could I possibly subject the esteemed presence of the Swift Blossom Hall Master, whose dignity rivals the very heavens, to my unseemly breath?”

Kang Chae-seok’s gaze snapped back toward his companion with absolute stiffness.

“Tae-san, disregard everything I asserted a few moments ago. My judgment was entirely flawed.”

“What are you implying? Was it truly an issue of great— Aaaagh! Stop, stop!”

As Jin So-un struggled in vain against Kang Chae-seok’s unyielding hold, a distinct sound echoed from the entrance.

*KNOCK KNOCK.*

Jin So-un and Kang Chae-seok locked eyes for a fraction of a second before moving with the explosive speed of released arrows.

Kang Chae-seok shoved the contraband wine deep beneath the heavy blankets, while Jin So-un stowed the large bundle completely out of sight.

“Young Lady Mo-ran?”

When the portal swung wide, the figure standing on the threshold wasn’t a supervisor or a servant belonging to the Iron Sword Sect, but rather the Beautiful Wolf Iron Sword herself, Seong Mo-ran.

“What reasons bring you to our quarters at this hour?”

“The emerging prodigies of Anhui Province have organized a private gathering among themselves. It occurred to me that your presence would be a welcome addition.”

Jin So-un cast a brief look over his shoulder toward Jin Tae-san, who gave a definitive shake of his head.

“You have my gratitude, but after traveling without respite all day, my vitality is spent. It would be far wiser for me to join such an assembly on a future occasion.”

Faced with Jin So-un’s polite decline, Seong Mo-ran hesitated for a moment before offering a rejoinder.

“…Are you certain of that choice? It appears Young Lady Hong has already arrived at the venue.”

The looks exchanged between Jin So-un, Jin Tae-san, and Kang Chae-seok grew instantly tense.

—

Ha ha ha ha.

Ho ho ho ho.

The private reception hall vibrated with waves of merriment.

Elegant lords and ladies conversed with perpetual smiles, as if basking in a state of absolute joy.

In stark contrast, Sa-ryeon’s expression remained frozen as she sat perfectly upright, the solitary figure clad in plain martial attire amidst a sea of shimmering silk robes.

She had steeled herself for this environment.

She was well aware that her presence wouldn’t command reverence in a place like this……

In truth, she knew she would be lucky if she escaped outright disdain and mockery.

It was precisely because she had anticipated this reception that she had forced herself to attend the function.

She was driven entirely by the desperate hope that, out of respect for her status as the offspring of a true Sect Leader, they might maintain at least a basic veneer of civility.

“As a fellow practitioner of the blade, catching a glimpse of the legendary style of the Taeul Sword Emperor has been a lifelong aspiration of mine. Do you suppose you could secure an audience with your Sect Leader for me at some point?”

“……”

The sentiments flowing from the lips of the gentleman adorned in jade-green silk were a poor match for the elegance of his attire.

From a neighboring seat, another guest made a superficial attempt to intervene.

“Come now, brother. You should temper your teasing.”

But the comment only opened the floodgates—

“Was that grand chronicle of the Taeul Sword Emperor not merely a myth concocted purely to secure their position within the One Hundred Eight Peaks?”

“Oh! Is that the truth of the matter?”

Their movements were theatrical, dripping with performative disbelief.

At those gestures, the ladies in elegant court attire hid their faces behind their sleeves, giggling softly.

“But really, can an organization truly gain entry into the One Hundred Eight Peaks based on nothing more than a colorful tale?”

“The narrative is constructed with remarkable detail, is it not? That alone likely explains how they managed to slip through the gates.”

They tossed around barbs that would have caused no open confrontation had the subject of their ridicule not been sitting directly in front of them.

“……”

She had fully prepared her heart to swallow this bitter pill.

“That is quite enough, gentlemen. We are causing Young Lady Hong undue distress.”

The individual who had led the mockery was the very first to step forward to signal a truce.

“You have my sincerest apologies, Young Lady Hong. We are simple men, and our sense of humor has crossed the line of propriety.”

On one hand, a wave of profound relief washed over her.

Because she knew for a certainty that Senior Brother So-un would never have sat quietly through this display.

He would have exploded with righteous indignation and fury.

He would have lashed out with that sharp tongue of his and been physically harmed as a consequence.

‘Yet, how did he manage to overpower Senior Brother Cheol-yeong?’

The sudden recollection drifted into her consciousness, causing the heavy weight in her chest to ease significantly.

For some inexplicable reason, she discovered the strength to bear the humiliation with a lighter heart.

It truly was a blessing.

It was an immense blessing that she had taken his place tonight instead of Senior Brother So-un.

Choosing not to offer a verbal retort, Sa-ryeon simply allowed a gentle, composed smile to grace her lips.