The Genius Martial Artist Who Remembers Everything Chapter 21
Gye Cheol-yeong approached the detached residence carrying a wooden box containing a golden toad.
“You probably should not go in right now.”
Hong Sa-ryeon had poked her head through the outer gate and was peering inside.
“What do you mean?”
“Senior Brother Jin went in, but the atmosphere feels strange.”
“That bastard Jin So-un is here?”
“Yes. He is inside right now.”
“What do you mean the atmosphere feels strange?”
“I do not know. It feels like walking on thin ice.”
Gye Cheol-yeong already knew that Namgung San had come to speak with Jin So-un.
But why would the mood between them be so tense?
Jin So-un, who lacked proper judgment, must have made some mistake.
The moment that thought entered his mind, anxiety rose within him.
“I told you, the atmosphere is not good.”
“That is all the more reason for me to go in. What if that So-un bastard causes trouble?”
“No……”
Before Sa-ryeon could stop him, Gye Cheol-yeong had already entered.
I hated the Murim Alliance.
More than anything, I hated the Nine Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Clans that formed its core.
I hated the way they acted rudely as though their every action represented justice.
They had never considered us their equals in the first place.
That was why they could treat us so arrogantly.
“What do you want?”
Namgung San had stared at me in silence for a long time before finally speaking.
I shook my head.
“Nothing.”
“No one wants nothing. I simply do not yet understand what it is you want.”
“I sincerely hope the Entry Token never falls into your hands, Great Hero.”
Namgung San had no personal need for the token.
He had already graduated from the Murim Academy with excellent results and now held a position within the Murim Alliance.
Even among the elites of the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, he stood at the very top.
The reason he clung so desperately to the Entry Token was probably his younger sister, Namgung Seon-hwa, who needed to enter the Murim Academy this year.
Because of collateral-line figures such as Namgung Sang-won, the strength of the direct line had weakened.
Unlike in Namgung San’s generation, they could no longer rely on the clan’s influence to secure her admission.
He must have felt desperate.
That only made me hate him more.
The sight of people like him treasuring their own families so dearly made my skin crawl.
They wept over the smallest wound on their own palms while our hearts were being torn from our chests.
It was utterly disgusting.
“Then……”
Just as Namgung San was about to speak—
“Great Hero Namgung! Are you inside?”
Gye Cheol-yeong’s booming voice echoed through the residence as he entered.
“Great Hero Namgung! This Gye has come to pay his respects.”
“……This is not a good time. Let us speak later.”
“Hahaha! What could possibly be wrong?”
Gye Cheol-yeong turned toward me.
“Did you have a pleasant conversation with our So-un? You! You did not make some mistake toward Great Hero Namgung, did you?”
If Gye Cheol-yeong had possessed a tail, it would probably have been wagging so quickly that no one could see it.
“Would you step outside for a moment?”
“If the conversation is not going well, please tell me. I will give him a proper scolding—”
“My friend.”
Namgung San’s voice turned cold.
“Did I not just ask you to leave?”
The moment Namgung San’s cold gaze settled on Gye Cheol-yeong, the man’s expression became that of a mutt abandoned by its master.
“Ah…… Y-yes. This is something Father asked me to deliver……”
Even then, Gye Cheol-yeong opened the wooden box and displayed the golden toad inside.
“I will leave now. Please continue your conversation.”
Watching him flatter Namgung San so desperately, I could not help feeling amazed.
What kind of expression would he make if he learned that the Murim Alliance would eventually abandon him despite all this groveling?
“Did you see that?”
Namgung San looked back at me.
“I could have spoken with Gye Cheol-yeong, yet I chose not to. I am showing you consideration.”
“Do you call concealing your own weakness consideration?”
“……”
“The moment people learn that the Entry Token has fallen into Lady Namgung Seon-hwa’s hands, she will become a target throughout Jianghu.”
I stared directly at him.
“Does the Namgung Clan currently possess enough strength to protect both her and the token?”
“……!”
For the first time, a deep crack appeared in Namgung San’s composure.
“How do you know……”
“Is there anything else we need to discuss?”
Only then did his expression become truly serious.
I waited patiently for his answer.
After leaving the detached residence, Gye Cheol-yeong huffed angrily, unable to hide his resentment.
Hong Sa-ryeon, who understood what had happened without even witnessing it, gave a satisfied snort.
“I told you not to go inside.”
“……How dare someone like Jin So-un treat me that way……”
“Phew.”
Unable to contain his anger, Gye Cheol-yeong kicked several stones across the ground.
Then he suddenly raised his head as though struck by lightning.
“I must see the Sect Leader immediately.”
“……What nonsense are you talking about now?”
“Something unusual is happening inside. Jin So-un may offend the Namgung Clan and place the Taeul Sect in danger.”
“Do you truly think Senior Brother Jin is incapable of judging something that simple?”
“I said this is not the time!”
As though seized by sudden urgency, Gye Cheol-yeong hurried toward the Great Mysterious Hall.
“……Did you know everything?”
Namgung San’s voice was low.
“The reason I came here and the position I am currently in?”
“Is that what matters to you, Great Hero?”
“……No.”
He shook his head.
“What matters is the Entry Token.”
“I will say this once more. I have no intention of handing it over.”
Namgung San sighed.
“Then how about this?”
He looked directly at me.
“Let us settle it with a martial duel.”
What nonsense was he talking about?
No matter what he offered, did he truly believe I would accept such a wager?
“You will stake only the Entry Token.”
Namgung San began listing his own wager.
“I will stake the Seven-Colored Jewel, this Heavenly Silkworm Thread, and……”
His hand paused inside his robes.
In the end, Namgung San took out a wooden box.
“I will wager this Great Swallow Divine Pill.”
The Great Swallow Divine Pill was a spiritual medicine granted only to direct descendants of the Namgung Clan, much like the Steel Guardian Pill.
Its effects were comparable to those of the Snow Plum Pill.
It was an extraordinarily valuable treasure.
Even so, it was not enough to persuade me.
“Even if you wagered the entire Namgung Clan, Great Hero, do you truly think I would accept such an unreasonable bet?”
“That depends on the conditions.”
“……”
“You have already rejected my proposals several times, yet you remain seated here.”
Namgung San looked directly at me.
“If you truly intended to refuse, would you not have left already?”
“Continue.”
“I will use only the Boundless Firmament Sword Art. As for internal energy……”
He paused briefly.
“What if I limit myself to the Third Star? If you win, I will give you the Seven-Colored Jewel, the Heavenly Silkworm Thread, and the Great Swallow Divine Pill.”
At most, Namgung San probably possessed around one cycle of internal energy.
That was roughly the level expected of a successor from a prestigious faction.
The Third Star of one cycle would amount to around twenty years of cultivation.
On top of that, he would restrict himself to the Boundless Firmament Sword Art.
In his mind, he must have believed he had offered irresistible bait.
“You will keep this wager secret, correct?”
Perhaps my response was completely unexpected, because Namgung San’s eyes widened like those of a startled rabbit.
“Even if the duel remains secret, both you and I will know the terms.”
I stared at him coldly.
“So do not violate them. If you do, I will collect the price in blood.”
I currently possessed forty-five years of internal energy.
More importantly, I had recently confirmed against the Azure Sky Merchant Guild’s Secret Bow Unit that my Sword-Breaking Form worked against the Boundless Firmament Sword Art.
If I allowed such a perfect opportunity to slip away, I would be the greater fool.
“What is your answer?”
“What are you talking about?”
Jin Tae-san and Hong Mun-gi could not understand Gye Cheol-yeong, who had suddenly burst into the Great Mysterious Hall and poured out his words without stopping.
According to him, Jin So-un had offended Namgung San.
If things continued, a life-and-death confrontation might break out, placing the Taeul Sect in danger.
Therefore, they needed to hurry and stop them.
It was a ridiculous claim.
Why would Jin So-un provoke Namgung San in the first place?
And why would the two of them engage in a life-and-death battle?
It would be more believable to say that Namgung San would beat Jin So-un one-sidedly.
After all, his opponent was the Heaven-Opening Divine Dragon, Namgung San.
He was one of Jianghu’s rising experts and a member of the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly.
Even a hundred Jin So-uns should not have been his match.
And yet Gye Cheol-yeong looked genuinely desperate.
“I tried to stop things between them somehow. I even delivered the gift Father told me to bring, but Great Hero Namgung San did not so much as glance at it.”
Gye Cheol-yeong spoke urgently.
“He was glaring at Jin So-un as though he wanted to kill him. At this rate, something terrible may happen.”
Hong Mun-gi and Jin Tae-san exchanged glances.
They could not decide whether to believe him.
If they ignored the warning and even one part of it proved true, disaster could descend upon the Taeul Sect without warning.
Yet everything Gye Cheol-yeong had said sounded absurd from beginning to end.
“The meeting has gone on for quite some time.”
Hong Mun-gi rose from his seat.
“Let us take a walk and see how things are going.”
“That would be best. He came as our guest, so we should show him some attention.”
Hong Mun-gi and Jin Tae-san took the lead, with Gye Cheol-yeong following behind them.
Before they could reach the detached residence, two men appeared from that direction, walking side by side with a cold atmosphere hanging between them.
Just as Gye Cheol-yeong had claimed, the mood between them was terrible.
Namgung San met their gazes and gave a slight nod.
Jin So-un, on the other hand, offered a proper clasped-hands greeting.
Jin Tae-san hurried over to his son.
“Where are you going?”
“To the training ground.”
“The training ground? Why?”
“Senior Namgung suggested that we exchange a few moves.”
Jin Tae-san and Hong Mun-gi stared at him with their mouths open.
Even Gye Cheol-yeong looked stunned.
The young disciples practicing at the training ground were the first to hear the news, and they quickly cleared the area.
From there, the rumor spread throughout the Taeul Sect.
The children rushed off to tell their friends. The Hall Masters and Deputy Hall Masters overheard them and passed the news along. Before long, word even reached the Elder Hall.
It took less than half an hour for nearly the entire Taeul Sect to gather around the training ground.
“Wow……”
“He is the eldest young master of the Namgung Clan, right?”
“That is the Heaven-Opening Divine Dragon.”
“But why is he dueling Senior Brother Jin?”
The young disciples chattered excitedly from every direction.
To them, Namgung San was like a legendary hero soaring through the heavens.
They might never have another chance to see someone like him in their entire lives, so their wonder and curiosity were only natural.
“Tae-san, what happened?”
“They agreed to a martial duel. Namgung San will use only the Boundless Firmament Sword Art and a portion of his internal energy.”
“Why?”
“I do not know.”
“Will this not leave the children terribly disappointed?”
There was no reason to believe the Taeul Sect’s martial arts could withstand those of the Namgung Clan.
The difference between them was simply too great.
But if the children witnessed that reality with their own eyes, would they not feel even more discouraged than the adults?
Shing.
The moment Namgung San drew his sword, the noisy training ground fell silent.
I drew my sword as well and assumed the opening stance.
“Since I have placed restrictions upon myself, there is no need for you to hold back.”
“Let us begin.”
Before I had even finished speaking, a cool breeze brushed the tip of my nose.
I immediately lowered my head and avoided Namgung San’s sword.
At the same time, I unleashed the Minor Heaven Sword Art.
Clang!
“Wow!”
The young disciples had only ever seen the plain, unadorned swordsmanship of the Taeul Sect.
So when they witnessed the dazzling splendor of the Boundless Firmament Sword Art, cries of amazement burst from them without restraint.
The adults hurriedly tried to quiet them.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
In an instant, Namgung San and I exchanged three moves.
The Minor Heaven Sword Art was clearly faster.
Even so, the Boundless Firmament Sword Art he wielded left no opening for me to exploit.
“You have accumulated a considerable amount of internal energy.”
Namgung San studied my sword.
“But is that all your swordsmanship amounts to? Such a crude sword art is hardly worthy of the internal energy you are pouring into it.”
“Are you relaxed enough to offer advice?”
Namgung San’s sword rushed toward me once more.
His blade split into three illusory paths, each aimed sharply at one of my vital points.
I immediately unleashed the Sword-Breaking Form.
Clang!
For an instant, Namgung San’s eyes trembled.
His technique was cut off halfway through.
“……!”
He briefly glanced at his sword before resuming his attack.
He seemed to have already grasped sword qi, as a faint bluish-green glow gathered along his blade.
To avoid being overwhelmed, I poured a large amount of qi into my blue-steel sword.
Clang! Clang, clang, clang!
Fragments of my blade scattered in every direction.
Namgung San’s sword did not move an inch.
We exchanged more than ten additional moves.
Then the sword sweeping toward my waist was caught by the Sword-Breaking Form and forced off course.
“……”
Namgung San stopped again, doubt filling his face.
I immediately stepped forward and began driving him back.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Namgung San deflected my attacks at a speed difficult for the eye to follow.
Although he blocked every strike of the swift Minor Heaven Sword Art, he was still pushed seven steps back from where he had begun.
“Wow!”
“Waaaaah!”
The adults had become so absorbed in the duel that they forgot to restrain the children.
“What in the world is happening……?”
Namgung San wore the same expression of disbelief as the adults of the Taeul Sect.
The Sword-Breaking Form had been created specifically to exploit weaknesses within the Boundless Firmament Sword Art.
Unless Namgung San had completely reinterpreted the technique and transformed it into a sword art of his own, he had no way to overcome it.
He had accomplished far more than most warriors of his generation.
But he had not yet reached that level.
Slash!
Namgung San was the first to suffer a strike.
A piece of his sleeve was sliced away and fluttered onto the training ground.
“Waaaaaaaaah!”
“Waaaaaaah!”
When the Boundless Firmament Sword Art failed, Namgung San switched to formless strikes.
The Minor Heaven Sword Art might have been a basic technique, but it was not so weak that it would lose to the improvised attacks of someone who had not yet surpassed the Peak Realm.
Whenever he returned to the Boundless Firmament Sword Art, I countered with the Sword-Breaking Form.
Unable to find another solution, he tried to suppress me with internal energy.
But how could twenty years of internal energy overwhelm my forty-five?
“……What kind of trick are you using?”
“Are you going to say the same thing Seong Mo-hyeon did, Senior?”
“……”
“Is it truly impossible that your own skill is simply lacking?”
I began unleashing the Breaking Strike Form of the Minor Heaven Sword Art.
My momentum surged.
Killing intent poured from my body.
Swish! Slash!
At last, Namgung San’s sword could no longer keep pace with mine.
His clothes were torn in several places, and his once-neat appearance gradually fell apart.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
We exchanged more than twenty moves in an instant.
By the end, Namgung San had been driven all the way to the edge of the training ground.
I swung my sword desperately, as though I were once again standing on a battlefield before a Demonic Path warrior.
The difference was that internal energy now poured endlessly from my dantian.
Because of that, every strike carried more power than ever before.
Clang! Clang!
Each time our swords collided, a heavy clang rang out like a hammer striking an anvil.
Thang!
Then, in a single instant, Namgung San’s sword was knocked aside, leaving his body completely exposed.
Without hesitation, I swung as though I were beheading a Demonic Path warrior.
Crash!
The moment my sword descended—
A tremendous impact struck me.
My body lifted into the air and crashed into the center of the training ground.
“……!”
“……!”
The arena, which had been filled with cheers only moments earlier, fell silent as though doused in cold water.
Even Namgung San seemed startled by what he had done. His eyes trembled violently.
“Did you not clearly say that you would use only the Boundless Firmament Sword Art?”
That final strike had been the Emperor Sword Art.
It was the Namgung Clan’s strongest sword art, passed down only through its direct bloodline.
And he had not used the Third Star of internal energy.
Judging by its power, he had used at least the Fifth Star.
“H-he won!”
“Senior Brother Jin won!”
Someone began shouting.
The confused children quickly joined in and erupted into cheers.
“Haha……”
Namgung San let out a hollow laugh.
“I lost.”
He shook his head.
“The Entry Token belongs to you.”
“And so do the Heavenly Silkworm Thread, the Great Swallow Divine Pill, and the Seven-Colored Jewel.”
Another empty laugh escaped him.
“Yes.”
By using the Entry Token as bait, I had obtained the Great Swallow Divine Pill, the Heavenly Silkworm Thread, and the Seven-Colored Jewel.
In terms of rarity, the Heavenly Silkworm Thread was no less valuable than the Great Swallow Divine Pill.
My blue-steel sword was nearing the end of its life, and it was about time I visited Old Man Wang, the artisan.
I had obtained an excellent material at the perfect time.
While I was pleasantly planning how to use my new treasures, Namgung San spoke again.
“But the duel will continue.”
“Pardon?”
“I should have realized it when the Grand Strategist spoke of you.”
Namgung San looked at me intently.
“You are no ordinary person. The fact that you took the Entry Token from me like this was no coincidence either, was it?”
I had no idea what he wanted now.
“Even if I lost the wager, I cannot allow myself to lose the duel.”
He raised his sword once more.
“That is what it means to bear the name of the Namgung Clan.”
Lofty pride did not maintain itself.
It survived only because people clung to it and struggled endlessly to preserve it.
As though continuing the duel were the most natural thing in the world, Namgung San swung his sword again.
This time, he no longer bothered restricting his internal energy.
“You were hiding quite a lot of cultivation.”
As far more internal energy surged through him, his movements became even faster.
I unleashed the Sword-Breaking Form against the Boundless Firmament Sword Art with all my strength.
Swoosh!
Boom!
Namgung San’s internal energy vastly surpassed mine, but the Sword-Breaking Form still worked.
Surprise briefly crossed his face.
Then he switched to the Emperor Sword Art.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
Each time he swung, my body was nearly lifted from the ground.
The Emperor Sword Art was heavier and sharper than even the heavy swordsmanship I had faced at the Iron Sword Sect.
‘Damn it.’
Jegal Cheon-gi had created Jegal’s Three Forms as Jianghu’s final answer to the Demonic Cult.
However, not everyone among the Nine Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Clans had agreed with his decision.
They believed that once the Demonic Cult disappeared and the Murim Alliance came to rule Jianghu, Jegal’s Three Forms might eventually be turned against them.
Because of that, while they allowed their main martial arts to be analyzed, they kept decisive killing arts such as the Emperor Sword Art hidden.
“This is becoming more interesting.”
Namgung San continued attacking.
“You cannot withstand the Emperor Sword Art?”
“Please say something reasonable.”
I barely deflected another strike.
“How am I supposed to counter the Namgung Clan’s secret sword art, which is barely known outside the clan, while you use your full internal energy?”
“And yet you counter the Boundless Firmament Sword Art far too easily.”
His eyes narrowed.
“Do you perhaps know its weakness?”
“If I knew that, would I be getting beaten around like this?”
Namgung San did not appear convinced.
He repeatedly switched between the Emperor Sword Art and the Boundless Firmament Sword Art, as though conducting an experiment.
A sense of danger rose within me.
At this rate, he might discover exactly what I was doing.
‘I need to end this quickly.’
Fortunately, the movements of the Emperor Sword Art were gradually becoming familiar to my eyes.
I kicked off the ground and charged.
“……!”
Startled by my sudden advance, Namgung San hurriedly withdrew the Boundless Firmament Sword Art and prepared to unleash the Emperor Sword Art.
At that moment—
I gathered every last trace of internal energy from the depths of my dantian and poured it into my left hand.
My fingers trembled beneath the overwhelming flow of qi.
‘After thrusting toward the vital point, the blade returns to the lower left.’
I forced my sword to follow the movements of the Emperor Sword Art I had memorized.
Then, just as Namgung San’s blade began returning to its original position, I seized it with my bare hand.
Squelch!
Blood sprayed through the air.
Namgung San’s sword was instantly stained crimson.
Blood poured from my palm, soaking both his clothes and mine.
“……You madman!”
Namgung San was so stunned that he could not even pull his sword free.
Before he could recover, I placed my blade against his neck.
Drip.
Drip.
Blood flowed down Namgung San’s sword and fell steadily onto the ground.
“Do you wish to continue?”
“……”
Namgung San gave no answer.
For the first time, his face turned deathly pale, as though he could not believe what had happened.
Instead, the young disciples erupted into cheers so loud that they seemed ready to faint.
This time, even the Hall Masters joined them.
“Waaaaaaaaah!”
“Waaaaaaah!”