The Genius Martial Artist Who Remembers Everything Chapter 26
Murmur. Murmur.
That evening, after the examination ended, a large sheet of paper was posted in front of the Great Training Ground.
As part of the Special Admission Track, the Appraisal Envoys publicly announced the results of the day’s examination once grading was complete.
The members of the Taeul Sect gathered around the list and stared at it in disbelief.
“Is this real?”
“How could the results turn out like this?”
……
18th place: Song Ja-mun
19th place: Gye Cheol-yeong
20th place: Gwak Sam-nam
……
Gye Cheol-yeong stared at the results with his mouth hanging open.
Sixty-three disciples had taken the examination.
Nineteenth place could be considered above average, but this was an examination meant to select only one person.
It was hardly an impressive result.
More importantly, he had spent an enormous amount of money hiring a private instructor.
Jang Sa-gun, who had received that enormous payment, appeared even more shocked than Gye Cheol-yeong.
A student he had personally taught had never received such a poor score before.
Gye Cheol-yeong was not a prodigy, but even by his own assessment, he possessed considerable talent.
He had thoroughly memorized and understood every predicted question prepared by Jang Sa-gun.
That left only one explanation.
Jang Sa-gun’s predictions had been completely wrong.
“This makes no sense!”
Jang Sa-gun stopped Lee Ja-gon, who had finished organizing the examination papers and was heading toward the lodgings prepared by the Taeul Sect.
“Cheol-yeong placed nineteenth? That cannot be correct!”
“……”
Lee Ja-gon’s expression instantly turned cold.
“Senior, are you questioning the fairness of the Appraisal Envoys?”
“……!”
Even if Jang Sa-gun had once served as an Appraisal Envoy, fairness and impartiality were considered sacred principles in examinations conducted by the Murim Alliance.
Only then did he realize that his excitement had caused him to make a serious mistake.
“What I mean is that such a result does not seem reasonable.”
No matter how carefully he phrased it, he was still saying that he could not accept the result.
Lee Ja-gon’s expression grew even colder.
Jang Sa-gun’s eyelids trembled.
Even so, he could not retreat.
If there had been no problem with Gye Cheol-yeong, then his poor score could only mean there had been a problem with Jang Sa-gun’s teaching.
“Even though you are my senior, I see no reason for us to prove that the examination was fair.”
Lee Ja-gon paused.
“However, I will treat this as an objection raised on behalf of the Taeul Sect and show you the evidence.”
He took the examination paper from the top of the stack and handed it to Jang Sa-gun.
“This belongs to the disciple who placed first.”
Jang Sa-gun quickly examined the questions.
There were fifty in total.
They ranged from basic knowledge of martial arts to the operation of sword formations, the components of formations, and methods of distinguishing poisonous plants from medicinal herbs.
“The rankings were mostly decided by the questions in the forties.”
Lee Ja-gon pointed to the relevant section.
“Question forty-two was newly added and asked about the risk of qi deviation and the proper response.”
“Question forty-three concerned methods of distinguishing the Face-Fixing Art from ordinary disguise techniques.”
“Question forty-six asked for the characteristics of the Silver Concealment Art and methods of countering it.”
“Question forty-eight concerned expelling poison qi through circulation and breathing exercises.”
He continued listing several others.
“Th-these questions appeared?”
Jang Sa-gun was still only human.
There were limits to how accurately he could predict an examination.
Even so, his predictions had missed the actual questions by an extraordinary margin.
“Are these not beyond the normal scope of a basic examination?”
“The examinees have become increasingly well prepared, making it more difficult to distinguish between them.”
Lee Ja-gon looked directly at him.
“Especially because of the efforts of ‘teachers’ such as yourself, Senior, there have been far too many perfect scores.”
His voice carried a sharp edge.
“As a result, the examination has naturally become more difficult.”
Each word struck Jang Sa-gun like a needle, yet he still could not accept it.
“E-even so, something is strange.”
He hurriedly continued.
“We also taught some of these subjects. But qi deviation and the Face-Fixing Art are not normally studied by disciples who have only completed their basic martial training.”
His face twisted.
“How could eighteen disciples score higher than Cheol-yeong?”
Several of the scholarly examiners stepped forward with angry expressions, but Lee Ja-gon raised a hand and stopped them.
“It is true that examinees do not normally study those subjects.”
He continued calmly.
“But are they not matters that any martial artist with a proper foundation should understand?”
“……”
“Are you saying the Taeul Sect predicted questions that even I could not?”
“That was not what happened.”
Lee Ja-gon shook his head.
“I also found the results strange, so I summoned the disciples who placed first, second, and third and questioned them.”
He glanced toward the Taeul Sect’s disciples.
“They told me that their chief disciple gathered those who had neglected their studies and taught them personally.”
“He even created a study book for them.”
“The chief disciple?”
Jang Sa-gun’s gaze turned toward Jin So-un.
He was standing among the children to one side, surrounded by noise and celebration.
“Preparing specifically for an examination is not necessarily wrong.”
Lee Ja-gon spoke as he turned away.
“However, the Murim Alliance does not need people who are merely skilled at taking tests.”
“What it needs are martial artists with a broad and solid understanding of martial arts as a whole.”
With those words, Lee Ja-gon left for the lodgings alongside the scholarly examiners.
Jang Sa-gun remained where he was for a long time, staring at Jin So-un, the Hall Masters, and the other members of the Taeul Sect with blazing eyes.
“How did this happen?!”
Naturally, such an unexpected result was followed by a furious scolding.
Gye Yeon-seok erupted in anger unlike anything he had ever shown before Jang Sa-gun.
“Did you not tell me to trust you? Did you not promise that Cheol-yeong would definitely pass?”
At some point, his extremely respectful speech had deteriorated into a half-formal tone.
Jang Sa-gun did not react.
He had long grown accustomed to such changes in attitude from desperate parents.
When their children’s futures were involved, even high-ranking officials and ministers bowed before him as though attending an audience with the Emperor.
But when the results failed to meet their expectations, he had to endure the exact opposite treatment.
“I apologize. It seems my attempt to bring Examinee Gye Cheol-yeong’s score close to perfection ended up restricting his studies too narrowly.”
“If things continue like this…… If they continue like this……”
“Please do not worry. The second examination will be different.”
“You have a plan?”
“The second examination is what I have focused on most heavily during our preparations.”
Jang Sa-gun spoke with confidence.
“It tests the martial arts of the examinee’s own sect.”
“Cheol-yeong has learned the forms, but not the internal cultivation method!”
“There is no need to worry.”
Jang Sa-gun shook his head.
“The strength of the sects within the One Hundred Eight Peaks varies far too widely. Because of that, the Murim Alliance excludes internal energy and judges only the forms.”
He continued,
“In fact, an examinee receives a higher score by performing the forms skillfully without relying on internal energy.”
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“Is there anyone in the Taeul Sect whose mastery of martial arts surpasses Cheol-yeong’s?”
“……Ahem. I will wait and see.”
“The second examination measures how deeply each examinee understands the martial arts of their own sect.”
For some reason, the members of the Gyeryong Merchant Guild brightened at Lee Ja-gon’s explanation.
“Each examinee will demonstrate their sect’s martial arts before ten Appraisal Warriors.”
He continued solemnly,
“However, for safety reasons, the use of internal energy is completely prohibited.”
“That is right!”
Gye Yeon-seok shouted excitedly.
His voice was so loud that the Sect Leader and Elders seated on the platform turned to look at him.
Gye Yeon-seok did not notice.
His gaze remained fixed entirely on the examination ground.
“If internal energy cannot be used…… then Senior Brother Gye will surely take first place.”
Geum-pyo, standing beside me, muttered uneasily.
He was the eldest son of the miller’s family and, among the disciples of Busaeng Hall, probably disliked Gye Cheol-yeong the most.
As the elder brother of Eun-ho and Dong-ryong, he also naturally looked after the other disciples like an eldest brother, so many of the children followed him.
“Are you worried?”
“I would be lying if I said I was not.”
Geum-pyo frowned.
“Senior Brother Gye is always finding famous martial artists from somewhere and receiving private instruction.”
The Taeul Sect’s forms focused on swift swordsmanship and tended to be rather simple.
Since Gye Cheol-yeong had already learned many different forms, he naturally possessed a greater breadth of experience.
In actual sparring without internal energy, I was usually the only disciple who could defeat him consistently.
Sa-ryeon was about the only other person who could fight him evenly.
“Eldest Senior Brother, please make sure you take first place.”
“Did you not score higher than me on the written examination?”
I had deliberately adjusted my score and placed around fifth.
Geum-pyo had taken fourth, just above me.
“Even so, I want you to enter the Murim Academy.”
“The examination is not over yet.”
I glanced at him.
“Did you fully learn the Minor Heaven Sword Art I taught you?”
“Of course.”
“Then you may look forward to this test.”
“To what?”
Instead of answering, I turned back toward Lee Ja-gon.
“For this examination, the Appraisal Warriors will use only the Taeul Sect’s basic sword art—the Minor Heaven Sword Art.”
He surveyed the disciples.
“The examinees must also use only the Minor Heaven Sword Art and break through the Appraisal Warrior’s forms within fifty exchanges.”
The expressions of the Sect Leader and Hall Masters immediately hardened.
Every Appraisal Warrior was at least a third-grade warrior of the Murim Alliance.
No matter how familiar the Taeul Sect’s disciples were with their own martial arts, breaking the forms of such experienced warriors would be extremely difficult.
However—
“He said we only need to use the Minor Heaven Sword Art?”
“He definitely said that, right?”
“I heard it clearly too.”
For some reason, the disciples could not hide their excitement.
After my duel with Namgung San, the children had come to me and asked to learn the Minor Heaven Sword Art.
I had taught them its Ascendant Form.
It was a technique based on the Sword-Breaking Form, transformed to eliminate the original art’s weaknesses while strengthening its advantages.
It was no exaggeration to say that it had been specifically designed to break the ordinary Minor Heaven Sword Art.
Meanwhile, the Gyeryong Merchant Guild became heated for a very different reason.
“Teacher Jang Sa-gun! What in the world is happening?”
Gye Yeon-seok shouted angrily, forgetting that the examination was still underway.
Jang Sa-gun’s expression stiffened as well.
……
6th place: Gwak Il-nam
7th place: Gye Cheol-yeong
8th place: Song Gyeong-mun
……
On the second day of examinations, Gye Cheol-yeong barely managed to remain within the top ten.
“What are you going to do now?!”
The last traces of formality disappeared from Gye Yeon-seok’s speech.
Jang Sa-gun’s eyelids trembled with humiliation.
“Father, there is still another chance.”
Even though Jang Sa-gun still addressed him respectfully and spoke with growing desperation, Gye Yeon-seok’s eyes were filled with distrust.
“The third examination carries the greatest weight in the Special Admission Track.”
Jang Sa-gun hurriedly explained,
“Fortunately, Cheol-yeong’s second score was not poor. He can still overturn the rankings.”
“Continue.”
“……Only the top sixteen examinees from the first two tests may participate in the third examination.”
He swallowed before adding,
“They will compete in martial duels. The previous two tests are, in effect, merely preparation for this one.”
Of course, that was a lie.
The third test judged the examinees’ overall martial depth through controlled duels that prevented the fighting from becoming too dangerous.
If the difference in skill was unclear, the scores from the earlier examinations would still affect the final ranking.
‘However……’
The reverse was also true.
If someone achieved overwhelming victories in the martial duels, the previous scores would become almost meaningless.
“Hmph! The Taeul Sect may be third-rate, but even they have a few brats with some talent.”
Gye Yeon-seok glared at him.
“How can you guarantee that Cheol-yeong will defeat them overwhelmingly?”
By now, he spoke to Jang Sa-gun entirely as though addressing a subordinate.
Even so, Jang Sa-gun gritted his teeth and endured it.
“I am aware of them.”
He began listing the strongest candidates.
“Geum-pyo, Eun-ho, and Dong-ryong—the three sons of the miller’s family. Their martial foundations are considered fairly solid among the Taeul Sect’s disciples.”
He continued,
“Hong Sa-ryeon, Sect Leader Hong’s daughter, possesses the greatest skill among the children of Busaeng Hall.”
“You forgot someone.”
Gye Yeon-seok’s expression twisted.
“Jin So-un!”
“……”
“Even now, I can hardly believe it, but he is the man who defeated the Blood Wolf Iron Sword, Seong Mo-hyeon, and the Heaven-Opening Divine Dragon, Namgung San!”
His voice rose sharply.
“How is Cheol-yeong supposed to defeat people like that overwhelmingly?”
Gye Cheol-yeong trembled as he stood nearby, forced to listen as his own father disparaged him because of Jang Sa-gun’s failures.
But understanding how important the situation was, he remained silent.
“Father.”
At last, he spoke.
“You must trust me.”
“You must first give me a reason to trust you!”
“I have heard the rumors as well. The power Jin So-un displayed was ultimately little more than a suicidal attack meant to drag his opponent down with him.”
Jang Sa-gun continued carefully.
“In this examination, the Appraisal Envoys will stop the duel before it ever reaches such a dangerous point.”
“Get to the point!”
At Gye Yeon-seok’s sharp urging, Jang Sa-gun swallowed.
Then he nodded toward the female warrior beside him.
After hesitating briefly, she reached into her robes and took out a red wooden box.
The moment she opened it, five ominous crimson pills were revealed inside.
“What is that?”
“The secret method that will send Cheol-yeong into the Murim Academy.”
“……”
“It is called the Blood-Explosion Pill.”
Gye Yeon-seok’s eyes widened, and his lips began trembling.
“Y-you bastard! Are you trying to end the Gye family line?”
His face twisted with fury.
“How dare you bring such a sinister medicine before me!”
“Father, do you know why the Demonic Cult was destroyed long ago?”
“Why are you suddenly talking about that?”
“Is it not strange?”
Jang Sa-gun’s voice grew steady.
“Countless Unorthodox and Black Path factions commit all manner of atrocities throughout Jianghu, yet the Murim Alliance does not completely destroy them.”
He pointed toward the crimson pills.
“Then why was the Demonic Cult alone eradicated?”
“……”
“There were many reasons, but this secret medicine was one of the greatest.”
Jang Sa-gun lowered his voice.
“The Blood-Explosion Pill can draw out more than twice a person’s latent strength without any conditions.”
“Yes—and it leaves them crippled.”
“No.”
“What?”
“That is merely what the public believes.”
Jang Sa-gun shook his head.
“The truth is different. The Murim Alliance feared that the Demonic Cult would use this medicine to grow powerful enough to threaten all of Jianghu. That was why they destroyed it.”
“This is the first time I have heard such a story.”
Jang Sa-gun nodded toward the scholarly man.
The scholar removed a blue-green wooden box from his luggage and opened it.
“This is called the Dormant Blood Pill.”
Jang Sa-gun gestured toward it.
“After the Blood-Explosion Pill awakens one’s latent power, the Dormant Blood Pill forces that power back into dormancy.”
He continued,
“That allows the user to unleash their full strength while reducing the aftereffects to a minimum.”
“……”
Gye Yeon-seok’s eyes wavered.
There was no chance the medicine was completely safe.
If such a miraculous drug truly existed without consequences, the Blood-Explosion Pill would not be traded secretly.
Even so, he could not dismiss the proposal.
There was supposedly an antidote called the Dormant Blood Pill.
More importantly, Gye Cheol-yeong’s current scores were not high enough to guarantee his admission to the Murim Academy.
Gye Yeon-seok stared at his son for a long time before turning back to Jang Sa-gun.
“If you conceal even the smallest detail, I will pursue you to the ends of hell and destroy you.”
His voice grew cold.
“What are the true side effects?”
Jang Sa-gun swallowed hard.
“……If he exceeds one hundred exchanges, his dantian may suffer permanent damage.”
“You…… damned bastard……”
“But think about it, Father.”
Jang Sa-gun hurriedly continued.
“Cheol-yeong possesses thirty years of cultivation.”
He gestured toward the direction of the Taeul Sect.
“No matter how desperately Hong Sa-ryeon or Jin So-un trained using the Taeul Sect’s martial arts, neither should possess even twenty years of internal energy.”
“……”
“Once Cheol-yeong consumes the Blood-Explosion Pill, they may not withstand even a single strike from him.”
For true experts, one hundred exchanges could pass in the blink of an eye.
But at Gye Cheol-yeong’s level, he would likely exhaust himself before reaching that number.
Moreover, the final examination would involve no more than five duels.
Under those conditions, using the Blood-Explosion Pill did not seem entirely unreasonable.
“Father.”
Gye Cheol-yeong stepped forward.
“You must trust me.”
“This is not the time for you to interfere.”
“Please think about it.”
Gye Cheol-yeong’s voice was firm.
“Even though Great Hero Namgung San limited himself to the Third Star of internal energy, he and Jin So-un did not exchange even fifty moves.”
Gye Yeon-seok remained silent for a long time.
At last, he ground his teeth.
“If Cheol-yeong’s dantian suffers even a wound as small as a fingernail, I will tear you apart with my own hands.”
Jang Sa-gun answered like a man standing at the edge of a cliff.
“Just believe in me, Father.”