The Genius Warrior Who Remembers Everything Chapter 64

Chapter 64. The Great Roc Waiting for a Typhoon (2)

Because of the physical overload caused by Innate Energy and Murong Gang’s blow, I should have had to take a long rest, yet I had no choice but to be forcibly awakened by my junior disciples.

“What on earth were you thinking? Do you have any sense or not?”

I had sent Sa-ryeon to the Murim Academy and thought I would no longer have to hear such nagging.

“Innate Energy……. I am truly speechless. If something had gone wrong while you were doing that…….”

Now that Wang So-so had learned a little martial arts and understood what it meant to use Innate Energy, her nagging had no end.

“……Well, even if your martial arts were abolished, you could come to our merchant guild and work there, so that would not have been bad either…… In any case, it makes no sense for you to do something that dangerous!”

“……Could you choose just one, whether you are disappointed or worried?”

“Anyway! I had already been planning to tell Father after this Dragon and Phoenix Assembly was over. Of course, the Diancang Sect has now been added along with the Mount Hua Sect. I will definitely show them just how bitter the financial power of the Wang Estate can be.”

I did not know what exactly she intended to do, but since they had offended the precious daughter of one of the Four Great Merchants under Heaven, it seemed certain that the Mount Hua Sect and the Diancang Sect would suffer difficulties for a while.

“Eldest Senior Brother. This time, you went a little too far. Are you in your right mind?”

Geum-pyo, who was not that many years apart from me among the Gold, Silver, and Bronze brothers, stepped forward as their representative.

“Those words are…… a little irreverent to say to your Eldest Senior Brother, are they not?”

“They say that if a person makes the same mistake more than three times, it has become a habit. If you do something like this again, we will tie you tightly to a pillar of the Taeul Sect and only feed you three meals a day.”

At Geum-pyo’s terrifying words, the gathered junior disciples nodded all at once.

When did their unity become so good while I was away?

“Brother. I really mean it.”

Kang Yu-seong and Jegal Cheon-gi stood to one side.

Jegal Cheon-gi’s two eyes were opened wider and fiercer than ever before.

“I am not joking. If you act like this, I will create a Mechanism Formation surpassing the Boundless Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation and put you inside it.”

“…….”

Even if I had ten mouths, I would have nothing to say, so I nodded.

Should I like this situation or not?

While I was being tormented like that—

Someone suddenly entered, ignoring my Sensory Perception.

When I saw her face half-covered by a face veil, I realized who it was.

‘I really must have overdone it. To think I did not sense anything until she arrived.’

“…….”

The junior disciples stopped chattering and looked at her with hostile gazes.

It was Murong Seol of the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly.

The Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, who had originally planned to stay outside, ended up staying at the Taeul Sect because of Jong Byeok-gi and Hwa Jeong-san’s injuries.

They were wary of Murong Gang’s gaze and could not move immediately, and in particular, Jong Byeok-gi’s condition was far from good.

“Are you all right?”

“…….”

Her voice was a little more youthful than in the past. While my mind was confused by the overlapping memories and I could not say a word, Wang So-so stepped forward with venomous eyes.

“That is not something someone who helped create this situation should be saying, is it?”

At Wang So-so’s words, the junior disciples all began showing hostility at once.

I could see that the junior disciples were following So-so like their leader.

“First, I will offer my apology.”

Murong Seol removed her face veil and performed a courteous clasped hands greeting.

“…….”

The boys who had been hostile toward Murong Seol flinched when they saw her appearance, then stood there not knowing what to do.

I gave a faint laugh at the sight of them and said,

“Could you give us the room for a moment?”

“Older Brother!”

“She is a guest who came to the Taeul Sect. Is it not right to observe at least the minimum courtesy?”

“But!”

“It is good to be angry, but Miss Murong Seol was at least the one who defended us.”

“……Understood.”

When I stroked Wang So-so’s head, Wang So-so, who had been moving her lips, nodded.

After glaring at Murong Seol, Wang So-so turned sharply around.

Starting with Wang So-so, all of the junior disciples left.

“I apologize for my junior disciples’ discourtesy.”

“……No. I understand. If it were me, I would have done the same.”

In truth, Murong Seol had been the one in the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly who stopped Jong Byeok-gi and Hwa Jeong-san, yet she wore an apologetic expression as though she had done something wrong.

“Is this not already settled? I also committed discourtesy, so I don’t think either of us needs to feel sorry any longer.”

Seeing her sad expression was painful for me.

Fortunately, she seemed to understand my words and nodded.

“Then may I say one thing?”

“Please do.”

“During your Martial Duel with Hwa Jeong-san, why did you force it to continue like that?”

“…….”

“To my eyes, it certainly seemed as though you could have overwhelmed Hwa Jeong-san. Did I see wrong?”

I felt as though I had revived and projected a memory I missed.

‘This was the kind of person she was.’

She was a righteous and fair person. Since there had been an incident involving the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, which she belonged to, it must have been uncomfortable for her to come here and talk like this, yet she did not hesitate to question what she thought was wrong.

Even in my previous life, the reason she left the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly was because she had clashed with Hwa Jeong-san after Hong Mun-gi fell into Qi Deviation.

“You saw correctly.”

“If I saw wrong, then…… pardon?”

“Great Hero Hwa said he ‘wanted to see the sword forms of the Taeul Sword Emperor,’ and I was trying to live up to his opinion.”

“…….”

“When Great Hero Jong interfered, I could have ended it moderately, but I deliberately did not.”

At my shameless words, bewilderment appeared on Murong Seol’s face.

At this point, she was still only a young woman in her early twenties.

“Why……?”

“My junior disciples were watching.”

“…….”

“The adults of my sect were watching as well. In such a place, he openly invoked the Taeul Sword Emperor and insulted the Taeul Sect.”

“…….”

“Now that things have turned out this way, that mockery has become reality, but was Great Hero Hwa not invoking the Taeul Sword Emperor in order to mock the Taeul Sect?”

Murong Seol’s expression became complicated.

“When I was young, I could not say that I belonged to the Taeul Sect. I was ashamed of belonging to the Taeul Sect.”

“……No, um, wait…….”

Murong Seol looked toward the door for a moment and appeared troubled, as though she did not know what to do.

I did not know why she was acting this way, so I simply continued speaking.

“Because I was ashamed and hid it, I came to hate it, and because I hated my sect, I even came to dislike my junior disciples and the adults. Even though they were all like family to me.”

This was my story, one that alluded to my previous life.

It was the story that the her of my previous life had wanted to hear, but that I had never been able to tell.

“That was why I did it. So that I, my junior disciples, and the adults of my sect would not hate the Taeul Sect. So that we could feel proud to belong to the Taeul Sect. So that we could cherish the people of the Taeul Sect.”

“…….”

Murong Seol blinked repeatedly, as though confused. For now, it must still have been a story far too unfamiliar to her.

After all, it was likely an emotion only someone who had lost everything could feel.

“It is true that I overdid it. Trying to oppose the entire Dragon and Phoenix Assembly was wrong as well. I will apologize to you for that too, Miss Murong Seol. But if something like this happens again, I will act the same way again. To protect the people precious to me. Even if my life is on the line.”

“…….”

Murong Seol’s face flushed red, and she looked dazed.

She seemed flustered.

Did I push too hard?

Still, she was the person I had missed so deeply.

I did not want to remain in her memory as such an unpleasant experience. Just as I was about to continue the conversation with a slightly lighter topic—

“Waaaaah.”

“Boo-hoo-hoo.”

“Sob, sob!”

The junior disciples I thought had gone back began running in while crying.

“Eldest Senior Brother! I will never resent the Taeul Sect!”

“Eldest Senior Brother! I will also act exactly like you!”

“Older Brother! I will protect you too!”

“Brother! I will create a perfect Mechanism Formation that no one can invade.”

Pushed aside by the junior disciples who came rushing in all at once, Murong Seol soon recovered her expression, nodded, and left.

“Ah, no…… Miss Murong…… I wanted to talk a little more…….”

“Eldest Senior Brother!!”

“Eldest Senior Brother!!”

“Older Brother!”

“Brother!”

I wanted to escape, but there was no strength in my body.

After leaving the pavilion, Murong Seol tried to calm her violently pounding heart.

‘Why am I like this?’

Because this was not the first time, Murong Seol was even more flustered.

From the moment Jin So-un had swung his sword against Jong Byeok-gi, who had intruded upon the Martial Duel, Murong Seol’s heart had begun pounding violently.

Those eyes, that line of his mouth, and that action were etched into her mind and would not leave.

In her very young childhood, there had been a battle with Black Path masters that she had encountered while following her grandfather on an eccentric journey.

At the time, her grandfather had sensed defeat, yet he had not lost his dignity.

The sight of him refusing to retreat no matter what happened had been branded into Murong Seol’s mind as the ideal image of a warrior.

And as she learned martial arts and met people over a long time, she came to understand that her grandfather’s appearance then was not something that just anyone, including herself, could achieve, and she had given up on finding such a sight.

Yet she had seen that very sight in none other than the Taeul Sect.

Even so, there had certainly been something wrong with the way he dealt with Hwa Jeong-san.

She had tried to question him about that, but he had shamelessly acknowledged everything.

And then there were the reasons why he had no choice but to act that way.

At his words, her reason stopped once again, and her heart began pounding violently.

‘What on earth is this?’

Even though she could not understand, she was retracing his words, which on the other hand seemed as though she might understand them, when—

“Sister!”

The thought was cut off, and at the same time, Murong Seol’s brow furrowed.

“……You!”

“Uh! Uh!”

When he saw Murong Seol step with the Soul-Chasing Footwork, Murong Jae-hwa also screamed in alarm and stepped backward with his own Footwork Art.

However, he could not escape the footwork of Murong Seol, who had achieved enough accomplishment that “Iron Sword” was included in her epithet.

Murong Seol’s arm wrapped around Murong Jae-hwa’s neck.

“If you were going to come with Grandfather, you should have told me in advance!”

“Aah……! It hurts! Did I know you were going to come here, Sister?”

Murong Jae-hwa, who had barely escaped from Murong Seol’s arm, rubbed his neck and spoke.

“Ugh…… I really need to hurry up and take the Inner Core or something…… But where are you coming from? I heard this way leads to Great Hero Jin So-un’s house.”

“……That is right. I was on my way back after meeting him for a moment.”

“Hm? Already? Did you know?”

“Know what?”

“That Great Hero Jin So-un saved Father.”

“……? What are you talking about?”

Murong Jae-hwa tilted his head.

Each time Murong Jae-hwa told her about what had happened so far and the events that had led him and Murong Gang to come to the Taeul Sect, Murong Seol’s face began turning pale.

“……Surely you did not make some kind of mistake toward Great Hero Jin So-un in the meantime, did you?”

“…….”

Murong Seol turned so pale that her naturally white skin looked even more pronounced.

“You did not make some kind of mistake toward Great Hero Jin So-un in the meantime, did you?”

Murong Seol did not answer even the repeated question.

In the end, Murong Jae-hwa began rationalizing it to himself.

“No way…… surely not. No matter what, you are not the kind of person who would make a mistake toward someone who risked his life for Father, are you, Sister?”

“…….”

Murong Seol still had no answer.

The junior disciples did not stop crying for a long time.

“What is this uproar?”

Kang Chae-seok entered with a deep frown on his face.

“Did someone die?”

“N-no, Hall Master, that is!”

“Older Brother! Older Brother!”

“Sob, sob.”

The junior disciples spoke incoherently, stopped, and burst into tears.

Kang Chae-seok’s face grew irritated because he did not know the full story.

If this was not a chaotic mess, nothing was.

I just wanted to go back in and sleep.

“Jin So-un. Come out. The Sect Leader is calling for you.”

“……Yes.”

But I could not do that.

“……Please go and return safely, Eldest Senior Brother.”

This time, the junior disciples also sensed the atmosphere and slowly stepped back.

At last, the oldest promise in the history of the Taeul Sect was on the verge of being fulfilled.

“…….”

On the way to the Great Mysterious Hall, Kang Chae-seok had a stiff face and said nothing.

I could understand how he felt.

He was the strongest within the Taeul Sect, and because of that, he must have always faced the high walls of the murim as the representative of the Taeul Sect.

It was clear that this was not a situation where any words could come easily.

All of the adults of the Taeul Sect were gathered in the Great Mysterious Hall.

“Disciple Jin So-un greets the elders.”

“…….”

Starting with Sect Leader Hong Mun-gi, from the elderly Elders to the Hall Masters who supported the Taeul Sect.

All of their expressions were not very different from Kang Chae-seok’s.

“…….”

Solemn and heavy silence continued.

Who should say what first?

Neither I, who would convey the Taeul Sword Emperor’s promise, nor the people of the Taeul Sect, who would receive that promise, knew how to react to this event we were all experiencing for the first time.

“…….”

I merely waited quietly in the silence for their thoughts to settle.

Hong Mun-gi, who had clasped both hands together and covered his mouth with them, was staring at me from the farthest place directly in front of me with the most complicated eyes.

“Jin So-un.”

The moment his heavy mouth opened—

I, too, prepared to answer the question I expected.

“Yes.”

“Is it true that you threatened the Wind Earl Sword-Breaker Senior by asking whether he wanted to taste a warrior’s straight punch?”

“That is correct. It was precisely the Taeul Sword Emperor’s…… Hm?”

As I answered, I felt that something was strange and tilted my head.

“You say it is true that you threatened the Wind Earl Sword-Breaker Senior by asking whether he wanted to taste a warrior’s straight punch? Is that how I taught you?”

Sect Leader Hong Mun-gi, the Elders, and the Hall Masters all looked horrified, as though wondering where such a madman had come from.

In particular, Father was standing far away, making a gesture of drawing his thumb across his throat.

In my head, the face of the person who had caused them to act this way immediately surfaced.

‘This old man, seriously!!’