The Genius Warrior Who Remembers Everything Chapter 66

Chapter 66. The Great Roc Waiting for a Typhoon (4)

In the end, it was decided that the people of the Elder Hall would go to the Azure Sky Merchant Guild.

And naturally, Jin Tae-san, the Hall Master of the Outer Hall, would stand at the center of it.

Perhaps because the sect’s finances had finally found some breathing room, my father kept letting out long sighs.

The Sect Leader and the Hall Masters had to reorganize Taeul Sect internally while also learning the martial arts of the Taeul Sword Emperor, so even if they sealed the gates, they would not be able to rest for even a moment.

Fortunately, among the elders, there were some who had once worked for small merchant guilds or escort agencies in order to keep Taeul Sect’s household affairs running, so there would not be any great difficulty.

Moreover, Taeul Sect had Wang So-so, and they could always ask Wang Geum-san for help.

Even after matters had been settled to some extent, the elders and Hall Masters did not rise from their seats.

They all looked as if they could not bear their desire to see the True Inheritance of the Taeul Sword Emperor.

At this, Hong Mun-gi ordered wine and food, holding a small celebration while also creating a place for them to view the true inheritance.

And while everyone’s attention had turned toward the true inheritance, I quietly slipped out of the Great Mysterious Hall.

Then I went straight to look for Wang So-so.

Now that sealing the gates had become all but certain, there was something the Sect Leader and the adults were overlooking.

The Murim Alliance would never let matters end like this.

Although Murong Gang had acknowledged us, and although the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly had acknowledged us, in the middle of all that, Diancang Sect and Mount Hua Sect had suffered a grave blow to their pride.

If it had been only one person, that might have been one thing, but two people had suffered a grave blow to their pride. And those two people were the foremost talents of Mount Hua and Diancang respectively.

If those two sects joined forces, then among the people who had been hovering nearby, some would begin to show interest in the True Inheritance of the Taeul Sword Emperor as well.

And if such public opinion became the dominant current, Murong Gang’s distant recognition would not be of any help.

At the very least, Taeul Sect needed to buy time until it had fully sealed its gates and cut off its connection to the outside.

“Elder Brother! I’m over here!”

I approached Wang So-so, who was practicing with the other junior disciples at the training ground of Swift Blossom Hall.

In the few months I had not seen her, she had grown noticeably, and she was already beginning to shed the look of a little girl.

‘They do say girls grow early.’

Murong Seol, Namgung Seon-hwa, Seong Mo-ran, the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, and so on.

I had seen countless beauties renowned throughout the Jianghu, but Wang So-so’s beauty did not fall short of theirs in the slightest.

No, since she still had more growing to do, she was even worth looking forward to in the future.

‘I understand now why fathers with daughters hate their sons-in-law so much.’

Just imagining Wang So-so marrying someone already made me feel as if my little sister were being taken away.

“Your swordsmanship has improved greatly.”

“I’ve been working hard. Soon, I might even be able to have a martial duel with Eun-ho for more than one hundred forms.”

“Eun-ho is one of the top ten among the junior disciples, though?”

“That’s why. But what did you need to ask me?”

“Your family must have a lot of gold ingots, right?”

Wang So-so tilted her head.

“Would it only be gold ingots? We also have golden toads, golden dragons, golden deer…….”

“Yes, yes. May I ask you for one favor?”

“You may ask for two, though? You may ask for three, too.”

I held out a promissory note worth one hundred taels.

“Hm?”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Murong Seol told him about what had happened with Jin So-un.

“……Yes, I made a mistake toward Young Master Jin So-un.”

“Huh…….”

Murong Gang usually never wiped the smile from his face.

His uniquely mischievous face, full of playful humor, made his grandchildren feel that he was someone they could approach comfortably.

But now, he looked as if he had just seen a beloved puppy break a precious porcelain vase.

“I am sorry.”

“You clearly saw that those people from the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly were in the wrong, did you not?”

Murong Seol, who had always monopolized Murong Gang’s affection, found her grandfather stranger than ever before.

“Tsk, tsk. I went out of my way to create a chance to connect you, yet now it has become useless.”

“……?”

Neither Murong Seol nor Murong Jae-hwa understood what Murong Gang meant, but neither of them argued with him.

“Life in the Jianghu does not always flow according to the classics.”

Murong Gang’s voice was calmer than ever.

“When an opponent tries to step on you in order to rise, you must prove that you are not such an easy person to trample. In such cases, even a more ruthless hand can be one method, can it not?”

“…….”

Even if Murong Seol had ten mouths, she would have had nothing to say.

At the same time, however, she also wondered a little why Murong Gang was speaking this strongly.

Of course, she could not ask him that.

“If I had been in that situation, I would have shattered that bastard Hwa Jeong-san’s qi center.”

“…….”

“Tsk, tsk. I thought you might become a little more flexible after going to the Murim Alliance, but you have become even stiffer.”

“…….”

“He is the fellow who saved your father. Even if I say no more, you know very well what you did wrong, do you not?”

“Yes. I know very well.”

“Go and apologize respectfully. Make sure that no resentment remains in either him or you.”

“Yes…….”

“And quit that Dragon and Phoenix Assembly or whatever it is now. If you stay there any longer, I think you will harden like this for good. Return to the main family with me this time.”

“……Understood.”

Murong Gang rose from his seat and muttered.

“I heard he also has a connection with that child Seon-hwa. I hope that bastard Namgung Tae-ha is not already aiming for him…….”

Of course, Murong Jae-hwa and Murong Seol still could not understand what their grandfather was talking about.

Murong Seol immediately conveyed her story to the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly.

After hearing it, a shadow fell over Il-myeong’s face.

Except during emergency summons of the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, its activities were not compulsory.

Part of the reason was that the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly did not particularly engage in activities beyond inspecting Murim Alliance branches and the One Hundred Eight Peaks, but it was also because each individual who made up the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly was far too important to their respective sects and to the Murim Alliance, so they had been granted autonomy in advance.

Therefore, in this Dragon and Phoenix Assembly activity, Yong So-ah of Wudang Sect, Namgung San of Namgung Clan, and Hye-yeon of the Emei Sect had been absent.

With Jong Byeok-gi and Hwa Jeong-san already in poor condition, if even Murong Seol withdrew, then in reality, the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly’s activities had all but stopped.

“This will disrupt the schedule.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It is all right. Everyone has their circumstances.”

Il-myeong spoke with a heavy expression.

“It cannot be helped. Taeul Sect turned out differently than expected…….”

So Je-ho of Qingcheng Sect, who had been speaking, trailed off at the sharp looks from Jong Byeok-gi and Hwa Jeong-san.

Jong Byeok-gi’s grudge, in particular, ran bone-deep.

“That damned brat…….”

He had lost in a completely unexpected place, to a completely unexpected person, by a completely unexpected method.

Moreover, because of Murong Gang’s appearance, every method of overturning the defeat had gone up in smoke.

Now, he was instead in a situation where he had to worry whether Murong Gang might do something to him.

“I, I…… will definitely……. Aaagh!”

Jong Byeok-gi, who had been speaking, clutched his head at the terrible pain ringing through his temples.

One side of his head had swollen massively, as if a giant horn had grown out of it.

Dang Seo-hui, who had been treating Jong Byeok-gi, grabbed him by the hair and dragged him back down to the floor.

“Did you not hear me tell you to stay still? If you don’t want to live with headaches for the rest of your life as a side effect, you had better stay still.”

“…….”

Dang Seo-hui was the sort of madwoman who would use poison even on fellow members of the Murim Alliance if her temper twisted the wrong way.

Jong Byeok-gi clamped his mouth shut and only ground his teeth.

Looking at them, Il-myeong’s brow did not easily smooth out.

‘Yong So-ah…… perhaps he is on that level…….’

Il-myeong was feeling from Jin So-un the same sensation he had felt when he first met Yong So-ah.

“Perhaps…… a great disturbance will arise in the Jianghu.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that we will have to reassess Taeul Sect.”

“Damn it, we cannot let it end like this.”

When he heard Il-myeong’s words, Jong Byeok-gi sprang upright.

At that moment, Dang Seo-hui, whose rage had risen all the way to the top of her head, stabbed a needle into Jong Byeok-gi’s numbing acupoint.

“Urk!”

“Did you not hear me tell you not to move? Do you want to taste the pain of Muscle-Separating and Bone-Seizing?”

“N-No. No, I don’t. I will stay still…….”

Jong Byeok-gi quickly sought help from Hwa Jeong-san.

“Jeong-san, you say something too. This is not something we can simply let pass, is it?”

“…….”

Hwa Jeong-san merely sat there silently with sunken eyes.

“What happens if you don’t simply let it pass?”

At Seo Sa-ryeong’s question, Jong Byeok-gi’s eyes darted around.

“Naturally, we must report it to the Murim Alliance. We must report that martial arts of unknown origin have appeared!”

“But Elder Murong Gang has already publicly declared otherwise.”

Jong Byeok-gi stared at Murong Seol.

“Hmph! Have you forgotten what our duty is? We carry out audits and inspections without being influenced by external pressure. Is that not so, Jeong-san?”

“…….”

Hwa Jeong-san did not answer Jong Byeok-gi’s words, and instead, Murong Seol’s eyes sank coldly.

“Do you think Murong Clan will stay still?”

“Did I not say such things don’t matter anyway? Everything is for the Murim Alliance to decide. Can even Murong Clan ignore the Alliance’s decision?”

Watching the war of nerves between Jong Byeok-gi and Murong Seol, Il-myeong’s eyes sank once again.

Jong Byeok-gi’s words had a certain degree of realism.

If Jong Byeok-gi and Hwa Jeong-san stepped forward, Diancang and Mount Hua would move at the same time. In addition, if what happened today was reported, even more people would become interested in the martial arts, and if things reached that point, even the Sword-Breaker under Heaven would not be able to block it alone.

Justification was originally such a thing.

“Hmm…… Will that be all right? Young Master Jin seems to have a personality that is by no means easy to deal with.”

At the sight of Seo Sa-ryeong speaking while stroking her red lips with her pale fingers, Jong Byeok-gi swallowed unconsciously and spoke with even greater confidence.

“Just watch. I will definitely make it happen. If Diancang and Mount Hua step forward first, other sects will probably become interested as well.”

Jong Byeok-gi was planning exactly what Il-myeong had expected.

Il-myeong knew that his own sect could not be free from this place either.

Could they truly avoid taking an interest in the martial arts of Taeul Sect, which had destroyed the Diamond Prajna Palm?

At that moment, Murong Seol looked behind her.

Seo Sa-ryeong and Hwangbo Yeon soon looked behind them as well.

Before long, a young man carrying bundles in both hands walked in over the wall.

“Young…… Master Jin…….”

At Murong Seol’s words, the eyes of Jong Byeok-gi and Hwa Jeong-san sharpened.

Jong Byeok-gi begged Dang Seo-hui to release his numbing acupoint, but she merely stared silently at Jin So-un.

“The Sect Leader asked me to come and ask whether anything was making you uncomfortable.”

There was a smile on his face, and his attitude was confident.

He looked as if he had completely forgotten the desperate martial duel that had taken place just one day earlier.

Il-myeong also wore a smile at the corners of his mouth and stepped a few paces forward.

“Thanks to you, we have been staying very comfortably. I do wonder if we are causing you needless trouble.”

“Would it not be an honor for every Murim sect to welcome the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly? You may not be able to stay for long, but please rest comfortably while you are here.”

At Jin So-un’s words, the eyes of the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly members shook violently.

Had they not fought far too desperately for him to speak so casually?

“Are you all right, Young Hero?”

“I too have no place on my body that does not ache. As expected, Mount Hua’s sword is fearsome beyond measure.”

“…….”

Hwa Jeong-san glared at Jin So-un terrifyingly.

Beside him, Jong Byeok-gi also glared at him with a stiff body, but rather than frightening, he looked comical.

“My apologies to Venerable Il-myeong, but I brought some grain tea.”

“Grain tea” was a coded term used by monks to refer to alcohol.

“Hoho, grain tea, you say?”

“Among my junior disciples, there is a child from Wang Estate, so I asked her to obtain some Gold-Dust Fine Wine.”

Gold-Dust Fine Wine was a precious wine produced personally by Wang Estate.

Although it was one of Hefei’s specialties, it was not something just anyone could taste.

When he untied the bundle, five splendidly decorated wine bottles emerged from within.

“……Since you have come all the way here, I thought you should at least taste a little of this place’s specialty.”

“Thank you. I cannot drink it, but the others will be able to enjoy it. Taeul Sect has truly cared for us in many ways.”

“Please don’t mention it. Are we not all fellow wayfarers gathered beneath the banner of the Murim Alliance? Hahahaha.”

So-un laughed heartily, but not a single man could laugh.

For some reason, they strongly felt as if they had been pushed back by So-un, who was several years younger than them.

On the other hand, the women’s eyes sparkled as they looked at So-un.

“Young Master Jin, how can you be so strong? I was truly surprised that Taeul Sect’s martial arts were at such a level.”

At Soul-Capturing Xi Shi Seo Sa-ryeong’s spring-flower-soft tone, Jong Byeok-gi wore an expression that said he had realized it too late.

Soul-Capturing Xi Shi Seo Sa-ryeong had subtly conveyed that she intended to remove herself from this matter.

“…….”

In addition, she had even given Jin So-un a chance to speak about the martial arts.

As expected, Jin So-un did not miss that opportunity.

“In truth, I would like to thank Great Hero Hwa for that part.”

The people tilted their heads.

“…….”

“In truth, we recovered our Grand Patriarch’s martial arts with great difficulty, but we were worrying over how to make them known to the world. We could simply have announced it, but if we had, we did not know what kind of dispute we might be drawn into. Just like today.”

Il-myeong’s mouth slowly opened in surprise.

“But at just the right time, Great Hero Hwa Jeong-san said that he wanted to see the sword forms of the Taeul Sword Emperor, and so we gained a good opportunity.”

“T-That was…… Ahem.”

Hwa Jeong-san could not say anything.

The moment he revealed that his original intention had been mockery, the one who would fall would be Hwa Jeong-san himself.

“Therefore, it is also true that I overexerted myself, and that Great Hero was injured as a result. Because of this, the Sect Leader is deeply concerned that he has injured a benefactor.”

At the word “benefactor,” Hwa Jeong-san’s face flushed red.

Il-myeong was watching Jin So-un, who tossed out such words so casually, as if he were observing some strange creature.

Jin So-un approached Hwa Jeong-san.

Then he set down the small bundle in his other hand and pushed it toward Hwa Jeong-san.

“……What is this?”

“We are such a small sect that we don’t have any spiritual medicines or items within the sect that can restore vital energy. This is a substitute.”

“……Hmph. No matter what Taeul Sect has prepared…….”

As Hwa Jeong-san roughly opened the bundle with a grumbling expression, his expression began to change subtly.

When he opened the small case that exuded an antique elegance, a plum tree carved from ox horn and gold emerged from within.

Seo Sa-ryeong, who usually wore many splendid ornaments of gold, silver, and jewels, opened her eyes wide.

“Huh…….”

“I happened to acquire this item a few months ago, and I wonder if perhaps it was meant to create this very connection. I hope you can use it to obtain spiritual medicine that will help Great Hero Hwa Jeong-san recover.”

“……Connection?”

“You may not know this, but in the past, the Hall Master of our Busaeng Hall was a Lay Disciple of Mount Hua Sect. In the end, the Dao of Mount Hua circled around and reached our Taeul Sect as well.”

“…….”

“Amid such circumstances, I committed such a mistake, so how sorrowful must the Sect Leader’s heart have been?”

Hwa Jeong-san had already lost the words to reply, and beside him, Jong Byeok-gi’s face, frozen in place as he watched, turned red and purple.

“Hwa Jeong-san, return that worthless thing. What is that supposed to be, that we should forgive them over it?”

At Jong Byeok-gi’s words, Hwa Jeong-san looked at him with fierce eyes.

“……You be quiet!”

“What?!”

“Is it not because you interfered for no reason that matters grew this large?”

Jong Byeok-gi’s face flushed redder than ever.

“Huh!”

Moreover, behind Jin So-un stood the massive supporter that was Murong Gang.

His eccentric personality, his profound martial arts, his enormous clan—making an enemy of him carried too much danger compared to the investment.

Perhaps the reason Hwa Jeong-san had been silent until now was because he had been thinking of a way to extricate himself.

Jong Byeok-gi glared at Jin So-un with venomous eyes.

“Brat! don’t think this is over!”

Then Jin So-un also stared at Jong Byeok-gi with cold eyes.

“That is also what I wished to say. Taeul Sect will remember what happened today for a long, long time.”

“I am Jong Byeok-gi of Diancang! Do you think I will be afraid?”

“……You should be afraid. Senior Murong Gang said he would take you with him.”

“Urk! W-What is that supposed to mean?!”

“Since you obstructed his eccentric excursion, should you not pay the price? Ah, and he also says he will send a letter to the Sect Leader of Diancang Sect. You should prepare yourself for punishment when you return.”

Jong Byeok-gi’s face turned sallow, and a relieved sigh escaped Hwa Jeong-san’s mouth.

“……Will you convey to the Sect Leader that this junior is reflecting on his disrespectful behavior?”

At Hwa Jeong-san’s words, Jong Byeok-gi and the members of the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly were aghast.

“Did I not tell you? He is grateful to you instead. Did you not say that the expert Mount Hua’s New Plum Blossom Sword admires most is the Taeul Sword Emperor?”

“Ahem…… I did.”

“What greater praise could there be for Taeul Sect?”

“Ahem…… Why would you say such a thing? Seeing your sword forms has also made me certain that my thoughts until now were correct.”

Watching Hwa Jeong-san chatting and laughing with Jin So-un as if nothing were wrong, Jong Byeok-gi’s face grew stranger and stranger.

And Il-myeong, who had watched that entire sequence of events, felt a chill in his chest.

‘He is…… frightening.’

What Jin So-un had shown during the martial duel had not merely been for the sake of displaying the recovered true inheritance.

The look as if he had met an irreconcilable enemy.

The tenacity that seemed determined to see blood to the very end.

And yet, he was now telling a plausible lie as if that behavior had not been sincere.

Because of Murong Gang, it was safe to say there would be no problem between the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly and Taeul Sect.

The problem, in the end, lay with Diancang and Mount Hua, the greatest victims of the incident. Yet Jin So-un had not compensated both of them. He had given only Mount Hua generous compensation, even bringing up a past connection.

Because of this, Hwa Jeong-san had no choice but to let go of his resentment toward Jin So-un, while Jong Byeok-gi, left alone, was now in danger of having his own wrongdoing grow larger, let alone preserving any justification.

‘His martial arts were no easy matter, but his scheming mind is even more outstanding.’

What made Yong So-ah remarkable was his talent, which others could not surpass.

But he was not a frightening existence.

Yong So-ah could not become a ruler, so he was not someone to fear.

By contrast, Jin So-un possessed a deep scheming mind that could manipulate people at will.

‘From now on, the Jianghu will be greatly shaken because of Taeul Sect…… no, because of that young man.’

Jin So-un once again looked at the members of the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly with a relaxed face and spoke.

“Then please rest comfortably. I will take my leave now.”

Just as Jin So-un was about to turn around.

“You must stop for a moment.”

Dang Seo-hui called out to Jin So-un, and the people of the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly looked at her in surprise.

That was because she almost never spoke to unfamiliar people she was seeing for the first time.

“You and I have something to settle.”

“Ah…. You mean that matter.”

For the first time, Jin So-un wore a troubled expression.

“I have decided to let the matter of the Golden Dragon Hidden Weapon pass. There was also Lord Divine Sword’s letter, and today’s matter also carries the meaning of an apology.”

These were stories that the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly did not know.

One thing was certain: Dang Seo-hui was also showing that she had no intention of joining Jong Byeok-gi’s matter.

“T-Thank you.”

“Instead, you must have a martial duel with me next time.”

“!!”

For Dang Seo-hui to ask for a martial duel was an expression of interest.

“Do you mean today?”

“Today is not a good time.”

Jin So-un, who could not possibly know that, merely nodded lightly.

“Please teach me a move someday.”

“Then it is a promise.”

With that, Jin So-un went out the gate.

“I will be going as well.”

Murong Seol left without waiting for an answer.

To anyone watching, she looked as if she had gone after Jin So-un.

“Oh my, did Seol have such an assertive side?”

Seo Sa-ryeong covered her red lips and giggled.

“……This is quite disconcerting in many ways.”

“…….”

“…….”

The men of the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, who had never envied anything in the world, firmly shut their mouths at the strange sense of defeat they were experiencing for the first time in their lives.